CPC’s contributions to human rights can rebut Western criticism

An international conference on the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Progress on Human Rights in China was held in Changchun, capital city of Northeast China’s Jilin Province on Thursday, with attendees saying that the CPC is confidently introducing its contributions and experiences in promoting human rights in China despite the rising stigmatization from the West recently.

The conference was sponsored by the China Society for Human Rights Studies and the Publicity Department of the CPC Jilin Provincial Committee, and organized by Jilin University.

Foreign scholars and journalists from more than 20 countries and organizations worldwide, including the US, the UK and France attended the conference via video link or at the venue.

Qiangba Puncog, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of 12th China’s National People’s Congress and president of the China Society for Human Rights Studies, said at the opening ceremony that under the profound changes of the past century, the traditional Western paradigm on human rights can’t provide satisfactory answers and explanations anymore, and the international community is paying high attention to China’s initiative and plans.

He stressed that the CPC’s fight for safeguarding and promoting China’s human rights in the past 100 years is the most convincing fact that provides confidence for us to speak for China on the human rights issue.

Human rights in Xinjiang have been mentioned frequently at the conference.

Tom Zwart, director of the Cross-cultural Human Rights Centre at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, said at the opening ceremony that China has tried to build a harmonious relationship with Muslims in the country but this relationship has been threatened and interrupted by terrorist groups, and many Chinese nationals have been attacked.