The Development of Socialist Consultative Democracy in China

The CPC has always upheld the great banner of people’s democracy. The report to the 18th National Congress of the CPC clearly states that we need to keep to the socialist path of political advancement with Chinese characteristics and promote the continuation of political reforms. Since the launch of the reform and opening up drive, we have taken stock of both our positive and negative experiences in the development of socialist democracy, worked to steadily promote political reform, and made major progress in developing socialist democracy. As a result, we have been successful in forging and adhering to a socialist path of political advancement with Chinese characteristics, which has put us on the right course for achieving the most extensive possible people’s democracy in China. Political reforms constitute an important part of China’s overall reforms. In continuing to carry out political reform, we need to ensure the unity of the leadership of the Party, the position of the people as masters of the country, and the rule of law. We need to place greater emphasis on enhancing the way that the Party exercises leadership and governance, on improving the systems of democracy, and on diversifying the forms in which democracy is embodied. We need to give greater scope to the important role that the rule of law plays in national governance and social management. We also need to give full play to the strength of the socialist political system whilst drawing on the political achievements of other societies. However, under no circumstances will we ever copy the Western political system. Through our efforts, we will make people’s democracy wider in scope, fuller in form, and sounder in practice. 

In committing to the socialist path of political advancement with Chinese characteristics, it is important that we make greater efforts to develop socialist consultative democracy. The report to the 18th National Congress of the CPC states that “socialist consultative democracy is an important form of people’s democracy in our country.” It requires that we need to “improve the system of socialist consultative democracy,” and stresses that we must “improve its institutions and work mechanisms,” “conduct intensive consultations on special issues with those who work on those issues, consultations on a sector-by-sector basis, and consultations on the handling of proposals,” “carry out democratic consultation at the community level,” and “promote its extensive, multilevel, and institutionalized development.” The formal inclusion of consultative democracy in the report to the 18th National Congress of the CPC represents an important historical contribution and a major theoretical innovation of the Communist Party of China. Fully demonstrating the firm confidence of the Party in promoting people’s democracy, it will play an important guiding role in our efforts to develop socialist democracy with Chinese characteristics, and will undoubtedly benefit the progression of political civilization in all societies.

I. Fully understanding the significance of socialist consultative democracy

Consultative democracy was created by the CPC and the Chinese people as a form of socialist democracy. In this sense, consultative democracy represents the grand product of our efforts to enrich and develop Marxist theories on democracy. Socialist consultative democracy exhibits distinctive features as well as unique advantages. Not only representing a commitment to socialism, it carries forward China’s fine political and cultural traditions. Not only representing a commitment to the organizational principles and leadership mode of democratic centralism, it also affirms the role of the general public in democracy. Not only representing a commitment to the leadership of the CPC, it also gives play to the role of all political parties and organizations as well as people of all ethnic groups and all sectors of society. The importance and superiorities of consultative democracy are mainly embodied in the following three aspects.

First, consultative democracy is an important manifestation of the unique superiorities of socialist democracy. The essence of socialist democracy is that the people are the masters of the country. In this sense, consultative democracy fully embodies the authenticity, broadness, and inclusiveness of socialist democracy. Taking the socialist system as its foundation, consultative democracy reflects the fundamental interests of the general public. Given that its participants come from all sectors of society and all walks of life, consultative democracy is able to reflect the general wishes of the majority whilst taking the rational claims of the minority into account. This allows for the democratic rights of the overwhelming majority of the people to be realized to the maximum extent. The improvement of socialist consultative democracy falls in line with both the essence of China’s socialist system and the trend of increasing democratic awareness among the public. Therefore, it is an effort that will not only expand the channels for orderly participation in governance, but also demonstrate the features and superiorities of China’s socialist system.

Second, consultative democracy is an important means for the Party and government to make scientific and democratic decisions. Carrying out consultations before policies are made and during the course of their implementation is an important method of governance employed by the Party and an important principle that must be adhered to in major policy-making activities. Consultative democracy emphasizes the substance of democracy and acknowledges the diversity of interests. Taking place in a relaxed environment that emphasizes equality, consultations comprise of discussions on major issues in economic and social development and discussions on the major concerns and difficulties of the public. Through the course of these consultations, we are able to deepen understanding, dispel misunderstandings, promote mutual understanding, and reach common understandings. Through consultation, we are able to widely solicit opinions, pool wisdom, and seek out the best ways of solving problems. Consultation allows us to piece together opinions, wishes, and demands from all walks of life and reflect them in a systematic and comprehensive way. As a means by which we can hear real voices and seek real solutions, it enables the Party and the government to make policy decisions that conform to realities and the will of the people.

