Torbjörn Sassersson and Christian Pavón from NewsVoice interviewed Cui Aimin, the Chinese Ambassador to Sweden, about China’s democratic political system and how Westerners can better understand China as a nation and its political system in comparison to the West.
T. Sassersson: Let’s move into China’s development. I’ve done four recent trips to China. I’ve learned a lot, and it’s fantastic to see how you’ve developed the country, its infrastructure, housing, and everything else. So, I wonder what this development has done for the working class that built it all?
I am aware that China’s leadership has a very positive view of its workers. You cherish the workers because they build it all. How have they benefited from it? I would also like to inquire about the living standards. If you could please tell us a little bit about how China is pursuing modernisation?
Cui Aimin: I think your question is related to China’s social system and its development model. President Xi Jinping has underscored that people’s well-being is of utmost importance in Chinese modernisation, and all the work of the CPC and the government is intended to ensure that people live happier lives.
This important statement reflects a defining feature of Chinese modernisation. Since the founding of the PRC, we have been working continuously to improve people’s well-being, and positive progress has been achieved. We are doing everything to ensure that the outcomes of China’s economic and social development can be felt by the ordinary people.
For example, we’ve been working to increase the income of urban and rural residents, and we have been improving people’s living standards. In the past, people had to worry about what to eat and what to wear. Now we have eradicated absolute poverty, and China has become a moderately prosperous society in all aspects.
Since entering the new era, China has been developing its infrastructure, improving industrial layouts, increasing employment, and strengthening its social care system. A new chapter is being written in China’s high-quality development. Firstly, employment has been kept stable for a long time.
China has introduced an employment-first strategy, along with various supporting measures. Here is a number I would like to share with you: China has created more than 13 million urban jobs for many consecutive years. This is not a small number, even for any major country with a large population. We call this sufficient employment.
Employment has effectively ensured the well-being of the people and the economic development of the country.
Secondly, the income of urban and rural residents has significantly increased. Income distribution is the very foundation of people’s well-being and is the most direct way to deliver the outcomes of development to the people.
We keep distribution according to work as the mainstay with multiple forms of distribution existing alongside it. We also have established a coordinated and complementary system that integrates primary distribution, redistribution, and tertiary distribution.
Thirdly, people’s living standards have been markedly improved. We have been doing everything within our capacity to deliver higher quality and more diverse services for our people. China has established the largest education system, social care system, and public health system in the world.
I believe that income is not the sole yardstick for determining whether the people of a country are happy or not. Other factors also play a role, for example, whether income distribution is fair and reasonable, whether social services are sufficient, and whether the development meets people’s expectations. Taking all these factors into account, the Chinese people are living a happy life. But we can also see that there is still a gap between China and the European countries, as well as the US. There’s still a long way to go for China to catch up with those countries.
China’s democratic political system is different
T. Sassersson: Ok. I have a question about China’s democratic political system. In which way is it possible for Chinese people to influence and participate in the political process and hold their politicians accountable? And how is the Chinese political system built from a democratic perspective?
Cui Aimin: Freedom, democracy and human rights are the common pursuits of humanity, and the political system of a country should be suited to its own national conditions.
We have developed the whole-process people’s democracy, a form of democracy that integrates all elements of democracy—process and outcome, procedural and substantive, direct and indirect, as well as people’s democracy and the will of the state.
The whole-process people’s democracy is incorporated into every aspect of China’s political and social life. It covers all aspects of the democratic process and all sectors of society. It is a true democracy that works, and a democracy that is most suited to China’s national conditions. It also represents China’s contribution to enriching the political civilisation of humanity.
Every March, China holds the Two Sessions, which serve as an important window for the world to observe the practice of the whole-process people’s democracy.
This year’s Two Sessions were attended by nearly 3,000 NPC deputies and more than 2,000 CPPCC members from various sectors, and they represent the people’s voice on the top-level platform for the deliberation of state affairs and incorporate people’s ideas and aspirations into the top-level design of national development.
At this year’s Two Sessions, the Premier of the State Council delivered the Report on the Work of the Government. In preparing this report, nearly 4,000 suggestions and over two million online opinions were solicited, with the aim of most extensively pooling collective wisdom and representing people’s will.
After the two sessions were concluded, government departments are now working to comprehensively implement tasks set out in the Report on the Work of the Government. This is a complete process of public opinion soliciting, consultation and implementation.
