China News Agency, Beijing, February 18th: Why does the Chinese-style modernization path emphasize the comprehensive and coordinated development of human rights?
Author Tang Yingxia Deputy Director of Human Rights Research Center of Nankai University, Associate Professor of Law School
Realizing that everyone enjoys human rights is the common pursuit of human society.
China insists on combining the principle of universality of human rights with China's reality, continuously promotes economic and social development, improves people's well-being, promotes social fairness and justice, strengthens the legal protection of human rights, and coordinates material civilization, political civilization, spiritual civilization, social civilization and ecological civilization. In the process of development, the level of human rights protection will be improved in an all-round way.
Comprehensiveness and coordination are important features of the Chinese-style modernization of human rights.
First of all, the modern national conditions with a huge population determine the unique path for the development of China's human rights cause.
According to the seventh national census, China's population exceeds 1.41 billion, accounting for about 18% of the world's total population.
This special national condition determines that Chinese-style modernization is the modernization of all the people. It is the modernization of more than 1.4 billion people as a whole, rather than the modernization of a few people; The modernization of the achievements of modernization; it is the modernization that promotes the all-round development of more than 1.4 billion people, rather than the modernization of materialistic expansion and only one-dimensional people.
In Tongzi, Guizhou, vegetable farmers arrange vegetables in the "carriage with goods" of the 5630 "slow train".
The 5629/30 public welfare "slow train" between Zunyi City and Chongqing City has a minimum fare of 6 yuan, which is an important means of transportation for local villagers.
Photo by Qu Honglun
The human rights path of Chinese-style modernization is to promote the overall and comprehensive advancement of the whole people as a unit, and to discuss and share the fruits of modernization on an equal footing.
There are no templates or precedents to follow in this process. We can only follow our own path to adapt to the national conditions of a huge population and create a new form of human rights civilization.
In this process, adhere to the people-centered development concept, adhere to the people's dominant position, insist on development for the people, development depends on the people, and the fruits of development are shared by the people, so as to enhance the people's sense of gain, happiness, and security.
Second, the common prosperity of all people is the goal of China's human rights cause.
Common prosperity embodies the essential connotation of socialism.
Marx and Engels pointed out in the "Communist Manifesto" that "the movement of the proletariat is an independent movement for the vast majority of people and for the benefit of the vast majority." In the future society, "production will aim at making everyone rich. ".
Chinese traditional culture also contains a wealth of ideological origins about common prosperity.
Confucius put forward that "don't worry about scarcity but worry about inequality, don't worry about poverty but worry about uneasiness", which is a simple expression of the idea of "equal wealth and equality".
"Book of Rites · Li Yun · Datong Chapter" discusses in more detail the ideal pursuit of the "Datong society" by Chinese sages.
The well-off houses in Songjian Village, Songmen Town, Wenling City, Zhejiang Province, set off against the neat and uniform countryside.
Photo by Liu Zhenqing
Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Communist Party of China has adhered to the people-centered development concept, organically combined the principles of Marxist human rights with China's specific reality and excellent traditional Chinese culture, and learned from the outstanding achievements of human civilization, and embarked on a human rights path of Chinese-style modernization.
China has made great efforts to solve practical problems such as unbalanced and inadequate regional and urban-rural development, won the battle against poverty, solved the problem of absolute poverty, and built a moderately prosperous society in all respects.
General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Promoting the common prosperity of all the people must be taken as the focus of seeking happiness for the people." "The common prosperity we talk about is the common prosperity of all the people. Prosperity does not mean uniform egalitarianism.” To achieve common prosperity and enable the people to live a better life is the unswerving goal of the CCP.
The Chinese-style modernization process promoted by the CCP abandons the abstract and empty symbolic expression of human rights, and proves the Chinese experience of insisting on the right to survival and the right to development as basic human rights through the road of common prosperity that starts with food and clothing and then becomes well-off.
The construction of human rights in China has been incorporated into the overall layout of the "Five in One", and human rights have been embodied in the process of people's struggle for a better life.
Practice shows that this is a concrete and gradual path to human rights.
From 2012 to 2022, Tibet will enter the era of unified power grid.
