At Congress, China says no to western-style democracy

China, governed by one-party system since 1949, will carry out political reforms to allow more involvement of people in decision-making process but will not ape western-style democracy, President Hu Jintao said on Thursday.

"We will never copy a western political system," Hu said while addressing 2,270 delegates attending the 18th party Congress that will end with a transition of power, inside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

"We must continue to make both active and prudent efforts to carry out the reform of the political structure, and make people's democracy more extensive, fuller in scope and sounder in practice," 69-year-old Hu said in his 90-minute address, also telecast live across the country.

"We should attach greater importance to improving the system of democracy and diversifying the forms of democracy to ensure that the people conduct democratic elections, decision-making, administration and oversight in accordance with the law," he said, adding it was part of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

The Communist Party of China has been ruling the nation with an iron-clad grip on power since 1949, when the People's Republic was founded.

Image: Chinese President Hu Jintao