Organisation of the Communist Party of China

The Communist Party of China (CPC) is organised as a hierarchy linking local party organisations to a national leadership. Its organising principle is democratic centralism: party bodies are elected through prescribed procedures, but lower organisations must obey higher organisations and implement collective decisions.

Organising principle

Under democratic centralism, individual members are subordinate to the organisation, the minority to the majority, and lower organisations to higher organisations. All party organisations and members are subordinate to the National Congress and Central Committee.

• Party committees combine collective leadership with individual responsibility for implementing decisions.

Central leadership hierarchy

The formal hierarchy runs from the national representative congress through the Central Committee to a smaller executive leadership.

• The National Congress normally meets once every five years. It elects the Central Committee and the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, reviews their reports, and can amend the party constitution.
• The Central Committee implements congress decisions and directs party work between congresses. Its plenary meetings are held at least once a year.
• The Central Committee elects the Political Bureau, commonly called the Politburo, and its Standing Committee. These bodies exercise the Central Committee's functions and powers between its plenary meetings.
• The General Secretary is elected by the Central Committee and must belong to the Politburo Standing Committee. The General Secretary convenes meetings of the Politburo and its Standing Committee and presides over the Secretariat's work.
• The Secretariat is the working body of the Politburo and its Standing Committee; its members are nominated by the Standing Committee and endorsed by a Central Committee plenary meeting.

Territorial and primary organisations

Below the centre, local party congresses and committees operate at provincial, prefectural and county levels. Local congresses elect the corresponding committees, which lead party work between congresses.

• Primary-level party organisations operate in workplaces and institutions, including enterprises, villages, government organs, schools and urban communities.
• Depending on membership and organisational needs, primary organisations take the form of primary-level committees, general branch committees or branch committees.

Discipline and military leadership

The hierarchy also includes specialised bodies responsible for discipline and military leadership.

• The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection functions under the Central Committee's leadership and supervises compliance with party discipline; corresponding commissions operate at local levels.
• The composition of the party's Central Military Commission is decided by the Central Committee. The commission operates under the chairman responsibility system.