The picture shows the construction workers of the Ali Networking Project in Tibet carrying out wiring operations near Shishapangma Snow Mountain in Shigatse.
Photo by Jiang Feibo
Third, common prosperity is the double prosperity of the people's material life and spiritual life. Material civilization and spiritual civilization interact to jointly promote the richness, harmony and balance of human rights civilization.
On the one hand, adequate material conditions are the prerequisite for achieving common prosperity, laying a solid material foundation for the all-round development of human beings and providing basic conditions for the realization of various human rights.
From the perspective of international human rights law, the right to an adequate standard of living is clearly stipulated in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights as a basic human right.
Its basic connotation means that everyone has the right to obtain adequate and safe food, clothing and housing, so as to live a dignified life.
Marx and Engels pointed out: "When people cannot fully guarantee the quality and quantity of their own food, drink, housing and clothing, people cannot be liberated at all." On the other hand, spiritual civilization is the guarantee for common prosperity and sustainable development. The rich diversity of life is also an important feature of the common prosperity of the people's spiritual life.
In Linxia, Gansu Province, in the training class of the Women's Action for Rural Revitalization in Zhuangkeji Town, the trainees wrote Chinese Pinyin.
The training class aims to enable local women who have not attended school to acquire basic developmental capabilities through training.
Jiumeidan added photo
The comprehensive connotation of common prosperity generates the all-round development of human beings, which is also consistent with the comprehensive characteristics of the development of China's human rights cause.
The people's happy life is the greatest human right.
People's livelihood and well-being are the specific field for the realization of human rights.
As stated in the report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, we must persist in safeguarding and improving people's livelihood during development, encourage joint efforts to create a better life, and continue to realize the people's yearning for a better life.
Fourth, the human rights significance of harmonious coexistence between man and nature.
Xi Jinping pointed out: "The modernization we want to build is a modernization in which man and nature coexist harmoniously. We must not only create more material and spiritual wealth to meet the people's growing needs for a better life, but also provide more high-quality ecological products to meet the people's growing needs. The beautiful ecological environment of growth needs."
Changzhou, Jiangsu, aerial photography of Qianhuang Town Fishing Photovoltaic Complementary Photovoltaic Power Generation Base in Wujin District.
The base realizes the fishery-light integrated model of "power generation above, breeding below, scientific development, and comprehensive utilization".
Photo by Yang Bo
The ecological wisdom of "harmony between man and nature" and "Tao follows nature" in traditional Chinese culture has bred the Chinese nation's cultural tradition and green feelings of respecting, conforming to and protecting nature, and has enlightening significance for solving the ecological problems faced by contemporary human beings. .
The Marxist ecological view holds that man and nature are complementary and organic wholes, and sustainable development must be achieved by respecting and treating the natural environment well.
Engels said in "Natural Dialectics": "Let us not be too intoxicated with our victory over nature. For every such victory, nature has avenged us. Every victory has indeed achieved the results we expected in the first step , but at the second and third steps have quite different and unexpected effects, often canceling the first result again."
As a large developing country with a population of more than 1.4 billion, China's environmental capacity is limited, the ecological system is fragile, the ecological environment has not been fundamentally reversed, and it cannot bear the environmental pressure brought by the high consumption and high pollution model. We cannot follow the old Western path of pollution first and governance later.
Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, China's ecological civilization construction has achieved world-renowned achievements, and citizens' environmental rights and interests have been effectively guaranteed.
In Haiyan County, Qinghai Province, the wetland in Qinghai Lake Sand Island has a good ecology.
Sand Island was once famous for its unique sand dune landscape. After ecological treatment, the vegetation coverage on the island is close to 70%.
Photo by Jia Tianyong
The ecological human rights path of Chinese-style modernization is to continuously meet the people's growing needs for a beautiful ecological environment, protect the ecological rights and interests of the people, and promote the free and comprehensive development of people.
The protection of China's environmental rights is carried out in the national strategy of ecological civilization construction, and the two rely on each other, complement each other and bring out the best in each other.
The fundamental purpose and ultimate result of ecological civilization construction is to create a good production and living environment for the people.
Environmental rights are the starting point and destination of ecological civilization construction.
