III. Major Manifestations of Socialist Democracy

Without democracy there can be no socialism, let alone socialist modernization. It is an unswerving goal of the CPC and the democratic parties to realize and develop people's democracy in China. China's multi-party cooperation system, with its unique structure and functions as well as operational mechanism, gives expression to the intrinsic demands of socialist democracy and guarantees the full exercise of the people's democratic rights. It is a major manifestation of socialist democracy.

The leadership of the CPC and full exercise of socialist democracy are the essential requirements of the multi-party cooperation system. The CPC aims to serve the people wholeheartedly, and represents the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of the Chinese people. The CPC's leadership and rule is to lead and support the people to be the masters of their country, mobilize and organize the people as extensively as possible, to manage state and social affairs as well as economic and cultural programs in accordance with the law, and safeguard and realize the basic interests of the people. The multi-party cooperation system gives expression to both the firm leadership of the CPC and extensive democracy, maintains both consistency and diversity, and exhibits both order and vigor.

One major feature of China's socialist democracy is the combination of democratic election and democratic consultation. In China, the people's congress system and the multi-party cooperation system under the leadership of the CPC supplement each other. That the people exercise their democratic rights through election and voting and that consultation is conducted among people of all walks of life to achieve consensus as much as possible before any significant decisions are made are two important ways to realize socialist democracy. The combination of democratic election and democratic consultation has extended the width and depth of socialist democracy. Full political consultation both takes into account the opinions of the majority and shows respect to the reasonable requirements of the minority, thus guaranteeing democracy of the widest scope and promoting the harmonious development of society.

The value and functions of China's multi-party cooperation system are manifested as follows:

-- Political participation. The multi-party cooperation system opens up an institutionalized channel for the political participation of democratic parties, incorporates various social forces into the political system, and consolidates and expands the foundation of the people's democratic dictatorship; mobilizes the enthusiasm of all sectors, pools the wisdom of the people, solicits proposals widely, and promotes the scientific and democratic decision-making of the ruling party and the government; and advances the positive and steady development of socialist democracy on the premise of maintaining social stability.

-- Expression of interests. China is a large, populous country with a variety of social classes, strata and groups. On the basis of common fundamental interests, differences and contradictions in specific interests exist among the people. In particular, as the socialist market economy progresses, the reform of the economic system deepens, the social structure and the pattern of interests undergo great reshuffles, and people's ideas also change profoundly. The multi-party cooperation system can effectively reflect the interests, wishes and demands of all social sectors, clears and broadens the channels for the expression of interest, coordinates interest relations, gives due consideration to the interests of allies, and thus maintains social harmony and stability. 

-- Social integration. China's arduous and complicated modernization task requires a political system that has a strong function in social integration. Combining the firm leadership of the CPC with extensive cooperation with democratic parties, the multi-party cooperation system has forged a mighty power of social integration. Aiming at the paramount objective of building socialism with Chinese characteristics, the CPC cooperates closely with democratic parties, creates strong political identification, facilitates optimized allocation of political resources, mobilizes the enthusiasm of all sectors, and leads and organizes the society to move continuously toward modernization.

-- Democratic supervision. Mutual supervision between the CPC and the democratic parties is conducive to strengthening the supervision function within the system and avoiding various drawbacks arising from lack of supervision. The democratic parties represent specific interests and demands of relevant groups of people, reflect complaints and suggestions from all walks of life, and provide all-round supervision apart from the self-supervision of the CPC. This facilitates the scientific and democratic decision-making of the ruling party, so that it will resist and overcome bureaucracy and all sorts of negative and corruptive phenomena more consciously, thus reinforcing and improving the work of the ruling party in all aspects.

-- Maintenance of stability. The multi-party cooperation system replaces confrontation and contention with cooperation and consultation, effectively avoiding political instability and frequent changes of regime resulting from discord among political parties, thus reducing internal frictions of the society to the maximum, and safeguarding social and political stability and solidarity. Combining the firm leadership of the CPC with the extensive participation of democratic parties, the system is able to effectively resolve various social contradictions and conflicts, and maintain political stability and social harmony.

