Chinese Communist Party
Communist Party of China 中国共产党 Zhōngguó Gòngchǎndǎng | |
---|---|
Abbreviation | CCP (common) CPC (official) |
General Secretary | Xi Jinping |
Standing Committee | |
Founders |
... and others |
Founded |
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Newspaper | People's Daily |
Youth wing | Communist Youth League of China |
Children's wing | Young Pioneers of China |
Armed wing | |
Research office | Central Policy Research Office |
Membership (2022) | 98,041,000[2] |
Ideology | |
International affiliation | IMCWP |
Colours | Red |
Slogan | "Serve the People"[note 2] |
National People's Congress (13th) | 2,090 / 2,980 |
NPC Standing Committee (14th) | 117 / 175 |
Party flag | |
Website | |
cpc | |
Communist Party of China | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Hanyu Pinyin | Zhōngguó Gòngchǎndǎng | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP),[3] officially the Communist Party of China (CPC),[4] is the founding and sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Under the leadership of Mao Zedong, the CCP emerged victorious in the Chinese Civil War against the Kuomintang. In 1949, Mao proclaimed the establishment of the People's Republic of China. Since then, the CCP has governed China and has had sole control over the People's Liberation Army (PLA). Successive leaders of the CCP have added their own theories to the party's constitution, which outlines the party's ideology, collectively referred to as socialism with Chinese characteristics. As of 2023[update], the CCP has more than 98 million members, making it the second largest political party by membership in the world after India's Bharatiya Janata Party. In 1921, KMT's retreat to Taiwan , the CCP established the People's Republic of China on 1 October 1949.
Mao Zedong continued to be the most influential member of the CCP until his death in 1976, although he periodically withdrew from public leadership as his health deteriorated. Under Mao, the party completed its land reform program, launched a series of five-year plans, and eventually split with the Soviet Union. Although Mao attempted to purge the party of capitalist and reactionary elements during the Cultural Revolution, after his death, these policies were only briefly continued by the Gang of Four before a less radical faction seized control. During the 1980s, Deng Xiaoping directed the CCP away from Maoist orthodoxy and towards a policy of economic liberalization. The official explanation for these reforms was that China was still in the primary stage of socialism, a developmental stage similar to the capitalist mode of production. Since the collapse of the Eastern Bloc and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the CCP has focused on maintaining its relations with the ruling parties of the remaining socialist states and continues to participate in the International Meeting of Communist and Workers' Parties each year. The CCP has also established relations with several non-communist parties, including dominant nationalist parties of many developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America, as well as social democratic parties in Europe. The Chinese Communist Party is organized based on democratic centralism, a principle that entails open policy discussion on the condition of unity among party members in upholding the agreed-upon decision. The highest body of the CCP is the National Congress, convened every fifth year. When the National Congress is not in session, the Central Committee is the highest body, but since that body usually only meets once a year, most duties and responsibilities are vested in the Politburo and its Standing Committee. Members of the latter are seen as the top leadership of the party and the state.[5] Today the party's leader holds the offices of general secretary (responsible for civilian party duties), Chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) (responsible for military affairs), and State President (a largely ceremonial position). Because of these posts, the party leader is seen as the country's paramount leader. The current leader is Xi Jinping, who was elected at the 1st Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee held on 15 November 2012 and has been reelected twice, on 25 October 2017 by the 19th Central Committee and on 10 October 2022 by the 20th Central Committee. HistoryFounding and early historyThe CCP traces its origins to the May Fourth Movement of 1919, during which radical Western ideologies like Marxism and anarchism gained traction among Chinese intellectuals.[6] Other influences stemming from the October Revolution and Marxist theory inspired the CCP.[7]: 114 Chen Duxiu and Li Dazhao were among the first to publicly support Leninism and world revolution. Both regarded the October Revolution in Russia as groundbreaking, believing it to herald a new era for oppressed countries everywhere.[8] Study circles were, according to Cai Hesen, "the rudiments [of our party]".[9] Several study circles were established during the New Culture Movement, but by 1920 many grew skeptical about their ability to bring about reforms.[10] The CCP was founded on 1 July 1921 with the help of the Far Eastern Bureau of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and Far Eastern Secretariat of the Communist International, according to the party's official account of its history.[11][12] However, party documents suggest that the party's actual founding date was 23 July 1921, the first day of the 1st National Congress of the CCP.[13] The founding National Congress of the CCP was held 23–31 July 1921.[14] With only 50 members in the beginning of 1921, among them Chen Duxiu, Li Dazhao and Mao Zedong,[15] the CCP organization and authorities grew tremendously.[7]: 115 While it was originally held in a house in the Shanghai French Concession, French police interrupted the meeting on 30 July[16] and the congress was moved to a tourist boat on South Lake in Jiaxing, Zhejiang province.[16] A dozen delegates attended the congress, with neither Li nor Chen being able to attend,[16] the latter sending a personal representative in his stead.