The System of Multiparty Cooperation and Political Consultation Under the Leadership of the CPC
The CPC values cooperation with other political parties, and it takes the united front as a strategic guideline and a source of political strength for enhancing cohesion and gaining public support.
After the Chinese people achieved national independence and attained liberation in the late 1940s, the CPC introduced a basic political system for the newly-founded People's Republic based on its previous policy of the united front and its good cooperation with other democratic parties and prominent individuals without party affiliation. This system has since then helped the CPC unite and mobilize all positive forces and turn negative factors into positive ones to serve the overall interests of national development.
From September 21 to 30, 1949, the First Plenary Session of the CPPCC was held. As the conditions were not ripe for convening a National People's Congress based on a general election, this plenary session acted in its capacity. It adopted the Common Program of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, which functioned as an interim constitution of the People's Republic in its early days. It also passed the Organic Law of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the Organic Law of the Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China, and four resolutions on the state capital, national anthem, national flag, and calendar. The plenary session elected the National Committee of the CPPCC and the Council of the Central People's Government, thus proclaiming the establishment of the new state – the People's Republic of China.
The convening of this plenary session marked the formation of the patriotic united front and the great solidarity of the Chinese people, and the creation of the system of multiparty cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the CPC.
Under this system, the CPC is the only governing party in the People's Republic of China, and the eight other political parties work closely with the CPC as partners and participate in government under its leadership. Also, under the CPC's leadership, the eight parties, people's groups, and representatives of ethnic minority groups and social sectors conduct pre-decision-making consultation on national priorities and major issues in politics, the economy, culture and social activities, and on problems emerging during the implementation of the decisions made.
The CPPCC is an organization of the patriotic united front, an agency for multiparty cooperation and political consultation under the CPC's leadership, a major channel for people's democracy, an institution specializing in socialist consultative democracy, a body dedicated to consultation, and an important component of China's state governance system. It is an institutional arrangement with Chinese features.
Since 1949, the CPPCC has, under the CPC's leadership, worked to promote unity and democracy and followed the principles of maintaining long-time partnership of the CPC and other political parties, with mutual oversight and mutual trust, and a shared desire to forge ahead together through thick or thin. It has performed its duties of political consultation, democratic oversight, and participation in and deliberation on state affairs; it has organized all political parties, social groups, ethnic groups, social strata, and people from all sectors to discuss state affairs, expand common ground, and build consensus, thus pooling great strength for the realization of national rejuvenation.
The system of multiparty cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the CPC is a basic political system applied in China, a result of the CPC's integrating Marxist-Leninist theories on the united front, political parties and democracy with China's realities, and a political institution created by the CPC and other political parties, prominent citizens without party affiliation, people's organizations, and people from all ethnic groups and social sectors. It is a new political model rooted in the Chinese soil. It has proved to be a system suitable to China's own conditions, which also reflects China's advocacy of a sense of community, all-embracing tradition, and seeking common ground while reserving differences. It is a contribution to human political civilization.
中国共产党领导的多党合作和政治协商制度
中国共产党历来高度重视多党合作，并把统一战线作为凝聚人心、汇聚力量的政治优势和战略方针。在中国人民争取民族独立和人民解放取得历史性胜利之际，中国共产党把统一战线政策和战争年代同各民主党派、无党派民主人士合作协商的优良传统，及时转变为新中国的基本政治制度，以团结一切可以团结的力量，调动一切积极因素，努力化消极因素为积极因素，为实现国家建设的总任务、总目标服务。
1949年9月21日至30日，中国人民政治协商会议第一届全体会议召开。在当时还不具备召开普选的全国人民代表大会的条件下，中国人民政治协商会议第一届全体会议代行全国人民代表大会职权，通过了具有临时宪法性质的《中国人民政治协商会议共同纲领》，通过了《中国人民政治协商会议组织法》《中华人民共和国中央人民政府组织法》，作出关于中华人民共和国国都、国旗、国歌、纪年4个重要决议，选举中国人民政治协商会议全国委员会和中华人民共和国中央人民政府委员会，宣告中华人民共和国的成立。这次会议标志着爱国统一战线和全国人民大团结在组织上完全形成，标志着中国共产党领导的多党合作和政治协商制度正式确立。
中国共产党领导的多党合作制就是：中国共产党是中华人民共和国的唯一执政党，8个民主党派在接受中国共产党领导的前提下，具有参政党的地位，与中共合作，参与执政。政治协商制度是在中国共产党的领导下，各民主党派、各人民团体、各少数民族和社会各界的代表，对国家的大政方针以及政治、经济、文化和社会生活中的重要问题在决策之前举行协商和就决策执行过程中的重要问题进行协商的制度。
中国人民政治协商会议是中国人民爱国统一战线的组织，是中国共产党领导的多党合作和政治协商的机构，是人民民主的重要实现形式，是社会主义协商民主的重要渠道和专门协商机构，是国家治理体系的重要组成部分，是具有中国特色的制度安排。70多年来，在中国共产党的领导下，人民政协围绕团结和民主两大主题，贯彻中国共产党与各民主党派长期共存、互相监督、肝胆相照、荣辱与共的方针，发挥政治协商、民主监督、参政议政的职能，有效组织各党派、各团体、各民族、各阶层、各界人士共商国是，努力寻求最大公约数、画出最大同心圆，汇聚起实现中华民族伟大复兴的磅礴力量。
中国共产党领导的多党合作和政治协商制度作为中国一项基本政治制度，是中国共产党把马克思列宁主义统一战线理论、政党理论、民主政治理论同中国实际相结合的伟大成果，是中国共产党领导各民主党派、无党派人士、人民团体和各族各界人士在政治制度上进行的伟大创造，是从中国土壤中生长出来的新型政党制度。实践充分证明，中国共产党领导的多党合作和政治协商制度不仅符合当代中国实际，而且符合中华民族一贯倡导的天下为公、兼容并蓄、求同存异等优秀传统文化，是对人类政治文明的重大贡献。