China adopts a multi-party system led by the Communist Party

China issues first ever white paper on political party system

www.chinaview.cn 2007-11-15 11:22:38 Print

BEIJING, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) -

The Information Office of the State Council of China on Thursday issued the country's first ever white paper on its political party system, systematically summarizing the political party system with Chinese characteristics.

The 15,000-word white paper comprises ten chapters: the preface; An inevitable choice in China's social development; A basic political system for China; Major manifestations of socialist democracy; Political consultation in the multi-party cooperation system; Multi-party cooperation system and building of state power; Multi-party cooperation system and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference; Multi-party cooperation system and modernization; conclusion and appendix.

Zhuang Congsheng, director of the Research Office under the United Front Work Department (UFWD) of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, said rich experience had been accumulated for China's multi-party cooperation system over past decades and during the process, an increasing number of countries paid great attention to the democratic and political building of China.

"However, the fact that not too many people know well China's political party system has caused some misunderstanding. The white paper will help the international community learn the historical background, features, advantages, values and functions of China's multi-party cooperation system," said Zhuang.

The white paper would also help Chinese, especially young Chinese understand the political party system, so as to better adhere to the system, said Professor Zhen Xiaoying, of the Central Institute of Socialism.

"The political party system China has adopted is multi-party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC)," the white paper says.

The white paper says that under the system are the CPC and eight other political parties: the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang, the China Democratic League, the China National Democratic Construction Association, the China Association for Promoting Democracy, the Chinese Peasants and Workers Democratic Party, China Zhi Gong Dang, the Jiu San Society and the Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League.

The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) is an important institution of multi-party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the CPC, says the white paper.

The white paper says China's multi-party cooperation system has a glorious history of 58 years. As the basic political system of China, it has been proved through practice to be inevitable, innovative and superior.

The formation and development of China's multi-party cooperation system was a logical choice of its modern and contemporary history, a product of the combination of Marxism-Leninism and China's own situation, and a crystallization of the wisdom of the CPC and other democratic parties, the paper says.

The system is well suited to China's conditions, the reality of China's revolution, construction and reform, and the essential demands of socialist democracy.

It reflects the fine cultural tradition of the Chinese nation, which features all-embracing and harmony while reserving differences.

The multi-party cooperation system identifies the status and functions of the CPC and the eight other political parties in the political life of the state, and the relations between the parties, the white paper says.

New Form of Political Party System In the World

The white paper says the multi-party cooperation system has created new form of political party system in the world, a unique system by itself.

Under this system, the CPC and the democratic parties work closely together and supervise each other, instead of opposing each other, with the CPC ruling the country and the democratic parties participating in state affairs according to law, instead of ruling the country in turn.

Zhuang Congsheng said it is the first Chinese white paper to summarize the value and functions of multi-party system as political participation, expression of interests, social integration, democratic supervision and maintenance of stability.

Zhuang said the multi-party cooperation system is different from both the two-party or multi-party competition systems of Western countries and the one-party system practiced in other countries. China has established its own unique political party system and its own way to fulfill democracy, which is unique in the world.

In China, ruling parties and democratic parties share the same ideal and same objectives, said Zhuang.

After many years of practice, the white paper says, two basic modes of political consultation in the multi-party cooperation system have formed: the CPC's consultation with democratic parties, and the CPC's consultation with democratic parties and representatives from all circles in the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

In exercising state power, the CPC unites and cooperates with all the democratic parties and encourages them to fulfill their functions by participating in and discussing government and political affairs and in democratic supervision, so as to improve the building of state power, the white paper says.

Members of democratic parties are important constituent parts of the CPPCC, it says.

In the composition of the CPPCC, they form a relatively large percentage of members, standing committee members and leaders. They also make up a considerable proportion of the CPPCC's special committee members and leaders, including in the CPPCC work organs.

All democratic parties persevere in promoting development as the first priority, the white paper says.

Focusing on the country's central work, they have earnestly participated in and deliberated on state affairs and exercised democratic supervision, actively promoting the development of socialist economy, politics, culture, and society.

Zhuang said, consultation with democratic parties and people without party affiliations makes the CPC's decision-making more democratic and scientific.

Backgrounder: China's democratic parties and personages without party affiliation

www.chinaview.cn 2007-11-15 11:49:48 Print

BEIJING, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) --

The Information Office of the State Council of China issued on Thursday a white paper on the country's political party system. Following are some basic facts about eight democratic parties of the country:

Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang (RCCK)

The RCCK was officially founded on Jan. 1, 1948.

RCCK recruits members mostly from people who have relations with the former Chinese Kuomintang, those who have historical or social relations with the RCCK and those who have ties with Taiwan. The RCCK also recruits members from other sources, especially those of the middle and upper social strata, and senior and leading intellectuals.

The present chairwoman is He Luli. Its Party membership numbers 81,000.

China Democratic League (CDL)

The China Democratic League was secretly established on March 19, 1941 in Chongqing, and was then named China Democratic Political League.

The CDL is mainly made up of senior and leading intellectuals in the fields of culture, education, and science and technology.

The present chairman is Jiang Shusheng. Its Party membership numbers more than 181,000.

China National Democratic Construction Association (CNDCA)

The China National Democratic Construction Association was founded by a number of patriotic industrialists and business people, as well as some intellectuals in Chongqing on Dec. 16, 1945.