[16] The resolutions of the congress called for the establishment of a communist party as a branch of the Communist International (Comintern) and elected Chen as its leader. Chen then served as the first general secretary of the CCP[16] and was referred to as "China's Lenin".[citation needed] The Soviets hoped to foster pro-Soviet forces in East Asia to fight against anti-communist countries, particularly Japan. They attempted to contact the warlord Wu Peifu but failed.[17][18] The Soviets then contacted the Kuomintang (KMT), which was leading the Guangzhou government parallel to the Beiyang government. On 6 October 1923, the Comintern sent Mikhail Borodin to Guangzhou, and the Soviets established friendly relations with the KMT. The Central Committee of the CCP,[19] Soviet leader Joseph Stalin,[20] and the Comintern[21] all hoped that the CCP would eventually control the KMT and called their opponents "rightists".[22][note 3] KMT leader Sun Yat-sen eased the conflict between the communists and their opponents. CCP membership grew tremendously after the 4th congress in 1925, from 900 to 2,428.[24] The CCP still treats Sun Yat-sen as one of the founders of their movement and claim descent from him[25] as he is viewed as a proto-communist[26][27] and the economic element of Sun's ideology was socialism.[28] Sun stated, "Our Principle of Livelihood is a form of communism".[29]
The communists dominated the left wing of the KMT and struggled for power with the party's right-wing factions.[22] When Sun Yat-sen died in March 1925, he was succeeded by a rightist, Chiang Kai-shek, who initiated moves to marginalize the position of the communists.[22] Chiang, Sun's former assistant, was not actively anti-communist at that time,[30] even though he hated the theory of class struggle and the CCP's seizure of power.[23] The communists proposed removing Chiang's power.[31] When Chiang gradually gained the support of Western countries, the conflict between him and the communists became more and more intense. Chiang asked the Kuomintang to join the Comintern to rule out the secret expansion of communists within the KMT, while Chen Duxiu hoped that the communists would completely withdraw from the KMT.[32] In April 1927, both Chiang and the CCP were preparing for conflict. Chinese Civil War and Second Sino-Japanese WarThe CCP continued supporting the Wuhan KMT government,[35] but on 15 July 1927 the Wuhan government expelled all communists from the KMT.[42] The CCP reacted by founding the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army of China, better known as the "Red Army", to battle the KMT. A battalion led by General Zhu De was ordered to take the city of Nanchang on 1 August 1927 in what became known as the Nanchang uprising. Initially successful, Zhu and his troops were forced to retreat after five days, marching south to Shantou, and from there being driven into the wilderness of Fujian.[42] Mao Zedong was appointed commander-in-chief of the Red Army, and led four regiments against Changsha in the Autumn Harvest Uprising, hoping to spark peasant uprisings across Hunan.[43] His plan was to attack the KMT-held city from three directions on 9 September, but the Fourth Regiment deserted to the KMT cause, attacking the Third Regiment. Mao's army made it to Changsha but could not take it; by 15 September, he accepted defeat, with 1,000 survivors marching east to the Jinggang Mountains of Jiangxi.[43][44][45] The near destruction of the CCP's urban organizational apparatus led to institutional changes within the party.[46] The party adopted democratic centralism, a way to organize revolutionary parties, and established a politburo to function as the standing committee of the central committee.[46] The result was increased centralization of power within the party.[46] At every level of the party this was duplicated, with standing committees now in effective control.[46] After being expelled from the party, Chen Duxiu went on to lead China's Trotskyist movement. Li Lisan was able to assume de facto control of the party organization by 1929–1930.[46] Li's leadership was a failure, leaving the CCP on the brink of destruction.[46] The Comintern became involved, and by late 1930, his powers had been taken away.[46] By 1935 Mao had become a member of Politburo Standing Committee of the CCP and the party's informal military leader, with Zhou Enlai and Zhang Wentian, the formal head of the party, serving as his informal deputies.[46] The conflict with the KMT led to the reorganization of the Red Army, with power now centralized in the leadership through the creation of CCP political departments charged with supervising the army.[46] The Zhang Xueliang and the CCP, Chiang Kai-shek finally agreed to a Second United Front focused on repelling the Japanese invaders.[48] While the front formally existed until 1945, all collaboration between the two parties had effectively ended by 1940.[48] Despite their formal alliance, the CCP used the opportunity to expand and carve out independent bases of operations to prepare for the coming war with the KMT.[49] In 1939 the KMT began to restrict CCP expansion within China.[49] This led to frequent clashes between CCP and KMT forces[49] which subsided rapidly on the realisation on both sides that civil war amidst a foreign invasion was not an option.[49] By 1943, the CCP was again actively expanding its territory at the expense of the KMT.[49]
