News-Clips (2022.08-2022.09)

August 2022

Government strictly prohibits COVID-based job discrimination

The central government has released an urgent notice on Aug.1 prohibiting any prejudice against recovered COVID-19 patients in the job market.

The notice,jointly released by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and the National Health Commission,clarified employers and human resources agencies are prohibited from refusing to hire job-seekers with the excuse of them having tested positive for COVID-19.Dismissing recovered COVID patients with this reason is also banned.

From:chinadaily∙com∙cn

Diplomats from 30 Islamic countries visit Xinjiang

Envoys from 30 Islamic countries visited Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region from Aug.1 to 5 at the invitation of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The diplomats from countries including Algeria,Saudi Arabia,Iraq,Yemen and Pakistan visited the regional capital city of Urumqi,Kashgar prefecture and Aksu prefecture,learning about the region’s economic and social development.

From:Xinhua

Tibet marks decade of progress

The Tibet autonomous region has seen steady growth in its social and economic development over the past decade,senior officials said on Aug.2.

The region’s seven key industries including,clean energy,high-tech digital and cultural tourism have progressed rapidly over the years,and the Aid-Tibet program has continued to promote the region’s education and health quality,Wang Junzheng,the region’s Party secretary,said on Aug.2 at a news conference in Lhasa,the region’s capital.

From:chinadaily∙com∙cn

China’s crackdown on crime yields fruit

Public security organs nationwide have stepped up efforts to improve public order during this summer and good results have been achieved,with nearly 270,000 criminal cases resolved during the past month,an official with the Ministry of Public Security said on Aug.5.

In the first half of this year,criminal cases nationwide fell by 16.3 percent year on year,and people’s sense of security has steadily improved,said Qiu Baoli,head of the ministry’s security administration bureau,at a news conference held in Beijing.

From:chinadaily∙com∙cn

China to bolster support for childbirth,parenting

Chinese authorities have issued a guideline introducing a raft of policies for prenatal and postnatal support to promote balanced long-term population development.

These measures include better maternal care services and public-benefit childcare services,improved maternity and parental leave policies,preferential policies on housing and taxation,and the fostering of fertility-friendly workplaces,according to the guideline released on Aug.16 by the National Health Commission in collaboration with 16 other departments.

From:Xinhua

Chinese medical team provides free health care services in rural Cameroon

A Chinese medical team in Cameroon on Aug.20 provided free medical services to the people of Ngat-Bane,a village in the Centre region where the capital,Yaounde is located.

Early in the morning,more than one hundred villagers gathered in the Health Center of Ngat-Bane to welcome 12 doctors from various departments of ultrasound,stomatology,acupuncture,etc.of the Chinese medical team based in Mbalmayo,a town located about 40 km on the outskirts of Yaounde.

From:Xinhua

Employment stressed at CPPCC session

China has made progress in promoting employment against the backdrop of the COVID-19 epidemic and an economic downturn,as the nation continues to implement its employment-first policy and secure a more stable job market.

The policy is the major focus of the 23rdsession of the Standing Committee of the 13thNational Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference,which started on Aug.22.Political advisers will discuss and give their suggestions on employment during the three-day session.

From:chinadaily∙com∙cn

Event to build better online environment

The 2022 China Internet Civilization Conference will be held in Tianjin from Aug.28 to 29,in an effort to call on all walks of life to build a better online environment,a senior cyberspace regulator said on Aug.23.

The conference,which will kick off at the National Convention and Exhibition Center (Tianjin),includes a main forum and a network integrity summit,with 10 sub-forums covering topics such as governing cyberspace by rule of law,how to fight online rumors and intensifying personal information protection,according to Sheng Ronghua,deputy head of the Cyberspace Administration of China.

From:CHINA DAILY

China launches human resources website for older people

China on Aug.24 launched a human resources website for older people,marking the first step of building a human resources information service platform for the country’s older citizens.The website,launched by the China National Committee on Ageing,offers content including human resources policies,human resources knowledge and employment information.

