Author: Prof. Engr. Zamir Ahmed Awan, Sinologist – Diplomat – Advisor - Consultant,Founding Chair Global Silk Route research Alliance.(E-mail: awanzamir@yahoo.com).

As the international community confronts unprecedented geopolitical tensions, widening development gaps, and growing uncertainty in global governance, the future direction of human rights governance has become an increasingly important subject of discussion. While the aspiration to uphold human dignity remains universal, the means of advancing human rights continue to generate debate. Against this backdrop, China's approach to human rights offers an alternative perspective that prioritizes development, cooperation, mutual respect, and practical outcomes.

Over the years, China has evolved from being a participant in global human rights dialogues to becoming an active contributor to the reform and improvement of global human rights governance. Through its own development achievements and expanding international engagement, China is demonstrating that human rights progress should be pursued through partnership rather than confrontation, and through development rather than coercion.

Today, global human rights governance faces multiple challenges. Politicization, selectivity, double standards, and ideological confrontation have increasingly undermined the credibility and effectiveness of existing mechanisms. Human rights have, at times, been instrumentalized as tools for geopolitical competition and external pressure. Such practices not only weaken international cooperation but also divert attention from the pressing challenges faced by billions of people around the world, particularly in developing countries.

China advocates a different approach.

The Chinese perspective on human rights is rooted in the principle of putting people first. It emphasizes that the rights to subsistence and development are the primary and fundamental human rights. Without adequate food, healthcare, education, housing, employment, and social security, the realization of other rights becomes difficult. Development therefore constitutes both the foundation and the objective of human rights advancement.

China's own experience provides a compelling example of this philosophy in practice. Over the past decades, China has lifted nearly 100 million rural residents out of extreme poverty, creating the largest poverty reduction achievement in human history. The country has established the world's largest education system, healthcare network, and social security system. Life expectancy has steadily increased, access to public services has expanded, and living standards have improved significantly across urban and rural areas.

These accomplishments represent not merely economic progress but meaningful advances in human rights protection. They demonstrate that development-centered policies can substantially improve people's quality of life and enhance human dignity on a broad scale.

Importantly, China does not claim that its model should be universally replicated. Rather, it emphasizes that every country has the right to choose a human rights development path suited to its own national conditions, historical experiences, cultural traditions, and stages of development. Respect for sovereignty and diversity of civilizations should remain guiding principles in international human rights governance.

China's commitment to improving global human rights governance is closely linked to its broader vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind. Through initiatives such as the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative, China has consistently advocated for dialogue, inclusiveness, and mutually beneficial cooperation.

In this context, development is viewed not simply as an economic issue but as an essential component of human rights protection.

Many countries of the Global South continue to face challenges including poverty, food insecurity, inadequate healthcare systems, limited educational opportunities, and infrastructure deficits. Addressing these issues requires practical cooperation rather than political rhetoric. China's approach therefore emphasizes empowering countries to pursue independent development while strengthening international partnerships based on equality and mutual benefit.

One notable aspect of China's international engagement is the implementation of numerous "small yet beautiful" cooperation projects. These initiatives, though modest in scale, focus directly on improving people's livelihoods.

From agricultural technology transfer and vocational training programs to healthcare assistance, clean water projects, renewable energy cooperation, and digital connectivity initiatives, China has increasingly transformed its development experience into international public goods that benefit developing countries.

The Belt and Road Initiative provides a prominent example. By promoting infrastructure development, trade connectivity, industrial cooperation, and people-to-people exchanges, the initiative has contributed to employment creation and economic opportunities in many participating countries. For countless communities, access to transportation, electricity, healthcare facilities, and educational resources translates into expanded development opportunities and enhanced human well-being.

China also recognizes that emerging technologies present both opportunities and challenges for human rights protection. As artificial intelligence, digital technologies, and biotechnology continue to reshape societies, issues of digital inclusion, fairness, and accessibility have become increasingly important.

China advocates the principle of "technology for good," emphasizing that scientific advancement should serve humanity as a whole. Efforts to bridge digital divides, improve accessibility for vulnerable populations, and ensure that technological innovation contributes to social well-being reflect this people-centered approach.

The future of global human rights governance depends on moving beyond zero-sum thinking. Genuine progress cannot be achieved through accusations, isolation, or ideological confrontation. Instead, it requires dialogue among civilizations, respect for diversity, and cooperation aimed at addressing common challenges.

China's experience highlights an important reality: human rights should ultimately be measured by whether people's lives are improving. When individuals have greater access to education, healthcare, employment opportunities, social protection, and a clean environment, human rights are being meaningfully advanced.

As global challenges become increasingly interconnected, no country can address them alone. Reforming and improving global human rights governance therefore demands collective effort, shared responsibility, and a renewed commitment to development-oriented cooperation.

China stands ready to work with all countries to promote a more equitable, inclusive, and effective global human rights governance system. By replacing confrontation with dialogue, politicization with cooperation, and division with solidarity, the international community can move closer toward a future in which the fruits of development and the benefits of human rights are shared by all.

Human rights are not the exclusive domain of any single civilization or development model. They represent humanity's common pursuit of dignity, opportunity, and well-being. In contributing its experience and vision, China seeks not to impose a particular path, but to enrich the global conversation and promote a more balanced and people-centered approach to human rights governance in the twenty-first century.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY）