In special circumstances, the Central Committee of the Party or the Party committee of a province, autonomous region or municipality directly under the central government may admit new Party members directly.

Article 6 A probationary Party member must take an admission oath in front of the Party flag. The oath reads: It is my will to join the Communist Party of China, uphold the Party's program, observe the provisions of the Party Constitution, fulfill a Party member's duties, carry out the Party's decisions, strictly observe Party discipline, guard Party secrets, be loyal to the Party, work hard, fight for communism throughout my life, be ready at all times to sacrifice my all for the Party and the people, and never betray the Party.

Article 7. The probationary period of a probationary member is one year. The Party organization should make serious efforts to educate and observe the probationary members.

Probationary members have the same duties as full members. They enjoy the rights of full members except those of participating in voting and elections and standing for election.

Upon the expiration of the probationary period of a probationary member, the Party branch concerned should promptly discuss whether he or she is qualified for full membership. A probationary member who conscientiously performs his or her duties and is qualified for full membership shall be granted full membership as scheduled; if continued observation and education are needed, the probationary period may be extended, but by no more than one year; if a probationary member fails to perform his or her duties and is found to be unqualified for full membership, his or her probationary membership shall be annulled. Any decision to grant a probationary member full membership, extend a probationary period, or annul a probationary membership must be made through discussion held by the general membership meeting of the Party branch concerned and approved by the next higher Party organization.

The probationary period of a probationary member begins from the day the general membership meeting of the Party branch admits him or her as a probationary member. The Party standing of a member begins from the day he or she is granted full membership on the expiration of the probationary period.

Article 8 Every Party member, irrespective of position, must be organized into a branch, cell or other specific unit of the Party to participate in the regular activities of the Party organization and accept oversight by the masses inside and outside the Party. Leading Party cadres must attend democratic meetings held by the Party committee or leading Party members' group. There shall be no privileged Party members who do not participate in the regular activities of the Party organization and do not accept oversight by the masses inside and outside the Party.

Article 9 Party members are free to withdraw from the Party. When a Party member asks to withdraw, the Party branch concerned shall, after discussion by its general membership meeting, remove his or her name from the Party rolls, make the removal public and report it to the next higher Party organization for the record.

The Party branch shall try to educate the Party member who lacks revolutionary will, fails to fulfill the duties of a Party member, or is not qualified for membership and require him or her to correct his or her mistakes within a prescribed time. If the member remains incorrigible after education, he or she should be persuaded to withdraw from the Party. The case shall be discussed and decided by the general membership meeting of the Party branch concerned and submitted to the next higher Party organization for approval. If the Party member being persuaded to withdraw refuses to do so, the case shall be submitted to the general membership meeting of the Party branch concerned for discussion to decide on the removal of the said member's name from the Party rolls, after which the decision shall be submitted to the next higher Party organization for approval.

A Party member who fails to take part in regular Party activities, pay membership dues or do work assigned by the Party for six successive months without good reason is regarded as having given up membership. The general membership meeting of the Party branch concerned shall decide on the removal of such a person's name from the Party rolls and report it to the next higher Party organization for approval.

Chapter II The Party's Organizational System

Article 10 The Party is an integral body organized under its program and Constitution and on the basis of democratic centralism. The Party's basic principles of democratic centralism are as follows:

1) Individual Party members are subordinate to the Party organization, the minority is subordinate to the majority, the lower Party organizations are subordinate to the higher Party organizations, and all the constituent organizations and members of the Party are subordinate to the National Congress and the Central Committee of the Party.

2) The Party's leading bodies at all levels are elected except for the representative organs dispatched by them and the leading Party members' groups in non-Party organizations.

3) The highest leading body of the Party is the National Congress and the Central Committee elected by it. The leading bodies of local Party organizations are the Party congresses at their respective levels and the Party committees elected by them. Party committees are responsible, and report their work, to the Party congresses at their respective levels.