Political Deprivation Does Not Equal Democracy

I’d like to refer again to “Socialist Democracy,” as Prime Minister Wen Jiabao had used to describe China’s political system. He said, “This must include the right to democratic elections, democratic decision making, democratic administration and democratic supervision” ( New York Times ). I find it striking that every day in the news seems to appear an article reporting on an event that entirely contradicts the existence of such a system in China.
On April 29, an American-based Chinese activist was released after serving five years in a Beijing prison after being charged with illegally entering the country and spying for Taiwan. Dissident Yang Jianli initially fled China to the US, because of his involvement in the 1989 Tiananmen protests. Now he is waiting to see if Beijing will authorize him a passport so he can return to his family in Boston. He is however, waiting in silence. Upon being released from prison Yang is still required to remain a year in China without political rights, including speaking to the press ( Los Angeles Times ).
Being denied your political rights in such a way does in no way seem democratic and I have to argue that China lacks any such “Social Democracy” as Wen describes it.