CONSTITUTION OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF CHINA (Amended and adopted at the Seventeenth National Congress of the Communist Party of China on Oct. 21, 2007)

The Party's Central Committee and local Party committees at all levels may send out their representative organs.

The Party's Central Committee and committees of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central government implement the system of inspection tours.

Article 14. When making decisions on important questions affecting the lower organizations, the leading bodies of the Party at all levels should, under normal circumstances, solicit opinions of the lower organizations. Measures should be taken to ensure that the lower organizations can exercise their functions and powers normally. Except in special circumstances, higher leading bodies should not interfere with matters that ought to be handled by lower organizations.

Article 15. Only the Central Committee of the Party has the power to make decisions on major policies of a nationwide character. Party organizations of various departments and localities may make suggestions with regard to such policies to the Central Committee, but shall not make any decisions or publicize their views outside the Party without authorization.

Lower Party organizations must firmly implement the decisions of higher Party organizations. If lower organizations consider that any decisions of higher organizations do not suit the specific conditions in their localities or departments, they may demand modification. If the higher organizations insist on their original decisions, the lower organizations must carry out such decisions and refrain from publicly voicing their differences, but retain the right to report to the next higher Party organization.

Newspapers, journals and other means of publicity run by Party organizations at all levels must disseminate the line, principles, policies and resolutions of the Party.

Article 16. When discussing and making decisions on any matter, Party organizations must keep to the principle of subordination of the minority to the majority. A vote must be taken when major issues are decided on. Serious consideration should be given to the differing views of a minority. In case of controversy over major issues in which supporters of the two opposing views are nearly equal in number, except in emergencies where action must betaken in accordance with the majority view, the decision should be put off to allow for further investigation, study and exchange of opinions followed by another vote. Under special circumstances, the controversy may be reported to the next higher Party organization for a ruling.

When, on behalf of the Party organization, an individual Party member is to express views on major issues beyond the scope of the existing decisions of the Party organization, the content must be referred to the Party organization for prior discussion and decision, or referred to the next higher Party organization for instructions. No Party member, whatever his or her position, is allowed to make decisions on major issues on his or her own. In an emergency, when a decision by an individual is unavoidable, the matter must be reported to the Party organization immediately afterwards. No leader is allowed to take decisions arbitrarily or to place himself or herself above the Party organization.

Article 17. The central, local and primary organizations of the Party must all pay great attention to Party building. They shall regularly discuss and examine the Party's work in publicity, education, organization and discipline inspection, its mass work and united front work. They must carefully study ideological and political developments inside and outside the Party.