The two sessions are not only a major political event in China but also a key window for the world to observe the country's democratic politics and development trajectory. This year, as in years past, the event has captured considerable global attention, highlighting China's ongoing development and its implications for the world stage. In the "Unraveling the allure of China" series, the Global Times (GT) invites experts and scholars from around the world to delve into the multifaceted allure of China and explore how the lessons drawn from its unique experiences can provide valuable insights for other nations.
During the two sessions, Chinese leaders interact with their fellow lawmakers at group deliberations, as well as political advisors to discuss hotspot topics that matter most to state governance. These interactions serve as a window for observing how the central leadership stays informed about grassroots realities.
In the eighth piece of the series, Global Times reporter Ma Ruiqian talked to Eduardo Tzili-Apango (Tzili-Apango), associate professor in the Department of Politics and Culture at Metropolitan Autonomous University and member of the Mexican Council on Foreign Affairs, to discuss China's whole-process people's democracy, as well as its differences and advantages compared to Western democracy.
GT: During China's two sessions, we see extensive participation from various sectors of society, with NPC deputies and CPPCC members engaging in discussions on policies that directly impact people's lives. What are the advantages of China's whole-process people's democracy? How does the whole-process people's democracy ensure that decision-makers remain aware of the specific needs of the people at the grassroots level?
Tzili-Apango: President Xi Jinping has emphasized that the whole-process people's democracy is the most extensive, genuine and effective socialist democracy. The main advantage of the whole-process people's democracy is that decision-makers are aware of the specific necessities of the people at the base of social organization, and can therefore design specific policies to meet the specific needs of the people.
The two sessions reflect the whole-process people's democracy process by being the final, key political event of a series of local two sessions previously carried out. Thus, the two sessions gather popular demands and design policies and recommendations accordingly.
I interpret that the "whole process" refers to the comprehensive feature in the democratic actions around the decision-making process. That is, people are deeply involved in every stage of the decision-making process - from proposing a projection, to implementation and law-based regularization. People are effectively in charge of democracy.
The whole-process people's democracy is extensive because it comprehends all strata of society, in contrast with some electoral democracies, where the political group in power only cares about the strata of society which it represents and which vote for it. Also, the whole-process people's democracy is genuine because it is not based on simulation, as many other political systems are. Furthermore, it is effective because it solves the specific needs of the people, the main example being poverty alleviation policies implemented in China, which enabled 800 million people to escape poverty.
GT: You previously said, "If we define democracy strictly in terms of decision making that considers collective society, China is totally a democracy." Could you elaborate on this view?
Tzili-Apango: When I stated that democracy refers to real collective decision making, and that we can observe this in China, I meant that it is a fact that Chinese society participates in all kinds of decision-making processes. This involves real popular participation focusing on the well-being of the people.
Once I traveled to China and I witnessed firsthand how people organize themselves, guided by the Party, to deal with day-to-day issues in their building. I learned that for local representatives of the government, their job is to listen to the demands of the people concerning public goods, and to aid and guide the community to solve practical issues related to public health, security and education, among others.
GT: You have pointed out that some countries focus solely on elections, which makes it difficult to ensure citizens' comprehensive political participation. What are the main problems with democracy in Western democracies such as the US? How do you view the fundamental differences between whole-process people's democracy and Western democratic systems?
Tzili-Apango: The main problem with democracy in the US is that it does not ensure comprehensive political participation of its citizens, as they rely only on elections. This means that the entire decision-making process rests in the hands of very few people. One may argue that this is a strength of the US-style democracy. Nevertheless, it is a fact that US political elites are distanced from US people, and thus their decision making does not usually consider the needs of the masses.
For me, the main fundamental difference lies on the participation of the society in the decision-making process, as well as in the implementation of policies. In China, the whole-process people's democracy attempts to bring the whole of the society into political action. Meanwhile, the Western democratic system only enables a small segment of society to engage in political action.
GT: What are some common Western misconceptions about China's whole-process people's democracy? What drives these prejudices?
Tzili-Apango: I think there are two main Western misconceptions about China's whole-process people's democracy: It is non-existent or it is authoritarian. First, this is due to ignorance about how China's democracy works. We need to study and understand more about China's political system. Regarding the second issue, it is true that governments tend to display strong authority to enforce some policies and the rule of law, above all. However, this is not authoritarianism, in which governments impose policies without considering the will of the people. This is not the case in China.
These misconceptions are fundamentally flawed due to the fact that any society in the world should develop a political system based on their historical and factual conditions, and it should not import political systems designed for a different geopolitical and historical context. China has done this, and the criticism it receives may be related to the fact that China did not experience a bourgeois democratic revolution, instead, a people's party led a people's revolution.
GT: What is the significance of China's whole-process people's democracy for global democratic politics, especially for countries in the Global South?
Tzili-Apango: China's whole-process people's democracy is being recognized more and more around the world, especially in the Global South. However, the traditional Western democratic model is still profoundly embedded in global societies. Therefore, it is important to study and understand the significance of China's whole-process people's democracy.
This article first appeared in the Global Times:
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202503/1329909.shtml
Company: Global Times
Contact Person: Anna Li
Email: editor@globaltimes.com.cn
Website: https://globaltimes.cn
City: Beijing
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