The Chinese Communist Party is a secret society

China’s ruling Communist Party, which celebrated its 100th anniversary Thursday, is characterized by secrecy in leading the world’s second-biggest economic power from the shadows. Founded as an illegal Marxist underground movement in Shanghai a century ago, it has subsequently been defined by the strict control of information, surveillance and purges of dissenters.

The party claims 95.1 million members, but a complete list of names is not made public. It is far from straightforward to sign up, with a rigorous two-year application process that relies on candidates having a spotless personal history. It is the second-largest political party in the world, after the Bharatiya Janata Party under Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which claims 180 million members.

From the latest figures released by the CCP’s Organization Department, only 6.5 million members are laborers and 25.8 million are agricultural workers – compared with a majority of 41 million white-collar professionals and 19 million retired cadres.

Read more