Xi Jinping and China’s whole-process democracy: A new form of consultative Leninism

Since 2021, Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) have started to promote ‘whole-process people’s democracy’ (全过程人民民主, hereafter w-p democracy). Presented as superior to Western democracy, it is officially aimed at increasing the public’s participation in public affairs and at improving China’s international image. This article’s objective is to better comprehend the content and the rationale of this political initiative and to assess its implementation. The article concludes that while w-p democracy gives more voice to Chinese society, the public’s participation has remained selective and exclusively stimulated by the authorities, especially local people’s congresses and CCP grassroot organizations. It is just a new form of socialist democracy not very different from the previous one since it remains under the strict control and leadership of the CCP.