ByWangXinyuanChina'sStateCouncilInformationOfficeonNov.4,2021releasedawhitepapertitled"China:DemocracyThatWorks."--DemocracyisacommonvalueofhumanityandanidealthathasalwaysbeencherishedbytheCommunistPartyofChina(CPC)andtheChinesepeople.--ThisyearmarksthecentenaryoftheCPC.Sinceitsfoundingin1921,thePartyhastakenwellbeingfortheChinesepeopleandtherejuvenationoftheChinesenationasitsabidinggoals,andhasmadecontinuouseffortstoensurethepeople'sstatusasmastersofthecountry.Chinaisacountrywithafeudalhistorydatingbackseveralthousandyearsthatdescendedintoasemi-feudalandsemi-colonialsocietyaftertheOpiumWarof1840.Overthepasthundredyears,thePartyhasledthepeopleinrealizingpeople'sdemocracyinChina.TheChinesepeoplenowtrulyholdintheirhandstheirownfutureandthatofsocietyandthecountry.--Thepeople'sstatusasmastersofthecountryistheessenceofpeople'sdemocracy.Sincethe18thCPCNationalCongressin2012,withadeeperunderstandingofChina'spathtodemocracyandthepoliticalsystem,thePartyhasdevelopedwhole-processpeople'sdemocracyasakeyconceptandstriventotranslateitandrelevantdemocraticvaluesintoeffectiveinstitutionsandconcreteactions.--Whole-processpeople'sdemocracyintegratesprocess-orienteddemocracywithresults-orienteddemocracy,proceduraldemocracywithsubstantivedemocracy,directdemocracywithindirectdemocracy,andpeople'sdemocracywiththewillofthestate.Itisamodelofsocialistdemocracythatcoversallaspectsofthedemocraticprocessandallsectorsofsociety.Itisatruedemocracythatworks.--Democracyisaconcretephenomenonthatisconstantlyevolving.Rootedinhistory,cultureandtradition,ittakesdiverseformsanddevelopsalongthepathschosenbydifferentpeoplesbasedontheirexplorationandinnovation.--Thebestwaytoevalsuatewhetheracountry'spoliticalsystemisdemocraticandefficientistoobservewhetherthesuccessionofitsleadersisorderlyandinlinewiththelaw,whetherallthepeoplecanmanagestateandsocialaffairsandeconomicandculturalundertakingsinconformitywithlegalprovisions,whetherthepubliccanexpresstheirrequirementswithouthindrance,whetherallsectorscanefficientlyparticipateinthecountry'spoliticalaffairs,whethernationaldecision-makingcanbeconductedinarationalanddemocraticway,whetherpeopleofhighcaliberinallfieldscanbepartofthenationalleadershipandadministrativesystemsthroughfaircompetition,whetherthegoverningpartyisinchargeofstateaffairsinaccordancewiththeConstitutionandthelaw,andwhethertheexerciseofpowercanbekeptundereffectiverestraintandsupervision.--Democracyisnotadecorativeornament,butaninstrumentforaddressingtheissuesthatconcernthepeople.Whetheracountryisdemocraticdependsonwhetheritspeoplearetrulythemastersofthecountry;whetherthepeoplehavetherighttovote,andmoreimportantly,therighttoparticipateextensively;whethertheyhavebeengivenverbalpromisesinelections,andmoreimportantly,howmanyofthesepromisesarefulfilledafterelections;whethertherearesetpoliticalproceduresandrulesinstatesystemsandlaws,andmoreimportantly,whetherthesesystemsandlawsaretrulyenforced;whethertherulesandproceduresfortheexerciseofpoweraredemocratic,andmoreimportantly,whethertheexerciseofpowerisgenuinelysubjecttopublicscrutinyandchecks.--Democracyistherightofthepeopleineverycountry,ratherthantheprerogativeofafewnations.Whetheracountryisdemocraticshouldbejudgedbyitspeople,notdictatedbyahandfulofoutsiders.Whetheracountryisdemocraticshouldbeacknowledgedbytheinternationalcommunity,notarbitrarilydecidedbyafewself-appointedjudges.Thereisnofixedmodelofdemocracy;itmanifestsitselfinmanyforms.Assessingthemyriadpoliticalsystemsintheworldagainstasingleyardstickandexaminingdiversepoliticalstructuresinmonochromeareinthemselvesundemocratic.--Intherichlydiverseworld,democracycomesinmanyforms.China'sdemocracyisthrivingalongsidethoseofothercountriesinthegardenofcivilizations.Chinastandsreadytocontributeitsexperienceandstrengthtoglobalpoliticalprogressthroughcooperationandmutuallearning.Editor:ZhangZhouDisclaimerTheviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthor's,GMW.cnmakesnorepresentationsastoaccuracy,suitability,orvalidityofanyinformationonthissiteandwillnotbeliableforanyerrors,omissions,ordelaysinthisinformation.