China's multi-party cooperation system gives expression to the intrinsic requirement of socialist democracy that people are the masters of their own country, as well as the characteristics and advantages of China's political system. In the new historical circumstances, one of the key jobs for developing socialist democracy is adhering to and improving the multi-party cooperation system under CPC leadership, which entails expanding the orderly political participation of citizens, broadening the channels for the expression of social interest and fostering harmonious social development.

IV. Political Consultation in the Multi-party Cooperation System 

Political consultation is a major aspect of China's multi-party cooperation system. The CPC consults with the various democratic parties and personages without party affiliation on major state guidelines and policies and key state affairs before making decisions and in the process of implementing the decisions. This is a vital link in the scientific and democratic decision-making process as well as an important means for the CPC to enhance its governance capability. After many years of practice, two basic modes of political consultation in the multi-party cooperation system have been formed: the 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).

The CPC Central Committee consults the central committees of democratic parties on important documents of the CPC National Congress and CPC Central Committee, proposed amendments to the Constitution and major laws, candidates for state leaders, significant decisions on pushing forward reform and opening-up, medium- and long-term plans for the national economic and social development, and issues having a great bearing on the state as a whole. Moreover, the CPC canvasses comments on key documents and events, and consults widely on other important matters.

The major forms of political consultation between the CPC Central Committee and central committees of the eight democratic parties are: The CPC Central Committee invites leaders of democratic parties to attend democratic consultation conferences and discuss state policies to be announced by the CPC Central Committee; top leaders of the CPC Central Committee hold high-level, small-scope talks with leaders of democratic parties to exchange views and ideas when the situation requires it; the CPC Central Committee or an agency entrusted by the CPC Central Committee convenes seminars participated by democratic parties and representative personages without party affiliation, at which important issues are briefed or certain topics are discussed, and policy-related proposals from democratic parties are solicited. Apart from consultation meetings and conferences, the central committees of democratic parties can put forward written proposals on state policies and other important issues to the CPC Central Committee.

Their political consultation proceeds in the following steps: The CPC Central Committee brings forward an annual plan for political consultation according to the priorities of work of that year; the central committees of democratic parties and personages without party affiliation are informed of the topics for consultation and are provided with relevant materials in advance; the central committees of democratic parties make arrangements for relevant people to read the documents, conduct surveys and research, discuss the topics and bring up suggestions and proposals; democracy is fully exercised in the course of consultation, suggestions and proposals widely solicited, and common ground sought while reserving differences; and the CPC Central Committee studies the collected suggestions and proposals carefully, and gives prompt feedback to the central committees of democratic parties and personages without party affiliation about the follow-up actions on their suggestions and proposals. 

Since the early 1990s, the CPC Central Committee's consultation with democratic parties has been covering more and more topics while the procedures have been gradually standardized. From 1990 to the end of 2006, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, and their entrusted agencies, organized more than 230 consultation conferences, seminars and briefings, of which 74 were presided over by the general secretary of the CPC Central Committee. Over the past three years, democratic parties and personages without party affiliation have raised suggestions and proposals on the opinion-solicitation drafts of many important documents, such as the Decision of the CPC Central Committee on the Enhancement of the Party's Governance Capability, Decision of the CPC Central Committee on Some Major Issues Regarding the Building of a Harmonious Socialist Society, and Opinions of the CPC Central Committee on Further Strengthening the Building of the Multi-party Cooperation and Political Consultation System under the Leadership of the CPC. The CPC also listens to their opinions and suggestions on candidates for leaders of the National People's Congress and the CPPCC, amendments to the Constitution and a good number of drafts of state laws, including the Legislation Law, Anti-Secession Law, Law on Supervision of the Standing Committees of the People's Congresses at All Levels, Property Rights Law, the medium- and long-term plans for China's national economic and social development, such as the Outline of the 11th Five-Year Plan for the National Economic and Social Development of the People's Republic of China, as well as important matters bearing on the national economy and the people's livelihood, e.g., the building of a new socialist countryside and the reforms of the financial, healthcare and educational systems. Many of their suggestions and proposals have been adopted by the CPC Central Committee, the State Council and departments concerned.