The website aims to build a platform to help older people with employment,and is of great significance to tackling the challenges of an aging population,said Wang Jianjun,head of the committee.

From:Xinhua

Significant progress made in domestic medical science over past decade

The Chinese medical community has made significant progress in its ability to innovate in the past decade,generating novel drugs for complicated diseases and turbo-charging the fight against COVID-19,health officials and experts said on Aug.25.

Liu Dengfeng,an official with the National Health Commission’s department of health science,technology and education,said that two major campaigns aimed at improving medical innovation since 2008 have led to the development of 80 first-class innovative drugs.

From:CHINA DAILY

Benefits to support people facing economic hardship

China will keep beefing up efforts to support people and meet their basic living needs,especially amid complicated situations such as the COVID-19 epidemic and recent natural disasters,authorities said at a news conference on Aug.26.

Yang Yinkai,deputy general secretary of the National Development and Reform Commission,said the adjusted mechanism of raising social benefits in tandem with price increases will alleviate impacts on the basic livelihoods of people living in hardship.

From:CHINA DAILY

People’s rights well protected in Xinjiang

Contrary to the rumors spread by Western anti-China forces about the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region,the legitimate rights of people in Xinjiang have been protected in accordance with the law,the region’s Party secretary said.

In addition,human rights protection will be further improved in Xinjiang in the future,as the regional government has attached great importance to strengthening lawbased governance,said Ma Xingrui,secretary of the Communist Party of China Xinjiang Regional Committee.

Ma made the remark in the region’s capital,Urumqi,at a news conference on Aug.27 on Xinjiang’s achievements in the past decade.

From:chinadaily∙com∙cn

China allocates 10 billion yuan in subsidies to grain farmers

China will provide grain planters with subsidies totaling 10 billion yuan (about 1.46 billion U.S.dollars) from its central government budget,the Ministry of Finance said on Aug.29.

The move aims to protect grain planters from the rising prices of farming supplies and further stimulate their enthusiasm for grain planting,the ministry said.

From:Xinhua

Food safety standards continue to improve

China’s food safety has been improving in recent years,with the pass rate for food sampling inspection remaining above 97 percent for five consecutive years,officials said on Aug.29.

The overall food safety situation is on a positive trend,and no systematic or large-scale incidents have occurred in recent years,contributing to the safeguarding of the health of Chinese people,authorities said during an event on Aug.29 kicking off a one-week campaign known as the China Food Safety Publicity Week.

From:China Daily

China unveils plans to boost green development of electrical equipment

China on Aug.29 unveiled an action plan to expedite the green and low-carbon development of electrical equipment as part of its efforts to meet the carbon peak and neutrality goals.

Efforts will be made to boost the green transition of power generation equipment,promote breakthroughs in core technologies and accelerate the smart transition of electrical equipment by deepening integration with new information technologies,according to the plan released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and four other government bodies.

From:CGTN

UN experts concerned about minority rights

Independent United Nations human rights experts on Aug.30 expressed concern about what they called the disproportionate impact of abortion restrictions and gun violence on racial minorities in the US.

In the report,the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination(CERD) said that the US Supreme Court decision ending a federal right to abortion will affect racial and ethnic minorities more.

From:China Daily Global

China rejects groundless accusations of so-called enforced disappearances

China’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations on Aug.30 categorically opposed and rejected accusations against China on enforced disappearances.

United States Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield used the occasion of the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances on Aug.30 to issue a statement “to launch groundless accusations against China and interfere in the work of international organizations”.China categorically opposes and rejects this,said China’s Permanent Mission to the UN in a statement released on Aug.30.

From:China Daily

China makes solid progress in production safety,disaster relief in 10 years

China has greatly reduced workplace accidents and improved the effectiveness of disaster relief in the past decade amid efforts in strengthening comprehensive emergency response,an official said on Aug.30.

The number of workplace accidents has continuously decreased in the country during this period,Zhou Xuewen,vice minister of the Ministry of Emergency Management told a press conference.

