"The Chinese government has released a white paper on the human rights situation every year since 1991 to interpret the theory of human rights and its practice in China."

In 2003 fresh college graduate Sun Zhigang went to Guangzhou for a job. Upon arriving in the industrial city, he had no time to apply for a temporary residence certificate. Consequently he was sent to a shelter for vagrants and beggars. Three days later he was found dead. The autopsy showed he was the victim of a fatal beating. Later 23 government officials were punished for this scandal. The following year, "The state respects and protects human rights" was added to the Constitution.

The Eleventh Five-year (2006-2010) Plan for the National Economy and Social Development released in March 2006 said, "The state respects and protects human rights, and is dedicated to promoting the development of human rights."

A movile clinic visits farmers inmountainous Dexing County, Jiangxi Province.

"The plan issued under the name of the state commits all levels of government to work in line with it and subjects them to supervision. This represents an important process of realizing human rights," says Liu Huawen.

A Long Way Ahead

"The plan enriches the current content of human rights in the world and provides a new foundation for dialogue and communication among nations," added Liu.

The plan points out that China honors all commitments it has made when signing international human rights treaties, and advocates and attends communications and cooperation in this field. Since 1980 China has signed 21 international human rights covenants and conventions, and carried out measures to fulfill obligations.

Since the 1990s, the US government has issued "Human Rights Records" annually. "It criticizes the human rights situation in China, triggering many diplomatic disputes," says Liu. "But this time we have adopted a positive and constructive attitude instead of an antagonistic one."

From 1840 to 1949, imperialist countries like Britain, France, Japan, the USA and Russia invaded China and waged hundreds of wars. In the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1937-1945), for instance, about 35 million Chinese people were killed. Under more than 1,100 unequal treaties forced on China by imperialist countries, the nation lost its sovereignty; its property was looted, and its people lost their basic right to decent living conditions.

Chinese people didn't enjoy personal dignity and the basic guarantee of life security until 1949 when the People's Republic of China was established. Since then, the Chinese government has attached great importance to solving problems of food and clothing. After 60 years of economic construction, 1.3 billion people have solved their problem of food and clothing and become increasingly well-off and confident about the future.

"The plan we made this time features the fundamental requirement of Chinese human rights progress," says Zhang Xiaoling, director of the Human Rights Research Center at the Party School of the CPC Central Committee. "It's not a show for foreigners but a new measure conforming to the world trend."

"The value is the plan is in initiation," says Liu, "from there the undertaking of human rights protection gets its momentum."