Mao Zedong became the Japanese surrender in 1945, the war between the CCP and the KMT began again in earnest.[50] The 1945–49 period had four stages; the first was from August 1945 (when the Japanese surrendered) to June 1946 (when the peace talks between the CCP and the KMT ended).[50] By 1945, the KMT had three times more soldiers under its command than the CCP and initially appeared to be prevailing.[50] With the cooperation of the U.S. and Japan, the KMT was able to retake major parts of the country.[50] However, KMT rule over the reconquered territories proved unpopular because of its endemic political corruption.[50] Notwithstanding its numerical superiority, the KMT failed to reconquer the rural territories which made up the CCP's stronghold.[50] Around the same time, the CCP launched an invasion of Manchuria, where they were assisted by the Soviet Union.[50] The second stage, lasting from July 1946 to June 1947, saw the KMT extend its control over major cities such as Yan'an, the CCP headquarters, for much of the war.[50] The KMT's successes were hollow; the CCP had tactically withdrawn from the cities, and instead undermined KMT rule there by instigating protests amongst students and intellectuals. The KMT responded to these demonstrations with heavy-handed repression.[51] In the meantime, the KMT was struggling with factional infighting and Chiang Kai-shek's autocratic control over the party, which weakened its ability to respond to attacks.[51] The third stage, lasting from July 1947 to August 1948, saw a limited counteroffensive by the CCP.[51] The objective was clearing "Central China, strengthening North China, and recovering Northeast China."[52] This operation, coupled with military desertions from the KMT, resulted in the KMT losing 2 million of its 3 million troops by the spring of 1948, and saw a significant decline in support for KMT rule.[51] The CCP was consequently able to cut off KMT garrisons in Manchuria and retake several territories.[52] The last stage, lasting from September 1948 to December 1949, saw the communists go on the offensive and the collapse of KMT rule in mainland China as a whole.[52] Mao's proclamation of the founding of the People's Republic of China on 1 October 1949 marked the end of the second phase of the Chinese Civil War (or the Chinese Communist Revolution, as it is called by the CCP).[52]
Proclamation of the PRC and the 1950sMao proclaimed the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC) before a massive crowd at Tiananmen Square on 1 October 1949. The CCP headed the Central People's Government.[7]: 118 From this time through the 1980s, top leaders of the CCP (such as Mao Zedong, Lin Biao, Zhou Enlai and Deng Xiaoping) were largely the same military leaders prior to the PRC's founding.[53] As a result, informal personal ties between political and military leaders dominated civil-military relations.[53]
Stalin proposed a one-party constitution when Liu Shaoqi visited the Soviet Union in 1952.[54] The constitution of the PRC in 1954 subsequently abolished the previous coalition government and established the CCP's one-party system.[55][56] In 1957, the CCP launched the Anti-Rightist Campaign against political dissidents and prominent figures from minor parties, which resulted in the political persecution of at least 550,000 people. The campaign significantly damaged the limited pluralistic nature in the socialist republic and solidified the country's status as a de facto one-party state.[57][58] The Anti-Rightist Campaign led to the catastrophic results of the Second Five Year Plan from 1958 to 1962, known as the Great Leap Forward. In an effort to transform the country from an agrarian economy into an industrialized one, the CCP collectivized farmland, formed people's communes, and diverted labor to factories. General mismanagement and exaggerations of harvests by CCP officials led to the Great Chinese Famine, which resulted in an estimated 15 to 45 million deaths,[59][60] making it the largest famine in recorded history.[61][62][63] Sino-Soviet split and Cultural Revolution
During the 1960s and 1970s, the CCP experienced a significant ideological separation from the Communist Party of the Soviet Union which was going through a period of "de-Stalinization" under Nikita Khrushchev.[64] By that time, Mao had begun saying that the "continued revolution under the dictatorship of the proletariat" stipulated that class enemies continued to exist even though the socialist revolution seemed to be complete, leading to the Cultural Revolution in which millions were persecuted and killed.[65] During the Cultural Revolution, party leaders such as Liu Shaoqi, Deng Xiaoping, Peng Dehuai, and He Long were purged or exiled, and the Gang of Four, led by Mao's wife Jiang Qing, emerged to fill in the power vacuum left behind. Reforms under Deng XiaopingFollowing Mao's death in 1976, a power struggle between CCP chairman better source needed] The new ideology, however, was contested on both sides of the spectrum, by Maoists to the left of the CCP's leadership, as well as by those supporting political liberalization. With other social factors, the conflicts culminated in the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre.[70] The protests having been crushed and the reformist party general secretary Zhao Ziyang under house arrest, Deng's economic policies resumed and by the early 1990s the concept of a socialist market economy had been introduced.[71] In 1997, Deng's beliefs (officially called "Deng Xiaoping Theory") were embedded into the CCP's constitution.[72]
Further reforms under Jiang Zemin and Hu JintaoCCP general secretary Jiang Zemin succeeded Deng as paramount leader in the 1990s and continued most of his policies.[73] In the 1990s, the CCP transformed from a veteran revolutionary leadership that was both leading militarily and politically, to a political elite increasingly renewed according to institutionalized norms in the civil bureaucracy.[53] Leadership was largely selected based on rules and norms on promotion and retirement, educational background, and managerial and technical expertise.[53] There is a largely separate group of professionalized military officers, serving under top CCP leadership largely through formal relationships within institutional channels.[53] As part of Jiang Zemin's nominal legacy, the CCP ratified the " bourgeois elements into the party.[74] Hu Jintao, Jiang Zemin's successor as general secretary, took office in 2002.[75] Unlike Mao, Deng and Jiang Zemin, Hu laid emphasis on collective leadership and opposed one-man dominance of the political system.[75] The insistence on focusing on economic growth led to a wide range of serious social problems. To address these, Hu introduced two main ideological concepts: the "Scientific Outlook on Development" and "Harmonious Society".[76] Hu resigned from his post as CCP general secretary and Chairman of the CMC at the 18th National Congress held in 2012, and was succeeded in both posts by Xi Jinping.[77][78]
