Report details US' 'alienated' democracy

American style gravely ill with money politics, elite rule, dysfunctional system

The Foreign Ministry released a report on democracy in the United States on Sunday, exposing the deficiencies and abuse of democracy in the country as well as the harm of its exporting such democracy.

The report, titled "The State of Democracy in the United States", based on facts and expert opinions, said it is hoped the US will improve its system and practices of democracy and change its way of interacting with other countries.

Democracy in the US has been "alienated and degenerated" over the years and has increasingly deviated from the essence of democracy and its original design, the report said.

The self-styled American democracy is now gravely ill with money politics, elite rule, political polarization and a dysfunctional system, it said.

That US democracy has gone wrong is reflected in the country's practices and events, including the Capitol riot on Jan 6, its entrenched racism and tragic mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As a result, "American-style democracy can hardly uphold public order and ethics, nor advance public wellbeing to the fullest", the report said.

The US, despite the structural flaws and the problematic practice of its democratic system, has attempted to model other countries after its own image and export its brand of democracy.

Such entirely undemocratic attempts are at odds with the core values and tenets of democracy, the report said.

Beijing has urged Washington on many occasions to get to work in earnest to ensure its people's democratic rights and improve its system of democracy as well as undertake more international responsibilities and provide more public goods to the world.

"It would be totally undemocratic to measure the diverse political systems in the world with a single yardstick or examine different political civilizations from a single perspective," said the report.

Su Xiaohui, deputy director of the China Institute of International Studies' Department of American Studies, said the report reveals that the US is by no means an exemplary model of democracy.

"With its mounting internal problems, the US still points fingers at others and pushes for what it calls 'democratic transition', plunging many regions and countries into turmoil, conflict and disaster, which shows its hypocrisy," Su said.

Su cited the Capitol riot as saying that even Washington's allies and partners have spotted the malaise of US-style democracy.

Diao Daming, an associate professor of US studies at Renmin University of China, said the report exposes US democratic chaos in an objective and comprehensive manner and plays a positive role in helping the world understand its state of democracy.

"China's intention is not to contend with the US for the definition of democracy, nor does it fight for the so-called position of 'beacon of democracy'," he said.

Diao said the report, which is rich with facts and tight logic and represents various views, including those of US experts, also reflects the universal concerns of the international community about US-style democracy.

As for the "Summit for Democracy" to be held by the US, he said it had nothing to do with democracy and was a move by the US to engage in group politics and try to achieve a hegemonic agenda in the name of democracy.