China is the most populous country in the world, and is ruled by a single political party, the Communist Party of China. Eight other political parties, known as the “democratic parties,” work with the Communist Party of China, but do not actually hold any power. This situation has been criticized by individuals who are concerned about China's history of human rights violations, because it is feared that the citizens of China may not be adequately represented politically.

The Communist Party of China was founded in 1921 in Shanghai. The party was established to promote communist ideology in China and to supplant the Kuomingtang regime, which controlled Chinese politics after the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty in 1912. In 1949, the party defeated the Kuomingtang and founded the People's Republic of China (PRC).

The Communist Party of China promotes the idea of a single party state. Although it started out as a radical Communist party, the party began to take on characteristics of socialism in the 1970s. The party believes that China as a nation is best served by political unification, and in recent years has taken a nationalistic stance on foreign relations. In recent years the party has also become less elitist, with the number of party members growing every year.

The eight democratic parties in China include the China Revolutionary Committee of the Kuomingtang. Founded in 1948, the party is tied with former members of the Kuomingtang, which fought with the Communist Party of China for political control of China. This party promotes Chinese nationalism as well as unification with Taiwan.

A number of parties were founded in the 1940s to resist the Kuomingtang's hold on Chinese government and society. The China Democratic League is a democratic party which is considered to be centrist in political alignment. Its members tend to be highly educated, and the focus of the party is on modernization and democracy. The China Democratic National Construction Association also has a high proportion of educated members, and promotes commerce and the recognition of human rights. The China Association for the Promotion of Democracy is a socialist party which wishes to improve China's place in the world.

The Chinese Peasants and Workers Party strongly supports the Communist Party of China. It is a centrist party which works to facilitate multi-party cooperation. The China Zhi Gong Party was founded overseas, and wishes to promote the emergence of China as an economic and political power. The party also promotes the interests of Chinese citizens abroad, and has a small membership of upper and middle class Chinese.

The Jiu San Society was founded in 1946 when the Kuomingtang still held power. The party was created to promote democracy and the sciences while opposing the civil war which was tearing China apart. Members of the party tend to come from intellectual backgrounds, and the party has a heavy focus on scientific development.

Finally, the Taiwan Democratic Self Government League is a party composed of former Taiwanese living in mainland China. The party promotes independence for Taiwan, socialist ideas, and an improved government and legal system in mainland China.

The democratic parties hold no seats in government. The parties work with the Communist Party of China to protect the interests of their members and promote their particular agendas. Under the Constitution, these parties are supposed to enjoy equal rights and political freedom. Ultimately, the Communist Party of China controls Chinese politics and society, making China a one party state in practice.