In 2021,the number of workplace accidents plunged by 56.8 percent from 2012,and the death toll fell 45.9 percent in the past decade,Zhou said.

From:Xinhua

Pair of new laws to improve care for elderly

China will accelerate the formulation of two new laws dedicated to elderly care and barrier-free facilities,as part of efforts to tackle the country’s quickly aging population by reinforcing related legal frameworks,according to a report delivered to the top legislature and a senior health official on Aug.30.

The report,delivered to the 36thsession of the Standing Committee of the 13thNational People’s Congress,said that a law on elderly care services will be established,combining the experiences of various localities and focusing on key issues such as community nursing homes,the integration of healthcare and elderly care services,elderly care resources in rural areas and long-term care.

From:China Daily

September 2022

China scales up support for elderly care,childcare industries

China has adopted a host of measures to support the elderly care and childcare industries to help them overcome difficulties,the country’s top economic planner said on Sept.1.

Some elderly care and childcare service providers have faced multiple challenges during the past two years due to the pandemic,Su Wei,an official with the National Development and Reform Commission,told a press conference.

From:Xinhua

Xi urges all-out rescue efforts after quake

President Xi Jinping called on Sept.5 for all-out efforts to rescue people affected by the magnitude 6.8 earthquake in Luding county in southwestern China’s Sichuan province,and he emphasized that saving lives and minimizing casualties should be the primary task.

Xi,who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission,made the remarks in an instruction shortly after the earthquake occurred.

From:China Daily Global

Multilingual versions of Xi’s discourses on respecting and protecting human rights published

Multilingual versions of extracts from Xi Jinping’s discourses on respecting and protecting human rights have been published by the Central Compilation and Translation Press.

The Chinese-Russian,Chinese-French,Chinese-Spanish and Chinese-Japanese versions of the discourses were compiled and translated by the Institute of Party History and Literature of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.

From:Xinhua

Chinese envoy calls for respect to state’s right to choose human rights development path

The United Nations (UN) human rights office should respect the right of each state to choose independently the path for human rights development in accordance with their national conditions,the Chinese Ambassador to the UN in Geneva said on Sept.13.

Speaking on behalf of a group of more than 30 countries,Chen Xu,China’s permanent representative to the UN Office in Geneva,told the 51stSession of the Human Rights Council that mutual trust and respect is vital to ensure successful cooperation between the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and member states.

From:Xinhua

China Focus: China makes great strides in decade-long pursuit of better residential conditions

Nationwide efforts over the past 10 years have provided the Chinese people with a substantial increase in both the quantity and quality of homes,as well as improvements in urban and rural environments,coupled with the steady development of related industries.

Bent on providing everyone in China with a roof over their head,the country invested a record 14.8 trillion yuan (about 2.14 trillion U.S.dollars) in affordable housing in the past decade,helping to settle over 140 million people in new homes,Jiang Wanrong,vice minister of housing and urban-rural development,told a press conference on Sept.14.

From:Xinhua

SPC mandates new requirement to protect juvenile victims

A new requirement has been released tasking courts with improving the manner in which they deal with information related to criminals convicted of sexually assaulting minors,in an effort to extend more robust protection to children.

The Supreme People’s Court,China’s top court,introduced the requirement on Sept.14 at the 7thMeeting of Juvenile Panels,by calling on judges responsible for cases involving children to ensure the files of juvenile offenders are properly sealed.

From:chinadaily∙com∙cn

Ministry ensures rural students not left behind

Students living in rural areas have been given more opportunities to attend key university as a result of a national special enrollment project launched in 2012,the Ministry of Education said on Sept.15.

The project,which reduces the university entrance requirements for those living rural areas,has led to the enrollment of more than 950,000 students over the past decade,said Wang Hui,director of the ministry’s department of college students affairs.

From:chinadaily∙com∙cn

Fast progress achieved toward cleaner skies

Thanks to a 56 percent decrease in the annual average density of PM 2.5 particulate matter in 74 major cities in the past decade,China is now the country with the fastest progress in improving air quality,said Minster of Ecology and Environment,Huang Runqiu.

