Key to democracy lies in whether people are truly masters of country: Chinese ambassador

GENEVA, March 25 (Xinhua) -- The key to democracy lies in whether its people are truly masters of their country, a Chinese envoy said here at the ongoing session of the Human Rights Council on Friday.

Delivering a joint statement on behalf of a group of countries at the ongoing 49th session of the Human Rights Council, China's permanent representative to the UN Office in Geneva Chen Xu said that democracy and human rights are a common pursuit of humanity, and diversity is a fundamental feature of human society and that countries with different histories, cultures and national conditions may choose different forms of democracy.

"The key to democracy in a country lies in whether its people are truly masters of their country and whether problems that its people face are solved," he said.

The Chinese ambassador pointed out that promotion and protection of democracy and human rights is the common undertaking of the international community and should not be used as a tool to exert pressure on other countries.

Any country that abuses democratic values and interferes in the internal affairs of sovereign states under the pretext of protecting democracy and human rights, that attempts to impose its political system and model of democracy on others is the opposite of democracy, he added.

Chen emphasized that democratization of international relations represents the trend of the times, calling on states to advocate true democratic spirit, practice multilateralism, enhance consultations and cooperation, advance peace and development, better promote and protect human rights, and work together to cope with global challenges and create a better future.