China’s non-communist parties introduce their missions, contributions

BEIJING, March 8 (Xinhua) — To name China’s eight non-communist parties is
quite challenging for many foreigners, let alone understand the differences
between them.

A chance was offered Tuesday as the parties’ leaders came to a press
conference to introduce how their organizations have effectively
participated in China’s system of multiparty cooperation and political
consultation, and made contributions to the modernization drive of the
country.The press conference was held on the sidelines of the ongoing first
session of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political
Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the top political advisory body, many of
whose members are from the parties.

WHO THEY ARE

— The Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang (RCCK) was founded
in 1948 in Hong Kong.
— The China Democratic League (CDL), founded in 1941, mainly consists of
intellectuals working in the fields of culture, education, science, and
technology.
— The China National Democratic Construction Association (CNDCA), founded
in 1945, mainly consists of patriotic industrialists, business people, and
intellectuals.
— The China Association for Promoting Democracy (CAPD), founded in 1945,
mainly consists of intellectuals working in the fields of culture,
education, publishing, and science.
— The Chinese Peasants and Workers Democratic Party (CPWDP), founded in
1930, mainly consists of leading intellectuals in the fields of health
care, population resources, and ecological protection.
— The China Zhi Gong Party, founded in 1925, mainly consists of overseas
Chinese who have returned to the mainland, relatives of nationals living
abroad as well as those with close connections with overseas Chinese.
— The Jiusan Society, founded in 1945, mainly consists of senior and
mid-level intellectuals engaged in science, technology, culture, education,
medical and health work.
— The Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League, founded in 1947, mainly
consists of Taiwanese living in the mainland.

HOW IT WORKS

The leaders shared the highlights of their participation in political
consultation, deliberation of state affairs, and democratic supervision.

A considerable number of members of the non-communist parties are deputies
to the National People’s Congress or members of the National Committee of
the CPPCC, able to participate in the country’s top-level legislative
affairs or political consultations.The non-communist parties have also
launched a series of supervisory investigations on issues such as health
care, education, regional economic integration, and poverty reduction.
The investigation reports often go directly to the Communist Party of China
(CPC) Central Committee or the State Council and many helped in formulating
policies and laws, according to Wan Exiang, chairperson of the RCCK Central
Committee.

NEW TYPE OF PARTY SYSTEM

President Xi Jinping shared his understanding of China’s party system while
attending a joint panel discussion with political advisors on Sunday.
The system of multiparty cooperation and political consultation led by the
CPC is “a new type of party system growing from China’s soil,” said Xi,
also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the
Central Military Commission.

The Chinese system is new, because it unites all political parties and
people without party affiliation toward a common goal, effectively
preventing the flaws of the absence of oversight in one-party rule, or
power rotation and nasty competition among multiple political parties,
according to Xi.When asked to comment on Xi’s words, Hao Mingjin, head of
the CNDCA Central Committee, said China’s party system has unique creative
elements with Chinese characteristics.

The new system had offered a Chinese approach and Chinese wisdom to the
development of party politics around the world, said Hao.
Ding Zhongli, chairperson of the CDL Central Committee and vice president
of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), also summarized the differences
between China’s multiparty cooperation system, and the one-party system or
competitive multiparty politics in other countries.