Introduction to the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC)

Main Functions of the CPPCC

The main functions of the CPPCC are political consultation, democratic supervision and participation in the deliberation and administration of state affairs.

Political Consultation

Political consultation refers to pre-decision making consultation on the general national and local principles and policies and on major issues in political, economic, cultural and social activities and consultation on major problems arising in the process of their implementation. It is an important reflection of multiparty cooperation led by the CPC, an important means of ensuring that the Party and the state carry out scientific, democratic decision-making and an important way of enabling the Party to raise its governing capacity.

Political consultation mainly includes consultation on the national and local general principles and policies and important issues in political, economic, cultural and social activities as well as common affairs of all political parties which participate in the work of the CPPCC and other major issues concerning patriotic united front.

Political consultation takes the following main forms - plenary sessions of the CPPCC National Committee, meetings of members of the Standing Committee of the CPPCC National Committee, meetings of the Chair's Council, Standing Committee workshops, discussions held by the leading Party group of the CPPCC National Committee as entrusted by its CPC Committee, special consultative conferences held in the name of the CPPCC National Committee, Secretaries-general's meetings, special committee meetings, and internal consultation which are called when necessary and attended by representatives from all circles participating in the CPPCC . Political consultation proceeds according to procedures.

Democratic Supervision

Democratic supervision is carried out by suggestions and criticism on the enforcement of the state's Constitution, laws and regulations, the implementation of general principles and policies and the performance of duties by state organs and their functionaries. It is an important component of China's socialist supervisory system as well as political supervision exercised by airing opinions and making criticisms and suggestions on the basis of adherence to the Four Cardinal Principles. It refers to supervision of the performance of state organs and their functionaries through the CPPCC exercised by all political parties and personages from all ethnic groups and circles that participate in the CPPCC as well as mutual supervision within the CPPCC between the CPC on the one hand and all democratic parties and personages without party affiliation on the other.

Democratic supervision mainly includes supervision over the enforcement of the state's Constitution, laws and regulations, over the implementation of general principles and policies, over the work of state organs and their functionaries and over the observance of the CPPCC Charter and the implementation of the CPPCC resolutions by the units and individuals that participate in the CPPCC.

Democratic supervision takes the following main forms- recommendations forwarded to the CPC Committees and governments at all levels by plenary sessions of the CPPCC committees, standing committee meetings or meetings of the chair's council; suggestions or related reports forwarded by special committees; criticisms and suggestions gathered from the members' inspection tours, proposals, tip-offs, speeches at plenary meetings, reports about social conditions and popular sentiment and other forms; participation in investigation or inspection activities organized by the relevant departments of the CPC committees or the governments at all levels; and invitation of CPPCC members to serve as specially invited supervisory staff in judicial and government departments.

Participation in the Deliberation and Administration of State Affairs

Participation in the deliberation and administration of state affairs means conducting investigations and studies, reporting on social conditions and popular sentiments and undertaking consultation and discussion about the important problems arising in political, economic, cultural and social activities and the issues which the general public is concerned about. Opinions and suggestions to the CPC and state organs are aired through study reports, proposals, recommendations and other forms by the CPPCC members. It is an important form of the CPPCC's performance of its functions and an effective means of enabling the leading organs of the Party and the government to earnestly do their work well by regularly heeding the opinions and suggestions of all democratic parties, mass organizations and personages from all ethnic groups and all walks of life who participate in CPPCC.

Participation in the deliberation and administration of state affairs mainly includes organization of investigations and studies on selected research topics about which the general public is concerned, to which the Party and government departments pay great attention and for which the CPPCC has the conditions , so as to air constructive opinions to the leading organs of the CPC committees and governments at all levels; offering of ideas and advice on the reform, opening-up and the socialist modernization drive by giving full play to the professional competence and role of CPPCC members through various means and by fully expressing views and making full use of talents; and conducting comment and appraisals on some common concerns by participating in various political, economic, cultural and social activities .

Participation in the deliberation and administration of state affairs takes the following main forms - reporting on social conditions and popular sentiments, various consultative meetings, various special meetings on state affairs, workshops on special topics, investigations and studies about special topics, inspections by CPPCC members and their participation in the checks and inspection tours jointly organized by CPC committees and governments at all levels.

Editor: Yan