The Information Office of the State Council published a white paper titled "China's Political Party System" here Thursday. Following is the full text:

China's Political Party System

Information Office of the State Council of the People's Republic of China

November 2007

Contents

Preface

I. An Inevitable Choice in China's Social Development

II. A Basic Political System for China

III. Major Manifestations of Socialist Democracy

IV. Political Consultation in the Multi-party Cooperation System 

V. Multi-party Cooperation System and Building of State Power

VI. Multi-party Cooperation System and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference

VII. Multi-party Cooperation System and Modernization

Conclusion

Appendix A Brief Introduction to China's Democratic Parties and Personages Without Party Affiliation

Preface

The political party system is an important component of modern democratic politics. What kind of political party system to adopt in a country is determined by the nature, national conditions and social development of that given country. The diversity of political party systems in different countries reflects the diversity of human civilizations.

The political party system China has adopted is multi-party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) (hereinafter "multi-party cooperation system"), which is different from both the two-party or multi-party competition systems of Western countries and the one-party system practiced in some other countries. This system was established and has been developed during the long-term practice of the Chinese revolution, construction and reform. It is a basic political system that suits the conditions of China. It is a socialist political party system with Chinese characteristics, and a key component of China's socialist democratic politics.

The Constitution of the People's Republic of China states that "the multi-party cooperation and political consultation system under the leadership of the Communist Party of China shall continue to exist and develop for a long time to come." Both the CPC and the democratic parties must take the Constitution as the basic norm of their conduct, and uphold the dignity of the Constitution and ensure its implementation.

Under China's multi-party cooperation system, there are the CPC and eight other political parties. The eight democratic parties are: Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang, China Democratic League, China National Democratic Construction Association, China Association for Promoting Democracy, Chinese Peasants and Workers Democratic Party, China Zhi Gong Dang, Jiu San Society and 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. Based on the principle of "long-term coexistence, mutual supervision, treating each other with sincerity and sharing each other's weal and woe," the CPC and the eight democratic parties work hand in hand in developing socialism with Chinese characteristics, thus giving rise to the basic feature of "multi-party cooperation system under the leadership of the CPC, with the CPC holding power and the other eight parties  participating fully in state affairs." The multi-party cooperation system shows unique political advantage and strong vitality, and plays an irreplaceable role in China's political and social life.

I. An Inevitable Choice in China's Social Development 

China has had a long history of feudalism. From 1840 on, when the Western imperialist powers launched aggressive wars against China, the corrupt and weak feudal ruling class buckled, and China was reduced to a semi-colonial, semi-feudal society. For nearly 110 years after that, the Chinese nation was plunged into the most dangerous situation, and the Chinese people had no democratic rights whatsoever.

To change the fate of the country and the Chinese nation, generation after generation of Chinese people rose up and waged heroic struggles to save the country and the people. In the early 20th century, Sun Yat-sen, forerunner of China's democratic revolution, turned his eyes to the West for a road that would save China. In 1911, he led a bourgeois democratic revolution, bringing to an end the autocratic monarchical system that had been in place for several millenniums. With the founding of the Republic of China, Sun Yat-sen introduced a parliamentary and multi-party system in imitation of that in Western countries. Though historically progressive compared with the autocratic monarchy, the bourgeois political system soon collapsed under the onslaught of domestic and foreign reactionary forces and therefore failed to fulfill the Chinese people's fervent desire for independence and democracy. Mr. Sun Yat-sen later 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.

Between 1927 and 1949, the Kuomintang headed by Chiang Kai-shek exercised one-party dictatorship and monopolized all state power. It persecuted democratic and progressive forces against the trend of democratic politics and the wishes of the people. It was finally abandoned by history.

The political development of modern China called for a new political party system that suited China's national conditions. Such a historic mission fell on the shoulders of the CPC and its eight partners.

The CPC, founded in 1921, creatively combined the general truth of Marxism-Leninism with the actual situation in China, put forth the revolutionary program of "new democracy," and united all revolutionary classes to fight for national independence, the liberation of the people, the prosperity of the country, and the well-being of the people. The eight democratic parties, mostly founded during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1937-1945) and the War of Liberation (1945-1949), were rooted among the national bourgeoisie and urban petty bourgeoisie, as well as intellectuals and other patriots associated with them. These people formed a progressive force who were anti-imperialist, patriotic and demanded democracy.

