The resolution on CCP history passed at the 6th Plenum of the 19th CCP Central Committee in November 2021 had an essential role in writing Xi and his banner term, “Xi Thought” (习思想) into the Party’s formal history, and discourse on the Plenum – a preparation for themes to dominate into 2022 – continued to dominate into December. But another keyword, “democracy” (民主), became an obvious focus in official CCP discourse in December as the Party both spoke out against the US-led Summit for Democracy, held on December 9-10, and turned up the volume on propaganda about the professed democratic aspects of China’s system. Just ahead of the US event, China released a white paper called “China’s Democracy” (中国的民主), its official English translation called “China: Democracy That Works.” The white paper was accompanied by a full-scale propaganda push, including a series of articles praising “the Chinese Communist Party [for] leading the people in achieving whole-process democracy.” 

What is “whole-p…