II. Extensive, Genuine and Effective Whole-Process People's Democracy

The CPC and the Chinese government have translated the values and concepts of democracy into sound and effective institutional arrangements and concrete actions by developing whole-process people's democracy and ensuring the people's rights to engage in democratic elections, consultation, decision-making, management and oversight. As a result, the people's status as masters of the country has grown richer in content and broader in scope, and is having a greater impact. The people of Xizang enjoy full, extensive, genuine, concrete and effective democratic rights in accordance with the law.

- Full implementation of regional ethnic autonomy

The system of regional ethnic autonomy ensures that the people of all ethnic groups in Xizang fully enjoy the right to administer their regional and ethnic affairs. In accordance with the Law on Regional Ethnic Autonomy of the People's Republic of China, there shall be citizens from the Tibetan ethnic group among those who assume the offices of chairperson or vice chairperson of the Standing Committee of the People's Congress of the Xizang Autonomous Region, and the office of governor of the autonomous region shall be assumed by citizens from the Tibetan ethnic group.

Currently, the autonomous region has 26 provincial/ministerial level officials and 512 prefectural/director-general level officials from ethnic minorities. A considerable number of Party and government heads at prefecture and county levels come from ethnic minority groups, and 57.17 percent of the officials in the Party and government leading groups at township level are from ethnic minorities. Eight ethnic townships have been set up in Shannan, Nyingchi, and Qamdo, of which five are for the Monba ethnic group and three for the Lhoba ethnic group, both with small populations. Through these arrangements, the political rights of all ethnic groups in Xizang to equal participation in the management of local affairs are ensured in accordance with the law.

- Strict protection of citizens' rights to vote and to stand for election

In Xizang, as elsewhere in China, citizens aged 18 or above enjoy the right to vote and the right to stand for election in accordance with the law. As prescribed by the Constitution and relevant state laws, the people of all ethnic groups in Xizang directly elect deputies to the people's congresses of county-level and township-level administrative units. Deputies to the higher levels - the people's congresses of cities, the People's Congress of the Xizang Autonomous Region, and the National People's Congress (NPC) - are then elected by deputies at the next lower level. This system ensures that the people can participate in the management of state and local affairs and that democratic elections offer extensive and equal participation in a genuine and progressive nature.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, two elections at the county and township levels have been held in Xizang to elect people's congresses, in which more than 90 percent of eligible voters - 100 percent in some places - in the region participated in these direct elections. At present, a total of 42,153 deputies to people's congresses at four levels in the autonomous region have been elected, 89.2 percent of whom are from the Tibetan or other ethnic minority groups. Compared with the elections in 2016, in 2021 the number of deputies to people's congresses at the county and township levels increased by nearly 6,500. There are 428 deputies to the 12th People's Congress of the Xizang Autonomous Region, 280 of whom are of Tibetan or other minority ethnicity, accounting for 65.42 percent of the total. Of the 25 deputies of the Xizang delegation to the 14th NPC, 17 or 68 percent are from the Tibetan or other ethnic minority groups, including those with small populations such as the Monba people and the Lhoba people. 

The region has implemented a system of community-level self-governance, which includes strict requirements for the organization of villagers' and residents' congresses and election committees, voter registration, recommendation and nomination, decisions on candidates, voting, and other procedures. In 2021, villagers' or neighborhood committee elections and CPC village branch elections were carried out in 5,535 villages and communities. 

- Full protection of people's rights to be informed and to participate 

Access to information continues to improve across Xizang. Governments at various levels in the region have upgraded their systems for government information disclosure and continue to promote transparency in key fields. Documents of public concern are published via government websites, social media platforms, government gazettes, and other channels. All legally required information for voluntary disclosure is accessible to the public. In 2019, the People's Government of the Xizang Autonomous Region issued the Measures of the Xizang Autonomous Region on Transparency in Village Affairs to strengthen the system for disclosing village affairs. Villagers committees are required to fully disclose village information via transparency bulletin boards and at villagers' representative meetings, as well as via online platforms, broadcasting services, text messages, WeChat, transparency cards, and other channels. 

