The Chinese Government has been focusing on the wellbeing of its people, winning extensive trust, a senior political advisor said, commenting on a recently released international survey. 

The 2022 Edelman Trust Barometer, the latest annual credibility poll conducted by the world’s largest global public relations consultancy, showed the level of trust among Chinese citizens in their government was 91 percent, whereas this rate is only 39 percent in the U.S.  

“Democracy is the right of people in every country, rather than the prerogative of a few nations,” Guo Weimin, spokesperson for the Fifth Session of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), told a press conference on March 3. 

China’s widely watched yearly political gatherings, popularly known as the Two Sessions, have begun, with the National People’s Congress, the highest state organ of power, opening its session on March 5, and the CPPCC National Committee, the top advisory body, starting its own on March 4. 

As a distinctively Chinese political institution, the CPPCC’s primary functions are to conduct consultations and supervision, and provide a channel for all parties and layers of society to participate in the management of state affairs. In addition to the ruling Communist Party of China, there are eight other parties in the world’s most populous country. 

Guo criticized some Western countries for imposing their own versions of democracy on other countries in pursuit of self-interest. In particular, the U.S. held the so-called “Summit for Democracy” in December 2021 in an attempt to suppress other countries, divide the world and uphold its hegemony, he said. 

The CPPCC is a crucial part of China’s “whole-process people’s democracy,” which covers elections, consultations, decision-making, management and oversight. This form of democracy has provided China with the strength to overcome many challenges throughout recent decades while placing the welfare of the Chinese people first in all decisions. 

“Facing the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chinese Government has launched effective measures with low costs,” Guo said. “The containment measures have allowed the country to achieve robust economic recovery.” 

Last year, China’s foreign trade hit a record high, providing a strong driving force for the global economy, Guo said. 

According to the spokesperson, China has provided masks, protective suits and testing facilities to 150 countries and 13 international organizations, sent 37 teams of medical experts abroad and provided 2.1 billion doses of vaccines to more than 120 countries and international organizations. 

Copyedited by G.P. Wilson 

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