Tag: InternationalNews

Fretting about the monopolization of democratic values by the West, especially the United States, participants at the third International Forum on Democracy: The Shared Human Values called for cross-border dialogue and respect for political diversity.

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“The glorious season in which the democratic principle was ‘one head, one vote’” has gone, and the new principle is “one dollar, one vote,” said Massimo D’Alema, former prime minister of Italy.

He warned that modern media control enables overpowering money to manipulate political opinion.

D’Alema was one of many speakers who expressed concerns about money politics. Anthony Carty, an Irish professor of international law, told Xinhua that widespread “financial plutocrats” across Europe and North America have corrupted media and politics to serve their interests, leading to distrust between the public and the political sector.

Inequality poses another major threat to Western democracy. Citing a survey from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Georgios Katrougkalos, former Greek foreign minister, said that today majorities in all Western countries believe that their governments are not acting to promote the general interest but to “promote the interests of the wealthy and the powerful.”

However, despite the “ubiquitous, pathetic scenes” of illicit drug abuse, street vagabonds and looting of shops in U.S. cities, “the bipartisan legislators on the Capitol Hill seem to remain unperturbed,” said Ong Tee Keat, former deputy speaker of the lower house of the Malaysian Parliament.

D’Alema said Western countries should rebuild democracy with public policies that can relieve inequality and social injustice and limit the power of money.

For his part, former Peruvian Foreign Affairs Minister Cesar Landa underlined the risk of social networks to Western democracy, as social networking platforms can be used “to manipulate voters, sometimes in an emotional and irrational way.”

“Given the manipulation of personal data in the last U.S. election campaign, there is serious concern in the world that the elections could be won not by the candidates with the best policy proposals, but by those who use and control technology,” he said.

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Despite their deteriorating systems, some countries continue to wave democracy as a flag against other countries, trying to build a “new Berlin Wall,” said D’Alema.

Electoral democracy is widely touted as a West creation and has ever since been made “the one-size-fits-all benchmark” for democratic rule worldwide, which is a “fallacy,” said Ong.

“The cohesive transplant of electoral democracy, either through military intervention or brutal regime change, as was initiated by Washington in the developing world, has only added more failed states and ensuing humanitarian disasters to the lists,” he said.

“Everywhere they’ve applied this system, it led to chaos,” British economist John Ross told Xinhua, noting that U.S. attempts to impose so-called democracy in Iraq and Libya have caused hundreds of thousands of deaths and a destabilized Middle East.

“You cannot impose a system from the outside for a very good reason because the main factor in any country is always domestic,” said Ross, also a former director of economic and business policy for the mayor of London.

The underlying intention of the United States, Ong said, is to use democracy as a weapon “against geopolitical challenges, or potential adversaries in the global power play.”

Western countries underwent a long “peculiar historical process” in democracy, which is precisely why the West should see that its model “cannot be exported and imposed in other parts of the world, as the experiences in Afghanistan or Iraq or in the Middle East have shown again in recent years,” said D’Alema.

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With diverse levels of modernization and development, trajectories of nation-building, and history of nationhood across the developing world, the practice of democracy varies, which, nevertheless, has “consistently been the blind spot” of the developed West, said Ong.

For instance, China has “a better system for hearing the people and a better system for responding to them,” said Stephen Perry, president emeritus of Britain’s 48 Group Club.

“Chinese democracy and governance works. We should be studying in China, not trying to lecture China,” he said.

Participation and governance matter most regardless of form in the practice of democracy, said Ong.

Peter Mwangi Kagwanja, president of the Africa Policy Institute, said the international community is calling for a more multipolar world given the “glaring democracy deficit.”

For democratic global governance, an equal multipolar world requires “equal rights, equal opportunities and equal rules for every nation” and countries that “are not grouped according to their strength,” he said.

Essam Sharaf, former prime minister of Egypt, called for mutual learning, dialogue and inclusiveness among civilizations to tackle global challenges.

“We can break cultural barriers by harmonizing differences,” Sharaf said. “Different colors and shapes ended up with one beautiful painting.”

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Li Shulei, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, attended the opening ceremony and delivered a keynote speech.

Over 200 guests from various countries, regions and international organizations engaged in discussions on topics including “Democracy and Modern Governance,” “Democracy and the Rule of Law in the Digital Times,” “AI and the Future of Democracy” and “Democracy and Global Governance in a Multipolar World.”

They agreed that democracy is a significant sign of the progress of human civilization, and is what the CPC and the Chinese people have consistently been pursuing.

