National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party

{{Short description|Party conference held every five years}}

{{distinguish||text=the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China}}

{{Use American English|date = January 2019}}

{{Use mdy dates|date = January 2019}}

{{Infobox legislature

| name = National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party
{{nobold|{{zh|c=中国共产党全国代表大会|labels=no}}}}

| logo = Danghui.svg

| logo_caption = Emblem of the Chinese Communist Party

| background_color = {{Party color|Chinese Communist Party}}

| house_type = Party meeting

| term_limits = Five years

| leader1_type = Authority

| leader1 = Constitution of the Chinese Communist Party

| leader2_type = Jurisdiction

| leader2 = Chinese Communist Party

| session_room =

| session_res = 250px

| meeting_place = Great Hall of the People
Beijing, China

}}

{{Politics of China |expanded = Communist Party }}

The National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party ({{zh|s=中国共产党全国代表大会|p=Zhōngguó Gòngchǎndǎng Quánguó Dàibiǎo Dàhuì}}; {{Literal translation|Chinese Communist Party National Representatives Congress}}) is a party congress that is held every five years. The National Congress is formally the highest body within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

Since 1987 the National Congress has been held in the months of October or November. The venue for the event, beginning in 1956, is the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. The Congress is the public venue for top-level leadership changes in the CCP and the formal event for changes to its constitution. In the past two decades the National Congress of the CCP has been pivotal at least as a symbolic part of leadership changes, and therefore has gained international media attention.

The Congress formally approves the membership of the Central Committee, a body composed of the top decision-makers in the party, state, and society. In practice, however, only slightly more candidates than open seats are nominated for the Central Committee, limiting the Congress's role in the selection process to eliminating very unpopular candidates. Each five-year cycle of the National People's Congress also has a series of plenums of the Central Committee which since the mid-1990s have been held more or less regularly once every year.

History

From the mid-1980s to the late-2010s, the CCP has attempted to maintain a smooth and orderly succession and avoiding a cult of personality, by having a major shift in personnel every ten years in even number party congresses, and by promoting people in preparation for this shift in odd number party congresses.{{citation needed|date=November 2022}} In addition, as people at the top level of the party retire, there is room for younger members of the party to move up one level. Hence the party congress is a time of a general personnel reshuffle, and the climax of negotiations that involve not only the top leadership but practically all significant political positions in China. Because of the pyramid structure of the party and the existence of mandatory retirement ages, cadres who are not promoted at a party congress are likely to face the end of their political careers.{{citation needed|date=November 2022}}

Preparation

Similar to the practice of the NPC, the delegates to the Congress are formally selected from grassroots party organizations, and like the NPC, there is a system of staggered elections in which one level of the party votes for the delegates to the next higher level. For the National Congress, delegates are elected by the CCP's provincial level party congresses or their equivalent units in a selection process that is screened and supervised by the party's Organization Department as directed by the Politburo Standing Committee (PSC).{{cite journal |last1=Li |first1=Cheng |date=2012 |title=Preparing For the 18th Party Congress: Procedures and Mechanisms |url=http://media.hoover.org/sites/default/files/documents/CLM36CL.pdf |url-status=live |journal=China Leadership Monitor |publisher=Hoover Institution |issue=36 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161104224813/http://media.hoover.org/sites/default/files/documents/CLM36CL.pdf |archive-date=November 4, 2016 |access-date=18 October 2017}}

The party rules state that just before the National Congress, a preparatory committee must be established by the Politburo, with the current general secretary of the CCP generally chairing the committee. This committee oversees the election of the few thousand delegates to the National Congress and prepares a list of candidates to be elected to the Central Committee and its bodies, including the Politburo, PSC, Secretariat and the Central Military Commission. It additionally establishes a drafting committee that drafts the work report of the CCP general secretary, and also establishes a group that proposes amendments to the CCP constitution.{{Cite web |title=Raising the Curtain on China's 20th Party Congress: Mechanics, Rules, "Norms," and the Realities of Power |url=https://asiasociety.org/policy-institute/raising-curtain-chinas-20th-party-congress-mechanics-rules-norms-and-realities-power |access-date=2022-08-28 |website=Asia Society |language=en}}

