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How can China rank 17th and 136th at once?

(Global Times)    13:45, January 25, 2016
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Two global ranking lists came out recently. One is the 2015 democracy index rankings composed by a think tank of the Economist Group, the other is the 2016 Best Countries rankings published by the US News & World Report, in collaboration with BAV Consulting and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

On the democracy rankings, China stands at the 136th. On the Best Countries list, China takes the 17th place, leaving even Russia, Ireland and South Korea behind.

The first rankings are completely based on Western democratic standards, which makes even Iraq and some of the world's poorest countries rank above China.

The Best Countries rankings are based on a survey of more than 16,000 business leaders, elites and other public figures in 36 countries and regions. The rankings are measured on factors such as tourism, business environment, quality of life, entrepreneurship and state power.

The big contrast of the two rankings raises a question: Is democracy the most important thing? We believe most people in the world might answer yes, or believe it is one of the most important things. But how to explain that the 17th ranking country in the Best Countries list only ranks 136th in terms of democracy?

There may be two answers. One is that democracy is not an absolute form, but a principle that leads to a nation's better governance. So, the Western way of democracy, in which several parties compete for power and everyone can vote for their leaders, is only one option. There can be other political systems that follow democratic principles and also lead to better governance.

The second answer may be that Western democracy is having problems in its application in different regions. In some developing countries, it does not necessarily lead to better governance.

For developing countries, it is not realistic for them to be the "best." It can also be risky to be too idealistic. They should strive hard to make themselves "better." Each country starts at a different point, and the successful ones are usually those that can continuously improve themselves in the long term.

Compared with achieving Western democracy, it is more difficult to become a "better country." Democracy can come about at a certain point as a result of domestic as well as foreign factors. But becoming a better country needs a strenuous long march.

Chinese people should not take the "Best Countries" rankings too seriously. We are aware of the various problems the country faces. However, the rankings also indicate that if we keep walking our own path, it is still possible for us to make the country one of the successful examples of the 21st century, and win world respect. 

(For the latest China news, Please follow People's Daily on Twitter and Facebook)(Editor:Ma Xiaochun,Bianji)

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