Chinese democracy contributes new model to international political spectrum

In Shanghai, a mail courier, also a deputy to the National People’s Congress (NPC), is running all over the city to survey food deliverymen and employees in other new professions. By delivering their voices to the NPC, he is bringing more labor security to the people in flexible employment.

Residents elect deputies to the National People’s Congress at a polling station in Zhanggong district, Ganzhou, east China’s Jiangxi province, Sept. 13, 2021. (People’s Daily Online/Hu Jiangtao)

In Wenling, east China’s Zhejiang province, a consultation meeting was held on a renovation project of old residential complexes in a neighborhood. The meeting, joined by a number of government officials, residents in the neighborhood, and professionals, delivered a renovation plan that pleased all parties.

These two stories, which are told in a recently published documentary titled "Pursuing Common Values of Humanity: Chinese Stories on Democracy, Freedom and Human Rights," exactly demonstrate the vitality of the Chinese democracy and mirror the Chinese wisdom that lights up the whole-process people's democracy.

As it is said in the white paper China: Democracy That Works published by the State Council Information Office, China's democracy is thriving alongside those of other countries in the garden of civilizations.

China has created and developed whole-process people's democracy in line with its national conditions. This is a form of democracy with distinctive Chinese features which at the same time reflects humanity's universal desire for democracy. It has fueled the development of the country and driven the revitalization of the nation. It has contributed a new model to the international political spectrum.

In promoting democracy, China has undergone a difficult process of selection, experimentation, practice and development. Whole-process people's democracy contributes China's ideas and solutions to the political progress of humanity.

A sound and genuine democracy must allow the people to become masters of the country. It must allow them to enjoy the right to stand for election, the right to vote, and the right to extensive participation. It must allow them the right to express their expectations and the right to have those expectations.

Villagers elect deputies to the National People’s Congress of Dayang township and Luyang district at a polling station in Dayang village, Dayang township, Luyang district, Hefei, east China’s Anhui province, Nov. 30, 2021. (People’s Daily Online/Ge Chuanhong)

China did not follow the established path of Western countries in its modernization drive. Similarly, China did not duplicate Western models of democracy, but created its own. Now, the entire Chinese population, almost one fifth of the world's total, enjoys extensive rights and freedoms. This is most encouraging to developing countries and greatly enhances their confidence in developing their own democracy. China's new approach to democracy represents a significant contribution to international politics and human progress.

Whole-process people's democracy offers Chinese experiences for other countries to develop the most suitable form of democracy in accordance with their own characteristics and realities. China’s democratic practices indicate that only democracy rooted in a country's unique social environment has proven to be reliable and effective, and can thrive and progress.

Countries can borrow from the successful experience of others and develop forms of democracy suited to their own modernization process, but they should not simply duplicate other systems or models.

China never seeks to export the Chinese model of democracy. On the contrary, it firmly supports the independent choice by every country of its own path to democracy, and opposes any interference in others' internal affairs on the pretext of "bringing democracy".

Democracy manifests itself in two dimensions: On a national level, it refers to the people's status as masters of their own country; on an international level, it refers to the democratic relations between nations.

Deputies to the National People’s Congress solicit opinions from residents in Jinjiang community, Hepinglu neighborhood, Runzhou district, Zhenjiang, east China’s Jiangsu province, Nov. 12, 2021. (People’s Daily Online/Shi Yucheng)

China is a faithful and exemplary actor in pursuing, exploring and practicing democracy. It endeavors to increase democracy both within its own territory and between nations.

From proposing to build a community with a shared future, to promoting cooperation and common progress in economy and science, and from pursuing the greater good and shared interests and applying the principles of sincerity, affinity, good faith and real results in strengthening cooperation with other developing countries, to advancing the Belt and Road cooperation, China has always been standing on the right side of history.

Promoting democracy in international relations, championing peace, development, cooperation and mutual benefit, and building a new model of international relations, China is making the global governance system fairer and more equitable.