On the day before the first session of the National Congress, the incumbent General Secretary presides over a preparatory meeting of the congress's delegates. At this meeting he formally proposes the candidates for the Presidium of the National Congress ({{zh|s=党代会主席团|p=}}) and a Congress Secretary-General for approval as a single list. After undergoing the formality of election, the Presidium subsequently convenes on the same day and elects a Standing Committee to manage the procedural affairs of the National Congress during its sessions.{{Cite news |title=党的二十大举行预备会议和主席团第一次会议 |url=http://cpc.people.com.cn/20th/n1/2022/1016/c448334-32545905.html |access-date=14 November 2022 |website=People's Daily |publisher=}}

The Standing Committee of the Presidium of the National Congress ({{zh |s = 党代会主席团常委会 |p = }}) has been said to be the "leading core" of the Party Congress. It discusses and seeks consent on important issues related to the candidates and accordingly proposes solutions to the Presidium, chairs the plenary meetings of the Presidium and the electoral proceedings, reviews the rehearsal voting outcomes and submits a list of official candidates to the Presidium for discussion and approval. One of the major roles of the Presidium Standing Committee is to submit to the Party Congress Presidium a list of people who would chair the first plenary meeting of the newly elected Central Committee, thereby ensuring leadership continuity during the formal procedure that is used to elect the Politburo, the PSC and the General Secretary.{{Cite news |last=Ling |first=Li |title=How China's Party Congress Actually Works |url=https://magazine.thediplomat.com/#/issues/-NA8bFLgsMhTx-eIrxNC/preview/-NA8bGqBaRxN46_XKKh5 |access-date=2022-09-06 |website=The Diplomat}}

In recent elections, the members of the SCPNC have included all members of the Politburo and the Secretariat. The size of the committee is not fixed and, in contingency situations, can also include other actors from the party and the state. Since 2002, all living and non-expelled former PSC members have also been members of the committee. This means that the Standing Committee of the National Congress Presidium essentially encompasses the de facto selectorate for the new Politburo and Standing Committee. According to Ling Li, who teaches Chinese studies in the University of Vienna, this system allows for peaceful transitions of power by allowing former and current party leaders to influence outcomes.

The meeting

The National Congress gathers every five years in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.{{Cite web |last=Yu |first=Jie |date=2022-09-20 |title=A guide to the Chinese Communist Party's National Congress |url=https://www.chathamhouse.org/publications/the-world-today/2022-08/guide-chinese-communist-partys-national-congress |access-date=2025-02-14 |website=Chatham House |language=en}} At the opening of the meeting, the General Secretary delivers the "political report" ({{zh |s = 政治报告 |p = }}) of the incumbent Central Committee. According to the Center for Strategic Translation, the political report "recapitulates the victories and setbacks the Party experienced over the previous five years, announces changes in the Party’s ideological line, and establishes the goals intended to guide all party and state activity in the years to come".{{Cite web |title=The National Congress of the Communist Party of China |url=https://www.strategictranslation.org/glossary/the-national-congress-of-the-communist-party-of-china |access-date=2025-02-14 |website=The Center for Strategic Translation |language=en}} The political report is the most authoritative document in China's political system, and its drafting often lasts a year. It is drafted by a drafting group, which is often led by the person on track to be the next General Secretary. During the drafting process, hundreds of cadres provide feedback on the sections of the political report relevant to their responsibilities.

The Congress formally approves the membership of the Central Committee, a body composed of the top decision-makers in the party, state, and society. It also approves the membership of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and approves changes to the Party Constitution.

Keys

class="wikitable"
colspan="2" scope="col" | Abbreviations
CC

|Central Committee

CCDI

|Central Commission for Discipline Inspection

FM

|Full member (a member with voting rights).

AM

|Alternate member (a member without voting rights).

VD

|Voting delegate (a delegate who can vote).

AD

|Alternate delegate (a delegate who cannot vote).

DU

|Data unavailable.

SID

|Specially invited delegate (a party member who has retired, but given ordinary delegate rights).

Political Report

|Political Report to the Central Committee, a document which briefs delegates about the period since the last congress and future work.

Constitution

|Constitution of the Chinese Communist Party, the fundamental governing document of the CCP. Formerly known as the Charter.

