PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA

Mission to the United Nations

PRESS RELEASE

No.03/97 April 8, 1997

Chinese President Jiang Zemin on Human Rights

Chinese President Jiang Zemin met with French Defense Minister Charles

Millon and French Ambassador to China Pierre Morel in Beijing on 7 April

1997, and made the following comments on the human rights issue.

I highly appraise the decision made by French President Jaques Chirac that

France will not take part in presenting any resolution against China at the

UN Commission on Human Rights this year and appreciate this independent

action by France.

This is a wise and far-sighted decision. It demonstrates France's determination

to pursue an independent foreign policy and to develop the Sino-French partnership. I am convinced that this will have an important and positive

influence on the overall development of Sino-French relations.

China has all along taken an active part in UN's efforts to promote and protect human rights. It highly appraises the significance of the UN human rights conventions in this regard, and has acceded to 17 international human rights conventions.

We have positively appraised on many occasions the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights and the International Covenant on Civil

and Political Rights. After serious study, China is ready to sign the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights before the end of the year.

The related departments in China are now studying domestic legislation related

to this covenant.

In keeping with the principle of universality of human rights and China's specific conditions, the Chinese Government has endeavored to achieve the right to subsistence and development for its people, and has greatly enhanced their enjoyment of economic, social, and cultural rights. Meanwhile, China is

continuing to improve the development of democracy and legal system to

guarantee its people's civil and political rights. Today the Chinese people

are enjoying extensive human rights.

It is normal and inevitable that there exist different views on human rights in different countries due to differences in social system, economic development, historical background, cultural tradition, etc. It is nothing extraordinary that

there are differences. What is important is the way in which these differences

are resolved.

China has always held that the human rights issue can only be handled through dialogue and exchanges on the basis of equality and mutual respect. China has already held several rounds of dialogue with the European Union, and will

continue to do so.

It is learnt that some Western countries are still considering presenting a

resolution against China. We hope that France will continue to play a

constructive role in getting more Western countries to take a correct stand

to end confrontation and move towards dialogue and cooperation.