Letters | Why China has no use for democracy: India has shown the pitfalls of Western values

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An Indian woman stands in front of a mural depicting a scene from the Hindu epic Mahabharata, as she displays an indelible ink mark on her finger, proof of having cast her vote in national elections, on May 12, 2019, in Prayagraj in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. Photo: AP

Published: 7:53am, 16 Feb 2020Updated: 7:53am, 16 Feb 2020

India has shown the world that universal suffrage is not suitable for a country with huge population. India’s 2019 election lasted six weeks and political parties spent US$8 billion, an average of US$8 per voter, while 60 per cent of its population makes just US$3 a day.

After 70 years of Western-style democracy in India, some Indian scholars say Western values do not suit the ancient Eastern civilisation. If India, which was colonised and Westernised by Britain for some 200 years, is finding that Western values are not a good fit, imagine how these would fit China.

No one system suits all. Surely we Chinese have the wisdom to develop a political system that suits our civilisation.

China today is the second-largest economy and has the third-strongest armed military in the world. Except for the United States, no democratic country can boast China’s accomplishments. The US did not build a high speed rail network in just over a decade like China did.

Democracy is not a very efficient system. China needs a highly efficient system to quickly improve the livelihood of its population, lift more people into the middle class and match the military capabilities of the US and Russia.

China’s current system is strengthening the country. One day, China may add freedom of speech. When the easterly wind is stronger than westerly wind, like during the Tang dynasty, China will open up completely.