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BEIJING - As the Communist Party of China (CPC) celebrates its 96th anniversary Saturday, we have selected five things you need to know about the largest political party in the world.

How has the CPC become the largest political party in the world?

When it was established in 1921, the CPC had around 50 members. By 1949, when the People's Republic of China was founded, its membership had increased to nearly 4.5 million. Fast-forward more than 50 years and in 2016, the Party had 89.447 million members, making it the largest political party in the world, with more members than the population of Germany.

Party members are from all walks of life. Workers and farmers make up the highest share accounting for 36.95 percent, followed by professionals and management with 25.21 percent. The remaining members are officials, students and the retired.

How are the Party members managed?

CPC members are grouped into more than 4.5 million Party branches and each branch has 20 members, on average.

According to the CPC Constitution, a branch should be established wherever there are more than three Party members.

Almost all urban neighborhoods, communities and towns have Party branches. In the workplace, about 91.3 percent of public enterprises have resident Party branches, which supervise day-to-day operations and play a part in decision-making. Party branches are also present in 67.9 percent of private enterprises and 58.9 percent of social organizations.

Local-level Party branches are the foundation of CPC governance and are integral to connecting with and serving the masses.

What is the symbol of the Party?

According to the CPC Constitution amended and adopted in 2007, the Party emblem and flag are the symbol and sign of the Communist Party of China. Following is a brief introduction to the CPC emblem and flag:

-- The emblem of the CPC is a design of sickle and hammer.

-- The flag of the CPC is a red flag highlighted by a golden Party emblem on it.

-- Party organizations at all levels and all Party members shall safeguard the sanctity of the Party emblem and flag.

What are the strategic objectives of the Party?

The "two centenary goals" are also known as the "strategic economic and social development objectives at the new stage in the new century."

The first goal is about making China a moderately prosperous society, with the benefits felt by the well-over one billion population by the Party's centenary. The second goal is to bring China's GDP per capita up to the level of moderately developed countries, and realize modernization by the centenary of the PRC.

What role does the Party play in economic entities?

In a state-owned or collective enterprise, the primary Party organization acts as the political nucleus and works for the operation of the enterprise, according to the CPC Constitution amended and adopted in 2007.

In a non-public economic institution, the primary Party organization carries out the Party's principles and policies, provides guidance to and oversees the enterprise in observing the laws and regulations of the state, exercises leadership over the trade union, the Communist Youth League organization and other mass organizations, rallies the workers and office staff around it, safeguards the legitimate rights and interests of all quarters and stimulates the healthy development of the enterprise.