[Democratic parties] Multi-party Cooperation and the Political Consultative System 
 
Apart from the Communist Party of China (CPC), there are eight democratic parties in China. Multi-party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the CPC is the basic political system in China.

The multi-party cooperation system in China differs from the single-party system practiced in some socialist countries and also fundamentally varies from the multi-party or two-party system in some capitalist countries. It has its own prominent characteristics.

First, the CPC is the sole party exercising political leadership in this system of multi-party cooperation. Organizationally independent, the CPC and the democratic parties are totally equal under the Constitution, but politically, the latter are subject to the leadership of the former. The leading role of the CPC has been generally accepted by various parties and people across the country after decades of practice. The CPC's leadership over other parties features political leadership focusing on political principles, political orientation and major policy decisions.

Second, under the leadership of the CPC, the democratic parties maintain close cooperative ties with the CPC politically. Though a ruling party, the CPC does not arrogate political power to itself. In a general sense, the democratic parties exist neither as political opposition forces nor as parties out of office that pit their wits against the ruling party like those in multi-party countries. The relationship between these parties and the CPC is based on political cooperation rather than political competition aimed at assuming State power. In this cooperative political relationship, the CPC is at the helm of the State while the other parties jointly participate in the administration of State affairs.

Third, a consensus on socialism is the political foundation of the multi-party cooperation system. Since its founding, the CPC has consistently taken socialism (communism) as the objective it strives toward. Through years of struggle and practice, the other parties have gradually forsaken the old democratic republicanism and accepted the socialist economic system and the democratic republic. This consensus reached by both the CPC and these democratic parties has formed a solid political foundation for multi-party cooperation.

Fourth, the guiding principle of multi-party cooperation is longterm coexistence and mutual supervision, treating each other with full sincerity and sharing weal and woe. This is the ideological foundation of multi-party cooperation. It helps promote mutual supervision and political democracy, and also stabilizes and strengthens the multi-party political system.

Finally, forms of cooperation between the CPC and other parties are diverse. For instance, members of the democratic parties are selected and appointed to leading posts in the State power structure. Their representatives are invited to attend the CPC congress as non-voting delegates and their opinions are solicited through various symposiums and cordial discussions. The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) is the most important organization of all those serving as a channel and arena for cooperation between the CPC and other parties.

By the end of 2003, China's eight non-Communist parties had more than 600, 000 members.

Statistics show more than 140, 000 of those members had been elected as deputies to people's congresses at various levels. More than 8, 000 of them held leading posts in governmental and judicial departments above county-level.
 
Source: Gov.cn 

 

An Introduction to Democratic Parties 
 
China's democratic parties are members of the patriotic united front under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC). They are components of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). They maintain ties with, and are political alliances of, socialist workers and patriots who support socialism.
Accepting the CPC's leadership, the democratic parties take part in China's state and government affairs. Their principal roles are to participate in government and political affairs, make suggestions and criticisms, and assume democratic supervision.

The democratic parties take part in the management of state affairs and in consultation about major state policies and problems in social life. They maintain close cooperation with the CPC and supervise each other.

The eight Chinese democratic parties are the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang, the China Democratic League, the China Democratic National Construction Association, the China Association for Promoting Democracy, the Chinese Peasants and Workers Democratic Party, the China Zhi Gong Party (Public Interests Party), the Jiu San (September 3rd) Society, and the Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League.

All democratic parties have accepted the CPPCC Common Program and the Constitution of the People's Republic of China as the standard of their activities in China's socialist revolution and construction. They support socialism and actively take part in the state political affairs. They have played an essential part in mobilizing their members to participate in stepping up socialist construction and improving morality.
 
Source: China Yearbook 2004