Democracy got a major shoutout this week! 🙌 Over 200 guests from around the world gathered in Beijing for the third International Forum on Democracy: The Shared Human Values. 🌏 Scholars and officials highlighted that democracy isn't a one-size-fits-all deal and celebrated its diverse forms across different cultures.
China's Take on Democracy 🇨🇳
China showcased its \"whole-process people's democracy,\" integrating democratic elections, consultations, decision-making, management, and oversight through laws and institutions. Ong Tee Keat, former Deputy Speaker of Malaysia's Lower House, praised China's approach, noting how it supports diversity in democratic practices. Wang Shaoguang, a professor emeritus at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, emphasized the “from the masses to the masses” principle, highlighting China's people-centered governance.
Stephen Perry, chairman of the 48 Group Club, chimed in via video, saying, \"China is on its way to a good form of democracy. It hears its people and tends to do what its people want.\" 🎤
No One-Size-Fits-All 👥
Former Italian Prime Minister Massimo D'Alema warned against imposing a single model of democracy on other nations, citing past failures in Afghanistan and Iraq. He stressed that Western democracy, while valuable, can't be exported everywhere due to different historical processes.
Echoing this sentiment, Ong Tee Keat pointed out the pitfalls of promoting a universal model of electoral democracy, calling it a \"fallacy.\" An online poll by China Global Television Network showed that 84.3% of respondents agree there’s no superior model of democracy. 📊
Towards a Multipolar World 🌍
Speakers also highlighted the need for better global governance. Former Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva called for reforms in international organizations to represent emerging countries fairly. \"It's time to correct this imbalance because it's only fair and more democratic,\" he said.
D'Alema added that building a multipolar world is essential in our interconnected era: \"We need to govern together a multipolar reality.\"
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Democracy hailed as a shared value for humanity at international forum
cgtn.com
