To protect right to work is to safeguard human rights

Farmer Shen Liming picks chilies in Hoboksar county, Tarbagatay prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Sept. 9. [Photo by He Chengqiang/People’s Daily Online]

China on Thursday published a white paper on the employment and labor rights in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

The white paper, titled Employment and Labor Rights in Xinjiang, comprehensively showcases that the autonomous region takes the facilitation of employment as the most fundamental project for ensuring and improving people's wellbeing, records the fact that the proactive polices to ensure employment and job security adopted by the local government of Xinjiang have effectively protected all ethnic groups' basic labor rights, and demonstrates China's commitment to the people-centered philosophy of development and its protection of citizens' right to work in accordance with the law.

The white paper is divided into six major aspects, including the employment in Xinjiang, the autonomous region's proactive employment policies, its full respect for workers' job preferences, its pursuit of better jobs for better lives, and its application of international labor and human rights standards.

Employment is pivotal to people's wellbeing, and the happy life of the people is the biggest human right. Employment and job security carries great significance for ensuring people's right to work, improving their living standards, and promoting social harmony and stability. Xinjiang in recent years has further improved its employment and job security policies, expanded the scale of employment, optimized the employment structure, significantly enhanced the quality of the workforce, improved people's incomes and quality of life, and increased their sense of gain, happiness and security.

Today's Xinjiang is embracing its most prosperous development ever in history. The goal that "each household has access to job opportunities, each person has work to do, and each month goes with an income" has been largely achieved. The people there are living a peaceful life, uniting together like pomegranate seeds. High-spirited, they are enjoying moderate prosperity in all respects together with their fellow countrymen and countrywomen in other parts of China.

Respecting and protecting human rights are principles enshrined in the Constitution of China. The CPC and the Chinese government have always prioritized the protection of the citizens' rights to work and employment; it has taken a resolute stance against forced labor and eradicated it in any form. Party committees and governments at all levels in Xinjiang have actively responded to the policies and deployment of the CPC Central Committee, implemented a proactive employment policy, protected the lawful labor rights and interests of people of all ethnic groups, and greatly improved the living and working conditions of all ethnic groups, which embodies the common values that are championed by the international community, and contributes to safeguarding social fairness and justice and promoting the all-round development of humanity. Xinjiang's policies and practices concerning employment and job security comply with China's Constitution and relevant laws, conform to international labor and human rights standards, and support the will of all ethnic groups to live a better life. They have served to meet the people’s needs, improve their wellbeing, and win their support.

For years, certain international forces, guilty of ideological bias and prejudiced against China, have been applying double standards in Xinjiang, criticizing "breaches of human rights" while ignoring the tremendous efforts Xinjiang has made to protect human rights. They have fabricated facts to support their false claims of "forced labor" in Xinjiang, and smeared the local government's work on employment and job security. Their acts amount to a denial of the fact that the local people in Xinjiang enjoy the right to work, aspire to move out of poverty and backwardness and are working towards that goal. Such groundless allegation would be strongly opposed by everyone who values justice and progress.

Work helps to make a difference and create happiness. Looking forward, Xinjiang will continue its commitment to the people-centered philosophy of development, adhere to the principle that employment is of paramount importance to people's wellbeing, implement the strategy of giving priority to employment, and introduce more proactive policies to boost employment. With tireless efforts it will strive to grow employment in volume and quality, to meet the growing expectation of all ethnic groups for a better life, and lay a solid foundation for the long-term stability in Xinjiang. The lives of the people in Xinjiang will only become better.

The views don't necessarily reflect those of Qiushi Journal.