Signed article on issues of Xinjiang and Hong Kong by H.E. Dr. Xiao Jianguo, Chinese ambassador to Timor-Leste, published on Timor Post
2019-09-04 20:21

On 4th September 2019, Timor Post carried an article on issues of Xinjiang and Hong Kong by Ambassador Dr. Xiao Jianguo entitled “no best, only better, China's human rights have made continuous progress”. The full text is as follows:

The 42nd session of the UN human rights council will be held in Geneva from 9th to 27th of September. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. China has emerged from a poor and weak country to the world's second largest economy, attracting the world attention with its historic leap of comprehensive national power. Over the past 70 years, China has always advanced the cause of human rights based on people-centered principle, making historic progress in human rights.

China has managed to meet the basic living needs of its 1.4 billion people, lifted more than 800 million people out of poverty, cultivated over 400 million middle-income groups, and committed to lifting the entire impoverished population in rural areas out of poverty by 2020. China has created a poverty reduction miracle in the world’s history. This is undoubtedly the largest human rights project and best human rights story. China has put in place the largest social welfare system in the world, and the average life expectancy of Chinese people has risen to 76.34 years, ranking the forefront of developing countries. China has significantly improved the education level of its people, the retention rate of nine-year compulsory education is 92% and the higher-education level is close to moderately developed countries. China has always maintained ethnic unity and national unity, protected the rights and interests of women, children, the elderly, the disabled and ethnic minorities in accordance with law, ensuring everyone to enjoy human rights. International authoritative polls show that China is one of the safest, most dynamic and most satisfying countries in the world. The development of China owes to the leadership of the Communist Party of China, which is a historical trend cannot be stopped by any forces.

Eliminating poverty is the greatest global challenge facing the world today. Since its restoration of independence 17 years ago, Timor-Leste has made great achievements and gained opportunities of peaceful development. However, according to the latest UN survey, more than 40% of Timorese people still live below the poverty line, nearly half of the children under the age of five are chronically malnourished, and a large number of families face food shortages every year. Poverty reduction in Timor-Leste still has a long way to go. As a good friend and partner of Timor-Leste, China is always willing to share poverty reduction experience with developing countries, including Timor-Leste. China is always ready to provide practical common development plans for countries along the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in the joint pursuit of the BRI, to make positive contribution to the world’s poverty eradication, sustainable development and the promotion of human rights.

On the issue of human rights, There is no best, only better. The protection and promotion of human rights is a dynamic historical process. With different cultural traditions, historical inheritance and national conditions, a country should seek a development path of human rights that suits their own characteristics and set priorities at different phases. “Only the wearer knows whether the shoes fit or not.” China is open to all positive and constructive opinions and suggestions, but never accepts the interference in China’s internal affairs or the infringement upon China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity on the pretext of human rights. The issue of human rights cannot be politicized or treated with double standards. At present, some western countries are keen to disregard facts and hype issues of Xinjiang and Hong Kong. They willfully interfere in China’s judicial sovereignty and internal affairs and make groundless accusations against China’s ethnic, religious and judicial issues. In fact, the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China has adopted a series of measures of counter-terrorism and deradicalization in accordance with the law, including setting up vocational education and training centers, which has improved significantly the security situation in Xinjiang and has been welcomed and supported by all the Chinese people, especially by all the ethnic groups in Xinjiang. During the last 3 years, no violent terrorist attacks have occurred in Xinjiang, and people there live in peace, stability and harmony. And also, the current issue of Hong Kong should be definitely defined as an act of violence instead of a peaceful demonstration. It has actually escalated from the anti-extradition law demonstrations to an attempted color revolution, incited by some Hong Kong individuals colluding with foreign forces, with intention to overthrow the legitimate Special Administrative Region Government, challenge the Chinese central government’s authority, and undermine the constitutional basis of “one country , two systems” in Hong Kong. The top priority of Hong Kong now is to stop violence, end the chaos and restore order. The unstable situation in Hong Kong could only make ordinary people suffer. In short, the issues of Xinjiang and Hong Kong are China's internal affairs, and they are parts of China. The Chinese government has the full power to deal with them by itself.

People’s longing for a stable and better life is the goal of the Communist Party of China and the Chinese government. Improving people’s livelihood is the fundamental purpose of development. For decades, the constant development of the cause of China’s human rights is, in the final analysis, that China has found a path suitable for its own human rights according to its own national conditions. China will, as always, protect and promote human rights within the framework of its domestic laws and in line with its national conditions, as well as conduct dialogues and cooperation on human rights with international community in an attitude of equality, honesty and mutual respect.

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