List of political parties in China

The People's Republic of China (PRC) is a one-party state ruled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). In addition, eight minor and non-oppositional political parties subservient to the CCP exist. The PRC is officially organized under what the CCP terms a "system of multi-party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the CCP," in which the minor parties must accept the leadership of the CCP as a condition of their existence. The 1982 state constitution codified the leadership of the CCP.

Under the "one country, two systems" principle, the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau, which were previously colonies of European powers, operate under a different political system from the rest of mainland China. Both Hong Kong and Macau possess multi-party systems that were introduced just before the handover of the territories to China.

Legal parties

Ruling party

The Chinese Communist Party is the sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China. Article 1 of the 1982 state constitution states that "The defining feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the leadership of the Communist Party of China", while the CCP constitution declares the party to be the "highest force for political leadership".

{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"

!align="left" colspan="3"|Party

!Year founded

!Ideology

!Members (2024)

!Leader

!NPC seats

!NPCSC seats

!NCCPPCC seats

|bgcolor=|

!scope="row" style="text-align:center"| 60px

|Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Zhōngguó Gòngchán Dǎng (Zhōnggòng)

|align=center|1921

|Socialism with Chinese characteristics

|100,271,000

|Xi Jinping

Minor parties

While only the CCP holds effective power at the national level, there are officially eight minor and non-oppositional parties that exist alongside the CCP that are officially titled democratic parties. Founded before the proclamation of the People's Republic of China, these parties must accept the "leading role" of the CCP as a condition of their continued existence. The official party system of the PRC is termed a "system of multi-party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the CCP." According to Human Rights Watch, these parties "play an advisory rather than an oppositional role".

List

Other parties

Banned parties

The following parties formed in China are (or have previously been) banned by the government:

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"

! colspan="3" align="left" |Party

!Year founded

!Ideology

!Members (2010)

!Leader

!NPC seats

!NPCSC seats

!CPPCC seats

| bgcolor="" |

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" |60x60px

|Union of Chinese Nationalists (UOCN)

| align="center" |2004

|Tridemism Conservatism

|5,000

|Wen Yan

| bgcolor="" |

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" |

|Democracy Party of China (DPC)

| align="center" |1998

|Liberalism

|Liu Dongxing

The Communist Party of China (Marxist–Leninist) () is an anti-revisionist communist party founded in 1976 by several Maoist rebel factions of the Red Guards in Wuhan, Hubei. They believed it was illegal to arrest the Gang of Four and that the new leadership of the CCP is revisionist and unlawful. They were suppressed after attempts at an armed revolt failed in Shanghai, Zhejiang, Canton and Yunnan.
The Communist Party of China (Workers' and Peasants' Liberation Army) () is an anti-revisionist communist party founded in 1976 by a Maoist rebel faction of the Red Guards in Fujian. They used the old fortifications built during the Chinese Civil War and organized a partisan army named the "Workers' and Peasants' Liberation Army". They announced that the new leadership of the CCP is revisionist and called for uprising and reestablished the Party Central Committee.
The New Democracy Party of China () was founded by Guo Quan in Nanjing at the end of 2007.
The Zhi Xian Party (), also known as the Chinese Constitutionalist Party in English. Founded by the supporters of Bo Xilai in 2013 and banned in December of that year.

Overseas parties

Shanghai National Party is a pro-democracy party which advocates for the independence of Shanghai, led by He Anquan, who left China after the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre. The party was notable for its opposition to China's COVID-19 lockdown policies. Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, He Anquan visited Ukraine in order to document the war.

