Envoys from 11 developing countries stationed in Geneva visited Southwest China’s Xizang (Tibet) Autonomous Region from August 27 to September 2, through which the diplomats said that the level of development in various sectors in the region exceeded their expectations, vividly illustrating that letting the people live a happy life is the true essence of human rights, a spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Monday.
Those diplomats also called out lies about Xizang concocted by certain Western countries as absurd and misleading, and being unable to deceive the international community.
Envoys from developing countries including Pakistan, Belarus, Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua stationed in Geneva observed local primary and secondary school classrooms, bilingual teaching, and watched on over lessons covering Tibetan music, dance, calligraphy, creativity, and artificial intelligence, Mao Ning, the spokesperson of the ministry, told a press conference on Monday.
They also visited the dormitories and cafeterias of boarding schools, fully acknowledging Xizang’s implementation of a policy ensuring 15 years of free education. The diplomats stated that providing boarding services to students in the vast region of Xizang is a beneficial measure to ensure that children of all ethnicities equally enjoy the access to high-quality education.
China has set an example for other countries in genuinely protecting the right to education, Mao noted.
During their stay in Xizang, the envoys visited projects related to rural revitalization, ecological protection, primary and secondary education, care for the disabled, and the preservation of Tibetan medicine. They toured the Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Sera Monastery, and the Southeast Tibetan Cultural Heritage Museum, among other places, according to the ministry.
They engaged in heartfelt exchanges with local Tibetans, Monpa people, religious figures, and primary and secondary school teachers, personally experiencing the achievements in human rights development across the region and the happy lives of its diverse people, the ministry said.
The envoys praised the Chinese government for its emphasis on ensuring freedom of religious belief and the protection of religious and cultural heritage. They were deeply impressed by the well-preserved religious structures, statues, murals, and the religious activities such as the monks’ debates at the Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, and Sera Monastery, as well as the devout worship of believers.
The envoys also took a detailed interest in the preservation and transmission of Tibetan medicine, appreciating the tremendous efforts made by the Chinese government to safeguard and promote the continuation of Tibetan medical traditions.
In commenting on the lies about Xizang concocted by certain Western countries, the envoys said those falsehoods were utterly absurd and misleading, and would not deceive the international community, Mao said.
The spokesperson pointed out that China’s remarkable achievements fully demonstrate that each country should follow a human rights development path suitable to its national conditions.
The envoys also look forward to further exchanges and cooperation with China, enhancing collaboration in multilateral human rights affairs, jointly opposing the politicization of human rights, while upholding international fairness and justice, and promoting the healthy development of international human rights, Mao added.
(Global Times)
