Can Foreign Nationals Join the Communist Party of China?

Original article: ¿Pueden los extranjeros afiliarse al Partido Comunista de China?

To mark the fifth plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), CGTN has launched a new edition of its «Ask China» campaign. This time, we have invited experts, editors, journalists, and other professionals to respond to questions from readers worldwide about China and the CPC.

Can foreign nationals join the Communist Party of China?

Unfortunately, the answer is no.

Article 1, Chapter I of the Constitution of the Communist Party of China stipulates: «Workers, peasants, military personnel, intellectuals, and advanced elements from other strata of Chinese society who are at least 18 years old, accept the program and constitution of the party, are willing to engage actively in one of its organizations, comply with the party’s resolutions, and pay the established dues may apply for membership in the Communist Party of China.»

However, the answer is not so simple.

Among the ranks of the Communist Party of China, there are many foreign faces.

Nguyễn Sơn, of Vietnamese nationality, joined the CPC in 1927 and participated in the Long March (1934-1936). In 1955, he was awarded the rank of major general in the People’s Liberation Army, making him the only foreign general in Chinese history.

The American George Hatem became a member of the party in 1937. He worked as a physician in northern Shaanxi and helped establish the first regular military hospital in the CPC’s support base regions during the fight against Japanese aggression. In 1949, he became the first foreigner to obtain citizenship in the People’s Republic of China, later dedicating himself to the prevention and treatment of venereal diseases and leprosy in the country.

Indian Dwarkanath Kotnis provided medical assistance on the front lines with the Eighth Route Army. He joined the CPC on July 7, 1942, but tragically passed away from illness that same year. In his elegy, Mao Zedong wrote: «The army has lost an arm, and the nation, a friend.»

However, among the foreign members of the CPC, the most notable is likely the Polish-born Jew, Israel Epstein. Since 1917, he lived and worked in China for many years. As a journalist and writer, he actively promoted the CPC-led struggle against Japanese invaders in the Western world, raised international aid, and personally participated in operations to facilitate the escape of civilians from enemy-occupied areas. After the establishment of the People’s Republic of China, he became one of the founders of the international outreach magazine China Reconstrue (now known as China Today). Israel Epstein acquired Chinese nationality in 1957 and joined the CPC in 1964.

In reality, due to the influence of the Communist International, the early programs and statutes of the Communist Party of China did not distinguish nationality among membership requirements. This allowed comrades from around the world, holding communist and internationalist ideals, to join the ranks of the CPC.

During those turbulent times, attracted by noble ideals, firm convictions, and the vision of the Communist Party of China, they resolutely joined the Chinese people’s revolutionary struggle against invasion and for national liberation, dedicating their youth and lives to the founding of a New China alongside the Chinese people.

After the establishment of the People’s Republic of China, the CPC gradually matured organizationally and adjusted its regulations on membership eligibility based on the reality of the country’s construction and development. The statutes approved in 1956 specified for the first time that only Chinese citizens could join the party. It was under this regulation that Israel Epstein first acquired Chinese nationality before joining the party.

Today, the dynamism of China and the advances in its development under the leadership of the CPC attract an increasing number of foreigners who share its vision, appreciate its culture, and feel an affinity for its people. These international friends also contribute to the country’s progress in areas such as economic development, technological innovation, education, cultural dissemination, and environmental protection.

Canadian educator Isabel Crook, who dedicated her life to teaching foreign languages in China; American social worker Talitha Gerlach, who long served the cause of women and children’s welfare in the Asian country; British chemist Dr. David G. Evans, dedicated to scientific outreach for Chinese children; German physician Eckehard Scharfschwerdt, who practiced medicine to alleviate poverty in the mountainous areas of Yunnan; or Japanese elder Seiei Toyama, who planted trees in China’s deserts for over a decade… To date, nearly 2,000 foreigners have received the Friendship Award from the Chinese Government, a recognition specifically created to honor foreign professionals who have made outstanding contributions to the country’s reform, development, and modernization. And they are just a representation of the thousands of foreigners who share ideals and work hand in hand with the Chinese people.

Although they may not have necessarily joined the Communist Party of China or acquired Chinese nationality, all of them are comrades who are respected by the Chinese people and with whom they are willing to advance hand in hand. The Communist Party of China and the Chinese people always welcome international friends to work together to promote China’s development, sharing the opportunities and benefits that this development offers.

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