By Fang Yingxin from People’s Daily
China completed its 3rd UN Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process on March 15. Le Yucheng, head of the Chinese delegation, described the process as “smooth and successful.”
Le, who is also the Chinese vice Foreign Minister, delivered a keynote speech titled “Meeting People’s Aspiration for a Better Life through Continued Progress on Human Rights in China” at the conference.
In the speech, Le elaborated on the profound concern for human rights in the Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era while presenting China’s achievements in promoting human rights since the founding of the People’s Republic of China.
He noted that the key to China’s great transformation and the historic progress which were never seen before in the country’s human rights development since the founding of the PRC is China’s “strong commitment to socialism with Chinese characteristics and to the path of human rights development with Chinese characteristics, one that takes the national conditions as the foundation, the people as the center, development as the priority, the rule of law as the criterion and openness as the driving force.”
“We are happy to accept all recommendations that are consistent with China’s conditions and conducive to our human rights development,” Le said in the speech, announcing that China has decided to accept the 284 recommendations raised by various parties.
Both the number and proportion (82 percent) of recommendations accepted by China were among the highest in major countries, according to Le, who also responded to issues concerned by various parties in his keynote speech, including issues relating to Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
Delegates of countries including Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan and the Philippines spoke at the conference, making positive comments on China’s accomplishments in human rights development and praising the country for taking part in the UPR in an open, confident, and honest manner.
China is welcome to give earnest and responsible feedback on the recommendations put forward by various parties, said the foreign delegates, expressing their support to the UN Human Rights Council in adopting the 3rd UPR Outcome Report on China.
In his remarks, Le refuted sternly the recent accusations made by some countries and non-governmental organizations against the vocational education and training centers in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, saying the accusations were “groundless”.
China firmly opposes any acts of interfering in the country’s internal affairs and damaging the nation’s sovereignty and territorial integrity under the disguise of human rights, stressed Le, who reiterated China’s great determination to adhere to the path of human rights development with Chinese characteristics, and to protect and promote human rights.
At the end of the conference, warm applause filled the venue, while delegates of many countries congratulated the Chinese delegation on the formal adoption of the 3rd UPR Outcome Report on China.
The final report on China’s 3rd UPR was adopted and widely recognized by the UN Human Rights Council, according to Le. “Wide recognitions” of China’s achievements in human rights development, China’s path of human rights development, and China’s determination to promote human rights were witnessed at the conference, expressed Le.
Delegates of northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region, China’s Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and Macao SAR were present at the conference.
The conference was chaired by Coly Seck, President of the UN Human Rights Council and Permanent Representative of Senegal to the UN Office at Geneva. Yu Jianhua, Permanent Representative of China to the UN Office at Geneva and other international organizations in Switzerland attended the conference.
Representatives of relevant Chinese government agencies including the Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Leading Group for Reform of the Judicial System and the United Front Work Department of CPC Central Committee were also present at the conference.
