Thinking about Pushing Forward the Publicity and Education of the Theory of Chinese People ’ s Political Consultative Conference

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China has repeatedly and definitely demanded that the Party Committees at all levels should actively organize and vigorously promote the theoretical research, publicity and educational work about Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). Propaganda Departments and Education Departments are supposed to highly value the publicity and educational work about it, and propagandists and educators should grasp such two features of the theory as “novelty” and “greatness”. Some typical confused ideas on CPPCC in society should be cleared up accordingly in publicity and education. The whole society should enhance their awareness and consensus about it so as to make the work of CPPCC form a situation of one voice in China to promote the development of the cause of Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.

On February 8, 2006, the CPC Central Committee issued No. 5 Document of 2006, "Suggestions on Strengthening the Work of the CPPCC", specifically demanding that "the Party committees at all levels should actively and vigorously promote the theoretical research, publicity and education on CPPCC and list the theory of the CPPCC into the teaching plans of the Party schools, the schools of Administration, the Institutes of cadres, the Institutes of Socialism at all levels.News media should be organized designedly and emphatically to publicize the multi-party cooperation system led by the CPC and the political consultation system, make people know the nature, status and role of CPPCC and the specific situations that CPPCC at all levels have functioned in order to create a good atmosphere conducive to the development of the CPPCC".(Suggestion on Strengthening the Work of CPPCC, 2006, p.11)As a matter of fact, while the Party organizations at all levels implement the spirit of "Suggestions on Strengthening the Work of the CPPCC", they have enhanced the theoretical study, publicity and educational work and listed the theory of CPPCC into the teaching plans of the Party schools, schools of administration, the institutes of cadres, the institutes of socialism at all levels.From the Suggestion, we can see there is a very firm tone and clear attitude to promote the research, publicity and educational tasks of the CPPCC theory and the growth of the CPPCC cause.' No. 5 Document of 2006 is programmatic to guide the development of the CPPCC cause and another milestone of its development.So far, there are three programmatic documents the Central Committee have issued to guide the development of CPPCC.The first is, on December 30, No. 14 document of 1989 with the title of "Suggestions of the CPC Central Committee on Adhering to and Improving the CPC-led Multi-party Cooperation and Political Consultation System", whose major highlight lies in that it is the first time in form of the Party's document to make clear that the CPC-led multi-Party Cooperation and Political Consultation System is a basic political system.The second is, on February 18, 2005, the No.5 document of 2005 with the title of "Suggestions on Further Strengthening the Construction of the CPC-led Multi-party Cooperation and Political Consultation System", which gives a clear requirement of the construction of the system.The third is the No.5 document of 2006 of "Suggestions on Strengthening the Work of the CPPCC", which makes a relatively complete narration of the theoretical source, nature, tasks, status, role and the construction of the CPPCC, indicating a clear direction for the development of the CPPCC.(Zhang, 2008, p.75)The two No. 5 documents have the most notable features of further promoting the institutionalization, standardization and routinization of the CPC-led Multi-party Cooperation and Political Consultation system.They also have made the most powerful norms of the principle, contents, forms and procedures of political consultation, particularly, made it clear that the political consultation should be put into the decision-making process and consultation conferences should be held on major issues before and in the decision-making process.They have put forward that the political consultation includes two basic forms that can not replace each other, and raised specific demands of the three phases of preparation, process, and feedback.The 17 th National Congress of CPC in the report, absorbing the spirit of the two No.5 documents, reiterates "promoting the institutionalization of political consultation, democratic supervision, participation in politics, and bringing the political consultation into the decision-making process", which are the core content of the two No.5 documents.Therefore, in the work of publicity and education of the CPPCC theory we should combine the spirit of the 17th National Congress of CPC and the two No.5 documents closely, particularly the connotations of comprehensively promoting the CPPCC institutionalization, standardization and routinization.

Two features should be emphasized to promote the publicity and educational work of the CPPCC theory
The CPPCC theory has features of "novelty" and "greatness".Greatness means that it will become the vital content in publicity and education while novelty means fewer reference books.

