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             POLITICAL 
              SYSTEM & STATE STRUCTURE 
               
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               Cooperation 
                and Political Consultation  
                 
              China is a country of many peoples and 
                many political parties. Before the state adopts important measures 
                or makes decisions on issues having a bearing on the national 
                economy and the people’s livelihood, the CPC, as the party in 
                power, consults with representatives of all ethnic groups, political 
                parties and non-Party personages, and all other social sectors, 
                in order to reach a common understanding. This system of multi-party 
                cooperation and political consultation led by the CPC is a basic 
                political system in China.Multi-party cooperation and 
                political consultation take two principal forms: (1) The Chinese 
                People’s  
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                1999年3月5日 
                全国政协提案委员会 
                邀请国务院有关部委的负责人就进 
                一步做好 安老养老工作举行座谈。  
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              Consultative Conference (CPPCC); (2) consultative conferences and 
              forums participated in by non-Communist parties and unaffiliated 
              democrats at the invitation of the CPC Central Committee and local 
              Party committees. The CPPCC is neither a state organ, nor an ordinary 
              mass organization. It is a widely representative, patriotic united 
              front organization of the Chinese people, first established in September 
              1949. The CPPCC has a national committee and local committees established 
              in the provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under 
              the Central Government and counties (cities). The CPPCC consists 
              of representatives of the CPC, the non-Communist parties, unaffiliated 
              individuals, people’s organizations, ethnic minorities and other 
              social strata, compatriots from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao, returned 
              overseas Chinese, and specially invited individuals. The committees 
              at various levels hold plenary sessions once a year. When the committee 
              is not in session, special activities for the committee members 
              are organized, including inspection tours of various localities. 
              Consultative discussions are held on significant issues relating 
              to major state policies, important local affairs, the people’s livelihood 
              and united front work. Democratic supervision is exercised over 
              the work of state organs and the fulfillment of the Constitution 
              and laws through the offering of opinions, proposals and criticisms. 
              When the people’s congresses are convened, CPPCC committee members 
              are invited to attend and fully air their views. The current chairman 
              of the CPPCC National Committee is Li Ruihuan. Once a year, the 
              leaders of the CPC Central Committee invite the leaders of the non-Communist 
              parties and representatives of  
              non-Party democrats to meetings for consultation; forums 
              are held every other month. The former focus on major state policies; 
              the latter on information exchanges, reception of policy proposals 
              and discussion of certain special issues | 
           
         
        
        
        
       
      
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