The average period of heavy air pollution in these cities has dropped by 87 percent,he said at a news conference organized by the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Sept.15.

From:chinadaily∙com∙cn

China advances implementation of Marrakesh Treaty for people with print disabilities

A meeting to advance the implementation of the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind,Visually Impaired or Otherwise Print Disabled was convened in Beijing on Sept.16.

During the meeting organized by the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the China Disabled Persons’ Federation(CDPF),cooperation agreements were signed by relevant institutions to advance the treaty’s implementation,and a proposal calling on society to remain aware of and support the cause was read.

From:Xinhua

Politicization of human rights denounced

Experts at an online human rights event called for eliminating the negative impact of the politicization of human rights and promoting the healthy development of international human rights causes through cooperation and dialogue.

The online event,with the theme of Risks and Problems of Politicization of International Human Rights,is an event held on the sidelines of the United Nations Human Rights Council 51stSession.It was hosted by Jilin University on Sept.19.

From:China Daily

Elderly care beds in China have more than doubled since 2012

The number of beds at elderly care institutions across China has more than doubled since the end of 2012 to nearly 8.13 million in the first quarter of this year,officials said on Sept.20.

Li Yongxin,deputy director of the Department of Elderly Care at the Ministry of Civil Affairs,said that central finance has dedicated 35.9 billion yuan ($5.12 billion)toward building elderly care facilities.

From:chinadaily∙com∙cn

Revised regulation to better safeguard criminal suspects’ rights through bail reform

China’s top judicial and public security authorities on Sept.21 issued a revised regulation to protect the legitimate rights and interests of criminal suspects.

The revision of the regulation (originally released in 1999) has been jointly released by the Supreme People’s Court,the Supreme People’s Procuratorate,the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of State Security.

The revised regulation focuses on issues such as the right to bail for criminal suspects in pending trials and the procedure and rules for getting the bail money back.

From:CGTN

China’s UN envoy rejects accusations over abuse of ethnic minorities

A Chinese envoy on Sept.21 rejected accusations by the United States,Britain and the European Union that China commits human rights abuses against its ethnic minorities.China’s permanent representative to the United Nations Zhang Jun called the accusations unfounded.

Speaking at a high-level meeting to mark the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic,Religious and Linguistic Minorities,Zhang said that over the past three decades,progress has been made in implementing the declaration.

From:Xinhua

China,like-minded countries call for more equitable development

China and a group of more than 30 countries on Sept.21 called for people-centered development that ensures development gains are enjoyed on a larger scale and in a more equitable way.

This would especially help those in vulnerable and marginalized situations to have equal access to basic rights such as education,health care,housing and decent jobs,Chen Xu,China’s permanent representative to the UN Office in Geneva said in a joint statement delivered at the ongoing 51stsession of the UN Human Rights Council.

From:Xinhua

Climate governance linked to rights

Legal scholars from different countries shared their views on the human rights approach to climate change governance online and offline at Nankai University in Tianjin on Sept.22.

Speaking at a sideline meeting of the ongoing 51stSession of the United Nations Human Rights Council,they discussed environmental rights and litigation around climate change.

From:China Daily

Xinjiang makes progress in economic,social,human rights development

China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has made unprecedented progress in economic and social and human rights development,despite some Western politicians’ insistence to turn a blind eye while spreading lies and false information about Xinjiang,Chen Xu,China’s permanent representative to the UN Office in Geneva,said on Sept.22.

Chen made the remarks at a publicity and orientation meeting titled “Progress in respecting and protecting human rights in Xinjiang,China,” held jointly by the government of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and the Permanent Mission of China to the UN in Geneva,on the sidelines of the ongoing 51stsession of the UN Human Rights Council.

From:CGTN

Decade of efforts to strengthen environmental laws

China has made consistent efforts to bolster environmental legislation and awareness of environmental rights in recent decades in a bid to improve human rights.

On July 28,the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution recognizing the right to a clean,healthy and sustainable environment as a human right.

