China Association for Promoting Democracy

China Association for Promoting Democracy
中国民主促进会
ChairpersonCai Dafeng
Founded30 December 1945 (1945-12-30)
HeadquartersBeijing
NewspaperDemocracy Monthly
Membership (2024)200,000
IdeologySocialism with Chinese characteristics
National People's Congress (14th)
54 / 2,977
NPC Standing Committee
7 / 175
CPPCC National Committee (14th)
45 / 544
(Seats for political parties)
Website
www.mj.org.cn
China Association for Promoting Democracy
Chinese name
Simplified Chinese中国民主促进会
Traditional Chinese中國民主促進會
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinZhōngguó Mínzhǔ Cùjìnhuì
Abbreviation
Simplified Chinese民进
Traditional Chinese民進
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinMínjìn
Tibetan name
Tibetanཀྲུང་གོ་དམངས་གཙོ་ཡར་སྐུལ་ལྷན་ཚོགས
Transcriptions
Wyliekrung go dmangs gtso yar skul lhan tshogs
Zhuang name
ZhuangCunghgoz Minzcuj Coicaenh Hoih
Mongolian name
Mongolian CyrillicДундад улсын ардчилал ийнор ахиулах эвлэл
Mongolian scriptᠳᠤᠮᠳᠠᠳᠤ
ᠤᠯᠤᠰ ᠤᠨ
ᠠᠷᠠᠳᠴᠢᠯᠠᠯ
ᠡᠶᠢᠨᠣᠷ ᠠᠬᠢᠭᠤᠯᠬᠤ
ᠡᠪᠯᠡᠯ
Uyghur name
Uyghurجۇڭگو دېموكراتىيىنى ئىلگىرى سۈرۈش جەمئىيىتى‎
Transcriptions
Latin YëziqiJunggo démokratiyini ilgiri sürüsh jemiyiti
Yengi YeziⱪJunggo démokratiyini ilgiri sürüsh jemiyiti
Manchu name
Manchu scriptᠮᡳᠨᠵᡳᠨ
RomanizationMinjin

The China Association for Promoting Democracy (CAPD, commonly known in Chinese as Minjin) is one of the eight minor non-oppositional political parties, officially termed "democratic parties," in the People's Republic of China under the direction of the Chinese Communist Party. CAPD is a political party of a united-front nature, composed mainly of middle- and senior-level intellectuals engaged in education, culture, publishing, media, and related fields of science and technology.

It was formed on 30 December 1945, and mainly represents high-level intellectuals engaged in education and cultural publishing media. The CAPD is the fourth-ranking minor party in China. It currently has 58 seats in the National People's Congress, 7 seats in the NPC Standing Committee and 45 seats in the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. Its current chairman is Cai Dafeng.

History

The China Association for Promoting Democracy (Minjin) was founded by progressive intellectuals from the cultural, educational, and publishing sectors, as well as patriotic figures from the business community who had remained in Shanghai during the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression.[1][2] Its principal founders included Ma Xulun, Wang Shao'ao, Zhou Jianren, Xu Guangping, Lin Handong, Xu Boxin, Zhao Puchu, Lei Jieqiong, Zheng Zhenduo, and Ke Ling. During the war, they worked alongside members of the Chinese Communist Party in sustained efforts to resist Japanese aggression and save the nation.[3]

After the victory of the War of Resistance, these figures actively participated in patriotic democratic movements opposing Kuomintang dictatorship, advocating democracy, opposing civil war, and calling for peace. On 30 December 1945, they formally established a political organization in Shanghai dedicated to "promoting the spirit of democracy and advancing the practice of democratic politics in China," which was named the China Association for Promoting Democracy.[4] Following its founding, Minjin issued a series of important political statements, including the Declaration on the Current Situation, calling for an immediate end to one-party dictatorship, the restoration of political power to the people, the cessation of civil war, and the protection of citizens’ freedoms and rights.[5]

In order to expand the forces supporting peace and democracy, Minjin coordinated and united 68 major mass organizations in Shanghai to form the Shanghai Federation of People’s Organizations.[6] On 23 June 1946, Minjin participated in initiating and organizing a mass rally of more than 100,000 people at Shanghai North Railway Station to protest against civil war.[7] Minjin leaders such as Ma Xulun and Lei Jieqiong also joined a peace petition delegation to Nanjing. During the nationally shocking "Xiaguan Incident," they faced violent attacks by Kuomintang assailants, demonstrating, through bloodshed and sacrifice, their steadfast loyalty to the country and the nation.[8][9]

On 30 April 1948, the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party issued the "May Day Slogans," calling upon all democratic parties, people’s organizations, and prominent individuals to convene a political consultative conference, prepare for the convening of a people’s congress, and establish a democratic coalition government.[10] Minjin firmly supported and responded to this call. Its main leaders successively moved from Shanghai and Hong Kong to the liberated areas, where they participated in preparations for the new Political Consultative Conference.[11] In September 1949, Minjin representatives—including Ma Xulun, Xu Guangping, Zhou Jianren, Wang Shao’ao, and Lei Jieqiong—attended the First plenary session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and took part in drafting the Common Program, making important contributions to the founding of the People’s Republic of China.[12]

