Socialist path reaffirmed
The newly-elected head of the country's top political advisory body pledged Tuesday that China will promote consultative democracy and not copy Western political systems "under any circumstances."
Analysts said the top leaders' repeated vows to insist on China's own political system since the 18th Party congress come at a time when the country faces challenges from both overseas and a domestic public outcry for equal wealth distribution.
"We need to steadfastly uphold the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), adhere to and improve the system of multiparty cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the CPC," said Yu Zhengsheng, chairman of the 12th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).
"We need to more strictly follow the socialist path of political development with Chinese characteristics, not imitate Western political systems under any circumstances," Yu told more than 2,000 CPPCC members at the closing meeting of the annual assembly, while emphasizing adherence to "correct political orientation."
Yu, who was elected to the new post on Monday, made similar remarks at the 18th Party congress, emphasizing China's socialist consultative democracy as an important model of democracy.
On Friday, top legislator Wu Bangguo also stressed China's adherence to the system of people's congresses, pointing out that the country has never sought to emulate any Western political systems.
"This is a clear signal from the top leadership that they won't push forward a multiparty political system in the country. The booming economy and fast modernization have demonstrated the rationality of our political system," Yun Jie, director of the administration research department at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times Tuesday.
Huang Weiping, director of the Contemporary Chinese Politics Research Institute at Shenzhen University, said China has been confronted by many pressing problems such as rampant corruption, but these woes shouldn't undermine achievements made possible by the country's current political system.
"There's no need to copy Western political systems because the CPC has already sought a way to develop the country without any guidance from Western ideology or values," said Huang.
During the 18th Party congress in November 2012, then-CPC head Hu Jintao vowed China would "never copy a Western political system" when speaking of the importance of systematic building.
By 2 pm Thursday, this year's session had received 5,641 proposals, 5,254 of which have been approved for further discussion. About 70 letters from CPPCC members were handed over to related departments for reference.
Zhao Guangyu, a CPPCC member from East China's Zhejiang Province, told the Global Times that proposals this year clearly reflected the public's interest in issues related to their livelihoods.
Zhao submitted a proposal on urban waterlogging prevention this year.
Though the political sphere applauded Yu's remarks, some Web users said his stance reflects anti-Western ideology.
"Western ideology focuses on the implementation of its political system not simply being about democracy and freedom, but that multiparty competition could lead to further problems, such as the huge debt of the US government," Yun said. "Overhauling the current political system will have a destructive impact on Chinese society; upholding it is the mainstream view in China."
Huang echoed Yun's opinion, saying that China has never touted Western ideology as being universal.
The CPPCC's session concluded Tuesday amid light drizzle in Beijing, while the country's top legislature, the National People's Congress, will wrap up its session on Sunday.
Hu Qingyun and Xinhua contributed to this story