China to present human rights action plan

BEIJING, Dec. 30 (UPI) -- China says it will unveil its first state action plan on human rights early next year, a senior government official said Tuesday.

Beijing has long been criticized for human rights abuses, including alleged mistreatment of rural workers, state censorship of the media, crackdowns on political dissent, capital punishment and the suppression of human rights in Tibet.

But China was removed from the United States' list of the world's worst human rights offenders this year and now the government is developing its first official state plan outlining what it is going to do in the field, Xinhua, the state-run Chinese news agency, reported.

"The document has concrete measures, including efforts in poverty reduction, protection of women and children's rights, and (promoting) economic and social equality," Wang Chen, minister in charge of the State Council Information Office, told reporters.

Wang said the action plan is being drafted by the information office as well as from the foreign ministry, along with more than 50 departments, public associations and non-governmental organizations, Xinhua reported.