Chinese democracy in action: a village bench meeting shapes national law

Wu Tengxin offers his input during a legislative research session on a proposed law for building a barrier-free living environment, in Jianghai district, Jiangmen, south China's Guangdong province. (Photo provided by the standing committee of the Jianghai district people's congress)

In a modest corner of Jiangmen, south China's Guangdong province, residents of Weidong village are experiencing firsthand a form of democracy that starts at the grassroots level and reverberates all the way to Beijing.

Wu Tengxin, a local villager who relies on a scooter for daily mobility after contracting polio, recalls a time when the village's public spaces were ill-equipped for people with disabilities. Now, thanks to a simple suggestion made during a meeting, his everyday life has changed.

In November 2022, a team from a local legislative outreach office of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) visited Weidong village and set up a "bench-style meeting." Residents, including the elderly and those with disabilities, gathered to voice their concerns about inadequate accessibility.

Amid the conversation, Wu offered a straightforward proposal: "I hope rural accessible facilities can be improved to make mobility easier for people with disabilities and the elderly." His words were relayed directly to lawmakers.

The response was swift. On June 28, 2023, at the third session of the 14th NPC Standing Committee, legislators passed a law on building a barrier-free living environment. The law stipulates that improvements shall align with social and economic development levels, coordinate urban and rural progress, and gradually narrow the gap in infrastructure between urban and rural areas.

Today, Wu observes that the village's main roads and public squares have been upgraded with accessibility features that make getting around considerably easier.

Two deputies to the National People's Congress (positioned first from right and second from left) conduct a field visit to Tangping village, Cangwu county, south China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, Feb. 21, 2025. (People's Daily Online/Yan Guihai)

This episode illustrates what the whole-process people's democracy - a system where citizen input is woven into every stage of policy development.

Jilie Ziri, head of Abuluoha village in Butuo county, southwest China's Sichuan province, remarked that for young generations in China, democracy has become a lived experience. "Villagers are the masters of village affairs," he said, emphasizing how active villager participation has injected new vitality into local governance.

Experts point to consultative democracy as a cornerstone of this process. Tao Kaiyuan, vice chairman of the Central Committee of the China Association for Promoting Democracy and vice president of the Supreme People's Court, underscores the important role of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, whose members hail from every stratum of society and bring a wealth of expertise and connections.

Their regular forums, field research, and public consultations have created robust channels for citizens to contribute ideas and build consensus.

Another crucial manifestation is the effectiveness of China's political party system. Under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, other political parties actively fulfill their duties, offering recommendations that often translate into concrete policy decisions. This integrated approach demonstrates the unique strengths of China's political party system and the advantages of whole-process people's democracy.

Tao emphasized that whole-process people's democracy has evolved into an efficient and dynamic democratic practice - one that not only reflects the essence of socialist democracy but also presents a pioneering model of political civilization, contributing Chinese wisdom and solutions to global governance and democratic development.