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Are there ethnically non-Chinese (non-Chinese ethnicities) members of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) right now?

There are a few people like Israel Epstein who were members of the CCP, but as of now is there any other non-Chinese ethnics who are members of the CCP and play an important role within the CCP?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ethnic_groups_in_China

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    What is meaned by non-Chinese? Non-Han?
    – convert
    Commented Jul 7, 2023 at 13:07
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    There are 6 ethnic groups who identify themselves as "Chinese", the term "non-Chinese ethnics" is quite confusing.
    – r13
    Commented Jul 7, 2023 at 16:09
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    This question needs to clarify what is meant by "non-Chinese". At present, two of the three answers refer to people who are from ethnic groups considered to be Chinese by the Chinese government. I am voting to close until this issue is resolved.
    – Charlie Evans
    Commented Jul 7, 2023 at 17:04
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    CCP has 98M members so certainly yes, some of those 98M are officially non-Han Chinese.
    – user44908
    Commented Jul 8, 2023 at 2:06
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    "plays an important role within the CCP" could certainly be refined as well, e.g. Central Committee, National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, or other roles. Or does it include those with non-official positions?
    – Stuart F
    Commented Jul 10, 2023 at 8:58

4 Answers 4

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Some definitely exist, but they're few and far between. One that comes to mind is Li Yizu, a geologist of Caucasian descent. He was adopted by Han Chinese parents and brought up in Beijing. According to a profile by China Global Television Network, he applied to join the CCP in 1966, but was not accepted until 1981.

Biologically Li Yizu is a Caucasian, but culturally he is Chinese and politically he is a Communist Party member. He had faith and was motivated by the party when he was braving the cold to find coal in Xinjiang or teaching children about survival skills in the wild. Like many of his generation, he found something bigger than himself that is highly respected in Chinese society, to serve the people. That choice not only made him a successful man but also a proud member of the party.

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There is an ethnic Kazakh in the new composition of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China

There is an ethnic Kazakh in the new composition of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China

In China, a new composition of the Central Committee of the Communist Party (CPC Central Committee) of 205 people has been elected. Among them is ethnic Kazakh Nurlan Abdimajin, "Express K" reports with reference to russian.people.com.cn.

The members of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China of the XX convocation were elected at the final meeting of the 20th National Congress of the CPC.

The new composition of the Central Committee, the party's governing body, is elected for five years at the end of each congress.

Nurlan Abdimajin was elected chairman of the Committee of the People's Political Consultative Council of China (CPPCC) of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China.

It is known that Abdimajin was born in 1962 in Khorgos or the Kazakh Autonomous Region of the Xinjiang People's Republic of China. In 1985, he joined the Communist Party of China. Graduate of Beijing Pedagogical University. He worked in the judicial bodies of the People's Autonomous Republic of China, as well as in leading party and state positions of the Ili-Kazakh Autonomous Region and the People's Government of Xinjiang. Since 2008 — Member of the PC of the Politburo of the CPC of the People's Republic of China. Candidate for membership of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China of the 18th convocation.

Previously, this post was held by Askhat Kerimbai.

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    据2020年人口普查数据，中国有152万哈萨克族，主要分布于新疆维吾尔自治区 - According to 2020 population census data, there are 1.52 million of Kazak in China, mainly spread around Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Regions. Note that China considers Uygur its territory, and the Kazaks are considered an enthic minority of Chinese.
    – r13
    Commented Jul 7, 2023 at 21:10
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There are a small number of non-Chinese ethnic minority members who belong to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

The most notable example is Hu Chunhua, an ethnic Hui Muslim who currently serves on the Politburo and is seen as a contender for Premier in the future. The Hui are one of China's largest Muslim ethnic minorities and number over 10 million people.

Other examples of non-Han members of the CCP leadership include:

• Nur Bekri - an ethnic Uyghur who served as governor of Xinjiang from 2008 to 2014 and is now vice chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

• Shohrat Zakir - the current governor of Xinjiang and an ethnic Uyghur.

• Tokhtakunov Töhtöröhun - an ethnic Kazakh who serves as a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

• Bu Xiaolin - An ethnic Mongol who served as the director of the State Ethnic Affairs Commission and as a vice chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

• Bu Dongwei - An ethnic Mongol who currently serves as the vice minister of justice.

• Meng Jianzhu - An ethnic Mongol who served as the minister of public security from 2008 to 2018.

• Aihui - An ethnic Tujia who currently serves as the vice chairman of the Hunan Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

• Dulamtseren - An ethnic Mongol who currently serves as the vice chairman of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

• Maral Tibet - An ethnic Tibetan who currently serves as the vice chairwoman of the Tibet Autonomous Region Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

These ethnic minority members within the CCP leadership remain a relatively small minority compared to the predominance of ethnic Han Chinese members and leaders.

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    'Muslim' isn't an ethnicity. You might want to consider rephrasing related to that.
    – JimmyJames
    Commented Jul 7, 2023 at 21:31
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    Chinese ethnic minorities - Manchurian; Mongolian; Hui (Muslim); Tibetan; Miao (which includes the sub-group of Hmong, Hmu, Xong, and A-Hmao). Note the Chinese claim the territories where they live, and consider them the ethnic minority of Chinese.
    – r13
    Commented Jul 7, 2023 at 21:34
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    @JimmyJames Tell that to "muslim by nationality" of Bosnia...
    – alamar
    Commented Jul 8, 2023 at 22:11
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    @alamar that the three predominant sociocultural groups in Bosnia are best identified by religion, and that the two Christian groups have nonreligious national ethnonyms, leaving the Muslim group to be identified by the unsatisfying "Muslim by nationality," does not imply that Muslim is an ethnicity.
    – phoog
    Commented Jul 8, 2023 at 22:42
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    Unsatisfying for whom? Bosnians and Hui are satisfied by their ethinc identity.
    – alamar
    Commented Jul 8, 2023 at 23:57
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Yes.

  • As of end 2022, 7.445 million of the 98.041 million CCP members (7.59%) were non-Han-Chinese; and
  • In the 20th Central Committee (2022–27), 9 of the 205 members (4.39%) are non-Han-Chinese.

For comparison,

  • In the 2020 Census, 8.89% of China's population were non-Han-Chinese.

Sources: Gov.cn, Voice of America, Xinhua.

("Non-Han-Chinese" = "Ethnic Minorities 少数民族" = Non-Han ethnic groups as officially classified by China.)

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