[People’s happy life is the greatest human right. Authoritative interpretation] How to understand ＂People’s happy life is the greatest human right＂

　　[People’s happy life is the greatest human right. Authoritative interpretation]

　　Author: Liu Huawen (Special research fellow of China Academy of Social Sciences Supreme Leader New Era Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought Research Center, Executive Director of China Academy of Social Sciences Human Rights Research Center)

　　Enjoying full human rights is an ideal pursued by human beings for a long time. Especially after the end of the Second World War, human rights discourse has become increasingly international, and there have been more and more discussions on human rights thoughts and ways in various countries and the international community. In the 21st century, the United Nations regards peace, development and human rights as the three pillars, and increasingly emphasizes the importance of human rights. At the same time, the national systems, social conditions and development trends of different countries are different. Under different historical, cultural and social backgrounds, the knowledge and understanding of human rights, the focus of human rights work, institutional guarantee, resource allocation, social mobilization and actual results will naturally be different.

　　Contemporary China’s view of human rights combines Marxist view of human rights with China’s concrete reality and Chinese excellent traditional culture, sums up the Communist Party of China (CPC)’s successful experience of uniting and leading the people of China to respect and protect human rights, draws lessons from the achievements of outstanding human civilization and conforms to the trend of the times, which is a positive contribution to human rights civilization. To understand contemporary China’s view of human rights, the core and fundamental question is, what is human rights? What is the China version of the definition of human rights, which embodies the content and realization path of human rights? On December 10, 2018, General Secretary of the Supreme Leader clearly stated for the first time in his congratulatory letter to the symposium commemorating the 70th anniversary of the publication of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: "People’s happy life is the greatest human right." This important conclusion sums up the definitions of human rights by the governments of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and China, locates the fundamental pursuit of human rights in China, and is a classic expression of contemporary China’s view on human rights.

　　First, China’s definition of human rights embodies a clear-cut people’s nature, and China’s human rights cause insists on respecting the people’s dominant position.

　　People’s nature is the most striking feature of Chinese’s right development road, which reflects the people-centered view of human rights. China’s definition of human rights has broken through the one-sidedness of the policy orientation of some countries in history and reality. China talked about human rights, which are the human rights of all people, not the human rights of a few people, not the human rights of the rich or the privileged. The report of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China clearly pointed out that the main contradiction in our society in the new era is the contradiction between the people’s growing need for a better life and the unbalanced development. We must adhere to the people-centered development thought and constantly promote the all-round development of people and the common prosperity of all people.

　　China adheres to the dialectical unity of individual human rights and collective human rights, and actively protects people’s democratic rights on the basis of effectively promoting people’s all-round development. Through the implementation of people’s democracy in the whole process, the enthusiasm, initiative and creativity of the broad masses of the people will be fully stimulated, and the people will become the main participants, promoters and beneficiaries of national development, including human rights.

　　Under the guidance of the people-centered development thought, while actively promoting economic development and social progress, China pays close attention to people’s livelihood and constantly improves people’s living standards and social security level. Emphasizing the protection of human rights of special groups such as ethnic minorities, women, children, the disabled and the elderly, attaching great importance to poverty alleviation in poverty-stricken areas and poor people, and paying attention to and emphasizing common prosperity clearly embodies the people-oriented characteristics of China’s human rights view and human rights practice; In the process of fighting against natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods, and responding to public health crises such as SARS and COVID-19 epidemic, it vividly interprets the human rights stance of putting life first and people first.

　　Second, China’s definition of human rights embodies the Communist Party of China (CPC)’s unswerving party spirit, and China’s human rights cause adheres to the party’s initial intention and mission.

　　As a Marxist ruling party, since its establishment, the Communist Party of China (CPC) has taken serving the people wholeheartedly as its purpose, taking the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of the people as the starting point and the end result of all work, always standing with the people and striving for the interests of the people, and is the leader of the cause of Chinese’s rights.

　　In old China, the broad masses of people were oppressed by imperialism, feudalism and bureaucratic capitalism for a long time and had no human rights at all. The establishment of the Communist Party of China (CPC) marks a new page in the history of Chinese’s power development. The party’s century-long struggle history runs through the unremitting efforts of the party to unite and lead the people in fighting for, respecting, safeguarding and developing human rights.

