China News Agency, Beijing, October 15 (Reporter Ma Haiyan) On November 1, 1991, the State Council Information Office of China issued a white paper on "Human Rights in China".

This is the first white paper published by the Chinese government since the founding of the People's Republic of China, and it is also the first official document on human rights published by the Chinese government to the world.

  A symposium to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the publication of the white paper "Human Rights in China" was held in Beijing on the 15th.

Many experts and scholars in the field of human rights spoke highly of the significance of the white paper.

  Fu Zitang, vice president of the Chinese Society for Human Rights Studies and president of Southwest University of Political Science and Law, said that on the one hand, the human rights white paper has played a role in emancipating the mind; on the other hand, the human rights white paper has laid the foundation for the construction of China's human rights discourse system.

It is the emergence and development of the human rights white paper that has changed the long-standing situation that the Chinese government "does a human rights cause" but does not tell the "human rights story", "does more" but "tells less" or "daunts to tell" the situation, so that people To "desensitize" the concept of human rights, you can speak boldly about "human rights" and speak "human rights" with confidence.

  Over the past 30 years, the Chinese government has released more than 100 white papers. In addition to comprehensive human rights white papers, there are also various white papers related to human rights, covering various topics such as reform and opening up, poverty alleviation and development, and disaster reduction actions.

Zhang Wanhong, Executive Dean of the Human Rights Research Institute of Wuhan University, said that from white papers on human rights to white papers on human rights, China's human rights practice has endowed human rights with richer connotations and broader extensions, and also provided a new perspective for studying the development of China's human rights cause.

  The 1991 "Human Rights Situation in China" white paper put forward that "human rights are above all the people's right to subsistence" and proposed that "the right to development should be given priority."

In 1995, the white paper "Progress in the Cause of Human Rights in China" further proposed that "put the people's right to subsistence and development in the first place."

In 2019, "For the People's Happiness: 70 Years of Human Rights Development in New China" white paper put forward that "the people's happy life is the greatest human right".

  Chang Jian, director of the Human Rights Research Center of Nankai University, said that while proclaiming China's human rights policy, the human rights white paper is also a summary of China's human rights development path and practical experience.

It is through the continuous summary of the human rights white paper that the Chinese government has a clearer and clearer understanding of China's human rights development path and promotion principles.

  The human rights white paper also provides explanations and responses to some human rights issues of concern to the international community.

The 1991 "Human Rights Situation in China" white paper responded to issues related to reeducation through labor, freedom of religious belief, protection of minority rights, family planning, and protection of human rights in justice, and explained relevant policies from the perspective of human rights protection.

Since then, China has successively published white papers on China's family planning, reform of criminals, freedom of religious belief, ethnic minority policies and practices, judicial reforms, and other specialized areas.

  "Thirty years have passed, and the important historical significance of the white paper has become more and more prominent." said Zhu Liyu, a professor at Renmin University of China Law School.

For example, due to differences in social systems, ideologies, and even values, differences in understanding of the nature of human rights still exist between China and Western countries.

With the development of China and the changes in the international situation, certain Western countries engaged in power politics have transformed their human rights excuses for interfering in China's internal affairs into issues involving Taiwan, Hong Kong, Xinjiang, and Tibet.

These countries not only have no repentance for their past history of human rights violations, but they also practice "double standards" and continue to accuse and slander China for "traveling on human rights."

Therefore, it is of great significance to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the publication of the white paper and to review and restore the history of the drafting, writing and publication of the white paper.

  "The human rights discourse of any country cannot be separated from the objective reality of the country, otherwise it is just empty talk." said Liu Zhiqiang, a professor at the Institute of Human Rights of Guangzhou University. Discourse system.

Realizing the goal of human rights is not a day’s work. Solid theoretical research is still needed. Through systematic and in-depth comparative research, we can clarify the basic theoretical issues of human rights, such as the concept, rights, obligations, classification, and scope of human rights, and strive to reach consensus.

  Fu Zitang believes that in the future, when protecting human rights, China needs to coordinate and promote the development of political rights and economic, social, and cultural rights, correctly handle the relationship between reform, development, and stability, and promote work in the three major areas of security, development, and human rights in a balanced manner.

  "The human rights situation is not the best, only better." Participants agreed that the construction of the human rights discourse system is inseparable from the development of the country and social progress. It is necessary to continuously strengthen internal strength, promote the construction of various undertakings, and provide a solid foundation for the cause of human rights. .

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