China channelises ideologies to defame democracy, promote authoritarian governance: Report

China channelises ideologies to defame democracy and promote an authoritarian governance model across the globe by portraying its economic growth, Foreign Policy reported. According to the media report, China has been popularising its political system worldwide and calling it a “contribution to mankind”. It has been showing its economic growth as a success of its political system and portraying that democracy cannot lead to prosperity. 

Back in 2017, Chinese President Xi Jinping has stressed that Beijing’s political model is a “new option for other countries and nations who want to speed up their development while preserving their independence”. 

According to the report, several global leaders find China’s model an easy way to economic success that too without being answerable to the public. Chinese officials have also been vocal in saying that the countries have the “right to choose” their political systems whether it's a democracy or authoritarian. However, the Chinese Communist Party’s regime poses a challenge to democracy all across the globe. CCP aggressively promotes the authoritarian governance system and has also termed it superior to democracy. 

China's attempts to defame democracy

Foreign Policy reported that the Chinese attempts to defame democracy and promote autocracy falls into three categories. Firstly, Beijing has been making serious efforts to shape positive narratives about China in developed nations. It amplifies the narratives in favour of the communist regime and silences or targets the critics in the country. To ensure this happens successfully, the CCP even rewards positive portrays and punishes criticism. 

Secondly, China eyes the developing countries. According to the reports, China is largely welcomed by the developing nations as the top rulers or elites of those countries wish to learn from a political system that has given larger financial growth. The ruling CCP has reportedly captured a small number of coteries of corrupt elites in a growing number of fragile democracies. It has helped them to centralise power and even isolated them from the demands of civil societies. CCP also helps those regimes to suppress their citizens and maintain power indefinitely through deploying Chinese technologies.

“China offers more than simple inspiration for a non-democratic governance model: it provides the tools, training and resources that permit leaders to ignore democratic countries’ demands for good governance and respect for individual rights as a condition of aid and investment,” Foreign Policy said. 

Lastly, China’s anti-democratic targets international institutions that instil democratic norms. China reportedly uses the clout it has gained by consolidating influence in UN agencies to ensure institutional alignment with Chinese priorities. For instance, Foreign Policy reported that China had wielded its authority in the International Telecommunications Union to promote policies that facilitate the authoritarian use of technology to repress citizens. 

(With inputs from ANI)

Image: AP