Leadership of Xi JinpingSince taking power, Xi has initiated Xi's leadership as well as "the principal reason why he has been able to consolidate his power so quickly and effectively."[80] Xi's leadership has also overseen an increase in the Party's role in China.[81] Xi has added his ideology, named after himself, into the CCP constitution in 2017.[82] Xi's term as general secretary was renewed in 2022.[53][83]
Since 2014, the CCP has led efforts in Xinjiang that involve the detention of more than 1 million Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in internment camps, as well as other repressive measures. This has been described as a genocide by some academics and some governments.[84][85] On the other hand, a greater number of countries signed a letter penned to the Human Rights Council supporting the policies as an effort to combat terrorism in the region.[86][87][88] Celebrations of the Chinese nation".[93] In comparison with the other historical resolutions, Xi's one did not herald a major change in how the CCP evaluated its history.[94]
On July 6, 2021, Xi chaired the Communist Party of China and World Political Parties Summit, which involved representatives from 500 political parties across 160 countries.[95] Xi urged the participants to oppose "technology blockades," and "developmental decoupling" in order to work towards "building a community with a shared future for mankind."[95] IdeologyFormal ideologyThe core ideology of the party has evolved with each distinct generation of Chinese leadership. As both the CCP and the People's Liberation Army promote their members according to seniority, it is possible to discern distinct generations of Chinese leadership.[96] In official discourse, each group of leadership is identified with a distinct extension of the ideology of the party. Historians have studied various periods in the development of the government of the People's Republic of China by reference to these "generations".[citation needed] Mao Zedong Thought "is Marxism–Leninism applied and developed in China".[97] Mao Zedong Thought was conceived not only by Mao Zedong, but by leading party officials.[98]
Deng Xiaoping Theory was added to the party constitution at the 14th National Congress in 1992.[72] The concepts of "socialism with Chinese characteristics" and "the primary stage of socialism" were credited to the theory.[72] Deng Xiaoping Theory can be defined as a belief that state socialism and state planning is not by definition communist, and that market mechanisms are class neutral.[99] In addition, the party needs to react to the changing situation dynamically; to know if a certain policy is obsolete or not, the party had to "seek truth from facts" and follow the slogan "practice is the sole criterion for the truth".[100] At the 14th National Congress, Jiang reiterated Deng's mantra that it was unnecessary to ask if something was socialist or capitalist, since the important factor was whether it worked.[101] The "Three Represents", Jiang Zemin's contribution to the party's ideology, was adopted by the party at the 16th National Congress. The Three Represents defines the role of the CCP, and stresses that the Party must always represent the requirements for developing China's advanced productive forces, the orientation of China's advanced culture and the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of the Chinese people."[102][103] Certain segments within the CCP criticized the Three Represents as being un-Marxist and a betrayal of basic Marxist values. Supporters viewed it as a further development of socialism with Chinese characteristics.[104] Jiang disagreed, and had concluded that attaining the communist mode of production, as formulated by earlier communists, was more complex than had been realized, and that it was useless to try to force a change in the mode of production, as it had to develop naturally, by following the "economic laws of history."[105] The theory is most notable for allowing capitalists, officially referred to as the "new social strata", to join the party on the grounds that they engaged in "honest labor and work" and through their labour contributed "to build[ing] socialism with Chinese characteristics."[106] In 2003 the 3rd Plenary Session of the Socialist Harmonious Society. According to official statements by the CCP, the concept integrates "Marxism with the reality of contemporary China and with the underlying features of our times, and it fully embodies the Marxist worldview on and methodology for development."[109]
Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, commonly known as Xi Jinping Thought, was added to the party constitution in the 19th National Congress in 2017.[82] The theory's main elements are summarized in the ten affirmations, the fourteen commitments, and the thirteen areas of achievements.[110] The party combines elements of both socialist patriotism[111][112][113][114] and Chinese nationalism.[115] EconomicsDeng did not believe that the fundamental difference between the capitalist mode of production and the socialist mode of production was central planning versus free markets. He said, "A planned economy is not the definition of socialism, because there is planning under capitalism; the market economy happens under socialism, too. Planning and market forces are both ways of controlling economic activity".[68] Jiang Zemin supported Deng's thinking, and stated in a party gathering that it did not matter if a certain mechanism was capitalist or socialist, because the only thing that mattered was whether it worked.[71] It was at this gathering that Jiang Zemin introduced the term socialist market economy, which replaced Chen Yun's "planned socialist market economy".[71] In his report to the 14th National Congress Jiang Zemin told the delegates that the socialist state would "let market forces play a basic role in resource allocation."[116] At the 15th National Congress, the party line was changed to "make market forces further play their role in resource allocation"; this line continued until the 3rd Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee,[116] when it was amended to "let market forces play a decisive role in resource allocation."[116] Despite this, the 3rd Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee upheld the creed "Maintain the dominance of the public sector and strengthen the economic vitality of the state-owned economy."[116]
