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Only through dialogue based on equality and mutual respect can the cause of human rights advance, said Jin Yongjian, president of the United Nations Association of China, during the International Symposium on Oriental Culture and Human Rights Development currently underway here in Beijing.

Human rights should not be used as a tool of diplomacy, said Jin, otherwise it will give rise to confrontation and will not be contribute to the advancement of the human rights cause in the world.

Dialogue has replaced confrontation as the global trend, said Jin, adding that China has set up the dialogue mechanism with the major countries in the world.

Dialogue is one the most effective methods for resolving the human rights issue, said
John Kamm, Executive Director of the American Dui Hua Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing human rights in China and America. Dui Hua is the spelling for the Chinese word "dialogue".

Kamm called for the establishment of an international criticism mechanism. The criticism should not offend people in other countries and should not focus only on the East, said Kamm. The United States also has problems with regard to human rights, and criticism from the international community is conducive to the advancement of the human rights cause in the United States, said Kamm.

The East and the West should learn from each other in developing human rights, said Kamm. American congressmen have taken notice of China's policy of releasing sick prisoners on probation. "It is a good regulation which shows respect for human rights," said Kamm, adding: "The United States does not have it."

The frequent western criticism directed at the East is related to the West's lack of knowledge of Eastern culture, said Alfonso Garcia De Paadin, former military attache of the Spanish Embassy in China. De Paadin called for dialogue and mutual understanding between the East and the West.

Dialogue on human rights should be based on equality, said Grigory Luckiyantsev, an official with the Department for Compatriots and Human Rights, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia.

The goal of dialogue is to promote mutual understanding and reach consensus, said Luckiyantsev. In spite of this, some countries persist in trying to impose their opinions on other countries, which is actually a form of dictatorship rather than dialogue, stressed the Russian official.

The three-day International Symposium on Oriental Culture and Human Rights Development opened recently in Beijing. In the coming days, the representatives will focus on issues such as the universality of human rights and the diversity of culture.