Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference

The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) is a political advisory body in the People's Republic of China and a central part of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)'s united front system. Its members advise and submit proposals for political and social issues to government bodies. However, the CPPCC is a body without legislative power. While consultation does take place, it is supervised and directed by the CCP.

The Political Consultative Conference was established in 1945 as part of peace negotiations between the Kuomintang and the CCP. The conference ultimately ended in failure, leading the CCP to withdraw. In 1948, after major successes in the Chinese Civil War, the CCP started to gather a new conference to discuss a new state and new government to replace the Republic of China. In 1949, the first plenary session of the CPPCC gathered, and adopted the Common Program, and laid the groundwork for the foundation of the People's Republic of China. The CPPCC initially acted as the de facto legislature of the PRC, until its legislative powers were transferred to the National People's Congress with the adoption of the 1954 Constitution.

The organizational hierarchy of the CPPCC consists of a National Committee and regional committees. Regional committees extend to the provincial, prefecture, and county level. According to the charter of the CPPCC, the relationship between the National Committee and the regional committees is one of guidance and not direct leadership. However, an indirect leadership exists via the CCP Central Committee's United Front Work Department at each level. The National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference typically holds a yearly meeting at the same time as plenary sessions of the NPC. The CPPCC National Committee and NPC plenary sessions are collectively called the Two Sessions.

The body traditionally consists of delegates from the CCP and its people's organizations, eight non-oppositional democratic parties subservient to the CCP, as well as nominally independent members. The CPPCC National Committee is chaired by a member of the Politburo Standing Committee of the CCP, who is assisted by several vice chairs and a secretary-general. The CPPCC is intended to be more representative of a broader range of people than is typical of government office in the People's Republic of China, including a broad range of people from both inside and outside the CCP. The composition of the members of the CPPCC changes over time according to national strategic priorities.