— Xi Jinping, on the inevitability of socialism[117] The CCP views the world as organized into two opposing camps; socialist and capitalist.[118] They insist that socialism, on the basis of historical materialism, will eventually triumph over capitalism.[118] In recent years, when the party has been asked to explain the capitalist globalization occurring, the party has returned to the writings of Karl Marx.[118] Despite admitting that globalization developed through the capitalist system, the party's leaders and theorists argue that globalization is not intrinsically capitalist.[119] The reason being that if globalization was purely capitalist, it would exclude an alternative socialist form of modernity.[119] Globalization, as with the market economy, therefore does not have one specific class character (neither socialist nor capitalist) according to the party.[119] The insistence that globalization is not fixed in nature comes from Deng's insistence that China can pursue socialist modernization by incorporating elements of capitalism.[119] Because of this there is considerable optimism within the CCP that despite the current capitalist dominance of globalization, globalization can be turned into a vehicle supporting socialism.[120] Analysis and criticismWhile foreign analysts generally agree that the CCP has rejected orthodox Marxism–Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought (or at least basic thoughts within orthodox thinking), the CCP itself disagrees.[121] Critics of the CCP argue that Jiang Zemin ended the party's formal commitment to Marxism–Leninism with the introduction of the ideological theory, the Three Represents.[122] However, party theorist Leng Rong disagrees, claiming that "President Jiang rid the Party of the ideological obstacles to different kinds of ownership ... He did not give up Marxism or socialism. He strengthened the Party by providing a modern understanding of Marxism and socialism—which is why we talk about a 'socialist market economy' with Chinese characteristics."[122] The attainment of true "communism" is still described as the CCP's and China's "ultimate goal".[123] While the CCP claims that China is in the primary stage of socialism, party theorists argue that the current development stage "looks a lot like capitalism".[123] Alternatively, certain party theorists argue that "capitalism is the early or first stage of communism."[123] Some have dismissed the concept of a primary stage of socialism as intellectual cynicism.[123] For example, Robert Lawrence Kuhn, a former foreign adviser to the Chinese government, stated: "When I first heard this rationale, I thought it more comic than clever—a wry caricature of hack propagandists leaked by intellectual cynics. But the 100-year horizon comes from serious political theorists."[123] American political scientist and sinologist David Shambaugh argues that before the "Practice Is the Sole Criterion for the Truth" campaign, the relationship between ideology and decision making was a deductive one, meaning that policy-making was derived from ideological knowledge.[124] However, under Deng's leadership this relationship was turned upside down, with decision making justifying ideology.[124] Chinese policy-makers have described the Soviet Union's state ideology as "rigid, unimaginative, ossified, and disconnected from reality", believing that this was one of the reasons for the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Therefore, Shambaugh argues, Chinese policy-makers believe that their party ideology must be dynamic to safeguard the party's rule.[124] British sinologist Kerry Brown argues that the CCP does not have an ideology, and that the party organization is pragmatic and interested only in what works.[125] The party itself argues against this assertion. Hu Jintao stated in 2012 that the Western world is "threatening to divide us" and that "the international culture of the West is strong while we are weak ... Ideological and cultural fields are our main targets".[125] As such, the CCP puts a great deal of effort into the party schools and into crafting its ideological message.[125] GovernanceCollective leadershipCollective leadership, the idea that decisions will be taken through consensus, has been the ideal in the CCP. Democratic centralism
— Mao Zedong, from his speech entitled "Our General Programme"[133] The CCP's organizational principle is democratic centralism, a principle that entails open discussion of policy on the condition of unity among party members in upholding the agreed-upon decision. ShuangguiShuanggui is an intra-party disciplinary process conducted by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), which conducts shuanggui on members accused of "disciplinary violations", a charge which generally refers to political corruption. The process, which literally translates to "double regulation", aims to extract confessions from members accused of violating party rules. According to the Dui Hua Foundation, tactics such as cigarette burns, beatings and simulated drowning are among those used to extract confessions. Other reported techniques include the use of induced hallucinations, with one subject of this method reporting that "In the end I was so exhausted, I agreed to all the accusations against me even though they were false."[135] United frontThe CCP employs a political strategy that it terms "united front work" that involves groups and key individuals that are influenced or controlled by the CCP and used to advance its interests. OrganizationCentral organizationThe National Congress is the party's highest body, and, since the 9th National Congress in 1969, has been convened every five years (prior to the 9th Congress they were convened on an irregular basis). According to the party's constitution, a congress may not be postponed except "under extraordinary circumstances."[143] The party constitution gives the National Congress six responsibilities:[144]
