STORY: Int'l observers on China's whole-process people's democracy
SHOOTING DATE: March 10, 2024
DATELINE: March 11, 2024
LENGTH: 00:01:59
LOCATION: Beijing/Nairobi/Dhaka
CATEGORY: POLITICS/SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of China
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): MICHAEL CAMPBELL, Ambassador of Nicaragua to China
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): DILIP BARUA, General secretary of the Communist Party of Bangladesh (Marxist-Leninist)
4. SOUNDBITE 3 (English): STEPHEN NDEGWA, Lecturer in international relations at Nairobi-based United States International University-Africa

STORYLINE:

The annual sessions of China's national legislature and political advisory body, or the "two sessions," are one of the most significant events in the Chinese political calendar, providing a window to observe the ideas and practices of whole-process people's democracy.

The essence of the people's democracy is that people get to discuss their own affairs to reach the greatest common ground based on the wishes and needs of the entire society.

Foreign officials and experts have shared their views on China's whole-process people's democracy.

SOUNDBITE 1 (English): MICHAEL CAMPBELL, Ambassador of Nicaragua to China
"We can see how the whole-process (people's) democracy takes place in China.
These meetings, as we understand it, are the culmination of a profound process of dialogue and debate that occurs at the level of every community, every municipality, every county, prefecture, region, and province. This is how China debates the issues and identifies the best proposals to move forward."

SOUNDBITE 2 (English): DILIP BARUA, General secretary of the Communist Party of Bangladesh (Marxist-Leninist)
"Chinese democracy is a people's democracy. This general type of democracy (is) very helpful for economic growth and transparent political process. The Chinese Communist Party, they are thinking for the common people."

SOUNDBITE 3 (English): STEPHEN NDEGWA, Lecturer in international relations at Nairobi-based United States International University-Africa
"We see that China's democracy has been whole-process, so it's not just looking at whether people have a voice, you know, by word of mouth, but what voice do people have in terms of their standards of living. Do people have adequate basic necessities? So I think China has redefined the issue of democracy that there is justice in ensuring that people have a roof over their heads, they have good education for all their children and things that are necessary for a decent life. Just as we saw at the eradication of absolute poverty in the country in 2021, so that kind of democracy is what is needed and we have seen that commitment."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Beijing, Nairobi, Dhaka.
(XHTV)