The Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted in San Francisco stressed that human rights are indivisible and inalienable and that human dignity is inviolable. However, it continues to be a controversy over how human dignity can be manifested. In the Chinese history of ideas no evidence can be found to support the thesis that inalienable human rights stem from human nature. Since the 1970s human rights have been a subject of discussion in China. Previously, the human rights notion was characterized as an imperialist institution. While the western countries see in personal dignity consistency with the development of democracy and pluralism, China maintains that it is providing the conditions for existence that creates the universal dignity of human beings. Priority is given to the people’s rights to existence, development and well-being, which means that the most important thing is to provide the population with food, clothing and shelter. Human rights in China is one of the most explosive political themes in debates between the West and China. The more China opens up, the more political, economic and cultural contacts will be created, improving the prospects for democratisation and human rights situation in China.