China to leave no one with disabilities behind, senior official says

UNITED NATIONS-- The Chinese government will not leave persons with disabilities behind in its effort to build an all-round well-off society by 2020, a diplomat said Oct 21 at a human rights meeting.

China attaches great importance to promoting and protecting the rights of people with disabilities, Liu Hua, special representative for human rights of China's Foreign Ministry, said at a United Nations dialogue on the rights of people with disabilities.

China has incorporated the cause of people with disabilities into its national economic and social development plan, he said. In July, China issued a white paper that elaborates its policy and achievements in promoting and protecting their rights.

China has fulfilled its relevant international human rights obligations, and incorporated the cause of protecting the rights of persons with disabilities into the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative, he said.

China has also promoted international cooperation on rights of persons with disabilities under such mechanisms as the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, he said.

Elderly persons with disabilities, Liu noted, are a vulnerable group. China has 249 million elderly people and 85 million persons with disabilities.

The Chinese government has adopted measures such as anti-discrimination, promoting social integration and social security, and has gradually built a society in which everyone respects, cares for and supports elderly persons with disabilities, he said.