Across China last week, communist officials and party members celebrated the 89th anniversary of the founding of the country’s Communist Party or CPC. In China’s Hunan province, local government even unveiled a golden statue of Chairman Mao Zedong – one of the men who co-founded the CPC back in 1921.
But amidst all this hoopla marking almost 9 decades of the communist party’s existence, another significant event took place. On the eve of the anniversary, domestic and foreign journalists from around the world convened in the nation’s capital as 11 spokespersons answered questions about the functioning of the CPC.

China's Communist Party recently celebrated its 89th birthday, and really, why not celebrate? It's the largest political party in the world by membership, unchallenged ruler of the world's most populous nation, admired by other bureaucracies around the world for its efficiency and adaptability: we should all be so lucky to look so good at 89! BON'S MATT SCHRADER pes into the birthday celebrations for a closer look at what it means to party and non-party members alike . . .

Most countries have a community of people who are admired for their business acumen. In China, it is the Wenzhou traders. Their geographical isolation has fostered self-reliance, but now they are turning to the ruling Communist Party as a strategy for growth. BON's Tom Spender has more.

Every five years since 1953 China's Communist Party leadership has come together to discuss and approve a plan for economic development over the next five years. The 12th Five-Year Plan begins in 2011 and this year the Party's Central Committee met in Beijing from October 15 to 18 discuss economic strategy. The key official objectives for the period include driving economic growth higher through domestic demand and achieving a more equal income distribution. But what do ordinary Chinese people feel are the most important tasks for the next five years? Our researcher Stella Chen Went out on the streets of Beijing to find out.

BEIJING - Spokespersons for 11 departments of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee made an unprecedented group appearance on Wednesday to meet domestic and overseas journalists. After the opening remarks by Wang Chen, the spokespersons each took their turn to brief the reporters on their departments and efforts to increase transparency. In response to a question from US-based media CNN, asking whether many, if not most, people seek to join the Party to advance their careers instead of to demonstrate their faith in communism, Deng Shengming, the secretary general and spokesman of the CPC Central Committee's Organization Department denied there is a "faith crisis" among Party members and those who have applied to join the largest political organization in the world. Only a few applicants "may not have very correct motives for seeking Party membership," said Deng.

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Most countries have a community of people who are admired for their business acumen. In China, it is the Wenzhou traders. Their geographical isolation has fostered self - reliance, but now they are turning to the ruling Communist Party as a strategy for growth. BON's Tom Spender has more.