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Profile of the Communist Party of China
The Nature and Guiding Ideology
The Communist Party of China (CPC) is the vanguard of the
Chinese working class, the faithful representative of the
interests of the Chinese people of all ethnic groups, and the
core of leadership of the Chinese socialist cause.
After the People's Republic of China was founded in 1949, the
CPC became the ruling party, leading the country in its
political life and social activities. The leadership of the CPC
over state affairs focuses on political principles, political
orientation, decision making on major issues and makes
recommendations regarding the appointment of important officials
to government bodies. Within the system of the state leadership,
the CPC cannot replace the functions and powers of the bodies of
state power. What are subject to the discretion of the National
People's Congress and its Standing Committee should be submitted
as Party's proposals or submitted through government to the NPC
and its Standing Committee for a decision according to the law.
In this way the Party's propositions are changed into the state
will and become the codes of conduct to be observed by the whole
society. The Party has to act within the scope of the
Constitution and laws, guaranteeing that the legislative,
judicial and administrative departments of the state as well as
economic, cultural and mass organizations work in an active,
independent, responsible and coordinated manner.
Guide in Action
The CPC uses Marxism, Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought and Deng
Xiaoping Theory as the guidance in its action. Since its
inception, the Party has considered Marxism and Leninism as its
guiding ideology. During the long-term revolutionary struggle,
the CPC members represented by Mao Zedong integrated the general
theory of Marxism-Leninism with the practice of Chinese
revolution and founded Mao Zedong Thought. Mao Zedong Thought is
the application and development of Marxism-Leninism in China. It
is proven in practice to be the correct theoretic principles and
summary of experience concerning China's revolution and
construction. It is a product of the collective wisdom of the
CPC. After the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh CPC Central
Committee which was held at the end of 1978, the CPC represented
by Deng Xiaoping, summing up both positive and negative
experience accumulated since the founding of the Republic and
following the principle of emancipating the mind and seeking
truth from facts, shifted the focus of work to economic
construction and introduced the policies of reform and opening
to the outside world, bringing China into a new period of
socialist construction. During the process, lines, principles
and policies of building socialism with Chinese characteristics
gradually took shape and basic issues in respect of building,
consolidating and developing socialism in China were clarified.
As a result, the Deng Xiaoping Theory, a product of the
integration of Marxism-Leninism with contemporary Chinese
practices and characteristics, was established. It carries on
and further develops the Mao Zedong Thought under new historical
conditions. As a crystallization of collective wisdom of the
CPC, it will correctly guide the Chinese people to successfully
achieve socialist modernization.
Establishment and Development
After the October Socialist Revolution in Soviet Union led by
Lenin was victorious in 1917, Marxism spread to China. Some
advanced Chinese intellectuals realized that Marxism was the
true way of guiding the revolution to victory. In 1919, the May
4th Movement against imperialism and feudalism broke out in
China. It awoke the Chinese people in an unprecedented way.
After the movement, the Chinese working class, as an independent
political force, entered the historical arena. A large number of
revolutionary intellectuals who believed in Marxism including
Chen Duxiu, Li Dazhao and Mao Zedong set up communist groups
across the country to spread Marxism and organize workers'
movements. Marxism was thus integrated with the Chinese workers'
movements, laying a foundation for the establishment of the CPC.
Between July 23 and 31, 1921, Mao Zedong, He Shuheng, Dong Biwu,
Chen Tanqiu, Wang Jinmei, Deng Enming, Li Da, Li Hanjun, Zhang
Guotao, Liu Renjing, Chen Gongbo and Zhou Fohai, representing
50-odd members of various communist groups, held the first
National Congress of the CPC, and the Communist Party of China
was therefore officially founded.
After its establishment, the CPC led Chinese people in unfolding
the New-Democratic Revolution against imperialism, feudalism and
bureaucrat-capitalism (1919-1949). The revolution was divided
into four periods: the Northern Expedition (1924-1927) of
Kuomintang-Communist cooperation, the Agrarian Revolutionary War
(1927-1937), the War of Resistance Against Japan (1937-1945) and
the Chinese People's War of Liberation (1946-1949). With
long-term armed struggles and the close coordination of various
aspects and various forms of struggles, the CPC finally achieved
a victory in 1949 and established the People's Republic of
China, which, under the leadership of the working class and
based on the workers-peasants alliance, upholds the people's
democratic dictatorship.
