A new human rights order emerges

The United Nations defines human rights as “rights inherent to all human beings, regardless of race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, or any other status.” By this definition, equal economic rights should be fundamental for all humanity.

However, the Western interpretation of human rights often lays more stress on individualism instead of communal values. It tends to prioritise civil and political rights while placing less focus on economic, social, and cultural rights.

Critics say Western human rights frameworks are often used as tools of neo-imperial influence. Countries that do not align with these standards often face criticism, trade sanctions, isolation, or aid conditions linked to governance and rights reforms.

Conversely, critics say, China’s approach to human rights gives primacy to economic wellbeing over civil and political liberties.

At the 2026 Forum on Global Human Rights Governance held in Beijing, participants, including Chinese officials and foreign experts, unveiled a vision of rights built around livelihoods, healthcare, education, and social stability as the foundation of human dignity.

More than 400 participants from over 100 countries, along with representatives from United Nations agencies and regional organizations, were in attendance, and the key talking point was global human rights governance.

China also released its National Human Rights Action Plan (2026-2030) at the forum, which outlines the government’s next phase of rights governance centred on economic development, poverty reduction, and equitable access to public services.

The political messaging and policy rollout at the event show Beijing’s intent to further institutionalise what it calls a “people-centred” and “development-oriented” approach to human rights at home and abroad.

China’s approach is based on the belief that human rights are not limited to legal or political protections alone, they must include the “right to live with security” and access to basic services such as healthcare, housing, and employment.

Chinese officials and scholars argue that in a country of 1.4 billion people, stability and economic progress are not secondary policy outcomes but prerequisites for meaningful rights protection.

China has continued to prioritise job creation, industrial upgrading, and poverty alleviation as core components of its human rights strategy. Between 2021 and 2025, more than 15 million migrant workers who returned to their hometowns to start businesses received government support, reflecting a broader push to integrate rural revitalisation with employment-led development.

Officials describe this approach as evidence that the “ability to work, earn, and participate in economic life” should itself be considered a fundamental human right. In this model, economic inclusion is not merely a development goal but a defining measure of human dignity and social progress.

The National Human Rights Action Plan (2026–2030) aims to strengthen the “principal position of the people,” ensuring that development outcomes are more equitably distributed and that modernisation benefits are shared broadly across society.

The plan — divided into eight chapters — outlines priorities including social fairness, justice, improved public services, and robust legal protections. It is designed to maintain the pace of China’s previous rights strategies, which officials argue have delivered tangible improvements in living standards.

The 4^th Human Rights Action Plan (2021-25) has been cited as evidence of progress with the government claiming advances in healthcare access, poverty reduction, and social stability. The latest plan seeks to further integrate rights protection with national development goals, reinforcing the idea that economic policy and human rights policy are inseparable.

Beyond domestic policy, China is also seeking to shape the global discourse on human rights governance. Officials argue that the international system should recognise different pathways to development and rights protection, rather than adopting a single Western ideological model.

Human rights should not be viewed as a fixed set of political norms but as evolving standards that must be adapted to national conditions. China advocates for flexibility in global governance structures, arguing that different countries should be allowed to pursue development paths suited to their own historical and social contexts.

The concept of the “right to development” featured prominently in the dialogue at the forum. Chinese representatives and supporting voices argued that without adequate material conditions — such as food security, healthcare systems, and job opportunities — other rights cannot be meaningfully exercised. This view has gained increasing visibility in international forums over the past decade.

China has promoted this concept at the United Nations, including through resolutions that emphasize development as a driver of human rights. One such resolution, introduced by China in 2017, highlighted the relationship between poverty reduction and rights protection. In 2025, a similar resolution was reportedly adopted by consensus, reflecting growing acceptance among developing countries of development-based rights frameworks.

China’s human rights narrative extends beyond policy statements to international development projects, which it presents as practical expressions of its rights philosophy. One frequently cited example is agricultural cooperation in Uganda under a China-FAO-Uganda South-South Cooperation initiative launched in 2012.

China’s international development engagement, especially under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), is cited as a key pillar of its global rights approach. According to figures presented at the forum, these projects have contributed to job creation, poverty reduction, and improved access to healthcare services across multiple regions, particularly in Africa and Asia.

China also uses its domestic development record to support its human rights narrative. Over the past several decades, it has lifted nearly 800 million people out of abject poverty, a figure frequently cited as a major contribution to global poverty reduction.

Moreover, China reports near-universal coverage of basic medical insurance, marked increases in life expectancy — from around 35 years in the 1940s to over 79 years today — and widespread improvements in education and infrastructure. These indicators are presented as evidence that development-led governance can produce substantial human rights gains in a large and diverse population.

Supporters argue that China’s model shows the effectiveness of prioritising economic stability and gradual reform over rapid political liberalisation. Zhang Weiwei of Fudan University described China’s approach as a “global example” of integrating development with rights protection, suggesting that it may influence future reforms in international human rights governance.

Critics often argue that the Chinese approach downplays political freedoms, legal accountability, and civil liberties. However, Chinese officials say that formal rights cannot be meaningfully exercised in the absence of economic security and basic services.

This debate reflects a deeper contest over how human rights should be defined in the 21st century. In the Western model, political and legal rights are universal and non-negotiable, while the Chinese model prioritises state-led improvement of living standards as the foundation of all rights.

By linking rights to employment, poverty reduction, healthcare, and infrastructure, China is presenting an alternative framework that seeks to redefine global standards. As international instability and economic pressures increase, this debate is likely to intensify. Whether China’s model gains broader acceptance will depend not only on its domestic outcomes but also on how effectively it can persuade other countries that development itself is the most fundamental human right.