Graham Perry

Two sessions are opportunity for China to show world how its democracy works

British lawyer Graham Perry has paid more than 100 visits to China since 1965. The London-based arbitrator suggested that during the annual two sessions of the national legislature and its top political advisory body, China should show the world more of its democratic decision-making process so that nations can learn from its experience.

He said the two sessions have played a very important role in the development of China's policies and have always figured prominently in the constitution and in political discussions.

Perry said he believed China could provide the world with more examples of how key decisions are reached through its democratic process.

He took China's Foreign Investment Law, which came into effect in 2020, as an example. Lawmakers met and discussed various aspects of the law extensively with foreign businesses and experts. Many of their opinions and suggestions were later included in the final text of the law. "What's needed to give the outside world a glimpse of the inner dynamics of Chinese society is the discussion and resolution of specific issues, which are comparable to the manner of (problem-solving) in the West," he said.

Perry noted that the British government has spent many years dealing with the decision-making problems involved in building a new railway line, for example. He said that they should look at how China deals with this issue.

He said the white paper, titled China: Democracy That Works, fully explains how whole-process people's democracy works in China.

"There is so much development taking place in Chinese society, so many decisions being made. We would be fascinated to hear in greater detail how the Chinese government has dealt with that process," Perry said. "And I want people outside (the country) to learn how China did what it has done."

Talking about the differences between China's democratic narrative and that of the West, Perry said Western governments take the short term view, while China takes the long term view.

Perry said the one-person-one-vote system, a key feature of Western democracy, means that a government has to think in the short term, because everything they do is based on the need to be in a strong position to win the next election.

"If you look at (Britain's Prime Minister) Boris Johnson, during COVID-19, many of his policies, which were very lax and lazy, were because he was fearful of upsetting his electorate by imposing strong powers to beat COVID-19," he said.

He said that China has always been able to plan its development on the basis of the medium and long term and is not vulnerable to the mood swings of an electorate looking to change their preferences.

"China has been successful. The way that China has behaved in the past, with consistency on its politics and its many achievements in the realm of economics, suggests that the people in China who make the big decisions see no reason to make a significant change in the way in which they handle their politics."

However, Perry also listed challenges that China will face by the middle of the 21st century, by which time it aims to have become a developed and prosperous country.

First, the declining birthrate that faces many governments worldwide. Second, the future of its large rural population, how they will contribute to their own lives and to the country as cities are increasingly technology-based.

And third, the challenge of rising expectations. "How can the Party create an overarching strategic plan that enables prosperity to be maintained and individual fulfillment achieved?" he asked.