In practice, the delegates rarely discuss issues at length at the National Congresses. Most substantive discussion takes place before the congress, in the preparation period, among a group of top party leaders.[144] In between National Congresses, the Central Committee is the highest decision-making institution.[145] The CCDI is responsible for supervising party's internal anti-corruption and ethics system.[146] In between congresses the CCDI is under the authority of the Central Committee.[146] The Central Committee, as the party's highest decision-making institution between national congresses, elects several bodies to carry out its work.[147] The first plenary session of a newly elected central committee elects the general secretary of the Central Committee, the party's leader; the Central Military Commission (CMC); the Politburo; the Politburo Standing Committee (PSC). The first plenum also endorses the composition of the Secretariat and the leadership of the CCDI.[147] According to the party constitution, the general secretary must be a member of the Politburo Standing Committee (PSC), and is responsible for convening meetings of the PSC and the Politburo, while also presiding over the work of the Secretariat.[148] The Politburo "exercises the functions and powers of the Central Committee when a plenum is not in session".[149] The PSC is the party's highest decision-making institution when the Politburo, the Central Committee and the National Congress are not in session.[150] It convenes at least once a week.[151] It was established at the 8th National Congress, in 1958, to take over the policy-making role formerly assumed by the Secretariat.[152] The Secretariat is the top implementation body of the Central Committee, and can make decisions within the policy framework established by the Politburo; it is also responsible for supervising the work of organizations that report directly into the Central Committee, for example departments, commissions, publications, and so on.[153] The CMC is the highest decision-making institution on military affairs within the party, and controls the operations of the People's Liberation Army.[154] The general secretary has, since Jiang Zemin, also served as Chairman of the CMC.[154] Unlike the collective leadership ideal of other party organs, the CMC chairman acts as commander-in-chief with full authority to appoint or dismiss top military officers at will.[154] A first plenum of the Central Committee also elects heads of departments, bureaus, central leading groups and other institutions to pursue its work during a term (a "term" being the period elapsing between national congresses, usually five years).[143] The General Office is the party's "nerve centre", in charge of day-to-day administrative work, including communications, protocol, and setting agendas for meetings.[155] The CCP currently has six main central departments: the Organization Department, responsible for overseeing provincial appointments and vetting cadres for future appointments,[156] the Publicity Department (formerly "Propaganda Department"), which oversees the media and formulates the party line to the media,[157][158] the United Front Work Department, which oversees the country's eight minor parties, people's organizations, and influence groups inside and outside of the country,[159] the International Department, functioning as the party's "foreign affairs ministry" with other parties, the Social Work Department, which handles work related to civic groups, chambers of commerce and industry groups and mixed-ownership and non-public enterprises,[160] and the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission, which oversees the country's legal enforcement authorities.[161] The CC also has direct control over the Central Policy Research Office, which is responsible for researching issues of significant interest to the party leadership,[162] the Central Party School, which provides political training and ideological indoctrination in communist thought for high-ranking and rising cadres,[163] the Institute of Party History and Literature, which sets priorities for scholarly research in state-run universities and the Central Party School and studies and translates the classical works of Marxism.[164][165] The party's newspaper, the People's Daily, is under the direct control of the Central Committee[166] and is published with the objectives "to tell good stories about China and the (Party)" and to promote its party leader.[167] The theoretical magazines Qiushi and Study Times are published by the Central Party School.[163] The China Media Group, which oversees China Central Television (CCTV), China National Radio (CNR) and China Radio International (CRI), is under the direct control of the Publicity Department.[168] The various offices of the "Central Leading Groups", such as the Hong Kong and Macau Work Office, the Taiwan Affairs Office, and the Central Finance Office, also report to the central committee during a plenary session.[169] Additionally, CCP has sole control over the People's Liberation Army (PLA) through its Central Military Commission.[170] Lower-level organizationsAfter seizing political power, the CCP extended the dual party-state command system to all government institutions, social organizations, and economic entities.[171] The State Council and the Supreme Court each has a party group, established since November 1949. Party committees permeate in every state administrative organ as well as the People's Consultation Conferences and mass organizations at all levels.[172] According to scholar Rush Doshi, "[t]he Party sits above the state, runs parallel to the state, and is enmeshed in every level of the state."