October 2025
UN Human Rights Council adopts China-tabled draft resolution on promoting economic, social and cultural rights
A draft resolution on promoting and protecting economic, social and cultural rights within the context of addressing inequalities was adopted unanimously at the 60th session of the UN Human Rights Council on Oct. 6.
China submitted the draft resolution on behalf of nearly 70 countries, including Bolivia, Egypt, Pakistan, and South Africa.
Ambassador Chen Xu, China's permanent representative to the UN Office in Geneva and other international organizations in Switzerland, stated at the session that, as this year marks the 80th anniversary of the UN's founding and the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, China's proposal aims to bridge differences, build consensus, and focus on action-oriented cooperation.
From: CGTN
China bolsters social assistance system to prevent poverty relapse
China has expanded its social assistance system to provide stronger support to vulnerable populations, including those on the verge of qualifying for subsistence allowance and families burdened by compulsory expenses, a senior official said on Oct. 10.
Lu Zhiyuan, minister of civil affairs, told a news conference that the system aims to prevent large-scale relapse into poverty and improve living standards, adding that the central government has introduced a national dynamic monitoring and regular assistance system for disadvantaged groups.
From: chinadaily.com.cn
China reports major improvements in welfare for children, elderly over past 5 years
Over the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), welfare for children and the elderly in China has seen significant improvements, China's Minister of Civil Affairs Lu Zhiyuan said on Oct. 10.
During this period, a comprehensive protection and care system for children in need was established, covering de facto unattended children, "left-behind" children whose parents work far from home, and migrant children, all of whom are now included within the country's protection and care services, Lu told a press conference.
De facto unattended children primarily refer to children whose parents are both missing, severely disabled, critically ill, imprisoned, deported, or subject to compulsory drug rehabilitation.
From: Xinhua
Revised policies boost Guangdong women's rights in digital era
Guangdong province has taken a pioneering step in ensuring gender equality in the digital field with the recent adoption of revised measures for women's rights protection.
The Standing Committee of the 14th Guangdong Provincial People's Congress voted on Oct. 11 to adopt the revised Measures for the Implementation of the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests in Guangdong Province, which will take effect on Jan. 1.
The revised measures have been expanded from the original nine chapters and 46 articles to nine chapters and 59 articles. They focus on key and challenging issues in protecting women's rights and interests, improving relevant systems and transforming effective provincial practices into institutional norms.
From: China Daily
China's path to gender equality hailed as model
China, which has made historic progress in uplifting the well-being of women, can serve as a role model for other countries that wish to promote gender equality and highlight women's key role in global development, analysts said.
In his address on Oct. 13 at the opening ceremony of the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, held in Beijing, President Xi Jinping said that it is the international community's shared consensus to advance the development of women.
From: China Daily
Chinese delegation on human rights visits Ireland, Finland
A delegation of the China Foundation for Human Rights Development (CFHRD) visited Ireland and Finland from Oct. 12 to 16 for exchanges on human rights.
Led by CFHRD Chairman Xie Fuzhan, the delegation met with officials from Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Finland's Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
It also held roundtables with experts and scholars from the Irish Centre for Human Rights, the Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA), the Human Rights Centre of Finland, University College Dublin and the University of Galway.
From: Xinhua
Think tank report highlights rural development, cultural inheritance in China's Xizang
A think tank report released on Oct. 16 hailed the practical achievements of rural development in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region since its founding 60 years ago.
The achievements can be summarized as rapid economic growth, robust cultural preservation, safeguarding livelihoods, strengthened ecological protection, and enhanced ethnic unity, according to the report.
Titled "Harmony Between Tradition and Modernity: Rural Development and Cultural Inheritance in China's Xizang," the report was jointly published by China Foundation for Human Rights Development and National High-Level Think Tank of Xinhua News Agency in both Chinese and English.
From: CGTN
Framework to secure overseas information transfers
China has introduced a certification program to regulate the transfer of personal information overseas, aiming to bolster data security while facilitating cross-border flows under a clearer legal framework. The rules will take effect on Jan. 1.
The Cyberspace Administration of China, the country's top internet regulator, and the State Administration for Market Regulation jointly released the measures on Oct. 17, outlining requirements for entities that send personal data abroad.
According to an official with the CAC, the program provides a legal pathway for data exporters that complies with national certification standards, as stipulated in the Personal Information Protection Law.