After the founding of the PRC, the CPC led the nation to make
constant progress: triumphing over repeated threats, sabotages
and armed provocation of imperialists and hegemonists,
safeguarding the nation's independence and security;
successfully achieving a great transfer of the Chinese society
from new-democratism to socialism, accomplishing, in a general
sense, the socialist transformation of the private ownership of
the means of production; and launching the large-scale socialist
economic construction in a planned way, and enabling Chinese
economic and cultural causes to attain unprecedented
development.
Beginning in 1979, China introduced reforming policies advocated
by Deng Xiaoping and opened its door to the outside world. The
"left deviation" errors made during the "cultural revolution"
and before were redressed, and the focus of the work was shifted
to the modernization drive. Great efforts were made to regulate
the proportions within the national economy, reform economic and
political systems and gradually establish a road to build
socialist modernization with Chinese characteristics. The past
two decades have witnessed substantial changes in China. It is
the best period that China has ever experienced since 1949 and
also the period when the people of China received the most
substantial benefits.
The CPC now has over 58 million members. It requires its
members, being self-disciplined and having the spirit of making
personal sacrifices, to set a good example for the masses in
production, work, study and social lives.
The Basic Line at Present Stage and the Basic Stand in
International Affairs
China will be at the primary stage of socialism for a long
period of time.
The basic line of the CPC at this stage is to unite the people
of all ethnic groups to, with economic construction at the core,
adhere to the Four Cardinal Principles, adhere to reform and
opening-up, and in a spirit of self-reliance and hard struggle,
to build China into a prosperous, democratic and civilized
modern socialist country. The Four Cardinal Principles --
adhering to the socialist road, adhering to the people's
democratic dictatorship, adhering to Marxism-Leninism and Mao
Zedong Thought, and adhering to the leadership of the Communist
Party of China -- have been established by the Constitution of
the People's Republic of China as the basis to maintain the
nation.
The Chinese Communist Party stands for positively developing
foreign relations in order to win over a favorable international
environment for China's reform and opening-up drive as well as
the modernization construction. In international affairs, it
adheres to an independent foreign policy of peaceful coexistence
and safeguards China's independence and sovereignty. It opposes
hegemonism and power politics, safeguards world peace, and
promotes the progress of mankind. It stands for the development
of state relations with other countries on the basis of the five
principles of mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial
integrity, mutual non-aggression, non-interference in each
other's internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and
peaceful coexistence. It insists on developing good-neighborly
relations with surrounding countries and strengthening unity and
cooperation with developing countries. It develops relations
with Communist parties and other political parties of other
countries on the principle of independence, complete equality,
mutual respect and non-interference in each other's internal
affairs.
Organizational System
The Communist Party of China is an integral body organized under
its program and constitution, on the principles of democratic
centralism. The basic principles of democratic centralism are:
a) Individual Party members are subordinate to the Party
organizations, the minority is subordinate to the majority, the
lower Party organizations are subordinate to the higher Party
organizations, and all the constituent organizations and members
of the Party are subordinate to the National Congress and the
Central Committee of the Party; b) The Party's leading
organizations at all levels, except the representative offices
sent out by them and the Party organizations in non-CPC
organizations, will be produced through election; c) The highest
leading body of the CPC is the National Congress and the Central
Committee it creates. The local Party leading bodies at various
levels are the local Party congress at various levels and the
committees they create. The Party's committees at various levels
are responsible and report their work to the Party's congress at
the same level; d) The Party's organizations at higher level
should often listen to the opinions of their subordinates as
well as of Party members and the masses and solve their problems
in time. The Party organizations at lower level should not only
ask for instructions from and report their work to their
superiors but also independently solve the problems within their
own jurisdiction. The Party organizations at different levels
should exchange information, supports and supervision. They
should enable Party members to understand and participate more
in Party's affairs; e) Party's committees at various levels
practice a system of integrating the collective leadership with
individual responsibility. All major issues shall be decided
upon by the Party committees after democratic discussion.
