Xinhua News Agency:

The CPC is stepping up efforts to develop whole-process people's democracy. How does the CPPCC practice this ideal? What are the strengths of China's new political party system? What role dose it play in developing whole-process people's democracy? Thank you. 

Zou Jiayi:

Thank you for your question. Democracy is a common value of humanity and a pursuit that has always been cherished by the CPC and the Chinese people. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, with a deeper understanding of China's path to democracy, the Party has developed the whole-process people's democracy as a key concept and striven to advance it. Whole-process people's democracy is a combination of electoral democracy and consultative democracy and is applied through a combination of democratic elections, consultations, decision-making, management, and oversight, ensuring that the people's voices are heard, and their wishes are represented in every aspect of China's political and social life. How does the CPPCC practice this ideal? To put it simply, it is mainly through consultation. The CPPCC is an important channel and specialized body for socialist consultative democracy. By conducting consultation in making and implementing decisions, the CPPCC has optimized the decision-making by drawing on collective wisdom, promoted the implementation of decisions by building consensus, and advanced the decisions to take effect by means of democratic oversight. All of them demonstrate the unique advantages of whole-process people's democracy. Let me take the formulation and implementation of the 14th Five-Year Plan as an example. As you know, it is of great significance to overall economic and social development. Before formulating the plan, the national committee of the CPPCC had collected the wisdom of representatives from all sectors through consultations and deliberations, proposals, information on social conditions and public opinions, and organizing thematic online group chats to contribute ideas and suggestions, with many suggestions adopted. After the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee, the national committee of the CPPCC organized study sessions for its standing committee on the Recommendations of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China for Formulating the 14th Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development and Long-Range Objectives through the Year 2035 to develop a deeper understanding, and continued to contribute suggestions through inspections and investigations, proposals, and information on social conditions and public opinions. At the same time, the national committee of the CPPCC also publicized the 14th Five-Year Plan through lectures, publicity groups, and reading activities by the CPPCC members to build and spread consensus. During the implementation of the Plan, the national committee of the CPPCC carried out specialized democratic oversight as planned. That is, 10 special committees focused on the priorities of the 14th Five-Year Plan in various sectors and chose one perspective each year to carry out follow-up oversight. The CPPCC performed its duties throughout the whole process of the formulation and implementation of the 14th Five-Year Plan, which is a vivid reflection of China's democracy as the people's democracy that covers all aspects of the democratic process and all sectors of society. It is an extensive and true democracy that works. Thank you.

Chen Xu:

I will answer the question about the strengths of China's new political party system, which is the system of multiparty cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the CPC we just talked about. 

Viewed from its formation and development, the system is a great political creation of the CPC, the Chinese people, other political parties, and prominent figures without party affiliation and has already become a basic element of China's political framework. It is a new political party system grown out of the soil of China and has many advantages. For example, this new model is an achievement in adapting theories of Marxism concerning political parties to China's realities and can truly, extensively, and constantly represent and ensure the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of the people as well as all ethnic groups and social sectors. It is effective in avoiding the drawbacks of the old political party system that stood for only a small number of people and interest groups. In another example, it unites all political parties and prominent figures without party affiliation towards a common goal, which at present is the national rejuvenation, effectively mitigating the risks of inadequate oversight in one-party rule, and the problems of continual rotation of governing parties and destructive competition in multiparty political systems. For another example, by formulating and following protocols, procedures and standards and norms, it pools ideas and suggestions to ensure science-based and democratic decision-making. It avoids the weakness of old-fashioned political party systems: when making decisions and exercising governance, political parties act in their own interests or the interests of the classes, regions, and groups they represent, provoking division in society.

It is safe to say that this new model has played an indispensable role in developing whole-process people's democracy. First, by adopting institutions regarding inter-party consultations, participation in deliberation and administration of state affairs, and democratic oversight, it has provided smooth and extended channels for the people to express their demands and pooled ideas and suggestions from the people, assisting the governing party to improve their work. Second, it stresses solving problems through consultations. By soliciting opinions from all sectors, it has pooled consensus, wisdom, and strength of the public and motivated all those involved across the country to mobilize resources to accomplish big and great things. Third, by replacing opposition and rivalry with cooperation and consultation, it has minimized internal friction in society and maintained political stability and social harmony. In summary, in the practice of developing whole-process people's democracy, China's new political party system focuses on both the leadership of the CPC and socialist democracy. It has important functions of political participation, interest expression, democratic oversight, social integration, and maintenance of unity and reflects the essence of socialist democracy in which the people are the masters of the country. Thus, its role is critical and irreplaceable. Thank you.