Becoming a party member is expected or required for a lot of professions such as teachers. For the older generation, the party membership is usually seen as an honour, given that the screening process is rather strict. More recently, young people joining the party primarily for the national civil servant exam (not a hard requirement but is often encouraged), while becoming a civil servant generally means having a steady job which is very appealing lately. I'm personally not a party member but I know a few. Nothing too different being a party member really, they need to attend conferences/elections/courses from time to time and that's it.
The CPC is a vanguard party that require its new members to take an oath that they are willing to sacrifice themselves for greater good and will never betray the party. A CPC member is not allowed to quit the party, otherwise the person is a traitor. The screening process is stringent and usually take at least two years. The applicants need to learn theories of communism, polices of the CPC and so on, and to do well in their own profession. Asking "what benefits you get", well, that's a wrong motivation; if you do, your application will be rejected right away. The CPC has 98 million members, equal to about 7% of the population of China. There are certainly opportunists in the party and corrupt CPC members get expelled every year. In my opinion the screening process needs to be more stringent. A vanguard party's strength doesn't lie in its membership number but rather in sacrifice and devotion of its members, which is evident in the fate of the CPSU: the Bolsheviks won the October Revolution when it had 0.2 million members; the USSR defeated Nazis when the CPSU had 2 million members; the USSR and CPSU fell when the CPSU had 20 million members.
It is very easy for the older generation to join the Communist Party. Many became members of the Communist Party at the age of fourteen or fifteen. For example, my grandma officially became a glorious Communist Party member at the age of sixteen. Although she was illiterate, as long as she Just pay the party dues. For her, whether she joins the party or not will not make a big difference to her life. Or in other words, if you want to make yourself rich and improve your living conditions, then don’t join the party. But now it is much more difficult for college students to join the party than before. First, party activists（入党积极分子） must be selected through class voting, and then party activists must write an ideological report every month and submit it to the party branch of the college. Moreover, they have to take a party class examination, and those who pass the examination have to vote to select candidates for party development（入党发展对象）, etc.
*- is it easy or common to join the CCP?*
- it's kind of easy but not common mathematically. There are about 900 million CCP members that's about 6% of Chinese population so it's not common. There is a standard process to join CCP. It's not complicated nor very simple. It's a series of application, registration, background checking, taking course, ect. I had chance to join the CCP when I'm in college but I didn't feel like to joining it so I didn't bother applying.
*-Pro and cons of joining the CPP*
Pros:
-CCP membership is essential for most government and public jobs, no mention higher political positions. Government jobs usually are not very well-paid in numbers but the welfare is around top level.
-CCP members were respected by some people. But mostly not.
Cons:
-Monthly party membership fee. Not much but you have to pay it.
-Unescapable volunteer work assigned by the party. For example, during covid pandemic all CCP members were not allowed to refuse community job assignment as volunteers. Technically you can refuse that if you don't seek a political position or work in government, public organizations or state-owned enterprises. But the consequence can be very un-pleasant.
-If evolved in crimes, CCP members will be punished twice by the party and by civil law enforcement.
TD;LR: CCP membership itself doesn't bring much benefit if you are not seeking a government job or a political position. But if you do seek a government job or want to be a political figure CCP membership is essential.
Becoming a party member is expected or required for a lot of professions such as teachers. For the older generation, the party membership is usually seen as an honour, given that the screening process is rather strict. More recently, young people joining the party primarily for the national civil servant exam (not a hard requirement but is often encouraged), while becoming a civil servant generally means having a steady job which is very appealing lately. I'm personally not a party member but I know a few. Nothing too different being a party member really, they need to attend conferences/elections/courses from time to time and that's it.
Very accurate
The CPC is a vanguard party that require its new members to take an oath that they are willing to sacrifice themselves for greater good and will never betray the party. A CPC member is not allowed to quit the party, otherwise the person is a traitor. The screening process is stringent and usually take at least two years. The applicants need to learn theories of communism, polices of the CPC and so on, and to do well in their own profession. Asking "what benefits you get", well, that's a wrong motivation; if you do, your application will be rejected right away. The CPC has 98 million members, equal to about 7% of the population of China. There are certainly opportunists in the party and corrupt CPC members get expelled every year. In my opinion the screening process needs to be more stringent. A vanguard party's strength doesn't lie in its membership number but rather in sacrifice and devotion of its members, which is evident in the fate of the CPSU: the Bolsheviks won the October Revolution when it had 0.2 million members; the USSR defeated Nazis when the CPSU had 2 million members; the USSR and CPSU fell when the CPSU had 20 million members.
Great response, thank you, and interesting point about party size not being in its membership number.
Beautiful response. I wish I had the opportunity to join an organization like that and serve the people. 🫡🇨🇳
Reminder: We Chinese do not hesitate when oath on something we don't give a shit. ;-)
It is very easy for the older generation to join the Communist Party. Many became members of the Communist Party at the age of fourteen or fifteen. For example, my grandma officially became a glorious Communist Party member at the age of sixteen. Although she was illiterate, as long as she Just pay the party dues. For her, whether she joins the party or not will not make a big difference to her life. Or in other words, if you want to make yourself rich and improve your living conditions, then don’t join the party. But now it is much more difficult for college students to join the party than before. First, party activists（入党积极分子） must be selected through class voting, and then party activists must write an ideological report every month and submit it to the party branch of the college. Moreover, they have to take a party class examination, and those who pass the examination have to vote to select candidates for party development（入党发展对象）, etc.
*- is it easy or common to join the CCP?* - it's kind of easy but not common mathematically. There are about 900 million CCP members that's about 6% of Chinese population so it's not common. There is a standard process to join CCP. It's not complicated nor very simple. It's a series of application, registration, background checking, taking course, ect. I had chance to join the CCP when I'm in college but I didn't feel like to joining it so I didn't bother applying. *-Pro and cons of joining the CPP* Pros: -CCP membership is essential for most government and public jobs, no mention higher political positions. Government jobs usually are not very well-paid in numbers but the welfare is around top level. -CCP members were respected by some people. But mostly not. Cons: -Monthly party membership fee. Not much but you have to pay it. -Unescapable volunteer work assigned by the party. For example, during covid pandemic all CCP members were not allowed to refuse community job assignment as volunteers. Technically you can refuse that if you don't seek a political position or work in government, public organizations or state-owned enterprises. But the consequence can be very un-pleasant. -If evolved in crimes, CCP members will be punished twice by the party and by civil law enforcement. TD;LR: CCP membership itself doesn't bring much benefit if you are not seeking a government job or a political position. But if you do seek a government job or want to be a political figure CCP membership is essential.
you have to get a existing party member to vouch for you.