The largest political organization in the world, ruling the country, was founded in 1921 after the defeat of the Kuomintang (China National People's Party) and the end of the Civil War in China. This is the CCP - the Chinese Communist Party. Only the CPSU before its dissolution could compare with the CCP in the number of members.
Creature
At the beginning of the twentieth century, the upsurge of the revolutionary movement was observed in China, the ideas of Marxism-Leninism spread under the influence of the Comintern and the general situation in Russia. The creation of the Chinese Communist Party was triggered by the October Revolution, after which a group of Chinese intellectuals founded a new organization. For some time they had to work in illegal conditions. The founder and leader of the Chinese Communist Party from 1921 to 1927, Chen Dux even organized the first congress in Shanghai in the summer of 1921.
The second leader, Li Lisan and the first organizer of Marxist circles, Li Dazhao, played a huge role in the formation of the organization, which quickly turned from a small circle into a huge political force. At the first congress, the Communist Party of China, whose program has already been drawn up, proclaimed its goals - right up to building socialism in China. Eighteen congresses have passed since that time, the last of which took place in November 2012.
Party History Periods
At first, the Communist Party of China entered into an alliance with the Kuomintang against all sorts of militarist groups - the First United Front. Then, ten years before 1937, she fought for power already with the Kuomintang. But when China suffered Japanese aggression, the CCP was forced to make peace with political opponents to open a joint Second United Front against the Japanese. Until the complete victory over fascism (September 1945), this war lasted.
In 1946, the struggle against the Kuomintang began again and until 1949 acquired the dimensions of a civil war. The Chinese Communist Party defeated the Kuomintang and as a result of this victory came to power in the country. The People's Republic of China was founded . Then Mao Dzedong began the Cultural Revolution. It was time for all the central organs of the party to reorganize or disappear. Until 1956, time in China was vague. After the death of Mao, Deng Xiaoping gradually restored almost all the organs of the party, and thus the state organs returned to party control again.
Governing bodies
The CPC Charter provides for the party’s highest governing body, which is the All-China Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, convened once in five years. In addition, there are other controls. This is the Central Committee, in which the Politburo of the Central Committee of the CPC consists of twenty-five people (among them seven - the Permanent Committee of the Central Committee), the main administrative body with the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPC led by the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the CPC. And finally, the Central Military Council of the Central Committee of the CPC duplicates and controls the military council of the PRC.
Daily administers, supervises, organizes document management and other functioning of the Main Directorate (Office of the Central Committee of the CPC). In addition, there is the Central Commission, which is subordinate only to the All-China Congress, its functions are discipline control, the fight against corruption and other serious crimes in the party ranks. There is also a Political and Legal Commission in the country as the central party body of legal and administrative policy. The political security unit with the physical protection functions of senior personnel is the Central Security Bureau of the CCP.
Congress Functions
The congress has two formal functions: it introduces and approves amendments to the party’s charter, and elects the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party. Further, the Central Committee at the plenum elects the Politburo, together with the Standing Committee and the Secretary General. But almost all of these decisions are made long before the congress, where only the directions of the policies that the Chinese Communist Party intends to implement and the country's development priorities for the next five years are only made public.
The CCP is not the only key organ of political power in China. There is also the Council of State and the People’s Liberation Army. The People’s Political Advisory Council has the right of deliberative vote, and in the 80s the Central Commission, created by Deng Xiaoping, where the CPC advisers met, functioned.
amount
The formation of the Chinese Communist Party in 1921 did not portend its modern political strength, since the organization was incredibly small: only twelve delegates attended the first illegal congress in Shanghai. By 1922, the number of Communists had risen sharply: there were one hundred and ninety-two. In 1923, the CPC numbered four hundred and twenty people, a year later - almost a thousand. In 1927, the party grew to 58,000 members, and in 1945 it crossed a million. When the Kuomintang’s resistance fell, the party’s growth rate was unbelievable, by 1957 more than ten million people had joined the CCP, and in 2000 their number had grown to sixty million.
The next party congress in 2002 allowed the admission of businessmen to its ranks, which significantly increased the number of members. Moreover, Zhang Ruimin, who is the president of Haier Corporation, was elected to the Central Committee, which until then was generally unheard of. So, millionaires and billionaires came to the CCP, for example, Liang Wengen actively participated in the CCP congress, despite the fact that he occupied the first line of the rating of millionaires in Forbes magazine for 2011. Today, the number of CCPs exceeds 85 million people.
The Consequences of the Cultural Revolution
In the period from 1965 to 1976, the political events of China, the so-called Cultural Revolution, caused a struggle and a crisis within the Communist Party, which was to blame for both domestic and foreign policies of Mao Zedong.
