1. The National Party Congress

The CPC’s organ of supreme power, the National Party Congress, held once every five years, is convened by the Central Committee. Its functions and powers are to hear and examine the report of the Central Committee, to hear and examine the report of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, to discuss and decide on major issues of the Party, to revise the Party constitution and to elect the Central Committee and the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

2. The Central Committee

It is elected by the National Party Congress. When the National Party Congress is not in session, the Central Committee leads all the work of the Party and represents the CPC outside the Party. It is elected for a term of five years.

3. The Political Bureau, Its Standing Committee and the General Secretary

They are all elected by the plenary session of the Central Committee. When the plenum of the Central Committee is not in session, the Political Bureau and its Standing Committee exercise the functions and powers of the Central Committee. The Secretariat of the Central Committee is the administrative body of the Political Bureau and its Standing Committee. The general secretary of the Central Committee is responsible for calling sessions of both the Political Bureau and its Standing Committee, and is in charge of the work of the Secretariat of the Central Committee.

Members of the Central Military Commission of the CPC are decided on by the Central Committee.

4. Under the Central Committee of the CPC are such offices and departments as the General Affairs Office, the Organization Department, the Publicity Department, the International Liaison Department, the United Front Work Department and the Policy Research Office (See the following chart).

Local organizations of the CPC include congresses of various provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the Central Government, cities with districts, autonomous prefectures, counties (banners), autonomous counties and cities without districts as well as districts of cities which are held once every five years. The committees elected by the congresses listed above serve a term of five years. Grassroots organizations of the Party, where there are more than three full members of the Party, are set up in enterprises, rural villages, organizations, schools, research institutes, neighborhoods, the People’s Liberation Army companies and other basic units.

Discipline inspection commissions are also set up at various levels of the CPC. Their major tasks are to maintain CPC’s constitution and other inner Party rules and regulations, assist Party committees to strengthen the Party style, examine the implementation of the lines, policies, principles and decisions of the Party. The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection works under the Party Central Committee. The local discipline inspection commissions work under the dual leadership of the Party committees at the same level and discipline inspection commissions at the next higher level. The term of office of discipline inspection commissions is the same as that of the Party committees.

As of June 2002, the CPC had a total membership of 66.355 million belonging to about 3.5 million grassroots organizations.

The People’s Daily is the paper of the CPC Central Committee while Seeking Truth is the Party’s magazine.

(China.org.cn April 20, 2003)