Furthermore, the central committees of democratic parties and representatives of personages without party affiliation have submitted to the CPC Central Committee over 200 important written proposals. These proposals cover a wide range of subjects, including economy, politics, society, education, science and technology, culture, health, national defense, diplomacy and affairs regarding Chinese in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, such as those addressing issues of economic and social development of the Yangtze River Delta region, the Bohai Sea region, the economic zone on the west coast of the Taiwan Straits and the Beibu Gulf region, those addressing reforming the compensation mechanism for exploiting the resources of the headwaters of the Yangtze, Yellow and Lancang rivers as well as underdeveloped regions, and those addressing the deepening of the reform of the cultural system and the promotion of traditional Chinese culture. Their proposals are highly valued and accepted by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, and have produced good social effects. 

The system for local CPC committees at various levels to consult the leaders of local committees of democratic parties at the corresponding levels on major issues of respective regions has also been institutionalized. The extensive consultation conducted by the CPC committees with democratic parties at various levels has vigorously enhanced the scientific and democratic decision-making of the ruling party.

The CPC's consultation with democratic parties, personages without party affiliation and representatives from all walks of life at the CPPCC is another important way of political consultation. The CPPCC comprises members from 34 sectors, including the CPC, democratic parties, personages without party affiliation and representatives from all sections of society. Strengthening political consultation at the CPPCC is an essential aspect of developing socialist democracy and building socialist political civilization. Giving further play to the role of the CPPCC helps manifest and give full play to the characteristics and advantages of China's socialist political system and political party system, and contributes to the consolidation and development of a political situation characterized by democracy, solidarity, liveliness, dynamism, stability and harmony. 

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

As the party in power, the CPC has persisted in ruling the country scientifically, democratically and in accordance with law. As participating parties, the democratic parties also take part in running government and state affairs. In exercising state power, the CPC unites and cooperates with all the democratic parties and encourages them to play 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 National People's Congress (NPC) is the organ through which the Chinese people exercise state power; it is also an important place where the roles of the democratic party members are brought into play. A certain proportion of the membership of the people's congresses, their standing committees and special committees at various levels is taken up by members of democratic parties. Since the First Session of the 10th NPC in 2003, a total of 177,000 members of democratic parties and personages without party affiliation have been elected as deputies to the people's congresses at various levels, among whom seven have served as vice-chairpersons of the Standing Committee of the NPC and 50 served as Standing Committee members; 41 as vice-chairpersons of the standing committees of the people's congresses at the provincial level and 462 as their members, and 357 as vice-chairpersons of the standing committees of the people's congresses at the municipal level and 2,084 as their members. Performing their duties as representatives of the people, they have played an important role in participating in the enactment and amendment of the Constitution, state laws and local regulations, in electing, deciding on and dismissing state and government leaders, in examining and approving national economic and social development plans and reports on their implementation, as well as state budgets and reports on their implementation. They also play an essential role in reflecting the people's wishes by submitting motions, addressing inquiries and taking part in inspection tours and law-enforcement examinations.

It is a key part of the multi-party cooperation system under the leadership of the CPC that democratic party members take leadership positions in government and judicial organs. By the end of 2006, 31,000 democratic party members and personages without party affiliation took government official posts at and above the county (division) level. 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. Among these officials, 18 served as deputy leaders in the Supreme People's Court, the Supreme People's Procuratorate, and the various ministries, commissions, offices and bureaus directly under the State Council; 24 served as deputy provincial governors, vice-chairpersons and deputy mayors in the 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central government; 356 served as deputy mayors or deputy governors of the people's governments of 397 cities (prefectures, leagues, districts); 35 served as vice-presidents of provincial courts or deputy attorneys-general of provincial procuratorates; and 141 serve as vice-presidents of courts and deputy attorneys-general of procuratorates at the prefecture/city level. In addition, many members of the democratic parties and personages without party affiliation hold leading positions at institutions of higher learning, people's organizations, scientific research institutes, and state-owned enterprises. For instance, 69 of them assume such posts at the 93 research institutes under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and 38 at the 72 universities or colleges directly under the Ministry of Education. In 2007, two of them take up the positions of Minister of Science and Technology and Minister of Health, respectively.