Organization

According to its constitution, the CAPD is officially committed to socialism with Chinese characteristics and upholding the leadership of the CCP.[13] The CAPD is the fourth-ranking minor democratic party in China.[14] The party is a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.[15]

The highest body of the CAPD officially is the National Congress, which is held every five years. The 13th National Congress, held in December 2022, was the most recently held Party Congress. The National Congress elects the Central Committee of the CAPD.[13] At the end of 2024, the party had 29 province-level, 274 prefecture-level city, 54 county-level and 9,442 grassroot level organizations.[16] The CAPD publishes a newspaper titled Democracy Monthly (民主).[17]

Composition

The party mainly represents high-level intellectuals engaged in education and cultural publishing media.[1] At the end of 2024, the CAPD had more than 200,000 members, of which 71.4 were middle- and high-level intellectuals in the fields of education, culture, publishing, media, and science and technology.[16]

Chairpersons

No. Chairperson Took office Left office Ref.
1 Ma Xulun
马叙伦 		April 1950 July 1966 [18]
2 Zhou Jianren
周培源 		October 1979 July 1984 [18]
3 Ye Shengtao
叶圣陶 		December 1984 June 1987 [18]
4 Lei Jieqiong
雷洁琼 		June 1987 2 December 1997 [18]
5 Xu Jialu
许嘉璐 		December 1997 December 2007 [19]
6 Yan Junqi
严隽琪 		December 2007 December 2017 [20]
7 Cai Dafeng
蔡达峰 		6 December 2017 Incumbent [21]

National People's Congress elections

Election year Number of seats
2017–18
55 / 2,970
2022–23
54 / 2,977

References

  1. ^ a b Benewick, Robert; Donald, Stephanie Hemelryk (2009). The State of China Atlas: Mapping the World's Fastest-Growing Economy (1st ed.). University of California Press. p. 67. ISBN 978-0-520-25610-1. JSTOR 10.1525/j.ctv1xxv63. OCLC 948690686.
  2. ^ "新闻背景：中国民主促进会" [News background: China Association for Promoting Democracy]. Xinhua News Agency (in Chinese). 18 December 2022. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  3. ^ 汪朝光 (2000). 从抗战胜利到内战爆发前后 (in Chinese). 中华书局. p. 102. ISBN 978-7-101-02017-5. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  4. ^ 中共上海市委党史研究室; 曹典; 沈阳; 董奇 (1 April 2023). 上海：统一战线的红色堡垒（1921—1949） (in Chinese). Shanghai People's Press有限责任公司. p. 230. ISBN 978-7-208-18048-2. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  5. ^ 中国民主党派工作辞典 (in Chinese). 黑龙江教育出版社. 1994. p. 111. ISBN 978-7-5316-2483-7. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  6. ^ 20世纪上海文史资料文库 (in Chinese). 上海书店出版社. 1999. p. 193. ISBN 978-7-80622-628-5. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  7. ^ 李起民 (1988). 中国民主党派史稿 (in Chinese). 四川人民出版社. p. 157. ISBN 978-7-220-00227-4. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  8. ^ 中国上海市委党史研究室; 政协上海市委员会文史资料委员会 (1 May 2019). 日月新天：上海解放亲历者说 (in Chinese). Shanghai People's Press有限责任公司. ISBN 978-7-208-15859-7. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  9. ^ 黄逸峰 (1990). 旧中国民族资产阶级 (in Chinese). Jiangsu Ancient Books Publishing House. p. 606. ISBN 978-7-80519-194-2. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  10. ^ 中央统一战线工作部, 中国共产党 (1993). 团结合作共创伟业 (in Chinese). 华文出版社. p. 215. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  11. ^ 新编党员手册 (in Chinese). 改革出版社. 1991. p. 299. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  12. ^ 郑宪 (2005). 中国民主党派建设理论 (in Chinese). 中共中央党校出版社. p. 40. ISBN 978-7-5035-3174-3. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  13. ^ a b "中国民主促进会章程" [Constitution of the China Association for Promoting Democracy]. China Association for Promoting Democracy (in Chinese). 19 December 2022. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  14. ^ "我国八个民主党派排序考". Lishui Municipal Committee of the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang (in Chinese). 9 December 2012. Archived from the original on 4 March 2014. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  15. ^ Liao, Xingmiu; Tsai, Wen-Hsuan (2019). "Clientelistic State Corporatism: The United Front Model of "Pairing-Up" in the Xi Jinping Era". China Review. 19 (1): 31–56. ISSN 1680-2012. JSTOR 26603249.
  16. ^ a b "中国民主促进会简介" [Introduction to the China Association for Promoting Democracy]. China Association for Promoting Democracy (in Chinese). Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  17. ^ "民主杂志社". www.mj.org.cn (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 23 January 2019. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
  18. ^ a b c d 王俞春 (2000). 中国历代官署官名辞典 (in Chinese). 东西文化事业公司. p. 495. ISBN 978-962-7711-87-2. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  19. ^ 中国统一战线 (in Chinese). 《中国统一战线》杂志社. 2008. p. 72. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  20. ^ "蔡达峰接棒严隽琪，当选民进中央主席". 手机新浪网 (in Chinese). 6 December 2017. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  21. ^ "蔡达峰任民进中央主席" (in Chinese). 凤凰网. 6 December 2017. Archived from the original on 6 December 2017. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
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