The newly elected Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Saturday issued an open letter, thanking all eight democratic parties and the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce (ACFIC) for their congratulations on the 16th National Congress of CPC.
The democratic parties include the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang, the China Democratic League, the China Democratic National Construction Association, the China Association for Promoting Democracy, the Chinese Peasants and Workers Democratic Party, the China Zhi Gong Party, the Jiu San (September 3) Society and the Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League.
The letter said that the congress had succeeded in summarizing the achievements of socialism with Chinese characteristics since the Fourth Plenum of the 13th CPC Central Committee in 1989 and setting the target of further national development.
"The congress is a new start for Chinese people under the leadership of the Party to progress and thus has profound significance," said the letter.
The letter praised the democratic parties and the ACFIC for their close cooperation with the Party since the founding of New China, saying they were an important force in maintaining China's growth and stability.
The Party would stick to the policies of having a broad alliance of all socialist workers and patriotic allies and of multi-party cooperation and political consultation, said the letter, adding that the CPC Central Committee hoped that the democratic parties would give full play to their role in political affairs and democratic supervision.
(Xinhua News Agency November 16, 2002)