The members of the association are mainly business people.

The present chairman is Cheng Siwei. And the CNDCA has more than 108,000 members.

China Association for Promoting Democracy (CAPD)

The CAPD was founded in Shanghai on Dec. 30, 1945.

Its present members are mainly senior and leading intellectuals in the fields of culture, education and publishing.

Its present chairman is Xu Jialu. Currently, the CAPD has over 103,000 members.

Chinese Peasants and Workers Democratic Party (CPWDP)

Deng Yanda, a leader of the left wing of the Kuomintang, held the first national cadres' conference of the Kuomintang in Shanghai on Aug. 9, 1930, and at the conference the Provisional Action Committee of the Kuomintang of China was founded. On Nov. 10, 1935, it was renamed the Chinese Action Committee for National Liberation. On Feb. 3, 1947, it was renamed the Chinese Peasants and Workers Democratic Party.

Its members are mainly senior and leading intellectuals in the medical field.

Its present chairman is Jiang Zhenghua. The CPWDP now has more than 99,000 members.

China Zhi Gong Dang (CZGD)

The China Zhi Gong Dang was founded in October 1925 in San Francisco, the United States, under the sponsorship of some overseas Chinese societies. In May 1947, the party held its third congress in Hong Kong, and reorganized itself into a new democratic party.

Its members are mainly from the middle and upper social strata of returned overseas Chinese and their relatives.

Its present chairman is Luo Haocai. The CZGD now has more than 28,000 members.

Jiu San Society

At the end of 1944, a number of progressive scholars organized the Forum on Democracy and Science, to strive for victory in the Anti-Japanese War and political democracy, and to develop the anti-imperialist and patriotic spirit of the May 4 Movement of 1919. In commemoration of victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and in the world anti-Fascist war, on Sept. 3, 1945, it adopted the name Jiu San Society ("Jiu San" means Sept. 3 in Chinese). On May 4, 1946, the Jiu San Society was formally founded in Chongqing.

Its members are mainly senior and leading intellectuals in the fields of science and technology.

Its present chairman is Han Qide. The Jiu San Society currently has more than 105,000 members.

Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League (TSL)

The TSL was founded in Hong Kong on Nov. 12, 1947 by a number of Taiwan personages engaged in patriotic campaigns after the Feb. 28 Uprising of the Taiwan people that year.

The TSL is composed of people from Taiwan.

The present chairwoman is Lin Wenyi. From 1987 to 1992, the Fourth Central Committee of the TSL adopted the presidium system. The executive chairmen were Lin Shengzhong (1987-1988) and Cai Zimin (1988-1992).

The TSL now has a membership of over 2,100.

Personages Without Party Affiliation

During the New Democratic Revolution (1919-1949), the famous personages without party affiliation were generally called prominent public figures. Since the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference was founded in 1949, the category of "democratic personages without party affiliation" has been set up. Currently, those who do not belong to any party but have made positive contributions to and have a positive influence on society are categorized as personages without party affiliation. They are mostly intellectuals.

The representatives of this group included Guo Moruo, Ma Yinchu, Ba Jin, Miao Yuntai and Cheng Siyuan.

Editor: Gao Ying

White paper: 31,000 non-communists take official positions in China

BEIJING, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) --

By the end of 2006, 31,000 democratic party members and personages without party affiliation in China took government official posts at and above the county level, says a white paper issued Thursday by the Information Office of the State Council.

In the areas of work they are put in charge, they have commanding power, the power to make decisions as well as the power to nominate and remove personnel, says the white paper titled China's Political Party System.

White paper: political consultation is major aspect of China's multi-party cooperation system

BEIJING, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) -- Political consultation is a major aspect of China's multi-party cooperation system, says a white paper published by the Information Office of China's State Councilon Thursday.

After many years of practice, two basic modes of political consultation in the multi-party cooperation system have been formed: the Communist Party of China (CPC)'s consultation with democratic parties, and the CPC's consultation with democratic parties and representatives from all circles at the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

White paper: multi-party cooperation system is inevitable choice in China's social development

BEIJING, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) -- The multi-party cooperation system is an inevitable choice in China's social development, says a white paper published by the Information Office of China's State Council on Thursday.

The white paper, first of its kind, detailedly introduced the multi-party cooperation system.

The paper, entitled China's Political Party System, reviews the history of the party system's establishment in China, saying Mr. Sun Yat-sen concluded that China could not simply copy European and American politics to govern its own society, as Chinese society was different from that of the West after a parliamentary and multi-party system in imitation of that in Western countries introduced by Sun collapsed in China.

White paper: multi-party cooperation system is basic political system for China

BEIJING, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) -- The multi-party cooperation system is one of China's fundamental political system, says a white paper published by the Information Office of the State Council of China on Thursday.

China adopts multi-party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), namely the multi-party cooperation system, says the white paper titled China's Political Party System.

White paper: China's multi-party cooperation system is major manifestation of socialist democracy

BEIJING, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) -- The multi-party cooperation system is a major manifestation of socialist democracy of China, says a white paper published by the Information Office of the State Council of China on Thursday.

"The leadership of the Communist Party of China and full exercise of socialist democracy are the essential requirements of the multi-party cooperation system," says the white paper entitled "China's Political Party System".

Editor: Xia Xiaopeng

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