China will have its own norms

The Chinese concepts of human rights are nurtured in the rule of rites, or li in Chinese, while the European concepts were established when the rule of law came into play. The Chinese concepts of human rights are obligation-oriented, while the European concepts are right-oriented.

The Chinese concepts of human rights pay more attention to the rights of the group while the European concepts more to the rights of individuals.

I am positive that China shall set up its own human rights protection system, which adapts to its own tradition, culture and social development. To be more specific, China will define its own content and scope for the human rights and design the protection mechanism within its legal system in accordance with the ratified international instruments.

Elisabeth Steiner is a judge at the European Court of Human Rights.

(China Daily 09/23/2011 page9)