Rally All Forces for Chinese Modernization

Rally All Forces for Chinese Modernization*

September 20, 2024

Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, to adapt to a new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics and respond to the challenges it poses, we have continued to integrate the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s realities and the best of its traditional culture, and develop innovative theories on the basis of the practice of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). Our experience has taught us the following:
• The CPPCC should uphold the CPC’s overall leadership.
• It should always be clear about its nature and role.
• It should make the most of its role as a specialized consultative body.
• It should support and improve China’s political party system.
• It should follow the principles of unity and solidarity.
• It should focus on strengthening theoretical and political guidance and building broad consensus.
• It should prioritize the central task of the Party and the state while performing its duties.
• It should uphold the principle of serving the people.
• It should reinforce the sense of responsibility among its members.
• It should improve its members’ ability to perform their duties in the spirit of reform and innovation.

These are our Party’s guidelines on strengthening and improving the work of the CPPCC. They epitomize the experience we have gained over the past 75 years, especially since entering the new era, and establish the fundamental principles for the CPPCC on the new journey in the new era. We must implement them fully, accurately and faithfully, and develop them in practice.

Consultative democracy is an integral part of whole-process people’s democracy. It is a unique feature and distinctive strength of China’s socialist democracy and an important manifestation of the Party’s mass line in the political field. On the new journey in the new era, we will work towards the extensive, multilevel and institutionalized development of consultative democracy in accordance with the guidelines set at the 20th CPC National Congress and the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee.

First, we will always keep to the correct political orientation. Consultative democracy ensures that the CPC leads the people in effectively governing the country and that the people are the masters of the country. To fully develop consultative democracy, we must uphold the Party’s overall leadership, keep to China’s path of socialist political progress, and implement and develop whole-process people’s democracy. We should respect the people’s creativity and rely on them to develop consultative democracy. We will base centralism on democracy and guide democracy with centralism to ensure that consultation is conducted in accordance with the law and in an orderly manner.

Second, we will improve the system of consultative democracy. China’s consultative democracy covers consultation carried out by political parties, people’s congresses, government departments, CPPCC committees, people’s organizations, communities, and social organizations, which form an indivisible whole. To fully develop consultative democracy, we should base our efforts on the characteristics and conditions of different consultation channels, highlighting their respective priorities, following their respective rules, and leveraging their unique roles. At the same time, we should strengthen coordination and collaboration across these channels. This way, we can align goals, pool strengths, and continuously strengthen overall effectiveness.

Third, we will improve the mechanisms for consultative democracy. Improving systems, standards and procedures is essential for the development of consultative democracy. To fully develop consultative democracy, we must ensure consultation before decisions are made and throughout the implementation process. For different consultation channels, category-based procedures and working rules will be established to clarify which issues to consult on, who to consult with, how to conduct consultations, and how to apply the results. We will make plans, define content, determine participants, carry out consultation, and improve the mechanisms for adopting, implementing and providing feedback on the results, all in line with the requirement that the process should be well-designed, standardized, orderly, simple, and based on democratic centralism.

Fourth, we will introduce more channels and platforms for consultation. This is important for improving the quality of consultative democracy. To fully develop consultative democracy, we will improve various elements including proposals, research, inspections, meetings, debates, hearings, public notices, evaluations, inquiries, online platforms, public opinion surveys, and democratic oversight. In addition, we will establish dialogue and communication platforms tailored to practical needs. We will broaden channels for reporting on social conditions and public opinion, improve methods for public participation in policy evaluation, and leverage the active role of experts, academics, and think tanks, so that our efforts to incorporate public opinion and pool public wisdom become an established and regular process.

