The People's Republic of China is a one-party state ruled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Despite this, eight minor political parties subservient to the CCP exist.
Under the one country, two systems principle, the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau, which were previously colonies of European powers, operate under a different political system from the rest of China. Currently, both Hong Kong and Macau possess multi-party systems that were introduced just before the handover of the territories to China.[1]
Legal parties
Ruling party
The Chinese Communist Party is the sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China. The Chinese constitution states that "The defining feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the leadership of the Communist Party of China",[2] while the CCP constitution declares the party to be the "highest force for political leadership".[3]
| Party | Year founded | Ideology | Members (2022) | Leader | NPC seats | NPCSC seats | CPPCC seats[a] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Chinese Communist Party (CCP) 中国共产党 (中共) Zhōngguó Gòngchán Dǎng (Zhōnggòng) | 1921 | Socialism with Chinese characteristics | 98,041,000 | Xi Jinping 习近平 | 2,091 / 2,980 | 118 / 175 | 99 / 544 | |
Minor parties
While only the CCP holds effective power at the national level, there are officially eight minor and non-oppositional parties that exist alongside the CCP that are officially titled "democratic parties" (Chinese: 民主党派; pinyin: Mínzhǔ dǎngpài).[4] 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.[5] 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" (prosperity or adversity) [6] According to Human Rights Watch, these parties "play an advisory rather than an oppositional role".[7]
The eight minor parties take part in "united front work" and also take part in the political system, but they have no power at a national level.[8][4] 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.[7] According to Aaron Friedberg, these parties' "purpose is to create the illusion of inclusiveness and representation."[9] 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] There is officially a ranking system of the parties; the ranking is based on their "contribution to the new democratic revolution".[12]
| Party | Year founded | Members (2022) | Chairperson | NPC seats | NPCSC seats | CPPCC seats[a] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang (RCCK) 中国国民党革命委员会 (民革) Zhōngguó Guómíndǎng Gémìng Wěiyuánhuì (Míngé) | 1948 | 158,000 | Zheng Jianbang 郑建邦 | 44 / 2,980 | 6 / 175 | 65 / 544 | ||
| China Democratic League (CDL) 中国民主同盟 (民盟) Zhōngguó Mínzhǔ Tóngméng (Mínméng) | 1941 | 348,300 | Ding Zhongli 丁仲礼 | 57 / 2,980 | 9 / 175 | 65 / 544 | ||
 | China National Democratic Construction Association (CNDCA) 中国民主建国会 (民建) Zhōngguó Mínzhǔ Jiànguó Huì (Mínjiàn) | 1945 | 220,000 | Hao Mingjin 郝明金 | 57 / 2,980 | 3 / 175 | 65 / 544 | |
 | China Association for Promoting Democracy (CAPD) 中国民主促进会 (民进) Zhōngguó Mínzhǔ Cùjìn Huì (Mínjìn) | 1945 | 192,000 | Cai Dafeng 蔡达峰 | 58 / 2,980 | 7 / 175 | 45 / 544 | |
| Chinese Peasants' and Workers' Democratic Party (CPWDP) 中国农工民主党 (农工党) Zhōngguó Nónggōng Mínzhǔdǎng (Nónggōngdǎng) | 1930 | 192,000 | He Wei 何维 | 54 / 2,980 | 7 / 175 | 45 / 544 | ||
| China Zhi Gong Party (CZGP) 中国致公党 (致公党) Zhōngguó Zhì Gōng Dǎng (Zhìgōngdǎng) | 1925 | 69,000 | Jiang Zuojun 蒋作君 | 38 / 2,980 | 3 / 175 | 30 / 544 | ||
 | Jiusan Society (JS) 九三学社 Jiǔsānxuéshè | 1945 | 204,069 | Wu Weihua 武维华 | 63 / 2,980 | 4 / 175 | 45 / 544 | |
 | Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League (TDSL) 台湾民主自治同盟 (台盟) Táiwān Mínzhǔ Zìzhì Tóngméng (Táiméng) | 1947 | 3,400 | Su Hui 苏辉 | 13 / 2,980 | 3 / 175 | 20 / 544 | |
Other parties
Banned parties
The following parties formed in China are (or have previously been) banned by the government:
- The Communist Party of China (Marxist–Leninist) (Chinese: 中国共产党 (马列)) is an anti-revisionist communist party founded in 1976 by several Maoist rebel factions of the Red Guards in Wuhan, Hubei. They believed it was illegal to arrest the Gang of Four and that the new leadership of the CCP is revisionist and unlawful. They were suppressed after attempts at an armed revolt failed in Shanghai, Zhejiang, Canton and Yunnan.[13]
- The Communist Party of China (Workers' and Peasants' Liberation Army) (Chinese: 中国共产党 (工农解放军)) is an anti-revisionist communist party founded in 1976 by a Maoist rebel faction of the Red Guards in Fujian. They used the old fortifications built during the Chinese Civil War and organized a partisan army named the "Workers' and Peasants' Liberation Army".[14] They announced that the new leadership of the CCP is revisionist and called for uprising and reestablished the Party Central Committee.[15] Their activities lasted until 1978.
- The Democracy Party of China (Chinese: 中国民主党) was founded by participants of the 1978 Democracy Wall movement and the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests. Founded in 1998, it was declared illegal that same year.[16][17]
- The Union of Chinese Nationalists (Chinese: 中国泛蓝联盟) supports the ideals of the Pan-Blue Coalition in Taiwan. As such, its goals include establishing a liberal democracy in China, based on Sun Yat-sen's Three Principles of the People. The group originated from an internet forum discussion in August 2004. The Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council said it is an illegal organization on April 25, 2007.[18]
- The New Democracy Party of China (Chinese: 中国新民党) was founded by Guo Quan in Nanjing at the end of 2007.[16][17]
- The Maoist Communist Party of China (Chinese: 中国毛泽东主义共产党) is an anti-revisionist communist party founded in 2008. The party seeks to initiate a "second socialist revolution" to re-establish the dictatorship of the proletariat. It has been subject to crackdowns by the Chinese government.[19]
- The Zhi Xian Party (Chinese: 至宪党), also known as the Chinese Constitutionalist Party in English. Founded by the supporters of Bo Xilai[20][21] in 2013 and banned in December of that year.[22][23]
- The Chinese Proletarian Revolutionary Central Committee (Chinese: 中国无产阶级革命中央委员会, abbreviated Chinese: 中革中央) is an anti-revisionist communist party founded in the 2010s by Zhou Qun (Chinese: 周群). The party leaders were members of a rebel faction (Chinese: 造反派) during the Cultural Revolution, and the committee core consisted of dozens of laid-off workers (Chinese: 大下岗) in Jiangsu. It was suppressed after the police found their "provocative" online activities.[citation needed]
