The news conference on the results of the National Human Rights Action Plan of China (2016-2020) in Beijing, 31 May 2021. Photo: Cui Fandi/GT

China has accomplished all its targets for improving people's human rights in the past five years, including lifting all people out of extreme poverty, further protecting women's and children's rights, overturning wrongful convictions and promoting the development of ethnic groups, senior officials and experts on human rights said at a press conference on Monday. 

More than 170 indexes on various fields related to human rights set under the National Human Rights Action Plan of China (2016-2020) have been accomplished, with Chinese people's sense of happiness and security being greatly improved, said Li Xiaojun, director of the publicity department of the Human Rights Bureau.

The Monday press conference in Beijing detailed the achievements of the National Human Rights Action Plan of China (2016-2020), the third plan of its kind and released by the State Council Office in September 2016. 

Apart from China, more than 60 countries had set human rights action plans. China is one of eight countries that had so far made three or more plans. Before releasing the detailed report, China also introduced third-party academic institutes in 2020 for evaluating the implementation of the Action Plan, according to Li. 

China is adjusting the fourth national action plan on human rights to suit the targets set in the 14th Five-Year Plan. As the world's largest developing country, China has accomplished the UN's sustainable agenda on poverty alleviation 10 years in advance and its achievements on human rights have been seen by the international community, Li said. 

Although the third national action plan did not set a detailed index related to China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Tibet Autonomous Region, the development in human rights in these regions is obvious, especially in the field of economic development, Chang Jian, director of Nankai University's Center for Human Rights Studies, said. 

Apart from improving domestic human rights, China has also been actively engaged in global human rights development. 

China joined 26 major international treaties on human rights, promptly submitted its human rights reports and took in practical advice. It also held cooperation and exchanges with other countries on human rights based on the principle of mutual respect and equality, according to the press conference. 

Global Times