Editor’s note: This is the third part of a review on the performance of China’s implementation of the International Covenant of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
Side by side with our first review, the second part of our review of the performance of China in implementing the International Covenant of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (the Covenant) further strengthens the belief that effective socioeconomic policies have provided China with an alternative developmental model to the Western model. It provides a reference as to how strong leadership under the Communist Party of China and an iron determination to deliver good governance could work things out.
We now turn to educational policies. Education is often regarded as a ladder to get poor people out of poverty. Making great efforts to improve the educational environment of poor regions, China has continuously improved the quality of compulsory education. The internet penetration rate has reached 100 percent in primary and secondary schools. Over 95.3 percent of schools have multimedia classrooms. Because rural schools have implemented compulsory education and provide special teaching posts, more quality graduates are willing to teach in poor rural areas.
Special living subsidies have benefited 1,270,000 teachers and 80,000 schools in poor districts. A support program has set up 190,000 classrooms in remote and poor border districts. A healthy subsidy program has been set up to precisely raise support for needy students. In towns and rural areas all over China, approximately 150,000,000 students, who gain access to compulsory education, get free textbooks and are not required to pay miscellaneous fees. Moreover, about 25,000,000 students from poor families get living subsidies. China also achieved a zero dropout rate for poor students in rural areas. In 2020, nine-year compulsory education in poor regions attained a consolidation rate of 94.8 percent.
In the 72 years since the liberation of Tibet, China has shown an unbending determination to ensure that each ethnic group in Tibet enjoys the best educational policies. Occupying one-eighth of the total area of China, Tibet is a big autonomous region. The huge landmass, together with its scattered population, has made it difficult for Tibetan parents to send their children to schools. To solve this problem and meet the demands of parents and students, the Party committee and government of the Tibet autonomous region have set up boarding schools in some agricultural and livestock-raising regions.
In compliance with the strict requirements of the country and the autonomous region, these government-funded boarding schools provide various learning facilities for students. They wrap learning opportunities, accommodation and canteens in a preferential package known as the “three-include policy” for students. Parents and students are free to decide whether these boarding schools can meet their educational needs and family conditions.
In addition to sick leave, students are free to return home on weekends, holidays, and winter and summer vacations. They are free to maintain contact with their parents by phone and parents are able to contact teachers by phone. Therefore, the trilateral communication between schools, parents and students remains open and smooth. Blowing the “scandals” of the boarding schools up is a malicious attempt by Western media to disseminate false information. The alleged use of force, threats and punishment is untrue.
It’s worth noting that some NGOs have used false information to discredit China. We have kept a watchful eye on the use of wrong data by some consultative-status NGOs in their submissions. On Jan 6, 2023, Hong Kong movie stars Chow Yun-fat and Andy Lau, and New Zealand journalist Andy Boreham, were described as criminals in a document known as a“List of Xinjiang’s Policemen”released by an “international human rights organization” Xinjiang Victims Database (XVD) via Twitter. In response, Andy Boreham said he would sue them. It remains unclear whether and to what extent we would strike a blow at these fraudsters because we suspect that some foreign-based NGOs and governmental institutions are behind them.
It does not make sense for Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the Uyghur Human Rights Project to use the wrong data (including personal identities, locations and other material data) provided by XVD. But we still find the adoption of XVD’s name lists and “witness statements” in their reports. They discredit the international image of China by attacking its alleged human rights misconduct in their reports. In particular, the adverse effects on cotton exports have jeopardized the socioeconomic rights of people living in Xinjiang, violating UN Resolution1996/31 concerning consultative relationships between the UN and NGOs.
According to Article 57(a) of the UN Resolution1996/31, if an organization, either directly or through its affiliates or representatives acting on its behalf, clearly abuses its status by engaging in a pattern of acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the UN including unsubstantiated or politically motivated acts againstmember states of the UN incompatible with those purposes and principles, the consultative status of that NGO with the Economic and Social Council and its listing on the roster shall be suspended for up to three years or withdrawn.
Furthermore, it is not merely of some importance but of fundamental importance that admirable poverty-alleviation achievements have been made in China in the past decade, during which nearly 99 million rural poor people were lifted out of poverty. The promises to eliminate “two worries” (inadequate food and clothing) and provide “three guarantees” (access to healthcare, education and housing) have been fulfilled. Poverty alleviation is a key task and index of the realization of the first centenary goal set by the Communist Party of China.
Finally, we earnestly urge the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights to either scrutinize or reject the report submitted by XVD. We also urge the Committee to investigate the incorrect report submitted by Amnesty international, Human Rights Watch and XVD. Their illegal activities and any of their acts that violate the UN Resolution 1996/31 should also be investigated. If they are culpable, the Committee may consider withdrawing their consultative status.
Junius Ho Kwan-yiu is a Legislative Council member and a solicitor.
Kacee Ting Wong is a barrister, part-time researcher of Shenzhen University Hong Kong and Macao Basic Law Research Center, and chairman of Chinese Dream Think Tank.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.
