SCIO press conference on 'China: Democracy That Works' white paper
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E-mail China.org.cn, December 7, 2021
Xu Lin:
Ladies and gentlemen, friends from the media, good morning.
Democracy is a common value of humanity and an ideal that has always been cherished by the CPC and the Chinese people.
This year marks the centenary of the CPC. Over the past hundred years, the Party has upheld people's democracy and led the people in realizing their status as masters of the country. The Chinese people now truly hold in their hands their own future and that of society and the country.
Since the Party's 18th National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has developed whole-process people's democracy as a key concept and strived to implement it, further translating democratic values into science-based and effective institutions and concrete actions. The viability and strength of whole-process people's democracy can be seen across China.
Today, the SCIO issued a white paper titled "China: Democracy That Works." This important document is a systematic introduction to China's democratic values, their course of development, institutional arrangements and systems, actions, as well as relevant achievements and contributions. The document notes that whole-process people's democracy integrates process-oriented democracy with results-oriented democracy, procedural democracy with substantive democracy, direct democracy with indirect democracy, and people's democracy with the will of the state. It is a model of socialist democracy that covers all aspects of the democratic process and all sectors of society. It is true democracy that works.
The white paper consists of three parts: preamble, main body and conclusion. The main body is divided into five sections: "Whole-Process People's Democracy Under CPC Leadership," "A Sound Institutional Framework," "Concrete and Pragmatic Practices," "Democracy That Works" and "A New Model of Democracy." From these five aspects, it is clear that China's whole-process people's democracy has both distinctive ideals and pragmatic actions as well as both institutional procedures and participating practices. It not only promotes China's development, but also increases the diversity of the political progress of humanity. It is a democratic system that integrates the logics of history, theory and practice.
First, China's democracy puts the people as the country's masters. The people's status as masters of the country is the essence of people's democracy in China. The white paper reviewed the process in which the Party led the people in developing democracy during the New Democratic Revolution period (1919-1949), socialist revolution and reconstruction period (1949-1978), and the years of reforms, opening-up and socialist modernization after 1978. It notes that since the 18th CPC National Congress, the Party has led the people in proactively developing whole-process people's democracy, and China's democracy has entered a new historical stage with its people having greater confidence in the country's democratic course and the future of China's democracy getting brighter. The white paper points out that whole-process people's democracy is a creation of the CPC in leading the people to pursue, develop and realize democracy, embodying the Party's innovation in advancing China's democratic theories, systems and practices. The white paper stresses that the Party's history of struggle is a course of rallying the people and leading them to explore, establish and develop whole-process people's democracy.
Second, democracy in China has achieved a sound institutional framework. In China, the people's status as masters of the country is the bedrock of all the systems of the country, and underlies the operation of all the systems for state governance. Whole-process people's democracy involves complete institutional procedures.
China has adopted the governing system of the people's democratic dictatorship, upholding the unity of democracy and dictatorship to ensure the people's status as masters of the country. The system of people's congresses has been adopted as the governing structure, through which the people exercise state power effectively. China has upheld and improved the system of multiparty cooperation and political consultation under CPC leadership. The system is able to avoid situations where there is discussion without decision and there is decision without action. It also effectively mitigates the risks of inadequate oversight in one-party rule, and the problems of destructive competition in multiparty political systems. China has consolidated and developed the broad patriotic united front, systematically promoting harmonious relations between political parties, between ethnic groups, between religions, between social groups, and between Chinese people at home and overseas. China has upheld and improved the system of regional ethnic autonomy, making the people of all ethnic groups the masters of the country on the principle of ensuring the solidarity and unity of the country. China has also upheld and improved the system of community-level self-governance. Democracy at the primary level has been expanded so that local residents can manage their own affairs by serving the community, undertaking self-education, and exercising public scrutiny.
According to the white paper, these well-coordinated and comprehensive institutional procedures serve to put into place diverse, open, and well-organized democratic channels to ensure that the Party's policies and the state will are integrated with the people's aspirations and that the people are masters of the country.
Third, democracy in China has been tested through concrete and pragmatic practices. According to the white paper, if the people are awakened only to cast a vote but become dormant afterwards, that is no true democracy. If the people are offered great hopes during electoral campaigning but have no say afterwards, that is no true democracy. If the people are offered fulsome promises during electoral canvassing but are left empty-handed afterwards, that is no true democracy.
Whole-process people's democracy in China is a complete system with supporting mechanisms and procedures, and has been fully tested through wide participation. China's whole-process people's democracy is a combination of electoral democracy and consultative democracy, and is applied through a combination of elections, consultations, decision-making, management, and oversight. It covers the economic, political, cultural, social, eco-environmental, and other fields, with a focus on national development, social governance, and people's lives. Whole-process people's democracy ensures that the people's voices are heard and their wishes are represented in every aspect of China's political and social life. It prevents individuals from manipulating the political process to win elections, and leaves no room for politicians to shower promises while campaigning and break them all once elected.
Fourth, democracy in China is an extensive and true democracy that works. According to the white paper, democracy is not a decorative ornament, but an instrument for addressing the issues that concern the people.
With complete institutions and extensive participation, whole-process people's democracy has evolved from an idea into a system and mechanism of governance that has taken root in the soil of Chinese society and become part of people's lives. In China, all power belongs to the people, and the people enjoy extensive rights. In China, the people have gained a stronger sense of fulfillment, happiness, and security, and human rights are fully respected and protected. In China, democratic participation has kept expanding, and the people's demands can be freely expressed and effectively fulfilled.
The white paper points out that "One essential feature of a good model of democracy is that it will promote sound governance and boost national development," and "It is hard to see how a country can serve as a good example for the rest of the world if its own model of democracy is unsuccessful or inefficient in national governance." In addition, it states, "A good model of democracy should build consensus rather than creating social rifts and conflicts, safeguard social equity and justice rather than widening social disparities in favor of vested interests, maintain social order and stability rather than causing chaos and turmoil, and inspire positivity and appreciation of the good and the beautiful rather than instigating negativity and promoting the false and the evil."
China's democracy has boosted national development and social progress, and ensured the wellbeing of the people. It is high-quality democracy.
The white paper emphasizes that "Whether a model of democracy works should be tested in actual practice and judged by the people."
Fifth, China's democracy has contributed a new model to the international political spectrum. Representing nearly one-fifth of the world's population, the more-than-1.4 billion Chinese people enjoy the status as masters of the country and extensive rights and freedoms. China has explored a new path to democracy and contributed its experience to global political progress.
The white paper points out that, "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 also says "There is no single road to democracy."
"Political systems vary from civilization to civilization, and each has its own strengths." "To judge other countries by one's own yardstick, or force them to duplicate one's own political system or democratic model … are undemocratic in themselves." Therefore, such deeds earn no one's heart and are doomed to fail.
The white paper highlights that "All countries should uphold the principle of nondiscrimination, respect others' models of democracy, share experience with others, explore their own paths, and contribute their due share to human progress."
"There is always scope for improving the system of democracy." "China has achieved considerable progress in developing democracy; … China still needs to make further improvements. On the path towards comprehensive socialist modernization, the CPC will continue to uphold people's democracy, embrace the people-centered development philosophy, promote whole-process people's democracy, ensure the sound development of democracy, and pursue well-rounded human development and common prosperity for everyone."
"The Chinese people are willing to work together with all other peoples around the world to carry forward the common values of humanity – peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy and freedom. In a spirit of mutual respect and following the principle of seeking common ground while setting aside differences, we will add new elements to the world's political structure and advance towards a global community of shared future together."
That's all I have to introduce. Thank you!
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