Convocations

class="wikitable"
scope="col" rowspan="2" | Congress

! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Duration
(start—end)

! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Delegates

! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Electoral
units

! scope="col" colspan="2" | Elected

! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Political Report
(presented by)

! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Constitution
(changes)

CC

! CCDI

align="left" scope="row" style="font-weight:normal;" | 1st National Congress
8 days
None

| 23–31 July 1921

| 12

| 7

| —

| —

| Chen Duxiu

| —
{{refn|The 1st National Congress conceived of a party program, a document which focuses on ideology rather than explaining the organizational structure of the party.{{sfn|Wu|2015|p=182}}|group="note"}}

align="left" scope="row" style="font-weight:normal;" | 2nd National Congress
7 days
CC consultations

| 16–23 July 1922

| 12

| DU

| 5 FM

3 AM

| —

| Chen Duxiu

| 1st Charter

align="left" scope="row" style="font-weight:normal;" | 3rd National Congress
8 days
CC appointments

| 12–20 June 1923

| ~30

| DU

| 9 FM

5 AM

| —

| Chen Duxiu

| Amendment

align="left" scope="row" style="font-weight:normal;" | 4th National Congress
11 days
CC appointments

| 11–22 January 1925

| 20

| DU

| 9 FM

5 AM

| —

| Chen Duxiu

| Amendment

align="left" scope="row" style="font-weight:normal;" | 5th National Congress
13 days
1927 election

| 27 April–9 May 1927

| ~80

| 11

| 22 FM

14 AM

| —

| Chen Duxiu

| Amendment
{{refn|Decided by congress that the 5th Politburo would amend the constitution after the congress.{{sfn|Wu|2015|p=182}}|group="note"}}

align="left" scope="row" style="font-weight:normal;" | 6th National Congress
{{age in days|1928|06|18|1928|07|11}} days
1928 election

| 18 June–11 July 1928

| 84 VD

34 AD

| 17

| 14 FM

13 AM

| —

| Qu Qiubai

| 2nd Charter

align="left" scope="row" style="font-weight:normal;" | 7th National Congress
{{age in days|1945|04|23|1945|06|11}} days
1945 election

| 23 April–11 June 1945

| 544 VD

208 AD

| 8

| 44 FM

33 AM

| —

| Mao Zedong

| 3rd Constitution

align="left" scope="row" style="font-weight:normal;" | 8th National Congress
30 days
1956 election

| 15–27 September 1956

5–23 May 1958

| 1,026 VD

86 AD

| 31

| 97 FM

73 AM

| —

| Liu Shaoqi

| 4th Constitution

align="left" scope="row" style="font-weight:normal;" | 9th National Congress
23 days
1969 election

| 1–24 April 1969

| 1,512

| DU

| 170 FM

109 AM

| —

| Lin Biao

| 5th Constitution

align="left" scope="row" style="font-weight:normal;" | 10th National Congress
4 days
1973 election

| 24–28 August 1973

| 1,249

| DU

| 194 FM

124 AM

| —

| Zhou Enlai

| 6th Constitution

align="left" scope="row" style="font-weight:normal;" | 11th National Congress
6 days
1977 election

| 12–18 August 1977

| 1,510

| DU

| 201 FM

132 AM

| —

| Hua Guofeng

| Amendment

align="left" scope="row" style="font-weight:normal;" | 12th National Congress
6 days
1982 election

| 1–11 September 1982

| 1,600 VD

149 AD

| DU

| 210 FM

138 AM

| 132

| Hu Yaobang

| 7th Constitution

align="left" scope="row" style="font-weight:normal;" | 13th National Congress
8 days
1987 election

| 25 October–1 November 1987

| 1,936 VD

61 SID

| 33

| 175 FM

110 AM

| 69

| Zhao Ziyang

| Amendment

align="left" scope="row" style="font-weight:normal;" | 14th National Congress
6 days
1992 election

| 12–18 October 1992

| 1,989 VD

46 SID

| 34

| 189 FM

130 AM

| 108

| Jiang Zemin

| Amendment

align="left" scope="row" style="font-weight:normal;" | 15th National Congress
7 days
1997 election

