Non-CPC parties' congresses to feature leadership change

The 10th National Congress of the Jiu San Society, one of China's eight non-Communist political parties, will open on Friday in Beijing, with the election of a new central committee.

The five-day Jiu San Society event will mark the beginning of a five-yearly national congress season of the country's non-Communist parties over the coming weeks.

The eight congresses follow the conclusion of the 18th National Congress of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) earlier this month.

Each party's national congress is expected to review a work report by its outgoing central committee, and elect a new central committee.

China's eight democratic parties are: the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang, the China Democratic League, the China National Democratic Construction Association, the China Association for Promoting Democracy, the Chinese Peasants and Workers Democratic Party, China Zhi Gong Dang, the Jiu San Society and the Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League.

Under the multi-party cooperation system, which remains a major characteristic of China's political party system, the CPC and the non-Communist parties work together and supervise each other, instead of opposing each other.

The CPC rules the country and the non-Communist parties participate in state affairs according to law, instead of ruling the country in turn.

Over the past five years, the non-Communist parties have contributed to the formation of the report of the 18th CPC National Congress, the annual government work reports and China's development plan for the 12th Five Year period (2011-2015) by offering comments and suggestions on the drafts.

They have done a lot to promote public welfare, help the needy, alleviate poverty in remote regions and facilitate coordinated development in both urban and rural areas.

Furthermore, they have also stepped up their party building organizationally.

Official figures indicated that China's non-Communist parties had a total of more than 800,000 members as of the end of 2011, with more than 37,000 organs at community-based levels.

Statistics also showed that 30 of 31 Chinese provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities have deputy governors with non-Communist party backgrounds.