Home Business China International Culture��Edu Sci��Tech Sports Life Travel P
hotos
��Search
China Observer
�� China's four upcoming population peaks
�� Chinese youth enjoying luxury goods
�� Chinese stock market at the end of rope?
Photos
�� Fujian's Shuikou Dam sluices water
�� Flaming afterglow above Songhua River
�� Four generations of cycas in the same garden
Find Suppliers Trade Leads Company Directories Product Directories China
Products China Suppliers Hot Products Hot Buys New Products Search by
Country Trade Shows
��Home>>China Observer
White paper illustrates human rights progress
www.chinanews.cn 2005-04-13 14:34:48
(Source:Xinhuanet)
BEIJING, Apr. 13 - China on Wednesday published a white paper to show the
marked progress in its human rights protection efforts in the year 2004.
The 41-page document, the 8th of its kind since 1991, has been intended
to "help the international community toward a better understanding of the
human rights situation in China," said the Information Office of the
State Council which released it.
The year 2004 is an important year for China in building a well-off
society in an all-round way, the white paper said. "It is alsoa year that
saw all-round progress in China's human rights undertakings," it added.
The white paper listed China's major accomplishments in protecting and
promoting human rights in 2004 as follows:
-- China's economy developed steadily and relatively rapidly, and
people's rights to subsistence and development were improved
considerably. China's gross domestic product (GDP) reached 13,650 billion
yuan, an increase of 9.5 percent over the previous year. Total grain
output in 2004 reached 469.5 billion kg, an increase of 9 percent over
the previous year.
Throughout the country, 150 million farmers no longer paid agricultural
tax in 2004, the first time ever in history. The population of poor
farmers in the countryside was 2.9 million fewer than in the previous
year.
The Chinese government considers the safety of life of the people above
everything else. In 2004 the number of accidents and deaths throughout
the country were reduced by 16.22 and 0.23 percent, respectively,
compared with the previous year. And the number of gas-related accidents
in coal mines dropped by 15.6 percent, and that of deaths by 7.8 percent.
The average life expectancy has increased from 35 years before the birth
of New China in 1949 to the present 71.4 years.
-- China adhered to the road of political development with Chinese
characteristics. It actively promoted democracy in political affairs and
the building of political civilization to guarantee the citizens' civil
and political rights.
The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC),China's
top lawmaking body, in 2004 examined drafts of 33 laws, interpretations
of laws and decisions related to legal issues, andadopted 25 of them,
providing further legal guarantee for economicand social development and
human rights.
Last year, 44 departments of the State Council gave some 270 news
conferences, and 28 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities
directly under the central government) gave 460 news conferences. These
activities greatly increased the transparency of government work, and
helped citizens become betterinformed about administrative affairs.
Protection of citizens' rights to information, supervision and
participation in public affairs were further promoted.
Citizens enjoy the freedom of religious belief in accordance with law.
According to incomplete statistics, China has now more than 100 million
religious adherents, more than 100,000 venues forreligious activities,
and about 300,000 clergy members. The accumulative print run of the Bible
has reached 35 million.
-- In 2004, China strengthened its judicial reform to ensure strict law
enforcement and fair administration of justice, and guarantee citizens'
legal rights according to law.
Extended detention of criminal suspects has been deemed one of the most
serious human rights violations, and by taking "vigorous measures," the
Chinese public security organs had no extended detention by the end of
last year.
Since May 2004, the Supreme People's Procuratorate has carried out a
special campaign to severely deal with criminal cases involving
government functionaries' infringement upon human rightsby misusing their
powers, focusing on cases of illegal detention and search, extorting
confessions by torture, gathering evidence with violence, abusing people
in custody, disrupting elections as well as serious cases of dereliction
of duty that cause heavy losses of life and property of the people. In
total, 1,595 government functionaries suspected of criminal activities
were investigated and prosecuted, thus effectively bringing under control
offenses of infringement on rights.
In 2004, the courts throughout the country provided judicial aid in
263,860 cases, an increase of 15.6 percent from the previous year. The
judicial aid totaled 1.09 billion yuan, 3.1 percent more than in the
previous year.
The state has adopted many measures to promote employment and
reemployment, including reemployment aid, strengthened controlof
unemployment and regulation over staff cuts by enterprises. In 2004,
there were 9.8 million new employees and 5.1 million re-employed laid-off
workers in urban areas in China. The registered unemployment rate was 4.2
percent in urban areas, 0.1 percentage point lower than in the previous
year.
In 2004, 4.19 million people received unemployment insurance benefits,
520,000 people received compensation under the industrial injury
insurance scheme, about 2.20 million farmers received old-age pensions,
and 22.01 million urban residents were issued minimum living allowances
by the government.
-- In China, like citizens of the Han ethnic group, citizens ofethnic
minorities equally enjoy all the rights accorded to Chinesecitizens by
the Constitution and laws. But they also enjoy some special rights
accorded to ethnic minorities by law.
During the five years since the kickoff of the strategy for
thedevelopment of the western part of the country, which is densely
populated by the ethnic minorities, the construction of 60 key projects
has begun, involving a total investment of 850 billion yuan. In 2004, the
state started ten major projects to develop western China, with a total
investment of 80 billion yuan and covering the fields of transportation,
energy, education and public health.
Eighty-three percent of the school-age children in Xinjiang, Tibet,
Ningxia and Qinghai get free textbooks. In the agriculturaland pastoral
areas of Tibet, school-age children not only are exempted from school
fees but also are provided with free meals and accommodation.
-- The legal and policy guarantees for the rights and interestsof
disabled people have been enhanced. The socialized rehabilitation service
system has been continuously improved, key rehabilitation projects
implemented effectively, and disabled people's self-reliance in daily
life, social adaptability and living qualities enhanced. At present,
4.469 million disabled people in China are provided with social security
of various forms.A social environment of equal participation, care and
help for disabled people has taken shape.
-- China has all along been supportive to and actively participated in
activities in the field of human rights sponsored by the United Nations.
As a member of 21 international conventionson human rights, including the
"International Covenant on Economic,Social and Cultural Rights," it has
adopted a series of measures to perform its duties specified in the
conventions. It is also actively considering approving the "International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights."
At the end of 2004, when the most serious tsunami in recorded history
happened in the Indian Ocean, the Chinese government offered emergency
aid to the afflicted countries immediately afterthe disaster. By March 1,
2005, the Chinese government had offered686 million yuan worth of aid,
and the non-governmental donations amounted to 576 million yuan, in which
over 50 percent of governmental aid in kind and cash had been delivered
to the afflicted countries.
The white paper said as the realization of full human rights isa common
pursuit of all countries in the world, China will, as always and together
with the international community, make persistent efforts in promoting
continuous progress of human rights in China and healthy development of
international human rights.
E-mail: zhangqinghua@chinanews.com.cn Tel: 8610-88387443 Fax:
8610-68327649
Copyright� 2004 Chinanews.com. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.
Disclaimer: viewpoints in the website do not represent China News Service
Learn Chinese, Learn Mandarin online
