China focused its attention on defending developing countries' interests and advocating for multilateralism at the 53rd session of the UN Human Rights Council, which concluded on Friday.

Chinese delegations actively put forward proposals and expounded their positions on issues concerning the common interests of developing countries at the meetings, according to Ambassador Chen Xu, China's permanent representative to the UN office in Geneva and other international organizations in Switzerland. He added that their work defended global fairness and justice, and won widespread support from the international community, especially from developing countries.

The 53rd session of the UN Human Rights Council kicked off on June 19 in Geneva, Switzerland.

In the face of multiple global challenges, including regional conflicts, fierce geopolitical competition and economic recession, China saw the meeting as a core platform to expand developing countries' voices, expound on China's human rights protection achievements, promote true multilateralism and improve global human rights governance.

At the meeting, China urged the U.S. and the UK to stop military operations in Syria and called for greater humanitarian funding for Syria. It also urged the U.S. to stop unilateral sanctions on Venezuela, Afghanistan, Iran and other countries. 

Besides, China voiced strong opposition to Japan's plan of releasing its nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean at the meeting, warning that the move is equivalent to transferring the risk of nuclear pollution to all mankind and will cause great damage to the global marine environment, public health, and lead to wide displacement. 

China also expressed strong condemnation over the Quran-burning incident that happened in Sweden and supported Islamic countries in holding an urgent debate on it. Chinese UN diplomats said that China advocates mutual respect, inclusiveness and mutual learning between civilizations, and firmly opposes all forms of Islamophobia. 

Chen told CMG that China had also made joint statements on protecting senior women's rights and artificial intelligence's role in boosting the rights of the disabled. 

"For example, China's statement on artificial intelligence to promote the rights of the disabled was signed by more than 70 countries, including the U.S., Greece, Austria and other Western countries, which has created favorable conditions for future cooperation," Chen said.

He added that China will continue to actively participate in the work of the Human Rights Council and other multilateral human rights mechanisms, but China firmly opposes the politicization and instrumentalization of human rights issues.

China will work to make global human rights governance more fair, equitable, reasonable and inclusive, and promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, Chen said.