By studying history, we gain clarity, build confidence, cultivate virtue, and put knowledge into practice. Standing at the historical juncture of the “Two Centenaries,” we look back on our journey of struggle past and gaze forward toward the path of vigorous advancement ahead.

Tongfang Law Firm provides all its lawyers with learning opportunities in the form of micro-party classes, thereby enhancing their ideological and political awareness as well as their spirit of learning and inquiry. By establishing a long-term educational mechanism, the firm has created a new platform for self-education and self-improvement.

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out in the report to the 20th National Congress of the Party: “We must uphold and improve the system of multi-party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, and ensure that Party leadership, the united front, and consultative democracy are organically integrated.” General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important remarks have charted the course for fully developing consultative democracy and advancing the construction of socialist democratic politics in our country. Scientifically grasping the essence, requirements, and approaches underlying the organic integration of Party leadership, the united front, and consultative democracy will help us gain a deeper understanding of the essential characteristics and unique advantages of China’s socialist democratic politics, better implement the principles and requirements of developing whole-process people’s democracy, and enable whole-process people’s democracy to demonstrate even greater vitality and dynamism.

An Inevitable Requirement for Developing Whole-Process People’s Democracy and Fully Building a Modern Socialist Country

In the new era, the Party Central Committee—with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core—has put forward the important concept of whole-process people’s democracy and is vigorously promoting it. As a result, China’s path of democracy with Chinese characteristics is becoming ever broader and more promising. Upholding the organic integration of Party leadership, the united front, and consultative democracy is an important requirement that our Party has articulated from the strategic perspective of developing whole-process people’s democracy and fully building a modern socialist country. This approach is underpinned by profound internal logic and carries significant practical implications.

A scientific conclusion summarizing the development course of socialist consultative democracy in China: During the period of the New Democratic Revolution, our Party successively established the Democratic United Front, the Worker-Peasant Democratic United Front, the Anti-Japanese National United Front, and the People’s Democratic United Front. In September 1949, the First Plenary Session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference was held, marking the complete organizational formation of the Patriotic United Front and the great unity of the entire nation. It also signified the formal establishment of the system of multi-party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, as well as the formal establishment of the CPPCC system. Since then, the system of multi-party cooperation and political consultation led by the Communist Party of China has been enshrined as a fundamental political institution of the state, and the Patriotic United Front has continued to consolidate and develop. In the new era, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core explicitly stated that the system of multi-party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the Communist Party of China is a new type of party system. The scope of the Patriotic United Front in the new era has been further expanded, and a series of important arrangements have been made for the development of socialist consultative democracy, promoting the broad, multilayered, and institutionalized development of consultative democracy and achieving significant accomplishments. From this historical trajectory, it is evident that under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, the formation and development of socialist consultative democracy in China have been closely linked to and organically integrated with the practice of establishing and developing united fronts. Precisely because of this, our Party has been able to unite all forces that can be united across different historical periods, forging broader and more effective forms of democracy and continuously driving the cause of the Party and the country forward.

An Intrinsic Requirement for Developing Socialist Democratic Politics in China. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: “The key to developing socialist democratic politics lies in enhancing and expanding our strengths and distinctive features, rather than weakening or narrowing them.” As a unique, exclusive, and distinctive form of democracy in China’s socialist democratic politics, consultative democracy highlights the distinct characteristics and unique advantages of China’s whole-process people’s democracy. Adhering to the organic integration of Party leadership, the United Front, and consultative democracy will help better implement the Party’s value concepts, guiding principles, and goals and tasks related to whole-process people’s democracy into every aspect of consultative democracy development. It will also facilitate the creation of a more integrated, smooth, and effective consultative democratic institutional framework, further unblock democratic channels, expand orderly political participation, and more effectively ensure that the people are truly masters of their own affairs. By upholding this organic integration of the three elements, we can both uphold Party leadership and harness the positive roles of all sectors; both promote democracy and foster unity, thereby enhancing and expanding the strengths and distinctive features of China’s socialist democratic politics.

