[excerpt translation provided by Business & Human Rights Resource Centre]

...

I first met Professor Ruggie at an Asia special consultation meeting held in Bangkok, Thailand on June 26, 2006. Later, we met several times in Berlin, Germany and Switzerland. Although there were not many opportunities for direct conversation, his wise words always left me and many other participants profoundly inspired.

China’s reputation as the “world factory” makes it a hot topic at every conference hosted by Professor Ruggie. And yet I was often a solo act and there were very few participants from China, which is not commensurate with the global attention that China has received in this field. Perhaps this is due to the sensitivity of the term "human rights" in China, which many of my fellow countrymen are afraid, unwilling or unable to touch.

Promoting business and human rights in China has always been on Professor Ruggie’s mind. I recall that on the evening of June 26, 2006, we had a 20-minute discussion entirely about how to push the government, civil society and business sector in China to work together on socially responsible business practices.

In September of that year, I was entrusted by Professor Ruggie to hold two consultation meetings in Shenzhen with companies, civil society organizations, and young people in China. Ms. Christine Bader, Professor Ruggie’s assistant at Harvard, made a special trip from Boston to Shenzhen to participate in these two meetings, through which Chinese SME and civil society voices were integrated into Professor Ruggie’s proposed Framework on Business and Human rights.

Many colleagues in the Chinese academia have done an excellent job in the past decade to desensitize the term "business and human rights" in China. I am very pleased to see that on September 9 of this year, China’s State Council Information Office released the National Human Rights Action Plan (2021-2025), which in Chapter 6 specifically states:

Promoting responsible business conduct in global supply chains; [China] will encourage Chinese businesses to abide by the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights in their foreign trade and investment, to conduct due diligence on human rights, and to fulfill their social responsibility to respect and promote human rights. It will participate and play a constructive role in negotiations on the UN business and human rights treaty.

I imagine that Professor Ruggie would be so happy to see this action plan from China. Here, I would like to quote the Bible verses from 2 Timothy, 4:7:

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

Those of us who have been enlightened by him and have received his grace shall continue to forge ahead.