The Communist Youth League of China (CYLC),also known as the Young Communist League of China or simply the Communist Youth League (CYL),is a people's organization of the People's Republic of China for youth between the ages of 14 and 28,run by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The league is organized on the party pattern.[1] Its leader is its First Secretary,who is an alternate member of the Central Committee of the CCP. The incumbent First Secretary is A Dong,appointed in May 2023. The Communist Youth League is also responsible for guiding the activities of the Young Pioneers (for children below the age of 14).[2]
CYLC was historically seen as a vehicle that could promote the future careers of CCP officials,with these officials being collectively named the Tuanpai,also known as the Youth League Faction. Though prominent Youth League officials have held important posts within the CCP,most notably CCP general secretary Hu Jintao,the influence of the CYLC has decreased under CCP general secretary Xi Jinping,who has cut its budget.
History
Founded in May 1920,it was originally named as the Socialist Youth League of China.[3]:17 While the CCP was officially established in July 1921,the Chinese Socialist Youth League was organized prior to the CCP's establishment. In May 1922,the 1st National Congress (simplified Chinese:全国代表大会;traditional Chinese:全國代表大會;pinyin:QuánguóDàibiǎo Dàhuì) of the League was held under the leadership of the CCP,[3]:17 and therefore became a unified organization in China. In the 3rd National Congress in January 1925,the Chinese Socialist Youth League was renamed as the Chinese Communist Youth League. After the Second Sino-Japanese War,in order to adapt to the new social and political situation,it was officially renamed as the Chinese New Democracy Youth League in April 1949.[citation needed]
Later in May 1957,its name as the Chinese Communist Youth League was resumed,historically combining the congresses of all three leagues (the Chinese Socialist Youth League,the Chinese Communist Youth League as well as the Chinese New Democracy Youth League).[citation needed]
Prior to the Cultural Revolution,the CYLC was a major mass organization which had an important role in political mobilization and implementing party-state policies.[3]:17 During the Cultural Revolution,the CYLC was accused of revisionism and stopped operating in 1966.[3]:17 Various local CYLC operations began resuming after the end of the Cultural Revolution and the CYLC was resumed national operations in 1978.[3]:17
Following the Mao era,the CYLC has been a major path to CCP membership.[3]:21 This became especially true after the 1982 establishment of the "Recommendation of Outstanding CYL Members" system,which emphasized that those under the age of 28 who wish to join the CCP should be recommended by the CYLC.[3]:21
In 1988,reformist Chinese policymakers proposed a project to loosen CCP control of the CYLC and make the organization more independent.[3]:18 However,CCP leadership set aside the reform proposal following the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre.[3]:18
Also in the late 1980s and in an attempt to increase the relevance of the CYLC and make it more "responsive",[4] the CYLC diversified its activities,beginning to organize classes for CCP applicants and hosting leisure activities in addition to the CYLC's political activities.[3]:37–38 Along with university student unions,the CYLC began hosting on-campus cultural activities like singing,poetry,and sports competitions.[3]:38 In 1989,the CYLC's central body organized a national "challenge cup" science competition,which was later also adopted by various universities.[3]:38
After the Tiananmen Square protests and massacre,community service activities expanded in the 1990s.[3]:38 In 1993,the CYLC started The Young Volunteers Operation.[3]:18 Through this program,the CYLC has channeled millions of volunteers into poverty alleviation,educational assistance,and environmental protection projects.[3]:18 The CYLC has also mobilized university student volunteers to participate in the China Youth Development Foundation's Project Hope,which focuses on educational assistance to primary school children in China's least developed regions.[3]:38
In 2003,the CYLC started the “plan for university graduates voluntary service to the West”(daxuesheng zhiyuan fuwu xibu jihua,大学生志愿服务西部计划) as part of its effort to promote volunteer service.[3]:57 If accepted into the program after passing an exam,university graduates work for three years in underdeveloped parts of western China.[3]:57
