CO129-619-1 Parliamentary delegation to China 1-9-1947 - 23-12-1947 — Page 94

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Confidential.

4. The Chinese system of Government.

Until April 1947 the National Government was

a one-party Government, established in 1927-28 on the

lines of Soviet Russia by the Kuomintang. For the

twenty years in question the K.M.T. exercised the

governing powers on behalf of the Chinese people and

the National Government was responsible to the

Kuomintang Party through the Party's National Congress.

The Party rule was, at least nominally, brought to an

end with the creation on the 17th April 1947 of a

State Council, which includes representatives not only

of the Kuomintang but also of the Democratic Socialist

Party and the China Youth Party and the Independents.

This was declared to be an interim step pending the

enforcement on the 25th December 1947 of the

Constitution adopted by the National Assembly on Xmas

Day 1946. Places were left on the State Council for

the Chinese Communist Party but these were not taken

up, and have since been cancelled and the Party

itself has been proscribed.

Party machine remains in being, and still retains a

dominating influence over the Government.

In the meantime the K.M.T.

2. During the present interim period the supreme

authority in China is the State Council mentioned

above, which has superseded the war-time Supreme

National Defence Council. The President and Vice-

President of the National Government continue to be

appointed by the Central Executive Committee of the

Kuomintang.

These posts are at present filled by

Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek and Dr. Sun Fo, who are

/ at

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