Tang Xianxing,deputy director of the Human Rights Center at Fudan University,said at an online side event to the ongoing 51stsession of the UN Human Rights Council on Sept.23 that China has included environmental rights into its system of human rights protection,which is of benefit in giving people their environmental rights.

From:China Daily

Nearly 70 countries say no to interference in China’s internal affairs

Xinjiang,Hong Kong and Tibet related issues are China’s internal affairs,and there should be no politicization of human rights and double standards,or interference in China’s internal affairs under the pretext of human rights,a group of countries stressed on Sept.26 at the on-going 51stsession of the UN Human Rights Council.

A joint statement delivered by Pakistan on behalf of 68 States stressed that respect for sovereignty,independence and territorial integrity of states and non-interference in internal affairs of sovereign states represent the basic norms governing international relations.

From:Xinhua

Nation always upholds people-centered rights

China has always upheld the people-centered perspective on human rights and takes the path to effectively meet the people’s ever-growing need for a better life,experts said at an online meeting on Sept.26.

The online meeting was a side event of the 51stsession of the United Nations Human Rights Council,with the theme of the People-Centered Philosophy — the Value Adherence of the Contemporary Chinese Perspective on Human Rights,which was sponsored by the China Foundation for Human Rights Development and hosted by Minzu University of China.

From:CHINA DAILY

Public security bureaus develop prevention system

China’s public security departments have accelerated the development of a prevention and control system for public security risks over the past decade,effectively enhancing people’s sense of security,officials with the Ministry of Public Security said on Sept.27.

Public security departments are striving to promote the construction of a safe China.The number of criminal cases filed started to drop in 2015,while the detection rate has kept rising.

From:China Daily

China makes great strides in rural vitalization over past 5 years

China has made solid progress in pushing forward rural vitalization as planned over the last five years,the country’s top economic planner said on Sept.28.

In 2018,China released a five-year plan for its rural vitalization strategy,mapping out a number of major projects,programs and actions.All 59 of the plan’s key tasks,including consolidating agricultural production capacity and improving the safety of drinking water in rural areas,have been carried out steadily and have yielded good results,Wu Xiao,an official from the National Development and Reform Commission,told a press conference.

From:Xinhua

Improved medical services at Chinese public hospitals over past decade

China has taken a slew of measures to upgrade medical services and strengthen capacity building at public hospitals over the past decade,said the National Health Commission (NHC).

The country has continued to promote the comprehensive reform and high-quality development of public hospitals,which are the mainstay of China’s medical service system,the NHC said at a media conference on Sept.28.

From:Xinhua

Scholars around the world praise China’s shared future vision

On Sept.29,scholars from China and abroad hailed the China-proposed vision of building a community with a shared future for human beings,saying it contributed to global human rights governance.

They made the remarks at a side event of the 55thsession of the United Nations Human Rights Council,which was sponsored by China Society for Human Rights Studies and held in an online and offline manner.

From:chinadaily∙com∙cn

Livelihoods of ethnic groups improved

China has attached great importance to improving the livelihoods of people from different ethnic groups and their human rights since 2012.Attempts to use ethnic and religious issues to create conflict in China will never succeed,said the deputy director of a Chinese association for promoting exchange in ethnic affairs.

In recent years,the United States and some other Western countries have worked closely with ethnic separatist forces to cook up a series of lies about China’s ethnic affairs including that the Chinese government intends to wipe out ethnic cultures in the Xinjiang Uygur,Tibet and Inner Mongolia autonomous regions,Yang Yucheng,deputy director of China Ethnic Minorities’ Association for External Exchange,said on Sept.29.

From:China Daily

More benefits to Chinese females over past decade

Over the past decade,benefits to Chinese women have further increased,as shown by a series of facts and statistics,according to a press conference on Sept.29.

During this time,women’s federations at various levels in China have launched over 200,000 practical skill training sessions in rural areas,benefiting nearly 20 million female trainees,said the conference by the All-China Women’s Federation.

From:Xinhua