Disabled people 'equal members of the global family'

World
Europe

Chinese President Xi Jinping has said that people with disabilities are "equal members of the global family," and the world needs to pay special attention to taking care of the disabled.

He made the remarks in a congratulatory letter to the High-level Intergovernmental Meeting on the Midpoint Review of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities (2013-2022), which opened Monday in Beijing.

Xi hailed progress made in the welfare of disabled people in China since the country's reform and opening-up drive was launched around 40 years ago.

China is committed to a people-centered approach and ensuring and improving people's living standards through development, Xi said in a report delivered at the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in October.

"China will continue to promote comprehensive development and common prosperity of disabled people," he said.

Disabled people attend a ceremony marking the 18th National Day of Persons with Disabilities in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Dec. 6, 2016. /Xinhua Photo

He also noted that the country would always promote common development in the international cause of the disabled, including within the Asia-Pacific region.

With the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the protection of equal rights and the improvement of integrative development for disabled people have been acknowledged and encouraged by the international community.

Advocated by China, the Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities was initiated in Beijing to help Asian and Pacific countries and regions to communicate and learn from each other.

It is considered a strong model of regional cooperation in protecting disabled people.

According to the China Disabled Person's Federation (CDPF), by the end of 2016, there were 7,858 centers for disabled people in the country.

In the same year, 312,000 disabled people found employment, of which 93,000 were in urban areas and 219,000 in the countryside.

The CDPF said more facilities for disabled people are under construction.

1km

Source(s): Xinhua News Agency