Besides the CPC, China has eight other political parties: the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang, the China Democratic League, the China Democratic National Construction Association, the China Association for Promoting Democracy, the Chinese Peasants and Workers Democratic Party, the China Zhi Gong Dang, the Jiusan Society, and the Taiwan Democratic Self-government League.

These parties all support the CPC's political leadership, which was the historic choice they made during the long years when they cooperated and fought side by side with the CPC. They enjoy political freedom, organizational independence and lawful equality within the vested scope of the Constitution. The basic principle of the cooperation between the CPC and the other parties is long-term coexistence, mutual supervision, sincere treatment with each other and sharing each other's weal and woe.

Neither out of office nor opposition parties, rather, these parties fully participate in the political life of the nation. Many of their members hold posts in the standing committees of the people's congresses, CPPCC committees, government organs, and economic, cultural, educational, scientific and technological,departments. For instance, the chairpersons (or honorary chairpersons) of the eight parties' central committees are concurrently vice-chairpersons of the NPC Standing Committee or the CPPCC National Committee. With a combined number of members exceeding 600,000, they have set up branches and grassroots organizations in all the provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government, and large and medium cities.