From: China Daily
State councilor urges efforts to promote women's cause
Chinese state councilor Shen Yiqin on Oct. 19 called on women's federations across the country to shoulder their responsibilities and take concrete steps to promote high-quality development of women's causes.
Speaking at a video meeting, Shen, also president of the All-China Women's Federation, said that the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, which was held in Beijing from Oct. 13 to Oct. 14, has set a new milestone for advancing women's causes worldwide.
Shen urged the women's federations across China to create a favorable environment for women's all-round development, establish platforms to support their high-quality engagement, and safeguard their legitimate rights and interests by improving governance.
From: Xinhua
Chinese legislator calls for enhanced China-Africa cooperation on women's rights
Tie Ning, vice chairperson of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, reaffirmed China's commitment to working with African nations to strengthen legal safeguards for women's rights and interests.
At the opening ceremony of an NPC-hosted seminar for African women parliamentarians in Beijing on Oct. 19, Tie said that China would collaborate with African legislative bodies to implement the outcomes of both the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women and the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.
"We are ready to join hands with all parties to promote legislative exchanges and governance experience-sharing, thereby advancing legal protections for women's rights and interests," she noted, emphasizing legislative cooperation's pivotal role in building a community with a shared future for humanity.
From: Xinhua
Rapid advancement in scientific literacy transforms Xizang
Public scientific literacy in the Xizang autonomous region has risen sharply over the past 60 years, transforming from a very uninformed base into a key driver of social stability and high-quality development, officials said Oct. 20.
Zhang Hongwei, vice-chairman of the regional association for science and technology, outlined the transformation at a news conference on Oct. 20. He said the region's efforts to popularize science began shortly after Xizang's peaceful liberation, when simple science boards were first set up in towns.
From: China Daily
China's job market stable in first three quarters of this year
China's employment has remained stable in the first three quarters of the year thanks to robust economic growth and strong policy support from the government, said an official from the National Bureau of Statistics.
According to an analysis report by the NBS on Oct. 20, the average surveyed unemployment rate in urban areas in the first three quarters of this year roughly corresponded with the same period in 2024.
The surveyed unemployment rate in urban areas averaged about 5.2 percent in the first nine months. The number stayed around 5.3 percent in the first quarter, 5 percent in the second quarter and 5.2 percent in the third quarter.
From: chinadaily.com.cn
China revitalizes 88 key rivers, lakes in ecological restoration drive
China had successfully revitalized 88 key rivers and lakes across the country by the end of September this year, restoring ecological flows to waterways that had remained dry for decades, the Ministry of Water Resources announced on Oct. 22.
The achievements were made under a nationwide "mother river rejuvenation" action plan for 2022-2025. Tailored restoration plans were created for each river and lake based on their specific conditions.
Notable successes include the Yellow River maintaining uninterrupted flow for 26 consecutive years and the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, interrupted for a century, seeing water restored along its entire length for four straight years.
From: Xinhua
China to boost whole-chain food safety oversight; localities allocate 10.3b yuan for school canteen upgrade: report
A report by the NPC Standing Committee's law enforcement inspection team on the implementation of the Food Safety Law was submitted to the 18th session of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress for deliberation. While stating that China's food safety situation continues to be stable and improving, the report highlighted the need to further tighten food safety supervision and raise quality-assurance standards across the entire food chain, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Oct. 26.
From: Global Times
China to step up efforts to tackle aging problem with a more positive attitude
To better increase public awareness about the nation's aging problem, 22 central departments, including the Ministry of Civil Affairs, released a guideline recently to help popularize knowledge on problems and policies, besides laws and regulations on caring for the elderly.
"Aging will be one of the basic national conditions in the near future and it's necessary to raise the public's awareness and knowledge about it, in order to tackle the problem with a more positive attitude," said Zhang Xiaofeng, an official from the Ministry of Civil Affairs, at a news conference on Oct. 27.
He said that, based on the guideline, courses on the problems associated with aging will be introduced in training programs for members of the Communist Party of China and its cadres, as also in school and university lectures and social promotion programs to let civil servants, the young people, the elderly and the public get a better understanding of the related issues.
From: chinadaily.com.cn
China to drive higher education upgrade over next 5 years
China will expand and improve higher education, with increased enrollment in quality undergraduate programs, according to recommendations on a plan that will guide the country's development over the next five years.
