The Chinese Communist Party: Understanding Its History and Influence.

Overview:

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has been the dominant political party in modern China since its founding in 1949, overseeing the country's remarkable economic growth and ascent as a global power. Chinese leader Xi Jinping has consolidated control over the party since 2012, with some experts describing him as the most influential Chinese leader since Mao Zedong. Xi's assertive foreign policy strategy has heightened tensions with the United States and its allies, while his domestic policies aimed at reducing corruption and poverty have received widespread support. Despite facing challenges such as economic slowdown, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the climate crisis, Xi is expected to win an unprecedented third term as a general secretary during the CCP's twentieth party congress in 2022. As the son of a CCP revolutionary, Xi has worked to restore the party's central role in society and enhance China's global power through his "Xi Jinping Thought" doctrine, which includes modernizing China's military and increasing state control over private companies, among other actions. Xi’s ascendancy represents a departure from the CCP's consensus-based rule, which had existed since Deng Xiaoping’s leadership in the 1980s. China experts have warned that relying on a single leader to drive reforms may jeopardize the party's longevity. Cai Xia, a former insider of the CCP, has claimed that Xi's consolidation of power has stifled policy discourse among the party's top echelons. Meanwhile, Elizabeth C. Economy, a former Senior Fellow at CFR, has contended that China's economy has suffered due to Xi's centralization of power. In her Foreign Affairs article, she argued that "excessive party control - possibly too much concentrated in Xi's hands - has contributed to economic stagnation.

Origins and Membership of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party):

The CCP was established in 1921 based on Marxist-Leninist principles, following the Russian Revolution. It engaged in a civil war against its primary rival, the nationalist Kuomintang, and emerged victorious in 1949. Despite market reforms in the late 1970s, the Chinese state continues to operate as a Leninist system, similar to Cuba, North Korea, and Laos.

The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989 prompted the CCP to re-evaluate its mission and engage in intraparty reform to avoid regime collapse. It recognized that a rigid party-state with an inflexible ideology, entrenched elites, stagnant economy, and inactive party organizations would inevitably fail, according to David Shambaugh’s 2008 book, China’s Communist Party.

Since the 1990s, the CCP has demonstrated a technocratic ability to address the developmental challenges caused by China’s rapid economic growth. Today, it has harnessed the advantages of globalization and economic expansion, lifting millions of people out of poverty. The party has transformed itself into a driver of progress, steering the country’s course towards prosperity and generating a sense of national pride.

As of 2021, the CCP has over 96 million members, with more men than women, although the number of female members has risen in recent years. The number of members under the age of 40 and with college degrees has also increased, while agricultural and blue-collar workers make up approximately 30% of CCP membership.

The power structure of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP):

The CCP holds its National Party Congress every five years to establish significant policies and elect top leaders, which should not be confused with China's legislature, the National People's Congress. At this event, members elect the Central Committee, which is composed of approximately 370 members and alternates, including senior regulatory officials, ministers, provincial leaders, and military officers. The Central Committee operates as the CCP's board of directors and must hold yearly meetings referred to as plenums. The Politburo, consisting of twenty-five members, is also chosen by the Central Committee.

China’s political power structure is dominated by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which convenes its National Party Congress every five years to set major policies and select top leaders. The Central Committee, comprising around 370 members and alternates including ministers, senior regulatory officials, provincial leaders, and military officers, acts as the CCP’s board of directors and is required to hold annual meetings known as plenums. The Politburo, with twenty-five members, is selected by the Central Committee and chooses the Politburo Standing Committee through secretive negotiations. The Standing Committee, with Xi Jinping at the top as the party’s general secretary, is the epicenter of the CCP’s power and leadership.

Although the Central Committee, Politburo, and Standing Committee provide broad policy direction, the actual governance of China can be quite decentralized. Policies can originate from bureaucracies and ministries, within the Central Committee, inside the National Party Congress, or from think tanks and advisors. Chinese provinces enjoy significant autonomy, and subprovincial officials and leaders appointed by the central government have much control over local governance.

China’s military, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), is the armed wing of the CCP and is overseen by the CCP’s Central Military Commission, currently headed by Xi. The PLA is seen as a practical instrument of statecraft with an active role in advancing China’s foreign policy, particularly with respect to the country’s increasingly global interests and its aims to revise aspects of the international order.

The CCP faces several challenges to its legitimacy, including economic slowdown, public outrage over various issues such as income inequality and environmental threats, and the COVID-19 pandemic. The CCP’s response to the pandemic was initially criticized by ordinary citizens who condemned the government’s slow response and efforts to silence doctors who warned of the virus. Though China’s reported cases plummeted by mid-2020, the CCP has upheld its strict “zero-COVID policy” through 2022, which could face growing criticism as the economic losses from frequent lockdowns and challenges in obtaining food and medical care mount. This could result in a legitimacy crisis for the CCP.

What are the main challenges faced by the CCP in China?

The main challenges faced by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in China include income inequality, environmental degradation, an aging population, and international tensions.

Income inequality in China has grown in recent years, with the richest 10 percent of the population earning on average fourteen times more than the poorest 50 percent. This has the potential to create social unrest and challenge the party's legitimacy.

Environmental degradation, including air pollution, water scarcity, and soil contamination, also poses a significant threat to China's people, as well as to food and water security. Failure to address these issues could lead to public discontent and undermine the CCP's legitimacy.

China's aging population presents another challenge, with estimates suggesting that retirees could account for more than 40 percent of China's population by 2050. The party has attempted to address this by broadening insurance coverage and allowing married couples to have three children instead of two. However, promoting births could come at the expense of women's rights.

Finally, the CCP faces international tensions, with China's more assertive foreign policy under President Xi Jinping leading to increased tensions with other countries. This includes aggression towards Hong Kong and Taiwan, human rights abuses against Uyghurs and other Muslims in Xinjiang, and growing sanctions and wariness from Western countries.

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