Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang

 The Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang (RCCK) is a party with the nature of a political alliance, a party committed to building socialism with Chinese characteristics and promoting national reunification. It is one of the parties participating in government and political affairs under the system of multi-party cooperation and political consultation led by the Communist Party of China (CPC). Currently the RCCK with a membership of over 80,000 has local organizations in 30 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government across the country (with the exception of Taiwan and Tibet), including provincial-level organizations, 249 prefecture-level organizations, 53 county-level organizations and 3,879 primary-level organizations. The successive RCCK chairmen are Li Jishen, He Xiangning, Zhu Yunshan, Wang Kunlun, Qu Wu, Zhu Xuefan, Li Peiyao, He Luli, Zhou Tienong and the current RCCK chairman is Wan Exiang.

The RCCK was founded by democrats and other patriotic democrats in the former Chinese Kuomintang. Dr. Sun Yat-sen, the great forerunner of China’s democratic revolution, led the Revolution of 1911, which abolished the feudal monarchy and gave birth to the Republic. After the death of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, the democrats and other patriotic democrats in the Chinese Kuomintang carried forward Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s spirit of patriotism, revolution and ceaseless progress and adhered to the Three Great Policies of alliance with Russia, cooperation with the Communist Party and assistance to the peasants and workers advocated by Dr. Sun Yat-sen. They continued to participate in the national democratic revolution and played an important role in the efforts to renew the Kuomintang-Communist cooperation and win the War of Resistance against Japan. During this period, patriotic and democratic forces of all factions in the Kuomintang gradually grew stronger and got united to establish the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang on January 1, 1948.

In 1943, a group of democrats in the Kuomintang had already started to make preparations for forming the San Min Zhu Yi Comrades’ Federation (SMZYCF) while another group of democrats in the Kuomintang started to make preparations in Guilin and Pingzhao for forming the Kuomintang Association for Promoting Democracy (KAPD). And the former was established in Zhongqing in October 1945 while the latter was formally established in Guangzhou in April 1946. In November 1947, representatives of the SMZYCF, the KAPD and other patriotic democrats in the Kuomintang held in Hong Kong the First Congress of Democrats in the Chinese Kuomintang at which a decision was made to jointly form the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang (SMZYCF and KAPD continuing to exist). On January 1, 1948, the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang was formally established with Soong Ching Ling elected as Honorary Chairman, Li Jishen as Chairman and He Xiangning, Feng Yuxiang, Li Zhangda and Tan Pingshan, among others, as Standing Committee members of the Central Committee. The declaration issued on the occasion advocated abolishing the dictatorial rule of the Kuomintang and winning independence, democracy and peace in China. With the establishment of the RCCK, all factions of patriotic and democratic forces in the Kuomintang were united in a concerted struggle for the victory of the democratic revolution. In May 1948, in an open telegram to the nation, RCCK leaders as well as leaders of other democratic parties and democrats with no party affiliation made a positive response to the May 1 call of the CPC for convening a new People’s Political Consultative Conference and establishing a democratic coalition government. In January 1949, Li Jishen and some other RCCK leaders as well as leaders of other democratic parties and democrats with no party affiliation jointly published Our Views on the Current Situation, announcing their readiness to carry the revolution through to the end under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, and subsequently took an active part in making preparations for a new Political Consultative Conference. In September, representatives of the RCCK, the SMZYCF and the KAPD attended the First Plenary Session of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and participated in formulating the Common Program of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and electing the Central People’s Government. In November, the Second Conference of Representatives of Democrats in the Kuomintang was held in Beijing, at which a decision was made to further unite the RCCK, the SMZYCF, the KAPD and other patriots in the Kuomintang into the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang (SMZYCF and KAPD ceasing to exist). Figures formerly prominent in the Kuomintang, such as Cheng Qian, Zhang Zhizhong and Shao Lizi attended the conference and were elected as Standing Committee members of the Central Committee.

After the founding of New China, the RCCK, a member of the multi-party cooperation led by the CPC, participated in the people’s political power and the work of the CPPCC, playing a constructive role in consolidating the people’s democratic dictatorship, developing the patriotic united front, successfully accomplishing the socialist transformation and advancing the cause of socialism. Since the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh CPC Central Committee, the RCCK has shifted the focus of its work to meet the requirements of the new period of socialist construction, opened up new vistas in its work and made new contributions to advancing the reform and opening-up and the socialist modernization drive and promoting the peaceful reunification of the motherland. Over half a century and more, the RCCK has always born in mind Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s behest for the reunification and rejuvenation of China and has always been inspired and encouraged by Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s spirit of patriotism, revolution and ceaseless progress. This is a glorious tradition of the RCCK.

After the CPC Central Committee issued the Opinions on Persisting in and Improving the System of Multiparty Cooperation and Political Consultation under the Leadership of the Communist Party of China in 1989, the role of the RCCK as a party participating in government and political affairs was affirmed and the functions of participation in and deliberation of state affairs and democratic supervision were defined. The RCCK has made energetic efforts to perform the functions as a party participating in government and political affairs, constantly establishing and improving work mechanisms for participation in and deliberation of state affairs and for democratic supervision, promoting self-improvement, actively carrying out investigations and studies on major issues concerning China’s reform and opening-up and its economic and social development and contributing many views and suggestions, which have drawn much attention from the CPC Central Committee, the State Council as well as the CPC committees and local governments at all levels across the country and played an increasingly positive role in the political life of the country. Meanwhile, the RCCK has taken its advantages in human resources and intelligence to launch programs to alleviate rural poverty through intellectual support, offer medical services and establish schools, etc., winning extensive popularity. In 2005, the CPC Central Committee issued another document entitled Opinions on Further Strengthening the Building of the System of Multiparty Cooperation and Political Consultation under the Leadership of the Communist Party of China. Under the guidance of the Opinions, the RCCK has made new progress in performing the functions and playing the role as a party participating in government and political affairs and in building up the RCCK as such a party.

The RCCK political program at the present stage is as follows: to hold high the great banner of Deng Xiaoping Theory, study and implement the important thought of the “Three Represents”, earnestly perform the functions as a party participating in government and political affairs, uphold patriotism and socialism, follow the basic line and basic program for the primary stage of socialism and carry forward Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s spirit of patriotism, revolution and ceaseless progress; to exercise democratic supervision by participating in the state power, participating in consultation on fundamental state principles and policies and the choice of state leaders, in the administration of state affairs and in the formulation and implementation of state principles and policies as well as laws and regulations; to strive for the fulfillment of the historic mission of advancing the modernization drive to build a well-off society in an all-round way, accomplishing national reunification, maintaining world peace and promoting common development; and to work vigorously to consolidate and broaden the patriotic united front, maintain the political situation of stability and unity, improve the socialist legal system, develop socialist democracy and promote socialist political civilization in an endeavor to turn China into a strong, prosperous, democratic and culturally-advanced socialist country.