China’s whole-process people’s democracy is different from the democratic models of other countries and has its own distinctive characteristics. As long as the people of a country support a system in which they can participate in the management of state affairs, that system should be recognised as a good model.
If the development of the country meets the needs and aspirations of its people and contributes to global progress, it should also be respected and welcomed by other countries. According to polls conducted by Harvard University for many consecutive years, the Chinese people are highly satisfied with China’s social system and their own lives.
T. Sassersson: An additional question there, I think you mentioned two million opinions that were gathered. How were these opinions gathered? Were they gathered online? And [in that case] it seems like there is a parallel to the system of direct democracy in Switzerland. Are they alike, these two systems, in a way? They have a kind of direct democracy or instant voting.
Cui Aimin: Each country’s system is designed according to its own national conditions. Switzerland, as a developed country with a relatively small population, is probably well-suited to practising direct democracy and direct elections.
But for a large country like China, with a population of 1.4 billion, direct elections at all levels are not feasible. China currently adopts a system that combines both direct and indirect elections. In rural areas and at the community level, direct elections are widely practised. Based on these direct elections, higher-level representatives are elected through indirect elections.
This approach is well-suited to China’s national conditions, and experience has shown that it is a model that works effectively. The Chinese government has various channels and methods to understand and adopt public opinion, much like the systems and practices found in many other countries.
The internet is one of these channels and is also among the most commonly used.
T. Sassersson: I want to add that it seems Western media and politicians are not aware of how the system works, so why do they still portray China as undemocratic? Why do you think Western media is portraying China like that? Is it just because they don’t understand the system, or is it something else?
Cui Aimin: There are several reasons behind this phenomenon. Some people may simply lack sufficient understanding of China’s democracy, while others deliberately choose to ignore China’s progress and seek to defame and discredit the country.
As I previously emphasised, democracy is a common value of humanity, and it is not a privilege reserved for a few. Each country has its own model of democracy, tailored to its unique national conditions. There is no universally applicable model of a political system. No country can dictate standards for democracy or impose its own political system on others, still less use democracy as a tool to suppress others.
Democracy exists in various forms, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach. It would be inherently undemocratic to measure diverse political systems with a single yardstick or to examine different political civilisations from only one fixed perspective.
Democracy is always built and evolves in the context of a country’s specific historical background and national realities. Each country’s democracy has its own features. We believe that members of the international community should conduct dialogue and exchanges on democracy based on equality and mutual respect, and in this way, we can make a greater contribution to the progress of humanity.
T. Sassersson: When I went to China, I learned about that China has nine parties. It’s just not one single party. When I heard about it, I understood that people in the West do not know that there are additional eight parties helping theCPC to make decisions while the CPC is the entity that is making the final decisions.
As in every government, there is always a central entity that in the end needs to make decisions. Can you say something about the nine-party system and how the eight parties relate to the CPC?
Cui Aimin: China upholds the system of CPC-led multiparty cooperation and political consultation. The leadership of the CPC is written into China’s Constitution. This system enjoys the endorsement and support of the Chinese people and is also accepted and recognised by the other political parties in China.
In China’s political system, other political parties voluntarily accept the leadership of the CPC, and on that basis, they actively participate in the consultation and deliberation of state affairs. They offer ideas, provide suggestions, and play an active role in national governance. This system is a key component of socialism with Chinese characteristics.
Some people believe that rotating political parties in power is the most democratic system. However, I think whether a party’s governance is democratic depends not on whether the party changes, but on the effectiveness and inclusiveness of its governance.
The political systems of Western countries are not perfect. The system where parties take turns to govern does not necessarily guarantee democracy for the people. Some view China as a so-called authoritarian country because they see that only one party governs.
But I want to emphasise that China is a vast country with significant regional differences. The governing party must be highly inclusive, proactive, and capable of balancing the diverse needs and interests.
There are vast differences across China’s regions, social groups, and ethnic groups, yet we manage them well. This demonstrates that China’s political party system is both welcomed and effective. As Chinese people, we can feel the tangible benefits that the outstanding leadership of the CPC has brought to the people.
T. Sassersson and Christian Pavón: Thank You very much for this interview, Mr Ambassador.
- Part one: Ambassador Cui Aimin: China and Sweden Have a Great Potential in Green Tech Development
- Part two: ”Sweden’s Götheborg Ship Was Among the Earliest Vessels to Engage in Maritime Trade with China” |
- Part three: Understanding China’s Democratic Political System is Crucial for the West
Related: Why ‘the world is watching’ China’s two sessions? – Global Times
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