Backgrounder: China´s democratic parties and personages without party affiliation

Source: Xinhua | 11-15-2007 14:10

The Information Office of the State Council of China issued on Thursday a white paper on the country's political party system. Following are some basic facts about eight democratic parties of the country:

Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang (RCCK)

The RCCK was officially founded on Jan. 1, 1948.

RCCK recruits members mostly from people who have relations with the former Chinese Kuomintang, those who have historical or social relations with the RCCK and those who have ties with Taiwan. The RCCK also recruits members from other sources, especially those of the middle and upper social strata, and senior and leading intellectuals.

The present chairwoman is He Luli. Its Party membership numbers 81,000.

China Democratic League (CDL)

The China Democratic League was secretly established on March 19, 1941 in Chongqing, and was then named China Democratic Political League.

The CDL is mainly made up of senior and leading intellectuals in the fields of culture, education, and science and technology.

The present chairman is Jiang Shusheng. Its Party membership numbers more than 181,000.

China National Democratic Construction Association (CNDCA)

The China National Democratic Construction Association was founded by a number of patriotic industrialists and business people, as well as some intellectuals in Chongqing on Dec. 16, 1945.

The members of the association are mainly business people.

The present chairman is Cheng Siwei. And the CNDCA has more than 108,000 members.

China Association for Promoting Democracy (CAPD)

The CAPD was founded in Shanghai on Dec. 30, 1945.

Its present members are mainly senior and leading intellectuals in the fields of culture, education and publishing.

Its present chairman is Xu Jialu. Currently, the CAPD has over 103,000 members.

Chinese Peasants and Workers Democratic Party (CPWDP)

Deng Yanda, a leader of the left wing of the Kuomintang, held the first national cadres' conference of the Kuomintang in Shanghai on Aug. 9, 1930, and at the conference the Provisional Action Committee of the Kuomintang of China was founded. On Nov. 10, 1935, it was renamed the Chinese Action Committee for National Liberation. On Feb. 3, 1947, it was renamed the Chinese Peasants and Workers Democratic Party.

Its members are mainly senior and leading intellectuals in the medical field.

Its present chairman is Jiang Zhenghua. The CPWDP now has more than 99,000 members.

China Zhi Gong Dang (CZGD)

The China Zhi Gong Dang was founded in October 1925 in San Francisco, the United States, under the sponsorship of some overseas Chinese societies. In May 1947, the party held its third congress in Hong Kong, and reorganized itself into a new democratic party.

Its members are mainly from the middle and upper social strata of returned overseas Chinese and their relatives.

Its present chairman is Luo Haocai. The CZGD now has more than 28,000 members.

Jiu San Society

At the end of 1944, a number of progressive scholars organized the Forum on Democracy and Science, to strive for victory in the Anti-Japanese War and political democracy, and to develop the anti-imperialist and patriotic spirit of the May 4 Movement of 1919. In commemoration of victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and in the world anti-Fascist war, on Sept. 3, 1945, it adopted the name Jiu San Society ("Jiu San" means Sept. 3 in Chinese). On May 4, 1946, the Jiu San Society was formally founded in Chongqing.

Its members are mainly senior and leading intellectuals in the fields of science and technology.

Its present chairman is Han Qide. The Jiu San Society currently has more than 105,000 members.

Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League (TSL)

The TSL was founded in Hong Kong on Nov. 12, 1947 by a number of Taiwan personages engaged in patriotic campaigns after the Feb. 28 Uprising of the Taiwan people that year.

The TSL is composed of people from Taiwan.

The present chairwoman is Lin Wenyi. From 1987 to 1992, the Fourth Central Committee of the TSL adopted the presidium system. The executive chairmen were Lin Shengzhong (1987-1988) and Cai Zimin (1988-1992).

The TSL now has a membership of over 2,100.

Personages Without Party Affiliation

During the New Democratic Revolution (1919-1949), the famous personages without party affiliation were generally called prominent public figures. Since the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference was founded in 1949, the category of "democratic personages without party affiliation" has been set up. Currently, those who do not belong to any party but have made positive contributions to and have a positive influence on society are categorized as personages without party affiliation. They are mostly intellectuals.

The representatives of this group included Guo Moruo, Ma Yinchu, Ba Jin, Miao Yuntai and Cheng Siyuan.

Editor:Du