The Communist Youth League has contributed a number of top echelon leaders of the CCP-led government of the People's Republic of China. The proliferation of leaders with a Youth League background has led to the informal name "Tuanpai" (abbreviation for "Youth League faction") being used to describe certain members of the leadership at different times. The first "Youth League faction" was represented by Hu Yaobang.[citation needed] The second "Youth League faction" is represented by Hu Jintao. While there is no direct political lineage between the two Hus,Hu Jintao's administration formally elevated the memory of the earlier Hu. In 2005,the 90th anniversary of Hu Yaobang's birth,a new museum and a series of commemorative books and television programs were launched. During the Hu Jintao era,CYLC membership expanded as the organization recruited broadly.[3]:39
During the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing,the CYLC mobilized 1.7 million volunteers to assist with the Olympics.[3]:130
The death of the son of Ling Jihua and Gu Liping,a couple associated with the Communist Youth League,may have tarnished the reputation of the organization as a path to power.[5]
Current CCP general secretaryXi Jinping has sought to reduce the prominence of the CCP's youth wing,stating that "All they [cadres] can do is just repeat the same old bureaucratic,stereotypical talk".[6][7] Political commentators have noted that the diminishing of the Tuanpai curtailed the influence of former paramount leader Hu Jintao,solidifying Xi's own political faction.[7] Following Xi's more critical stance of the CYLC,the CYLC's membership has decreased.[3]:22
CYLC's budget was cut,dropping from around 700 million yuan ($96 million) in 2012 to 260 million yuan ($40 million) in 2021,while its membership dropped from 90 million to 74 million in the same period.[8][9] Xi effectively closed the Central School of China Communist Youth League,folding it into the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.[7] He also effectively demoted Qin Yizhi,first secretary of the CYLC in 2017.[10] During the Xi-era,the CYLC's rule that non-cadre over the age of 28 must leave the organization has been more strictly enforced.[3]:22
At the CYLC's centennial in May 2022,Xi described the organization as the "party's loyal assistant and reliable reserve force."[3]:16 The same year,the CYLC exclaimed that "[e]xtreme feminism has become a poisonous tumour on the Internet."[11]
Structure
Communist Youth League headquarters
The CYLC is active at every political level of China,and most active in social structures which include many young people like schools and universities.[3]:16 By the end of 2002,there were approximately 210,000 committee members of fundamental organizations. 2021 estimates put the number of Youth League members at over 81 million.[12]
CYLC local groups (including those which are associated with institutions like universities or state-owned enterprises) send a total of 1,500 representatives to the CYLC National Congress,which is held every five years.[3]:143 The National Congress in turn elects the CYLC Central Committee,which is composed of 200 representatives and 120 alternates.[3]:143 Smaller CYLC congresses and committee plenums are also held.[3]:143
The CYLC directly manages the All-China Youth Federation.[3]:19 The All-China Youth Federation in turn serves as a consultative body to the CYLC.[3]:19 The All-China Youth Federation is also an umbrella organization which includes the Young Pioneers of China,among other youth-focused groups.[3]:19 The CYLC is also the parent entity of other youth-related projects,such as the China Youth Development Fund.[3]:19 The CYLC supervises university student societies through one of its departments.[3]:36
Revenue
The CYLC's offices and staff salaries are paid for with government funding.[3]:126 It also collects membership dues on a sliding scale depending on a member's salary.[3]:126
Officially defined as a "reserve force" for the CCP,the CYLC's purpose is to recruit and train young people who may become future party members and officials.[3]:21 In addition to the CYLC members it trains for future involvement in the party,the CYLC employs young party cadre who lead the organization,providing them with experience for subsequent leadership roles in other aspects of the party-state.[3]:21
Joining the league is relatively easy.[13]:65 Prospective members must submit an application statement and be approved by the local branch,which do not typically take a highly selective stance.[13]:65 All CYLC members and their personal details are tracked in a database known as Smart League Building.[9]
By the end of 2023,the CYLC had 74.167 million members and 4.316 million organizations throughout China.[14] Among them,there were 3,000 local committees,193,000 grassroot committees,1.905 million organizations at schools with 38.245 million members,910 thousand enterprise organizations with 7.21 million members,360 thousand government organizations with 4.419 million members,942 thousand organizations at subdistricts,townships,communities,and administrative villages with 21.737 million members,and 199 thousand organizations in social organizations and other fields with 2.556 million members.[14]
