Explainer | Communist Party is not China’s only political party – there are eight others
- Their leaders are chosen by the Communist Party, and none has openly opposed the ruling party or pushed for substantial reform
- But their status has its roots in the 1949 birth of the People’s Republic of China, and they help to perform a consultative role
This is the tenth in the South China Morning Post’s series of explainers about China’s Communist Party in the lead-up to the party’s centenary in July. In this piece, Eduardo Baptista explains the relationship between the ruling party and the eight smaller “democratic parties” of China.
China’s constitution, which defines the Communist Party as the nation’s leading political force, specifies that the eight officially recognised “democratic parties” have the right to participate in the country’s governance.
In practice, this right is strictly limited to making proposals which the Communist Party can choose to ignore or implement.
What are the eight minor political parties in China?
The eight officially recognised minor political parties in China are:
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China Democratic League
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China National Democratic Construction Association
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Jiusan Society
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Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang
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China Peasants’ and Workers’ Democratic Party
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China Association for Promoting Democracy
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China Zhi Gong Party
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Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League
