The Chinese version of a handbook on refugee protection, A Guide to International Refugee Law, was launched in Beijing Tuesday afternoon.

Visiting UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres and Vice Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of Chinese National People's Congress (NPC) Lu Congmin attended the launching ceremony.

The book, jointly-compiled by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Inter-Parliamentary Union in 2001, aims at helping members of parliament and governmental officials become more familiar with the general principles of international refugee law. The book has been translated into 34 languages, making it the most widely translated UNHCR publication.

Also on hand at the ceremony were delegates from the General Office of the NPC Standing Committee, Legislative Affairs Office of the State Council, the Foreign Ministry, the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the Ministry of Public Security, the Red Cross Society of China, offices of relevant UN branches in China and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Guterres, who arrived in Beijing on March 19, is paying a five-day visit to China.

Source: Xinhua