Third, consultative democracy serves as an important form of the CPC’s leadership. A prominent feature of the CPC’s leadership is the fact that it is exercised through consultation. Consultation is a process in which the Party is able to extensively hear different voices and take onboard the valuable opinions and advice of the people. It is also a process in which all sectors of society are able to learn about and accept the political views, lines, principles, and policies of the Party. In making a major effort to improve consultative democracy, the Party has demonstrated the respect that it has for the will and the rights of the people. This effort will be conducive to strengthening the ties between the Party and the people, promoting improvements to the way that the Party exercises leadership and governance, and ensuring that the Party leads the people in effectively governing the country.

II. Taking stock of rich experiences in socialist consultative democracy 

Socialist consultative democracy has evolved in both theory and practice over the course of time. In the years of the new democratic revolution, the CPC developed the idea of consultative democracy in its cooperation with other political parties and organizations and public figures without party affiliation. In particular, the Party effectively employed consultative democracy in the establishment of democratic governance on the basis of the three-thirds principle,* and this can be regarded as the earliest form of consultative democracy. The convening of the First Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and the founding of the People’s Republic of China were the products of consultation. The formal establishment of the system of multi-party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the CPC marked the nationwide implementation of consultative democracy as a new form of democracy. In considering the situation and the tasks at hand in the early days of the People’s Republic of China, the CPC joined hands with all other political parties and public figures without party affiliation in developing various effective forms of consultation, such as bi-weekly seminars, consultation seminars, and the supreme state conference. These consultations played a positive role in the rebuilding and development of the national economy and in the promotion of socialist transformation and construction.

Since the launch of the reform and opening up drive, the CPC has developed a system for extensive consultation with people from all corners of society in regard to major national policies and affairs. At a meeting of Party-member delegation heads during the National People’s Congress and the CPPCC in 1991, Jiang Zemin clearly stated for the first time that China’s socialist democracy is realized through two forms: one is that the people exercise their rights by participating in elections and casting their votes; and the other is that the people engage in extensive consultations before major decisions are made in order to reach consensus on general issues. In his speech marking the 60th anniversary of the CPPCC, Hu Jintao further emphasized the importance of elections and consultation as forms of democracy. The Opinions on Further Strengthening the Development of the System of Multi-Party Cooperation and Political Consultation Under the Leadership of the CPC, which was promulgated by the CPC Central Committee in 2005, and the Opinions on the Improvement of the CPPCC, which was issued in 2006, clearly defined the content, forms, and procedures of political consultations. In 2011, the General Office of the CPC Central Committee issued the Report of the Leading Party Members’ Group of the National Committee of the CPPCC on the Implementation of the Opinions of the CPC Central Committee on the Improvement of the CPPCC. This was the first time that the term “consultative democracy” was used in an official report.

Consultative democracy has become a multi-tiered institution that can be found throughout political and social activities in China. Moreover, consultative democracy is constantly being enriched and developed. Consultations are mainly carried out on four different levels. First, being the governing party, the CPC is committed to conducting consultations before and during the course of making major policy decisions. With regard to major issues on economic and social development, the Party organizes consultations among Party members and non-Party members, and gives particular emphasis to consultations with all other political parties. Since the 16th National Congress of the CPC, the CPC Central Committee, the State Council, and entrusted departments have held a total of 197 democratic consultation meetings, seminars, and briefings in order to seek the opinions and advice of other political parties and public figures without party affiliation on major issues concerning the wellbeing of the country. Second, the departments of state power conduct consultations during the course of their law-making and decision-making activities. These consultations mainly comprise of consultations conducted by the people’s congresses on legislation and consultations between the government and the public. In recent years, people’s congresses have involved the general public in their legislative work in an increasing number of cases. For example, a system for the holding of public hearings before laws are passed have been established, which helps to encourage public participation in the legislative process, collect information with regard to legislation, represent and express the interests and demands of all sides, and formulate laws and policies that conform to the interests of the general public. The formulation of the Property Law represents a good example of the implementation of consultative democracy in the legislative activities of people’s congresses. As the trend of democratic involvement in the policy-making of the government gathers momentum, various models for consultations and talks between the government and the public have emerged, the most typical being public hearings on proposed policies. The holding of consultations with regard to the legislative activities of people’s congresses and the policy-making activities of the government represents an innovation that we have made in consultative democracy over recent years. Third, the CPPCC conducts political consultations. The report to the 18th National Congress of the CPC points out that the CPPCC serves as an important channel for consultative democracy. Following more than six decades of efforts, the CPPCC has managed to develop a fairly complete set of institutions, systems, working methods, practices, and networks for consultation. By drawing on its solid historical foundations, the CPPCC has exerted extensive social influence and gained valuable experience that has promoted the development of consultative democracy in China. Since the convening of the 10th CPPCC National Committee, the CPPCC has organized ten meetings of the Standing Committee of the CPPCC National Committee to discuss particular political issues, and ten consultative meetings to discuss particular topics. These meetings have covered the revision of the Constitution, national long-term and mid-term plans for economic and social development, and government reports. Moreover, the leaders of the Party and the central government have been present at the group discussions held during plenary sessions of the CPPCC to discuss state affairs with CPPCC members. Fourth, democratic consultation is also carried out at the community level by way of informal talks, hearings, and consultations. For instance, the city of Wenling in Zhejiang Province has developed a system for the holding of informal talks in communities. This system started out as a means of conducting ideological initiatives in rural areas, but gradually evolved into a model for governance in towns and townships that is based around democratic participation, democratic policy-making, and democratic supervision. At present, as local governments and departments around the country engage in major efforts to promote various forms of democratic consultation in practice, a democratic atmosphere in which consultations are valued and respected is taking shape throughout our society. This has effectively guaranteed that the democratic rights of the general public are safeguarded.