As it lost political influence under Xi,CYLC has started to increase its presence on social media,appealing to nationalism and attacking foreign brands in China accused of misbehavior.[8] The social media accounts of the CYLC have engaged in harassment of foreign journalists,including during the 2021 Henan floods when the Communist Youth League asked its social media followers to locate and report the location of a BBC News journalist on assignment covering the story. They also accused foreign reporters in general of slandering China with their reporting about the floods.[15] CYLC has also spread COVID-19 disinformation and attacked Chinese dissidents.[9]
We are the flowers of May, Who embrace the age of youth; We are the rising sun, Who ignites the future with life. The torch of The May Fourth Movement, Aroused the awakening of the nation. A magnificent career, Inspires us to carry on the future. Glorious! Communist Youth League of China, Glorious! Communist Youth League of China. Mother named us with communism. We are creating a new world.
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), officially the Communist Party of China (CPC), is the founding and sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Under the leadership of Mao Zedong, the CCP emerged victorious in the Chinese Civil War against the Kuomintang. In 1949, Mao proclaimed the establishment of the People's Republic of China. Since then, the CCP has governed China and has had sole control over the People's Liberation Army (PLA). Successive leaders of the CCP have added their own theories to the party's constitution, which outlines the party's ideology, collectively referred to as socialism with Chinese characteristics. As of 2023, the CCP has more than 98 million members, making it the second largest political party by membership in the world after India's Bharatiya Janata Party.
Hu Yaobang was a Chinese politician who was a high-ranking official of the People's Republic of China. He held the top office of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from 1981 to 1987, first as Chairman from 1981 to 1982, then as General Secretary from 1982 to 1987. After the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976), Hu rose to prominence as a close ally of Deng Xiaoping, the paramount leader of China at the time.
The Politburo Standing Committee (PSC), officially the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, is a committee consisting of the top leadership of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Historically it has been composed of five to eleven members, and currently has seven members. Its officially mandated purpose is to conduct policy discussions and make decisions on major issues when the Politburo, a larger decision-making body, is not in session. According to the party's constitution, the General Secretary of the Central Committee must also be a member of the Politburo Standing Committee.
Hu Jintao is a Chinese retired politician who served as the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from 2002 to 2012, the president of China from 2003 to 2013, and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) from 2004 to 2012. He was a member of the CCP Politburo Standing Committee, China's de facto top decision-making body, from 1992 to 2012. Hu was the fifth paramount leader of China from 2002 to 2012.
The General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party is the leader of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Since 1989, the CCP general secretary has been the paramount leader of the PRC.
The Secretariat, officially the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, is a body serving the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)'s Politburo and Standing Committee. The secretariat is mainly responsible for carrying out routine operations of the Politburo and coordinating organizations and stakeholders to achieve tasks set out by the Politburo. It is empowered by the Politburo to make routine day-to-day decisions on issues of concern in accordance with the decisions of the Politburo, but it must consult the Politburo on substantive matters.
Paramount leader is an informal term for the most important political figure in the People's Republic of China (PRC). The paramount leader typically controls the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the People's Liberation Army (PLA), often holding the titles of CCP General Secretary and Chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC). The state representative (president) or head of government (premier) are not necessarily paramount leader—under China's party-state system, CCP roles are politically more important than state titles.