China has proposed to accelerate the green transformation of the development model, further promote the prevention and control of environmental pollution, improve the diversity, stability, and sustainability of the ecosystem, and actively and steadily promote carbon peak carbon neutrality.
At the same time, China is actively responding to climate change, safeguarding biodiversity, and contributing Chinese wisdom and strength to global environmental governance through specific indicator design and institutional arrangements.
Fifth, follow the path of peaceful development and build a community with a shared future for mankind.
In traditional Chinese culture, concepts such as "peace is the most important", "credibility and harmony", and "harmony among all nations" have given birth to the Chinese people's national disposition to love peace.
Since modern times, the invasion of foreign enemies and internal wars have brought great disasters to the Chinese people, and they have also strengthened the Chinese people's belief in the pursuit of peace.
Eliminating wars and realizing peace have been the most urgent and deepest desires of the Chinese people since modern times.
The Chinese people have an unforgettable memory of the suffering caused by the war, have a tireless pursuit of peace, and cherish a peaceful and stable life very much.
On October 18, 2021, tourists visited the Dashui method in the Yuanmingyuan Ruins Park in Beijing.
Today is the 161st anniversary of the death of Yuanmingyuan.
Photo by Yi Haifei
Peace and human rights are closely related. A peaceful environment is the basis for the realization of human rights, and the protection of human rights is conducive to world peace.
After World War II, while the international community was reflecting on the huge damage and appalling consequences of the war, it also continued to work towards the institutional level of lasting peace and cooperation.
The Charter of the United Nations stated in its preamble: "In order to save future generations from suffering the horrific wars that mankind has experienced twice in this generation, and to reaffirm the belief in basic human rights, human dignity and value, and equal rights between men and women and nations large and small", thus contributing to peace foundation was laid.
The preamble of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that human rights "are the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world" and declares that "disregard and contempt for human rights have developed into barbaric The advent of a world in which man enjoys freedom of speech and belief, and freedom from fear and want, has been declared the highest aspiration of the common people".
Subsequently, the two international human rights conventions adopted in 1966 also upheld this position of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
At this time, the international community has reached a general consensus that human rights are the foundation of peace.
The "Tehran Declaration" issued by the International Conference on Human Rights in 1968 affirmed: "Peace is universally desired by mankind, and in order to fully realize human rights and fundamental freedoms, peace and justice are indispensable elements." In 1975, the United States, the Soviet Union and Western European countries signed The "Declaration of Helsinki" also declared: "Respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms are the basic elements of peace, justice and welfare." In these two declarations, human rights and peace are mutually regarded as key elements.
The Charter of the United Nations and these declarations all express the same idea: there is no peace without human rights, and there is no human rights without peace.
The modernization path of peaceful development is the wisdom of China to cope with the great changes unseen in a century, and a new form of human civilization that surpasses the expansion of hegemony.
Only when countries respect each other's sovereignty can they face up to their differences, resolve differences in human rights protection through dialogue and consultation, and achieve mutual benefit, win-win results, and inclusiveness through multilateralism and international cooperation.
Maintaining peace is the prerequisite for protecting human rights, and the protection and realization of human rights is also the purpose of peaceful development.
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Expert profile:
Tang Yingxia, doctor of law, associate professor of Nankai University School of Law, master tutor, deputy director of Nankai University Human Rights Research Center (National Human Rights Education and Training Base).
Director of the Chinese Society for Human Rights Studies, Director of the Chinese Society of International Law, Director of the Chinese Society of Private International Law, Executive Director of the Natural Resources Law Society of the China Pacific Society.
Expert of Tianjin Government Rule of Law Think Tank.
Member of the editorial board of "Human Rights Studies" journal, reviewer of "China Human Rights Development Report (Human Rights Blue Book)".
He has been to the Law School of the University of Hong Kong, the Law School of Seoul National University in South Korea, the Human Rights Research Center of the University of Oslo in Norway, the Danish Institute for Human Rights, the United Nations Human Rights Council, the United Nations Human Rights Office, the European Court of Human Rights, the European Council and the European Parliament, and Uzbekistan. Human Rights Center, etc. for visits and exchanges.
The main research fields are international law, human rights law, and climate change law. For many years, he has devoted himself to research on issues such as human rights index, environmental rights, children's rights, climate change, and human rights.