| 12 September

18 September 1997

| 2,074 VD

60 SID

| 36

| 193 FM

151 AM

| 115

| Jiang Zemin

| Amendment

align="left" scope="row" style="font-weight:normal;" | 16th National Congress
7 days
2002 election

| 8–14 November 2002

| 2,114 VD

40 SID

| 38

| 198 FM

158 AM

| 121

| Jiang Zemin

| Amendment

align="left" scope="row" style="font-weight:normal;" | 17th National Congress
7 days
2007 election

| 15–21 October 2007

| 2,217 VD

57 SID

| 38

| 204 FM

167 AM

| 127

| Hu Jintao

| Amendment

align="left" scope="row" style="font-weight:normal;" | 18th National Congress
7 days
2012 election

| 8–14 November 2012

| 2,270 VD

57 SID

| 40

| 205 FM

171 AM

| 130

| Hu Jintao

| Amendment

align="left" scope="row" style="font-weight:normal;" | 19th National Congress
7 days
2017 election

| 18–24 October 2017

| 2,280 VD

57 SID

| 40

| 204 FM

172 AM

| 133

| Xi Jinping

|Amendment

align="left" scope="row" style="font-weight:normal;" | 20th National Congress
7 days
2022 election

| 16–22 October 2022

| 2,296 VD


83 SID

| 40

| 205 FM

171 AM

| 133

| Xi Jinping

|Amendment

Notes

{{reflist|group="note"}}

References

= Citations =

{{Reflist}}

= Sources =

{{refbegin}}

Information on congresses, number of delegates, electoral units, number of people elected to CCs, party membership, the individual who presented the Political Report and information on when the congress was convened can be found in these sources:

