The multi-party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the CPC is a basic political system of China. China is a multi-ethnic and multi-party country with a large population. In order to strengthen the unity and cooperation among all ethnic groups, political parties, social sectors and democratic personages without party affiliation and promote the progress of the cause of socialist construction, full consultation will be conducted with representatives from all walks of life before the state makes major policy decisions. Since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, consultation has been conducted in the CPPCC on many major issues concerning China's economic development, political life, social activities and the united front. This consultation carried out through full discussions and repeated exchanges of views by a cross-section of people ensures that all policies, laws and statutes formulated by the state are more substantial and complete, which not only conform to the demands and aspirations of the overwhelming majority of the people but also have respect for the reasonable views of the minority. This practice of making policy decisions through political consultation constitutes an important feature and advantage of China's socialist democracy.

The Establishment of the CPPCC

The CPPCC was established on the eve of the birth of New China. From 21 to 30 September 1949, the CPPCC held its First Plenary Session. The meeting was broadly represented. Attending the meeting were 662 representatives from 45 different units, including the CPC, democratic parties, mass organizations, various localities, the People's Liberation Army, ethnic minorities, overseas Chinese, religious groups and specially invited personages. The CPPCC at its First Plenary Session functioned in an acting capacity, exercising the functions and powers of the National People's Congress. Representing the will of all the Chinese people, it proclaimed the founding of the People's Republic of China. It adopted the Common Program of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference which was in the nature of a provisional constitution of China, the Organic Law of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and the Organic Law of the Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China. The meeting decided to make Beijing the Capital of the People's Republic of China, the five-star red flag the national flag, the song of March of the Volunteers the national anthem and decided that China should adopt the common era calendar. The meeting elected the chairman, vice-chairmen and members of the Central People's Government and elected the First National Committee of the CPPCC.

In the first five years after the founding of the People's Republic of China, the CPPCC played an important role in uniting with the People of all ethnic groups to consolidate the people's democratic political power, restore and develop the national economy, conduct social reforms and expand the united front.

The Development of the CPPCC

The Constitution of the People's Republic of China was adopted at the First Session of the First National People's Congress in September 1954. In December of the same year, the Constitution of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference was adopted at the First Session of the Second National Committee of the CPPCC, and it stated that the Common Program was to be replaced by the Constitution of the country, and the Plenary Session of the CPPCC was to cease exercising the functions and powers of the National People's Congress. The CPPCC, however, would continue to exist and play its role as an organization of the united front. In more than ten years from 1955 to 1966, its Second, Third and Fourth National Committees and its local committees at all levels played a very important role in uniting with the People of all ethnic groups and all patriotic forces, livening up the political life of the country, promoting people's democracy, expanding the people's democratic united front and encouraging all positive factors to serve the cause of the socialist revolution and construction.

In December 1978, the Eleventh Central Committee of the CPC at its Third Plenary Session began to correct completely and earnestly the "Leftist" errors committed during the "Cultural Revolution", and made a strategic decision to shift the priority of work to the socialist modernization drive, thus ushering in a new period of development for China and for the CPPCC as well. The Constitution of the CPPCC provides that on the political basis of love for the People's Republic of China and support for the leadership given by the CPC and for the socialist cause, the tasks of the CPPCC are as follows: to exert every effort to further consolidate and broaden the patriotic united front, bring into play all positive factors, unite with all the people that can be united, work with one heart and one mind, pool the wisdom and efforts of everyone, take economic development as the central task, maintain and develop the political situation characterized by stability and unity, promote the building of socialist democracy and the socialist legal system as well as socialist cultural and ethical progress, expedite development of a socialist market economy and strive to accomplish the fundamental tasks of the people of all ethnic groups in China.

It is stipulated in the Constitution of the People's Republic of China that the system of multi-party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the CPC will last and develop for a long time to come. The CPPCC, a key organizational form for implementing this basic system, will continue to play an important role in China's social and political life and friendly activities and contacts with other countries, in carrying out the modernization drive, safeguarding the unification of the country and enhancing the unity of all ethnic groups.

The Main Functions of the CPPCC

Political Consultation, Democratic Supervision and Participation in the Deliberation and Administration of State Affairs

As is stipulated in the Constitution of the CPPCC, its main functions are to conduct political consultation and democratic supervision and organize all parties, mass organizations and personages of all ethnic groups and various sectors that have joined the CPPCC for participation in the deliberation and administration of state affairs.

Political consultation refers to consultation carried out prior to the decision-making on major policies of the state and localities and import questions in political, economic and cultural life and social activities as well as on important issues arising in the process of implementing the policy decisions. Democratic supervision refers to supervision carried out by making suggestions and criticisms on the implementation of the state's Constitution, laws and statutes, major policies and principles and the performance of the state organs and their functionaries. Participation in the deliberation and administration of state affairs refers to the expansion and extension of political consultation and democratic supervision, and a generalized statement of organized multi-form participation of personages of all parties, organizations, ethnic groups and social sectors that are members of the CPPCC in the political life of the country.