　　The Communist Party of China (CPC)’s leadership and China’s socialist system determine the socialist nature of China’s human rights cause, and determine that we can ensure that the people are masters of their own affairs, adhere to equal sharing of human rights, promote the all-round development of all kinds of human rights, and constantly realize, safeguard and develop the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of the people.

　　Third, China’s definition of human rights embodies the programmatic nature of the United struggle of the people in China, and China’s human rights cause strives to realize the Chinese dream of a happy life for the people.

　　Human beings’ pursuit of material civilization and spiritual civilization is endless. Generally speaking, the sense of acquisition, happiness and security combined with subjective and objective standards are visible and perceptible standards, while happiness is the highest level of heartfelt feeling and evaluation. Happy life involves all aspects, which is both ideal and reality; It is both a result and a process.

　　On March 17, 2013, General Secretary of the Supreme Leader mentioned the "Chinese Dream" nine times in his speech at the closing session of the First Session of the 12th National People’s Congress. He pointed out: "In the final analysis, the Chinese dream is the people’s dream, which must be realized by relying on the people and must continue to benefit the people." He put forward: "The Chinese dream is a national dream and a dream of every Chinese. As long as we unite closely and work hard to realize our common dreams, the power to realize our dreams will be extremely strong, and each of us will have a broad space for our efforts to realize our dreams. The people of China who live in our great motherland and great times share the opportunity to shine in life, to realize their dreams and to grow and progress with the motherland and the times. With dreams, opportunities and struggles, all beautiful things can be created. " On September 25, 2015, General Secretary of the Supreme Leader emphasized: "The process of China people realizing the Chinese dream of great rejuvenation is essentially the process of realizing social fairness and justice and constantly promoting the development of human rights." China’s ideal and pursuit of human rights are closely related to the Chinese dream. The Chinese dream shows the programmatic goal that the Communist Party of China (CPC) led the people of China to pursue and realize constantly, which means a better vision of human rights.

　　Fourthly, China’s definition of human rights is practical and down-to-earth, and China’s human rights cause has taken a road of human rights development with China characteristics.

　　General Secretary of the Supreme Leader pointed out: "People-centered development thought is not an abstract and abstruse concept, which can not only stay in words and stop at ideological links, but also be reflected in all aspects of economic and social development." People’s happy life is the greatest human right, which is not only China’s view of human rights, but also China’s vivid human rights practice.

　　There is no fixed model and no universally applicable experience in the development of human rights. China combined the principle of universality of human rights with the reality of China, promoted the development of human rights based on China’s national conditions and people’s requirements, and embarked on a road of human rights development with China characteristics.

　　China regards the right to subsistence and the right to development as the primary basic human rights, and has grasped the essence and key issues of China’s development as a developing country with a large population. Survival is the basis of enjoying all human rights, and development is the key to solving all problems. China has implemented the new development concept completely, accurately and comprehensively, and has taken an extraordinary road from solving the problem of food and clothing to moving towards a well-off society in an all-round way. On this basis, China will guarantee the right to subsistence and development at a higher and better level in the future, and take all human rights into account and develop the human rights cause in an all-round way on this basis.

　　Respecting and safeguarding human rights is a sign of good law and good governance. Adhere to the unity of the party’s leadership, the people being the masters of the country and comprehensively governing the country according to law, so that the rule of law and human rights protection are interrelated and complement each other. China’s legal system for confirming and protecting human rights is improving day by day, and the people’s happy life and social harmony are escorted by the rule of law. Since 2009, China has successively formulated and implemented four national human rights action plans, which is one of the few countries in the world that has continuously formulated and implemented national human rights action plans. In the National Human Rights Action Plan (2012— In the introduction of 2015), the guiding ideology of "effectively protecting citizens’ economic, political, social and cultural rights, promoting a more just and harmonious society, and striving to make every member of society live a more dignified and happier life" was clearly put forward.

　　Fifth, China’s definition of human rights is visible and tangible, and China has made tangible achievements in human rights.

