2024年4月29日发(作者：笔记本显卡排行榜天梯图2022)

special report

The fifth session of the 13th National Committee of the CPPCC opens at

the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, on March 4, 2022.

How Democracy

Delivers for All

good governance with effective service

delivery is the hallmark of china’s

whole-process people’s democracy.

By PAUL TEMBE

N his address on July 1, 2021 to commemorate

the centenary of the founding of the Commu-

nist Party of China (CPC), Chinese President

Xi Jinping, who is also general secretary of the

CPC Central Committee, mentioned and elaborated

on what he terms China’s whole-process people’s

democracy.

As the CPC has demonstrated through practice,

38

CHINA TODAY

I

democracy is not a preserve of Western countries.

In fact, the Chinese form of democracy – whole-

process people’s democracy – gives full expression

to governance, not exclusively dominated by an

elite and wealthy class as is the case with the U.S.

which has morphed into becoming a system serv-

ing narrow interests of lobby groups, corporate

interests, and the so-called military-industrial

complex.

Chinese democracy is markedly different from

that of Western countries. Xi defines China’s whole-

process people’s democracy as orientated to “safe-

guard social fairness and justice and resolve the

imbalances and inadequacies in development and

the most pressing difficulties and problems that are

of great concern to the people.”

What does this mean and how has it been ap-

plied and monitored regularly in China? How does

it fit in China’s history, demography, and political

and economic landscape? Which experience can

South Africa learn from to help it in its battles to

Copyright©博看网. All Rights Reserved.

make its constitutional democracy deliver for the

majority of its people, as China has achieved in un-

paralleled quantities, in terms of the Human Devel-

opment Index and Sustainable Development Goals?

Above all, whole-process people’s democracy is

associated with good governance, that is, effective

and efficient service delivery of common goods.

Judged on this alone, the CPC has achieved this feat

of delivering for Chinese citizens and diverse com-

munities the common goods – in terms of basic and

advanced education, health care, infrastructure, em-

ployment, and safety. The attainment of these public

goods, for the majority of the population, has been

the unambiguous focus of the Chinese government.

An outstanding example of China’s whole-pro-

cess people’s democracy is the inclusion of people

themselves in the collective decision-making pro-

cess through people’s congresses of various levels.

In addition, public opinions and input are solicited

on draft laws so that there is meaningful public

participation and democratic decision-making.

China is uncompromising on the principle that

public leaders must serve and prioritize national

interests above their own selfish individual rights.

The very function of Chinese state institutions is to

be accountable and responsive, at all levels, to the

citizens’ needs and concerns. Failure to do so is not

tolerated and there is simply no impunity for lack of

effective service delivery or perpetration of corrup-

tion and maladministration.

Moreover, the word “governance,” using a defi-

nition from the 2015 World Public Sector Report

issued by the United Nations, “refers to steering.

Steering, for example a ship, is not only a matter of

keeping the ship afloat and in a forward, backward

or sideways motion.” Most importantly, “it requires

knowledge of the direction and ensuring that the

ship is constantly on course in that direction.”

Ensuring that the ship is on course has enabled the

CPC to deliver the historic achievements for Chi-

nese citizens and communities that are the envy

of the entire world. This is not surprising since the

CPC, most prominently since 1978 and in the cur-

rent trajectory under President Xi, understands the

connection among political development, economic

reform, and social stability.

Good Governance

This whole-process people’s democracy did not

emerge from a vacuum. It has been a product of

studying what works in China. Pragmatism instead

of ideological fundamentalism has been the guiding

framework throughout since it emphasizes formu-

lating and implementing policies and programs

through trial-and-error.

In the process, this has enabled the CPC to se-

lect, not holus-bolus, from other countries and their

systems what works for China. This selection has

been cognizant of the objective material conditions

in China. Hence the role of the market economy

is not left to its own devise of pure profit-seeking,

but requires state facilitation to balance the wealth

distribution and reduce the income inequalities it

inevitably produces.

The same is true when it comes to democracy.

It has been reconfigured to respond directly to and

be applicable to the structural

circumstances of China. Unlike

in other countries where the

The whole-process peo-

will of the people matters only

ple’s democracy is sup-

during the electoral periods, in

China, the people’s interests reign

posed to serve common

supreme throughout the terms of

interests and deliver tan-

office of public officials.

gible societal benefits.