In the days of tough struggles, the CPC has established and developed close relations of cooperation with the eight democratic parties and joined forces with them to fight for peace and democracy. During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the democratic parties actively joined the national united front led by the CPC and the democratic movement against the Japanese invaders, and made concerted efforts for national unity and progress, and against the surrendering, splittist and retrogressive activities of diehard elements in the Kuomintang. After the war, they, together with the CPC, continued the fight against the policies of dictatorship and civil war adopted by the Kuomintang and Chiang Kai-shek clique.

While leading the new democratic revolution to victory, the CPC established its core leadership role among the various revolutionary forces. And the democratic parties and democratic personages without party affiliation, through experience in the years of practice and on their own initiative, chose the leadership of the CPC. In April 1948, the CPC's proposal to convene a new political consultation conference and set up a democratic coalition government was warmly endorsed by the democratic parties and democratic personages without party affiliation. They made it public that they were willing to strive to build a New China under the leadership of the CPC. The convention of the first Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) in September 1949 marked the formal establishment of the multi-party cooperation system under the leadership of the CPC. It also marked the beginning of the CPC, the democratic parties and the democratic personages without party affiliation working together in building the state power of New China.

After the People's Republic of China was founded on October 1, 1949, the ruling CPC further strengthened its unity and cooperation with the democratic parties and continued to push forward the theoretical innovation and development in practical work regarding multi-party cooperation. After the socialist transformation was completed in 1956, and in light of the profound changes that had taken place among China's social classes, the CPC set forth the principle of "long-term coexistence and mutual supervision," which meant that the other eight democratic parties would exist as long as the CPC exists, and that they and the CPC could supervise each other. Since the CPC was the ruling party, the other eight parties would play more of a supervisory role. Thus, the basic framework of multi-party cooperation in socialist China came into being. But after 1957, especially during the "cultural revolution" (1966-1976), the multi-party cooperation system suffered serious setbacks.

After the reform and opening-up policies were adopted in 1978, the CPC, in light of the changes in the situation and tasks, made it clear that the multi-party cooperation system is a basic feature and advantage of China's political system, and set forth the principle of "long-term coexistence, mutual supervision, treating each other with sincerity and sharing each other's weal and woe" to guide its relations with the other eight parties. It also set forth a complete set of theories and policies regarding the multi-party cooperation system, making sticking to and improving the system an important component of the theory and practice of Chinese-style socialism.

In 1989, the CPC formulated the Opinions on Sticking to and Improving the System of Multi-party Cooperation and Political Consultation Under the Leadership of the CPC, thus institutionalizing the multi-party cooperation system. The First Session of the Eighth National People's Congress in 1993 added to the Constitution the words "multi-party cooperation and political consultation system under the leadership of the Communist Party of China shall continue to exist and develop for a long time to come," providing a constitutional basis for the system. After the 16th CPC National Congress in 2002, the CPC, in its effort to build a socialist political civilization, released two documents -- Opinions on Further Strengthening the Building of the Multi-party Cooperation and Political Consultation System under the Leadership of the CPC, and Opinions on Strengthening the Work of the CPPCC --to further  standardize and institutionalize the multi-party cooperation system. 

Since the founding of New China, the multi-party cooperation system has been continuously developing and consolidated, and is playing a significant role in the state's political and social life.

The political history and practice of modern and contemporary China prove that the construction of democratic politics in China must proceed from the country's basic conditions, and blind emulation of the political or party systems of any other country will never succeed; and that dictatorship will also end in failure, as it is against the law of historical development and the people's will. 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. This 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. With splendid Chinese features, this system both accords with the trend of the times and embodies the inherent requirements of China's social development. 

