The united front, officially named the patriotic united front, is a political strategy of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) involving networks of groups and key individuals that are influenced or controlled by the CCP and used to advance its interests. It has historically been a popular front that has included eight legally permitted political parties and people's organizations which have nominal representation in the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). The CCP first organized the "National Revolution United Front" during the Northern Expedition of 1926–1928 and then the "Workers' and Peasants' Democratic United Front" in the Chinese Soviet Republic era of 1931–1937. Mao Zedong later promoted the "Anti-Japanese National United Front". During the Chinese Civil War, the CCP organized the "people's democratic united front" to overthrow the Kuomintang. In 1966, during the Cultural Revolution, the "people's democratic united front" was renamed to the "revolutionary united front". In 1979, it assumed its current name of "patriotic united front", further expanding its scope. Under CCP general secretary Xi Jinping, the united front and its targets of influence have expanded in size and scope. United front organizations are managed primarily by the United Front Work Department (UFWD), but the united front strategy is not limited solely to the UFWD. All CCP cadres are required to engage in "united front work". CPPCC is considered to be the highest-ranking united front organization, being central to the system. Outside of China, the strategy involves numerous front organizations, which tend to obfuscate or downplay any association with the CCP.
History
The CCP organized the "National Revolution United Front" (simplified Chinese: 国民革命统一战线; traditional Chinese: 國民革命統一戰綫; pinyin: Guómín gémìng tǒngyī zhànxiàn) with the Kuomintang (KMT) during the Northern Expedition of 1926–1928 and then the "Workers' and Peasants' Democratic United Front" (simplified Chinese: 工农民主统一战线; traditional Chinese: 工農民主統一戰綫; pinyin: Gōngnóng mínzhǔ tǒngyī zhànxiàn) in the Chinese Soviet Republic era of 1931–1937. Mao Zedong originally promoted the "Anti-Japanese National United Front" (simplified Chinese: 抗日民族统一战线; traditional Chinese: 抗日民族統一戰綫; pinyin: Kàngrì mínzú tǒngyī zhànxiàn). In late 1935, the Communist International (Comintern) instructed the CCP to establish the broadest possible anti-fascist united front. At a meeting in December 1935, the CCP Politburo resolved to reach understanding, seek compromise, and establish relations with all nations, parties, and individuals who opposed imperial Japan. The united front "assumed its current form" in 1946, three years before the CCP defeated the KMT's Nationalist government of Chiang Kai-shek. According to CCP histography, the "people's democratic united front" was formed including "workers, peasants, the urban petty bourgeoisie, the national bourgeoisie, various democratic parties, enlightened gentry, other patriots, ethnic minorities, and overseas Chinese" to overthrow Chiang's government. Mao credited the united front as one of his "Three Magic Weapons" against the KMT—alongside the Leninist Chinese Communist Party and the Red Army—and credited the Front with playing a part in the Chinese Communist Revolution. In 1966, during the Cultural Revolution, the "people's democratic united front" was renamed to the "revolutionary united front". On 1 September 1979, at a Politburo meeting hearing a report from the National United Front Work Conference, its name was changed to the "patriotic united front". Deng Xiaoping said "The united front at the present stage can be called a revolutionary and patriotic united front". The Resolution on Certain Questions in the History of Our Party since the Founding of the People's Republic of China, adopted in 1981, abandoned the previous formulation of the "revolutionary united front" and formally designated the united front in the new era as the "patriotic united front". According to the Chinese Communist Party News Network, this change "allows all individuals, groups, political parties, and organizations that love the motherland, regardless of social system, political stance, ideology, or lifestyle, to join the united front, thus further expanding its scope". During Xi Jinping's second term, the State Administration for Religious Affairs, State Ethnic Affairs Commission, and Overseas Chinese Affairs Office were reorganized under the UFWD as part of Xi's consolidation of many state powers under the CCP.
Organs The two organs historically affiliated with the united front are the United Front Work Department and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). According to Yi-Zheng Lian, the organs "are often poorly understood outside China because there are no equivalents for them in the West". Inside China, leaders of formal united front organizations are selected by the CCP, or are themselves CCP members. In practice, united front member parties and allied people's organizations are subservient to the CCP, and must accept the CCP's "leading role" as a condition of their continued existence.
United Front Work Department
The United Front Work Department is headed by the chief of the secretariat of the CCP's Central Committee. It oversees front organizations and their affiliates in multiple countries such as the Chinese Students and Scholars Association, which ostensibly helps Chinese students and academics studying or residing in the West, enjoining them to conduct "people-to-people diplomacy" on behalf of the People's Republic of China.
Activities
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