BEIJING, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) — The Communist Party of China (CPC) is the biggest political party in the world, with 89 million members. With so many people involved, how does the CPC organize itself, and how does it manage all those members? Here’s everything you need to know:
Q: Who are the members of the CPC?
A: CPC members are from all walks of life. Blue-collar workers such as laborers and farmers make up the highest share accounting for 37 percent, followed by professionals and management at more than 25 percent. The remaining members are officials, students and the retired.
Q: How does CPC manage its members?
A: CPC members are grouped into more than 4.5 million Party branches and each branch has 20 members, on average. A branch should be established wherever there are more than three Party members, according to the CPC Constitution.
Q: Where are the Party Branches?
A: Almost all urban neighborhoods, communities and towns have Party branches. In the workplace, over 91 percent of public enterprises, 67.9 percent of private enterprises and 58.9 percent of social organizations have resident Party branches. Local-level Party branches are the foundation of CPC governance. This is how the Party serves and connects with people in their daily life.
Q: What do the average Party members do? How are they managed?
A: Being a Party member is much like any other job. Many of us go through professional development training at some point, similarly, party members take part in group study so they can better understand the Party line, their Communist ethos, and their contribution to political life.
Q: What happens if a Party member does something wrong?
A: Again, this works a lot like it would in any other job, there are levels of warning and disciplinary measures. The CPC Constitution requires Party branches to provide education for any member who violates Party rules or fails to fulfill their obligations. If the member doesn’t show signs of improvement, they may be asked to resign their Party membership, or in more serious cases they may be expelled.