Fifth, we will create a healthy environment and enabling conditions. To fully develop consultative democracy, the whole Party and all the people should work together and test out new ideas. We will communicate the nature and essence of our socialist democracy to the public and uphold worthy Chinese traditions, such as inclusiveness and seeking common ground while reserving differences. We will widely advocate for consultation in handling matters, addressing issues, and making decisions, to foster a culture of consultative democracy. We should encourage people to speak the truth, offer frank criticism, and make constructive suggestions. Our goal is to encourage consultation on an equal footing where no one imposes their opinions on others, promote rule-based discussions where people listen to each other, and facilitate sincere dialogue that is free of prejudiced or extreme views. This will create an environment where everyone can speak their mind freely in a rational and respectful way that complies with the laws and regulations.

At present, our world, our times, and the course of history are going through a period of unprecedented change that continues to grow in scale and depth. The challenges we face in advancing reform and development and maintaining stability are daunting, and more demanding than ever before. There is a pressing need to unite further and strengthen the great unity of the Chinese people of all ethnic groups and the great unity of all the sons and daughters of the Chinese nation at home and abroad. I hope the CPPCC will carry forward its great traditions, bear in mind its political responsibilities, and uphold the CPC’s leadership, the united front, and consultative democracy as an integral whole. It must fully leverage its role as a specialized consultative body to rally extensive support, build consensus, and pool wisdom and strength for Chinese modernization.

First, the CPPCC must consolidate the common ideological and political foundations for unity and progress. The central focus of the CPPCC is to uphold and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics, and the Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is the core philosophy that underlies all of its work. The CPPCC must raise its political awareness, understand the political nature of its system and organizations, and strengthen its political acumen, understanding, and capacity to deliver. It should fulfill its responsibility of implementing the CPC Central Committee’s decisions and plans and meet the requirements that the Central Committee has set, while pooling the wisdom and strength of the Chinese people at home and abroad.

The CPPCC should strengthen its theoretical foundations, balance commonality and diversity, seek common ground while shelving and reducing differences, and strive to achieve further political unity and cooperation, common progress in thinking, and coordinated action among all political parties, organizations, and representatives of all ethnic groups and sectors of society. Furthermore, it should organize regular reading, theoretical study, and political training sessions for its members, and encourage them to turn what they have learned into practical skills in political consultation, democratic supervision, and participation in the deliberation and administration of state affairs, so that they will perform their duties better and more efficiently.

Second, the CPPCC must discuss state affairs and make suggestions with a focus on Chinese modernization. It has a great pool of talent with intellect and wisdom, and it should leverage this strength and engage in consultation and discussion on major issues, problems, and hot topics concerning Chinese modernization, deeper all-round reform, high-quality development, and social harmony and stability. It should improve the mechanism for developing key consultation plans. After conducting thorough research to understand real economic and social conditions and identify the pressing difficulties and problems that concern the people most, it should report on them and propose forward-looking, practical and targeted solutions. It should also leverage the strengths of consultative supervision to make democratic oversight more effective and ensure the successful implementation of the major plans and decisions of the Party and the state.

Third, the CPPCC must seek the greatest common ground for building a great country and rejuvenating the nation. It should improve its working mechanism, leverage the political role of the united front in uniting people and gathering strength, and make a greater effort to increase public confidence, rally popular support, gain people’s trust, and build consensus. It should uphold, develop and improve China’s political party system, and help non-CPC political parties and prominent individuals without party affiliation to better perform their duties. It should foster a stronger sense of the Chinese nation as one community, and work towards unity, shared prosperity, and development among all ethnic groups.

It should remain committed to the principle that religions in China should conform to China’s realities and provide guidance to religions so that they can adapt to our socialist society. In order to increase consensus and unite more people, it should strengthen political guidance for non-CPC intellectuals, and for prominent figures in the non-public sector of the economy and in New Social Groups.

It should maintain close contact with political and social organizations and representatives from all sectors of society that love Hong Kong, Macao, and the country, to help the two special administrative regions better integrate into China’s overall development and play a bigger role in opening up. It should implement the CPC’s overall policy for resolving the Taiwan question in the new era, facilitate further integrated development across the Taiwan Straits in all sectors, forge closer bonds between people on both sides, and resolutely oppose any activities seeking “Taiwan independence” in any form.

