Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Photo: Chinese Foreign Ministry

The arrogance and bias of the West against other civilizations are the reasons why the US and certain Western countries have been labeling China and other developing countries as non-democratic, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said at the 14th Bali Democracy Forum on Thursday. 

Wang delivered the speech titled, "Promoting True Democracy for a Better Future of Humankind" via video, saying that democracy is a common value of humanity.

Democracy is not a special right reserved to a certain country, but a right for the people of all countries, Wang noted, stressing that the key criterion for whether a country is democratic is whether its people are truly the masters of their own fate. 

The theme of the forum is "Democracy for Humanity: Advancing Economic and Social Justice during the Pandemic." Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi and officials from other countries, experts and scholars attended the forum.

Wang said the US and certain Western countries have been labeling China and other developing countries as non-democratic over the years. The reasons for this are their own arrogance and bias against other civilizations. 

Since its founding, the Communist Party of China (CPC) has been upholding the banner of democracy, setting it as its goal when founding a New China where the people are the masters of their own fate, and taking it as its obligation to realize true and effective democracy in China. 

Through a century's exploration and experimentation, the CPC has led the Chinese people to find a new form of democracy that suits China's national conditions, one that President Xi Jinping described as a whole-process people's democracy. 

"We have full confidence in our democracy, and we also fully respect other countries' democracies. We will not export our democracy. We are ready to have dialogue and exchanges with others on an equal footing, learn from other civilizations, and provide useful experience to other countries as well," Wang said. 

We need to vigorously advocate the spirit of democracy in state-to-state interactions and make unremitting efforts for greater democracy in international relations, Wang said. 

"We need to respect national sovereignty and defend the basic norms of international relations. We need to advocate consultation on an equal footing and promote democratic concepts with Asian features. We need to uphold solidarity and cooperation and jointly tackle global challenges," Wang said. 

Global Times