Chinese legal scholars acknowledged the significance of the inclusion of the "right to dignity" in the report to the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC).[Special Coverage]
The Party congress report pledged to protect "people's personal rights, property rights, and right to dignity."
Yang Lixin, professor of Renmin University of China, said inclusion of the notion in the report reflects the Party's fundamental purpose of wholeheartedly serving the people, in an interview with People's Daily.
The interview, involving three professors, was published Wednesday.
"This is also the CPC's response to the new 'principal contradiction'," said Liu Shiguo, professor of Fudan University in Shanghai.
According to the CPC congress report, the principal contradiction facing Chinese society has evolved into one "between unbalanced and inadequate development and the people's ever-growing needs for a better life."
"The rapid development of science and technology has posed new challenges to the protection of people's right to dignity," said Yang, noting that the Internet, big data and Artificial Intelligence have made people more vulnerable to the leaking of personal information and other violations for their rights.
Abuse of public power could also infringe on their rights in this regard, said Liu Kaixiang, professor of Peking University.
The professors called for more specific measures for protecting the right to dignity.