After long exploration, China has carved out a democratic development path with Chinese characteristics, which has safeguarded the democratic rights of over 1.4 billion Chinese people, and provided strong support for advancing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization, according to the guests.

Noting that democracy is a common value of all mankind, the guests called for full respect for developing countries’ efforts to pursue, develop and realize democracy, and voiced their opposition to the acts of triggering division, spreading prejudice and undermining peace in the name of democracy.

The forum was hosted by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council Information Office, and co-organized by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the China Media Group and the China International Communications Group.

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On Wednesday, more than 200 guests from home and abroad, including representatives of government departments and international organizations, experts and scholars, discussed topics related to democracy and global governance, both in person or virtually, during the third “International Forum on Democracy: The Shared Human Values” in Beijing.

Stephen Perry, president emeritus of Britain’s 48 Group Club, said he believed that China is on its way to a good form of democracy, saying China has a sound system of hearing the people and responding to them.

“Chinese leaders do an enormous amount of research into what the people think, feel, experience and want,” he said.

The democracy of hearing the people is probably simpler in China than it is in the West, he added.

Wang Shaoguang, professor emeritus with the Chinese University of Hong Kong, pointed out how Chinese officials go into the masses to learn about their requests.

“In China, officials are required to go to the frontlines, visit the villages and local communities. They share their tables and work, and even live with the people,” he said.

Wang summarized this method as sticking to the line of the masses, describing it as a huge advantage of Chinese democracy.

The attendees agreed that in China, the people’s expectations are heard by the authorities, but more importantly, they can be realized.

“The greatest advantage of Chinese democracy and governance is that there are no empty promises,” said Alexander Lomanov, head of the Center for Asia-Pacific Studies of the Institute of World Economy and International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

“What is written in government work plans will be implemented,” he said, adding that every work plan is adjusted to the needs of the Chinese people.

According to a report published during the forum, nearly 10,000 people surveyed in 2023 in 23 countries, covering Asia, Europe, America, Africa and Oceania, agree strongly with the rich connotations of China’s whole-process people’s democracy and consider it a benchmark for human political systems.

Of those interviewed, 91.4 percent believe that whole-process people’s democracy enables the people to voice their needs freely, and that democracy should focus on solving people’s practical problems.

Forum attendees also underlined the importance of respecting the diversity of democratic practice and advocated the spirit of mutual learning.

“Chinese democracy and governance do work, and there’s a lot about it we can learn from. We should be studying China, not trying to lecture China,” Perry said.

The event was hosted by the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council Information Office and co-organized by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, China Media Group and China International Communications Group.

Wang, who is visually impaired, was reviewing the report during the annual session of China’s people’s congress, which together with the political advisory body meeting is known as “two sessions.” For this year’s session, he submitted suggestions regarding retirement services for the disabled people.

The “two sessions” offer the world an important window to observe China’s democracy. Thousands of deputies to the National People’s Congress (NPC) and members of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) gathered in Beijing to discuss and plan for future development.

In a country with about one-fifth of the world’s population, people are actively participating in democratic practices, ranging from state legislation to local matters.

Scenarios of democracy manifest in diverse ways. In tea lounges in east China’s Fujian Province, people engage with lawmakers, expressing their opinions and contributing to decision-making processes. In another instance, thanks to a political advisor’s diligent investigation, more than 230,000 ancient trees in central China’s Hunan Province were granted legal protection.

“Whole-process people’s democracy is the defining feature of socialist democracy,” said Chinese President Xi Jinping. “It is democracy in its broadest, most genuine, and most effective form.”

The thoughts and aspirations of over 1.4 billion people have been incorporated into the top-level design of national development through China’s unique and distinctive whole-process people’s democracy.

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Wang Yongcheng, 57, is the first visually impaired deputy to the NPC since the establishment of the People’s Republic of China 75 years ago. Fulfilling his duties as a national lawmaker since last year, Wang has been approached by many visually impaired people requesting him to voice their concerns.

Last year, Wang submitted four suggestions, one of which suggested publishing textbooks with large font sizes for low-vision students attending regular classes. He received Braille responses to the suggestions from the relevant government departments. “The blind community is ‘seen’ by more people,” Wang said.

Mandated with state power by the Constitution, NPC deputies include Chinese leaders, entrepreneurs, scientists and university presidents as well as couriers, farmers and welders, etc.

