BEIJING: China is drawing up a four-year plan to improve the country's human rights record, which largely translates as higher living standards, a government official was quoted as saying.
Human rights are a sensitive subject in China, which complains that Western countries are unfairly critical and points to its success in lifting hundreds of millions of people out of povert
y in the last three decades. The new plan also comes after a widespread crackdown on dissidents, lawyers and other activists earlier this year.
The 2012-2015 blueprint is second of its kind and has the “aim of expanding democracy, enhancing rule of law, improving people's livelihood and safeguarding human rights”, said Wang Chen, director of State Council Information Office.
