System of Multi-Party Cooperation and Political Consultation Under the Leadership of the Communist Party of China

It is a basic political system in our country, and a socialist political Party system with Chinese characteristics. The establishment and implementation of this system is an inevitable choice for the development of Chinese society and history. It is a great political creation of the Communist Party of China, the Chinese people, various democratic parties, and non-Party personages, and is a new type of political Party system that has grown from Chinese soil. The first-generation central leadership collective of the Communist Party of China with Comrade Mao Zedong as the core, combined Marxist Party theory and united front theory with China’s reality, and together with democratic parties and non-Party personages, established the CPC-led multi-Party cooperation and political consultation system. The convening of the 1st Plenary Session of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference in 1949 marked the establishment of this system. The second generation of the CPC’s central leadership group with Comrade Deng Xiaoping as the core, put forward a set of theories and policies on multi-Party cooperation and political consultation, which further consolidated and developed the system of multi-Party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the Communist Party of China. The third generation central leadership collective of the Communist Party of China with Comrade Jiang Zemin as the core, adapting to the requirements of the development of the times, put forward a series of new thoughts, new views and new arguments on upholding and improving the multi-Party cooperation and political consultation system under the leadership of the Communist Party of China. The Firstt Session of the Eighth National People’s Congress enshrined the long-term existence and development of this system in the Constitution.

The CPC Central Committee, with Comrade Hu Jintao as the General Secretary, continued to promote the development of multi-Party cooperation in China by building on past achievements, keeping pace with the times, and focusing on promoting socialist political progress. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core has attached great importance to the construction of a new type of Party system, and promoted the CPC-led multi-Party cooperation and political consultation system into a new era. The notable features of the multi-Party cooperation and political consultation system under the leadership of the Communist Party of China are: Communist Party leadership, multi-Party cooperation, Communist Party ruling, and multi-Party participation in politics. It reflects the essence of socialist democracy in which the people are the masters, and embodies the characteristics and advantages of China’s political system, with great superiority and strong vitality. The democratic parties in contemporary China include the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang, the Chinese Democratic League, the China National Democratic Construction Association, the China Association for Promoting Democracy, the Chinese Peasants and Workers Democratic Party, the China Zhigong Party, the Jiu San Society, the Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League, and non-Party personages. Various democratic parties and the Communist Party of China have been in the same boat and shared weal and woe for a long time, and have made important contributions to the cause of Chinese revolution, construction and reform. In the new era, the democratic parties are a political alliance consisting of part of the socialist laborers, the builders of the socialist cause, and the patriots who support socialism. They are close allied parties cooperating with the Communist Party of China under its leadership, and participatory parties that are progressive and extensive, and committed to the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics. The members of the democratic parties actively participate in the socialist modernization drive, reflect and represent the specific interests and requirements of the masses they contact, and have extensive ties with compatriots in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Macao Special Administrative Region, Taiwan and overseas Chinese. They are an important force for the development of advanced productive forces, socialist democratic politics, advanced socialist culture, and building a harmonious socialist society, and for the reunification of the motherland and national rejuvenation.

In the long-term practice of multi-Party cooperation and political consultation, the Communist Party of China and various democratic parties have formed some important political principles that must be followed, mainly: adhering to the guidance of Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the important thought of “Three Represents” and Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, adhering to the leadership of the Communist Party of China, adhering to the basic line, basic program and basic experience of the initial stage of socialism, adhering to the basic policy of long-term coexistence, mutual supervision, sincere treatment with each other, and shared honor and disgrace, and maintaining a loose, stable, united and harmonious political environment. The Communist Party of China and all democratic parties must take the Constitution as the fundamental norm for their activities, and have the responsibility to safeguard the dignity of the Constitution and ensure its implementation. The 18th CPC National Congress pointed out that we should uphold and improve the system of multi-Party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, give full play to the role of people’s political collaboration as an important channel for consultation and democracy, promote the system building of political consultation, democratic supervision, and participation in the deliberation and administration of state affairs centering around the two principal themes of unity and democracy, better coordinate relations, gather strength, offer suggestions and serve the overall situation. Practice has proved that the multi-Party cooperation and political consultation system under the leadership of the Communist Party of China 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, reflecting the characteristics and advantages of China's socialist political system and Party system.