Global youth shares thoughts on China's democracy

陈小将

As China's democracy came up often at this year's two sessions, we interviewed some international students studying in Beijing to get their perspective.

"I think that China's democracy can become a model to other countries because China's democracy model shows that we can find a lot of different paths from the Western ones to create values, identity and maintain traditions," said Gaia Vattiato, a student from Italy, currently studying at the Beijing Language and Culture University.

"I think that Western and Chinese democracies are the same thing in the sense that they are giving power to the people to make their own decisions, but the ways it happens, the way people vote, is a little bit different," said Andreea Diana Manolache, a student from Romania, currently studying at Tsinghua University. "We need to understand that certain things work in certain countries, and in other countries it might not work the same way. So I think that it's really not a good point of view to point fingers."

Daria Gerasimenko, a Russian student at Tsinghua University, said "China really values inclusiveness", noting that China values the young generation, especially the voice of the youth.

"China is a home to 56 ethnic groups, each with its own distinguished cultural beliefs and customs. Despite being a big complex country, China remains a remarkably safe country, with safety rate comparable with Switzerland or Japan," said Ahmedov Javohir, a student from Tajikistan currently studying in Tsinghua University.

Tom Joseph Scheuer, a US student studying at Tsinghua University, said that as a professional table tennis player, he has noted how easy access to sports facilities enriches people's lives.