In order to regularize and institutionalize political consultation and democratic supervision, the Standing Committee of the Eighth National Committee of the CPPCC at its Ninth Session in January 1995 adopted the Regulations of the CPPCC National Committee on Political Consultation, Democratic Supervision and Participation in the Deliberation and Administration of State Affairs, in which specific provisions are laid down with regard to the objectives, contents, forms and procedures of political consultation, democratic supervision and participation in the deliberation and administration of state affairs.

The objectives of Political Consultation, Democratic Supervision and Participation in the Deliberation and Administration of State Affairs

The objectives are to promote socialist democracy, report the opinions and demands of all social sectors and keep various channels open for the democratic parties, democratic personages without party affiliation, mass organizations, personages of ethnic minorities and patriotic figures from all sectors that are members of the CPPCC to play their role and pool their wisdom in promoting scientific and democratic decision-making on major matters of the country; to supervise the implementation of the national Constitution, laws, policies and principles, help and urge state organs to improve their work and efficiency, overcome bureaucracy and combat cases of corruption; to help to achieve socialist material, cultural and ethical progress, build an advanced socialist democracy and legal system and step up the development of socialist market economy and social productivity; to coordinate the relations among all sectors of the society, help them to communicate with and understand one another and enhance the unity and cooperation of all parties under the leadership of the CPC; and to follow the principles of "peaceful reunification" and "one country, two systems" and work for the great cause of reunification of the motherland.

The Contents and Forms of Political Consultation, Democratic Supervision and Participation in the Deliberation and Administration of State Affairs

Political consultation mainly covers the following contents: important policies and principles and plans of the state concerning the build-up of the socialist material civilization, socialist cultural and ethical progress, socialist democracy and legal system and the reform and opening-up; reports on the work of the government; the state's fiscal budget; state plan for socio-economic development; important events in the political life of the state; drafts of major laws of the state; candidates for leaders proposed by the CPC Central Committee; changes of administrative divisions at the provincial level; important foreign policies; related principles on the rectification of the motherland; major questions concerning people's livelihood; matters of common concern to all parties; important internal affairs in the CPPCC and other important issues concerning the patriotic united front. The main forms of political consultation include plenty sessions of the National Committee of the CPPCC, meetings of its Standing Committee, meeting of its chairman and vice-chairmen, seminars of members of its Standing Committee, meeting of its special committees and consultative forums to be held, when necessary, with the participation of representatives of different parties, democratic personages without party affiliation, mass organizations, ethnic minorities and patriotic personages of different sectors.

Democratic supervision mainly consists of monitoring the enforcement of the state's Constitution, laws and regulations; the execution of important guidelines and policies formulated by the CPC Central Committee and the leading organs of the state; implementation of plans for national socio-economic development and fiscal budget; the performance of state organs and their functionaries in doing their duties, observing laws and disciplines, and keeping the government honest and upright and the performance of the units and individuals that have joined the CPPCC in abiding by the Constitution of the CPPCC and implementing its resolutions. The main forms of democratic supervision include the presentation of proposals to the CPC Central Committee and the State Council tech the plenary sessions, the Standing Committee meeting or the meeting of the chairman and vice-chairmen of the National Committee of the CPPCC; the submission of proposals or reports by special committees of the CPPCC National Committee; inspection tours, motions and offence reports or criticisms and suggestions in other forms by the members of the CPPCC National Committee; rticipation in investigation and inspection programs organized by the departments concerned of the CPC central Committee and the State Council.

Participation in the deliberation and administration of state affairs is actually political consultation and democratic supervision in their extended form. Apart from the relevant stipulations concerning political consultation and democratic upervision, this participation, in content and form, covers organizing investigation and research in subjects of interest to the general public, to which the Party and government departments attach importance and which the CPPCC is in a position to do, taking initiative to submit constructive recommendations to the leading organs of the Party and the government, and giving full play to the expertise and role of the CPPCC members by opening all avenues for their talent and encoding them to air their views freely and offer advice and suggestions for the cause of reform and opening-up and the socialist modernization drive.

The Organization of the CPPCC

Organizational Principles

The CPPCC has a national committee and local committees. All parties and organizations that endows the Constitution of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference may join the CPPCC national committee or local committee with the approval bough consultation of its standing committee. Individuals may join the CPPCC national committee or local committee with invitation through consultation by its standing committee. All parties, organizations and individuals that have joined the CPPCC have the obligations to abide by and implement the Constitution of the CPPCC and also the freedom to withdraw from the CPPCC. The national committee is related to local committees by giving them guidance. A local committee provides guidance to a local committee at the lower level. It is obligatory on local committees to observe and implement the national resolutions of the national committee, and it is obligatory on a local committee at a lower level to comply with and cab out the regional resolutions of the local committee at the higher level.

