The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference is an important institution of multi-party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the CPC.

China is a populous country with multiple ethnic groups and multiple parties. To enhance unity and cooperation among various ethnic groups and political parties, all walks of life and non-party personages, and prompt development of socialist construction, it is imperative to conduct full consultation among representatives from all circles before major decisions concerning state affairs are made. Since the founding of the PRC in 1949, consultations on issues such as the country's economic construction, political life, social life and the united front have been carried out within the CPPCC. Such consultations, which enable people to conduct sufficient discussions and fully exchange views, ensure state policies and statutes to be more substantial and complete that can both reflect the requirements and desires of the majority and respect justified opinions of the minority. Political consultation before decision-making is an important feature and a prominent merit of China's socialist democratic system.

The First Plenary Session of the CPPCC was held on September 21-30, 1949, in Beijing (then Beiping), attended by 662 delegates. The session discussed and adopted the Common Program of the CPPCC, which served as the country's provisional Constitution. At the session, Mao Zedong was elected chairman of the Central People's Government Committee and Zhu De, Liu Shaoqi, Soong Ching Ling, Li Jishen, Zhang Lan and Gao Gang vice chairpersons. It also elected 56 members of the Central People's Government Committee. The session drew up and adopted the Organic Law of the CPPCC, which consolidated the Chinese people's democratic united front. It also decided on the five-star design of the national flag and March of the Volunteers as the national anthem. Beiping was renamed Beijing and designated as the capital of the PRC. The session adopted the Gregorian calendar and October 1 as National Day. At the session, Mao Zedong declared that, until the generally elected NPC was convened, the CPPCC would exercise in an acting capacity the functions and powers of the NPC.

When the First NPC convened in September 1954, the CPPCC ceased exercising these functions and powers, but maintained its functions as an organization of the united front. Up till now, the CPPCC has convened 10 national committee congresses.

According to its current statute, the CPPCC establishes a national committee, a standing committee and nine special committees (the Committee for Handling Proposals, the Economic Affairs Committee, the Population, Resources and Environment Committee, the Education, Science, Culture, Health and Sports Committee, the Social and Legal Affairs Committee, the Ethnic and Religious Affairs Committee, the Cultural and Historical Data Committee, the Committee for Liaison with Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and Overseas Chinese and the Foreign Affairs Committee) at the central level, and local committees in various localities. The CPPCC is elected for a term of five years and holds a plenary session each year.
Renmin Zhengxie Bao (The CPPCC News), created in 1983, is the organ of the CPPCC National Committee.

On March 3-12, 2004, the Second Session of the 10th CPPCC National Committee was held in Beijing. The meeting deliberated and approved the work report of the Standing Committee delivered by National Committee Chairman Jia Qinglin, the report of the Standing Committee on the handling of proposals since the First Session of the 10th National Committee in March 2003 and the amendment to the CPPCC Charter proposed by the Standing Committee. The amended CPPCC Charter was published after the meeting was over.