China, Russia oppose any attempts to abuse democratic values: joint statement

BEIJING, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- China and Russia oppose any attempts to abuse democratic values, oppose interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states in the name of protecting democracy and human rights, and oppose any attempts to stir up divisions and confrontation in the world, according to a joint statement issued Friday after a meeting between the two countries' presidents.

At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin is paying a visit to China. The two heads of state held talks in Beijing, and attended the opening ceremony of the 24th Olympic Winter Games.

In the joint statement, the two countries call on the international community to respect cultural and civilizational diversity and the rights of people of different countries to self-determination.

China and Russia are ready to join hands with all the interested countries to promote genuine democracy, the statement said.

The two sides agree that democracy is a shared human value, rather than a privilege of a few countries, and that promoting and safeguarding democracy is a common cause of the entire global community.

The two sides believe that democracy should be whole-process and reflect the interests and will of all citizens, the statement said.

People of all countries have the right to choose such forms and methods of implementing democracy that suit their own national conditions, and it is only up to them to decide whether their country is democratic, according to the statement.

China and Russia, as major countries with long-standing history and culture, have profound traditions of democracy rooted in thousands of years of experience of development, and such traditions are broadly supported by the people of each country and reflect their needs and interests, said the statement.

The people of both countries have full confidence in their development paths, and respect other countries' democratic systems and traditions.

China and Russia note that democratic principles should be reflected not only in domestic governance but also at the global level.

Certain countries attempt to draw dividing lines based on ideology, impose their own "democratic standards" on other countries, and monopolize the right to define democracy by establishing small cliques and alliances.

Such action actually tramples democracy and betrays the spirit and true values of democracy, according to the statement.

Such moves to seek hegemony pose serious threats to global and regional peace and stability and undermine the stability of the world order.

The two countries hold that international human rights cooperation should be based on equal dialogue among all countries, and that all countries should have equal development rights.

All countries should carry out human rights coordination and cooperation on the basis of equality and mutual respect and step up efforts to build an international human rights system, the statement added.