Zhang Shuhua

Democracy is a common value pursued by human society and is often viewed as an important symbol of the development level of a political civilization. However， after a review of the histories of different countries around the world， its fair to say that democracy is diversified， concrete and developing. Holding high the banner of peoples democracy， the Communist Party of China has united and led the Chinese people in successfully blazing a socialist path of political development with Chinese characteristics. This path not only has distinctive Chinese features， but also draws on the achievements of world political civilizations， and conforms to the law of political development. In practice， it has shown great vitality and great superiority， and will play a positive role in promoting and leading the development of political civilization.

The Inherent Features and Comparative Advantages of Whole-Process Peoples Democracy

The most fundamental feature of Chinese democracy is that the people are masters of the country. The whole-process peoples democracy China adopts is the latest generalization and unique expression of the countrys democracy. This brand new form of democracy believes that the people are the creators of history and the fundamental force that determines the destiny and the future of the Party and the Country.

I. A Chinese-style and autonomous democracy rooted in its own soil

Democracy is a common value pursued by mankind. However， as different countries have different social and political environment and historical and cultural backgrounds， it should be the people in each country that decide what view of democracy to adhere to， what path of democracy to choose， and which form of democracy to take. As pointed out by General Secretary Xi Jinping， “democracy is the right of all peoples， rather than an exclusive privilege of the few. There are multiple ways and means to realize democracy， instead of a single stereotype.” After a long-term autonomous exploration， the Communist Party of China has led the Chinese people in gradually building a socialist democratic system that suits Chinas national conditions， meets the needs of the people， and is conducive to social development and progress， providing a solid institutional guarantee for the people to truly become masters of their country.

II. A socialist democracy that puts the people first

Different from the Western oligarchy and plutocracy under the cover of intermittent voting， the socialist democracy takes ensuring the peoples position as masters of the country as its fundamental nature. The whole-process peoples democracy embodies the distinctive features of socialist democracy. As pointed out by General Secretary Xi Jinping， “If the people only have the right to vote but are denied access to wide participation of public affairs， and that they are awakened only to cast a vote but become dormant afterwards， and then such a democracy is not a true democracy.” The whole-process peoples democracy is not a narrow democracy in which only intermittent voting rights are exercised. Instead， it is a true democracy that is people-centered and aimed at guaranteeing and realizing peoples political， economic， social， cultural， ecological and many other rights.

Upholding the people at its core， the whole-process peoples democracy always adopts peoples satisfaction as the sole criteria. While highlighting the peoples position as masters of the country， this democracy has fully mobilized the peoples enthusiasm and initiative， and is conducive to pooling the wisdom and strength of the Chinese people.

III. A solidarity and consensus-generating democracy with comparative advantages

Socialist democracy with Chinese characteristics can be realized in two important ways. First， the people exercise their rights through elections or voting. Second， all parties within the people conduct full consultation and reach consensus on common issues as much as possible before making major decisions. The two forms of democracy complement and improve each other， which is an important feature of the socialist democratic political system with Chinese characteristics and is important to bringing institutional advantages of socialist democracy with Chinese characteristics into play.

The Western democracy only emphasizes the campaign-based elections and voting， which is not only an oversimplification of the form of democracy， but also the emasculation and distortion of the essence of democracy. In countries that practice Western democracy， democracy has basically been transformed to elite politics， which is ruled by “majority decision” and eventually leads to games between different groups and factions， bringing about endless disputes and even social disunity.

To find the greatest common ground of the will and demands of society is the essence of the whole-process peoples democracy. In China， major decisions are usually made through public opinion gathering， democratic deliberation， extensive consultation， scientific argumentation and democratic decision-making. Opinions and suggestions at various levels， especially public opinions at the primary level， have been widely incorporated into the decision-making process through hearings， correspondence inquiry， discussion forums and online political inquiries.

IV. Effective and quality democracy that is development-oriented and in various forms

The whole-process peoples democracy is a high-quality and effective democracy that is development-orientated and aims to solve problems of concern to the people. The evaluation of a countrys political system boils down to whether it can promote social development and progress， and whether it can truly improve the peoples lives. If it fails to effectively promote social development and ensure peoples well-being， a political system， no matter how gorgeously designed and packaged， will remain a mere facade. The whole-process peoples democracy is rich in democratic content， making it necessary to employ multiple methods to ensure that its implemented and realized， such as combining direct democracy with indirect democracy and electoral democracy with consultative democracy， giving full play to the enthusiasm and initiative of the people in community-level governance， and encouraging the people to create new forms of democracy that meet the characteristics of community-level governance under the leadership of the Party. In this way， social consensus is built， political unity is strengthened and the people are guaranteed participation in national political life and the governance of social and public affairs through various channels and forms in accordance with the law.

V. A brand new and systematic democracy that develops in pace with the times

Unlike the confrontational and divisive nature of democratic politics in some other countries， Chinese democracy adheres to a correct view of democracy and shows a distinctive feature of consensus and unity.

