The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) is a patriotic
united front organization of the Chinese people, serving as a key mechanism for
multi-party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the
Communist Party of China (CPC), and a major manifestation of socialist
democracy.
At present, the CPPCC consists of representatives of the CPC and
non-Communist parties, personages without party affiliation, representatives of
people's organizations, national minorities and all social strata.
It also has the representation of compatriots of the Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region, the Macao Special Administrative Region and Taiwan,
returned overseas Chinese, and specially invited people.
The main functions of the CPPCC are to conduct political consultation,
exercise democratic supervision and participate in the discussion and the
handling of state affairs.
Political consultation covers major principles and policies proposed by the
central and local governments and matters of major importance concerning
political, economic, cultural and social affairs.
Democratic supervision means to exercise, by means of offering suggestions
and criticisms, supervision over the implementation of the Constitution, other
laws, regulations and major policies, and over the work of government agencies
and their functionaries.
Participation in the discussion and the handling of state affairs means to
organize CPPCC members of various parties, people 's organizations, various
minority people and other social groups to take part in the country's political,
economic, cultural and social activities in whatever way they think fit. The
current CPPCC is also known as new Political Consultative Conference as
distinguished from the one convened in 1946 following the victory of the War of
Resistance against Japanese Aggression upon the decision taken by the CPC and
the Kuomintang in their negotiations in Chongqing as part of the preparations
for the formation of a new government.
But hardly before the old CPPCC began to function was it disintegrated in
November of the same year when the Kuomintang betrayed the resolutions of the
conference and unilaterally proclaimed the convocation of a "National Assembly".
The first session of the new CPPCC was held in Beijing in September 1949.
Authorized to perform the functions of the supreme organ of power, the session
adopted a "Common Program" which bore the nature of a temporary constitution,
proclaimed the founding of the People's Republic of China, elected a council of
the Central People's Government with Mao Zedong as the chairman, and elected the
First National Committee of the CPPCC.
The CPPCC ceased to act as the supreme organ of power in September 1954 when
the National People's Congress was convened.
Instead, it shifted its functions as China's patriotic united front
organization for its broad representation. It has ever since played a vital role
in the country's political, economic, cultural and social affairs and in
international exchanges.
The CPPCC has a National Committee and local committees. With a functioning
term of five years, they meet once every year.
The Fourth Session of the 10th National Committee of the CPPCC is scheduled
to open in Beijing on March 3 this year.
