Chongqing - In 2026, the Communist Party of China (CPC) marks its 105th anniversary. Over more than a century, the CPC has united and led the Chinese people in exploring, establishing, and continuously developing whole-process people’s democracy in China. But what exactly does “whole-process people’s democracy” mean? And how does it differ from Western democracy centered on competitive elections?

“To understand democracy, we must first return to a basic question—what is politics?” said Zheng Changzhong, Professor at Fudan University. He defined politics as a practice of building and using public power to handle public affairs, promote social development, and maintain social order and security.

From this perspective, how public power is generated and how public affairs are managed vary across countries and historical periods. Since modern times, a consensus has emerged that these processes should involve the people. However, due to cultural and historical differences, forms of participation vary, leading to different models of democracy.

“The essence of democracy is to ‘talk things through,’ bringing together collective wisdom and will to promote social development,” Zheng said.

China’s concept of “whole-process people’s democracy” is developed on this basis. It emphasizes that the people should participate in both the formation of public power and the governance of public affairs.

Zheng noted that China’s public participation is not limited to any single stage but runs through the entire process. In practice, whole-process people’s democracy differs from Western democracy centered on competitive elections.

Western democracy is mainly concentrated at the voting stage, where voters are highly empowered during elections, said Zheng. However, after voting, their role becomes relatively limited, with governance largely led by elected officials, and public participation resuming mainly at the next election. In this sense, Western democracy places greater emphasis on procedural legitimacy through elections.

By contrast, whole-process people’s democracy emphasizes not only participation in elections but also continuous engagement in daily governance. From decision-making to implementation and supervision, the public has channels to express opinions and provide feedback. It therefore places greater emphasis on substantive outcomes.

China’s democratic practice combines both electoral democracy and consultative democracy. “Electoral democracy answers the question of who governs, while consultative democracy addresses how to govern and how well it is done. Both are indispensable,” Zheng said.

Before major decisions are made, extensive consultation is conducted among relevant stakeholders to reach the broadest possible consensus, after which decisions are made through legal procedures.

“Democracy is not a formal decoration, but a mechanism for solving real problems,” Zheng said. This model is not a once-every-four- or five-year event, but a continuous process of participation throughout everyday political life, reflecting the will of the people.