It should maintain extensive contacts with overseas Chinese nationals and guide them to explain China’s viewpoints and make our voice heard. It should serve China’s efforts in foreign affairs by telling accurate and engaging stories of China and people’s democracy to the world.

Fourth, the CPPCC must improve its institutional framework. To help improve the system of consultative democracy, the CPPCC should implement the CPC Central Committee’s decisions and plans on developing whole-process people’s democracy, and strengthen coordination and cooperation with other forms of consultation.

It should refine the mechanisms that enable in-depth consultation and interaction, full expression of opinions, and broad consensus, and strengthen regulations on consultation. This approach will enable full expression of different ideas and in-depth exchange of viewpoints, and ensure consultation leads to solutions, consensus, unity, and mutual understanding. Special committees should augment their foundational role.

The CPPCC should strengthen the mechanisms through which it reports on social conditions and public opinion, stays in contact with the people, and provides them with services. It should work harder to understand their actual conditions, ease their concerns, make them feel cared for, inform them of CPC policies, protect their interests, and promote social harmony.

Fifth, the CPPCC must strengthen the ranks of its members. To ensure that the CPPCC fulfills its responsibilities with high standards, it is essential to have members who fully understand the role of the organization, observe discipline, abide by the rules, act with moral integrity, and are adept at conducting consultation and discussing state affairs.

You CPPCC members should value your political identity, strengthen your political character, improve your political ability, and take an unequivocal and unwavering stance on the fundamental issues of our socialist path, system and direction. You should study diligently and intensively, develop a good grasp of the principles and policies of the CPC and the state, be clear on how to perform your duties, and continue to increase your knowledge of theory and capacity to deliver. You should increase your sense of mission and responsibility, and actively engage in daily work that will pool strengths, provide decision-making advice, facilitate democratic consultation, and contribute to national governance.

CPPCC members’ democratic rights must be respected and protected, and good services will be provided to create conditions conducive to fulfilling their duties. The CPPCC will be built into a home for committee members, a home of democracy, and a home of unity.

On the new journey towards Chinese modernization, Party committees at all levels must proceed from the overall interests of the Party and the country, and plan and advance CPPCC work in this context. This includes improving the system of Party leadership over the CPPCC, listening regularly to reports from Party leadership groups of CPPCC committees, studying and reviewing CPPCC activities, supporting CPPCC committees in fulfilling their duties, taking a more proactive approach to consultation, and listening to and actively adopting their opinions and suggestions. We need to strengthen the leadership teams of CPPCC committees and the ranks of their staff members and optimize the staffing structure. Party committees and government departments at all levels must work together with CPPCC committees to form synergy.

Party leadership groups of CPPCC committees should play their role in setting the direction, managing the overall situation, and guaranteeing implementation, while improving and implementing the organizational structure and institutional mechanisms of Party leadership over the CPPCC. We should govern our Party by applying strict criteria in a spirit of reform. We should reinforce our Party’s political foundations as the overarching measure for increasing Party competence in all respects within the CPPCC, and create a wholesome political environment for new endeavors.

As Mao Zedong said proudly 75 years ago to the Preparatory Committee of the New Political Consultative Conference, “The Chinese people will see that, once China’s destiny is in the hands of the people, China, like the sun rising in the east, will illuminate every corner of the land with a brilliant flame, swiftly clean up the mire left by the reactionary government, heal the wounds of war and build a new, powerful and prosperous people’s republic worthy of the name.”

Over the past 75 years, the CPC has rallied all the Chinese people and led them in unremitting efforts to achieve results that have attracted global attention. China’s modernization drive is rolling out on all fronts, and the Chinese nation is moving towards rejuvenation with unstoppable momentum. We are confident that under the strong leadership of the CPC, the CPPCC will make a new and significant contribution to building a great country and advancing national rejuvenation on all fronts through Chinese modernization.

* Part of the speech at a meeting to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.

(Not to be republished for any commercial or other purposes.)