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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