Commentary: Big strides achieved by China in human rights development

Pursuing its own path in keeping with the national conditions, China has made remarkable achievements in its human rights development.

"We always put people's rights and interests above everything else and have worked hard to advance and uphold human rights," said Chinese President Xi Jinping in a keynote speech delivered in Geneva Wednesday.

Indeed, great strides have been achieved in China in this regard.

As the most populous country, China has met the basic living needs of its 1.3 billion-plus people and lifted over 700 million people out of poverty, which is a significant contribution to the global cause of human rights.

As a UN declaration affirms that the right to development is an inalienable human right, China has actively participated in global governance and made impressive efforts to promote inclusive development.

To help countries, especially the developing ones, to share the fruits of development, China strives to increase investment in those countries, writing off their debts and furthering the Belt and Road Initiative, a proposal expected to foster prosperity around the globe.

A fresh example of China's willingness to improve human rights status is its around 29-million-U.S. dollar's offer of new humanitarian assistance to help Syrian refugees and displaced people.

As there is no one-size-fits-all approach to human rights, some western countries, while ignoring the skeletons in their own cupboards, still adopt a double standard and point fingers at other countries' affairs in name of human rights.

Such an attitude of "selective blindness" is driven by prejudice and serves nothing but political interests.

Those western countries should be reminded of the rampant gun-fire crimes, institutional racial discrimination and expanding xenophobia on their own territories.

As a community of shared future, countries around the world should respect the choice made by the people. Dialogue and cooperation, instead of confrontation, should be strengthened when dealing with human rights issues.

All kinds of human rights should be advanced in a balanced and coordinated fashion. More importance needs to be given to the promotion and protection of economic, social and cultural rights, as well as the right to development. Endi