The people are the masters of the country
ZHANG YIMING
Last week, the US hosted the ‘Summit for Democracy’, and democracy became a hot topic. In my view, as the word “democracy” originates from two Greek words "demos" (meaning people) and "kratos" (meaning power), the word literally means "governance by the people". Therefore, the key in judging whether a political system is democratic or not lies in whether the people are the masters of their country. On December 4th, China released a white paper titled "China: Democracy That Works", which systematically expounds the connotation, system and practice of Chinese democracy. I would like to share with our Namibian friends some points and views regarding it.
The essence and core value of China’s democracy is that the Chinese people are the masters of China. The Constitution of the People's Republic of China stipulates that all power of the state belongs to the people. The people administer state affairs and manage economic, cultural and social affairs through various channels and in various ways in accordance with the law. The fundamental nature of China as a state is the people’s democratic dictatorship. The system of people’s congresses is China’s fundamental political system, and serves as the ultimate approach to guarantee the people’s status as masters of the country. Western countries believe that with multiparty system and universal suffrage comes people's rule and democracy, while what China advocates is good governance and whole-process democracy. Whole-process democracy is not a democracy that is awakened at the time of voting and goes dormant afterwards, nor a democracy where colossal promises are made during campaigns but none is honored afterwards, but a democracy with whole-chain participation, where people fully enjoy the right to know, express and supervise. President Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasised that what China has developed is a whole-process people’s democracy. This kind of democracy is historical, concrete and developmental. It is rooted in China's historical and cultural traditions, and grows from the practical exploration and wisdom created by the Chinese people.
Specifically, the system of people's congresses, the system of multiparty cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the CPC, the broadest possible patriotic united front, the system of regional ethnic autonomy, and the system of community-level self-governance constitute the complete institutional procedures and participation practices of democracy in China. Connecting and running through China's democratic elections, consultations, decision-making, administration, and oversight, these procedures and practices are found in the economic, political, cultural, social, and ecological aspects, and have ensured unity among the propositions of the ruling party, the will of the state, and the expectation of the people, which enabled the value of democracy to take deep root at all levels in the Chinese society. They are also specific and vivid embodiments of China’s democracy. The whole-process people’s democracy in China has truly materialised the notions that development is for the people and by the people, and that people enjoy the fruits of development. It is a true example that people are the masters of their country. This is also the secret key to China's good governance. By the end of 2020, there were about 2.62 million representatives in people’s congresses at all levels in China, among whom 94.5% were at county and township levels. In addition, all the 503,000 administrative villages in China had established village committees, and all the 112,000 communities had established community committees.
Facts have shown that socialist democracy with Chinese characteristics is vibrant and superior. It does work and works well because it is in line with China's national conditions. Over the past 70 years, the Chinese people's rights to subsistence, development and health have been fully respected and protected. People's lives have significantly improved. China has established the world’s largest social security system, in which over 1.3 billion people are covered by the basic medical insurance and over 1 billion people are covered by basic old-age insurance. A moderately prosperous society in all respects has been built with over 1.4 billion people shaking off abject poverty and embarking on the road towards common prosperity. China's democracy, which has effectively promoted national development, social progress and people's happiness, is a high-quality democracy. Two latest reports released by US pollsters show that the level of Chinese public satisfaction with its ruling party and the government are 95% and 98% respectively. The Chinese people’s confidence in China’s democracy is getting firmer and China’s road to democracy is getting wider.
Namibia, as the last country to get rid of colonial rule and the youngest democracy in Africa, has always been striving for a path of democracy in line with its national conditions. The Namibian Constitution makes it a fundamental state policy of Namibia to achieve national reconciliation, improve living standards, and build a prosperous and strong democratic nation where all citisens enjoy rights and assume obligations equally. In the past 30 years, under the leadership of the SWAPO Party, Namibia keeps making progress in its democracy building, which has turned itself into one of the African countries with the most stable politics, the soundest laws, the best infrastructure and social security and the most free media. Young generation in this country has a strong desire to participate in political affairs and society makes progress every day.
Therefore, as a common value of all human beings, democracy comes in many forms without any samples, and is never the prerogative of a few nations. Every country has the right to choose the democratic system that best suits it. Whether a model of democracy is successful should be judged by its people, not dictated by a handful of outsiders. No country has the right to act as a proselytiser and interfere with the model of democracy of other countries.
The so-called Summit for Democracy held by the US tries to set rules and standards for "democracy", with the attempt to divide countries into different classes. It uses democracy as an excuse to interfere in other countries’ domestic affairs, acting against democracy in the name of democracy. The Summit full of cold war mentality is trying to provoke confrontation and division between countries. However, the color revolutions, the war in Afghanistan and many other examples have proved that simply duplicating others’ systems or models will never work, and it is just an exercise in futility. Exploring the model of democracy suited to a country’s unique social environment is the only right way.
There is no best democracy but better ones. Mankind’s exploration and practice of democracy will never end. Socialism with Chinese characteristics and socialism with Namibian characteristics are both splendid flowers in the garden of human political civilisations. On the path towards comprehensive socialist modernisation, China will continue to hold high the banner of people’s democracy, adhere to the people-centred development philosophy, and unswervingly promote whole-process people’s democracy. China is willing to work together with all the other countries including Namibia to promote the common values of humanity – peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy and freedom, enrich the connotation of political civilisation, and make solid and continuous progress in the advancement of democracy in a spirit of mutual respect and seeking common ground while reserving differences, so as to contribute better to people’s welfare.
* Zhang Yiming is the Chinese ambassador to Namibia.
