Image source,Getty
This Saturday (December 4) morning, the State Council Information Office of China released the white paper “China’s Democracy” and held a press conference.
The white paper states that China is developing a “people’s democracy in the whole process”, which enables all aspects and aspects of the country’s political and social life to reflect the will of the people and hear the people’s voice; and “to be favored when canvassing votes, but to be left out after the election” democracy Not true democracy.
At the press conference, Chinese officials criticized the United States, saying that it “has bad democracies and a mess of domestic governance, but criticized and criticized the democracy of other countries.”
White papers, generally issued by the government, usually refer to important documents bound with a white cover, used to explain the government’s position in a certain field in a long period of time.
Whole process democracy
The white paper points out that only when canvassing votes are favored, they are left out after the election. Such a democracy is not a true democracy.
And “China’s development of people’s democracy in the whole process involves both complete systems and procedures, as well as complete participation in practice… so that all links and aspects of the country’s political and social life can reflect the will of the people and hear the people’s voice, effectively preventing elections. A phenomenon in which no one is instigated after the election.
Image source,Xinhua
On November 2, 2019, Chinese President Xi Jinping first proposed “full-process democracy” during an inspection tour in Shanghai (the picture shows a photo of Xi Jinping inspecting the Gubei Civic Center).
On November 2, 2019, Chinese President Xi Jinping first proposed “full-process democracy” during an inspection tour in Shanghai. He said at the time, “We are following a path of socialist political development with Chinese characteristics. People’s democracy is a kind of democracy in the whole process. All major legislative decisions are produced through scientific and democratic decisions in accordance with procedures and through democratic deliberation. .”
Since the Chinese Communist Party came to power, it has always emphasized the legitimacy of its governance with its economic achievements, and it has been criticized by the outside world in terms of democracy and human rights. On the 70th anniversary of the founding of the government, at the end of September this year, the State Council of China issued the “White Paper on the 70-Year Development of Human Rights in New China”, placing the “right to survival and development” in the first place of human rights, ignoring the universal value of natural human rights. Was criticized as “Chinese-style human rights.”
Xi Jinping proposed “full-process democracy”, which seems to have the meaning of defining “Chinese-style democracy.” At that time, there were also critics claiming that this definition was an “empty slogan.”
In February of this year, U.S. President Biden evaluated Xi Jinping in an interview as “very smart” and “very tough”, “and-I mean not criticism but fact-he has no democracy in his bones.”
Democracy is diverse
Image source,Getty Images
While expounding the Chinese-style “full-process democracy”, the white paper is also focusing on expressing the diversity of democracy-“There are many ways to achieve democracy, and it is impossible to be the same.”
“Judging other countries by their own standards, and even forcing other countries to copy their own political systems and democratic models. This is anti-democratic, unpopular, and doomed to failure.”
At the press conference, foreign media asked questions at the press conference. The United States will hold a democracy summit. China also released this white paper today. How does the Beijing authorities view the view that “China and the United States are in a dispute over the right to speak in democracy.”
Xu Lin, deputy director of the Propaganda Department of the CPC Central Committee and director of the State Council Information Office, responded that “a few countries regard other forms of democracy as undemocratic or even ostracize and suppress it with the hegemonic thinking of’it is right or wrong if you are the same.’ It’s undemocratic.”
He also asked, “Their own democracy is bad and the domestic governance is messed up, but they criticize and criticize the democracy of other countries. Is this the democracy they advertised?”
Xu Lin also said, “The United States claims to be a’democratic leader’ and organizes and manipulates the so-called’democratic summit’. It actually uses democracy as a guise to suppress and contain countries with different social systems and different development models. This kind of pseudo-democracy It’s a joke in the history of the development of human democracy and it is destined to be unpopular.”
Before the Democracy Summit
The white paper was released on the eve of the “Democracy Summit” in the United States. US President Biden previously announced that the first “Summit for Democracy” (The Summit for Democracy) will be held online on December 9th and 10th. The summit will focus on three major themes, including “Counter-Authority”, “Combating Corruption” and “Promotion” Respect for human rights”.
Image source,EPA
U.S. President Biden has announced that the first “Democracy Summit” will be held online on December 9th and 10th. The summit will focus on three themes, including “Fighting Authoritarianism”, “Fighting Corruption” and “Promoting Respect for Human Rights.”
A total of 110 countries, civic groups and individuals participated in the event. Taiwan was invited to participate, but Tsai Ing-wen was not invited. Instead, Xiao Meiqin, the representative to the United States, and Tang Feng, the political committee member, attended. Countries such as China, Russia, Singapore, Thailand, and the Philippines are all excluded, but India is invited.
Song Wendi, a lecturer at the Institute of Asia and the Pacific at the Australian National University (ANU), said that the main function of the summit is not to establish a geopolitical alliance. Weave a safety net.”
The day before the white paper was released, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi again criticized the Democracy Summit. Wang Yi said, “Many countries believe that the United States is no longer qualified to set test questions and standards for other countries, nor does it have the right to require other countries to emulate American democracy.”
Earlier, in response to opposition from China and Russia, White House Spokesperson Jen Psaki responded that the purpose of the Democracy Summit is to bring together representatives of governments and civil society representing different democratic experiences from all over the country to discuss how to work together. Support democracy all over the world.
Psaki said that no matter which country criticized this, “we will not apologize for this.” She also said that no democratic country is perfect. It should continue to develop, discuss, and participate on this basis, while encouraging positive changes. “Countries that hope to participate will see this as an opportunity to become a part of this positive change.”