His supporters, with the help of loyal military units and student youth, consistently destroyed all party organizations, except for the army, dismissed party committees, repressed party workers, including many full members, candidates for the Politburo and the Central Committee of the CPC.
The reform
After Mao’s death, it was only in 1979 that the country began to reform and expand its foreign relations under the leadership of Deng Xiaoping, Secretary General from 1976 to 1981. The goals of the Chinese Communist Party have changed dramatically, since a serious modernization of the country was needed. Reforms were carried out consistently and very broadly in all areas of the political and economic system.
Thus, the main directions along which the development of the country should take place were also determined. The creation of socialism with Chinese characteristics was called a new goal, which implies continued reforms and openness to the outside world. Xi Jinping, who was elected Secretary General in 2012, continued this policy, confirming the previous postulate: the Chinese Communist Party can achieve a revival of the country.
Political dominance
The architect of the reforms was Deng Xiaoping, who shrewdly sought to keep power over the processes in the hands of the CCP. The party’s capabilities and its potential made it possible even in the conditions of modern China to reject the path of democratization and preserve previously established political foundations. On the one hand, the example of the USSR influenced this decision, and on the other, the examples of Taiwan and South Korea. The party’s monopoly on power is to ensure for many years the status quo in the PRC system of party policy.
The slogan and the new goal of "building socialism with Chinese characteristics" appeared in connection with the need for reforms carried out "from above", that is, changes in society, both social and economic, but observing the continuity of power and maintaining the dominant role of the party in all processes. The word socialism is key here. That is why the name of Mao Zedong will never be discriminated in China until the end. Now it, by the way, sounds more often and with unprecedented reverence. The power of the CCP is returning to its roots.
Intraparty fractions
The so-called "Beijing Komsomol members" - neo-Maoists, most often coming from the poorest regions, advocate the speedy development of native places due to the richer provinces, for example, coastal ones. They see China as a leader in the developing world. The leader of this group is the former Secretary General of the CPC Central Committee Hu Jintao. His successor as Secretary General, Xi Jinping, has long been considered a supporter of the Shanghai Group, but nevertheless entered into an alliance with Peking.
The so-called "Shanghai clique" - the Shanghai people, the CCP officials, who were "promoted" by Jiang Zemin , while still the mayor of Shanghai, and subsequently received the post of chairman of the PRC. After his departure from this post, the threads of power in the entire leadership of the CCP remained in his hands, everywhere there were people of their own. There is another group at the top of the party called "Old Dissatisfied" who oppose market reforms.
Xi Jinping
In 2012, Xi Jinping took the place of Hu Jintao, who led the party for ten years. This candidacy has been "backed up" for a very long time: five years before that moment it was unofficially decided that he would be the leader of the Chinese Communist Party. Then he took a second post - became chairman of the military council of China.
Gradually, the behavioral "nuts" inside the party tighten ever tighter. For example, new rules came out in 2015 prohibiting Chinese Communists from playing golf, eating extravagant food, and even attending alumni meetings. It is strictly forbidden to criticize the party in any form.
More specifically about bans
In addition, from January 1, 2016, party members were forbidden to attend fitness, golf, and any other private clubs. They are prescribed simplicity in all manifestations and protection against extravagance. The bans are actually harsh: there should not be a single unresponsive remark about party politics, citizenship is forbidden, permanent travel abroad either, unofficial relations with non-party members (this simply includes neighborhood neighbors, classmates and comrades in arms ), do not use sexual services, all the more so, do not provide them, there should not be “inappropriate” sexual relations. Thus, the chairman of the Chinese Communist Party apparently wants to launch a new anti-corruption regime, as well as strengthen his power.
Prohibition of religion in the CCP
Abstinence from religion now began to concern all members of the Chinese Communist Party, including former officials. The religious activity of citizens who occupy or held any important position of responsibility is subject to control and then punishment is inevitably coming up to exclusion from the ranks. According to Reuters, even long-resigned officials are banned from participating in religious activities. Although freedom of religion is prescribed in the Chinese Constitution, the Chinese Communist Party closely monitors all employees who are usually party members.
The official parliamentary newspaper in China has published a statement by the organizational department stating that former government officials are also required to refrain from religious affiliation. Party members cannot join religious associations; on the contrary, they are obliged to actively resist cult evil. However, activity is quite acceptable, this government body emphasizes, which is associated with any traditional ethnic folk rites, if it is not related to the religion of any faith. Religious organizations in the People’s Republic of China have recently intensified for various reasons, which is why repressions against various religious leaders have been tightened, and there are harsh suppressions of all kinds of religious gatherings and actions.