Somalia parliament member: grassroots democracy in China speaks for essence of democracy

In a recent interview, Jama Mohamed Askar, the member of the Federal Parliament of Somalia and the Chairperson of the Somalia-China Friendship Group, expressed admiration for China's impressive achievements in agriculture and infrastructure development. The official highlighted the potential for Africa to benefit from China's technological advancements.

"We went to different places in China and were highly impressed by the progress made in technology, agriculture, and infrastructure," he stated. "I think we will get a lot of lessons from this and will try to replicate what we've learned back in Africa."

Askar also attended local municipal council meetings in various regions of China during his visit, where he witnessed a form of grassroots democracy in action. According to Askar, top leaders engaged directly with local communities, listening to their concerns and addressing their needs. "That's the essence of what we call democracy," the official added, emphasizing the importance of governance being responsive to the people at all levels.