Which, translated to western terms, is like guidance of the Department of Justice.
>politicians from two competing parties
Here the term “party” means something completely different from above. If you imagine the political system as layers, China places boundaries between those layers differently from the West, and if you continue to use the terms for those layers (“party”) without realizing this, you’ll arrive at silly conclusions.
US, on the other hand, definitely doesn't - everyone from the top is chosen by politicians.