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China registers historic progress in human rights
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-12-09 14:11

--- Respecting and protecting human rights has received attention never seen before and has become an important principle of the CPC and the Chinese government in governing the country.

Since China's reform and opening up, the most prominent progress China has made in human rights is to have freed itself from the bondage of the "leftist" thinking that regarded human rights as the slogan of the bourgeoisie and established the important position of human rights in the social and political life. Since the 16th CPC National Congress, in particular, the CPC Central Committee with Hu Jintao as General Secretary has advanced the "people first" scientific development theory and the important strategic thinking of constructing a socialist harmonious society, which have made respect for and protection of human rights an important component part.

Since 2004, "respecting and protecting human rights" has been written into the Constitution, the 11th five-year development program and the Constitution of the CPC. All this has shown that human rights development has become a major theme in social construction and development and an important principle of the CPC and the Chinese government in governing the country and maintaining friendly relations with neighbors. The unprecedented attention given to human rights has provided powerful political and legal guarantee for human rights development both in theory and practice.

--- The rights to subsistence and development have received protection never seen before. The 30 years of reform and opening up have witnessed vigorous economic and social development, with the economy growing at an average annual rate of over 9 percent. The living standards of the 1.3 billion Chinese people have improved greatly, realizing the historic leap from poverty to adequate food and clothing and from adequate food and clothing to a well-off level. By the end of 2007, the per capita GDP had risen to 18,700 yuan from 379 yuan in 1978, increasing by nearly 50-fold.

The disposable income of urban residents had risen to 13,786 yuan from 343 yuan and that of rural residents had risen to 4,140 yuan from 134 yuan, increasing about 40-fold and 31-fold, respectively. The per capita living space had risen to 27 square meters from 6.7 square meters in the urban areas and to 30.7 square meters from 8.1 square meters in the rural areas. The urban and rural Engel's Coefficient had dropped to 36.3 percent and 43.1 percent from 56.6 percent and 67.71 percent, respectively.

Transport, telecommunications, culture, education and recreation, medical service and health care, family service, tourism and sightseeing and other development and enjoyment consumption had increased steadily. The number of people in poverty was reduced to 14.79 million from 1978's 250 million. At present, the life expectancy of Chinese has risen to 73 years from 68 years in 1978, attaining the level of medium developed countries.

--- Civil and political rights have been brought under real protection. Since reform and opening up, China has constantly strengthened its efforts to rule the country by law, build a country of the rule of law and improve democracy. The rights of person and political rights of the citizens have been extended and effectively protected on the orbit of democracy and law.

At present, there are 229 effective laws in force in addition to the about 600 effective administrative decrees of the State Council and more than 7,000 local laws. These, with the Constitution as the core, go to form a socialist legal system distinct in Chinese characters.