When exploring a path of human rights development suited to the country's conditions, China, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), adheres to a people-centered approach and puts people's interests at the forefront.

China has eradicated absolute poverty, laying a solid material foundation for the country's human rights development and has built the world's largest education, social security, and medical and healthcare systems.

Meanwhile, the country is constantly developing its whole-process people's democracy, and improving legal frameworks to ensure legal protection of human rights, making its people the major participators, promoters and beneficiaries of the cause of human rights development.

Whether people's sense of gain, happiness and security has been enhanced is the most important criterion to test a country's human rights situation, said Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday, during his meeting with visiting United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet via video link.

Noting that China has successfully blazed a path of human rights development that conforms to the trend of the times and suits its national conditions, Xi said that the human rights of the Chinese people have been protected as never before. 

To jointly advance the international human rights cause and bring benefits to people of all countries, China is ready to actively engage in human rights dialogue and cooperation with other parties, on the basis of equality and mutual respect, to expand consensus and reduce differences, he said.

The priorities in human rights development

It is the greatest human right to strive to enable people to live a happy life, he said, calling for efforts to embrace a human rights philosophy that centers on people.  

The people's interests are where the human rights cause starts and ends, he stressed. 

The people should be the real masters of their country, and become the main participants, promoters and beneficiaries of the development of human rights, he said. 

Noting that countries differ from each other in history, culture, social system and level of economic and social development, he said that they must promote and protect human rights in light of their national realities and the needs of their people.

All aspects of human rights should be advanced, he said, adding that human rights are an all-encompassing concept, and must be advanced in a comprehensive and systematic manner.

For developing countries, the rights to subsistence and development are the primary human rights, he added.

He also emphasized that global human rights governance should be advanced.

Countries should not politicize and instrumentalize human rights affairs, practice double standards or interfere in other countries' internal affairs under the pretext of human rights, he said, adding that China will continue to support the active efforts of the United Nations in promoting the international human rights cause.

Joint efforts in global human rights cause

For her part, Bachelet said that the high commissioner's office is ready to strengthen communication with China, explore cooperation and make joint efforts to promote progress in human rights globally.

"This is the first visit to China by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in 17 years, and I attach great importance to and cherish this visit," she said.

She said she admired China's efforts and achievements in poverty eradication, human rights protection and economic and social development and appreciated the country's important role in upholding multilateralism, addressing climate change and other global challenges and promoting global sustainable development.