This was specified in the recommendations of the Communist Party of China Central Committee for formulating the country's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) for economic and social development, which was adopted at a key Party plenum last week and made public on Oct. 28.
From: Xinhua
China builds 75,000 km of rural roads in first three quarters
China constructed and upgraded 75,000 kilometers of rural roads in the first three quarters of the year, completing 75.4 percent of the annual target, according to official data released on Oct. 28.
The data was released at an event themed on rural roads in Quzhou City, east China's Zhejiang Province, highlighting the country's progress in strengthening rural infrastructure.
Fixed-asset investment in rural roads totaled over 275.3 billion yuan (about 38.8 billion U.S. dollars) during the nine months.
From: Xinhua
China adds 10.6m new urban jobs in first 9 months this year
China's urban regions added 10.57 million new jobs in the first nine months of this year, achieving 88 percent of the annual employment target, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security said on Oct. 29.
The country's employment situation remained generally stable, the ministry said. From January to September, a total of 19.6 billion yuan ($2.76 billion) was allocated for stabilizing payrolls in companies, while 16.6 billion yuan was spent on job training and other employment-supporting initiatives.
In addition, the government provided one-time business subsidies worth 900 million yuan to 140,000 enterprises to encourage hiring, benefiting 600,000 young people, including fresh college graduates.
From: chinadaily.com.cn
Court urges strong support for elderly
China's top court has reiterated the need to strengthen judicial protections for its senior citizens, pledging to make every effort to protect their legitimate rights and promote the sustainable development of the elder care industry.
The Supreme People's Court released five notable cases on Oct. 29, urging courts nationwide to bolster the elder care system for older people, especially those living with disabilities and cognitive impairments. The directive was issued on the Double Ninth Festival, also known as Chongyang Festival, a traditional occasion to honor and show respect for the elderly, which falls on the ninth day of the ninth month on the traditional Chinese calendar.
The top court stressed that courts should actively respond to the challenges of an aging population, with more focus on enhancing the judicial capabilities of seniors and optimizing provisions regarding elder care services.
From: China Daily
China reports further improvements in air, water quality in first three quarters
China's air and water quality continued to improve in the first three quarters of this year, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment said on Oct. 29.
The average density of PM2.5 — a key indicator measuring air pollution — came in at 26 micrograms per cubic meter in 339 Chinese cities at or above the prefecture level in the January-September period, which was down 5.1 percent year on year, ministry spokesperson Pei Xiaofei told a press conference.
In the first nine months, 87.6 percent of days had good air quality, up 1.8 percentage points from the previous year.
From: Xinhua
Global forum explores Xizang's modernization
A forum was held on Oct. 29 in Nyingchi city, Southwest China's Xizang autonomous region, bringing together officials and experts from across the world to share insights and expertise for the region's sustained progress.
Hosted by the Xizang regional government, the one-day forum, officially called the "2025 Forum on the Development of Xizang, China," drew a diverse group of over 400 participants, including government officials, diplomats, experts from various fields, and enterprise and media representatives from 44 countries and regions.
Themed "Discovering a beautiful Xizang and writing a new chapter on the plateau," the forum focused on key topics including international communication, the Communist Party of China (CPC)'s guidelines for governing Xizang in the new era, Xizang's image-building, its development philosophies and practical pathways.
From: Xinhua
November 2025
China focused on creating high-quality jobs for university graduates
China is working to create more high-quality employment for future university graduates, building on the successes of recent job creation for graduates, Minister of Education Huai Jinpeng said at a national meeting on the topic on Nov. 5.
Huai stressed that graduates represent valuable talent resources, and their employment reflects the goal of delivering education that meets people's expectations and serves as a key component of public welfare.
Under the guidance of central leadership and as a result of coordinated efforts across departments, regions and universities, significant progress has been made in securing jobs for the graduating class of 2025, he said.
From: chinadaily.com.cn
China calls for improved international cooperation on disaster response
Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing on Nov. 6 said that China is ready to work with other nations to strengthen disaster prevention and control capabilities, promote the use of technologies in the field of disaster reduction, and improve international response to major disasters.
Zhang, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks at a Belt and Road ministerial meeting on natural disaster prevention and control, and emergency management in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province.
China has been contributing to international cooperation on natural disaster response by dispatching international rescue teams and providing disaster-relief supplies, Zhang said.
