China Promotes Its Democracy Model
Ahead of its annual "Two Sessions" political meetings, China's state media is promoting its system of "whole-process people's democracy." The push frames China's governance approach, which emphasizes grassroots participation, as a distinct alternative to Western models.
The term "whole-process people's democracy" was first introduced by President Xi Jinping in 2019 during a visit to a grassroots legislative outreach office in Shanghai. These offices, now numbering over 7,800 at various levels nationwide, allow citizens to provide feedback on draft laws, a system China presents as a direct channel from the public to the legislature. One of the most cited examples is the Hongqiao subdistrict office in Shanghai, which has collected thousands of suggestions on over 100 draft national laws since 2015, with hundreds of these suggestions reportedly being adopted. This mechanism is promoted as a key feature of a system that focuses on continuous consultation rather than what Chinese officials describe as the Western practice of people only having a voice during elections. The annual "Two Sessions" are presented as the primary platform for this model, where nearly 3,000 National People's Congress deputies and over 2,100 political advisors convene. The agenda for the 2026 meetings includes finalizing the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), with key focuses on technological self-reliance, stimulating domestic consumption, and a "green transition." In formulating the previous five-year plan, the government solicited public input online and reportedly received over 3.11 million submissions, leading to 218 revisions of the draft document. This process is highlighted by state media as proof of a democracy that is not merely for show but is a tool for solving real problems and improving people's lives. Critics, however, describe the model as "participation without competition" and a form of "discursive democratic erosion" where authoritarian practices are reframed with democratic language. They argue that while avenues for feedback exist, they operate under the strict control of the Communist Party and do not allow for organized opposition or challenges to its ultimate authority. Internationally, China promotes its governance model as a more stable and efficient alternative for developing nations, contrasting it with what it portrays as the chaotic and divisive nature of Western liberal democracies. This narrative is backed by white papers like "China: Democracy That Works," which assert that a country's democratic success should be judged by its people and its results, not by a single, external standard.
