China committed to human rights cause

China is committed to pushing forward global governance on human rights, according to a senior official.

Cui Yuying, vice-minister of the State Council Information Office, made the remark on Sunday at the opening ceremony of the third Europe-China Seminar on Human Rights at Vrije University Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

Cui, who is also deputy head of the publicity department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, reiterated President Xi Jinping's proposal to build a community of shared destiny for mankind.

"China is not only the initiator of this concept, but is a firm advocate and practitioner," she said.  

Xi's comments, made in January at the United Nations, have drawn widespread attention from the international community.

Tom Zwart, director of Vrije University's Cross-Cultural Human Rights Centre, said Xi's concept regarding global governance also applies to the field of international human rights.

"It indicates the direction toward strengthening EU-China collaboration in the field of human rights as well," Cui said.

She said that human rights can be enhanced globally through open dialogue and concrete cooperation, despite different cultures, social systems and paths of development.

The annual seminar was established by the China Society for Human Rights Studies to gear up in-depth exchanges and mutual learning between China and Europe.

More than 50 experts and observers from Europe and China participated in the two-day event, with the theme of protecting the rights of people with disabilities.

In talking about the domestic situation, Cui underlined China's firm determination to safeguard equal rights and commitment to improve the well-being of more than 85 million people with disabilities in the country.

"The government's goal is to succeed in building a well-off society in an all-around way by 2020," Cui said.

"Regardless of the differences between us, we are seeking better cooperation to move toward a better future," said Pierre Bercis, president of the France-based New Human Rights Foundations.

Contact the writers at fujing@chinadaily.com.cn