Development of human rights takes center stage

A senior publicity official urged appropriate departments and research institutes to increase their studies into the development of China's human rights under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.

Those departments and organizations were urged to further explore China's human rights development patterns and characteristics while summarizing its successful experiences and achievements, Cui Yuying, vice-minister of the State Council Information Office, said on Tuesday.

"The central government supports and encourages such studies and research," Cui said at the opening ceremony of a seminar on China's development of human rights in the new era.

To this end, a series of symposiums, lectures and related events will be organized and white papers will be published to let the world know more about China's development of human rights in 2018, when the country celebrates the 40th anniversary of its reform and opening-up to the outside world, Cui said.

China has made remarkable progress in the development of human rights over the decades, Cui added.

Lu Zhi'an, executive vice-director of the National Base for Human Rights Education and Training, said the country has laws and regulations to protect the human rights of the Chinese people.

"Functional departments, including police, courts and procuratorates, will function when the human rights of residents have been infringed upon," Lu told China Daily.

"Human rights and democracy do not mean only general elections or introduction of multiparty systems, as Western countries are contending," he said.

"The best way to protect human rights and popularize democracy is to seek a more suitable path for the country's development and ensure its residents have happy lives," Lu said.

Chang Jian, director of the Research Institute of Human Rights and professor at the Zhou Enlai School of Government at Nankai University, said China has made remarkable human rights progress together with the rapid growth of its economy

"In addition to improved laws protecting their rights, Chinese people now have compulsory education, social security and medical care systems," he said.

Li Xiao, a senior Supreme People's Court judge, said courts at all levels had broadcast more than 404,000 court hearings live online by Nov 3, attracting more than 3 billion viewers.

Courts across the mainland had handled 20,027 cases involving requests for State compensation between 2013 and June, she said.