LI Lujun*

 

Abstract: Persons with disabilities are equal members of the Chinese social family and an important force in upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics. They are also equal members of the global human family and an important force in the development of human civilization. In the global effort to advance sustainable development, persons with disabilities require special care and attention. The positioning of persons with disabilities and their cause by the Communist Party of China (CPC) determines that the protection and development of the rights of persons with disabilities are of great significance. General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important discourses on respecting and protecting human rights are the theoretical foundation for the protection of the rights of persons with disabilities. The constitutional principle of “the state shall respect and protect human rights” is the fundamental institutional basis for the protection of the rights of persons with disabilities, while the modernization of the cause of persons with disabilities is the direction for the protection of their rights. Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, through long-term exploration and practice, the Chinese model for the protection of persons with disabilities has undergone a historic transformation from single relief to comprehensive protection, from passive “offering results” to active “teaching methods,” from “relief” to “empowerment,” and from welfare relief to rights protection. This has led to the formation of the “Chinese model” for the protection of the rights of persons with disabilities. This model is centered on persons with disabilities and includes a value system for the protection of the human rights of persons with disabilities that encompasses respect, equality, shared prosperity, empowerment, participation, development, among other elements. It also features an integrated policy leadership, a systematic legal protection, a multi-stakeholder collaborative promotion, and a coordinated domestic and international approach as its distinct characteristics.

 

Keywords: rights of persons with disabilities · core values · legal protection · Chinese model