The People's Republic of China (PRC) is a one-party state ruled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). In addition, eight minor and non-oppositional political parties subservient to the CCP exist. The PRC is officially organized under what the CCP terms a "system of multi-party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the CCP," in which the minor parties must accept the leadership of the CCP as a condition of their existence. The state constitution codifies the leadership of the CCP.

Under the "one country, two systems" principle, the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau, which were previously colonies of European powers, operate under a different political system from the rest of mainland China. Both Hong Kong and Macau possess multi-party systems that were introduced just before the handover of the territories to China.

Legal parties Ruling party The Chinese Communist Party is the sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China. Article 1 of the state constitution states that "The defining feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the leadership of the Communist Party of China", while the CCP constitution declares the party to be the "highest force for political leadership". PartyYear foundedIdeologyMembers (2025)LeaderNPC seatsNPCSC seatsNCCPPCC seats Chinese Communist Party (CCP)Zhōngguó Gòngchán Dǎng (Zhōnggòng)1921Socialism with Chinese characteristics101,286,000Xi Jinping

Minor parties While only the CCP holds effective power at the national level, there are officially eight minor and non-oppositional parties that exist alongside the CCP that are officially titled democratic parties. Founded before the proclamation of the People's Republic of China, these parties must accept the "leading role" of the CCP as a condition of their continued existence. The official party system of the PRC is termed a "system of multi-party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the CCP." According to Human Rights Watch, these parties "play an advisory rather than an oppositional role".

List

Other parties

Banned parties The following parties formed in China are (or have previously been) banned by the government: PartyYear foundedIdeologyMembers (2010)LeaderNPC seatsNPCSC seatsCPPCC seatsUnion of Chinese Nationalists (UOCN)2004TridemismConservatism5,000Wen YanDemocracy Party of China (DPC)1998Gittings, John (2005). The Changing Face of China: From Mao to Market. Oxford University Press, 2005. .Liberalism Liu Dongxing The Communist Party of China (Marxist–Leninist) () is an anti-revisionist communist party founded in 1976 by several Maoist rebel factions of the Red Guards in Wuhan, Hubei. They believed it was illegal to arrest the Gang of Four and that the new leadership of the CCP is revisionist and unlawful. They were suppressed after attempts at an armed revolt failed in Shanghai, Zhejiang, Canton and Yunnan. The Communist Party of China (Workers' and Peasants' Liberation Army) () is an anti-revisionist communist party founded in 1976 by a Maoist rebel faction of the Red Guards in Fujian. They used the old fortifications built during the Chinese Civil War and organized a partisan army named the "Workers' and Peasants' Liberation Army". They announced that the new leadership of the CCP is revisionist and called for uprising and reestablished the Party Central Committee. The New Democracy Party of China () was founded by Guo Quan in Nanjing at the end of 2007. The Maoist Communist Party of China () is an anti-revisionist communist party founded in 2008. The party seeks to initiate a "second socialist revolution" to re-establish the dictatorship of the proletariat. It has been subject to crackdowns by the Chinese government. The Zhi Xian Party (), also known as the Chinese Constitutionalist Party in English. Founded by the supporters of Bo Xilai in 2013 and banned in December of that year.

Overseas parties Shanghai National Party is a pro-democracy party which advocates for the independence of Shanghai, led by He Anquan, who left China after the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre. The party was notable for its opposition to China's COVID-19 lockdown policies. In particular, he referred to the lockdowns in Shanghai as a genocide and maintained a hunger strike outside the Chinese consulate in New York City. Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, He Anquan visited Ukraine in order to document the war.

Historical parties Defunct parties PartyIdeologyFromToRef.Chinese Empire Reform Association保救大清皇帝會ConstitutionalismConstitutional monarchism18991911Chinese United League (Tongmenghui)中國同盟會RepublicanismAnti-Qing sentiment19051912Society for Monarchical Constitutionalism (Royalist Party)君主立憲維持會 (宗社黨)MonarchismManchurian nationalism1911Democratic Party民主黨Conservative liberalismConstitutional monarchism19121913Republican Party共和黨ConservatismRepublicanism19121913Unity Party統一黨ConservatismStatism19121913Communications Clique交通系Special interestsYellow unionism19121928Progressive Party進步黨Chinese nationalismMonarchism19131916Anfu Club安福俱樂部State socialismRepublicanism19181920Social Democratic Party of ChinaSocial democracy1926Productive People's Party生产人民党Anti-imperialismLeft-wing nationalism19331934Chinese People's National Salvation Association中国人民救国会Anti-imperialism (Kàngrì)Left-wing nationalism19351949Kuomintang (Wang Jingwei)汪偽國民黨CollaborationismPan-Asianism19391945Three Principles of the People Comrades Association三民主義同志聯合會Three Principles of the People19451949Kuomintang Democratic Promotion Association中國國民黨民主促進會Three Principles of the People19461949

Defunct regionalist parties PartyIdeologyFromToProvinceInner Mongolian People's Revolutionary PartyДотоод Монголын Ардын Хувьсгалын НамCommunismMarxism–Leninism19251946Inner MongoliaCommittee for National Revolution民族革命委員會Jadid MovementPan-Turkism19321934XinjiangConcordia Association滿洲國協和會FascismManchurian nationalism19321945Manchuria (Manchukuo)Young Kashgar Party青年喀什噶爾黨Uyghur nationalismJadid Movement19331934XinjiangXinjiang People's Anti-Imperialist Association新疆民眾反帝聯合會Anti-imperialismMarxism–Leninism19351942XinjiangKuomintang in Burma泰緬孤軍Anti-communism19491954 (officially)1961Yunnan, Burma (exiled)East Turkestan Liberation OrganizationUyghur nationalismSeparatism19972003Xinjiang

Defunct political alliances

First United Front, 1923–27 Second United Front, 1936–47 China Democratic League, 1941–46 (as an alliance, still active as a party)

Extant parties PartyIdeology (in China)FromTo (in China)Ref.Kuomintang中國國民黨Three Principles of the PeopleRepublicanismChinese nationalism19191949Young China Party中國青年黨ConservatismChinese nationalismAnti-communism19231949China Democratic Socialist Party中國民主社會黨Democratic socialismChinese nationalism19461949

See also

History of political parties in China List of ruling political parties by country List of political parties in Hong Kong List of political parties in Macau List of political parties in Taiwan

Notes

References