Red stars at foreign companies

French retailer Carrefour SA launches a branch of the Communist Party of China on June 26, 2012, becoming the first foreign retailer in China that builds a CPC branch. The photo shows members of the branch. [Photo/VCG]

BEIJING - In the HR department at Jabil Huangpu, a cubicle is marked with a sign that reads "demonstration post of Party member" to honor a star employee.

The Communist Party of China (CPC), which celebrated its 95th birthday on Friday, is the world's largest political party, boasting 87 million members. CPC branches at foreign companies are not common, although the Party constitution stipulates that organizations of more than three members should have one. However, their numbers are growing.

Guangzhou-based Jabil Huangpu, established in 2001, is the first China subsidiary of Jabil, a global electronic parts supplier headquartered in the United States.

The company has 16,000 workers and six CPC branches, with a general branch in charge of them. Huang Lu, a manager in the company's HR department, is secretary of the company's general Party branch.

According to Huang, there are 106 members in the Jabil Huangpu general CPC branch, most in their mid-twenties. One third of them work in management, another third are key technicians, and the others are line workers.

STAR EMPLOYEES

"Although there are not many demonstration Party member posts, those who have them have played a role as star employees," Huang said of employees like the one with the sign in the HR department.

"We have set up three such posts, which have been recognized by our U.S. bosses," she said, adding Party members are competing for the honor, and non-Party-member employees strive to keep pace with them.

Those who earn the honor must be recommended by the Party branch and reviewed by the general branch. They may hold the title for a year, then undergo further evaluation to retain the recognition.

Over the past 19 years at the company, Mei Lianzhen has ascended through the ranks from assembly worker to manager of the manufacturing department. She is also a probationary CPC member at one of the company's party branches.

To join the CPC, a prospective member must send an application letter as well as recommendations from two Party members. After approval, he or she must complete a year-long probation period before becoming an official Party member.

"My recommenders and the Party branch leaders say I need to improve myself more because a CPC member has to be excellent in both work and life," she said.

The company's general Party branch is under the direct leadership of the CPC Guangzhou Development District Committee. In addition to organizing CPC training and meetings, the committee helps Party branches of private companies establish member archives and release CPC documents for study.

Companies from nearly 60 countries have investments in the Guangzhou Development District, contributing 95 percent of the district's economic output.

According to an official from the district's Party affairs, more than 300 CPC committees, general branches and branches, consisting of more than 6,500 Party members, have been established. All private companies in the district, including foreign ones, now have branches.

At Mitsubishi Electric (Guangzhou) Compressor Co., Ltd., the number of CPC members exceeds 100, and nearly half of the managers above the team leader level are CPC members at the Japanese company.

"The star employees show the excellence of Party members, and they are also recognized by the Japanese management," said Li Hui, deputy director of general affairs and also head of the company's Party committee.

The committee also leads the company's union to bring workers' complaints and claims to management.

"The Japanese managers respect our proposals very much, and usually will respond to us in a timely manner," she said.

Chen Kailong with the Party School of the CPC Central Committee said foreign companies are increasingly supportive of establishing Party branches because they help with the enforcement of Chinese laws and regulations and mediation in labor disputes.

Chen advised local Party organizations to help develop CPC branches in foreign companies by sending cadres to the branches and addressing their demands.