O Chinese Communist Party (CCP) reached 99 million members last year and is projected to reach 100 million by the end of 2024, according to the latest official count. Growth, however, remains slow, according to the Central Organization Department.
Traditionally, the data was published on the eve of the July 1 celebrations, the date that celebrates the founding of the party in 1921. The report showed a net increase of 1.14 million members, an increase of 1.2%, compared to the end of 2022, when the number of new members was 1.32 million, representing an increase of 1.4%.
President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the party, sent greetings to members at a Politburo study session ahead of the 103rd anniversary of the CPC.
Xi stressed the need for “comprehensive and strict governance over the Party” to promote the building of the CPC in the new era, stressing the importance of centralized and united leadership.
Xi also stressed the need to reform grassroots Party organizations to enhance local governance capacity, and suggested applying information and internet technologies in Party building, aiming for full coverage of the organization, both online and offline.
Analysis of the data revealed a reduction in the number of members under the age of 30, which fell to 12.41 million, a decrease of 0.18% compared to 2022. Despite the drop, the reduction was smaller than the previous year, when youth membership fell by 1.5%.
The educational level of party members increased, with 56.2 percent holding a college degree or higher, bringing the total membership to 55.78 million, an increase of 2.13 million. Although women and ethnic minority groups remain underrepresented, there has been notable progress.
Female members grew by 88,300 to 30.18 million, accounting for 30.4 percent of the total membership. Ethnic minority groups now make up 7.7 percent of the party, with an increase of 14,700 members to 7.59 million.
Over the years, Xi Jinping has stressed the importance of women’s issues in various domestic and international contexts, advocating for the protection of women’s rights and interests. At a UN meeting in 2020, for example, Xi stated that women’s development must go hand in hand with economic and social development.
In October last year, at a meeting with the All-China Women’s Federation, Xi said women’s roles are “irreplaceable” and called for greater female participation in areas such as high-quality development and rural revitalization.
Despite the leadership’s support for economic and social empowerment, women’s participation in China’s elite politics remains limited. The current Politburo, composed of 24 men and no women, has broken a two-decade tradition.
With information from SCMP
Source: https://www.ocafezinho.com/2024/07/01/partido-comunista-chines-vai-chegar-a-100-milhoes-de-filiados-em-poucos-meses/
