Charter of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference

General Principles The Chinese people in the long years of revolution and construction have formed a most extensive patriotic united front of all socialist workers, builders of the socialist cause, patriots supporting socialism and patriots supporting the reunification of the fatherland under the leadership of the Communist Party of China and participated in by the democratic parties, public personages without party affiliation, people’s organizations, ethnic minorities and patriotic personalities from all walks of life, including compatriots of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, compatriots of the Macao Special Administrative Region, Taiwan compatriots and overseas Chinese.

The Constitution of the People’s Republic of China provides that the system of multi-party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the Communist Party of China shall exist and develop over a long period of time. The Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference is an organization of the united front of the Chinese people, an important institution of multi-party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, a major form for carrying forward socialist democracy in the political life of the country. Unity and democracy are two major themes of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.

The first plenary session of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference held in September 1949, playing the role of the National People’s Congress, and representing the will of the entire nation, declared the founding of the People’s Republic of China, thus playing an important historic mission. After the convention of the first National People’s Congress in 1954, the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference has continued to do much work in the political and social life and the foreign affairs of the country and made important contributions. Especially since the third plenary session of the eleventh Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party held in December 1978, the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference has further played its important role in helping maintain the country’s political situation of rectification, consolidation and development, stability and solidarity, bring about the shift of the focus of state work to economy, promote the reform and opening up program and the building of socialist modernization and fight for the unification of the fatherland including Taiwan, against hegemony and for world peace.

The people of all nationalities in China led by the Chinese Communist Party eliminated the system of exploitation and introduced the socialist system after the founding of the People’s Republic of China, which has brought about a fundamental change to the situation of social classes in the country. The worker-peasant alliance has been further consolidated. The intellectuals, like workers and peasants, constitute a force to be relied on by the country’s socialist cause. The democratic parties which have advanced and undergone tests together with the Communist Party of China in the people’s revolution and construction and made important contributions to that cause have become alliances of those socialist workers, socialist builders and patriots supporting socialism whom they maintain ties with and have been playing an increasingly important role. The various nationalities of the country have fostered a socialist national relationship characterized by equality, solidarity and mutual assistance. The patriots in the religious circles are taking an active part in the socialist construction of the fatherland. The compatriots of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Macao Special Administrative Region and Taiwan and the overseas Chinese love the fatherland, uphold the unification of the fatherland and support the national construction. In the new historical period, the patriotic united front of our country is showing an ever greater vitality and remains a vital “magic” for the Chinese people in their concerted efforts to build and reunify the fatherland. This united front shall be ever more consolidated and grown.

China will remain long at the initial stage of socialism and face the principal contradiction between the people’s growing material and cultural demand and the backward social production. Owing to the domestic factors and international influence, the people of our country shall carry on a protracted struggle against the hostile forces and elements at home and in the world, and class struggle which may last long in certain spheres will not be the principal contradiction in our society. The fundamental task that confronts the people of all nationalities in our country shall be one of persevering on the socialist road and in the fundamental line of the initial-stage socialism, pushing our socialist modernization drive by concentrated efforts, self reliance and hard struggle, gradually realizing the modernization of our country’s industry, agriculture, national defense and science and technology and building China into an affluent, democratic and highly civilized socialist country. Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference shall, under the guidance of Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important thinking of the “Three Represents” and on the political basis of loving the People’s Republic of China, supporting the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party and the socialist cause and working with concerted efforts to bring about a new great renaissance of the Chinese nation, go all out to further consolidate and develop the patriotic united front, mobilize all positive forces and unite with all people who can be united with, strive with one heart and soul, pool all of our efforts, take economic construction as the central task, uphold and constantly develop the political stability and solidarity, promote the balanced development of the socialist material, political and moral civilization and fight for the realization of the fundamental mission of all nationalities of our country.

The system of multi-party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party is a fundamental political system of our country. The Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference is working on the principle of “lasting coexistence, mutual supervision, working together with open minds and sharing weal and woe” of the Chinese Communist Party with the democratic parties to promote the solidarity and cooperation among the political parties and non-party personalities and bring into full expression and display the features and advantages of our socialist political party system.

The Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference guides all of its activities with the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China as the fundamental criterion. The national committee and local committees of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference shall protect the rights of all participating organizations and individuals to the implementation of this Charter.

Chapter One, General Working Rules.

Article 1.The national committee and local committees of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference operate in accordance with the Charter of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.

Article 2.The principal function of the CPPCC national and local committees shall be political consultation, democratic supervision, and participation in the discussion and management of state affairs.

Political consultation covers major policies of the national and local governments and consultation on major issues in the political, economic, cultural and social life of the country prior to and in the course of decision making. The CPPCC national committee and local committees may, on the suggestion of the Chinese Communist Party, the Standing Committee of the People’s Congresses, the people’s governments, democratic parties and people’s organizations, hold meetings for consultation with the participation of leading members of the political parties and organizations and representatives of people from all walks of life and ethnic groups of the country or propose to the above-mentioned organizations to advance relevant issues for consultation.

Democratic supervision covers the implementation of the constitution, laws and decrees and regulations, the application of major policies, the performance of government institutions and their functionaries by means of proposals and criticisms.

Participation in the discussion and management of state affairs includes investigation and study of major issues in the political, economic, cultural and social life and other issues of common interest to the people, and reflection of public sentiments and demands through consultation and discussion, reports of investigations, resolutions, acts and other forms of comments and proposals to the Chinese Communist Party and the state organs.

Article 3.The national committee and local committees of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference in following the principle of running the country by law shall publicize and implement the constitution, laws, decrees and regulations and state guidelines and policies and encourage and promote active participation of the social forces in the building of socialist material, political and moral civilization.

Article 4.The national committee and local committees of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference shall persist in the basic socialist economic system with the public ownership as the mainstay and the common development of multiple ownerships; the consolidation and development of public ownership, encourage, support and guidance to the development of the economy of non-public ownerships; persist in the distribution system, with distribution according to labor contribution as the mainstay, and allowance of the existence of numerous forms of distribution; and promote the emancipation and development of the social productive forces.

Article 5.The national committee and local committees of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference shall maintain close ties with personalities from all walks of life, reflect the views and demands of those sections of the public they keep in contact, make proposals and criticisms to state organs and state functionaries with regard to their work performance, and assist state organs in their structural and institutional reforms, improving their work, raising their efficiency, overcoming bureaucracy and building a clean government.

Article 6.The national committee and local committees of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference shall coordinate and handle the various relationships in the united front and handle the major issues regarding the internal cooperation of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.

Article 7.The national committee and local committees of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference shall, through all possible forms, actively disseminate advanced culture, carry forward and cultivate the national spirit, and conduct publicity and educational work to enhance the public ethics of loving the fatherland, the people, labor, science and socialism, and the revolutionary ideal, moral integrity and discipline.

Article 8.The national committee and local committees of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference shall persist in the “Let a hundred flowers blossom and a hundred schools of thought contend” principle for the development of science and the thriving of culture, maintain close ties with the state organs and other organizations, and carry out investigation and study activities in the political, judicial, economic, educational, science and technology, cultural and art, medical and health, sports and other fields so as to furbish broad room for utterances of views and display of talents for CPPCC members to give full play to their specialties and functions.

The national committee and local committees of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference shall promote and assist the social forces in their endeavors to run undertakings which are beneficial to the socialist construction.

Article 9.The national committee and local committees of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference shall organize their members to make inspection, visits, and investigation to become knowledgeable of the situation, study major issues in all fields and people’s wellbeing and advance proposals and criticisms to the state organs and other organizations through tabling resolutions, acts and other forms.

Article 10.The national committee and local committees of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference shall organize and encourage their members to study on a voluntary basis Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important thinking of the “Three Represents” and current affairs and politics, compare notes among themselves on professional, special and scientific knowledge so as to improve the ability of serving the fatherland.

Article 11. The national committee and local committees of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference shall publicize and take part in the implementation of the principles and policies regarding the reunification of the fatherland and actively contact compatriots in Taiwan and personalities from all walks of life so as to help realize the great cause of China’s reunification.

