CHINA’S POLITICAL PARTY SYSTEM

Part Two

　　II. A Basic Political System in China

　　According to the Chinese Constitution, “The People’s Republic of China is a socialist state governed by a people’s democratic dictatorship that is led by the working class and based on an alliance of workers and farmers.” 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 the system of multiparty cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC). The system of people’s congresses, the system of multiparty cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the CPC, the system of regional ethnic autonomy, and the system of self-governance at the primary level of society constitute the kernel and basic framework of China’s political system, and fully embody socialist democracy.

　　As one of China’s basic political system, the system of multiparty cooperation identifies the status and functions of the CPC and the democratic parties in the political life of the state, and the relations between the parties.

　　- The CPC holds the leadership and ruling position. Its leadership position was formed and consolidated during long years of the 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 a government with the people as the masters of the state, and safeguarded national unity and ethnic solidarity; established the socialist system and completed the most extensive and profound social transformation in Chinese history; and pioneered the socialist cause with Chinese characteristics and blazed a correct path toward national prosperity and a happy life for the people.

　　China is a large developing country with a territory of 9.6 million square kilometers, a population of 1.3 billion and 56 ethnic groups. To modernize such a populous country with such a vast landmass, it is imperative to have a 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 unity and social harmony and stability, and for the unity of over one billion people as they work together to create a bright future. This is a political consensus reached by people of all ethnic groups in the long years of the revolution, construction and reform.

　　-  The democratic parties are participants in state affairs. The inherent requirements of the people’s democratic dictatorship and the actual role played by the democratic parties in China’s political life determine their role as are participants in state affairs. 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 principles and policies, laws and regulations. Their status and rights as participating parties are protected by the Constitution and laws.

　　-  A new relationship of unity and cooperation has been established between the CPC and the democratic parties. The CPC has made friends with the democratic parties in their long years of common struggle. Its fundamental theory, line, platform 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 extensive 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 conducts political consultation with the democratic parties on major principles, policies and affairs, and they supervise each other. Second, members of the democratic parties hold an appropriate number of posts in organs of state power and perform their duties in accordance with the law. Third, members of the democratic parties hold leadership positions 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 affairs through the CPPCC. Fifth, the CPC supports the democratic parties to participate in the country’s reform, opening up and socialist modernization. Serving economic and social development is the main function of the democratic parties as participants in state affairs, and also a distinctive feature of China’s system of multiparty cooperation.

　　- The CPC and the eight democratic parties supervise each other. Such supervision is political supervision exercised by exchanging views and airing criticisms and suggestions. Since the CPC is the leading and ruling party, it needs to be subject to supervision by the democratic parties more than the other way round. This democratic supervision covers the implementation of the Constitution, laws and regulations; the formulation and implementation of major principles and policies of the CPC and government; and the work of CPC committees at all levels, as well as CPC-member officials’ performance of duties and clean governance. The supervision by the democratic parties is unique and important for strengthening and improving the CPC’s leadership and improving the socialist supervision system.

　　The system of multiparty cooperation 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 in accordance with the 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.

　　III. Major Manifestations of Socialist Democracy

　　Without democracy there can be no socialism and socialist modernization. It is an unswerving goal of the CPC and the democratic parties to realize and develop people’s democracy. China’s system of multiparty cooperation, 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 China’s system of multiparty cooperation. The CPC’s purpose is to serve the people wholeheartedly, and it represents the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of the Chinese people. The CPC’s exercise of leadership and power 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 fundamental interests of the people. The system of multiparty cooperation gives expression to both the firm leadership of the CPC and extensive democracy, maintains both consistency and diversity, and exhibits both order and vigor.

　　A major feature of China’s socialist democracy is the combination of democratic election and democratic consultation. In China, the system of people’s congresses and the system multiparty cooperation 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 from all walks of life to achieve as much consensus 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 system of multiparty cooperation are manifested as follows:

　　-  Political participation. The system of multiparty cooperation institutionalizes a channel for the political participation of the democratic parties, incorporates 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 a wide variety of proposals, 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 while maintaining social stability.

　　- Expression of interests. China is a large, populous country with a variety of social classes, strata and groups. While the people share the same fundamental interests, differences and conflicts in their specific interests exist. In particular, as the socialist market economy progresses and economic restructuring deepens, the social structure and the pattern of interests undergo great reshuffles, and people’s ideas change profoundly. The system of multiparty cooperation can effectively reflect the interests, wishes and demands of all sectors of society, clears and broadens the channels for the expression of interests, coordinates interests, 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 the democratic parties, the system of multiparty cooperation has forged a mighty power of social integration. Aiming at the paramount objective of building socialism with Chinese characteristics, the CPC cooperates closely with the democratic parties, creates strong political identification, facilitates optimized allocation of political resources, mobilizes the enthusiasm of all sectors, and leads and organizes 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 preventing drawbacks from arising from lack of supervision. The democratic parties represent specific interests and demands of their groups of people, report comments and suggestions from all walks of life, and provide all-round supervision of the CPC in addition to its self-supervision. This facilitates the scientific and democratic decision making of the ruling party, so that it resists and overcomes bureaucracy and all sorts of negative and corruptive phenomena more consciously, thus reinforcing and improving the work of the ruling party in all aspects.

　　-  Safeguarding of stability. The system of multiparty cooperation replaces confrontation and combat with cooperation and consultation and effectively prevents political instability and frequent changes of regime from resulting from discord among political parties, thus reducing internal frictions of society to the maximum, and safeguarding social and political stability and unity. Combining the firm leadership of the CPC with the extensive participation of the democratic parties, the system is able to effectively resolve various social problems and conflicts, and maintain political stability and social harmony.

　　China’s system of multiparty cooperation gives expression to the intrinsic requirement of socialist democracy that people are the masters of their country, as well as the characteristics and advantages of China’s political system. In these new historical circumstances, one of the key jobs for developing socialist democracy is adhering to and improving the system of multiparty cooperation under CPC leadership, which entails expanding citizens’ orderly political participation, broadening the channels for expressing interests at society and fostering harmonious social development.(To be continued)