Historical parties

Defunct parties

{| class="wikitable sortable"

! colspan="2" |Party

!Ideology

!From

!To

!Ref.

|bgcolor= |

|Chinese Empire Reform Association 保救大清皇帝會

|Constitutionalism Constitutional monarchism

|1899

|1911

|bgcolor= |

|Chinese United League (Tongmenghui) 中國同盟會

|Republicanism Anti-Qing sentiment

|1905

|1912

|bgcolor=#FFC500 |

|Society for Monarchical Constitutionalism (Royalist Party) 君主立憲維持會 (宗社黨)

|Monarchism Manchurian nationalism

|1911

|bgcolor= |

|Democratic Party 民主黨

|Conservative liberalism Constitutional monarchism

|1912

|1913

|bgcolor= |

|Republican Party 共和黨

|Conservatism Republicanism

|1912

|1913

|bgcolor= |

|Unity Party 統一黨

|Conservatism Statism

|1912

|1913

|bgcolor=#013C78 |

|Communications Clique 交通系

|Special interests Yellow unionism

|1912

|1928

|bgcolor=#008000 |

|Progressive Party 進步黨

|Chinese nationalism Monarchism

|1913

|1916

|bgcolor=#DE2119 |

|Anfu Club 安福俱樂部

|State socialism Republicanism

|1918

|1920

|bgcolor=#DC0000 |

|Social Democratic Party of China

|Social democracy

|1926

|bgcolor= |

|Productive People's Party 生产人民党

|Anti-imperialism Left-wing nationalism

|1933

|1934

|bgcolor=#FF6262 |

|Chinese People's National Salvation Association 中国人民救国会

|Anti-imperialism (Kàngrì) Left-wing nationalism

|1935

|1949

|bgcolor= |

|Kuomintang (Wang Jingwei) 汪偽國民黨

|Collaborationism Pan-Asianism

|1939

|1945

|bgcolor=Blue |

|Three Principles of the People Comrades Association 三民主義同志聯合會

|Three Principles of the People

|1945

|1949

|bgcolor=Blue |

|Kuomintang Democratic Promotion Association 中國國民黨民主促進會

|Three Principles of the People

|1946

|1949

Defunct regionalist parties

{| class="wikitable sortable"

! colspan="2" |Party

!Ideology

!From

!To

!Province

|bgcolor=Blue |

|Inner Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party Дотоод Монголын Ардын Хувьсгалын Нам

|Communism Marxism–Leninism

|1925

|1946

|Inner Mongolia

|bgcolor=#0084FF |

|Committee for National Revolution 民族革命委員會

|Jadid Movement Pan-Turkism

|1932

|1934

|Xinjiang

|bgcolor=Orange |

|Concordia Association 滿洲國協和會

|Fascism Manchurian nationalism

|1932

|1945

|Manchuria (Manchukuo)

|bgcolor=Lightblue |

|Young Kashgar Party 青年喀什噶爾黨

|Uyghur nationalism Jadid Movement

|1933

|1934

|Xinjiang

|bgcolor=#FC0000 |

|Xinjiang People's Anti-Imperialist Association 新疆民眾反帝聯合會

|Anti-imperialism Marxism–Leninism

|1935

|1942

|Xinjiang

|bgcolor= |

|Kuomintang in Burma 泰緬孤軍

|Anti-communism

|1949

|1954 (officially) 1961

|Yunnan, Burma (exiled)

|bgcolor= |

|East Turkestan Liberation Organization

|Uyghur nationalism Separatism

|1997

|2003

|Xinjiang

Defunct political alliances

First United Front, 1923–27
Second United Front, 1936–47
China Democratic League, 1941–46 (as an alliance, still active as a party)

Extant parties banned in the People's Republic of China

{| class="wikitable sortable"

! colspan="2" |Party

!Ideology (in China)

!From

!To (in China)

!Ref.

|bgcolor= |

|Kuomintang 中國國民黨

|Three Principles of the People Republicanism Chinese nationalism

|1919

|1949

|bgcolor= |

|Young China Party 中國青年黨

|Conservatism Chinese nationalism Anti-communism

|1923

|1949

|bgcolor= |

|China Democratic Socialist Party 中國民主社會黨

|Democratic socialism Chinese nationalism

|1946

|1949

List of political parties in China

Legal parties

Ruling party

Minor parties

List

Other parties

Banned parties

Overseas parties

Historical parties

Defunct parties

Defunct regionalist parties

Defunct political alliances

Extant parties banned in the People's Republic of China

See also

Notes