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Multi-Party Cooperation and the Political  Consultative  System

China??s Eight Democratic Parties

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Apart from the CPC, there are eight other parties in China. Multi-party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the CPC is a basic political system in China. These parties, existing before the founding of the PRC, support the political leadership of the CPC, which has become their historical choice during the long years of cooperation and through common struggles. Both the CPC and the eight democratic parties must take the Constitution as the criterion for their activities. The democratic parties are independent in organization, and enjoy political freedom, organizational independence and legal equality under the Constitution. Cooperative relations between the CPC and the democratic parties are based on the principle of "long-term coexistence and mutual supervision, treating each other with full sincerity and sharing weal or woe".

The democratic parties in China are neither parties out of office nor opposition parties, but parties participating in the discussion and management of State affairs, including participating in State power, decisions on State policies and strategies, discussions about State leadership, administration of State affairs, and implementation of State policies, laws and regulations. Major forms of cooperation and consultation are: First, the CPPCC, an important arena for all parties, mass organizations and representatives from all walks of life to participate in the discussion and management of State affairs; second, the CPC Central Committee and local CPC committees at different levels hold symposiums informing democratic parties and non-party personages of important events, and discuss with them State policy decisions, such as the nomination of candidates for State and local government positions, choice of deputies to the NPC and members of the CPPCC, and solicit their opinions and suggestions; third, people's congress deputies selected from democratic parties participate in the discussion and administration of State affairs and play a supervisory role in people's congresses at various levels in the capacity of people's deputies; fourth, selecting and appointing members of democratic parties to leading posts in the State Council and its relevant ministries and commissions, and in local governments above the county level and relevant departments; and fifth, electing qualified members of democratic parties to leading posts in procuratorial and judicial organs.

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