The 2025 China-Central Asia Human Rights Development Forum is convened in Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi Province in Northwest China. Photo: Qian Jiayin/GT

On Tuesday, the 2025 China-Central Asia Human Rights Development Forum convened in Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi Province in Northwest China. Participants strongly rejected attempts to label nations or cultures as "superior" or "inferior," noting that the development of human rights should aim to uphold equality among civilizations and promote mutual learning, dialogue, and inclusiveness.

This year's forum, hosted by the China Foundation for Human Rights Development (CFHRD), was themed "Deepening Exchanges and Mutual Learning Among Civilizations, Promoting the Development of Human Rights," and focused on two core themes: "Civilizational Diversity, Asian Values, and Global Human Rights Governance" and "Building a Community with a Shared Future and Advancing Human Rights Development." 

At the opening ceremony, Xie Fuzhan, President of CFHRD, said that ensuring full human rights is a shared aspiration tirelessly pursued by people of all nations, and a vital component of building a closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future. As developing countries, China and the five Central Asian nations share the historical mission of advancing national development while improving people's lives. 

"We are companions on the path to modernization and key forces in the development and revitalization of the Global South," Xie said. "China does not pursue modernization for itself alone, but seeks to walk hand in hand with other nations." 

During his visit to Xi'an, Tongchuan, and Yan'an in Shaanxi Province, Mirzatillo Tillabaev, first deputy director of the National Center of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Human Rights, observed China's development progress and vibrant practices in human rights protection. In an interview with the Global Times, he noted that China and Central Asian countries have vast potential for cooperation in human rights development. Since China proposed the Belt and Road Initiative, it has received enthusiastic support from many nations. 

Tillabaev said he was deeply impressed by his visit to the Xi'an International Port, noting its important role in promoting human rights by facilitating trade between China and Central Asian countries. "Logistics drives trade, and trade strengthens economic cooperation between China and Uzbekistan," he said. "Through economic development, we can create better conditions for improving human rights."

Sheradil Baktygulov, director of the Institute for World Policy Study in Kyrgyzstan, told the Global Times that in today's world, conflicts and confrontations still persist, making dialogue among different civilizations more important than ever. 

Baktygulov emphasized that the development of human rights should aim to uphold equality among civilizations and promote mutual learning, dialogue, and inclusiveness. Nations and civilizations should not be divided into categories of superiority or inferiority, as each civilization has its own distinctive path to human rights development. Discussions on human rights should be grounded in social realities, encouraging the establishment of common standards, shared technologies, and mutual learning. 

He pointed out that criticism of different human rights models is often rooted in fear and prejudice associated with the clash of civilizations. These barriers, he said, can be overcome through the process of mutual learning and understanding.

The forum brought together more than 60 government officials, experts, scholars, and representatives from social organizations from China and the five Central Asian countries. Experts engaged in in-depth discussions on the potential for cooperation in human rights between China and Central Asian countries, reaching broad consensus on building a closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future.

It also called for enhanced political dialogue and cooperation within the framework of the United Nations and other multilateral organizations, while promoting Asian values of peace, cooperation, openness, and inclusivity. It also emphasized the need to strengthen international human rights mechanisms and foster a more just and equitable global human rights governance system.