Apart from the CPC--the ruling party, there are eight other parties in China's mainland, collectively called "democratic parties." They are the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang, China Democratic League, China Democratic National Construction Association, China Association for Promoting Democracy, China Peasants and Workers' Democratic Party, China Zhi Gong Dang, Jiu San Society and Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League.
Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, all these parties, taking the Common Program of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the Constitution of the PRC and the Constitution of the CPPCC as their political programs, have taken an active part in state administration and the work of the CPPCC. They played an important role in consolidating people's democratic dictatorship, achieving the smooth completion of the socialist transformation and prompting the socialist construction. After the country entered the new era of socialist modernization, these parties also undertook fundamental changes accordingly. They are currently political unions of socialist laborers and socialism-supporting patriots who rally to them. They are also friendly parties to the CPC that, under the leadership of the CPC, make concerted efforts to advance the socialist cause. Active in political life, these parties have made significant contribution to the country's reform, opening up and socialist modernization. They are both an important component of the patriotic united front and a principal force to safeguard national stability and unity and prompt socialist modernization and national reunification.
Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang
The Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang was inaugurated by democratic elements of the Kuomintang and other patriotic democratic persons in Hong Kong On January 1, 1948. Except Hong Kong and Tibet, it currently has provincial branches in China's 30 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities, consisting of nearly 80,000 members and more than 3,879 grassroots organizations. Successive chairpersons of the Central Committee of the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang are Li Jishen, He Xiangning (female), Zhu Yunshan, Wang Kunlun, Qu Wu, Zhu Xuefan and Li Peiyao. Its present chairwoman is He Luli (female).
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Officials from the United Front Work Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China report the anti-corruption work to leaders of democratic parties and representatives of non-party personages.
China Democratic League
The China Democratic League was first established in November 1939. It created Guangming News in Hong Kong in October 1941 and formally published an inaugural declaration. In September 1944, it was renamed the China Democratic League and decided to replace group membership with personal membership. The league is mainly made up by intellectuals in the fields of culture, education, science and technology. By the end of 2005, it had more than 175,000 members, as well as 30 provincial branches, 391 committees at city and county levels and 7,477 grassroots organizations.
Honorary Chairmen of the Ninth Central Committee of the China Democratic League (2002-present) are Fei Xiaotong (dead), Qian Weichang, Tan Jiazhen, Su Buqing (dead) and Ding Shisun. Its present chairman is Jiang Shusheng.
China Democratic National Construction Association
The China Democratic National Construction Association was founded by a number of national industrialists and business people in Chongqing on December 16, 1945. It now has branches in 30 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities, as well as a number of big and medium-sized cities. The more than 100,000 members of the association are mainly composed of representatives in business and other fields.
Chairman of the First and Second central committees of the association is Huang Yanpei; Third and Fourth central committees, Hu Juewen; and Fifth and Sixth central committees, Sun Qimeng. Cheng Siwei served as chairman of the Seventh Central Committee and is incumbent chairman of the Eighth Central Committee (2002-present).
China Association for Promoting Democracy
Founded in Shanghai in December 1945, original members of the China Association for Promoting Democracy were mainly intellectuals in the fields of culture, education, publishing and science and technology. By the end of 2005, its network had covered 29 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities, consisting of 302 branches at city and county levels and 5,806 grassroots organizations. It currently has a membership of 99,000, of which personnel from the education sector account for 69 percent, those from the literary and art circles, 6.2 percent, those from the press and publishing sectors, 2.1 percent, and those from the science and technology, health care, business and law sectors, 22.7 percent. Of the members, there are 58 deputies to the National People's Congress, 79 members of the CPPCC National Committee, as well as 1,638 deputies to people's congresses at provincial, city and county levels and 8,795 members of local committees of the CPPCC at provincial, city and county levels. In addition, 558 members are on positions with actual duties at and above the rank of deputy department director in central and local governments.
Lei Jieqiong is honorary chairwomen of the association's central committee and its present chairman is Xu Jialu.
China Peasants and Workers' Democratic Party
The China Peasants and Workers' Democratic Party was founded August 1930, earlier than the country's other democratic parties. Its members are mainly intellectuals in the fields of medical science and representative personages in big and medium-sized cities. Except Taiwan and Tibet, it currently has branches in 30 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities, consisting of more than 100,000 members. Successive leaders and chairmen of the Central Committee of the China Peasants and Workers' Democratic Party are Deng Yanda, Huang Qixiang, Zhang Bojun, Peng Zemin, Ji Fang, Zhou Gucheng and Lu Jiaxi. Its present honorary chairman is Lu Jiaxi and chairman is Jiang Zhenghua. Qianjin Luntan (Forwarding Forum magazine) is the organ of its central committee.
China Zhi Gong Dang
Initiated by the American Zhi Gong Zong Tang, an organization of overseas Chinese, China Zhi Gong Dang was founded in San Francisco in October 1925. Its members are mainly returned overseas Chinese and their relatives, and experts, scholars and representative figures with overseas relations. Its 26,041 members belong to 18 provincial branches and two city-level organizations directly under the central committee. Successive chairmen of the Central Committee of China Zhi Gong Dang are Chen Qiyou, Huang Dingchen and Dong Yinchu. Its present honorary chairman is Dong Yinchu and chairman is Luo Haocai.
Jiu San Society
The predecessor of the Jiu San Society is the Forum on Democracy and Science created in Chongqing at the end of 1944. Later, in commemoration of victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and in the World Anti-Fascist War on September 3, 1945, it adopted the name Jiu San Forum ("Jiu San" means "September 3" in Chinese). On May 4, 1946, the Jiu San Society was formally founded. Its members are mainly intellectuals in the fields of science and technology. It currently has committees or preparatory committees in 286 counties and cities in 30 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities. Of its 102,000 members, those with senior professional titles account for 61.2 percent. They also include 104 members of the CPPCC National Committee, 70 deputies to the National People's Congress, 19 vice chairpersons of provincial committees of the CPPCC, four vice chairpersons of standing committees of provincial people's congresses and four vice governors (mayors) of provinces (municipalities directly under the Central Government). In addition, 150 academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering are members of the society.
Successive chairmen of the Central Committee of the Jiu San Society are Xu Deheng, Zhou Peiyuan and Wang Ganchang. Its present honorary chairman is Wu Jieping and chairman is Han Qide. Its organ is Minzhu Yu Kexue (Democracy and Science magazine).
Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League
The Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League is composed of people who are either from, or have family roots in, Taiwan, but now reside in China's mainland. It was founded in Hong Kong on November 12, 1947, later moving its central committee to Shanghai in 1949 and to Beijing in 1955. The league currently has committees in 25 provinces and municipalities that are home to large numbers of people originating in Taiwan. Its members are mainly in the fields of education, science and technology, medical science, economics, culture and publishing, who have broad connections with people in the island and people of Taiwan origin living abroad. Current Honorary Chairman of the league is Cai Zimin and chairman is Lin Wenyi (female).