UNITED NATIONS, January 15: China is seriously considering signing an important international covenant on civil and political rights, according to a letter by Chinese President Jiang Zemin to UN secretary-general Kofi Annan.The letter was an answer to one Annan sent to world leaders in December. In it he drew attention to a year-long observance of the 50th anniversary of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights and urged all governments to promote its goals.
In his reply, dated January 12, Jiang noted that China last October signed the international covenant on economic, social and cultural rights, which it hoped to ratify soon. "At the same time, we are now seriously considering the signing of the international covenant on civil and political rights," he said.
Jiang said the Chinese people had been enjoying "steadily increased economic, social, cultural, civil and political rights in all aspects."
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
