New Narrative On Human Rights

By Lan Xinzhen

China is constructing its own human rights narrative to counter Western countries accusations. These countries often denounce developing countries， such as China， using the pretext of human rights violations. Usually， developing countries are beleaguered by fracas with the developed world over these alleged human rights issues.

A seminar on the creation of Chinas human rights discourse in the new era held in Changsha， central Chinas Hunan Province， on April 12， was one of the latest efforts to tell Chinas own story. The countrys understanding of human rights is based on its historical development.

Different traditions， cultures and economic conditions have resulted in diverse understandings of human rights in individual countries. As far as China is concerned， the paramount human rights issue is the right to survival and development. This is a crucial demand of the Chinese people， given that China， a country of 1.3 billion people with limited per-capita resources， was long subjected to foreign invasion， looting and oppression.

Since the founding of the Peoples Republic of China in 1949， particularly in the past four decades， China has witnessed a surge in its comprehensive national strength. It has achieved a historic leap from poverty to a relatively well-off society. Chinas arable land accounts for less than 10 percent of the worlds total； yet it has managed to sustain more than 20 percent of the worlds population. Since the late 1970s， China has lifted more than 700 million people out of poverty， accounting for 70 percent of the worlds total population escaping poverty. China has set up the largest social security system in the world， with the populations average life expectancy rising from 35 in 1949 to 76.34 in 2015. The Chinese peoples education has also been greatly improved. The enrollment rate for school-aged children in primary schools is 99.88 percent， while higher education enrollment almost equals that of moderately developed countries.

In recent years， given the increasing prominence given to the rule of law， legal protection for human rights has been further enhanced. Human rights protection is stressed at all levels of Chinas legal system and respect for human rights is regarded as a crucial legislative principle. Moreover， awareness of human rights protection is rising among the population. All these are examples of Chinas remarkable achievements in human rights protection.

The concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind， proposed by President Xi Jinping， provides a theoretical guarantee for China to develop its human rights narrative. The concept covers peace， security， stability， equality， development and the environment， among others. It is not only about international relationships， but also a concept on the development of human rights for all humankind， transcending national borders. The concept stresses the importance of the right to development for countries and individuals， with peace， cooperation and development as the preconditions. In order to build a community with a shared future for mankind， the right to development must be emphasized， not least for those in impoverished countries and regions.

On March 23， 2017， the UN Human Rights Council passed two resolutions on economic， social and cultural rights， and the right to food. This marked the fi rst time that the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind was incorporated into a Human Rights Council resolution， showing that this concept has become an important and recognized part of the international human rights theory.

The developing world yearns to shatter the Wests unfair “human rights diplomacy，” which is viewed as a political ploy. A China-sponsored resolution on “mutually benefi cial cooperation in the fi eld of human rights” was adopted by the UN Human Rights Council on March 23. It appealed to all sides to promote cooperation on human rights by strengthening dialogue and pushing forward the development of a new type of international relationship based on mutual respect， fairness and justice and win-win cooperation， guided by the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind.

This is the Chinese approach to fairer and more rational global human rights governance， which represents a common aspiration of the international community. The resolution will not only enhance developing countriessay on international human rights and relevant agendas， but also help advance the global human rights cause.

China views dialogue and cooperation as the most effective way to promote and protect human rights across the world. Chinas human rights theory will not take shape overnight， but requires unremitting efforts. Through international exchanges， China can explain to the wider world its concept of human rights and its achievements in human rights development while responding to concerns. This will help make Chinas narrative on human rights better understood and appreciated in the international community.