Ladies and Gentlemen,

Today is a day of special significance. It is a great privilege for me to be the first Chinese citizen and the first person with disability in wheelchair to receive the UN Prize in the Field of Human Rights. This is a gift to my country and an encouraging message to the 600 millions persons with my disabilities around the world. I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to the United Nations for bestowing upon me this great honor.

Human rights represent a holy and lofty pursuit. As I used to be subjected to the misery of being deprived of dignity and freedom, I deeply appreciate the true value of human dignity and freedom. I must also thank the arrangement of fate, which has enabled me to experience personally the challenges facing persons with disabilities and given me the opportunity to work unremittingly for the protection of their rights and the improvement of their status.

I define myself as a humanitarian. Humanitarianism is a philosophy fundamental to a modern society; its extension is the protection of human rights. To safeguard human rights, one must have a caring heart, an embracing love for all human beings. I do not claim to be a so-called "human rights warrior". What I contribute with is an honest heart, a sincerity that is free of all vanity and concern about personal gain or loss. Neither am I one who is given to talking about human rights in empty words. Rather, I always work with an earnest heart for the intangible interests and benefits of persons with disabilities. Only with a heart full of care, honesty and earnest can I regards myself as a true humanitarian and a real worker for human rights protection.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Human society has entered the 21st century. During the last century, we create unprecedented material wealth and brought about leaps and bounds in science and technology, which have in turn provided us indefinite opportunities and possibilities for the overall progress of the human race. Yet, it has been borne out by facts that the advancement in science and technology and the accumulation of wealth will not as a matter of course lead to the upgrading of human civilization and the attainment of human rights protection. The last century witnessed two tragic world wars; local wars and hostilities, hatred, antagonism and conflicts among different ethnic races and groups are still prevalent even this very day; various forms of discrimination against people, based on race, gender or disability, are far from being fully eliminated; famine, poverty and an array of irrational social phenomena still hinder the development of human society and the progress of civilization.

All these ugly phenomena constitute the most serious violations of human dignity and rights. Mankind should draw lessons from their past mistakes and endeavor to build the 21st century into a new era characterized by peace, cooperation and harmony among peoples and between man and nature. Otherwise, human rights protection in the true sense of the word would all but elude us and we would have a guilty conscience facing the past, the future and ourselves as human beings.

It is my conviction that human rights protection is not simply an empty concept or slogan. The continuous strives for the full realization of human rights necessitates continuous social development and progress. Hence, human rights and social development are inseparable - if one's basic right to subsistence could not be fulfilled, all other rights would be nothing but just a luxurious dream to him/her. This is particularly the case when it comes to the protection of human rights for persons with disabilities.

The human rights situation of persons with disabilities, the most disadvantaged social group, is still full of daunting challenges. I am happy to see that the issue of their human rights protection has already attracted broad attention by the international community.
I highly appreciate the message by the UN Secretary General Mr. Kofi Annan in commemoration of this year's International Day of Disabled Persons on December 3. He renewed his appeal to the international community to make efforts for the realization of full participation and equality of persons with disabilities in social life and development. He particularly expressed his support for the drafting of an International Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities.

The formulation of an International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is a major progress towards human rights protection. It will make the international legal regime for human rights protection more complete. In this connection, I would like to reiterate that the Convention in formulation should not only clearly define the rights to which persons with disabilities are entitled as human beings with equal dignity and value but, more importantly, it should clearly stipulate the responsibilities and obligations of the international community for the fulfillment and full protection of these rights through development efforts on their behalf. The 600 million persons with disabilities and I myself are looking forward to the early coming into being of such a new human rights instrument.
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Over the past quarter of a century, China has firmly implemented the policy of reform and opening up to the outside world, which has brought about rapid economic growth, sustained social progress, continuous betterment of people's living standard and upgrading of social morality. It is against this historical backdrop that the status of the 60 million persons with disabilities in China has undergone unprecedented improvement. This achievement shows that China is constantly changing and progressing. I am convinced that such a process of changes and progress will continue. And I will be making greater efforts to safeguard the rights and interests of all, particularly persons with disabilities.

I also hope that my motherland, being a great developing country, will continue to shoulder important responsibilities and exert positive influence in the global efforts for human rights protection, carry out cooperation in the field of human rights on the basis of mutual understanding and respect, and make concerted efforts to promote social justice, human equality and human rights protection.
Ladies and Gentlemen,

To me, the UN Prize in the Field of Human Rights is not only a glory, but more importantly, an encouragement to spur me on. When we think of the hundreds of millions of people on this globe, particularly those with disabilities, who are still living in desperate misery and helplessness, we must forever keep to our own ideal and pursuit and continue making fresh efforts for the advancement of people with disabilities.

Thank you.