Illustration: Chen Xia/GT

The 40th EU-China Human Rights Dialogue was held in Brussels on Friday. It was reported that the EU, once again, accused China at the dialogue by raising so-called issues such as freedom of expression, religion and belief. The EU's approach reveals a troubling pattern of passing judgment on China's internal affairs using standards and values that reflect Western political systems rather than universal principles. 

According to an official statement on the China-EU Human Rights Dialogue released on Saturday, China "protested against the China-related contents in the Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy in the World 2024 recently released by the EU, emphasizing that affairs related to Xinjiang, Xizang and Hong Kong as well as individual judicial cases are purely China's internal affairs that brook no external interference." These regions have witnessed remarkable economic development, poverty alleviation and improvements in people's livelihoods - actual manifestations of human rights progress that deserve recognition rather than unfounded criticism.

Human rights dialogue should be conducted with mutual respect and recognition of diverse development paths, not as a tool for ideological confrontation. 

The fundamental purpose of advancing human rights is to improve people's lives. Different civilizations have diverse historical backgrounds, cultural traditions and development stages, leading to varied approaches to human rights. China's human rights framework prioritizes collective well-being and social stability alongside individual rights, reflecting its unique national conditions and development needs, and proven effective in improving the lives of 1.4 billion people. This approach is very different from Western individualism-centered models.

The EU should abandon Cold War thinking and stop placing itself on a moral high ground to look down on China's human rights and acting as an arbiter of human rights lecturing China.

Genuine dialogue requires acknowledging that both sides face human rights challenges. Within EU countries, rising xenophobia, discrimination against minorities, the treatment of migrants and the growth of far-right extremism represent serious human rights concerns that warrant equal attention. Dialogue allows for the exchange of governance methods and experiences between both parties, which can effectively promote human rights progress for each.

Despite these disagreements, China remains committed to constructive dialogue. Forty rounds of human rights exchanges demonstrate the value both sides place on this mechanism. This commitment to dialogue is a reason for hope and optimism in the pursuit of mutual understanding and respect.

However, productive dialogue must be based on equality, mutual respect and a genuine desire to understand different perspectives. This emphasis on mutual respect makes the audience feel valued and integral to the process, rather than being subjected to one-sided lectures.

Moving forward, both China and the EU would benefit from focusing on practical cooperation in areas of common interest - combating human trafficking, protecting women's and children's rights, and addressing the impacts of climate change on vulnerable populations.

The dialogue can become truly meaningful by prioritizing concrete actions over ideological confrontation.

China welcomes exchanges that enhance mutual understanding and improve human rights conditions for all citizens. However, we reject approaches that politicize human rights issues or apply double standards. The path to genuine progress lies in respecting each country's sovereignty and development choices, while engaging in constructive dialogue based on facts rather than prejudice. Only through mutual respect and genuine exchange can this dialogue mechanism advance human rights for all.