Does it pay to be a communist in China?

A hard-headed assessment of party membership

Visitors recite the Chinese Communist Party oath outside the Nanhu Revolutionary Memorial Hall museum in Jiaxing, China. — Image: Yan Cong / New York Times / Redux / eyevine

Jul 6th 2023|Hong Kong

China’s communists see themselves as a “vanguard party”, full of dedicated social warriors. Less than 9% of the country’s adult population are members, according to figures released on June 30th. Gaining entry can take years. Even Xi Jinping, the party’s boss, was not admitted until his tenth attempt. Aspiring members are often made to attend ideology classes, take written tests, submit “thought reports”, demonstrate their worthiness through community service and survive an interview by a panel of members. Is it worth the bother?

This article appeared in the Finance & economics section of the print edition under the headline “Party cooler”