BEIJING, June 29 (Xinhua) -- About 840,000 Chinese people are currently members of democratic parties, said a senior official of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on Wednesday.

Chen Xiqing, deputy head of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee, told a press conference that democratic parties are "friends" of the CPC.

"Unlike in other systems, these democratic parties are not the opposition. Rather, they participate in the administration of state affairs," Chen said.

China now has nine political parties, including the CPC and eight democratic parties, he said.