What does Xi Jinping’s whole-processs people’s democracy mean? • Prof. Jean-Pierre Cabestan

"Whole-process people's democracy" serves as a strategic political slogan in China, framing the Communist Party's leadership as a superior, more inclusive alternative to Western liberal democracy. Prof. Jean-Pierre Cabestan explains that while the concept emphasizes public consultation through mechanisms like local legislative discussion centers and administrative hotlines, it remains a top-down, party-led system. The initiative functions primarily to bolster regime legitimacy and improve social management rather than introducing genuine checks and balances or political competition. By defining the party as the vanguard of the working class, the system effectively excludes dissenters and maintains centralized control. Ultimately, these practices represent a refinement of existing authoritarian governance, as the party continues to monopolize power, rendering the slogan a tool for domestic and international narrative control rather than a shift toward substantive democratic reform.