The CPPCC theory has features of novelty.
2.1.1It is a short time after the CPPCC theory was put forward as a political concept.
As a fixed political term, the CPPCC theory was first raised at the 100th anniversary of Comrade Deng Xiaoping's Birth and the Seminar of Deng Xiaoping's CPPCC Theory held by the CPPCC National Committee in August 2004.Comrade Jia Qinglin at the conference said, "practice of more than half a century has proved that the creation and development of the CPPCC cause has always progressed under the guidance of the CPPCC theory made by the Chinese Communist Party", which indicates that the Central Committee of CPC for the first time officially presented the political concept.In the following September, Hu Jintao delivered an important speech at the 55th anniversary of the establishment of CPPCC, saying that "we should vigorously strengthen the theoretical research of the CPPCC, and provide theoretical guidance for the better development of the people's CPPCC".This shows that the people's CPPCC theory, as a political concept, has been formally established.After the issue of "Suggestion on strengthening the work of the CPPCC", the research association of the CPPCC theory was set up in December of 2006, becoming the base of the theoretical research of CPPCC, followed by that local research societies established everywhere in China, marking that the theoretical research organization system is getting sound and the mechanism and platform to promote the theoretical research exchange are gradually being established.However, the theoretical study of the CPPCC starts late, and experts and scholars are relatively in small number, thus the research teams needs integrating and there are relatively few major theoretical research results.

2.1.2
There are few research achievements on CPPCC theory.
For theory of the CPPCC is not a complete discipline system so there are relatively few materials for reference in publicity and educational work.In the cause of publicity and education, documents of the Central Committee of CPC about CPPCC and the CPPCC Charter are vital for research.Secondly, as far as the present situation is concerned, there are mainly three categories of materials for reference and books worth reading.The first is the collated and compiled materials of history of the CPPCC, such as Book of the CPPCC(1999), Documents of the CPPCC(1949), Formation and Development of Deng Xiaoping's Theory of the CPPCC (Zhu, 2004), and Zhou Enlai and the CPPCC (Ma, 2004).These materials are valuable for they have recorded the work situations of the leaders of the CPC and democratic parties since the foundation of the CPPCC and their understandings of the CPPCC.The second is of the materials concerning the work and education of the CPPCC, such as, Workbook of the CPPCC(1986), Guide to Basic Knowledge of the CPPCC (Wang, 1994), and An Introduction to the CPPCC (Zhang, 2008).The third is of the research works, such as The CPPCC in Contemporary China (Peng, 1993), On the CPPCC of China (Hu, 1999), and CPPCC and the Construction of a Harmonious Society (Yu and Song, 2005).(Yuan, 2006, p11).
Of the above achievements, what is worth mentioning is the book, Introduction to the CPPCC, which in close connection with the spirits of the 17 th National Congress of CPC and the two No.5 documents expounds the history of establishment, existence and development of the CPPCC and its inevitability, and demonstrates the nature, status, mandate, role and main functions of the CPPCC, its theoretical foundation, principles and regular work, the organizational system, the meeting system and its own construction, the strengthening and improvement of the Party's leadership over the CPPCC, and so on, forming a set of scientific structures and systems of the basic knowledge and theory of the CPPCC.The book is of some value for reference in studying, publicizing the CPPCC theory.Secondly, the book of The CPPCC and the Construction of a Harmonious Society is of higher value for reference by summarizing and developing the recent research achievements of the people's political consultative theory in democracy, the rule of law, civil society and other comprehensive perspectives.

The CPPCC theory involves a wide range of knowledge
Suggestions on Strengthening the Work of the CPPCC clearly points out that "the CPPCC is the great creation by the Communist Party of China who has integrated Marxist and Leninist theory of united front, theory of political parties, theory of the democratic parties with China's specific practice.It is the great achievement that the Communist Party of China with all democratic parties, the people's associations and people of all ethnic groups stands together to fight to win." (Suggestion on Strengthening the Work of CPPCC, 2006, pp1-2).We can know that the CPPCC has three major sources of theory, that is, Marxist-Leninist united front theory, theory of political parties, and democratic political theory.Furthermore, several generations of leaders of the CPC Central Committee have contributions to the creation, development and innovation of the CPPCC theory, as needs carding and studying in the process of publicity and education of the CPPCC.In this sense, the CPPCC theory has wider range of research than the united front theory.

