Xia Baolong, vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), gave a pre-recorded video speech at the opening ceremony of the China-Russia Democracy and Economic Modernization Forum on Sept 30.

Xia, also president of the Chinese side of the China-Russia Friendship Committee for Peace and Development (CRFCPD), said true democracy must be rooted in the reality of a country and that the rights to life and development are the most important human rights and prerequisite for democracy.

Economic modernization should give top priority to the satisfaction of people's needs for a better life, Xia said, adding that China and Russia have both carved out a development path that meets the interests of their people, said Xia.

The forum was co-organized by several Chinese academic institutions, including the CITIC Foundation for Reform and Development Studies, in cooperation with the Russian think tank Valdai Discussion Club.