As the fundamental political system in China, the people’s congress system entails that individuals can be elected as NPC deputies regardless of ethnic group, occupation, gender, or financial status. At no point has the “democracy for the few,” as seen in some countries — “democracy of the 1 percent, by the 1 percent, for the 1 percent” — been seen in China.

In 1954, the people’s congress system was officially established in China. Over the past 70 years, democracy in China has become even more vigorous.

By last year, China had over 2.77 million deputies to people’s congresses at all levels nationwide. Every ethnic group in the country has its own deputies to the NPC and members of the CPPCC National Committee.

Liu Lei, a 40-year-old NPC deputy, has been championing the cause of the Hezhe ethnic group, which boasts a population of over 5,000 in China and mostly resides in the northernmost province of Heilongjiang.

This ethnic group previously relied on fishing and hunting but has now transitioned to selling traditional Hezhe fish-skin paintings on e-commerce platforms. During this year’s “two sessions,” Liu called for increasing support for industries in remote regions to provide better development opportunities for the group.

In Western countries such as the United States, it is rare to see a high representation of rural people, blue-collar workers and ethnic minority individuals at the highest level of state power, said columnist Iara Vidal of the Brazilian magazine Revista Forum, adding that diverse voices are heard and respected in China’s annual “two sessions.”

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In the ancient town of Wufu, Liu Jizhang, a deputy to the municipal people’s congress of Nanping in Fujian, regularly gathers suggestions from neighborhood residents. Following suggestions to improve the local landscape, flowers were promptly planted along footpaths.

“I push for immediate action on matters I can address. For those requiring further coordination, I direct them to relevant authorities and follow through,” Liu said.

The town is well-acquainted with China’s ancient people-centered philosophy. Confucian scholar Zhu Xi from the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279) lived and studied in Wufu for many years. He championed the philosophy that a nation is based on its people, and society is established for the benefit of its people.

The Communist Party of China (CPC) has elevated the people-oriented philosophy to the core principle of “putting the people at the center” in national governance.

Liu Ting, an NPC deputy, has been focusing on issues related to an aging society over the past years. He has traveled to over 20 cities in China to explore how to use intelligent services to serve the aged population.

The environment and resource sector of the CPPCC National Committee, established last year, put forth over 160 proposals in 2023. Huang Miansong, a political advisor of this sector, surveyed multiple places focusing on rural development, and suggested orderly construction of rural environmental facilities during this year’s session.

China has fostered a democratic framework that ensures the orderly and effective participation of its people in political affairs.

Venues and channels for consultation and discussion are available in various forms within neighborhoods. Online platforms ranging from forums to polls and surveys empower the people to contribute to policy discussions and the decision-making process.

At a legislation outreach in Shanghai’s Hongqiao Subdistrict, boards are used to display the number of legislative discussions, but numbers are marked with magnets so they can be replaced easily, said Sheng Hong, an NPC deputy and a local community Party official. Over the past six months, nearly 100 suggestions submitted from the outreach have been adopted in national legislation including China’s charity law and law on barrier-free environment creation.

Across the nation, the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee has established 45 such grassroots outreaches. Provincial and municipal legislative commissions have also set up over 6,500 grassroots outreaches across China, ensuring that the voices of the people are heard.

Simon Lichtenberg, a Danish entrepreneur who has lived in Shanghai for over three decades, has participated in multiple legislative consultations. He said that improving the laws by making suggestions gives people a sense of fulfillment and achievement.

Chinese democracy is not a formality, nor a “one-time” show. Deputies to various levels of people’s congresses are accountable to the public.

When taking a barrage of questions from voters several months ago, Wang Lihong, a deputy to a district congress in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province, was sweating in the palms of his hands even in winter chill.

In response to the problem of chaotic parking in the community, he promised to run it over with the property management and seek solutions. That day, among the 100 voters who participated in the evaluation, 99 expressed satisfaction with his performance.

Carlos Martinez, a British author and political commentator, believes that in the Chinese system, the people always enjoy democratic rights in all stages, not just during elections.

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During a trip to the countryside in Hunan Province, Lai Mingyong, a member of the CPPCC National Committee, found an ancient tree pummeled with iron nails serving as hangers for various items. Feeling the need to protect ages-old trees, Lai promptly submitted a proposal through the CPPCC Hunan Provincial Committee online platform.

Not long after, relevant trial schemes followed by regulations for ancient and renowned tree protection were implemented. Damaging such trees could now incur fines of up to 5,000 yuan (about 705 U.S. dollars).

“Chinese democracy has never been an ornament,” Lai said.