There is a wide range of the CPPCC work
Comrade Li Ruihuan said that the CPPCC has many things to deal with and care about.As to those involving the lives of the people from such a big thing as launching a satellite into space to the daily trivial things, it is necessary for the CPPCC to take care of.
Theory guides practice and in turn practice serves the theory.The purpose of studying the theory of the CPPCC is to better guide the work of the CPPCC.In the course of the publicity and education of the CPPCC theory, we should combine theory and practice to make a research.

In the course of publicity and education, we should clarify designedly several typical vague understandings of the CPPCC
The promotion of the publicity and education of the CPPCC aims at doing a better job in the construction of the CPPCC, making the whole society understand more of the CPPCC correctly, expanding its audience awareness, and enlarging the consensus.So it is necessary to clarify the vague understandings of the CPPCC designedly.Some people including some leading cadres from the Party or governments, intellectuals, and even some CPPCC members have ambiguous understandings or even biases against the CPPCC.I have classified them into four categories.First is the no-ground parlance.They said that there is no theory to guide the work of the CPPCC.Second is the parlance like a vase and decoration.They said there was a piece of doggerel before the Cultural Revolution, saying "the Party committees wave the hands to make decisions, the governments move the hands to make implementation, the National People's Congress raises the hands to show agreement and the CPPCC claps the hands to show the affirmation.But now there are still some people using the doggerel to compare to what the CPPCC functions.Later, there spreads in society some other doggerels, for example, functioned only for a few days while deserted for a whole year; The Party committees have rights, the governments have money, what the NPC can do is to raise their hands, and what CPPCC can do is to deliver speech; What the CPPCC speaks and does is for nothing.The CPPCC is just an empty framework.It can not play any role and functions nothing.Third is the parlance of idleness and tiredness.For example, it is said that veteran cadres have nothing to scare in both CPPCC and the National People's Congress.The CPPCC has no right so they have no trouble.It is another bureau of tired cadres and what the entire staffs do is to enjoy themselves.The fourth is the parlance of creating troubles.The CPPCC was described to be "an empty framework with a great brand where a group of old men have nothing to do except pick holes".It seems what the CPPCC can do is to find other's defects and give endless suggestions.(Liu, 2007) These above views are wrong and of prejudice, with vague understandings of the CPPCC's nature, mission, role and status, so it is necessary to give a clarification in the process of publicity and education.

The whole China should have one voice about the work of the CPPCC.
At present there exists a phenomenon in some places about the work of the CPPCC.The Central Committee of CPC attaches greatest importance to it, and the provincial Party committees stress it comparatively while the grass-roots Party organizations do not give enough emphasis on it.One of the purposes that the Central Committee has repeatedly stressed the importance to the work of the CPPCC and the promotion of the theory of the CPPCC's research, publicity and education is to expand the consensus, and form a voice about the work of the CPPCC in China.
The phenomenon actually reflects that some people only regard the united front as a revolutionary tool.They think it is out of date that the CPPCC, a form of the united front, is considered to be a magic weapon for it was a matter of thing in the revolutionary period.During the revolutionary period, because the CPC was relatively weak, when facing with the powerful enemies, only by relying on the revolutionary united front to strengthen the ranks, could she isolate and defeat the enemy.But it is not the same today.The CPC today has become the first big and powerful Party with more than 70 million members.In China, no other political parties can contend with her.Therefore, in some places, although the united front is considered to be that important, in actual work it is marginalized or even ignored.(Li, 2007, p.7)This does not link the CPC's historical position with the role that the united front should play closely.So we should recognize that, in the past, the united front was a magic weapon in defeating Japan and Jiang Jieshi regime, while at present, it is still magic in the scientific development.For instance, the scientific development needs the support of talent and intelligence and the CPPCC has a galaxy of talents, who can give a deep research on some major, macroscopical, and deep-seated problems.Of course, the CPPCC has more roles than those.
In short, it will certainly play a great part in the development of China to conscientiously carry out the CPPCC's construction and give full play to the role of the CPPCC.The CPC Central Committee demands to strengthen the theoretical study, publicity and education work, therefore, the educators must continue to improve the guiding theory of the CPPCC work, clarify the vague understandings and prejudices against the CPPCC, so as to make the work of CPPCC a situation with one voice in China, which is the primary responsibility of propagators and educators.