Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, gives a speech via video link at the high-level segment of the 61st session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, in Beijing, capital of China, on Feb. 23, 2026. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

China stands ready to work with all countries to improve global human rights governance and promote the sound development of the international human rights cause, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Monday.

Wang, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks in a speech delivered via video link during the high-level segment of the 61st session of the United Nations Human Rights Council.

Wang noted that the international situation is complex and intertwined, and that global human rights governance and the post-World War II international order are facing new tests of the times. The Global Governance Initiative proposed by China has received support and responses from more than 150 countries and international organizations, he added.

Wang called for upholding sovereign equality and safeguarding the original aspirations of global human rights governance. The only path that can lead to ever-broader prospects is one of human rights development, rooted in a country's specific national conditions and responsive to the needs of its people, he said.

All parties should abide by the international rule of law and consolidate the foundations of global human rights governance, Wang noted. Together, all countries should uphold the "golden rule" of non-interference in one another's internal affairs, and firmly reject words and deeds that create double standards in the name of human rights, he said.

He called for practicing multilateralism and addressing the challenges to global human rights governance. All countries should reject all forms of colonialism or racial discrimination, and respond properly to rising issues such as artificial intelligence, as well as climate change and human rights.

Wang emphasized that all parties should advocate a people-oriented approach to global human rights governance and enrich the connotations of such governance. The international community should also position the right to development in a more prominent position on the multilateral human rights agenda, he said.

Calling for action-oriented approaches to and the enhanced efficacy of global human rights governance, Wang said that China is willing to coordinate its actions with the international community to collectively chart a new blueprint for this global cause.

Noting that 2026 marks the start of China's 15th Five-Year Plan period, he said the country will continue advancing its whole-process people's democracy, ensuring the achievements of Chinese modernization benefit all people in a more equitable manner.

China stands ready to work with all countries to promote common development and prosperity, safeguard international fairness and justice, uphold the common values of humanity, and build a community with a shared future for all, with the aim of ensuring that the progress of human rights civilization benefits the whole world, he stressed. 

This photo taken on Feb. 23, 2026 shows Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, giving a speech via video link at the high-level segment of the 61st session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland. (Xinhua/Lian Yi)