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Extract and translated from the French E-bulletin China Analysis – Les Nouvelles de Chine n°11-12, Dec. 2006–Feb. 2007, pp. 5-6
French Editor: M.Meidan. Translation: Michael Black
Synthesis and commentary by Michal Meidan based on:
- Unsigned article, "Non-communists are holding more positions in the Chinese political sytem", Xinhua, January 24 2007
- Unsigned article, "The Prime Minister seeks advice on public finances from non-communists", People's Daily, January 24 2007
According to the official press, the number of political players not issued from the ranks of the Chinese Communist Party is rising. There are over 180,000 "non communist" deputies in the People's Congress and in local People's Congresses, an increase of over 50 % in five years.
The number of non-communists in the consultative conferences at national and local levels is said to have reached 340,000, as against 240,000 five years ago. 19 ministerial posts in the central authorities are said to be held by people from outside the CCP, an increase of 26 % over the same period.
The nature of the roles they play has also evolved, from posts in the fields of education and culture to a "wider range of fields".
This phenomenon is said to be a "rational choice" by the CCP in order to increase the "politcal and managerial capacities" of the Chinese political system. Thus the Central Committee is said to have produced a series of directives aimed at promoting access by "non-communists" and people "with no political affiliation" to the highest rungs of political power at local level, as well as in the Council of State.
Moreover, concerning the choice of delegates for the 17th Central Committee, the provincial committees have been asked, for the first time, to "sound out the opinions of other parties before making a selection of candidates". With this in view, the CP's Central Committee, the Council of State and the Ministries, since 2002, has held 18 meetings bringning together people who were not members of the CCP in order to inform them of key decisions taken and to ask for their points of view.
Such ameeting took place between Wen Jiabao, the Chinese Federation of Industry and Commerce, non-communist experts and the leaders of eight other parties: the Revolutionary Committee of the Kuomintang, the China Democratic League, the Association for the Democratic National Construction of China, the Chinese Association for the Promotion of Democracy, the Chinese Peasants and Workers Democratic Party, Zhi Gong Dang, the Jiusan association and the Taiwan League for Democratic Self-government[1].
The meeting was aimed at eliciting suggestions from its members about the country's financial reforms, monetary policies and the regulation of bank loans in China.
Both articles remain vague about these "non-communist" members, the roles they play and their political affiliations, but nonetheless display a desire to show greater political openness. This is occurring in an ambiguous context, however: while the CCP is displaying more transparency and a concern for closer links with the people through internet sites and popular online participation, on the other hand it is issuing directives aimed at controlling the content of TV broadcasts, in order for them to have an "ethical inspiration"[2].