Leaders of China's eight non-Communist parties met the press together at a joint press conference Thursday afternoon on the sideline of the annual parliamentary and political advisory sessions.

This is the first ever group debut of the newly-elected leaders of non-Communist parties in front of domestic and foreign journalists.

The leaders include Lin Wenyi from the Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League, Jiang Shusheng from the China Democratic League, Yan Junqi from the China Association for Promoting Democracy, Han Qide from the Jiu San (September 3) Society, Zhou Tienong of the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang, Sang Guowei from the Chinese Peasants and Workers Democratic Party, Chen Changzhi from the China Democratic National Construction Association and Wan Gang from the China Zhi Gong Party (China Public Interest Party).

China's non-Communist parties, with a combined membership of more than 700,000, or one percent of the 73 million of the Communist Party of China (CPC), represent specific interest groups, reflect complaints and suggestions from all walks of life and serve as a mode of supervision of the CPC.

The chairpersons and vice chairs of the parties' central committees were elected late last year.

(Xinhua News Agency March 6, 2008)