China fully committed to democracy

Third, China's democracy is based on equality, unity and mutual assistance among all of China's ethnic groups. China is a unified multi-ethnic country. Besides Han, there are 55 ethnic minority groups. In order to guarantee equal rights among all ethnic groups and special interests of ethnic minorities, China practices the system of regional ethnic autonomy in areas where people of ethnic minorities live in compact communities. There, government organs are established to exercise the autonomous rule. China currently has 155 ethnic autonomous areas, including five autonomous regions, 30 autonomous prefectures and 120 autonomous counties (banners). In addition, there are 1,173 townships where ethnic minorities live in concentrated communities. According to law, ethnic minorities not only enjoy equal rights to participate in the administration of state affairs, but also have the exclusive right to govern the local affairs of their ethnic groups and other affairs within their respective administrative regions. The ethnic autonomous areas have the power to formulate autonomous regulations and separate regulations on the basis of the political, economic and cultural characteristics of the local ethnic group(s). Where certain provisions of the laws and administrative regulations are concerned, adaptation may be made in autonomous regulations and separate regulations. They also have the power to independently arrange, manage and develop the local economic, social and cultural undertakings. The head of an ethnic autonomous area shall be a citizen of the ethnic group exercising regional autonomy in the area concerned. The country provides special support in terms of policy, capital and personnel, speeds up the economic, social and cultural development in ethnic minority areas, and ensures all ethnic groups have the freedom to use and develop their own spoken and written languages, have the freedom to preserve or change their own folkways and customs, and enjoy the freedom of religious beliefs. In practice, it has been proven that the system of regional ethnic autonomy is a significant system to guarantee that all ethnic groups work together for their common development and prosperity.

Fourth, China's democracy is to practice extensive self-governance at the grassroots level. The grassroots democratic self-governance system is the most effective and widely-used way for the people to directly exercise their democratic rights and realize their positions as masters of the country. China has now established a grassroots democratic self-governance system, which mainly includes the rural villagers' committee, the urban neighborhood committee and the conference of workers and staff in business organizations. In these grassroots mass organizations of self-governance in urban and rural areas, the Chinese people directly exercise their legal rights of democratic election, democratic decision-making, democratic management and democratic supervision, so that they can manage the public affairs and welfare undertakings of their grassroots organizations and communities by themselves. This is a great achievement during the development of China's political democracy. In particular, it has become the most direct and widely-used democratic practice in contemporary China to successfully implement villagers' self-governance in rural areas with a total population of around 700 million. That has greatly aroused the enthusiasm of the masses living in rural areas and enhanced their creativity and sense of responsibility.

Fifth, China's democracy is to implement the rule of law. It is an important principle for China's building of political democracy to integrate the people's status as masters of the country and the rule of law. Since the reform and opening up, China has been adhering to the basic strategy of governing the country according to law, actively promoting the building of a socialist country under the rule of law, continuously improving the legal system to guarantee people's democratic rights, and making great efforts to bring all work of the state under the rule of law. By pushing forward the institutionalization, standardization and proceduralization of political democracy, China has strode ahead on the road of democracy and the rule of law, and opened up a new realm in the development of human political civilization. Now, the socialist system of laws with Chinese characteristics has been established, with the Constitution reigning supreme and the laws, administrative and regional regulations at various levels as the major components. There are laws to abide by not only for carrying on state affairs and social life, but also in legislation, judicial, governance and administration activities. The system of people's democracy is hence under reliable legal protection.

Sixth, China's democracy is to put people first, respect and safeguard human rights. Respecting and safeguarding human rights is the important content and purpose of China's political democracy. Since the reform and opening up, the Chinese government has embraced respecting and safeguarding human rights as one of the major principles for managing state affairs, applied it to the various fields of economy, politics, culture and social construction, and continuously promoted the development of its human rights protection and modernization. Especially, during this new century, the principle of respecting and safeguarding human rights has been enshrined in China's Constitution and the Constitution of the Communist Party of China. China has been the first among the world powers to promulgate and implement a national plan on human rights protection, the National Human Rights Action Plan of China (2009-2010). The plan promotes the all-round development of its human rights. Now, China is drafting a new national human rights action plan for the period from 2012 to 2015, the second of its type in China. For more than 30 years, the nation's poverty-stricken population has been reduced by more than 200 million. The overall living standard of the Chinese people has completed two historical leaps, from poverty to subsistence, and then to being well-off. With an average life expectancy of up to 73 years, all Chinese people have gained dignity and more freedom to lead their lives in their own ways.