Political System of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics

The important components of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics include the fundamental political system of the People’s Congress, the multi-Party cooperation and political consultation system under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, the system of ethnic regional autonomy, and the system of grassroots mass autonomy. The state system is a socialist country under the people's democratic dictatorship led by the working class and based on the alliance of workers and peasants. The socialist political system with Chinese characteristics was established after the founding of New China by the Party’s first-generation central leadership collective with Mao Zedong as the core. Contemporary Chinese Communists continuously developed and improved the socialist political system by combining the characteristics of the new era and practical experience in the process of Reform and Opening-up, therefore with distinctive Chinese characteristics. The people’s congress system is a form of system realization that conforms to China’s national conditions, reflects the nature of a socialist country, and guarantees the position of the people as the masters of the country, and an important institutional carrier of China’s socialist political progress. The people’s congresses system implements the organizational principles and activities of democratic centralism. On the basis of fully promoting democracy, the opinions of all parties are correctly concentrated, different interests are coordinated, power is collectively exercised, and decisions are made scientifically. The people’s congress system closely integrates democracy and centralism, democracy and efficiency, and democracy and the rule of law, fully embodying and giving full play to the advantages of the socialist democratic system in concentrating power to accomplish major tasks and improve efficiency. The multi-Party cooperation and political consultation system under the leadership of the Communist Party of China is a socialist political Party system with Chinese characteristics.

This system was gradually formed during the Chinese revolutionary struggle, and it was the common choice of the Communist Party of China, various democratic parties and democrats from all walks of life. Under this system, the leadership of the Communist Party of China is the primary prerequisite and fundamental guarantee. The Communist Party of China is the ruling Party, and various democratic parties are participatory parties. The basic policy of the cooperation between the Communist Party of China and various democratic parties is “long-term coexistence, mutual supervision, sincere treatment with each other, and shared honor and disgrace”.

The Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference is an organization of the Chinese People’s Patriotic United Front, an important institution for multi-Party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, an important form of promoting socialist democracy in China’s political life, an important part of the national governance system, and an institutional arrangement with Chinese characteristics. Its main functions are political consultation, democratic supervision, and participation in the deliberation and administration of state affairs. Practice has proved that this system can organically integrate the leadership of the Communist Party of China and multi-Party cooperation under the common goal of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and realize the unity of extensive participation and centralized leadership, the unity of social progress and national stability, and the unity of dynamics and efficiency. Ethnic regional autonomy refers to establish self-government organs in areas where ethnic minorities live under the unified and inseparable state leadership, to exercise autonomy and implement regional autonomy. The core is to protect the rights of ethnic minorities to be the masters of the country and manage their own ethnic and local affairs. The implementation of ethnic regional autonomy is an institutional arrangement made by the Communist Party of China based on China’s historical development, cultural characteristics, ethnic relations, and ethnic distribution, conforming to the common interests and development requirements of all ethnic groups. Practice has proved that the ethnic regional autonomy system combines ethnic factors with regional factors, political factors with economic factors, and historical factors with practical factors. It reflects that China adheres to implementing the principles of equality, unity, cooperation and common prosperity of all ethnic groups, and is a great initiative of the Party and people of all ethnic groups. The grassroots mass autonomy system refers to the system under which the resident (village) committee consisting of members elected by residents (villagers) implements self-management, self-education, self-service, and self-supervision in accordance with the provisions of the constitution and laws.

Since the Reform and Opening-up, grassroots democracy in urban and rural areas across the country has continued to expand, the channels for citizens to participate in politics in an orderly manner have increased, and the realization of democracy has become increasingly diversified. At present, China has established a grassroots democratic autonomy system consisting of rural villagers’ committees, urban residents’ grass-root committees, and enterprise employee congresses. The broad masses of people directly exercise their democratic rights in accordance with the law in the self-governance organizations of urban and rural grassroots masses, and implement democratic self-governance which has become the most direct and extensive democratic practice in contemporary China. The socialist political system with Chinese characteristics is not only a scientific summary of innovative practices for the Communist Party of China leading the Chinese people to develop socialist democratic politics, but also an institutional innovation of the experience in the development of socialist politics with Chinese characteristics. It conforms to the national conditions and the trend of the times, and is conducive to maintaining the vitality of the Party and the state, mobilizing the enthusiasm, initiative, and creativity of all parties in the society, maintaining and promoting social fairness and justice; conducive to concentrating efforts on major tasks, and effectively responding to various risks and challenges on the road ahead; and conducive to maintaining national unity, social stability, and national unity.