The membership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) continues to see positive changes in terms of its composition, which is frontline-dominated, diverse and well-grounded, an expert said on Tuesday in an interview with CGTN. The structure not only continues the Party's historical tradition of maintaining close ties with the people, but also reflects a strategic adjustment to meet the demands of modern governance, said Xia Lu, an associate professor at the School of Marxism Studies and a research fellow at the National Academy of Development & Strategies at Renmin University of China.
According to a report issued on Monday, the CPC had more than 100.27 million members at the end of 2024, up by nearly 1.09 million from 2023. The membership of the CPC has steadily expanded, with its structure continuing to improve and primary-level Party organizations growing stronger, said the report released by the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee.Data from the report showed that over 2.13 million people joined the CPC in 2024.
Of these people, 52.6 percent were from the forefront of production and work, 54.4 percent held diplomas of junior college or above, and 83.7 percent of them are aged 35 or below.Speaking about the trend of more young people joining the CPC, Xia said it has injected new impetus into the Party.First, innovation has been improved, he said, noting that young Party members bring innovative thinking about promoting a digital Party building platform.Second, governance effectiveness has been enhanced.
Xia said young Party members can have a "catfish effect" – the belief that a strong competitor can lift the performance of the whole sector – in primary-level governance, transforming Party organizations from being at the "bottom of administration" to a "governance hub."He also said the trend has enhanced social cohesion, adding that young Party members have helped bring the Party closer to the people through activities such as volunteer services, public education and awareness campaigns.According to the report, the CPC had 5.25 million primary-level organizations at the end of 2024, an increase of 74,000 compared with the previous year.
Meanwhile, workers and farmers accounted for about 33 percent of all CPC members.Xia said the data indicates that Party organizations have consistently regarded frontline workers as a "talent reservoir" when developing new members.Noting that 192,000 CPC members are rooted in the front line of rural revitalization in China, Xia said they have become an essential part for enhancing communication between different levels, promoting rural areas' economic development and improving people's livelihood.Speaking of the increase of primary-level organizations across the country, Xia said it reflects the Party organization's dual efforts in organizational reshaping and functional upgrading, which have contributed to building a more resilient and dynamic governance network across key areas such as rural revitalization, community governance and Party building in enterprises, he added.The continued expansion of primary-level organizations is not merely a growth in numbers, but a reflection of an evolving governance philosophy, Xia pointed out.Through the building of a governance community in which everyone bears responsibility, fulfills their duties, and shares in the outcomes, the expansion has provided a solid organizational support for Chinese modernization, he added.The professor also stressed that the diverse integration among front-line workers, farmers, highly-educated groups and younger generations within the Party membership signifies that the CPC is achieving a modern transformation of its capacity through organizational restructuring."This structural shift not only reshapes the Party's social representativeness but also builds a 'governance community' that bridges different social sectors," he said.