The whole-process people’s

democracy is supposed to serve

common interests and deliver tangible societal

benefits. The whole-process people’s democracy

has enabled China to build the world’s largest social

security system and a basic medical insurance

coverage which reaches more than 95 percent of

the country’s population. This is in addition to the

popularly known unprecedented accomplishment

of lifting 770 million Chinese citizens from absolute

poverty. During the process, the CPC has reached,

10 years ahead of schedule, the Sustainable Devel-

opment Goals target to “end poverty in all its forms.”

As the world battles the COVID-19 pandemic,

China has shown the way with its whole-process

people’s democracy just how the pandemic, in all

its variants, can be handled, how to maintain eco-

nomic growth, and serve the basic socio-economic

needs of all people. As such, Chinese democracy

deserves acknowledgement for delivering on good

April 2022

Guided by Pragmatism

Copyright©博看网. All Rights Reserved.

39

special report

governance that advances basic service delivery.

It is not a coincidence that President Xi states,

“Democracy is not an ornament to be used for

decoration; it is to be used to solve the problems

people want to solve.” It is important to remember

that, between 2016 and 2020, the CPC created an

estimated 60 million decent jobs. This achievement

is an obvious sign of Chinese democracy in action

to link attainment of socio-economic rights with

delivery of social cohesion and development. The

declaration by President Xi of China being a moder-

ately prosperous society is related to the practice of

the whole-process people’s democracy.

democracy

“Democracy is

not an ornament

to be used for

decoration; it

is to be used to

solve the prob-

lems people want

to solve.”

What is the experience that South Africa can

glean from China’s whole-process people’s democ-

racy? Firstly, executive and bureaucracy play a key

role in making democracy meaningful and further

social development. When leaders simply focus on

Lessons for South Africa

The fifth session of

the 13th National

People’s Congress

comes to a close on

March 11, 2022. Some

Beijing citizens watch

the closing meeting

on a large outdoor

screen while queuing

up at a bus station.

policy proclamation without emphasizing imple-

mentation, it poses risks to the sustainability of

the democratic project and national development

programs.

Secondly, the prosecution of those found to be

involved in acts of corruption and maladministra-

tion by law enforcement agencies should be non-

negotiable.

Thirdly, political systems should fit the material

conditions of a country. It is not helpful to proclaim

proudly that our constitutional democracy is the

most “progressive” in the world when the basic

needs of people are not met. Lack of effective ser-

vice delivery is the reason there are so many public

protests in South Africa. As a Chinese saying goes, “A

man of wisdom adapts to changes; a man of knowl-

edge acts by circumstances.”

C

PAUL TEMBE is a Sinologist from South Africa and

founder of Sele Encounters.

40

CHINA TODAY

Copyright©博看网. All Rights Reserved.

The 2022 Report on the

Work of the Government

A Review of Work in 2021

The economy continued to recover and grow

China’s innovation capacity was enhanced

The economic structure and regional

development priorities were refined

Reform and opening-up were deepened

Ecological conservation was enhanced

Living standards rose steadily

The gains in COVID-19 response were consolidated

Overall Requirements and Policy

Orientation for Economic and

Social Development in 2022

The government must, under the

strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with

Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, do the following:

Follow the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on

Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a

New Era

Implement the guiding principles of the 19th

CPC National Congress and all plenary sessions

of the 19th CPC Central Committee

Carry forward the great founding spirit of the

CPC

Act on the general principle of pursuing prog-

ress while ensuring stability

Apply the new development philosophy in full,

in the right way, and in all fields of endeavor

and move faster to create a new pattern of

development

Deepen reform and opening-up in all respects

Pursue innovation-driven development

Promote high-quality development

Advance supply-side structural reform

Respond to Covid-19 and pursue economic and

social development in a well-coordinated way

Ensure both development and security

Continue to ensure stability on six key fronts

and maintain security in six key areas

Keep working to improve the people’s lives

Strive to maintain stable macroeconomic

performance

Keep major economic indicators within an

appropriate range; and maintain overall

social stability

Major Tasks for 2022

Achieving stable macroeconomic performance

and keeping major economic indicators within

the appropriate range

Keeping the operations of market entities stable

and maintaining job security by strengthening

macro policies

Steadfastly deepening reform to strengthen

market vitality and internal momentum for

development

Further implementing the innovation-driven

development strategy and strengthening the

foundation of the real economy

Expanding domestic demand and promoting

coordinated regional development and new

urbanization

Boosting agricultural production and promoting

all-round rural revitalization

Pursuing higher-standard opening-up and

promoting stable growth of foreign trade and

investment

Continuing to improve the environment and

promoting green and low-carbon development

Ensuring and improving people’s wellbeing and

promoting better and new ways of

conducting social governance

Copyright©博看网. All Rights Reserved.

April 2022

41