A Chinese human rights researcher said Wednesday the country has made historic achievements in both theory and practice of human rights protection in recent years.

Luo Haocai, President of the China Society for Human Rights Studies (CSHRS), said at a forum on human rights that respecting and protecting human rights has been written into the Constitution and the 11th Five-Year Plan (2006-2010). In addition, it has become an important part of the Chinese Communist Party's scientific concept of development and its strategic thinking on building a socialist harmonious society.

He said relief work after the May 12 earthquake in Sichuan Province, in which great importance was attached to saving people's lives, serves as an example of China's respect for and protection of human rights.

He said the CSHRS should further study the guidelines of the Chinese Communist Party on human rights, innovate human rights theory and explore new approaches to human rights protection.

(Xinhua News Agency July 10, 2008)