Multi-party Cooperative Cause Sees Major Progress in Past Decade

Treating each other with all sincerity and sharing weal and woe. Over the past 10-odd years, major progress has been made in China's multi-party cooperative cause, presenting an unprecedented situation featuring unity, stability, inspiration and liveliness.

Members of the various democratic parties and people without party affiliation have made important contributions to building socialism with Chinese characteristics by exhibiting their enthusiasm and creativeness.

The multi-party cooperation and political consultation system led by the Communist Party of China (CPC) has become increasingly important in the political life of the State.

Ten years ago, with the formulation of the Opinion of the CPC Central Committee On Upholding and Improving the Multi-Party Cooperation and Political Consultation System led by the Communist Party of China, the status of various democratic parties as political parties participating in the administration of State affairs had been further ascertained.

In 1992, the 14th National Congress of the CPC listed the improvement of the multi-party cooperation and political consultation system under the leadership of the CPC as an important content of the theory of building socialism with Chinese characteristics;

In 1993, the First Session of the Eighth National People's Congress (NPC) had the "long-term existence and development of the multi-party cooperation and political consultation system led by the CPC" written into the Constitution, which thus became the national will;

In 1997, the 15th National Congress of the CPC incorporated the upholding and improvement of this system into the CPC's basic program for the primary stage of socialism.

Over the past dozen years or so, the CPC Central Committee, the State Council or the entrusted department concerned have held more than 150 consultative conferences, forums and information transmission meetings, far outnumbering those in previous periods.

A system whereby the CPC Central Committee and the State Council conduct consultations with democratic parties and people without party affiliation on questions regarding fundamental policies has basically taken shape.

New progress has also been made in the arrangement of actual official posts for non-Party personages. In the country's 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities, there are members of democratic parties and personages without party affiliation serving as deputy governors, vice-chairpersons, deputy mayors or assistants.

The role of democratic parties in the NPC and CPPCC has been brought into fuller play. By the end of last year, more than 120,000 members of democratic parties and personages without party affiliation had been elected as deputies to people's congresses at various levels, and over 240,000 members of democratic parties and personages without party affiliation had been invited to serve as CPPCC members at all levels.

Through the election of new officials to the NPC and the CPPCC, in particular, chairpersons of the central committee of the eight democratic parties have become for the first time vice-chairpersons of the NPC Standing Committee or of the CPPCC National Committee.

The channels for democratic parties to participate in the administration and discussion of State affairs and to exercise democratic supervision have been further broadened.

Over the past 10 years or more, the various democratic parties, on the basis of investigation and study, have put forward more than 110 major proposals to the concerned departments of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, many of which have been accepted and produced important results.

China is a country of many peoples and many political parties. Before the state adopts important measures or makes decisions on issues having a bearing on the national economy and the people's livelihood, the CPC, as the party in power, consults with representatives of all ethnic groups, political parties and non-Party personages, and all other social sectors, in order to reach a common understanding.

This system of multi-party cooperation and political consultation led by the CPC is a basic political system in China.Multi-party cooperation and political consultation take two principal forms: (1) The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC); (2) consultative conferences and forums participated in by non-Communist parties and unaffiliated democrats at the invitation of the CPC Central Committee and local Party committees.

The CPPCC is neither a state organ, nor an ordinary mass organization. It is a widely representative, patriotic united front organization of the Chinese people, first established in September 1949. The CPPCC has a national committee and local committees established in the provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the Central Government and counties (cities). The CPPCC consists of representatives of the CPC, the non-Communist parties, unaffiliated individuals, people's organizations, ethnic minorities and other social strata, compatriots from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao, returned overseas Chinese, and specially invited individuals.

The committees at various levels hold plenary sessions once a year. When the committee is not in session, special activities for the committee members are organized, including inspection tours of various localities. Consultative discussions are held on significant issues relating to major state policies, important local affairs, the people's livelihood and united front work.

Democratic supervision is exercised over the work of state organs and the fulfillment of the Constitution and laws through the offering of opinions, proposals and criticisms. When the people's congresses are convened, CPPCC committee members are invited to attend and fully air their views.

The current chairman of the CPPCC National Committee is Li Ruihuan. Once a year, the leaders of the CPC Central Committee invite the leaders of the non-Communist parties and representatives of non-Party democrats to meetings for consultation; forums are held every other month. The former focus on major state policies; the latter on information exchanges, reception of policy proposals and discussion of certain special issues.

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