A senior government official said yesterday that China has made important contributions to the cause of human rights and will continue to promote the issue. 

The Chinese people had suffered greatly from aggression by imperialist powers, fighting among warlords and poverty, said Vice Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi. That's why they are keenly aware of the value of peace, development and human rights, he said. 

Addressing the inaugural session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Yang said the Chinese government is making great efforts to promote human rights and significant progress has been made.

"The founding of the People's Republic of China brought about a fundamental change in the country's destiny and ushered in a new era with the people becoming the masters of the country," he said.

"In 1978 China embarked on a path of reform, opening-up and modernization, and in just 28 years it has completed a journey that took many countries more than 100 years," he noted. 

Yang said that since 1978 China has made two quantum leaps -- from languishing in poverty to being free from want, and then on to moderate prosperity.

"As a result the Chinese now enjoy unprecedented freedom in movement, employment, access to information, their beliefs and choices about how they live their lives," he said.

Yang said China gives high priority to realizing the value, rights and freedom of the people, to raising the quality of their lives and helping them achieve their development potential.

Greater efforts are also being made by the Chinese government in light of the country's moves to promote social justice, protect disadvantaged groups, improve democracy and the rule of law, and advance political reform in an active and prudent manner.

"We have formally included the phrase, 'The state respects and protects human rights' into the fundamental law of the country -- the Constitution," Yang said.

"Acting on this constitutional principle the Chinese government will continue to promote human rights, honor its international obligations on this issue and conduct dialog and exchanges with other countries on the subject on the basis of equality and mutual respect," he added.

The first session of the Human Rights Council started on Monday and runs until June 30.

Ministers and high-level delegates from more than 100 countries will address the session giving their views on the promotion of human rights and the future work of the council.

The new 47-member human rights body has replaced the former 53-country Human Rights Commission that accomplished much in promoting the cause but in recent years suffered from a dip in credibility.

"It's incumbent upon all UN member states, particularly the newly elected members of the council, to demonstrate political commitment and exert real efforts to make the council both dynamic and effective," Yang told the session.

China hopes the new council will go further than its predecessor along the right track and make a greater contribution to improving the well-being of people, he added.

He said China is ready to work with other council members in a responsible and constructive manner with a view to formulating a fair set of procedural rules. China also wants to explore feasible working methods through consultation to enable the council to get off to a good start.

(Xinhua News Agency June 21, 2006)