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.

Eight Democratic Parties

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 60,000 members and more than 2,800 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).

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. At the end of October 1997, it had 131,300 members, as well as 30 provincial branches, 334 committees at city and county levels and 7,477 grassroots organizations.

Honorary Chairmen of the Ninth Central Committee of the China Democratic League 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. 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. Its present chairman is Cheng Siwei.

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 June 1997, its network covered 29 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities, consisting of 247 branches at city and county levels and 5,298 grassroots organizations. It currently has a membership of 65,000.

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 70,600 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 17,000 members belong to 17 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 236 counties and cities in 30 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities. Of its 74,000 members, those working in the fields of science and technology, higher learning, medical science and engineering account for 86.6 percent, including 69 academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and 14 academicians of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

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.

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. Honorary Chairman of the Seventh Central Committee of the league is Cai Zimin and chairman is Lin Wenyi (female).