China has actively conducted international cooperation in the field of human rights, according to the white paper titled "China's Progress in Human Rights in 2004" published by the Information Office of the State Council here Wednesday.

The document said, since China signed the "Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation" with the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNOHCHR) in 2000, both sides have launched a series of projects of cooperation in human rights.

In 2004, a UNOHCHR project assessment team visited China, and assessed its implementation of the memorandum. China also hosted the visit of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention of the UN Commission on Human Rights. Together with the UNICEF's office in China, China held a seminar on the questionnaire of the UN Independent Expert on Violence Against Children, gave an honest, detailed answer to it, and submitted it to the United Nations.

In December 2004, China submitted to the United Nations its answer to the questionnaire on child pornography on the Internet based on careful study.

The white paper said, based on equality and mutual respect, China has actively carried out bilateral dialogues and exchanges on human rights.

In 2004, China held dialogues or consultations on human rights with Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Norway, Germany and the Netherlands. It also conducted exchanges on this topic with Eritrea, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe and Laos.

China hosted the Sixth ASEM Informal Seminar on Human Rights, China-Africa Seminar on Human Rights, China-EU Seminar on the Ratification of the ICCPR, China-Australia Seminar on the Economic Development and the Protection of the Rights of Ethnic Minorities and Aborigines, and the Sixth China-Canada-Norway Human Rights Forum.

In May 2004, the Supreme People's Procuratorate, in cooperation with the relevant Australian authorities, held the China-Australia seminar on protection of the human rights of detainees and prisoners, discussing about such issues as the function and role of procuratorial organs in protection of the human rights of detainees and prisoners.

At the same time, non-governmental organizations also carried out active dialogues and exchanges. Chinese NGOs, such as China Society for Human Rights Studies, conducted wide-ranging exchanges and cooperation on human rights with the Project Assessment Team of UNOHCHR, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention of the UNCHR, government and parliament delegations from Germany, Ireland, Egypt and Vietnam, as well as non-governmental organizations from various countries, which enhanced mutual understanding.