The national committee and local committees of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference shall further strengthen their ties and solidarity with the compatriots of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Macao Special Administrative Region and encourage them to contribute to the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong and Macao and the construction and reunification of the fatherland.

Article 12.The national committee and local committees of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference shall publicize and assist in the application of the state strategy of making the country strong through cultivating useful talents and policies regarding intellectuals, and respect labor, knowledge, talents and creation and inventions so as to bring into full play the role of all types of talents and intellectuals in the socialist modernization drive.

Article 13.The national committee and local committees of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference shall publicize and assist in the implementation of the state nationality policies, reflect the views and demands of the ethnic minorities and contribute to the mission of developing economy and culture of the national minority regions, upholding the legitimate rights and interests of the ethnic people, upholding and perfecting the national minority regional autonomy, consolidating and developing the socialist nationality relationships of equality, solidarity and mutual assistance, promoting the common prosperity of all nationalities and further enhancing the great unity of all nationalities and upholding the unification of the fatherland.

Article 14. The national committee and local committees of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference shall publicize and assist in the implementation of the state policy on freedom of religious belief, support the government in administering religious affairs in accordance with the law and persist in the principle of independence in running religious affairs, give active guidance to the attainment of compliance of religious activities with the socialist cause, and unite with the patriotic personalities of the religious circles and religious believers to contribute to the cause of the construction and unification of the fatherland.

Article 15. The national committee and local committees of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference shall publicize and assist in the implementation of the state policies on overseas Chinese affairs, strengthen their ties and unity with returned overseas Chinese, overseas Chinese families and overseas Chinese, and encourage them to make contributions to the great cause of the national construction and reunification of the fatherland.

Article 16.The national committee and local committees of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference shall publicize and assist in the implementation of the state foreign policy and in view of the actual circumstances take initiative in promoting people’s diplomacy to enhance friendly exchanges and cooperation with the people of other countries in the world.

Article 17.The national committee and local committees of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference shall collect, study and publish information of modern and contemporary Chinese history on the basis of the specific features of the organization of the united front.

Article 18.The National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference shall strengthen its ties with the CPPCC local committees, improve the exchange of information and experience and the study of issues common to the local committees.

Chapter Two, General Organizational Principles.

Article 19.The national committee and local committees of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. The relationship between the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and the CPPCC local committees is one of guidance to the latter.

Article 20.The National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference shall be composed of the Communist Party of China, the various democratic parties, public personages without party affiliation, people’s organizations, ethnic minority groups and people of all walks of life, compatriots of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Macao Special Administrative Region and Taiwan, returned overseas Chinese and specially invited personalities, who are divided into a number of sectors. The composition of the CPPCC local committees shall be made up in the light of the local actual conditions with reference to that of the CPPCC National Committee.

Article 21.A political party or people’s organization which complies with this Charter and is approved through consultation by the Standing Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference may participate in the CPPCC National Committee. Individuals on the invitation through consultation by the Standing Committee of the CPPCC National Committee too may participate in the CPPCC National Committee. Participating in CPPCC local committees shall be handled by the local committees at various levels with reference to the above provisions.

Article 22.All organizations and individuals taking part in the national committee and local committees of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference shall be obliged to observe and implement this Charter.

Article 23.The local committees of the CPPCC shall be obliged to observe and implement the resolutions of national nature adopted by the CPPCC National Committee and lower committees shall be obliged to observe and implement to resolutions of relevant regional nature adopted by the superior committees.

Article 24.Members of the national committee and local committees of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference should love the fatherland, uphold the leadership by the Communist Party of China and socialism, uphold national unity and national unification, abide by the constitution and laws of the country, can represent their respective sectors and have social influence and should be capable of discussing and managing state affairs.

The national committee and local committees of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference shall maintain close ties with the masses of the people, keep well informed of and reflect their desires and demands and take part in the meetings and other activities organized by CPPCC organizations.

Article 25.The national committee and local committees of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference adopt resolutions by a majority vote. A resolution of the Standing Committee of the CPPCC National Committee shall be adopted by a majority vote of the composition of the committee. All organizations and individuals in the CPPCC organizations shall be obliged to observe and implement the resolutions adopted by the CPPCC organizations. In case of disagreements, they may announce reservations with the prerequisite of resolutely implementing the relevant resolutions.

