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China National Party Congresses
The National Party Congress is in theory the highest body of
the CCP. (It should be distinguished from the National People's
Congress, China's highest legislative body--see
The National People's Congress
, this ch.) After its ascent to
power in 1949, the
party held no congress until 1956. This was the eighth congress
since the party's founding in 1921; (see
table 1, Appendix B). The
Ninth National Party Congress convened in April 1969, the tenth in
August 1973, the eleventh in August 1977, and the twelfth in
September 1982. The Thirteenth National Party Congress was
scheduled for October 1987. The National Party Congress reviews
reports on party activities since the last session, revises the
party constitution, ratifies the party program for a specific
period, and elects the Central Committee, which serves as the
highest organ of the CCP when the National Party Congress is not in
session. The congress has, however, neither the independence to
generate legislative bills nor the effective power to check and
balance the party and government bureaucracies. Although limited in
its role--in effect it is a pro forma approval body--the National
Party Congress performs a useful function as a forum for rising
party cadres who represent all regions, ethnic groups, and
functional groups. The delegates (there were 1,545 for the Twelfth
National Party Congress) can observe firsthand the working of the
party machine at the national level, gain a better perspective on
the direction of political transformation planned by the
leadership, and serve as communicators of party policies to the
grass roots. Further, delegates can provide the top party
leadership a sense of the response and progress made concerning key
party programs in their home districts.
Data as of July 1987
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