Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, called for efforts to improve the country's "new type of party system" on Monday at a meeting with non-CPC representatives at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

On behalf of the CPC Central Committee, Xi extended Spring Festival greetings to members of China's eight non-Communist parties and the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce (ACFIC) as well as those with no party affiliation. Spring Festival, the Chinese Lunar New Year, falls on February 5 this year.

Last year marked the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening-up, Xi said, calling on the non-Communist parties to make joint efforts with the CPC to deepen reform.

Read more: Meet China's non-Communist party leaders

The CPC and the non-Communist parties share "common aspirations" and "common responsibilities," and there is huge potential for multi-party cooperation, Xi stressed.

Xi called on the non-Communist parties to conduct more research on the country's new challenges and make contributions to the fight against poverty, scientific and technological innovation, education reform, and improvement in social governance.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Xi noted, calling for efforts to solidify the "common ideological and political foundation" of multi-party cooperation and improve China's "new type of party system."

Read more: What is the CPPCC?

The Chinese president described the ACFIC as a "bridge" linking the CPC and the government with people in the non-public sector. The ACFIC should support the development of private enterprises, particularly the medium-sized, small and micro companies, Xi added.

Xi also called on people with no party affiliation to integrate their individual aspirations into the development of the nation.

Wang Yang and Han Zheng, two members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, took part in the meeting. Wang is chairman of the National Committee of the CPPCC, and Han is Chinese vice premier.

China's new type of party system

In March 2018, Xi shared his understanding of China's party system during a joint panel discussion with political advisors – those attending the first session of the 13th National Committee of the CPPCC, China's top political advisory body.

The system of multi-party cooperation and political consultation led by the CPC is "a new type of party system growing from China's soil," Xi said.

The Chinese system is new, because it unites all political parties and people without party affiliation toward a common goal, effectively preventing the flaws of the absence of oversight in one-party rule, or power rotation and nasty competition among multiple political parties, according to Xi.

Read more: Xi: CPC-led multi-party cooperation must be strengthened

China's eight non-Communist parties are:

– The Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang (RCCK), founded in 1948 in Hong Kong;

– The China Democratic League (CDL), founded in 1941, mainly consisting of intellectuals working in the fields of culture, education, science and technology;

– The China National Democratic Construction Association (CNDCA), founded in 1945, mainly consisting of patriotic industrialists, business people, and intellectuals;

– The China Association for Promoting Democracy (CAPD), founded in 1945, mainly consisting of intellectuals working in the fields of culture, education, publishing and science;

– The Chinese Peasants and Workers Democratic Party (CPWDP), founded in 1930, mainly consisting of leading intellectuals in the fields of health care, population resources and ecological protection;

– The China Zhi Gong Party, founded in 1925, mainly consisting of overseas Chinese who have returned to the mainland, relatives of nationals living abroad as well as those with close connections with overseas Chinese;

– The Jiusan Society, founded in 1945, mainly consisting of senior and mid-level intellectuals engaged in science, technology, culture, education, medical and health work;

– The Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League, founded in 1947, mainly consisting of Taiwanese living in the mainland.

(With inputs from Xinhua)