Article 26.Members of the national committee and local committees of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference have the right to vote, to elect and be elected at the meetings of the CPPCC organizations; they have the right to make criticisms and suggestions to the work of CPPCC.

Article 27. Organizations and individuals of the national committee and local committees of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference have the right to fully air their views through the meetings and organizations of the CPPCC, to take part in the discussion and deliberation of the state policymaking and major local affairs, to advance proposals and criticisms to the work of the functionaries of state organs and government departments, to expose and report on any breaches of laws and disciplines and to take part in making investigations and inspections thereof.

Article 28. Organizations and individuals on the CPPCC national committee and local committees are free to announce to quit.

Article 29. In the event an organization or individual on the CPPCC national committee and local committees seriously violates the CPPCC Charter or the resolution of the plenary session or the Standing Committee, it shall be up to the Standing Committee of the CPPCC national committee or local committee to mete out penalties of warning or cancel the qualification thereof in participating in the national committee or local committee of the CPPCC.A penalty of warning or cancellation of qualifications on an organization or individual may be reviewed on appeal by the said organization or individual with disagreement.

Chapter Three, The National Committee.

Article 30.The organizations to participate in each national committee of the CPPCC, the number of the members, the specific persons and the setting up of the sectors thereof shall be determined through consultation by the Standing Committee upon approval of the chairmen’s meetings of the previous national committee.

Should there be the need to increase or replace the organizations in the current national committee, the number, and specific members thereof, shall be determined through consultation by the Standing Committee upon the chairmen’s meeting of the current national committee.

Article 31.The term of each national committee of the CPPCC shall be five years. In the event of extraordinary circumstances, the term may be extended by a two-thirds majority vote of the members of the Standing Committee.

Article 32.The National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference shall have one chairman and a number of vice-chairmen and a secretary-general.

Article 33.The CPPCC National Committee shall hold a plenary session every year and more sessions may be called by the Standing Committee in view of the necessity.

Article 34.The CPPCC National Committee shall exercise its functions as follows:

1. Making amendments to the Charter of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and supervising the implementation thereof;

2. Electing chairman, vice-chairmen, secretary-general and members of the Standing Committee;

3. Hearing and examining work reports of the Standing Committee;

4. Deliberating on and making resolutions on major work principles and tasks;

5. Participating in the discussion of major state policies and advancing proposals and criticisms.

Article 35.The CPPCC National Committee shall have a Standing Committee to take care of the day-to-day affairs of the National Committee. The Standing Committee of the CPPCC National Committee shall be composed of the chairman, vice-chairmen, secretary-general and standing committee members, to be elected by the plenary session of the national committee from among the candidates proposed by the political parties, organizations, nationalities and personages from all walks of life participating in the CPPCC National Committee.

Article 36. The Standing Committee of the CPPCC National Committee shall exercise the following functions:

1. Interpreting the Charter of the CPPCC and supervising the implementation thereof;

2. Calling and presiding over the CPPCC National Committee plenary sessions, calling a preparatory meeting prior to the convening of each plenary session to elect the presidium of the first session which shall preside over the first session of the plenary session;

3. Organizing the carrying out of the tasks provided by the CPPCC Charter;

4. Executing the resolutions of the plenary sessions of the CPPCC National Committee;

5. During the time when the National Committee is not in session, examining and adopting major resolutions to be tabled to the National People’s Congress and the Standing Committee thereof or the State Council;

6. Appointing or dismissing deputy secretaries-general of the CPPCC National Committee on proposals from the Secretary-General;

7. Determining the setting up or alteration of the working structure of the CPPCC National Committee and the appointment and removal of the leading members thereof.

Article 37.The Chairman of the CPPCC National Committee presides over the work of the Standing Committee, with the assistance of the vice-chairmen and secretary-general.

The Chairman, Vice-Chairmen and Secretary-General make up the chairmen’s meetings and take care of the major day-to-day affairs.

