Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday that countries could follow "various paths" to protect human rights at a conference in Beijing where delegates from developing countries also heard a criticism of Western notions of human rights.
Xi made his statement in a letter to a forum, attended by delegates from 58 countries and the United Nations and African Union, to mark the 30th anniversary of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, a UN document promoting human rights.
In the letter, Xi said that "global human rights governance is facing serious challenges" and that China is following "a path of human rights development that suits its own national conditions".
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"[We advocate] guaranteeing the equitable enjoyment of human rights by all peoples through various paths of modernisation," Xi said.
"China stands for advancing human rights with cooperation in the spirit of mutual respect and equality, putting into action the Global Civilisation Initiative, and deepening exchanges and mutual learning among civilisations," Xi added.
Xi's congratulatory message was read by Li Shulei, a member of the policymaking Politburo and head of the Communist Party's publicity department.
The event was jointly organised by the State Council Information Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the China International Development Cooperation Agency, which is responsible for the country's foreign aid.
According to the list of participants, guests at the forum were mainly from developing countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative - a signature project of Xi's to strengthen China's links with the outside world through trade and infrastructure
The forum came at a time when Xi and his leadership are seeking to gain a louder voice on human rights issues and China faces criticism by Western countries, especially the United States, for its actions in Xinjiang and Hong Kong and its treatment of dissidents.
Vice foreign minister Ma Zhaoxu, told the event that "China will surely make greater contributions to global human rights governance".
Without naming them, Ma criticised some Western countries, saying they "ignore their own serious human rights problems and go around as if they are human rights teachers, making false accusations against other countries, interfering in the internal affairs of other countries and curbing other countries' development."