An important guarantee for pooling and advancing the powerful forces behind Chinese-style modernization. At present, the world is undergoing a major shift unseen in a century, and China faces daunting and complex tasks in domestic reform, development, and stability. To advance this unprecedented, pioneering endeavor of Chinese-style modernization, we must unite all forces from every sector, draw on the wisdom of the people, and unleash their creativity. Upholding the organic integration of Party leadership, the united front, and consultative democracy will help bring together all sons and daughters of the Chinese nation—regardless of their political parties, ethnic groups, social classes, interest groups, religious beliefs, or the social systems under which they live—thereby effectively promoting harmony among political parties, ethnic groups, religious communities, social classes, and compatriots at home and abroad. By uniting hearts, pooling strengths, and gathering collective wisdom, we can create a vibrant situation in which everyone shares the same vision, pulls together with one accord, works hand in hand, and stands united as one. This will mobilize all sons and daughters of the Chinese nation to think and act together in pursuit of the Chinese Dream.

The Party's leadership, the united front, and consultative democracy interact with each other and are intrinsically unified.

The Party’s leadership, the united front, and consultative democracy are closely linked, mutually reinforcing, and inherently unified. By organically integrating these three elements, we can more fully harness the political advantages of the Party’s leadership and the institutional strengths of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

The Party’s leadership is the fundamental guarantee for developing the United Front and consultative democracy. The most essential feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the leadership of the Communist Party of China, and the greatest advantage of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics is the leadership of the Communist Party of China. To uphold the organic integration of Party leadership, the United Front, and consultative democracy, we must first and foremost uphold Party leadership. The United Front is a united front under the Party’s leadership. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “To do well in united front work under the new circumstances, we must grasp the underlying principles, adhere to basic tenets, and employ effective methods. Most fundamentally, we must uphold Party leadership—every policy we adopt and every measure we take must be conducive to upholding and consolidating the Party’s leadership and its position as the ruling party.” Practice has fully demonstrated that only by upholding Party leadership can we forge an unbreakable united front and ensure that the united front plays its due role. Consultative democracy is consultative democracy under the Party’s leadership. In developing consultative democracy, we must not only fully promote democracy and create a relaxed and positive atmosphere, encouraging and supporting everyone to express their views freely and openly, but also strengthen ideological and political guidance, broadly build consensus, continuously consolidate our common ideological and political foundation, and ensure that consultative democracy develops in the right direction.

The United Front is an important treasure that enables our Party to defeat enemies and achieve victory, as well as to govern the country and promote its prosperity. It lays a solid foundation for the development of consultative democracy. Throughout the historical periods of revolution, construction, and reform, our Party has relied on the United Front to rally the broadest possible coalition of forces for common struggle, achieving one great victory after another. The United Front is an integral part of the Party’s general line and general policy; it is an essential tool for the Party to overcome enemies and achieve victory, and to govern the country and promote its prosperity. Moreover, it is a vital instrument for uniting all Chinese sons and daughters at home and abroad in their endeavor to realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Whether the people support or oppose us, and the balance of power between the Party and the masses, are the key factors determining the success or failure of the Party’s cause and the people’s endeavors. At its core, united front work calls for broad unity and broad-based cooperation—addressing precisely the issues of public sentiment and strength. In practicing united front work, we consistently uphold the proper handling of the relationship between consensus and diversity, adhere to seeking common ground while reserving differences, and carry forward the fine tradition of “unity—criticism—unity.” By respecting diversity and seeking consensus within it, we unite people from all sectors around the Party. This approach resonates with and complements the function of consultative democracy in unifying thought and building consensus, thereby providing a solid foundation for the development of consultative democracy.

Consultative democracy is an important means of realizing the Party’s leadership and a key approach for carrying out united front work. It is a crucial institutional design that enables the Party to effectively govern the country under its leadership and ensures that the people are truly masters of their own affairs. Developing socialist consultative democracy involves conducting thorough consultations—both before and during decision-making—at all levels and in all fields on major issues such as reform, development, and stability, striving to reach consensus on matters of common concern. This approach opens up channels for various interests and demands to enter the decision-making process, providing vital support and guarantees for the Party’s scientific governance, democratic governance, and governance according to law. Consultative democracy has been deeply integrated into every stage of China’s socialist democratic political process. Consultation is also an essential method for carrying out united front work. Within China’s consultative democratic system, consultations among political parties, government consultations, and CPPCC consultations have become channels and platforms for members of the united front to offer advice, engage in dialogue, and reach consensus. By promoting democracy and engaging in extensive consultation, we can foster greater universal recognition among the broad membership of the united front of the Party’s propositions and encourage them to more consciously rally around the Party and follow its lead.

