China released on December 3 a White Paper entitled “China-Democracy That Works,” which gives an in-depth picture of the workings of China’s unique consultative system or what is now called its “Whole-Process People’s Democracy.” Most importantly, the release of the White Paper and the activities planned around it just might make it known to the rest of the world that China does have a democratic system, of which, because of the intense propaganda to the contrary, most people are unaware.
As the White Paper points out, there are a number of political parties active in China. While the Communist Party gives the direction of the country, they do accept sage advice from other parties, in fact, they solicit it. In addition to the legislature, the National People’s Congress, there is also the advisory, Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. And membership in both of these are by election. There are people’s congresses at the provincial and at the village and urban district levels. Members of these are voted on by their constituents in the villages or in the urban districts. This body then elects the city or the district people’s congresses, and they in turn elect the provincial people’s congress. This process continues all the way up to the election of the members of the National People’s Congress. But things don’t end there, as they generally do in the Western voting system, where voters go home – and hope for the best.
In China there is a continual ongoing discussion between the elected officials and the grassroots, where people in the cities and villages can continually raise questions or proposals with their local representatives. And with the expansion of the internet and broadband these discussions occur at an ever increasing rate and throughout the year. The proposals, or issues raised, if of concern for the district or the local community, will then go as proposals to make their way if need be into appropriate legislation. And given the laser-like focus of the ruling Communist Party on the people’s welfare, all party members have the responsibility for not allowing any needs of the people to go unmet. It is for this reason that the poverty alleviation campaign has been so successful.
The Chinese system has also proven itself very effective in protecting the lives and the interests of the Chinese people, as witnessed its mobilization during the Covid pandemic, where the Chinese figures for survival from Covid far outshine the results for most “Western democracies,” in particular, the United States. And at a point in time when most of the European countries and the United States are undergoing a worst loss of confidence by the people in their own governments than has been seen in a very long time, trying to draw a comparison with China, where the great majority of the Chinese people are quite happy with the way their system works, is rather ludicrous. And most of those countries gathered in deference to the United States, in particular those developing countries that may be persuaded - or arm-twisted - to attend, will see the idiocy of trying to “contain” China, the one country that has provided them the most benefit over the last two decades.
In addition to the publication of the White Paper, there are a number of seminars and press conferences arranged in the next few days to get the message across. Most importantly, is a pair of two-day events over the next two weeks that have been organized by the China Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), at which dozens of international scholars, including former prime ministers, will be speaking on behalf of the Chinese system of democracy. http://www.news.cn/english/2021-12/04/c_1310351231.htm
