The Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League (TDSL), also known by its Chinese abbreviation Taimeng (), is one of the eight minor non-oppositional political parties in the People's Republic of China, officially termed "democratic parties," led by the Chinese Communist Party.
Founded in the then-British colony of Hong Kong in November 1947 by members of the Taiwanese Communist Party who survived the February 28 incident, TDSL is mostly composed of prominent people from Taiwan or people of Taiwanese heritage who now reside on the mainland. It is the eighth-ranking minor party in China. It currently has 14 seats in the National People's Congress, 4 seats in the NPC Standing Committee and 20 seats in the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference; it is the smallest legally recognized minor political party in the People's Republic of China. TDSL supports Chinese unification. The party does not participate in the political system of Taiwan. Its current chairwoman is Su Hui.
History The party was founded in the then-British colony of Hong Kong on 12 November 1947, by members of the Taiwanese Communist Party who survived the February 28 incident. The party's founding chair, Xie Xuehong, was the leader of a communist armed resistance movement against the Nationalists in central Taiwan after the February 28 incident. The February 28 incident and the subsequent crackdown caused large portions of the Taiwanese diaspora, such as those in Japan, to sympathize with the Chinese Communists.Uchida, Naosaku, and Suyama, Takashi. 1953. "Shin-kakyoo wa Shinshutsu-suru" [New overseas Chinese are advancing]. In Bungei Shunjuu (November 1953): 108-115. The party quickly established branches in Japan where they worked to oppose the Taiwan independence activist Thomas Liao's calls for a United Nations plebiscite on the status of Taiwan. Before 1958, the party advocated for communism in Taiwan but supported Taiwanese self-determination. The party is now opposed to Taiwan independence.
Organization According to its constitution, the TDSL is officially committed to socialism with Chinese characteristics and upholding the leadership of the CCP. The TDSL supports Chinese unification and opposes Taiwan independence. It is the eighth-ranking minor democratic party in China. , it has 14 seats in the National People's Congress (including 6 seats as part of the Taiwan delegation), and 30 seats in the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (including 20 of the seats reserved for political parties).
The highest body of the TDSL officially is the National Congress, which is held every five years. The 11th National Congress, held in December 2022, was the most recently held Party Congress. The National Congress elects the Central Committee of the TDSL. The chairperson of the TDSL Central Committee is usually a vice chairperson of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. In June 2022, the party had organizations in 19 province-level administrative divisions throughout China. The TDSL publishes the newspaper Taimeng (The TDSL). It historically published the Xin Taiwan Congkan (New Taiwan Series) before 1949 while it was based in Hong Kong.
Composition The TDSL is mostly composed of prominent people from Taiwan or people of Taiwanese heritage who now reside on the mainland. , it has 3,400 members.
Chairpersons No.ChairpersonTook officeLeft office1October 1949January 19582October 1979December 19833December 1983November 19874November 1987December 19885December 1988November 19976November 1997December 20057December 2005December 20178December 2017Incumbent
National People's Congress elections Election year Number of seats 1982–83 1987–88 1993–94 1997–98 2002–03 2007–08 2012–13 --> 2017–18 2022–23
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