Letters | Overbearing Western democracies in danger of acting like dictatorships

Readers discuss China’s democracy forum, protection for domestic workers in Hong Kong, career support for elite athletes and the controversial death scene of a cat in a Chinese drama

Reading Time:3 minutes

Students wave flags of China and the Communist Party before celebrations in Beijing on July 1 to mark the 100th anniversary of the party’s founding. China has unveiled a white paper titled China: Democracy that Works. Photo: AFP

Published: 12:30am, 9 Dec 2021

I could not agree more with Mr Tian Peiyan, deputy director of the Policy Research Office of the Communist Party’s Central Committee (“China puts on its own ‘democracy forum’ in countdown to Biden’s summit”, December 4).

Isn’t it a fact that our Western democracies mainly share thoughts on what can’t be done or what doesn’t work? Thus, decisions and actions are delayed almost indefinitely. Politicians are not rewarded for what they have achieved for the people, but rather for sailing smoothly from one election to the next.

State Council Information Office spokesman Xu Lin called US democracy “a disguise”, which is the correct characterisation of our Western democracies.

In our capitalistic world, every “democratic” country, knowing that they have a “superior” system, should be happy about every competitor not having this marvellous system.

05:27

‘Socialism with Chinese characteristics’ explained

However, under the “disguise of democracy”, some people believe that they have the final say. Doesn’t this make Western democracy a kind of “dictatorship with Western characteristics”?

Roland Guettler, Lai Chi Kok

Give domestic helpers more protection

I’m writing in response to the article “Hong Kong’s Pathfinders offering domestic helper mums Brighter Futures with help from Operation Santa Claus” (November 16).