Chapter 10 China’s Theoretical Innovation and Practical Contribution to the Right to Development
In Commemoration of the Thirtieth Anniversary of the United Nations Declaration on the Right to Development
In: The Right to DevelopmentSearch for other papers by Wang Xigen in
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Abstract
The power of discourse over the right to development is the basis for value consensus and practical effect of the right to development. Over the three decades since the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Right to Development, China has developed an innovative discourse system for the right to development and the practices for this right, and contributed a series of original concepts, new propositions and new ideas to this right, which may be generally summarized as ten major aspects: in terms of orientation, the right to development is taken as a primary fundamental human right; in terms of nature, the right to development is an essential requirement of socialism; in terms of strategy, the right to development is implemented by the strategy that “development is the primary task”, “development is the top priority”; in terms of content, the right to development is integrated into the comprehensive process of construction of economy, politics, culture, society and ecological conservation; in terms of concept, people’s equal rights to participation and development have been proposed by the Chinese government; in terms of principle, people-centered orientation of development is the core principle to guide the practice of the right to development; in terms of steps, the right to development has been put into the context of the “Chinese dream” for the great revitalization of the Chinese nation; in terms of focus, the right to development can be implemented by distributive justice especially a fair social security and wealth distribution system; in terms of methodology, the rule of law is a compulsory measure to promote the right to development; in terms of ideas, we should guide the right to development by an innovative, coordinated, environmentally friendly, open and sharing outlook on development.