As socialism with Chinese characteristics enters a new era， the principal contradiction facing Chinese society has also transformed. The people have a stronger desire for a better life. They not only have higher requirements for material and cultural life， but they also have growing needs for democracy and the rule of law. The whole-process peoples democracy aims at better meeting the peoples ever-growing needs for democracy by constantly improving democratic institutions， enriching democracy forms and broadening channels of democracy. In 2022， the official websites and news apps of the Peoples Daily， Xinhua News Agency， the China Media Group， and the learning platform of “Learning China” launched special columns to solicit opinions and suggestions on work related to the 20th National Congress of the CPC. The activities attracted wide public attention and participation， and more than 8.542 million comments were received from netizens， which provided useful references for the relevant work of the Partys 20th National Congress.

As the Chinese democracy continues to develop， it has become increasingly diverse and effective in solving real-world problems. Primary-level democratic practices have also become more extensive and vivid. A series of primary-level democracy forms， such as villagers councils， villagers boards of supervisors， villagers meetings， and residents meetings， are flourishing in urban and rural communities. A series of channels for practicing primary-level democracy， such as television， radio， party newspapers， and the internet， are expanding to more places. Through practice， the whole-process peoples democracy has been enriched and developed.

Key Directions in Developing Whole-Process Peoples Democracy

To develop whole-process peoples democracy， China must uphold the centralized and unified leadership of the Party， uphold the principle of putting the people first， and unswervingly follow the socialist path of political development with Chinese characteristics. By improving the system of institutions for the people to be masters of the country， enriching the forms and broadening the channels of democracy， we will ensure that the voices of the people be heard and the people participate in the decision-making， implementation， and oversight processes of the Party and the Country.

I. To uphold the fundamental political system of peoples congresses and make good use of its oversight role

The system of peoples congresses is a political institutional arrangement fundamental to the Partys leadership， the peoples position as masters of the country， and law-based governance. The peoples congresses exercise state power collectively on behalf of the people， and the power mainly includes legislation， appointment and removal of officials， supervision， and decision-making on major issues. The peoples congresses are also responsible to the people and subject to their supervision.

As pointed out by General Secretary Xi Jinping， “The key to whether a country is democratic or not lies in whether the people are truly masters of their own country.” “Its important that the rules and procedures of the exercise of power are democratic， but its more important to ensure the power is truly under the peoples check and supervision.” “Peoples supervision of power” is the core of the construction of Chinas democratic system and the premise and foundation for developing the whole-process peoples democracy. Only when the people fully exercise their democratic right to oversee and manage the country will the abuse of power be prevented and the advanced nature of the ruling party is maintained.

A major focus in developing whole-process peoples democracy is to constantly improve the oversight institutions of peoples congresses and give full play to the oversight role of peoples congresses at all levels. Peoples congresses at all levels and their standing committees need to focus oversight on the implementation of major decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee， and on the response to the thoughts and aspirations of the people， and work to resolve major conflicts and problems impeding economic and social development. The government， supervisory commission， peoples court and peoples procuratorate at all levels must strictly implement the laws， regulations， resolutions and decisions enacted by the peoples congresses and their standing committees， report their work in accordance with the law， and take the initiative to be under the oversight of the peoples congresses.

II. To comprehensively develop consultative democracy and further improve the efficacy of consultation

The report to the 20th National Congress of the CPC points out that “consultative democracy is an important form to practice whole-process peoples democracy.” We will develop diverse consultative bodies， open various channels for consultation， establish multiple levels and ways of consultation， coordinate consultations between political parties， peoples congresses， governments， CPPCC committees， peoples organizations， communities and social organizations， improve various platforms for institutionalized consultation， and promote extensive and multi-tiered institutional development of consultative democracy.

The report to the 20th National Congress of the CPC also points out that we will uphold and improve the system of CPC-led multiparty cooperation and political consultation and ensure the integration of Party leadership， the united front， and consultative democracy. We will also work to maintain unity while promoting democracy and build consensus while making proposals on state affairs.

III. To uphold the principle of putting the people first and constantly enrich the practice of primary-level democracy

With primary-level stability come good social order and national security. As the report to the 20th National Congress of the CPC points out， “Primary-level democracy is an important manifestation of whole-process peoples democracy.” The people are the real players in practicing primary-level governance. To give play to the initiative and creativity of more people， we must enable them to truly participate in the practice， and ensure the implementation of their democratic rights through institutional arrangements. Primary-level governance in this form is the most vivid practice and embodiment of the whole-process peoples democracy at the primary level.

With the socioeconomic development and progress in science and technology， the rapid development of information technology， artificial intelligence and big data has provided important technological instruments for todays primary-level governance， and brought an opportunity for primary-level governance to be upgraded and even see a fundamental change. In 2022， when giving instructions on the study of taking netizens advice for the 20th National Congress of the CPC， General Secretary Xi Jinping highlighted， “we must do a better job in identifying peoples demands and finding solutions to their problems by relying on the people through various channels including the internet， and ensure their voices are heard， their will respected and aspirations followed.” Therefore， we should strengthen the construction of online democratic platforms with a focus on modernizing governance in rural areas and enhancing the efficacy of primary-level governance through digital technologies， artificial intelligence and big data.

