By Xinhua
Geneva : China has done a lot towards human rights protection, but was committed to continue such efforts in the future as the promotion and protection of human rights is an arduous long-term task, a senior Chinese diplomat has said.
“We are keenly aware that as a developing country, China still has a long way to go to promote and protect human rights,” Li Baodong, Chinese ambassador to the UN Office in Geneva, told a regular session of the UN Human Rights Council Wednesday.
The Chinese government will continue to uphold the spirit and goals advocated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and will continue to work with all other countries in a common effort to realise the lofty goal of promoting and protecting human rights, he said.
According to Li, China is now a country enjoying political stability, economic prosperity and social progress, which should be attributed to the common efforts of the government and the people.
China is the only country in the world that has reached ahead of schedule the UN Millennium Development Goals of reducing by half the population living in poverty by 2015.
China is also endeavouring to build a harmonious society characterised by “democracy and the rule of law, equity and justice”, he said at the Human Rights Council session that began March 3.
“Through promoting democracy and the rule of law, we have worked to promote and protect the civil and political rights of our citizens,” Li stressed.
“All in all, the Chinese people are enjoying an ever-increasing level of human rights protection,” he added.