“And we are seeing this historical change where the center of gravity once in the West，now the rise of the Global South,” said Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, chairman of Pakistan’s Senate Defense Committee at CGTN show Global South Voices. The programme compared China’s democracy with Western democracy in terms of their respective value systems as well as their views on the world, national development, security and trust.

The third “Summit for Democracy,” initiated by the Biden administration of the U.S., is taking place in Seoul, South Korea between March 18 and 20. As the summit appears to have decreasing influence, a prominent fact is beginning to emerge: The world is losing faith with the kind of “democracy” which is championed by the West.

Democracy can manifest itself in various forms, and party elections are just one method among many, not a universal standard. Democracy is inherently diverse, and there exists no singular path to its realization. With the ascent of Global South countries, the actions of the West, cloaked in the rhetoric of “democracy” but straying from democratic principles, are increasingly frowned upon by the international community.

Fred M’membe pointed out that Western countries are hypocritical on Gaza: “A country that tries to dominate others cannot claim to be [a] democracy. A country that thrives on the exploitation, the humiliation of others cannot claim to be democratic. And a country that is dominated by others, that is humiliated by others can also not be democratic.” He condemned the coldness of the West, as they witness people die every day but try nothing in real efforts to stop the conflict. He praised China for playing an active role in bringing peace to the world.
Keith Bennett criticized Western countries’ irresponsibility in fulfilling their commitments: “They still have this winner-takes-all, beggar my neighbor approach. We saw it with their use of vaccine diplomacy, and we’re seeing it. But theirs is a completely irresponsible attitude to the huge threat of climate catastrophe and climate catastrophe is not going to spare the United States.” To address the common challenges facing humanity, Bennett believes that China’s proposal of “building a community with a shared future” can help a lot. “It’s actually essential if we, as a species, are going to continue to meet the challenges that all of humanity is facing now.”
In addition, Einar Tangen pointed out that the people who are in power in the U.S. are failing the system. He added “So, you have a situation where the idea was that democracy can deliver, but today it is not. If you look at politics, and this is not only in the United States, but democratic systems that are championed by the U.S. What are they delivering? Leaders?” In contrast, “All of the system in China drives towards consensus. It tries to get everybody working in the same direction.”