The Shanghai clique, also referred to as the Shanghai gang, Jiang clique, or Jiang faction, refers to an informal group of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials who rose to prominence under former CCP General Secretary Jiang Zemin while he served as the party chief and mayor of Shanghai.
Generations of Chinese leadership is a term historians use to characterize distinct periods of the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and, by extension, successive changes in the ideology of the CCP. Historians have studied various periods in the development of the government of the People's Republic of China (PRC) by reference to these "generations".
Han Zheng is a Chinese politician serving as the current vice president of the People's Republic of China since 2023. He previously served as the first vice premier of the People's Republic of China between 2018 and 2023, and as a member of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) between 2017 and 2022.
Li Keqiang was a Chinese economist and politician who served as the premier of the People's Republic of China from 2013 to 2023. He was also the second-ranked member of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from 2012 to 2022. Li was a major part of the "fifth generation of Chinese leadership" along with Xi Jinping, the CCP general secretary.
The term Tsinghua clique refers to a group of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) politicians that have graduated or have taught at Tsinghua University. They are members of the fourth generation of Chinese leadership, and are purported to hold powerful reformist ideas. Just like their predecessors, they attach great importance to socialism with Chinese characteristics. Their ascendance to power is likely to have begun in 2008 at the CCP's 17th National Congress.
Hu Chunhua is a Chinese politician. He currently serves as Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference since 2023. From 2018 to 2023, he served as Vice Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China.
The 17th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party was held in Beijing, China, at the Great Hall of the People from 15 to 21 October 2007. Congress marked a significant shift in the political direction of the country as CCP General Secretary Hu Jintao solidified his position of leadership. Hu's signature policy doctrine, the Scientific Development Concept, which aimed to create a "Socialist Harmonious Society" through egalitarian wealth distribution and concern for the country's less well-off, was enshrined into the Party Constitution. It was succeeded by the 18th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party.
The Tuanpai, or Youth League Faction, is a term used by political observers and analysts to describe an informal political faction in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which includes cadres and government officials who originated from the Communist Youth League. There have been two "Youth League factions" in recent memory, without direct political lineage between each other. The first, in the 1980s, comprised cadres of Youth League background who supported CCP general secretary Hu Yaobang: the term "Tuanpai" was originally used to criticise Hu Yaobang for over-reliance of cadres of Youth League background. The second, from the 2000s, comprised CCP general secretary Hu Jintao and his group of populist associates and other political allies. As of 2022, little evidence exists that the group still exists.
Wang Zhaoguo is a retired Chinese politician who came to prominence during the era of Deng Xiaoping. An automobile factory technician by trade, Wang had a long and varied political career, known for having acquired a ministerial-level position at the age of 41. Before entering the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party in 2002, he successively served as the First Secretary of the Communist Youth League, the chief of the party's General Office, Secretary of the Central Secretariat, Governor of Fujian, Head of the United Front Work Department and Vice-Chairman of the CPPCC.
The 18th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party was held November 8-15, 2012 at the Great Hall of the People. It was preceded by the 17th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party. Due to term limits and age restrictions, seven of the nine members of the powerful Politburo Standing Committee (PSC) retired during the Congress, including Hu Jintao, who was replaced by Xi Jinping as General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party. The Congress elected the 18th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, and saw the number of Politburo Standing Committee seats reduced from nine to seven. It was succeeded by the 19th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party.
The Xi Jinping–Li Keqiang Administration was the administration of China from 2013 to 2023. Xi Jinping and Li Keqiang succeeded Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao after the 12th National People's Congress.
The succession of power in China since 1949 takes place in the context of a one-party state under the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Despite the guarantee of universal franchise in the constitution, the appointment of the Paramount leader lies largely in the hands of his predecessor and the powerful factions that control the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party.
The 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), commonly referred to as Èrshí Dà, was held in the Great Hall of the People, Beijing from 16 to 22 October 2022. The National Congress is the highest organ of the party, and is stipulated to be held every five years. The conference had 2,296 delegates and 83 specially invited delegates.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
