CGTN poll reveals global opinion on democracy

What is true democracy? What are the standards of democracy? A recent online poll conducted by China Global Television Network (CGTN) may give you the answers.

More than 88.3 percent of global respondents who took part in online surveys conducted by CGTN and Renmin University of China this week said they hold the belief that democracy should reflect the will of the people, serve the people, and should be subject to people's supervision.

Of the respondents, 81.5 percent said that democracy should cover all aspects of people's lives and that all public affairs can be solved through democratic means.

The results echo Chinese President Xi Jinping, who said that "democracy is not an ornament for display, but an instrument for addressing the issues that concern the people."

In the opinion of the respondents, the most important element of democracy is to "guarantee the basic right to life" (40.7 percent), followed by "guaranteeing equality for all" (29.3 percent), "developing the economy" (29 percent)," "improving living standards" (28.4 percent) and "maintaining social stability and social order" (25.6 percent).

The Chinese leader always underscores that democracy is a common value of humanity, stressing democracy is not a special right reserved to a certain country, but a right for the people of all countries. Xi has also reiterated that the judgment on whether a country is democratic or not should be made by their people,

His idea is supported by 84.3 percent of respondents. They believe that various methods of democracy can be seen in different countries and cultures and there is no superior model of democracy or one-size-fits-all political system.

84.8 percent of those who took part in the poll are of the opinion that, when deciding on a political system, a country should consider its history, culture, and national conditions while 80.3 percent believe that the existence of various civilizations in the world has a positive effect on world development.

The data presented above includes three global polls, including the "Impressions of America" poll, with a total of 39,315 respondents from 32 countries worldwide, ranging from developed countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, Spain, and Japan to developing countries such as Brazil, Argentina, South Africa, Malaysia, Peru, and Pakistan.