The chairmen’s meeting with the trust of the Standing Committee presides over the preparatory meeting of the first plenary session of the next National Committee.

Article 38.The CPPCC National Committee has a number of deputy secretaries-general to assist the Secretary-General in his/her work, and a general office under the leadership of the Secretary General.

Article 39. The CPPCC National Committee shall establish a number of special committees and other working institutions to meet the need in work to the discretion of the Standing Committee thereof.

Chapter Four, Local Committees.

Article 40.Local committees of the CPPCC shall be set up in the provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government; and autonomous prefectures, cities divided into districts, counties, autonomous counties, as well as cities not divided into districts and districts under the jurisdiction of cities, where there are conditions for setting up CPPCC, shall establish CPPCC local committees.

Article 41.The organizations, numbers of members and the setting up of sectors in the local CPPCC committees shall be determined by the standing committees of the previous local committees upon approval after examination by the chairmen’s meetings thereof. In the event a CPPCC local committee in its term needs to increase or alter the number of the organizations, number of the members and the setting up of sectors in it, it shall be determined through consultation by the standing committee upon approval after examination by the chairmen’s meeting thereof.

Article 42. The CPPCC local committee of a province, autonomous region, and municipality directly under the Central Government, autonomous prefecture, city divided into districts, county, autonomous county, city not divided into districts, and district under the jurisdiction of a city shall serve a term of five years.

Article 43.A CPPCC local committee shall have a chairman, a number of vice-chairmen and a secretary-general.

Article 44.CPPCC local committees at all levels shall convene at least one plenary session every year.

Article 45.CPPCC local committees at all levels shall exercise following functions:

1. Electing the chairman, vice-chairmen, secretary general and members of the standing committee;

2. Hearing and examining work reports of the standing committee;

3. Deliberating on and adopting resolutions;

4. Participating in the discussion of major state and local affairs and advancing proposals and criticisms.

Article 46.The CPPCC local committees shall set up standing committees to preside over the affairs thereof. A standing committee of a CPPCC local committee shall comprise a chairman, a number of vice-chairmen, a secretary-general and members of the standing committee, to be elected by the plenary session of the local committee from among the candidates proposed by the political parties, organizations, ethnic groups, and personalities from all walks of life in the CPPCC local committee.

Article 47 The standing committee of a CPPCC local committee shall exercise the following functions:

1. Calling and presiding over the CPPCC local committee plenary session, calling a preparatory meeting prior to the convening of each plenary session to elect the presidium of the first session which shall preside over the first session of the plenary session;

2. Organizing the carrying out of the tasks provided by the CPPCC Charter and the resolutions of the national committee and superior local committees of the CPPCC;

3. Executing the resolutions of the plenary sessions of the CPPCC local committee;

4. During the time when the local committee is not in session, examining and adopting major resolutions to be tabled to the local People’s Congress and the Standing Committee thereof or the local people’s government;

5. Appointing or dismissing deputy secretaries-general of the CPPCC local committee on the proposal of the Secretary-General;

6. Determining the setting up or alteration of the working structure of the CPPCC local committee and the appointment and removal of the leading members thereof.

Article 48. The chairman of the standing committee of a local committee of the CPPCC presides over the work thereof, with the assistance of the vice chairmen and secretary general.

The chairman, vice-chairmen and secretary-general make up the chairmen’s meeting to take care of the major day-to-day work of the standing committee of the local committee. With the trust of the standing committee, the chairmen’s meeting shall preside over the preparatory meeting of the first session of the next plenary session of the local committee.

Article 49.CPPCC local committees at all levels may have one or several deputy secretaries general to assist the secretaries-general in the light of the actual need.

Article 50. The local CPPCC committees of the provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government shall set up general offices, special committees and other working organs in the light of the actual need, to be determined by the standing committees thereof.

The local CPPCC committees of autonomous prefectures, cities divided into districts, counties, autonomous counties, and cities not divided into districts and districts under the jurisdiction of cities shall set up working organs in the light of the actual need, to be determined by the standing committees thereof.

Chapter Five, Supplementary Principle.

Article 51. This Charter shall go into force for implementation upon adoption by the plenary session of the CPPCC National Committee.