　　China did not treat human rights in a dogmatic and slogan way, nor did it simply apply foreign political and economic development models. Instead, it independently decided the development goals, paths and methods according to its own reality, thus achieving extensive, real and great human rights achievements. Facts have proved that the people of China, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), have changed their poverty and backwardness and created a better life with hard work and sweat.

　　Democratic election is an important embodiment of people’s being masters of their own affairs. By March 2022, a new round of general election of county and township people’s congresses has been basically completed, and more than one billion voters across the country directly elected more than two million deputies to county and township people’s congresses, which is called the largest grassroots democratic election in the world. In 2020, the average life expectancy of China residents will increase from 35 years in 1949 to 77.93 years. The protection level of women’s and children’s right to life and health has been greatly improved, and it has been listed as one of the 10 countries with high performance in maternal and child health by the World Health Organization. China has built the world’s largest social security system, including pension, medical security and social assistance, and its coverage is constantly expanding and the level of security is constantly improving. Free compulsory education in urban and rural areas in China has been fully realized. In 2020, the consolidation rate of nine-year compulsory education will be 95.2%, and the popularization of compulsory education will reach the average level of high-income countries in the world. After a long and sustained struggle, by the end of 2020, China will have achieved 98.99 million rural poor people out of poverty as scheduled under the current standards, 832 poverty-stricken counties will have their hats off, and 128,000 poverty-stricken villages will be listed. The overall poverty in the region will be solved, and the poverty reduction goal of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development will be achieved 10 years ahead of schedule. On the occasion of the centenary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC), we have achieved the first centenary goal and built a well-off society in an all-round way on the land of China, which is a monument to the development of Chinese’s rights cause.

　　Sixthly, China’s definition of human rights is cosmopolitan, and China’s human rights cause promotes and cares about the well-being of people all over the world.

　　China’s human rights cause is an important part of the world’s human rights cause, and China attaches great importance to international exchanges and cooperation. General Secretary of the Supreme Leader pointed out: "We will unswervingly follow the path of peaceful development, unswervingly pursue an open strategy of mutual benefit and win-win, not only devote ourselves to China’s own development, but also emphasize our responsibility and contribution to the world; Not only benefit the people of China, but also benefit the people of the world. " He stressed: "The international community should actively promote the cause of human rights in the world, especially pay attention to the people’s rights to survival and development in developing countries."

　　Starting from China’s definition of human rights, China advocates that the international community should carry out constructive dialogue and cooperation on the basis of equality and mutual respect, insist on promoting development through cooperation, promote human rights through development, and promote the healthy development of human rights in the world. The evaluation of human rights depends on whether the people of the countries concerned benefit, whether it is conducive to respecting the independence, autonomy and creativity of the countries and people concerned, and cannot be measured by human rights standards imposed by other countries, let alone double standards. Those countries that regard human rights as a political tool to interfere in other countries’ internal affairs and their practices are actually disrespectful, even indifferent and defamatory to the long-standing good wishes of the countries and people concerned for development and progress and the hardships and achievements made in realizing human rights.

　　In recent years, the challenges of the century are frequent, and human peace, development and human rights are facing unprecedented challenges. Under the background of the great changes and accelerated evolution in the past century, China adheres to the road trip, cares about human welfare, promotes the common values of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy and freedom, advocates and practices true multilateralism, actively participates in the reform and construction of the global governance system including human rights under the framework of the United Nations, and actively promotes the building of a community of human destiny. This is the international influence and world significance of Chinese’s human rights cause, and also reflects the important contribution of contemporary China’s human rights view to the world’s human rights civilization.

　　People’s happy life is the greatest human right, which is the basic definition and core view of contemporary China’s human rights view, and fully embodies the basic understanding of contemporary China’s human rights view on what human rights are, whose human rights are guaranteed, and how to truly and effectively promote and realize human rights at home and abroad. China’s definition of human rights conforms to the objective reality of China and the world and the development trend of the times, reflects the people’s wishes and demands, stands the test of history and practice, and increasingly demonstrates its scientific, correct and advanced nature.