Defender of rights

That China has won a seat for the fourth time in the UNHRC since the council's formation in 2006 is proof that it has fulfilled the demands of human rights protection and succeeded in its human rights diplomacy.

As an ancient civilization, China has been confident of its path, theory and culture for building a socialist society, and its belief in its human rights practices is an important part of that confidence.

The Communist Party of China and the Chinese government have always combined human rights protection with the country's realities, paying special attention to improving people's livelihoods, promoting social justice and fairness, strengthening human rights protection and guaranteeing people's legal rights in the course of economic and social development.

China has followed a human rights development path that suits its national conditions. And top leader Xi Jinping has said China will always combine human rights protection with peaceful development.

China strongly believes the rights to subsistence and development are two important parts of human rights, and that is its contribution to the international human rights movement.

China has vowed to eliminate poverty by 2020, and implement an innovative, coordinative, environmentally-friendly, open and sharing development concept. The aim is to serve the people and ensure sustainable and people-first development.

China supported the UN to pass the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, appealing to countries to bridge the gap between developing and developed countries. And the G20 Summit in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang province, in September passed an action plan for the G20 to help implement the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, making it suitable for concrete action for the first time.

China is an important power defending the rule of law and helping maintain peace across the globe. And at home, it is implementing its third State Human Rights Action Plan (2016-20).

Liu Huawen is executive director of Human Rights Center of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.