From: Xinhua
China establishes world's largest healthcare system: report
China has established the world's largest healthcare system, enabling over 90 percent of its households to reach the nearest healthcare facility within 15 minutes, according to a think tank report released on Nov. 7.
The report, titled "The Critical Stage toward Basically Realizing Chinese Modernization — Strategic Blueprint for China's Economic and Social Development in the 15th Five-Year Plan Period," was released by China's national high-level think tanks of the Central Institute of Party History and Literature and Xinhua News Agency.
It noted that China has ensured and improved the people's well-being through development, with high-quality medical resources increasingly extended to community-level and rural institutions while promoting more balanced regional distribution.
From: Xinhua
Elderly need better health management services
Experts have called for both public and private nursing homes to offer more comprehensive health services for the elderly and to hire more professional health managers to improve seniors' quality of life and sense of well-being.
The China Research Centre on Aging and the China Health Promotion Foundation jointly released a report on Nov. 12 focusing on the quality of health management in nursing homes. The report is based on surveys conducted at 452 elderly care institutions across eastern, central, western and northeastern regions of the country from September to October 2024.
From: China Daily
New guideline strengthens tech education
China aims to further strengthen science and technology education in primary and secondary schools to cultivate students' scientific interest, innovative awareness and practical abilities — a move deemed crucial by experts in building a strong, self-reliant nation with a sufficient talent pool.
By 2030, a well-structured system for science and technology education in primary and secondary schools will be in place with an improved curriculum, higher-quality teaching and better evaluation methods and resource support, according to a guideline released by the Ministry of Education and six other departments during a news conference on Nov. 12.
From: China Daily
Judges weigh leniency and toughness in juvenile cases
China's top judge has emphasized the need for courts to step up efforts to prevent juvenile delinquency while continuing to mete out severe punishment for those who harm minors.
Zhang Jun, president and chief justice of the Supreme People's Court, underscored this priority at a national criminal adjudication conference on Nov. 13, calling for stronger judicial protection for vulnerable groups, including children, women, the elderly and the disabled.
He urged courts at all levels to adopt a balanced approach of leniency and severity in handling juvenile crimes, focusing more on the root causes of offenses and working with other authorities to form a coordinated mechanism to curb juvenile delinquency.
From: China Daily
China lauds positive impact of law enforcement centers
China has built 3,266 law enforcement and case management centers nationwide, transforming police work from a dispersed and extensive model to a more centralized, standardized and efficient system, according to the Ministry of Public Security.
Chen Min, deputy director of the ministry's legal affairs bureau, said on Nov. 17 that the shift significantly enhanced the level of human rights protection. In principle, all criminal cases and major administrative cases should now be handled in these centers. Each facility is designed according to legal procedures, integrating functions such as interrogation, case review and property management to ensure every stage runs securely and efficiently.
From: chinadaily.com.cn
Exercise of police powers to be monitored to help enforcement
China's public security authorities are stepping up efforts to build a closed-loop oversight system and accelerate digital transformation to ensure police powers are exercised in a standardized, transparent and accountable manner.
Officials from the Ministry of Public Security said at a news conference on Nov. 17 that the goal is to prevent enforcement problems at the source and safeguard citizens' rights.
From: China Daily
Transformation of healthcare in China's Xizang region celebrated
China's central government has sent more than 2,400 medics in 11 different groups to various hospitals in the Xizang autonomous region since 2015, contributing to the development of healthcare in the region, health authorities said at a news conference on Nov. 17.
The "group-style" medical aid initiative was first introduced at the sixth central symposium on Xizang-related work in August 2015. While, at the beginning, the initiative mainly supported the Xizang Autonomous Region People's Hospital and seven municipal-level hospitals, the program received a boost in August 2021 when the central government extended support to 13 county-level hospitals across the region.
From: chinadaily.com.cn
FAO officials commend east China province's rural revitalization amid eco-conservation
Officials from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations praised China's coordinated efforts to enhance the rural economy while conserving the environment during their just-concluded field tour in the countryside of east China's Jiangxi Province.
From Nov. 17 to 23, officials from international organizations, including the FAO, alongside Chinese experts, participated in a field trip to Jiangxi to explore the coordinated development of ecological conservation and rural revitalization.
From: Xinhua
China donates $3.5m to tackle HIV/AIDS among South African youths
China has donated $3.5 million to support South Africa's HIV/AIDS prevention and control efforts among youths, a key group of HIV infections, ahead of the G20 Leaders' Summit.
