Highlights: Explaining logic of socialist democracy with Chinese characteristics

BEIJING, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- China's democratic path conforms to the logic of history, theory, practice and value, adheres to the common values of humanity, and has achieved innovative development based on China's conditions, said a report released Tuesday by New China Research, the think tank of China's Xinhua News Agency.

Socialist democracy with Chinese characteristics ensures that the country is run by the people and it is chosen by the Chinese people historically, according to the report entitled "Pursuing Common Values of Humanity -- China's Approach to Democracy, Freedom and Human Rights."

The Communist Party of China (CPC) led the Chinese to found the People's Republic of China in 1949, ensured the position of the people as masters of the country and launched the country's process of modernization. The legitimacy of the CPC is derived from history and is determined by people's hearts and minds, said the report when explaining the history.

The socialist orientation of New China's democratic practice means that it is a critic of and transcends bourgeois democracy. The people's sovereignty -- "the running of the country by the people" -- is a broad, genuine, and effective democracy. It is a people-centered democracy, not capital-oriented democracy, said the report.

China's democratic development combines the "goal-oriented" realization of people's happiness, national prosperity and national rejuvenation, the "reality" on the ground of the world's most populous developing country, and the "historical dimension" of a history of 5,000 years of civilization. By remembering its roots, absorbing outside ideas, facing the future, continuous integration, summarizing, refining and sublimating, China has formed a new form of democracy, said the report.

In China, the people's congress system puts into action the constitutional principle of "all power in the People's Republic of China belongs to the people." The general public elects deputies who represent their will and interests to form organs of state power at various levels. Broad representation is the hallmark of the system, said the report.

How to ensure that democracy works in such a large country? China has found the answer in practice -- to generate synergic interaction of Party leadership, the running of the country by the people, and law-based governance. The Party leadership answers the question of "who shall unite the people," the running of the country by the people answers "what is the purpose of democracy," and law-based governance answers "how to govern the country."

The pursuit of democracy, freedom and human rights also serves as the driving force behind China's development and prosperity. Following the roadmap of reform and opening up - poverty eradication - moderate prosperity - common prosperity, the Chinese people have shaken off poverty and live well-off lives with dignity because of the firm implementation of the whole-process people's democracy, said the report.