Members of the Party committees shall perform their duties
according to the decisions of the committees and the division of
labor; and f) The Party forbids all forms of personality cult.
It should be guaranteed that the activities of Party leaders are
under the supervision of the Party and the people, and meanwhile
that the prestige of all leaders who represent the interests of
the Party and people are safeguarded.
The delegates to the CPC congress at various levels and
committees are elected by the Party members and their
representatives by secret ballot. The voters have the right to
learn about the candidates, require the change of candidates,
vote against all candidates, and to vote for others. No
organization or individual shall force voters to vote for or
against a certain candidate by any means. If there is a case of
violating the Party's Constitution during the election of
various local Party congresses and grass-roots congresses, the
Party committee at the higher lever, upon investigation and
verification, shall make the decision to declare the ballot
invalid and adopt corrective measures, and then report to its
superior for examination and approval. The execution of the
decision shall be officially announced upon its approval.
The Central Organizations
The Central CPC organizations include the National Congress of
the Party and the Central Committee it creates, the Political
Bureau of the Central Committee and its Standing Committee, the
Secretariat, the Central Military Commission and the Central
Commission for Discipline Inspection.
-- National Congress of the CPC. The National Congress of the
CPC, which is held every five years, is the highest leading
organ of the CPC. Its functions and powers include: to hear and
examine the reports from the Central Committee and the Central
Commission for Discipline Inspection; to discuss and decide the
major issues of the Party; to revise the Party's Constitution;
to elect a new Central Committee and a new Central Commission
for Discipline Inspection.
-- Central Committee. It is the highest leading body of the CPC
when the National Congress of the Party is not in session.
Members and alternate members of the Central Committee must have
been the Party members for at least five years. The plenary
session of the Central Committee shall be held at least once a
year. When the National Congress is not in session, the Central
Committee implements the decisions of the National Congress,
exercises leadership over all work of the Party and represents
the Communist Party of China when dealing in foreign affairs.
-- Political Bureau. The Political Bureau of the Central
Committee and its Standing Committee are elected by the Plenary
Session of the Central Committee. They exercise the functions
and powers of the Central Committee when the latter is not in
session. The Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the
Central Committee is the core of leadership over all the routine
work of the Party.
-- The General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee. The
General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee is the highest
leading position within the CPC Central Committee. It is elected
from members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau
by the Plenary Session of the CPC Central Committee. The Party
General Secretary is responsible for convening the meetings of
the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and its
Standing Committee, and directs the work of the Secretariat of
the Central Committee.
-- Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee The Secretariat of
the CPC Central Committee is an administrative body of the
Political Bureau and its Standing Committee. Its members are
nominated by the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau and
approved by the Plenary Session of the CPC Central Committee.
-- The Central Military Commission. It is the highest military
leading body of the Party under the leadership of the CPC
Central Committee. The commission members are decided by the CPC
Central Committee. The Party's organizational system and
institutions in the armed forces are decided by the Central
Military Commission.
-- The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. As the
highest body of the Party for discipline inspection, the
commission carries out its work under the leadership of the CPC
Central Committee. Its Standing Committee, Secretary and
Deputy-Secretary elected at its plenary session must be reported
to the CPC Central Committee for approval.
Leaders of all CPC Central Committees
-- Chen Duxiu, secretary of the CPC Central Bureau, was elected
at the first CPC National Congress in July 1921.
-- Chen Duxiu, chairman of the CPC Central Executive Committee,
was elected at the second CPC National Congress in July 1922.
-- Chen Duxiu, chairman of the CPC Central Executive Committee,
was elected at the third CPC National Congress in June 1923.
-- Chen Duxiu, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee,
was elected at the fourth CPC National Congress in January 1925.
-- Chen Duxiu, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee,
was elected at the fifth CPC National Congress from April to May
1927.
