What Chinese FM revealed about China's democracy

By Zhang Wan

At the press conference on March 8, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi noted, "old scripts from the 19th century shouldn't be acted out on the international stage of the 21st. The resources of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) belong to the people there, the path of LAC countries should be chosen by their people, and the choice of friends is a decision for LAC countries alone."

These words captured the essence of China's consistent diplomatic philosophy: Reject hegemony, respect sovereignty and return to the essence of these principles.

The "old scripts from the 19th century" are just colonialism and power politics in modern dress. This echoes what Wang said at the UN Human Rights Council just last month: "No country is in a position to lecture others on human rights, and no model can claim to be superior. A path to human rights development must reflect national realities and meet the people's needs to hold real promise."

While some still use "democracy" as window dressing and "human rights" as a cover for coercion, China is offering a different narrative through its practice of whole-process people's democracy, one where democratic process and human rights are not at odds, but intertwined.

The true measure of democracy is the dignity it affords to human rights

Chinese President Xi Jinping noted in the report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China that "whole-process people's democracy is the defining feature of socialist democracy; it is democracy in its broadest, most genuine, and most effective form."

Ultimately, the strength of a democracy is measured by what the people feel and gain. What makes China's whole-process people's democracy work is that it moves in lockstep with the protection of human rights.

The 2025 Edelman's Trust Barometer shows China leads the world in both public trust and optimism. China ranks first among all countries surveyed in overall trust, and its people's optimism about the future also tops the global chart. The findings mark the 25th consecutive year that the Edelman Trust Institute has tracked global public trust in government, business, media and non-governmental organizations. This data is not a self-assessment by some institution, but an objective record of "user experience" from an international third party.

As Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi once stated, "To live a happy life is the greatest human right, and development holds the key to achieving it. There must be effective responses to the most urgent and immediate concerns of the people. Their needs in eldercare, childcare, social assistance and medical services must be met. Everyone must be able to enjoy dignity and no one should be left behind." Democracy is precisely the institutional pathway to achieve this goal. From poverty alleviation that leaves no one behind to basic medical insurance covering over 1.3 billion people, these tangible benefits form the very fabric where democracy and human rights are woven together.

True human rights reject the veneer of hegemony

If these data reveal the "warmth" of democracy, then Foreign Minister Wang Yi's critique of certain countries' "democracy" lays bare the true color of human rights.

At the press conference, Wang stated, "Right now, hegemonism and power politics are asserting themselves and dealing a heavy blow to the international order. The Global South countries should increase communication and coordination, jointly defend our legitimate rights and interests, and work together to expand the space for independent development." Two months ago, Wang issued a clear warning at the UN Human Rights Council: "Human rights must not be an ornament for democracy, nor a cover for hegemonism." These two remarks, delivered within weeks of each other, share a consistent logic: Human rights are not the preserve of any one country, still less should they become a fig leaf for geopolitical maneuvering.

"Putting one's own system on a pedestal is not just against the spirit of democracy, but also spells disaster for democracy." This observation gets to the heart of what ails international human rights governance today. When human rights are twisted into a universal tool for interfering in other countries' internal affairs, and when democracy is reduced to a one-size-fits-all export, they betray their original purpose and become nothing more than a cosmetic cover for hegemonic ambitions.

The essence of the 'China Solution'

The human rights foundation of China's democracy is reflected not only in clearly defined principles but also in solid, on-the-ground implementation.

The ongoing Two Sessions offers a window into this reality. Through the Two Sessions, we see the foreign minister engaging with questions from the press, National People's Congress deputies putting forward motions and members of China's People's Political Consultative Conference submitting proposals, and officials offering candid replies from the Ministers' Corridor. These scenes all depict the everyday practice of a democracy that is broad, genuine and effective.

And as Wang Yi emphasized at the UN Human Rights Council, the commitment to catering people's needs in "eldercare, childcare, social assistance and medical services," and ensuring that "everyone must be able to enjoy dignity" and that "no one should be left behind" draws the concrete contours of what human rights protection means in people's everyday lives.

From the democratic practices of the Two Sessions to the daily protection of human rights, China is demonstrating that democracy and human rights are two sides of the same coin, each empowering the other. When democracy is rooted in people's happiness and well-being, human rights cease to be mere slogans dressed up for show and become part of the fabric of everyday life.

The international stage of the 21st century should no longer host the old plays of the 19th century. Through its own practice, China is showing the world that genuine democracy must grow from a country's specific conditions, and that true human rights must serve the well-being of its people. This, in essence, is the deepest foundation of whole-process people's democracy.

Zhang Wan is a current affairs commentator.