International Forum on Democracy closes in Beijing

The International Forum on Democracy: The Shared Human Values closed in Beijing on Wednesday.

The forum, held both in-person and virtually, brought together around 500 participants from over 120 countries and regions, including former leaders of governments, business leaders, heads of media groups, experts and scholars, as well as more than 20 representatives of international organizations

Du Zhanyuan, president of China International Communications Group (CICG), said this year's forum has provided a valuable opportunity for ideas to be heard and views exchanged among guests from around the world. He stressed that all participants at the forum agreed that democracy is progressive in nature and comes in all forms.

"There is no single model of democracy that can be applied everywhere," Du said.

"Over the past hundred years, China has achieved unprecedented success in promoting democracy." Du said that this success is explained in the efforts to pursue democracy in the context of China's cultural traditions and national conditions.

He cited the whole-process people's democracy created by the Communist Party of China (CPC) as a distinctively Chinese approach with global values, and said that the CPC's achievements in modernizing China's governance system and capacity have been outstanding.

In terms of building a democratic global governance system, Du said that a democratic global governance system should be open and inclusive, aim for common development, protect a safe world, and be fair and just.

Du pointed out that CICG reaches out to the global audience — its mission being to strengthen global exchanges on governance. He hoped that CICG would make a greater contribution to promoting diversity in political structures, upholding the shared values of humanity, and lighting the way to a brighter future for the world.

Lu Cairong, vice president of CICG, said that there is no unified democratic model in the world, and every country has the right to develop its own style of democracy in line with its own political system, socio-economic development, culture and history, and to choose the democratic path that best suits its national context.

He called on countries to enhance communication and exchanges on their democratic practices, and make contributions to promoting shared values of mankind.

Regarding China's achievements in practicing its own democracy, many participants at the forum voiced their support.

"Justice is needed in today's world, not hegemony," said Tomislav Nikolić, former president of Serbia. He said that China has always advocated that world affairs should be handled through extensive consultation and the future of the world should be decided by all countries working together. Nikolić added that the move by certain Western countries to divide the world into "democratic" and "undemocratic" camps by their own standards goes against the true spirit of democracy, only revealing their attempts to preserve hegemony over the world.

Robert Lawrence Kuhn, chairman of the Kuhn Foundation and a noted U.S. expert, said at the forum that the people-centered philosophy in China is not a rhetorical slogan but a true commitment. Poverty alleviation has been regarded as one of the most important tasks of the Communist Party of China (CPC). With firm political determination, China eradicated extreme poverty, while its efforts exemplify human rights, he added.

During the closing ceremony, the Global Think Tank Network for Democracy Studies also launched its Beijing Initiative. It stated that democracy is a shared value of mankind and an important indicator of the development and progress of human civilization, while pursuing democracy is the sacred right of the people of all countries.

The initiative calls for joint efforts from all countries to uphold and safeguard democracy as a shared human value, respect diversity in models of civilization and democracy and evaluate democracy through facts and via public satisfaction. It also opposes any attempt to split the world along ideological lines in the name of promoting democracy.

A total of 42 Chinese and foreign institutions have become the initiators of the Beijing Initiative, including the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, CGTN Think Tank, and Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies.

The forum, held in three phases, from Dec. 4-5, Dec. 9-10 and Dec. 14-15, respectively, was hosted by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council Information Office, and co-organized by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, China Media Group and China International Communications Group.

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