Chinese professor warns of 'democracy trap'

BEIJING - A Chinese associate professor on Tuesday cautioned that developing countries should be vigilant against "democracy trap" in the wake of Egypt's deadly clashes.

The remarks by Ding Long, associate professor at the University of International Business and Economics, came in his article carried by the People's Daily on Tuesday.

The deadly violence and clashes between Egyptian armed police and thousands of protesters showed that Egypt's democratic transition over the past two years has resulted in a standstill, Ding said.

Egyptians have failed to enjoy the benefits brought by proper democracy, with their personal security and social stability now at stake, Ding added.

Egypt is no exception among countries transition to democracy, according to the professor's observation, as political turbulence has almost been a derivative of democratization in many authoritarian states.

"Democratic transition is still premature for many developing countries whose economic and social development cannot match up with the transformation," Ding said. "As a result, national and religious conflicts that had once been concealed by authoritative rule broke out during the process of democratization."

There is more to democracy than just winning elections, and the spirit of inclusiveness and compromise constitute the core culture of democracy, Ding said, adding Egypt's transformation has been regarded as a zero-sum game by its political forces due to a lack of "democracy-friendly" political culture and citizenship.

"It is an economy on the brink of collapse that has plunged Egypt into  political turmoil," he said. "The country should give priority to restoring its social order and promoting reconciliation in order to get back on the road to democracy."

Democratization of developing countries needs a preparatory phase, during which the development of the economy should be prioritized to strengthen social organizations and civil society, Ding noted.

"Serious maladjustment of democracy may occur if developing countries indiscriminately imitate the Western democratic model," Ding warned.