ON April 5, the 55th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) concluded in Geneva, Switzerland.
Earlier, on Jan 26, China's report was unanimously adopted by the UNHRC's Universal Periodic Review(UPR) Working Group for the fourth cycle.
More than 120 countries spoke highly of China's remarkable achievements and unremitting efforts in human rights protection.
The concept of "human rights" became known from the West, yet, its essential ideas have long existed in Chinese political culture. It was fully embodied in the long-cherished "people-being-first-of-all" political principle.
In the Book of Documents, one of China's oldest classics written 3,000 years ago, it said "People are the foundation of a country. Only when people lead a good life, can the country thrive".
Mencius, the famous Chinese ancient sage, said the same thing, "People are the most important; the state is secondary."
Since the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949, priority emphasis has been given to ensuring and safeguarding human rights of all Chinese citizens.
Seeing both the global trend and China's unique situations, the Chinese government has successfully pioneered its way of advancing human rights protection which has made historic achievements in various fields.
The following are three major principles.
First, people are always at the centre. President Xi Jinping said, "to ensure all Chinese people a life of contentment is China's most weighty human right". After eight years of painstaking efforts, China has successfully brought nearly 100 million people out of poverty, putting an end to its centuries-long absolute poverty history.
This is not only an achievement to the Chinese people, more importantly, it is a victory to mankind as a whole. By realizing the poverty reduction aim set in the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 10 years ahead of time, China has contributed significantly to global poverty reduction and human development progress.
China has made solid progress in advancing high-quality development and established the world's largest education, social security and healthcare systems, bringing tangible benefits to people of all ethnic groups and granting them the genuine sense of gaining, enjoying happiness and being safe from dangers.
Second, human rights are equally enjoyed by all. China is as diverse and multi-ethnic as Malaysia is. There are 56 ethnic groups living on this vast piece of land.
Like seeds of a pomegranate hugging each other closely, people of different ethnic groups in China love and support each other as brothers and sisters do in one big family, who share weal and woe together. Big or small, all ethnic groups in China enjoy equal social status, whose rights and benefits are legally stipulated and protected.
Third, freedom of religious beliefs is ensured to everyone. Recent years have seen additional Outlines for Women's and Children's Development adopted and Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests amended, which are just a small part of the numerous measures taken to further promote gender equality and all-round development of women and children in China.
The physically underprivileged ones in China are also given proper support whose medical, educational, occupational and spiritual needs are duly satisfied.
Conducting Cooperation to enhance human rights protection. Upholding the principles of fairness and justice, China has been cooperating well with other countries in the UNHRC and other multilateral organizations, contributing a great deal to global human rights governance.
China has helped the adoption of a series of major international human rights conventions and declarations; shared its wisdom with the rest of the world by proposing the vision of "building a community with a shared future for mankind".
This vision has been incorporated into a number of UNHRC resolutions. Besides conducting human rights dialogues with Malaysia and 30 more countries or regions, China has been promoting exchanges and cooperation in various fields to promote human rights protection.
China has proposed the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, which are Chinese solutions to addressing the global concerns of development deficits, security predicament and civilizational alienation.
Human rights are not abstract terms. They are specific in denotation, realizable in practical form and evolve with history. There are no fixed standards or one-size-fits-all models.
Therefore, every country's human rights development path should be allowed and respected, whose success or failure can only be judged by its own people.
By carrying out the Chinese-style modernization, China is steadily advancing its cause of national rejuvenation which will make China a stronger and more prosperous country.
China will bring benefits of bigger amount and better equitability to all its people and take human rights protection to new heights. Malaysia is also a diverse and inclusive society protecting human rights under the rule of law.
As good neighbour and close partner, China is willing to work with Malaysia in various fields to jointly contribute to the advancement of human rights development in both the region and the world.
"All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood."
I believe, with collective efforts of all, what is said in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which are common aspirations of humankind, will eventually become true in life.
* The writer is China's Ambassador to Malaysia
