Illustration: Xia Qing/GT

Editor's Note:

On Tuesday, more than 60 experts and scholars from China and the five Central Asian countries participated in the 2025 China-Central Asia Human Rights Development Forum, held in Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi Province in Northwest China. During the forum, experts from both domestic and international backgrounds discussed topics such as promoting the development of human rights through deepening exchanges and mutual learning between Chinese and Central Asian civilizations, safeguarding equality among different civilizations, and advancing global human rights governance. The Global Times selected the views of three experts.

Tillabaev Mirzatillo, first deputy director of the National Center of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Human Rights

During my visit to Shaanxi Province, I personally witnessed China's efforts in advancing human rights. From the revival of ancient pottery in urban areas to modern mushroom cultivation using advanced technologies, as well as the application of artificial intelligence to improve people's livelihoods, I gained a deep understanding of China's vibrant practices in promoting public well-being and high-quality development. China has always regarded the pursuit of a happy life for its people as the highest goal of human rights.

Central Asian countries are important partners in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and human rights development has always been a key component of our cooperation. As my country is a participant in the BRI, I have personally witnessed the advancement of major infrastructure projects such as the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, and experienced how improved logistics directly enhance people's well-being.

President Xi Jinping has emphasized that living a life of contentment is the ultimate human right. I fully agree with this philosophy. The rights to subsistence and development are the primary and basic human rights. I believe the BRI is not only a platform for enhancing connectivity in transportation and energy, but also a powerful tool for improving human rights and advancing public well-being.

China promotes international dialogue based on equality and mutual respect, and firmly opposes any form of "preacher-style" human rights interference. This stance aligns closely with Uzbekistan's own position. China has made impressive progress in areas such as ethnic diversity and gender equality, contributing positively to the global human rights cause. China and Uzbekistan share a friendship that spans thousands of years and enjoy a strong foundation for cooperation. Looking ahead, we can further deepen our collaboration in human rights under the framework of the BRI, work toward a fairer and more equitable global human rights governance system, and achieve common development and shared prosperity.

Sheradil Baktygulov, director of the Institute for World Policy Study in Kyrgyzstan

During my visit to Shaanxi, I gained a deep understanding of how the principle of "No one left behind" is being effectively implemented at the local level. Through technological progress and an improved social security system, local residents are not only able to access adequate public services, but also enhance their living conditions through decent wages. This enables them to enjoy a higher quality of life with greater dignity. This experience demonstrated to me that China's approach to human rights is not limited to policy declarations; it is genuinely reflected in tangible improvements in people's livelihoods.

In today's complex international environment, countries around the world face similar challenges: how to promote development through cooperation and how to find their own path to modernization. This makes the call for dialogue and cooperation more urgent than ever. Old problems such as confrontation and division continue to hinder global cooperation, which is why strengthening dialogue among civilizations, fostering unity and advancing human rights have become all the more important.

Every country in the world represents a unique civilization, with its own material and spiritual values, educational systems, artistic achievements, cultural traditions, and distinct social, political and economic structures. The development of human rights should aim to uphold the equality of civilizations, promote dialogue and mutual learning among them, and reject the misguided notion of classifying nations and civilizations into "superior" and "inferior" categories. 

Unfortunately, criticism of different human rights models is often rooted in fear, prejudice and outdated theories of the Clash of Civilizations. However, I firmly believe that through continuous dialogue and mutual learning, we can overcome these barriers. Constructive dialogue between civilizations must be built on respect for the world's diversity and for the varied paths of human rights development.

Chang Jian, director of the Research Center for Human Rights at the Nankai University

Currently, the global human rights situation and governance system face a range of severe challenges. Traditional human rights related issues such as war and conflict, poverty and hunger, terrorism, and racial discrimination remain unresolved. Meanwhile, new and emerging challenges - including pandemics, climate change, technological disruption, populism and xenophobia - continue to surface, creating a complex landscape where old and new problems are intertwined.

At the same time, the politicization and weaponization of human rights are becoming increasingly prominent. Cold War mentality, hegemonism and unilateral sanctions have seriously undermined global human rights governance. Against this backdrop, a peaceful and secure environment, sustainable development, and international dialogue and cooperation have become indispensable for improving the global human rights situation.

China and Central Asian countries share common ground on human rights issues. We firmly oppose the politicization and weaponization of human rights, reject double standards, and stand against using human rights as a pretext for interfering in other countries' internal affairs. Both China and Central Asian countries have suffered from such wrongful practices and recognize the urgent need to adopt new strategies and ways of thinking to address the global challenges of the new era.

In terms of human rights philosophy, the Western perspective tends to be relatively static and absolute. Its "static" nature is reflected in the tendency to judge the human rights situations of various countries without considering their stage of development or actual conditions, applying a one-size-fits-all standard to all nations. Such an approach, detached from the realities on the ground, is often ineffective in practice. As many Central Asian countries have emphasized, the implementation of human rights standards must be based on national conditions, and mechanically copying Western models simply does not work.

The key lies in assessing human rights progress based on each country's specific level of development. Only by fully taking into account national realities and applying appropriate human rights standards accordingly can we truly advance the cause of human rights and create a virtuous cycle of mutual reinforcement.