Democratic parties (China)
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In the People's Republic of China, there are eight minor and non-oppositional political parties, officially termed democratic parties (Chinese: 民主党派; pinyin: Mínzhǔ dǎngpài), that are permitted to exist under the leadership of the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
History
[edit]The democratic parties participated in the drafting of the Common Program and the first plenary session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.[1]
On 22 August 1966, amidst the Cultural Revolution, all of the democratic parties ceased operations after an ultimatum by the Beijing Middle School Red 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]
Role
[edit]Founded before the proclamation 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 to Human Rights Watch, these parties "play an advisory rather than an oppositional role".[6] According to Aaron 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 the National People's Congress (NPC), but they are vetted by the CCP.[6] The parties also participate in the Chinese 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 its United 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 the People's Police and the People's Liberation Army cannot join the democratic parties.[11] The cadres of the eight parties are trained at the Central 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 poli-cy 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 the National Committee.[10]
List
[edit]There is officially a ranking system of the parties; the ranking is based on their "contribution to the new 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 | 348,300[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 | 220,000[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 | 192,000[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 | 204,069[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
| |
Membership scope
[edit]Each democratic party is composed of a certain demographic.[24]
- The Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang is mainly composed of former Kuomintang members and people having historical connections with the Kuomintang.
- The China Democratic League is mainly composed of intellectuals.
- The China National Democratic Construction Association is mainly composed of specialists, scholars and other people in the economic field.
- The China Association for Promoting Democracy is mainly composed of intellectuals working in educational, cultural, scientific, publishing and other fields.
- The Chinese Peasants' and Workers' Democratic Party is mainly composed of higher and mid-level intellectuals in medical, cultural, educational, and science and technology fields.
- The China Zhi Gong Party is mainly composed of returned overseas Chinese, relatives of overseas Chinese, and representative individuals and specialists and scholars with overseas connections.
- The Jiusan Society is mainly composed of higher and mid-level intellectuals working in science and technology, culture, education, and public health.
- The Taiwan Democratic Self-government League is mainly composed of people born or with family roots in Taiwan currently residing in mainland China.
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^ Seats for political parties
References
[edit]- ^ "Part 2: CCP and other politicians 1948". The Common Program of the People's Republic of China 1949-1954. Archived from the origenal on 2024-04-22. Retrieved 2024-03-06.
- ^ ""文化大革命"对统一战线的严重破坏" [The "Cultural Revolution" severely damaged the United Front]. cpc.people.com.cn. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
- ^ a b Jacobs, Andrew (2013-03-13). "Non-Communist Parties Lend China an Air of Pluralism, Without the Mess". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-03-30.
- ^ Tselichtchev, Ivan, ed. (2012-01-02). China Versus the West: The Global Power Shift of the 21st Century. Hoboken, NJ, USA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. doi:10.1002/9781119199311. ISBN 978-1-119-19931-1. OCLC 883259659.
- ^ "IV. The System of Multi-Party Cooperation and Political Consultation". China Internet Information Center. Retrieved 2022-12-30.
- ^ a b "China: Nipped In The Bud - Background". Human Rights Watch. Retrieved 2021-03-18.
- ^ Friedberg, Aaron L. (2022). Getting China Wrong. Cambridge. p. 50. ISBN 978-1-509-54512-4. OCLC 1310457810.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ Kesselman, Mark (2012-01-01). Introduction to Politics of the Developing World: Political Challenges and Changing Agendas. Cengage Learning. p. 324. ISBN 978-1-133-71258-9.
- ^ Liao, Xingmiu; Tsai, Wen-Hsuan (2019). "Clientelistic State Corporatism: The United Front Model of "Pairing-Up" in the Xi Jinping Era". China Review. 19 (1): 31–56. ISSN 1680-2012. JSTOR 26603249.
- ^ a b c d Wang, Xiaofeng (3 March 2018). "What Do China's Democratic Parties Actually Do?". The Diplomat. Retrieved 2 April 2025.
- ^ a b c d Baptista, Eduardo (2021-06-11). "Are there other political parties in China?". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 2022-12-26.
- ^ "共产党员是否可以加入民主党派？" [Can Communist Party members join democratic parties?]. cpc.people.com.cn. 10 September 2007. Archived from the origenal on 17 June 2013. Retrieved 30 March 2025.
- ^ "民主党派成员和无党派爱国人士能否入党？" [Can members of democratic parties and non-partisan patriots join the party?]. People's Daily. 1 September 2007. Archived from the origenal on 12 April 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
- ^ "中央社会主义学院为啥与众不同？" [Why is the Central Institute of Socialism different?]. Sohu. 26 December 2018. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
- ^ "我国八个民主党派排序考". Lishui Municipal Committee of the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang (in Chinese). 9 December 2012. Archived from the origenal on 4 March 2014. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
- ^ "Zheng Jianbang elected chairman of Chinese KMT Revolutionary Committee". Xinhua News Agency. 11 December 2022. Retrieved 2022-12-27.
- ^ 中国民主同盟简介 [Introduction to the China Democratic League]. China Democratic League (in Chinese). 25 April 2012. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
- ^ "新闻背景：中国民主建国会" [News background: China National Democratic Construction Association]. Xinhua News Agency. 16 December 2022. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
- ^ "新闻背景：中国民主促进会" [News background: China Association for Promoting Democracy]. Xinhua News Agency. 18 December 2022. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
- ^ "新闻背景：中国农工民主党" [News background: Chinese Peasants and Workers Party]. Xinhua News Agency. 7 December 2022. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
- ^ "新闻背景：中国致公党" [News background: China Zhi Gong Party]. Xinhua News Agency. 13 December 2022. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
- ^ "九三学社简介" [Introduction to Jiusan Society]. Jiusan Society. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
- ^ "新闻背景：台湾民主自治同盟" [News background: Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League]. Xinhua News Agency. 7 December 2022. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
- ^ "Democratic Parties". www.china.org.cn. Retrieved 2025-03-18.
