Democratic parties (China)

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).

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]

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]

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.^{[7] [8]} 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] According to Aaron Friedberg, these parties' "purpose is to create the illusion of inclusiveness and representation."^[9] 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.^[10]

The CCP funds the democratic parties.^[3] One of the ways the CCP controls the minor parties is through its United Front Work Department (UFWD), which vets the membership applications and controls who is the leader of these parties.^[10] UFWD also keeps the parties in check by preventing them from expanding widely in counties and villages.^[10] The cadres of the eight parties are trained at the Central Institute of Socialism.^[11] 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.^[10]

There is officially a ranking system of the parties; the ranking is based on their "contribution to the new democratic revolution".^[14]

Each democratic party is composed of a certain demographic.^[23]

• 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 higher and mid-level 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.

• Bloc party
• List of political parties in China

• Democratic parties of China
• Political parties in China
• Types of political parties

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