In thePeople's Republic of China, there are eight minor and non-oppositional political parties, officially termeddemocratic parties (Chinese:民主党派;pinyin:Mínzhǔ dǎngpài), that are permitted to exist by the rulingChinese Communist Party (CCP).
The democratic parties participated in the drafting of theCommon Program and thefirst plenary session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.[1]
On 22 August 1966, amidst theCultural Revolution, all of the democratic parties ceased operations after an ultimatum by the Beijing Middle SchoolRed Guards. They did not restore their operations until 1978.[2] From the mid-1980s to 2013, their membership increased from 170,000 to 700,000.[3]
Founded before theproclamation of the People's Republic of China, these parties must accept the "leading role" of the CCP as a condition of their continued existence.[4] The official party system of the PRC is termed the "system of multi-party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the CCP." The relationship between these parties and the CCP has officially been described as "long-term coexistence and mutual supervision, treating each other with full sincerity and sharing weal or woe".[5] According toHuman Rights Watch, these parties "play an advisory rather than an oppositional role".[6] According toAaron Friedberg, these parties' "purpose is to create the illusion of inclusiveness and representation."[7]
The democratic parties take part in "united front work" and also take part in the political system, but they have no power at a national level.[8][9] The Chinese political system allows for the participation of some members of the eight minor parties and other non-CCP members in theNational People's Congress (NPC), but they are vetted by the CCP.[6] The parties also participate in theChinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).[3] The democratic parties are funded by the fiscal revenue of the government.[10] One of the ways the CCP controls the minor parties is through itsUnited Front Work Department (UFWD), which vets the membership applications and selects who is the leader of these parties.[11] UFWD also keeps the parties in check by preventing them from expanding widely in counties and villages.[11]
Prospective party members need a reference from senior party members to join the party.[10] CCP members are usually not allowed to join the democratic parties, though they can transfer to work at the democratic parties subject to the request and consent of democratic parties and with the approval of the higher CCP Party committee.[12] Members of democratic parties can apply to join the CCP without needing to withdraw from the democratic parties.[13] Members of thePeople's Police and thePeople's Liberation Army cannot join the democratic parties.[11] The cadres of the eight parties are trained at theCentral Institute of Socialism.[14]
The work of democratic parties are mainly consultative in nature, including doing research, making proposals and giving advice to the CCP. Since the early 1990s, the democratic parties have been tasked with conducting surveys on various matters.[11] Members can do a policy survey by drafting a brief plan, which includes problem description, object, and research design, to their local branch, which is submitted each March. If approved, members receive research funding and are given six months to finish the research. A meeting is then held in September to discuss the results.[10]
Party members can also file a problem report of approximately 1,000 words including a summary of the problem, analysis, and advice and submit it to the Department of Political Participation of the local party branch, which can refer it to higher authorities including the local CPPCC branch or the UFWD based on its quality. Proposals at the local level can either be adopted or added to the party's proposals at the CPPCC, while an explanation is given if the proposal is rejected. Senior party members, who are elected as members of the CPPCC, can directly submit proposals to the CPPCC's local committees and theNational Committee.[10]
There is officially a ranking system of the parties; the ranking is based on their "contribution to thenew democratic revolution".[15]
| Party | Year founded | Members (2022) | Chairperson | NPC seats | NPCSC seats | NCCPPCC seats[a] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang (RCCK) 中国国民党革命委员会 (民革)Zhōngguó Guómíndǎng Gémìng Wěiyuánhuì (Míngé) | 1948 | 158,000[16] | Zheng Jianbang 郑建邦 | 44 / 2,980 | 6 / 175 | 65 / 544 | |
| China Democratic League (CDL) 中国民主同盟 (民盟)Zhōngguó Mínzhǔ Tóngméng (Mínméng) | 1941 | 356,900[17] | Ding Zhongli 丁仲礼 | 57 / 2,980 | 9 / 175 | 65 / 544 | |
| China National Democratic Construction Association (CNDCA) 中国民主建国会 (民建)Zhōngguó Mínzhǔ Jiànguó Huì (Mínjiàn) | 1945 | 237,526[18] | Hao Mingjin 郝明金 | 57 / 2,980 | 3 / 175 | 65 / 544 | |
| China Association for Promoting Democracy (CAPD) 中国民主促进会 (民进)Zhōngguó Mínzhǔ Cùjìn Huì (Mínjìn) | 1945 | 200,000[19] | Cai Dafeng 蔡达峰 | 58 / 2,980 | 7 / 175 | 45 / 544 | |
| Chinese Peasants' and Workers' Democratic Party (CPWDP) 中国农工民主党 (农工党)Zhōngguó Nónggōng Mínzhǔdǎng (Nónggōngdǎng) | 1930 | 192,000[20] | He Wei 何维 | 54 / 2,980 | 7 / 175 | 45 / 544 | |
| China Zhi Gong Party (CZGP) 中国致公党 (致公党)Zhōngguó Zhì Gōng Dǎng (Zhìgōngdǎng) | 1925 | 69,000[21] | Jiang Zuojun 蒋作君 | 38 / 2,980 | 3 / 175 | 30 / 544 | |
| Jiusan Society (JS) 九三学社Jiǔsānxuéshè | 1945 | 222,000[22] | Wu Weihua 武维华 | 63 / 2,980 | 4 / 175 | 45 / 544 | |
| Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League (TDSL) 台湾民主自治同盟 (台盟)Táiwān Mínzhǔ Zìzhì Tóngméng (Táiméng) | 1947 | 3,400[23] | Su Hui 苏辉 | 13 / 2,980 | 3 / 175 | 20 / 544 | |
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