Forms of democratic participation, and the channels through which they are accessed, have become increasingly diverse. The Standing Committee of the People's Congress of the Xizang Autonomous Region has established 10 local outreach centers for legislative matters across the region, which serve as an important means of communicating with the general public and practicing whole-process democracy. The working methods for deputies to people's congresses to reach out to the public have also been improved. Deputies at various levels are encouraged to maintain close contact with voters and to listen to their voices on issues that matter to them, such as rural revitalization, income increase for farmers and herdsmen, development of the private economy, and employment of college graduates. By the end of 2024, Xizang had instituted 790 outreach offices for deputies to people's congresses, and all administrative villages and grassroots urban communities had been equipped with an outreach station or center. These facilities provide effective platforms for the people to interact regularly with deputies and voice their opinions, and create a standardized process for deputies to perform their duties during intersessional periods. Systems for villagers' representative meetings, urban community residents' congresses, and employees' congresses have been improved, and mechanisms for grassroots elections, deliberations, information disclosure, work reporting, accountability and other affairs have been improved, to make primary-level democracy more extensive and effective.

Consultative democracy is now having its full effect across the region. The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) organizations at all levels in Xizang have upheld the integration of Party leadership, the united front, and consultative democracy, introduced new methods, expanded the coverage and established new platforms of consultation to encourage more extensive participation in and administration of state affairs by people from all ethnic groups and all walks of life. This has ensured that a framework of consultation and deliberation is now in place in the autonomous region, which is characterized by the CPPCC plenary sessions that play the leading role, subject-specific deliberative meetings of the Standing Committee and special consultative forums as the focus, and regular proposal handling consultations, sector-specific consultations, and consultative meetings with relevant departments. There are 29 members of the CPPCC National Committee who are residents of Xizang, 93.1 percent of whom are from ethnic minority groups. There are 429 members on the 12th CPPCC Committee of the Xizang Autonomous Region, 59.91 percent of whom are not CPC members. CPPCC organizations have been established in all 74 county-level administrative units in the region, with more than 8,000 CPPCC members, of whom 85 percent are from ethnic minority groups. Between 2013 and 2024, the CPPCC Committee of the Xizang Autonomous Region received a total of 5,095 proposals, 4,920 were accepted and filed and the rest were given a formal response or reply. Between 2018 and 2024, a total of 159 reports, resolutions and calls for action were created.

- Effective protection of people's rights to expression and oversight

Channels for expression and oversight have evolved in Xizang. While continuing to support traditional media such as radio, television, newspapers and magazines, the region has also developed various internet platforms through which people express their opinions. Standards and procedures are in place for evaluation of and comment on government services, and reporting of misconduct. To respond to public concerns in a timely manner, the 12345 government service hotline has been launched. The Regulations on Handling Public Complaints have been issued and implemented in the region. Officials at various levels meet with the people they serve and handle their complaints at the grassroots level, closing the "last mile" gap in government service delivery. Online channels for handling public complaints have been expanded. This includes the formation of new working mechanisms for handling and processing public complaints online. In March 2022, the Xizang Autonomous Region launched mobile APPs and official WeChat accounts such as Zang Yi Fang to simplify the process of lodging public complaints for mobile users.

Democratic oversight has also been made more comprehensive throughout the region. Xizang has given full play to the oversight by people's congresses, oversight of law enforcement, democratic oversight from the CPPCC, oversight through public complaints, and oversight through public opinion. From 2018 to 2024, the People's Congress of the Xizang Autonomous Region and its Standing Committee have heard and reviewed 199 work reports, conducted 59 inspections on the implementation of laws and regulations, and organized 146 surveys, offering 1,296 opinions and pieces of advice based on their findings. Additionally, they have organized deputies to the NPC from Xizang and deputies to the People's Congress of the Xizang Autonomous Region to participate in law enforcement, research projects, and group inspections, with a total attendance of 975. These efforts have ensured the protection and realization of the legitimate rights and interests of people of all ethnic groups. Between 2018 and 2024, the leaders of the CPPCC Xizang Autonomous Regional Committee led teams to conduct 49 special reviews and inspections. During this process, they identified 353 problems and successfully coordinated solutions. Members of the CPPCC Xizang Autonomous Regional Committee have conducted in-depth surveys on topics of public concern and difficulties in social governance, and have carried out democratic oversight by offering advice, criticism and suggestions. The Integrated Media Center of Lhasa City has opened a Q&A column on local government affairs to allow the public to raise questions and oversee pressing concerns and matters that impact their wellbeing.