Democracy with Chinese characteristics

Image via WikipediaWhen Chinese media start to use the word "democracy", it is time to pay attention. Not so long ago the internet filters would have it listed as a banned word, but since president Hu Jintao has been using the word since the 17th Party Congress at the end of last year, it had to be taken off that list.
Today the Shanghai Daily even had a headline, using the previously banned word in a headline: "Internet a boost for Chinese democracy".
Democracy like we know it outside China, where you can elect every four years people you anyway do not like, does not exist, so it is interesting to do some close reading a see what the Shanghai"s Daily definition of democracy is:

More than 67 percent of 2,874 surveyed said the Internet had become a major medium for the government to learn about the daily lives of people and to understand their thinking.

About 62 percent of the respondents felt that the government was paying attention to communicating with people and President Hu Jintao's online chat was a good example of Chinese democracy.

If we remember well Hu Jintao passed by a terminal at the People's Daily and answered about three fairly innocent questions. That now would be a bit of a watered-down version of democracy.