IV. To improve work in the grand united front and achieve great unity and solidarity

As the report to the 20th National Congress of the CPC points out， “We will build a broad united front to forge great unity and solidarity， and we will encourage all the sons and daughters of the Chinese nation to dedicate themselves to realizing the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation.” The peoples support is of the utmost political importance， and could decide the destiny of the Party. Its imperative that we strive for the biggest common ground with all parties. Only by understanding the important role of the united front from this perspective， and winning the hearts and minds of the people and pooling their wisdom and strength， can the Partys united front cause flourish and develop.

The Future Direction and Great Significance of Whole-Process Peoples Democracy

The whole-process peoples democracy represents a new understanding of the laws governing the development of democratic politics. It has enriched and developed the theory of socialist democratic politics， and pointed out the way forward for building a socialist political civilization.

I. Develop whole-process peoples democracy to modernize Chinas governance system and capacity

The whole-process peoples democracy and the national governance are not only highly compatible with each other in theory， but also interconnected and interactive in practice. By upholding the unity between democracy and centralism， respecting the principal position of the people， listening to their opinions， and building broad social consensus， we can effectively modernize the countrys governance system and capacity， and achieve political stability， economic development and social prosperity. For example， major legislation and policies in China are all adopted after public opinion solicitation， democratic deliberation and scientific and democratic decision-making. The drafting of The Proposal of the CPC Central Committee on Formulating the 14th Five-year Plan for Economic and Social Development and the Long-range Objectives Through the Year 2035 has absorbed opinions and suggestions solicited from the whole society through the internet， and serves as a good example of promoting democracy， openly seeking advice and drawing on collective wisdom.

II. Develop whole-process peoples democracy to promote Chinese modernization

Democracy is the common value pursued by all mankind. For todays world politics in particular， democracy has become an important part of many countries pursuit of modernization and serves as an important indicator of a countrys modernization level. It can be said that without democracy， there is no modernization. However， in the pursuit of modernization and the exploration of path towards democracy， each country should be autonomous instead of following a stereotype. As pointed out by General Secretary Xi Jinping， “In terms of governing a country and achieving national modernization， the Western model is not the only way. Each country can definitely blaze their unique paths. It can be said that with facts， we have declared the bankruptcy of the ‘End of History argument and put an end to the narration that all countries will finally adopt the Western model.”

III. Develop whole-process peoples democracy to highlight the glory of Chinas political civilization

In the operation of Chinese democratic politics， we always pay attention to soliciting and absorbing public opinions， so that the people can participate in political decision-making and reach the broadest consensus. This is a remarkable feature of Chinas democratic politics， which is notably different from Western democracy， and highlights the significant advantages of Chinas democracy.

IV. Develop whole-process peoples democracy to enrich the garden of human political civilization with “the governance of China”

After the Cold War ended， the Western world was over-brimmed of optimism and confidence， and some scholars even trumpeted that the Western model was universal and eternal， and would be the only way to lead mankind to happiness. However， the reality dealt a cruel blow to them. “The History” did not end at all. On the contrary， more diversified development models came into being and the gradually dysfunctioning Western democracy has been encountering more and more severe difficulties. In recent years， Western countries have forcibly exported democracy to some developing countries， but all democracies transplanted in these countries ended up in failure. This fully proves that democracy is historical， developing， concrete， growing and diversified. No country can monopolize the evaluation criteria of democracy， claim that democracy as absolute and stereotypical， or forcibly export democracy to other countries like a universally applicable operation software or a panacea.

Democracy must conform to a countrys basic national conditions and meet the needs of the people. It must also be practiced and tested by the people. Chinas brand new vision and exploration of democracy have brought forth a political development path with Chinese characteristics， highlighting the unique charm of modern Chinese political development. With its own successful practice， China has proved that Western democracy is not the only form of democracy. Adhering to a comprehensive outlook on political development and upholding the unity between democracy， rule of law， development， efficiency and stability， China has pioneered a new form of democracy. The whole-process peoples democracy， while enabling China to achieve its own rapid development， has also provided a successful model for other countries to borrow ideas from in exploring their own democratic systems， contributing Chinese wisdom， Chinese ideas， and Chinese values to the enrichment and development of world political civilizations.

Chinas ideals are inseparable from the concepts of “great harmony under heaven” and “harmony in diversity” advocated by Chinas fine traditional culture. In the eyes of the Chinese people， it is not an “arena match” or “elimination match” in which one wins and the other loses. They do not seek to eliminate anyone from the race， but to develop in harmony with other parties and build a community with a shared future for mankind.

At present， an irreversible historical trend is that the world will move toward globalization and multi-polarization， and diverse civilizations will blossom. People living in the midst of profound changes unseen in a century have seen that a new form of human political civilization marked by the beautiful scenery of “the governance of China” is on the horizon. The garden of human political civilization will surely become more colorful with the development of whole-process peoples democracy.

Zhang Shuhua is Deputy President of the Chinese Association of Political Science and Director of the Institute of Political Science， Chinese Academy of Social Sciences