BEIJING — China's State Council Information Office on July 14 issued a white paper detailing the country's progress in protecting the rights of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

The white paper, titled "Respecting and Protecting the Rights of All Ethnic Groups in Xinjiang," said the Communist Party of China and the Chinese government have upheld a people-centered approach to human rights protection and Xinjiang has made steady progress in this regard over the past 70-plus years.

"China has given priority to securing and improving people's well-being, advanced various undertakings in Xinjiang, and shared the fruits of reform and development with people of all ethnic groups, so as to guarantee their equal rights to participation and development," said the document.

It noted that the Chinese government makes full use of its institutional strengths, pools the efforts of all sectors of society, and promotes the rapid development of all undertakings in Xinjiang.

"The ethnic groups in Xinjiang unite and work together to achieve common development and prosperity. The political, economic, social, cultural, and many other rights of the people of every ethnic group are effectively guaranteed," said the document.

In addition to a preface and a conclusion, the white paper consists of seven sections — "Civil Rights," "Political Rights,""Economic Rights," "Cultural Rights," "Social Rights," "Rights of Women and Children," and "Freedom of Religious Belief."