II. A Basic Political System for China

According to the Chinese Constitution, "The People's Republic of China is a socialist state under the people's democratic dictatorship led by the working class and based on the alliance of workers and peasants." The government system that accords with such a form of state is the system of people's congresses, and the political party system that accords with it is that of multi-party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the CPC. The systems of people's congresses, multi-party cooperation, regional ethnic autonomy, and self-governance at the primary level of society together constitute the kernel and fundamental framework of China's political system, and are the embodiment of socialist democracy.

As one of China's fundamental political system, 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 CPC holds the leading and ruling position. The CPC's leadership position was formed and consolidated during the long years of revolution, construction and reform, and it is the choice of history and the people. During its more than 80 years of struggle, the CPC led the Chinese people through the new democratic revolution to realize national independence and the people's liberation; established state power with the people as the masters of the state, and safeguarded national unification and the solidarity of all ethnic groups; established the socialist system and completed the most profound social transformation in Chinese history; and pioneered the Chinese-style socialist cause and blazed a correct road toward national prosperity and a happy life for the people.

China is a developing country with a territory of 9.6 million sq km, 1.3 billion people and 56 ethnic groups. To push forward modernization in such a populous country with such a vast landmass, it is imperative to have strong core of leadership. The CPC represents the development trend of China's advanced productive forces, the orientation of China's advanced culture, and the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of the Chinese people. The strong leadership of the CPC is the fundamental guarantee for China's socialist modernization, for national unification and social harmony and stability, and for the unity of over one billion people as they work together to create a bright future. This has become a political view shared by people of all ethnic groups formed in the long years of revolution, construction and reform. 

-- The eight democratic parties participate in and deliberate on state affairs. The inherent requirements of the people's democratic dictatorship and the actual role played by the eight democratic parties in China's political life determine their role as participating parties. As the political alliances of socialist working people, builders of socialism and patriots who support socialism with whom they maintain ties, these parties are within the scope of the people, and their participation in state affairs under the leadership of the CPC is a major indication of people's democracy.

Their participation in state affairs mainly takes the following forms: participating in the exercise of state power, consultation on fundamental state policies and the choice of state leaders, the administration of state affairs, and the formulation and implementation of state policies, laws and regulations. Their status and rights as participating parties are protected by the Constitution and other laws.

-- A new relationship of unity and cooperation has been established between the CPC and the eight democratic parties. The CPC has made friends with the eight democratic parties in their long years of common struggle. Its fundamental theory, line, program and experience have been agreed by the democratic parties, and the building of socialism with Chinese characteristics has become the common goal of all parties in China. In a liberal, stable and harmonious political atmosphere, the CPC maintains wide political cooperation with the democratic parties, attends to their political and material interests, and unites with them in the march forward.

-- The cooperation of the CPC and the democratic parties is rich in content. First, the CPC consults the democratic parties on major principles, policies and issues, and they supervise each other. Second, members of democratic parties hold an appropriate number of posts in state power organs and they can perform their duties according to law. Third, members of democratic parties hold leading posts in central and local governments and judicial organs; the people's governments at various levels keep contacts with, through diverse means, the democratic parties to bring into play their role of participation in and deliberation on state affairs. Fourth, the democratic parties participate in consultation on major state issues through the CPPCC. Fifth, the CPC supports the democratic parties to participate in the country's reform, opening up and socialist modernization drive. To serve economic and social development is the main function of the democratic parties as participating parties, and also a distinctive feature of China's multi-party cooperation system.

-- The CPC and the other eight democratic parties supervise each other. Such supervision is political supervision exercised through exchanging views and airing criticisms and suggestions. Since the CPC is the leading and ruling party, it needs particularly supervision from the democratic parties more than the other way round.

This democratic supervision mainly covers the implementation of the Constitution, laws and regulations; the formulation and implementation of major guiding principles and policies of the CPC and the government; and the work of CPC committees at various levels, as well as CPC-member officials' performance of duties and clean governance. The supervision from the democratic parties is unique yet important for strengthening and improving the CPC's leadership and improving the socialist supervision system.

The multi-party cooperation system has created a 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. The CPC rules the country and the democratic parties participate in state affairs according to law, instead of ruling the country in turn. This system accords with the system of people's congresses to ensure that the people are the masters of the state, rather than a democracy for a minority of people.