Continuously attracting young people to join, the Communist Party of China demonstrates strong vitality and vigor, with its membership rising to 99.18 million at the end of last year, reflecting an annual growth rate of 1.2 percent.
Of the Party's members, 23.8 percent were 35 or younger as of the end of last year, totaling 23.61 million, according to data released by the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee on Sunday, one day ahead of the 103rd anniversary of the Party's founding.
As of the end of last year, the Party's grassroots organizations numbered 5.18 million, a net increase of 111,000 from 2022, data showed.
Last year, nearly 2.41 million people joined the Party, with 53 percent coming from frontline production and work roles, data showed.
According to the statistics, the education level of Party members continues to improve. By the end of 2023, Party members with a college education or above accounted for 56.2 percent of the total, an increase of 1.5 percentage points from the previous year.
Female members of the Party accounted for around 30 percent of the total membership, an increase of 0.5 percentage point. Workers and farmers still constitute the majority of Party members, accounting for 33 percent of the total, the data showed.
Wu Qing, a professor at China Youth University of Political Studies, said the continuous influx of "fresh blood" is closely related to the characteristics of the CPC and its youth work.
"The Party embodies youthful traits, inheriting the spirit of dreams, struggle, creativity and unity from the excellent traditional Chinese culture. It carries the original aspiration of serving the people and the temperament of continuous self-reform, making it full of vitality and vigor, a style that young people are willing to follow," he said.
The CPC has always attached great importance to ensuring a strong successor base since its establishment, through a complete system, Wu said, adding that "it is rare in the world, fully demonstrating the Party's forward-looking vision".
Zhuang Jindong, 36, who joined the Party last year, started as a deliveryman in 2014 with SF Express and began managing a delivery station in Beijing's Changping district in 2019, due to his outstanding performance.
His initial aspiration to join the Party arose amid the COVID-19 epidemic in 2021, when he mobilized the delivery personnel around him to become community volunteers, distributing supplies to residents. During that time, he came into contact with grassroots Party organizations, and the exemplary Party members there inspired him to join.
"I felt particularly honored the moment I submitted my application to join the Party," he said.
Since then, he has regularly participated in learning sessions organized by grassroots organizations, engaged in volunteer activities, and contributed to community governance, including ensuring environmental hygiene and promoting waste sorting.
Many Party members such as Zhuang who work in emerging sectors, including food and parcel delivery, logistics, livestreaming and e-commerce, have joined the Party in recent years.
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, has praised the efforts of new employment groups on many occasions, especially during epidemic prevention and control work. He has also called for the rights and interests of flexible employment groups, such as truck drivers and delivery workers, to be protected.
Wu, the professor, said that delivery workers have become a prominent and emerging group, and cultivating members among them is not only necessary but also an important requirement for those who are outstanding in this group to engage in politics.
"How to serve flexible employment groups and protect their rights has also become a key issue," he said, adding that from the perspective of building a stronger Party, it is essential to explore innovative organization structures and activities.