All units and individuals that have joined the CPPCC have the right to participate in political consultation, democratic supervision and the deliberation and ministration of the CPPCC through its meetings, organizations and activities. The adoption of motions of plenty sessions of the national committee and local committee or of their standing committee requires more than half of the votes of all their members respectively. All unit and individuals that have joined the national committee or a local committee have the obligations to observe and cop out the resolutions adopted. Any abet or individual that takes exception to them may voice reservations while resolutely carrying out the resolutions. If any unit or individual seriously Violates the Constitution of the CPPCC or any of the resolutions of the plenary sessions and the standing committees, the act or person concerned will be given a disciplined warning or disqualified from joining the CPPCC by the standing committee of the national committee or that of a local committee respectively in the light of different circumstances.

The National Committee

There have been nine national committees since the establishment of the CPPCC. Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, Deng Xiaoping, Deng Yingchao, Li Xiannian and Li Ruihuan were chairmen or chairwoman of the previous eight national committees. Li Ruihuan was reelected Chairman of the Ninth National Committee at its First Session held in March 1998.

The participating units, the number of members and the candidates of each national Committee are decided upon through consultation by the standing committee of the previous national committee. During the tenure of each national committee, necessary additions or changes in the participating units, the number of members and candidates of the national committee are decided upon through consultation by the standing committee of the current session. The Ninth National Committee consists of 34 units: the Communist Party of China, the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomingtang, the China Democratic League, the China Democratic National Construction Association, the China Association for Promoting Democracy, the Chinese Peasants and Workers Democratic Party, the China Zhi Gong Party, the Jiu San Society, the Taiwan Democratic Self-government League, democratic personages without party affiliation, the Communist Youth League of China, the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, the All-China Women's Federation, the All-China Youth Federation, the All -China Federation of Industry and Commerce, the China Association for Science and Technology, the ALL-China Federation of Taiwan Compatriots, the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, the circles of literature and art, science and Technology, social sciences, economics, agriculture, education, sports, the press and publication, and medicine and health, organizations of friendship with foreign countries, social welfare organizations, ethnic minorities, religious groups, specially invited figures horn Hong Kong and Macao and other specially invited personages. There are altogether 2,196 members in the current National Committee and 290 members in its Standing Committee.

The national committee is elected for a term of five years and holds a plenty session once a year. It has a chairman, a number of vice-chairmen, a secretary-general and a standing committee which is in charge of the administrative affairs of the organization. The standing Committee is composed of the chairman, vice-chairmen, secretary-general and other members. Candidates for the standing Committee are nominated, through consultation, by the parties, organizations, ethnic groups and public figures from all quarters that have joined the national committee of the CPPCC, and are elected as members at the plenary session of the national Committee. The chairman of the national Committee presides over the work of the standing committee and the vice-chairmen and secretary-general assist with the work of the chairman. The chairman, vice-chairmen and secretary-general make up the chairmen's meeting which handles the important day-to-day work of the standing committee. The national committee has several deputy secretary-general who assist with the work of the secretary-general.

The national committee has a general office that works under the leadership of the secretary-general and sets up special committees and other working organs as requital by work. The special committees working organs that organize members for regular activities under the leadership of the standing committee and the chairmen's meeting. Every special committee has a chairman, several vice-chairmen and other members. The Ninth National Committee has 9 special committees, namely, the Committee for Handling Proposals, Committee for Economic Affairs, Committee of Population, Resources and Environment, Committee of Education, Science, Culture, Health and Sports, Committee for Social and ac Affairs, Committee for Ethnic and Religious Affairs, Committee of Cultural and Historical Data, Committee for Liaison with Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and Overseas Chinese and Committee of Foreign Affairs. The CPPCC National Committee has an official newspaper, the Journal of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, which was launched in 1983 and is Published sir times a week with a irculation of 200, (XX) Per issue. The CPPCC is actively involved in exchanges with other countries and the enhancement of friendship with their People. It has established friendly ties with 105 institutions in 71 countries and 4 international organizations.

Local Committee

In the early years, local committees were established only in a few key cities, import regions and provincial capitals in accordance with the provisions of the Organic Law of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference adopted at the First Plenary Session of the CPPCC in September 1949. After the formulation of the Constitution of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference in 1954. the number of local Committees increased fairly rapidly, from 358 in 1956 to over l,000 in 1966. After the amendment to the CPPCC Constitution in 1982, the CPPCC local ommittees have been established in all provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities under the direct jurisdiction of the central government, autonomous prefectures, cities counties and autonomous counties with districts under them, cities having no districts under them ac city-controlled area, where conditions permit. So far there are over 3,000 local committees at different levels with more than 500,000 members.

The tenure of local committees of the CPPCC at all levels is five years. The composition, methods of election and responsibilities of the local committees and their standing committees and the set-up of their ban working organs are similar to those of the national committee and its standing committee.