Promote the organic integration of Party leadership, the united front, and consultative democracy in practice.

Upholding the organic integration of Party leadership, the united front, and consultative democracy hinges on effective integration. We must actively explore in the practice of building socialist democratic politics in China ways and approaches to organically combine these three elements, and truly transform the political advantages of Party leadership and the institutional strengths of socialism with Chinese characteristics into effective governance outcomes.

Promote organic integration in strengthening the Party’s overall leadership. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: “A prominent feature of the superiority of China’s socialist political system is the Party’s core role in exercising overall leadership and coordinating all sides.” Only by upholding and strengthening the Party’s overall leadership and safeguarding the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee can all fields, aspects, and links of the Party and state endeavors achieve orderly coordination and synergy. We must adhere to Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as our guiding principle, deeply grasp the decisive significance of the “Two Establishments,” enhance our “Four Consciousnesses,” firmly uphold our “Four Confidences,” and ensure we “Two Safeguards.” We must continuously strengthen and improve the Party’s leadership over united front work and consultative democracy, refine relevant systems and mechanisms, reinforce ideological and political guidance, broadly build consensus, and promote common ideological progress among various political parties, groups, and people from all ethnic groups and sectors. We must transform the Party’s propositions into shared ideological consensus and conscious actions among various political parties, groups, and people from all ethnic groups and sectors, constantly strengthening the Party’s class foundation and expanding its mass base.

Promote organic integration by centering on the central task and serving the overall situation. At present, our Party is uniting and leading the people to comprehensively advance the great cause of building a strong country and achieving national rejuvenation through Chinese-style modernization. Under the conditions of this new era, the United Front and consultative democracy must play an even greater role and demonstrate more proactive engagement in serving Chinese-style modernization. We must think strategically from a holistic perspective and act within the broader context, closely focusing on major issues in socialist modernization—such as promoting high-quality development, achieving high-level self-reliance and self-strengthening in science and technology, and building a modern civilization for the Chinese nation. We should actively organize consultations, offer constructive advice, and contribute practical solutions and sound strategies for reform and development. In the face of profound changes occurring in Chinese society, we must conduct thorough investigations and studies at the grassroots level, genuinely reflect the thoughts, aspirations, hopes, and expectations of the masses, and assist the Party and government in addressing pressing livelihood challenges. We should also help the Party and government clarify doubts, soothe emotions, resolve conflicts, and build consensus, thereby adding momentum and enhancing synergy for reform and development.

Achieve organic integration in strengthening and improving the work of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). The CPPCC is an organization of the united front, an institution for multi-party cooperation and political consultation, an important form of realizing people’s democracy, and a key channel and specialized consultative body for socialist consultative democracy. In terms of its nature and positioning, it fully embodies the distinctive features of the organic integration of Party leadership, the united front, and consultative democracy. Under the new circumstances, we must uphold the CPPCC system firmly, promote the development of the CPPCC cause, and rally more people around the Party. We should strengthen the Party’s leadership over the CPPCC’s work, enhance the organizational functions of the united front, and give full play to the role of the CPPCC as a specialized consultative body. We must ensure that promoting democracy and enhancing unity are mutually reinforcing, and that both offering advice and building consensus are pursued in tandem. We should reinforce institutionalization, standardization, and proceduralization, thereby raising the level of in-depth consultation and interaction, ensuring that opinions are fully expressed, and broadly building consensus. We should also improve the mechanisms for democratic supervision by the CPPCC and for CPPCC members’ engagement with their respective constituencies, so that the CPPCC can better serve as an important stronghold for upholding and strengthening the Party’s leadership over all aspects of work, an essential platform for uniting, educating, and guiding representatives from all ethnic groups and sectors through the Party’s innovative theories, and a vital channel for resolving conflicts and building consensus on the basis of shared ideological and political principles.