[172] Modelled after the Soviet Nomenklatura system, the party committee's organization department at each level has the power to recruit, train, monitor, appoint, and relocate these officials.[173] Party committees exist at the level of provinces, cities, counties, and neighborhoods.[174] These committees play a key role in directing local policy by selecting local leaders and assigning critical tasks.[5][175] The Party secretary at each level is more senior than that of the leader of the government, with the CCP standing committee being the main source of power.[175] Party committee members in each level are selected by the leadership in the level above, with provincial leaders selected by the central Organizational Department, and not removable by the local party secretary.[175] Neighborhood committees are generally composed of older volunteers.[176]: 118 CCP committees exist inside of companies, both private and state-owned.[177] A business that has more than three party members is legally required to establish a committee or branch.[178][179] As of 2021[update], more than half of China's private firms have such organizations.[180] These branches provide places for new member socialization and host morale boosting events for existing members.[181] They also provide mechanisms that help private firm interface with government bodies and learn about policies which relate to their fields.[182] On average, the profitability of private firms with a CCP branch is 12.6 percent higher than the profitability of private firms.[183] Within state-owned enterprises, these branches are governing bodies that make important decisions and inculcate CCP ideology in employees.[184] Party committees or branches within companies also provide various benefits to employees.[185] These may include bonuses, interest-free loans, mentorship programs, and free medical and other services for those in need.[185] Enterprises that have party branches generally provide more expansive benefits for employees in the areas of retirement, medical care, unemployment, injury, and birth and fertility.[186] Increasingly, the CCP is requiring private companies to revise their charters to include the role of the party.[178] FundingThe funding of all CCP organizations mainly comes from state fiscal revenue. Data for the proportion of total CCP organizations' expenditures in total China fiscal revenue is unavailable.[citation needed] Members
The CCP reached 98.04 million members at the end of 2022, a net increase of 1.3 million over the previous year.[2][188] It is the second largest political party in the world after India's Bharatiya Janata Party.[189] To join the CCP, an applicant must go through an approval process.[190] Adults can file applications for membership with their local party branch.[191] A prescreening process, akin to a background check, follows.[191] Next, established party members at the local branch vet applicants' behavior and political attitudes and may make a formal inquiry to a party branch near the applicants' parents residence to vet family loyalty to communism and the party.[191] In 2014, only 2 million applications were accepted out of some 22 million applicants.[192] Admitted members then spend a year as a probationary member.[187] Probationary members are typically accepted into the party.[193] In contrast to the past, when emphasis was placed on the applicants' ideological criteria, the current CCP stresses technical and educational qualifications.[187] To become a probationary member, the applicant must take an admission oath before the party flag.[187] The relevant CCP organization is responsible for observing and educating probationary members.[187] Probationary members have duties similar to those of full members, with the exception that they may not vote in party elections nor stand for election.[187] Many join the CCP through the Communist Youth League.[187] Under Jiang Zemin, private entrepreneurs were allowed to become party members.[187] Membership demographicsAs of December 2022[update], individuals who identify as farmers, herdsmen and fishermen make up 26 million members; members identifying as workers totalled 6.7 million.[192][2] Another group, the "Managing, professional and technical staff in enterprises and public institutions", made up 15.9 million, 11.3 million identified as working in administrative staff and 7.8 million described themselves as party cadres.[194] The CCP systematically recruits white-collar workers over other social groups.[195] By 2022, CCP membership had become more educated, younger, and less blue-collar than previously, with 54.7% of party members having a college degree or above.[188] As of 2022[update], around 30 to 35 percent of Chinese entrepreneurs are or have been a party member.[196] At the end of 2022, the CCP stated that it has approximately 7.46 million ethnic minority members or 7.6% of the party.[2] Status of womenAs of 2023[update], 29.30 million women are CCP members, representing 29.9% of the party.[2] Women in China have low participation rates as political leaders. Women's disadvantage is most evident in their severe underrepresentation in the more powerful political positions.[197] At the top level of decision making, no woman has ever been among the members of the Politburo Standing Committee, while the broader Politburo currently does not have any female members. Just 3 of 27 government ministers are women, and importantly, since 1997, China has fallen to 53rd place from 16th in the world in terms of female representation in the National People's Congress, according to the Inter-Parliamentary Union.[198] CCP leaders such as Zhao Ziyang have vigorously opposed the participation of women in the political process.[199] Within the party women face a glass ceiling.[200] Economic effects of membershipA 2019 Binghamton University study found that CCP members gain a 20% wage premium in the market over non-members.[201] A subsequent academic study found that the economic benefit of CCP membership is strongest on those in lower wealth brackets.[201] Communist Youth LeagueThe Communist Youth League (CYL) is the CCP's youth wing, and the largest mass organization for youth in China.