Last week, the US hosted the ‘Summit for Democracy’, and democracy became a hot topic. In my view, as the word “democracy” originates from two Greek words "demos" (meaning people) and "kratos" (meaning power), the word literally means "governance by the people". Therefore, the key in judging whether a political system is democratic or not lies in whether the people are the masters of their country. On December 4th, China released a white paper titled "China: Democracy That Works", which systematically expounds the connotation, system and practice of Chinese democracy. I would like to share with our Namibian friends some points and views regarding it.
The essence and core value of China’s democracy is that the Chinese people are the masters of China. The Constitution of the People's Republic of China stipulates that all power of the state belongs to the people. The people administer state affairs and manage economic, cultural and social affairs through various channels and in various ways in accordance with the law. The fundamental nature of China as a state is the people’s democratic dictatorship. The system of people’s congresses is China’s fundamental political system, and serves as the ultimate approach to guarantee the people’s status as masters of the country. Western countries believe that with multiparty system and universal suffrage comes people's rule and democracy, while what China advocates is good governance and whole-process democracy. Whole-process democracy is not a democracy that is awakened at the time of voting and goes dormant afterwards, nor a democracy where colossal promises are made during campaigns but none is honored afterwards, but a democracy with whole-chain participation, where people fully enjoy the right to know, express and supervise. President Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasised that what China has developed is a whole-process people’s democracy. This kind of democracy is historical, concrete and developmental. It is rooted in China's historical and cultural traditions, and grows from the practical exploration and wisdom created by the Chinese people.
Specifically, the system of people's congresses, the system of multiparty cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the CPC, the broadest possible patriotic united front, the system of regional ethnic autonomy, and the system of community-level self-governance constitute the complete institutional procedures and participation practices of democracy in China. Connecting and running through China's democratic elections, consultations, decision-making, administration, and oversight, these procedures and practices are found in the economic, political, cultural, social, and ecological aspects, and have ensured unity among the propositions of the ruling party, the will of the state, and the expectation of the people, which enabled the value of democracy to take deep root at all levels in the Chinese society. They are also specific and vivid embodiments of China’s democracy. The whole-process people’s democracy in China has truly materialised the notions that development is for the people and by the people, and that people enjoy the fruits of development. It is a true example that people are the masters of their country. This is also the secret key to China's good governance. By the end of 2020, there were about 2.62 million representatives in people’s congresses at all levels in China, among whom 94.5% were at county and township levels. In addition, all the 503,000 administrative villages in China had established village committees, and all the 112,000 communities had established community committees.
Facts have shown that socialist democracy with Chinese characteristics is vibrant and superior. It does work and works well because it is in line with China's national conditions. Over the past 70 years, the Chinese people's rights to subsistence, development and health have been fully respected and protected. People's lives have significantly improved. China has established the world’s largest social security system, in which over 1.3 billion people are covered by the basic medical insurance and over 1 billion people are covered by basic old-age insurance. A moderately prosperous society in all respects has been built with over 1.4 billion people shaking off abject poverty and embarking on the road towards common prosperity. China's democracy, which has effectively promoted national development, social progress and people's happiness, is a high-quality democracy. Two latest reports released by US pollsters show that the level of Chinese public satisfaction with its ruling party and the government are 95% and 98% respectively. The Chinese people’s confidence in China’s democracy is getting firmer and China’s road to democracy is getting wider.
Namibia, as the last country to get rid of colonial rule and the youngest democracy in Africa, has always been striving for a path of democracy in line with its national conditions. The Namibian Constitution makes it a fundamental state policy of Namibia to achieve national reconciliation, improve living standards, and build a prosperous and strong democratic nation where all citisens enjoy rights and assume obligations equally. In the past 30 years, under the leadership of the SWAPO Party, Namibia keeps making progress in its democracy building, which has turned itself into one of the African countries with the most stable politics, the soundest laws, the best infrastructure and social security and the most free media. Young generation in this country has a strong desire to participate in political affairs and society makes progress every day.
Therefore, as a common value of all human beings, democracy comes in many forms without any samples, and is never the prerogative of a few nations. Every country has the right to choose the democratic system that best suits it. Whether a model of democracy is successful should be judged by its people, not dictated by a handful of outsiders. No country has the right to act as a proselytiser and interfere with the model of democracy of other countries.
The so-called Summit for Democracy held by the US tries to set rules and standards for "democracy", with the attempt to divide countries into different classes. It uses democracy as an excuse to interfere in other countries’ domestic affairs, acting against democracy in the name of democracy. The Summit full of cold war mentality is trying to provoke confrontation and division between countries. However, the color revolutions, the war in Afghanistan and many other examples have proved that simply duplicating others’ systems or models will never work, and it is just an exercise in futility. Exploring the model of democracy suited to a country’s unique social environment is the only right way.
There is no best democracy but better ones. Mankind’s exploration and practice of democracy will never end. Socialism with Chinese characteristics and socialism with Namibian characteristics are both splendid flowers in the garden of human political civilisations. On the path towards comprehensive socialist modernisation, China will continue to hold high the banner of people’s democracy, adhere to the people-centred development philosophy, and unswervingly promote whole-process people’s democracy. China is willing to work together with all the other countries including Namibia to promote the common values of humanity – peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy and freedom, enrich the connotation of political civilisation, and make solid and continuous progress in the advancement of democracy in a spirit of mutual respect and seeking common ground while reserving differences, so as to contribute better to people’s welfare.
* Zhang Yiming is the Chinese ambassador to Namibia.
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