A white paper released by the State Council Information Office on December 12 has summarized China's progress in human rights protection over the past 40 years of reform and opening up.

According to the white paper, China's per-capita GDP increased 22.8-fold from 1978 to 2017 and the impoverished population reduced over 850 million in the past four decades. Free compulsory education has been realized in both rural and urban areas and a social security network covering the largest population in the world has been formed.

Over the past 40 years, China has formed a new human rights development concept centered around the people and upholding the right to live and development as the basic human rights. It has built a legal system for human rights and promoted the balanced development of human rights.

A sound social system has helped the healthy development of human rights. The ultimate goal of socialism—to realize common prosperity—has enabled the results of reform and opening up to be shared by all.

However, there are still some challenges. China will remain in the preliminary stage of socialism for a long time to come as the principal contradiction facing Chinese society is between unbalanced and inadequate development and people's growing needs for a better life.

(This is an edited excerpt of an article originally published on Opinion.people.com.cn on December 13)