The Relationship between the CCYL and the CCP, 1920-2012: From Organizational Rival to Leadership Incubator Yunzhe CHEN A thesis in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy School of Humanities and Social Sciences UNSW Canberra August 2015 TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract V Acknowledgements VI List of Figures VII Abbreviations IX Chapter 1. Introduction 1 1.1 Significance of the CCYL 1 1.2 Literature Review 5 1.3 Main Argument of This Thesis 28 1.4 Research Methodology 31 1.5 Structure of the Thesis 33 SECTION I： Early Period of CCYL Development, 1920s-1935: Origin and Rivalry Chapter 2. The CCYL in the Period of Establishment (1920s) 37 2.1 1st National Congress of the CSYL in 1922 38 2.2 Origin of the Chinese Socialist Youth League 52 2.3 The Establishment of the CSYL Local Committees 64 2.4 Summary 73 Chapter 3. The CCYL in the Pre-Mao Zedong Period (1922-1935) 74 3.1 CCYL in the 1st United Front Period: Organizational Subordinate to 75 the Party 3.2 Revolutionary Cadre Development Projects and Factional Struggle in 90 Moscow 3.3 Development of the CCYL in the Jiangxi Soviet Period 102 3.4 Summary 111 SECTION II：The Mao Zedong Period of CCYL Development, 1935-1976: CCYL as a Corporatist Mass Organization Chapter 4. The CCYL and the Rise of Mao Zedong (1935-1949) 114 4.1 The Reconstruction of the CCYL in the Sino-Japanese War (1936- 115 1945) 4.2 The Party-led Mass Organization Role of the Reconstructed Youth 124 League 4.3 The Causes of the Reconstruction of the CCYL 134 4.4 The Incentives for Rebuilding the Youth League (1945-1949) 139 4.5 The Bottom-Up Rebuilding Process of the Youth League 145 4.6 Summary 149 Chapter 5. The CCYL in the Period of Mao Zedong after the 150 Establishment of the PRC (1949-1976) 5.1 The Organizational Development of the Youth League (1949 - 1966) 151 5.2 The Functions of the CCYL (1949-1966) 160 5.3 The CCYL in the Cultural Revolution 171 5.4 The Reasons Contributing to the Attacks on the CCYL 179 5.5 Summary 181 SECTION III： The Post-Mao Period of CCYL Development, 1976-2012: Principal Role in the Development of New Leaders Chapter 6. The CCYL in the Period of Deng Xiaoping (1976-1989) 184 6.1 The Recovery of the CCYL after the Cultural Revolution (1976-1982) 185 6.2 The Preparation for the CCYL Reform 1982-1985 193 6.3 Reform of the CCYL and the Role Change (1985-1989) 207 6.4 Summary 216 Chapter 7. The CCYL in the Period of Jiang Zemin (1989-2002) 217 7.1 Tiananmen Event and the Emphasis of the CCYL on Political 218 Socialization 7.2 Cross-Century Projects and the Youth Department Role of the CCYL 232 7.3 The Reform of the Personnel System of China and the Leadership 239 Development Arrangement Role of the CCYL 7.4 CCYL and the New Type of Economic Organization 250 7.5 Summary 255 Chapter 8. The CCYL in the Period of Hu Jintao (2002-2012) 257 8.1 The Characteristics of the China’s Politics in the Hu Jintao Era 258 8.2 Cadre Recruitment 265 8.3 CCYL Training 272 8.4 Position Transformation (转岗) 286 8.5 The Other Functions of the CCYL 294 8.6 Summary 298 Chapter 9. Conclusion 299 9.1 Findings 299 9.2 Implications of the Findings for Understanding the Chinese Political 303 System 9.3 Areas for Future Research 304 Bibliography 306 Appendixes 372 Glossary of Individuals, Organizations and Movements 405 V ABSTRACT This thesis analyzes the relationship between the Chinese Communist Youth League (CCYL) and Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from their emergence in 1920 to the latest leadership change of the CCP in 2012. In contrast to existing studies that regard the CCYL either as a corporatist institution undertaking the political socialization of Chinese youths or as the foundation of a CCYL faction that plays a significant role within China’s leadership politics, this thesis highlights the multi- faceted and evolving relationship between the CCYL and the CCP in the development of the Chinese Communist movement. This thesis argues that despite its continued complexity the relationship between the CCYL and the CCP across nearly a century can nevertheless be characterized in broad terms as a change from “organizational rival” to “leadership incubator”. In the early period of the Communist movement, the CCYL functioned as a de facto second communist party which at times threatened to overtake the CCP as the major Communist organization in China. After the reconstruction under Mao Zedong in 1936, it was subordinated to the CCP’s needs and started to serve as a Party-led mass organization to politically socialize Chinese youths. And in the Deng Xiaoping and Post-Deng periods, it has played an important role as one of the institutional arrangements for developing leadership candidates for the CCP. By tracing the organizational development of the CCYL to uncover its