Founded in July 1921, the CPC today has more than 63 million members and over 3.3 million basic organizations.
From 1921 to 1949, the CPC led the Chinese people in their arduous struggles that finally led to the overthrow of the rule of imperialism, feudalism and bureaucrat-capitalism and the establishment of the PRC. After the founding of the PRC, the CPC led the Chinese people of all ethnic groups in defending the independence and security of the country; successfully completing the transition from new democracy to socialism; and carrying out systematic large-scale socialist construction, achieving economic and cultural progress unparalleled in Chinese history.
After the basic accomplishment of the socialist transformation of the private ownership of the means of production in 1956, the CPC made some mistakes in leading socialist construction due to lack of experience. Later, the CPC made the serious, nationwide mistake of launching the ?cultural revolution? (1966-1976), the harmful repercussions of which lasted for a long time.
The ?cultural revolution? ended in October 1976, at which turning point China entered a new historic era of development. After the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Party Central Committee at the end of 1978, the country embarked on the biggest change in the history of New China. From 1979, the CPC began to carry out the reform and opening-up policy initiated by Deng Xiaoping. In the more than two decades since the initiation of the reform and opening-up, China?s economic and social development has been crowned with remarkable success and the country has taken on a new look. This has been the best period since the founding of the PRC, and the period when the people have reaped the most material benefits.
The central organs of the CPC include the Party national congress, the Central Committee, the Central Political Bureau, the Political Bureau?s Standing Committee, the Central Secretariat, the Central Military Commission and the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. The Party national congress is held once every five years. When the national congress is not in session, the Central Committee is the highest leading organ of the CPC. Hu Jintao is the current General Secretary of the Party Central Committee.
