Constitution of the Chinese Communist Party

Constitution of the Chinese Communist Party. The Constitution of the Chinese Communist Party is the supreme charter and fundamental law governing the Chinese Communist Party, defining its program, organizational principles, and disciplinary codes. It serves as the highest authority within the Party, guiding all its activities and the conduct of its over 98 million members. The document establishes the Party's nature as the vanguard of both the Chinese working class and the Chinese people, as well as the core leadership for the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

History and amendments

The first Party Constitution was adopted at the Second National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party in Shanghai during July 1922, following the founding of the Party at the First National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party. Major revisions have historically coincided with pivotal moments in the Party's development, such as the Seventh National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party in Yan'an which established the guiding role of Mao Zedong Thought. Subsequent significant amendments were made during the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, which initiated Reform and opening-up under Deng Xiaoping, and the 19th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, which incorporated Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era into the preamble. The most recent amendment was passed at the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party in Beijing, reflecting the Party's evolving theoretical and political focus.

Structure and content

The document is organized into a preamble and multiple chapters detailing general program, membership, organizational structure, and discipline. The preamble articulates the Party's guiding theories, including Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, and Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. Key chapters define the rights and obligations of Party members, the hierarchical organizational system from primary-level Party branches to the supreme National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, and the roles of core institutions like the Central Committee, the Politburo, and the Standing Committee of the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party. It also codifies the principles of democratic centralism and outlines the disciplinary authority of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

Role and function

The Constitution functions as the ultimate internal regulatory framework, ensuring ideological unity and organizational cohesion under the principle of the Party commanding the overall situation and coordinating all sides. It legally and politically defines the Party's leadership over all endeavors in China, including the People's Liberation Army, the Government of the People's Republic of China, and all Mass organizations in China such as the All-China Federation of Trade Unions. The document obligates all Party organs, from the General Office of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party to local committees, to operate within its stipulations, and it is the basis for the political life of all members, including those in the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

Amendment process

The exclusive power to amend the Party Constitution resides with the National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, which convenes every five years. Proposed amendments are typically drafted by the Central Committee following extensive internal consultation and review, often informed by the work of bodies like the Central Policy Research Office. The draft is then submitted for deliberation and final adoption by a plenary session of the National Congress, requiring a simple majority vote from delegates representing party members across the nation, including from special administrative regions like Hong Kong and Macau.

Comparison with national constitution

While the Constitution of the People's Republic of China is the fundamental law of the state, the Party Constitution is the supreme norm within the Chinese Communist Party; the former affirms the leadership role of the latter in its preamble. The national constitution, adopted by the National People's Congress, governs state institutions like the State Council and the Supreme People's Court, whereas the Party Constitution governs the internal political organization that leads those state organs. This relationship is formalized in concepts such as Whole-process people's democracy and is operationalized through integrated leadership roles, where figures like the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party also serve as the President of the People's Republic of China and Chairman of the Central Military Commission.

Category:Chinese Communist Party Category:Political documents Category:Constitutions