III. Exerting the superiorities of socialist consultative democracy

The Party made a clear call for the improvement of socialist consultative democracy at its 18th National Congress. The improvement of socialist consultative democracy is a major aspect in the development of socialist democracy. In line with the guidelines set forth at the 18th National Congress of the CPC, we need to stick firmly to the socialist path of political advancement with Chinese characteristics and make constant efforts to develop the system of multi-party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the CPC. By effectively leveraging the functions of the CPPCC, we need to improve various forms of consultation, enlarge the scope of democracy, develop more forms of democracy, and increase the level of democracy, so as to promote the extensive and institutionalized development of consultative democracy on multiple levels. 

First, we need to improve systems for consultative democracy and make consultations more standardized. In an effort to implement requirements on making political consultation a part of the policy-making process and conducting consultations both before and during the policy-making process, we need to clarify what matters require consultation, who we will consult with, how we will conduct consultations, and how the outcomes of consultations are to be applied for consultations on different levels and in different sectors. These efforts will help us to improve the institutions of consultative democracy on a constant basis. 

Second, we need to develop more forms of consultation and make consultations more inclusive. Making active use of the CPPCC as an important channel, we need to further promote consultations on special issues with those who work on those issues, consultations on a sector-by-sector basis, and consultations on the handling of proposals, so as to fully reflect the opinions and suggestions of all political parties and organizations and people of all ethnic groups and from all sectors of society. By reviewing the experience we have gained in practice since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, and especially since the launch of the reform and opening up drive, we need to enrich and improve our political consultations with all other political parties and public figures without party affiliation. In considering that the general public is becoming more conscious of democracy, we need to develop more practical forms of democratic consultation for self-governance at the community level and social management. 

Third, we need to improve the quality and the effectiveness of consultations. Party committees, governments, and related departments at all levels need to take the initiative in organizing consultations on major issues and create conditions for effective consultation by keeping the public informed and providing channels for feedback, so as to ensure that consultations are genuinely able to promote democracy, optimize policy decisions, and push forward the implementation of policies. In addition, we need to encourage all sides involved in consultations to give consideration to greater interests, engage in self-improvement, grasp actual conditions, and carefully consider issues, thereby ensuring that they are able to rationally express their claims and make responsible proposals. 

At the same time, we need to promote coordination between electoral democracy and consultative democracy. Allowing electoral democracy and consultative democracy to better supplement each other and form synergy will provide a wider platform for the people to act as the masters of their country. Taking the guidelines and plans set forth at the 18th National Congress of the CPC as our basis, we need to engage in a major effort to develop socialist consultative democracy. We need to develop, make good use of, and improve socialist consultative democracy as a form of democracy that not only conforms to the global trend of democracy, but also carries forward the fine traditions of the Chinese nation.

Author: Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference

Note: The three-thirds principle was a policy on the composition of the united-front government that was adopted by the Chinese Communist Party during the War of Resistance Against Japan. According to this policy, the anti-Japanese democratic government was required to be composed of roughly one-third Communists, one-third Left progressives, and one-third middle-of-the-roaders and other elements.