[202] To join, an applicant has to be between the ages of 14 and 28.[202] It controls and supervises Young Pioneers, a youth organization for children below the age of 14.[202] The organizational structure of CYL is an exact copy of the CCP's; the highest body is the National Congress, followed by the Central Committee , Politburo and the Politburo Standing Committee.[203] However, the Central Committee (and all central organs) of the CYL work under the guidance of the CCP central leadership.[204] 2021 estimates put the number of CYL members at over 81 million.[205] SymbolsAt the beginning of its history, the CCP did not have a single official standard for the flag, but instead allowed individual party committees to copy the flag of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.[206] The Central Politburo decreed the establishment of a sole official flag on 28 April 1942: "The flag of the CPC has the length-to-width proportion of 3:2 with a hammer and sickle in the upper-left corner, and with no five-pointed star. The Political Bureau authorizes the General Office to custom-make a number of standard flags and distribute them to all major organs".[206] According to People's Daily, "The red color symbolizes revolution; the hammer-and-sickle are tools of workers and peasants, meaning that the Communist Party of China represents the interests of the masses and the people; the yellow color signifies brightness."[206] Party-to-party relationsThe International Department of the Chinese Communist Party is responsible for dialogue with global political parties.[207] Communist parties
The CCP continues to have relations with non-ruling communist and workers' parties and attends international communist conferences, most notably the Communist Party of Nepal[215] and the Communist Party of Spain,[216] the party also retains relations with minor communist and workers' parties, such as the Communist Party of Australia,[217] the Workers Party of Bangladesh, the Communist Party of Bangladesh (Marxist–Leninist) (Barua), the Communist Party of Sri Lanka, the Workers' Party of Belgium, the Hungarian Workers' Party, the Dominican Workers' Party, the Nepal Workers Peasants Party, and the Party for the Transformation of Honduras, for instance.[218] In recent years, noting the self-reform of the European social democratic movement in the 1980s and 1990s, the CCP "has noted the increased marginalization of West European communist parties."[219]
Ruling parties of socialist statesThe CCP has retained close relations with the ruling parties of socialist states still espousing communism: Cuba, Laos, North Korea, and Vietnam.[220] It spends a fair amount of time analysing the situation in the remaining socialist states, trying to reach conclusions as to why these states survived when so many did not, following the collapse of the Eastern European socialist states in 1989 and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.[221] In general, the analyses of the remaining socialist states and their chances of survival have been positive, and the CCP believes that the socialist movement will be revitalized sometime in the future.[221] The ruling party which the CCP is most interested in is the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV).[222] In general the CPV is considered a model example of socialist development in the post-Soviet era.[222] Chinese analysts on Vietnam believe that the introduction of the Đổi Mới reform policy at the 6th CPV National Congress is the key reason for Vietnam's current success.[222] While the CCP is probably the organization with Kim family, the idea of hereditary succession in a socialist state, the security state, the use of scarce resources on the Korean People's Army and the general impoverishment of the North Korean people.[223] Circa 2008, there are those analysts who compare the current situation of North Korea with that of China during the Cultural Revolution.[224][needs update] Over the years, the CCP has tried to persuade the Workers' Party of Korea (or WPK, North Korea's ruling party) to introduce economic reforms by showing them key economic infrastructure in China.[224] For instance, in 2006 the CCP invited then-WPK general secretary Kim Jong Il to Guangdong to showcase the success economic reforms had brought China.[224] In general, the CCP considers the WPK and North Korea to be negative examples of a ruling communist party and socialist state.[224]
There is a considerable degree of interest in Cuba within the CCP.[222] Fidel Castro, the former First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC), is greatly admired, and books have been written focusing on the successes of the Cuban Revolution.[222] Communication between the CCP and the PCC has increased since the 1990s.[225] At the 4th Plenary Session of the 16th Central Committee, which discussed the possibility of the CCP learning from other ruling parties, praise was heaped on the PCC.[225] When Wu Guanzheng, a Central Politburo member, met with Fidel Castro in 2007, he gave him a personal letter written by Hu Jintao: "Facts have shown that China and Cuba are trustworthy good friends, good comrades, and good brothers who treat each other with sincerity. The two countries' friendship has withstood the test of a changeable international situation, and the friendship has been further strengthened and consolidated."[226] Non-communist partiesSince the decline and fall of communism in Eastern Europe, the CCP has begun establishing party-to-party relations with non-communist parties. Since Jiang Zemin's time, the CCP has made friendly overtures to its erstwhile foe, the Kuomintang. The CCP emphasizes strong party-to-party relations with the KMT so as to strengthen the probability of the reunification of Taiwan with mainland China. Circa 2008, the CCP has been especially interested in Latin America, Social democratic movements in Europe have been of great interest to the CCP since the early 1980s. Electoral historyNational People's Congress elections
See alsoNotes
ReferencesCitations
SourcesBooks
Journal articles
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