Chinese people believe that the efficacy of democracy holds greater significance than its form. In China, democracy aims at pooling of wisdom to promote growth and prosperity.

At the “two sessions” in 2019, Dong Caiyun, an NPC deputy from the rural area of Jishishan County, highlighted the need for a local highway linking surrounding areas. Her voice was well heard.

Construction of a highway began later that year after the discussions. When a 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck Jishishan last December, the road that had just opened to traffic emerged as a lifeline linking the affected regions, facilitating the transportation of rescue forces and supplies.

During the “two sessions” last year, all proposals and suggestions submitted by NPC deputies were later reviewed, processed and given replies.

Every year, the government work report undergoes thorough deliberation by deputies before approval at the NPC annual session. Subsequently, the State Council will specify key tasks based on the report, assign responsibilities and establish deadlines for implementation.

Jose Luis Centella, president of the Communist Party of Spain, said that China has always fostered a democracy that sees wide participation from the people, involving them in national governance.

Democracy serves as a solid foundation for China’s governance. A survey report released last year by the Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies revealed that respondents from 23 countries expressed an average approval rating of nearly 90 percent for China’s governance capabilities.

The report to the 20th CPC National Congress emphasized that developing a whole-process people’s democracy is one of the essential requirements of Chinese modernization.

“When Chinese modernization offers a new option for human modernization, its unique perspective on democracy also becomes a new form of democracy,” said Zhou Hanmin, a member of the Standing Committee of the National Committee of the CPPCC and president of the Shanghai Public Diplomacy Association. “This is a significant contribution of China to the political civilization of humanity.”

Building a community with a shared future for mankind has developed from a conceptual proposition to a scientific system, from a Chinese initiative to an international consensus, and from a promising vision to practical outcomes, showing strong vitality, Wang said at a press conference on the sidelines of the second session of the 14th National People’s Congress.

Noting that China has been building communities with shared future with dozens of countries and regions in multiple forms and domains, Wang said that the vision has been written into resolutions of the UN General Assembly for multiple times, and included in resolutions or declarations of multilateral mechanisms like the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the BRICS.

“The number-one reality in today’s world is that all countries rise and fall together, and that the sure path to meeting the challenges is mutual assistance and win-win cooperation,” Wang said.

He said that the future of humanity should be decided by all countries together, and that the future of the world should be built by all people together.

China stands ready to make joint efforts with the international community to build an open, inclusive, clean, and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security, and common prosperity, he said.

In 2024, China will stay committed to an independent foreign policy of peace and firmly safeguard its national sovereignty and dignity, Wang said at a press conference on the sidelines of the second session of the 14th National People’s Congress.

Reviewing China’s diplomatic work in 2023, Wang said the country has taken steps to promote international solidarity and cooperation, offered solutions to various crises and challenges, and contributed to world peace and development, breaking new ground in China’s diplomatic theory and practice.

China will maintain stable relations with major powers, join hands with its neighboring countries for progress, and strive for revitalization with the Global South, Wang said, adding that the country will practice true multilateralism and promote democracy in international relations.

China will strive to provide more Chinese solutions to both regional hotspots and global issues, creating new opportunities for the world with its own development, Wang said.

Wang said that through the FOCAC summit, China and Africa will carry forward traditional friendship, deepen solidarity and cooperation, and open up new space for accelerating the common development of China and Africa.

In response to a question on China-Africa relations at a press conference held on the sidelines of the ongoing session of the national legislature, Wang highlighted a tradition that Chinese foreign ministers choose Africa as the first destination in their annual overseas visits.

This tradition, having lasted for 34 years, is “both unique and unparalleled” in the history of international exchanges, because China and Africa are brothers treating each other with sincerity and sharing a common future, Wang said.

“We have fought shoulder to shoulder against imperialism and colonialism. We have supported each other in pursuit of development. We have always stood for justice in a changing international landscape,” he said.

Noting that China and Africa have entered a fast track in building the China-Africa community with a shared future, Wang said China has been Africa’s biggest trading partner for 15 years and that China-Africa cooperation has grown larger with the people-to-people bond further enhanced.

As African countries have realized that they need to explore a development path that suits their national conditions and hold their future in their own hands, China will continue to stand firmly with Africa and support an Africa that is truly independent in thinking and ideas, Wang said.

China will assist Africa in building capacity for self-driven development and support faster modernization in the continent, he added.

Wang said that China has always maintained that Africa should not be marginalized. “We hope that all parties will, like China, pay greater attention to Africa and increase input to support Africa’s development with real actions,” he said.