Nation makes impressive advances in human rights

Editor's note: The following is the full text of a speech Wang Chen, minister of the State Council Information Office, made at the opening ceremony of the 4th Beijing Forum on Human Rights on Wednesday in Beijing.

Ladies and gentlemen,

In this beautiful autumn season, the 4th Beijing Forum on Human Rights, co-sponsored by China Society for Human Rights Studies and the China Foundation for Human Rights Development, is opened. This is an important event in the realm of international human rights, and it offers a great opportunity for China to cooperate and exchange ideas with other countries on human rights. Human rights experts, personages and government officials from all over the world gather here to discuss the topic of "cultural traditions, values and human rights", and jointly explore and advance the development of global human rights theory and practice. I have the honor to extend sincere congratulations on the opening of the symposium and express a warm welcome to our friends present on behalf of China's State Council Information Office.