China on Thursday issued a white paper on the country's efforts to protect the rights and interests of people with disabilities in the past 70 years. 

The white paper, titled "Equality, Participation and Sharing: 70 Years of Protecting the Rights and Interests of Persons with Disabilities in the PRC," was released by the State Council Information Office. 

China now has a population of 85 million people with disabilities, according to the white paper. 

Since the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 1949, the Communist Party of China and the Chinese government have always put the people first and provided care for the group with special difficulties, making them participants in, contributors to, and beneficiaries of the country's social and economic development, it said. 

The white paper noted that the development of the programs of persons with disabilities is still unbalanced and inadequate and there is still a big gap between the lives these people lead, and lives to which they aspire. 

The paper said "China will continue to improve the mechanisms for ensuring their rights and interests" by trying to eliminate discrimination, fully respecting their human rights, improving their well-being and enhancing their personal skills.  

The white paper consists of several sections, including "Development of the Cause of Persons with Disabilities," "Mechanisms for the Protection of Rights and Interests of Persons with Disabilities," and "Health and Rehabilitation."