BEIJING -- China released a white paper Saturday expounding on the concept and practice of its democracy.

The following are some quotable quotes from the white paper titled "China: Democracy That Works."

-- Democracy is a common value of humanity and an ideal that has always been cherished by the Communist Party of China and the Chinese people.

-- Democracy is a concrete phenomenon that is constantly evolving.

-- Rooted in history, culture and tradition, it takes diverse forms and develops along the paths chosen by different peoples based on their exploration and innovation.

-- The best way to evaluate whether a country's political system is democratic and efficient is to observe whether the succession of its leaders is orderly and in line with the law, whether all the people can manage state and social affairs and economic and cultural undertakings in conformity with legal provisions, whether the public can express their requirements without hindrance, whether all sectors can efficiently participate in the country's political affairs, whether national decision-making can be conducted in a rational and democratic way, whether people of high caliber in all fields can be part of the national leadership and administrative systems through fair competition, whether the governing party is in charge of state affairs in accordance with the Constitution and the law, and whether the exercise of power can be kept under effective restraint and supervision.

-- Democracy is not a decorative ornament, but an instrument for addressing the issues that concern the people.

-- Whether a country is democratic depends on whether its people are truly the masters of the country; whether the people have the right to vote, and more importantly, the right to participate extensively; whether they have been given verbal promises in elections, and more importantly, how many of these promises are fulfilled after elections; whether there are set political procedures and rules in state systems and laws, and more importantly, whether these systems and laws are truly enforced; whether the rules and procedures for the exercise of power are democratic, and more importantly, whether the exercise of power is genuinely subject to public scrutiny and checks.

-- Democracy is the right of the people in every country, rather than the prerogative of a few nations.

-- Whether a country is democratic should be judged by its people, not dictated by a handful of outsiders.

-- Whether a country is democratic should be acknowledged by the international community, not arbitrarily decided by a few self-appointed judges.

-- Assessing the myriad political systems in the world against a single yardstick and examining diverse political structures in monochrome are in themselves undemocratic.

-- In the richly diverse world, democracy comes in many forms. China's democracy is thriving alongside those of other countries in the garden of civilizations. China stands ready to contribute its experience and strength to global political progress through cooperation and mutual learning.