Circular On Problems Related To The Creation of Party Organizations In Social Organizations (Chinese and English Text)

The following is a translation prepared by the Congressional-Executive Commission on China of the "Central Party Circular On Problems Related To The Creation of Party Organizations In Social Organizations," issued by the Communist Party Central Committee Organization Department and Ministry of Civil Affairs in 1998. The Chinese text was retrieved from the Ministry of Civil Affairs' Web site on April 13, 2006.
Communist Party Central Committee Organization Department and Ministry of Civil Affairs Circular On Problems Related To The Creation of Party Organizations In Social Organizations 1998 (#6), To all organization departments of party committees, provinces, autonomous regions, and directly administered municipalities; civil affairs officials of provinces, autonomous regions, and directly administered municipalities; central ministries and commissions, the party groups and committees of national organs, and party organizations in mass organizations: Since the third plenary session of the 11th Party Congress, hand in hand with economic development and social progress, the number of social organizations in China has steadily increased. These organizations have played a positive role in China’s social, economic, scientific and technological, and cultural development as well as contributing to better relations between China and the outside world. In order to strengthen the work of the party within social organizations and encourage the healthy establishment of social organizations (not including those social organizations in which the functions, personnel, and core funding decisions are decided at the national governmental level) a notice on problems related to the establishment of party organizations in social organizations follows: 1) Those social organizations who have been registered by supervisory bodies (and have already been certified as having complete their cleanup and reorganization), and who have at least 3 party members in good standing, should set up a basic party organization. The setup of such organizations will be examined and approved by the party organization of its sponsor organization or government sponsor. In the course of preparing their courses of action, social organizations should consider the question of party organizations. The sponsor organization or government sponsor should understand and grasp the situation of the social organization and should help those organizations set up, or complete the set up of basic party organizations. 2) For social organizations that have already created party organizations, party members who are full-time personnel of the permanent office of the social organization should switch over to the party organization of their social organization. For those social organizations who have not yet set up a party organization, party members who are full-time personnel of the their permanent office of the social organization can enter party organizations within their sponsor organization or other government sponsor, so as to participate in party activities. 3) The creation of party organizations within social groups should be done in accordance with the number of party members of that organization and the work it does. For organizations with between 3 and 50 party members, a party branch committee may be set up, but for those organizations with fewer than 7 party members, it is allowed to not set up a committee, but rather create a post for secretary. For organizations with between 50 and 100 party members, a general branch party committee will be set up. For those organizations with over 100 party members, a basic level committee will be set up. A basic level party organization will come into force through a member conference or representative conference. A general level committee will come into force through member conference. Basic level committees will have a 3 year term of office; general branch committees and branch committees will have 2 year terms of office. A social organization’s party organization will generally not establish full-time cadres. In this case, the day-to-day party responsibilities will be carried about by members of the party organization itself. Larger organizations and those with many members can establish a party organ and designate full time party members to carry out party duties. 4) The party organization of a social organization should fully carry out tasks set out by the party constitution. In particular, it should complete the following tasks:  Support the social organization and its responsible persons to carry out work in accordance with the organization charter and goals, and to carry out the role of social organizations in the construction of socialism.  Strengthen the education, management and supervision of party members; adopt and bring into play the exemplary work of the party vanguard; positively develop professional activities; and ensure the work of the social organization contributes to the development of socialism.  Supervise and ensure that the responsible person of the social organization carries out the party line, policies, and abides by national laws and regulations. 5) Party organizations within social organizations must conscientiously receive guidance from the party organizations of sponsor organizations and government sponsors. Timely reports on its activities should be produced and any questions the party organization should seek timely guidance on important questions. The sponsor organization or government sponsor of a social organization should pay great importance to the work of the social organization’s party organization, and strengthen the process of setting up the party organization. They should also help the social organization’s party organization to solve its practical problems, and fully bring about the positive reform and modernization of those party organizations.