In March, after the successful conclusion of China’s Two Sessions, namely the Annual Session of the National People’s Congress (NPC) and the Annual Session of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), an international forum on democracy was held in Beijing, where over 200 guests from various countries, regions and international organizations shared their views on democracy. Among all the consensus reached, the following four points are worth noting:

First, democracy is a common value of humanity. From the dawn of ancient Greek civilization, to modern nations proclaiming that power rests on the people, it is a right shared by people in every country, rather than a privilege exclusive to a few nations. As President Xi Jingping has pointed out, countries vary in history, culture, social system and economic development level, but peoples of all countries uphold the shared human values of peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom. As all roads lead to Rome, whether a country’s political system is democratic and efficient or not should not be dictated by a handful of outsiders, but should be judged by its people only. China and Zambia have both developed their own paths to democracy that are suited to their national realities, which resulted in an independent country run by its own people.

Second, democracy reflects diversity of human civilizations. The ocean is vast because it embraces all rivers. There are many ways to realize democracy embedded in each country’s civilization, which are all vital to the political advancement of humanity. Each country explores its path to democracy based on its unique national conditions, experience and lessons, like crossing the river by feeling for stones. China, committed to whole-process people’s democracy, is thriving alongside other countries in the garden of civilizations. In our institutional design, the NPC and the CPPCC are both significant carriers of democracy, combining elections, consultations, decision-making and oversight. As there is no single fixed model of democracy, the more advanced human society becomes, the more important it is to strengthen exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations. No country is in a position to lecture others on democracy or point fingers at others’ democratic models, nor may it impose its democracy model on others. A growing number of countries have come to understand that different civilizations have different perceptions of the nature of democracy, and respect the efforts of people in different countries to explore their own paths to achieve it.  

Third, democracy should lead to development. Democracy is not for decoration or for show, but an instrument for addressing the issues of concern to the people. Real democracy is democracy that works. A good model of democracy is neither to intensify fighting between different parties, nor to make politics more polarized or money-driven, but to promote good governance, national development and people's livelihood. After painstaking exploration, China has developed a path to democracy with Chinese characteristics. In 2023, government departments under China's State Council handled 12,480 suggestions and proposals submitted by deputies to the NPC and members of the CPPCC, which helped resolve the most pressing issues concerning people’s well being.

Fourth, democracy should also be advanced in international relations. In the global communities, democracy should not be used to flaunt a country’s international influence, to create a hegemony of discourse, to exacerbate bloc confrontations, or be used as an excuse to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries. Countries should advance democracy in international relations to make sure that the future of the world is determined by all, that international rules are written by all, that global affairs are governed by all, and that the fruits of development are shared by all. Given the series of challenges facing the world today, China, as the largest developing country in the world and a member of the Global South, calls for an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization. China has consistently championed equity and justice, and remains committed to friendly cooperation with other countries, on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, in order to consistently advance democracy in international relations.

Changes of the world, of our times, and of historical significance are unfolding like never before, but our aspiration for the common values including democracy remains unchanged. China will continue to work with Zambia to promote democracy as a common value of humanity, to promote further development of China-Zambia Comprehensive Strategic and Cooperative Partnership and jointly build a community of shared future for mankind.

（The author is Mr. Wang Sheng, Chargé d’Affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Zambia.）