The country has continued its efforts to promote law-based governance and to increase government transparency.

China also encourages non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to fully play their role in promoting and protecting human rights.

There are now 400,000 registered NGOs in China, which are active in such fields as poverty alleviation, health care, education, environmental protection, and the safeguarding of citizens' rights.

China pursues a policy of ethnic equality and regional ethnic autonomy. Ethnic minorities in China benefit from special preferential policies in political, economic, cultural and educational spheres.

The Chinese government encourages dual- and multi-language teaching in schools of ethnic minorities, and has helped 13 ethnic minorities to create or develop their own written languages, Li said.

Besides, huge investment has been made to protect the religions, cultural identities and other heritages of ethnic minorities, he added.

China has also taken an active part in international human rights exchanges and cooperation, he noted.

China is now party to 25 international human rights instruments, and has conducted human rights dialog with nearly 20 countries, he said.

Despite its huge achievements in the promotion of human rights, China is fully aware of its difficulties and challenges in this field, Li noted.

He cited such challenges as the need to create 24 million jobs each year, the existence of a vast number of poverty-stricken and low-income people, imbalances in development between urban and rural areas and among regions, and the lack of necessary medical and health-care services and a well-established social security system.

To overcome these difficulties and challenges, the Chinese government is conscientiously implementing the Scientific Outlook on Development in an effort to build a harmonious society characterized by democracy, the rule of law, equity and justice, Li said.

The Chinese government will continue to give top priority to people's livelihood, human values, people's rights and interests, and social equity and freedoms, he said.

(Xinhua News Agency February 10, 2009)