The State Council and governments at all levels put great emphasis on strengthening contacts with democratic parties, opening up new channels for them to participate in and discuss state affairs. The major ways to keep in contact with them include: the State Council convenes forums attended by leaders of democratic parties to solicit ideas and suggestions from them on government's work reports to be submitted to the NPC for examination and approval, and on major state policies and administrative measures to be adopted, as well as informing them of the latest situation of national economic and social development; the State Council invites leaders of democratic parties to attend, as nonvoting delegates, plenary meetings and related meetings of the government when necessary; the government invites representatives of democratic parties to join inspections on anti-corruption work, overall improvement of public security and regularization of the market order; relevant government departments establish and strengthen contacts with the democratic parties in line with their given fields of work and invite leaders of the parties to attend important specialized meetings and take part in the formulation of key policies and plans when necessary. At present, all the democratic parties, in accordance with their specialties, have established contacts with relevant departments under the State Council, and cooperated with the government departments in joint research on promoting aptitude education, building a "Spark" science and technology belt ("Spark" is the name of a state program for scientific and technological development, and it is derived from the saying that "a single spark can start a prairie fire." --tr.), developing modern agriculture, popularizing the eco-homestead plan, strengthening the protection and development of marine resources, improving financial and taxation policies to encourage scientific and technological innovation, reforming the system of reward for scientific and technological work, implementing the state intellectual property rights strategy, and dealing with the shortage of water resources. The State Council and governments at all levels have also invited 767 members of democratic parties and personages without party affiliation to work as counselors in the counselors' offices of the governments, and invited 1,393 as staff members of the central and local research institutes of culture and history. 

Members of democratic parties have been invited to serve as special consultants in more and more fields. It is an important measure and institutional arrangement for them to play their role in democratic supervision to the full when the government departments and judicial organs concerned invite them to serve as special consultants. So far, 87 democratic party members and personages without party affiliation are working as special prosecutors, educational supervisors, special supervisors, special land resources inspectors, special auditors and special taxation supervisors at the invitation of the Supreme People's Procuratorate, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Supervision, Ministry of Land and Resources, National Audit Office and State Administration of Taxation. Local governments at different levels have also engaged 17,000 democratic party members and personages without party affiliation for similar purposes. These special experts serve as consultants and a bridge between the government and the people, and perform their democratic supervising duties by participating in law-enforcement inspection and supervision, in researches for the enactment of relevant laws and regulations, and in the investigation of major cases. For example, the National Audit Office organized special auditors to join in the major projects of auditing and investigating the implementation of the central budget, the fund for resettling residents in the Three Gorges Dam area, the fund for comprehensive agricultural development, funds for projects of investment, funds from World Bank loans and funds for grain bought on credit. In the last five years, the special supervisors of supervision departments at different levels received and brought to the attention of the authorities concerned 13,600 letters of complaint from people of all walks of life, and received 23,800 visitors, playing a special role in increasing the contacts between the supervisory bodies and the ordinary people.

As institutional arrangements for democratic parties to participate in key state and foreign affairs become more standardized, they are playing a greater role in these aspects. In recent years, central committee leaders of the democratic parties have attended important activities in foreign affairs on more than150 occasions, and led more than 60 delegations on overseas visits. Central committee leaders of democratic parties are invited to attend meetings between state or CPC Central Committee leaders and visiting foreign leaders. They are invited to attend major celebrations, visits conveying regards and appreciation, and commemorative activities.

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

The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) is a patriotic united front organization of the Chinese people, an important institution for multi-party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the CPC, and a major form of socialist democracy in China.

