China is a one-party state ruled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) . Despite this, there are officially eight minor political parties that exist alongside the CCP. These parties must accept the "leading role" of the CCP as a condition of their continued existence. The eight minor parties are:

• Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang (RCCK)
• China Democratic League (CDL)
• China National Democratic Construction Association (CNDCA)
• Jiusan Society
• China Peasants’ and Workers’ Democratic Party (CPWDP)
• China Association for Promoting Democracy (CAPD)
• China Zhi Gong Party (CZGP)
• Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League (TDSGL)

These parties are officially described as "long-term coexistence and mutual supervision, treating each other with full sincerity and sharing weal or woe". According to Human Rights Watch, these parties "play an advisory rather than an oppositional role". The leader of China is always from the CCP, and the eight minor parties do not have the power to elect a leader.