China's communist party members near 76 mln, 80% of recruits under 35

http://www.chinaview.cn/ 2009-06-30 18:42:09

Beijing, June 30 (Xinhua) -- The Communist Party of China (CPC) has increased to nearly 76 million members over the past 60 years, according to official figures Tuesday.

As of the end of last year, the number of China's ruling CPC members stood at 75.931 million, 17 times the 1949 figure when the People's Republic of China was founded, the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee announced.

Last year more than 2.8 million new members were recruited, up 25,000 from the previous year, it said.

Of the new members, 2.268 million, or 80.8 percent, are under 35 years old, it added.

"Recruits from students saw the biggest surge in 2008, up 71,000 from the previous year," it said.

When asked at a separate press conference how to handle the problem of some college students joining the CPC to facilitate their job hunting, Li Zhongjie, an official studying the party's history, said most applicants' motivation was to play their roles in building the nation and the society.

Full article: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-06/30/content_11627880.htm