Members of democratic parties are important constituent parts of the CPPCC. 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 working organs. When the First Session of the 10th National Committee of the CPPCC was held in March 2003, for instance, 1,343members of democratic parties and personages without party affiliation served as members of the CPPCC National Committee, accounting for 60 percent of the total; of them 195 served as members of the standing committee, accounting for 65.2 percent of the total, and 13 were elected vice-chairpersons of the CPPCC National Committee, accounting for 54.2 percent of all vice-chairpersons. Altogether, 336,000 democratic party members and personages without party affiliation served as members in CPPCC provincial, city and county committees. In the name of the irrespective parties, members of democratic parties express their ideas at CPPCC meetings, and their rights for conducting inspections, putting forward motions, reporting on and reflecting public opinions, and participating in investigations and inspections are fully respected and guaranteed. The major roles of CPPCC members from democratic parties are as follows:

-- Participating actively in political consultation. Representatives of democratic parties make full use of various consultative forms provided by the CPPCC to conduct discussions and air their views and suggestions on major state and local policies, as well as significant issues relating to politics, economy, culture and social life, on CPPCC work participated in and shared by all democratic parties, and on major CPPCC internal affairs and patriotic united front work. Every New Year's Day and during the annual plenary session of the CPPCC National Committee, major CPC Central Committee leaders would discuss state affairs with democratic parties. All CPPCC members, including those from democratic parties, are entitled to attend major conferences of the National People's Congress as nonvoting delegates to discuss major state issues and air their views and suggestions on important issues relating to major state policies and people's livelihood. The continuously enriched content of the meetings of the CPPCC standing committees, of the chairpersons, of secretaries-general and of special committees has created favorable conditions for democratic parties to participate more widely in the work of political consultation. In recent years, democratic parties have taken an active part in special consultative conferences focusing on major topics of economic and social development held by the CPPCC and government departments concerned. For instance, in 2006 they participated in special conferences focusing on "Further Promoting the Strategy for the Development of the Western Region" and "Implementing the State's Mid- and Long-term Scientific and Technological Development Plan," during which they pooled their wisdom and voiced their expert opinions extensively, giving substantial support to the government's work in the related areas. 

-- Exercising democratic supervision. Democratic parties exercise their supervisory role on the implementation of the Constitution, laws and regulations, the implementation of major guiding principles and policies, and the work of state organs and their functionaries through CPPCC inspections, speeches at CPPCC meetings or in other ways. CPPCC members from democratic parties also exercise democratic supervision by participating in investigations and inspections organized by CPC committees and relevant government departments, or as special supervisors of judicial organs and government departments. From 1997 to 2006, central committee representatives of the democratic parties spoke (including handing in written speeches) 370 times at meetings of the CPPCC National Committee, addressing a series of significant issues relating to reform, development and social stability, such as accelerating the optimization and upgrading of industrial structures, promoting the development of cyclic economy, paying due attention to the management of disasters and the establishment of an emergency response system, safeguarding and guaranteeing the legitimate rights of migrant workers, improving the social security system, strengthening cultural construction in rural areas, securing inputs into education, especially basic education, proactively promoting education run by private sectors, accelerating the construction of the public health system, promoting reunification of the motherland and opposing secession, and developing cross-Straits economic and trade exchanges. Commenting freely on state affairs at the political forums of CPPCC conferences, their speeches represent the pooling of the wisdom of their parties, and many of their views and suggestions have been adopted.

-- Participating in and discussing state affairs in a deep-going way. CPPCC members from democratic parties have conducted investigations and research into key issues in Chinese political, economic, cultural and social life, and on problems of common concern to the people. Reflecting public opinion and sentiment, they have made a large number of comments and suggestions to the CPC and state organs by way of investigation reports, motions and proposals, or in other ways. From 1990 to 2006, more than 2,400 proposals were raised by democratic parties and their CPPCC members at national conferences of the CPPCC, dealing with such issues as the early legislation of an "anti-secession law," taxation reform in the rural areas, working hard to create a sound environment for the development of the non-public-owned economy, establishing a supervision mechanism for social security funds and setting up a social security system in rural China. Many of these proposals have either been adopted and implemented, or given rise to the enactment of relevant laws, or provided important reference for policy-making.