China on Thursday issued a white paper on the country's progress in developing sports for persons with disabilities.

Titled "China's Parasports: Progress and the Protection of Rights," the white paper was released by the State Council Information Office one day before the opening of the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games.

Since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, along with making progress in the cause of the disabled, the country has steadily developed parasports, blazing a path that carries distinct Chinese features and respects the trends of the times, according to the white paper.

The white paper also noted that historic progress has been made in parasports since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012.

It said China regards rehabilitation and fitness activities for persons with disabilities as one of the main components in implementing its national strategies of Fitness-for-All, Healthy China initiative, and Building China into a Country Strong in Sports.

In the meantime, China's performances in parasports are improving steadily, with disabled people becoming increasingly active in sports events both at home and abroad.

The white paper also said China made an outstanding contribution to international parasports.

China is fully engaged in international sports affairs for the disabled and continues to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with other countries and with international organizations for disabled people, building friendship among peoples of all countries, including those with disabilities, it added.

Parasports are a vivid reflection of the development and progress of human rights in China, the white paper said, adding that parasports promote the common values of humanity, advance exchanges, understanding, and friendship among peoples around the world, and contribute China's wisdom to building a fair, just, reasonable and inclusive global governance order on human rights, and to maintaining world peace and development.

At a Thursday press conference held to introduce the white paper, Lyu Yansong, deputy head of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, noted that this is the first time China released a white paper focusing on parasports.

"Caring for people with disabilities is an important indicator of social progress," said Lyu. He emphasized that developing parasports is an important way to cultivate a sense of self-respect, self-confidence, self-reliance, and self-improvement among the disabled, helping them realize comprehensive development and achieve common prosperity.