The program, to be carried out over a span of two years in partnership with South Africa and Joint United Nations Programmes on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), covers health training, buying and distributing automated condom vending machines, harm reduction kits and HIV self-testing kits.
Speaking at a ceremony in Pretoria on Nov. 20, Chinese Ambassador to South Africa Wu Peng said the initiative will target youths at 16 technical and vocational education and training institutions across high-burden areas in seven provinces in South Africa, as well as 500 individuals who use drugs through harm reduction and opioid agonist therapy programs.
In addition, the funds would also be used to facilitate collaboration between China and South Africa within the BRICS framework. Wu said the donation is part of China's Global Development Initiative to build a global community of health for all.
From: chinadaily.com.cn
International symposium on judicial concepts and practices for women's rights held in Chengdu
An international symposium on judicial concepts and practices for the protection of women's rights was held on Nov. 21 in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, co-hosted by UN Women and China's Supreme People's Court (SPC) to mark the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.
The event highlighted growing cooperation between the UN agency and China's top court in areas including women's rights protection and anti-domestic violence efforts. Organizers said the symposium aimed to encourage international exchanges on judicial practices, strengthen national capacities and promote greater accountability in safeguarding the rights and interests of women and girls.
From: CGTN
Lawmakers' thousands of proposals receive responses
A total of 9,160 suggestions raised by national lawmakers earlier this year have been fully addressed, according to a release from a work conference on the handling of the advice held in Beijing on Nov. 21.
The suggestions were submitted by deputies to the 14th National People's Congress, China's top legislature, during the third session of the 14th NPC held in March.
After a review, the suggestions were distributed to 211 organizations for follow-up action. All have been addressed on schedule, and feedback has been provided to the deputies.
From: chinadaily.com.cn
13th China-U.S. Symposium on Justice and Human Rights Held
The 13th China-U.S. Symposium on Justice and Human Rights was jointly held by the China Foundation for Human Rights Development (CFHRD) and the U.S.-based National Committee on U.S.-China Relations (NCUSCR) via video link on Nov. 26, 2025.
More than 30 experts and scholars from relevant fields across China and the United States attended the event, focusing on topics including artificial intelligence and human rights protection, as well as deepening people-to-people exchanges and cooperation on human rights between the two countries.
From: en.humanrights.cn
Supreme court highlights judicial financial redress for minors in need
China's top court highlighted four landmark cases on Nov. 26, demonstrating its commitment to supporting the healthy development of children facing hardships due to incidents.
These cases involve minors who either lost family members or suffered injuries themselves, necessitating financial support for medical treatment and welfare, according to the Supreme People's Court.
The top court stressed the need to help these minors, "as their healthy growth is crucial to the happiness of countless families, social stability and the future of the nation."
From: chinadaily.com.cn
China expands state-level job services markets to boost labor allocation
China has established 36 national talent markets and 29 national human resource services industrial parks as part of a strategic push to optimize labor allocation and employment services, data showed on Nov. 27.
According to a press briefing held ahead of the third national human resource services industry development conference in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei province, the network of these national-level facilities and local characteristic industrial parks has formed a services system focused on employment services and industrial talent allocation.
Since the beginning of the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), the employment services sector has expanded rapidly, providing services to an average of 300 million workers and more than 50 million employers annually.
From: Xinhua
China boosts rural, urban healthcare with more doctors and mobile services
China's grassroots healthcare institutions now handle more than 50 percent of the country's total medical consultations, according to an official from the National Health Commission. Furthermore, over 90 percent of residents nationwide have access to nearby healthcare services within a 15-minute radius.
The number of grassroots healthcare institutions nationwide has grown from 970,000 to 1.04 million over the past five years.
"We have essentially ensured that healthcare institutions are in place in every township and village in rural areas, as well as every street and community in urban areas," said Jiao Yahui, an official with the National Health Commission, at a news conference on Nov. 27.
From: chinadaily.com.cn
Chinese experts discuss all-around advancement of human rights
Human rights experts discussed China's promotion of all-around advancement of human rights and active participation in global human rights affairs at a symposium on Nov. 28.
The symposium, held by the China Society for Human Rights Studies, gathered human rights experts from universities, scientific research institutions and relevant departments to share views on the study and implementation of the spirit of the fourth plenary session of the 20th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee.
From: CGTN
