China’s top advisory body revives Xi’s ideas on unity ahead of fourth plenum

China’s top political advisory body has brought new attention to President Xi Jinping’s ideas on balancing diversity and unity ahead of a key conclave of the Communist Party.

It also threw punches at Western-style multiparty political systems, championing the consultation mechanism led by the ruling party in China.

“The united front is a combination of unity and diversity,” the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) wrote in an article published in the party mouthpiece People’s Daily on Thursday, adding that the former stressed common ideological and political foundations, while the latter reflected the multiplicity of interests and thoughts.

The CPPCC plays a key role in the implementation and promotion of the united front strategy, which brings together different groups or parties to work towards common goals.

The key to balancing unity and diversity is to stick to common principles while respecting differences, according to the article.

“On one hand, it is essential to continuously consolidate the shared ideological and political foundation, including reinforcing existing consensus and promoting the formation of new consensus; this is the basis and prerequisite,” it said.