  • {{Cite news |url=http://english.cpc.people.com.cn/206972/206981/8188307.html |title=The 1st National Congress |publisher=Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party |work=People's Daily |access-date=13 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160528050609/http://english.cpc.people.com.cn/206972/206981/8188307.html |archive-date=May 28, 2016 |url-status=dead}}
  • {{Cite news |url=http://english.cpc.people.com.cn/206972/206981/8188344.html |title=The 2nd National Congress |publisher=Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party |work=People's Daily |access-date=13 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330202344/http://english.cpc.people.com.cn/206972/206981/8188344.html |archive-date=March 30, 2019 |url-status=dead}}
  • {{Cite news |url=http://english.cpc.people.com.cn/206972/206981/8188346.html |title=The 3rd National Congress |publisher=Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party |work=People's Daily |access-date=13 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190612165240/http://english.cpc.people.com.cn/206972/206981/8188346.html |archive-date=June 12, 2019 |url-status=dead}}
  • {{Cite news |url=http://english.cpc.people.com.cn/206972/206981/8188347.html |title=The 4th National Congress |publisher=Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party |work=People's Daily |access-date=13 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160528060612/http://english.cpc.people.com.cn/206972/206981/8188347.html |archive-date=May 28, 2016 |url-status=dead}}
  • {{Cite news |url=http://english.cpc.people.com.cn/206972/206981/8188349.html |title=The 5th National Congress |publisher=Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party |work=People's Daily |access-date=13 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140401132353/http://english.cpc.people.com.cn/206972/206981/8188349.html |archive-date=April 1, 2014 |url-status=dead}}
  • {{Cite news |url=http://english.cpc.people.com.cn/206972/206981/8188357.html |title=The 6th National Congress |publisher=Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party |work=People's Daily |access-date=13 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140401075856/http://english.cpc.people.com.cn/206972/206981/8188357.html |archive-date=April 1, 2014 |url-status=dead}}
  • {{Cite news |url=http://english.cpc.people.com.cn/206972/206981/8188358.html |title=The 7th National Congress |publisher=Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party |work=People's Daily |access-date=13 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190108175017/http://english.cpc.people.com.cn/206972/206981/8188358.html |archive-date=January 8, 2019 |url-status=dead}}
  • {{Cite news |url=http://english.cpc.people.com.cn/206972/206981/8188361.html |title=The 8th National Congress |publisher=Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party |work=People's Daily |access-date=13 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190115211818/http://english.cpc.people.com.cn/206972/206981/8188361.html |archive-date=January 15, 2019 |url-status=dead}}
  • {{Cite news |url=http://english.cpc.people.com.cn/206972/206981/8188364.html |title=The 9th National Congress |publisher=Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party |work=People's Daily |access-date=13 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190114040457/http://english.cpc.people.com.cn/206972/206981/8188364.html |archive-date=January 14, 2019 |url-status=dead}}
  • {{Cite news |url=http://english.cpc.people.com.cn/206972/206981/8188369.html |title=The 10th National Congress |publisher=Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party |work=People's Daily |access-date=13 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190113031437/http://english.cpc.people.com.cn/206972/206981/8188369.html |archive-date=January 13, 2019 |url-status=dead}}
  • {{Cite news |url=http://english.cpc.people.com.cn/206972/206981/8188373.html |title=The 11th National Congress |publisher=Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party |work=People's Daily |access-date=13 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190119235326/http://english.cpc.people.com.cn/206972/206981/8188373.html |archive-date=January 19, 2019 |url-status=dead}}
  • {{Cite news |url=http://english.cpc.people.com.cn/206972/206981/8188374.html |title=The 12th National Congress |publisher=Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party |work=People's Daily |access-date=13 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190108175021/http://english.cpc.people.com.cn/206972/206981/8188374.html |archive-date=January 8, 2019 |url-status=dead}}
  • {{Cite news |url=http://english.cpc.people.com.cn/206972/206981/8188377.html |title=The 13th National Congress |publisher=Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party |work=People's Daily |access-date=13 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190113031442/http://english.cpc.people.com.cn/206972/206981/8188377.html |archive-date=January 13, 2019 |url-status=dead}}
  • {{Cite news |url=http://english.cpc.people.com.cn/206972/206981/8188380.html |title=The 14th National Congress |publisher=Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party |work=People's Daily |access-date=13 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170518014857/http://english.cpc.people.com.cn/206972/206981/8188380.html |archive-date=May 18, 2017 |url-status=dead}}
  • {{Cite news |url=http://english.cpc.people.com.cn/206972/206981/8188382.html |title=The 15th National Congress |publisher=Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party |work=People's Daily |access-date=13 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170518044316/http://english.cpc.people.com.cn/206972/206981/8188382.html |archive-date=May 18, 2017 |url-status=dead}}
  • {{Cite news |url=http://english.cpc.people.com.cn/66101/6433209.html |title=The 16th National Congress |publisher=Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party |work=People's Daily |access-date=13 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150817105223/http://english.cpc.people.com.cn/66101/6433209.html |archive-date=August 17, 2015 |url-status=dead}}
  • {{Cite news |url=http://english.cpc.people.com.cn/66101/6433209.html |title=The 16th National Congress |publisher=Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party |work=People's Daily |access-date=13 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150817105223/http://english.cpc.people.com.cn/66101/6433209.html |archive-date=August 17, 2015 |url-status=dead}}
  • {{Cite news |url=http://www.chinatoday.com/org/cpc/cpc_17th_congress_standing_polibureau.htm |title=The 17th National Congress |work=China Today |access-date=13 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170711121314/http://www.chinatoday.com/org/cpc/cpc_17th_congress_standing_polibureau.htm |archive-date=July 11, 2017 |url-status=live}}
  • {{Cite news |url=http://www.china.org.cn/china/2012-08/14/content_26228775.htm |title=Election of the delegates to the 18th National Congress of CPC |publisher=China Internet Information Center |date=14 August 2012 |access-date=13 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171026161339/http://www.china.org.cn/china/2012-08/14/content_26228775.htm |archive-date=October 26, 2017 |url-status=live}}
  • {{cite book |author=Wu, Guoguang |year=2015 |title=China's Party Congress: Power, Legitimacy, and Institutional Manipulation |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-107-08202-1 |page=70 |doi=10.1017/CBO9781139976800 |ref=CITEREFWu2015}}

{{refend}}

Further reading

{{Library resources box}}

  • {{cite book |author=Wu, Guoguang |year=2015 |title=China's Party Congress: Power, Legitimacy, and Institutional Manipulation |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-107-08202-1 |doi=10.1017/CBO9781139976800}}

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Category:Recurring events established in 1921

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