-- Xiang Zhongfa, general secretary of the CPC Central
Committee, was elected at the sixth CPC National Congress from
June to July 1928. (Wang Ming replaced Xiang as the acting
general secretary of the CPC Central Committee after Xiang was
arrested by the Kuomintang regime in 1931)
-- Bogu (Qin Bangxian) became general secretary of the CPC
Central Committee at the fifth plenary meeting of the sixth CPC
Central Committee in January 1934.
-- Zhang Wentian (Luofu), general secretary of the CPC Central
Committee, was elected at the extended meeting of the CPC
Central Committee Politburo in January 1935 in Zunyi, Guizhou
Province.
-- Mao Zedong began to act as chairman of the CPC Central
Committee at the first plenary meeting of the seventh CPC
Central Committee in June 1945.
-- Mao Zedong, chairman of the CPC Central Committee, was
elected at the first plenary meeting of the eighth CPC Central
Committee in September 1956.
-- Mao Zedong, chairman of the CPC Central Committee, was
elected at the first plenary meeting of the ninth CPC Central
Committee in April 1969.
-- Mao Zedong, chairman of the CPC Central Committee, was
elected at the first plenary meeting of the tenth CPC Central
Committee in August 1973.
-- Hua Guofeng, chairman of the CPC Central Committee, was
nominated and approved at the meeting of the CPC Central
Committee Politburo in October 1976, and endorsed at the third
plenary meeting of the tenth CPC Central Committee in July 1977.
-- Hua Guofeng, chairman of the CPC Central Committee, was
elected at the first plenary meeting of the 11th CPC Central
Committee in August 1977.
-- Hu Yaobang, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee,
was elected at the fifth plenary meeting of the 11th CPC Central
Committee in February 1980.
-- Hu Yaobang, chairman of the CPC Central Committee, was
elected at the sixth plenary meeting of the 11th CPC Central
Committee in June 1981.
-- Hu Yaobang, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee,
was elected at the first plenary meeting of the 12th CPC Central
Committee in September 1982.
-- Zhao Ziyang became general secretary of the CPC Central
Committee at the first plenary meeting of the 13th CPC Central
Committee in November 1987.
-- Jiang Zemin became general secretary of the CPC Central
Committee at the fourth plenary meeting of the 13th CPC Central
Committee in June 1989.
-- Jiang Zemin, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee,
was elected at the first plenary meeting of the 14th CPC Central
Committee in October 1992.
-- Jiang Zemin, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee,
was elected at the first plenary meeting of the 15th CPC Central
Committee in September 1997.
-- Hu Jintao, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee,
was elected at the first plenary meeting of the 16th CPC Central
Committee in November 2002.
CPC in Brief
Following are some key facts about the CPC:
-- The Communist Party of China was founded in July 1921. A
total of 12 delegates representing about 50 CPC members
nationwide secretly convened at the first CPC national congress
in late July in Shanghai. July 1 was later designated as
anniversary of the founding of the CPC.
-- The CPC had only about 50 members in mid-1921. By June 2007,
the number had grown to 73.363 million.
-- The CPC says in its Constitution it is the vanguard of the
Chinese working class, the Chinese people and the Chinese
nation. It is the core of leadership for the cause of socialism
with Chinese characteristics and represents the development
trend of China's advanced productive forces, the orientation of
China's advanced culture and the fundamental interests of the
overwhelming majority of the Chinese people.
-- The CPC Constitution also stipulates that the Party takes
Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory and
the important thought of Three Represents as its guide.
-- Under the principle of democratic centralism, the election of
Party congress delegates and Party committee members at all
levels should reflect the will of voters. The minority should be
subordinate to the majority when making decisions on any matter.
-- The National Congress of the Party is held every five years
and convened by the Central Committee. It may be convened before
the normally scheduled date if the Central Committee deems it
necessary or if more than one third of the Party organizations
at the provincial level so request. Except under extraordinary
circumstances, the Congress may not be postponed.
The Political Bureau, the Standing Committee of the Political
Bureau and the general secretary of the Central Committee of the
Party are elected by the Central Committee in plenary sessions.
The general secretary of the Central Committee must be a member
of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau.
(China.org.cn, 17thcongress.org.cn, Xinhua News Agency October
14, 2007)
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