Chinaisanancientcivilizationandhasexperiencedmanyupsanddownsinhistory.Chinawasagreatpowerandprosperousnationinhistory,butthecountryalsoexperienceddeeplows,especiallyaftertheOpiumWarin1840,ChinawasthevictimofcolonizationandoftenfacedcoercionfromtheWesternworld.Beingagreatnation,Chinanevermissedanyopportunitytolearnandimprove,evenfromitssufferings.

Ithasbecomemoreunited,moremature,andevenwiseandsmart.UndertheleadershipoftheCommunistPartyofChina(CPC),thePeople’sRepublicofChinawasfoundedin1949andsincethenhasundergoneseriouspoliticalreforms.

Today’sChinaisastrongcountryandthesecond-largestglobaleconomy.TheprogressanddevelopmentsachievedinChinaarereflectedinallspheresoflifeincludinglifestyle,material,andspiritualaspects.TheCPChasbeeninstrumentalinbringingreformsanddevelopmentsinallsectorsincludingpolitics,agriculture,industry,anddefense.

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Onthepoliticalfront,thewhole-processpeople"sdemocracyisarelativelynewexpression,todescribethekindofdemocracythat"sbeendevelopedandwhichworksinChina.

HavinglivedinChinafordecadesasasinologist,whatIhaveseen,experiencedandwitnessedisthatthewhole-processpeople"sdemocracyisdescribedasapeople-andresults-orientedapproachforensuringnationalrejuvenationandcommonprosperity.ItisaChinesedreamandthewholenationisworkinghardtoachieveit.UnderthevisionaryleadershipoftheCPC,Chinawillrealizeitsdreamintheverynearfuture.

Thewhole-processpeople"sdemocracycombinesbothdirectandindirectelectionswithcomplementaryformsofsystemicdisciplinetoensurecleanerandmoreeffectivegovernance.Infact,itcombinesawiderangeofpoliciesandpracticesliketheruleoflaw,politicalconsultations,increasinglyopen,digitalgovernance,andanincreasinglyrobustsystemforpubliccommentaryandfeedback.Altogether,theseeffortsandothersarepooledtoachievetheintrinsicvaluesoftheChineseconceptofdemocracy,includingbringingdevelopmentandopportunitiesforgrowthtothemasseswhilestrengtheningaccesstoqualityhealthcare,education,andsecurity.

Intermsofoutcomes,onecanpointtokeyachievements,likeestablishingamoderatelyprosperoussocietyinallrespectsin2021,havingliftednearly800millionoutofabsolutepoverty,havingapopulationofmorethan400millionmiddle-incomeearnerswithimprovingstandardsoflivingandeconomicfreedom,andhavingimplementednewprogramstobringmoredevelopmentandequitytoitspeople.

ItisworthmentioningthatChinausedtobeapoverty-hitnation.Theeradicationofpovertyinjustafewdecadesisnolessthanamiracle,withnoprecedentinknownhumanhistoryanywhereelse.Itplaceshighemphasisongreendevelopment,withChinaagloballeaderinthisarea.Butmoreimportantly,ithasseenChinacleanupitscities,waterways,andruralplacesthatwereonceblightedwithpollution.IlivedinChinainthe1980saswellasfrom2010-2016andcanmakesuchacomparison.AnyonecanvisitChinaandwitnesssuchdevelopments.Inalloftheseways,onecanseehowwhole-processpeople’sdemocracyrespondstowhatthepeoplewantandneed.

Asamatteroffact,democracyisapoliticalformthathastakenshapeoverthecourseofthousandsofyears.Ithasplayedasignificantroleinhumandevelopment.However,today"sworldisfacingchallengesofexcessivedemocracy,democracyimplementedingreathaste,democraticdeficit,andfadingdemocracy.Somecountrieshaveencounteredsetbacksandcrisesintheirquestfordemocracyonlybecausetheirapproachwaswrong.

TheWesternstyleofdemocracyhaserodedandtransformedintoamoneygame.Onlyrichpeoplecanbuyvotesandruleacountry.Moralvalues,personalcharacterandintegrityhavesurrenderedtowealth.Onlytherichcanusetheirwhiteorblackmoneytoinfluencetheelectionsandbecometherulers.Afterbeingelected,theyexercisedictatorshipandintroducepoliciesoftheirowninterestsonly.Ignoringpublicinterests,sometimestheyimposeirrationalandunpopularmeasures,too.Thereisconsiderableevidencethattherulersareworkingagainstthepublicinterestinmanycountriesaroundtheworld.Oftenthepubliccomesoutonthestreetsandagitateandprotest,spoilingthelawandordersituation,sometimesleadingtodisasters.

However,inpromotingdemocracy,Chinahasundergoneaprocessofselection,experimentation,practice,anddevelopment.Chinahascreatedanddevelopedawhole-processpeople"sdemocracyinlinewithitsnationalconditions.PeoplefirstandtotalwelfarewasthefocusofChinesedemocracy.ThisisaformofdemocracywithdistinctiveChinesefeatureswhichreflectshumanity"suniversaldesirefordemocracy.Ithasfueledthedevelopmentofthecountryanddrivenitsrevitalizationofthenation.Ithascontributedanewmodeltotheinternationalpoliticalspectrum.

Chinahasalreadyachievedconsiderableprogressindevelopingdemocracy.Tomeetthenewrequirementsofmodernizationandthepeople"snewexpectationsfordemocracy,Chinastillneedstomakefurtherimprovements.Onthepathtowardscomprehensivesocialistmodernization,theCPCcontinuestoupholdpeople"sdemocracy,embracethepeople-centereddevelopmentphilosophy,promotewhole-processpeople"sdemocracy,ensurethesounddevelopmentofdemocracy,andpursuewell-roundedhumandevelopmentandcommonprosperityforeveryone.

ZamirAhmedAwanisanon-residentfellowattheCenterforChinaandGlobalization(CCG)andasinologistattheNationalUniversityofSciencesandTechnologyinPakistan.E-mail:awanzamir@yahoo.com.

Theopinionsexpressedinthisarticlereflectthoseoftheauthor,anddonotnecessarilyreflectthoseofPeople"sDailyOnline.