Tianmu News: 

The regulations of the CPC on united front work require governments, courts, and procuratorates at all levels to appoint non-CPC officials to hold leading positions. Could you give us more details about the current appointed non-CPC officials? Do they really have positions with authority? Thank you.

Chen Xu:

Thank you for your question; let me answer it. This is a good question. It is an important institutional arrangement of China's new political party system to appoint non-CPC officials to hold leading positions in government departments and judicial organs at all levels to enhance cooperation between the CPC, other political parties, and non-affiliates. Adhering to the principle of equality, democratic consultation, and sincere cooperation, the CPC supports non-CPC officials in governments and judicial organs at all levels to fulfill their duties and give full play to their roles. Currently, 19 other political party members and the non-affiliates hold leading positions in the Supreme People's Court, the Supreme People's Procuratorate, State Council ministries, commissions and offices, and bureaus directly under the State Council. For instance, Huang Runqiu, vice chairman of the Central Committee of the Jiusan Society and minister of Ecology and Environment, is a non-CPC official working as the head of a department of the State Council. Tao Kaiyuan, vice chairman of the Central Committee of the China Association for Promoting Democracy, is vice president of the Supreme People's Court. Gan Lin, vice chairman of the Central Committee of the China Zhi Gong Party, is deputy head of the State Administration for Market Regulation and commissioner of the State Anti-Monopoly Bureau. Gao Hongjun, a non-affiliate, is vice president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. All of them have fulfilled their duties in their positions and play a good role.

As of June 2021, a total of 29 non-CPC officials served as vice-governors (vice-chairpersons and vice-mayors) in 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities of China, and 380 were members of the leadership of prefectural and municipal governments. Moreover, there were 45 vice-presidents and deputy procurator-generals of provincial people's courts and procuratorates, and 345 vice-presidents and deputy procurator-generals of prefecture-level people's courts and procuratorates. They have the power of command over the administration of the work in their charge following relevant regulations, the power of decision on addressing problems, and the power of proposal on personnel appointment and removal. Non-CPC officials, we can say for sure, have positions, duties, and authority. This is my answer. Thank you.