evolving and complicated relationship with the CCP, this project provides a more complete picture of the pathway through which the contemporary relationship has emerged. On a broader level, therefore, it offers the CCYL as an example to reveal the limitations of the Factionalist and Corporatist approaches to understand China’s contemporary leadership politics. In addition, it provides new understandings and materials for the future study of the CCP’s leadership development. VI ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am deeply indebted to the many institutions and people who have assisted me to complete this PhD thesis over the past four years. This experience has been one of my best periods of my life, and one I will treasure forever. First of all, I would like to express my gratefulness to China Scholarship Council of the People’s Republic of China and the University of the New South Wales. Without my country’s financial support and the university’s tuition fee scholarship, an ordinary student, like me, could never afford this opportunity to study. As one of the examples of Sino-Australia educational cooperation, I hope both my study and my experience will contribute to the mutual good of both nations. Secondly, I give my most sincere thanks and best wishes to my supervisors, Prof. David Lovell and Dr. Jian Zhang, for their brilliant guidance and enthusiastic work attitude. The influence of my supervisors on me is not only confined to scholarship, but extends also to my attitude to life. They are respectful scholars who have taught me how to understand the thinking of scholars. In my future career, I will use them as role models to spur my actions. Thirdly, I express my gratitude to Prof. Wu Qing, Director of the Research Institution of the CCYL, and Prof. Tong Jing in Central School of the CCYL who provided me a valuable fieldwork opportunity in the Central Committee of the CCYL. Interviewees in Beijing, Guangzhou and Canberra also provided me with valuable information required to test my arguments. Fourthly, I give my thanks to the Counsellor and my colleagues in the Education Office of the Chinese Embassy in Australia. With your support and teachings, I got a valuable opportunity to contribute to the educational cooperation between China and Australia. This working experience will be one of my most significant memories. Finally I dedicate this thesis to my beloved family and friends. This PhD journey was never one man fighting alone. It would not have been completed without your love, encouragement, and understanding. I will love you all for the rest of my life. VII LIST OF FIGURES 1-1 The Expression Concerning the Nature of the Organization in the 372 Constitution of the Youth League (From 1st -16th National Representative Congress) 2-1 Major Student Organizations’ Led by Chen Duxiu and Li Dazhao in New 380 Culture Movement 2-2 Process for Establishing Local Branches of the CCYL (1920-1922) 383 2-3 Mao Zedong’s Three Levels of Advanced Youth 69 3-1 The Membership of the CCP and the CCYL from 1922-1927 82 5-1 The Political Structure of the Youth League (1953) 156 5-2 CCYL Central Authority and Its Evolution (1922-2008) 388 5-3 Major Nationwide Mass Movement from 1949 to 1976 390 5-4 The Political Movement of the CCP and the Actions of the Youth League 162 (1950-1966) 5-5 The CCYL Cadres in the Central Committee of the CCP (from 1921- 170 1969) 6-1 The Number of CCYL Members (1964, 1978-1982) 188 6-2 Basic Design of the Inner Youth League Reform 209 7-1 The Structure of the CCYL in Universities 230 7-2 CCYL Cadres Position in Universities 231 7-3 The Position and Administrative Ranks in the Chinese Public Servant 391 System 7-4 The Promotion Period from Section Member(科员) to Subministry 243 Department Chief(正厅) 7-5 The Expected Promotion Age, the Normal Cadre Ceiling Age, and the 246 CCYL Cadre Ceiling Age 8-1 Seats of CCYL Faction and CCYL Cadres in 14th -18th Central 260 Committee of the CCP 8-2 The Age of Members of the 13th -17th Political Bureau of the CCP 262 8-3 The Data of the Original Unit of the Employed Cadre of the Working 392 Organs in the Central Committee of the CCYL through State Civil Service Examination（2007-2012） VIII 8-4 The Relationship between the Dominance of Recruitment and the 271 Position Rank in the Public Transferring Approach (Central Committee of the CCYL) 8-5 The Pre-CCYL Position and Post-CCYL Position of the Secretaries of 393 the Central Committee of the CCYL (2002-2012) 8-6 Position Transformation Data of All Secretaries of the Village Level 396 Youth League Committee in Baoying County of Yangzhou City in Jiangsu Province in 2008 8-7 The Position Change Information of CCYL Cadre 399 8-8 The 2005-2012 Position Transformation Data of the Director/Deputy 402 Director in the Central Committee of the