Where else but in a Communist country would a political party’s anniversary of creation be marked by national celebrations?

China’s Communist Party will celebrate its 90th birthday on Friday. Around Beijing, one can see banners and flags being erected around the streets, potted plants lining important avenues and workers cleaning, painting and decorating.

Other preparations include locking up dissidents, activists, protestors and petitioners.

I won’t take up too much time in this space, save to recommend some reading about what the Chinese Communist Party really stands for, what its role is, and how it operates.

Top of my list would be Richard McGregor’s excellent work, “The Party”. McGregor pulls no punches in describing the subservient role that Government plays, at all levels. I wasn’t able to find a copy in any bookstore in Australia, but finally got my copy on Kindle.

To understand the selection process for leadership positions, and the balance of power between the Party, the Government and the Military, read Patrick Chovanec’s long but first rate piece on his blog. Use this link.

To understand the cosy relationship between the Party and organised crime, have a look at John Garnaut’s articles in the Sydney Morning Herald. It’s scary stuff, just how entwined the two are.

Others I would recommend on China include Gady Epstein, Forbes Magazine’s man in Beijing, although I have to say Gady sometimes reports what other people feed him, and Michael Sainsbury, of the Australian newspaper (a Rupert Murdoch publication, be warned.) Dinny McMahon from the Wall Street Journal sometimes has some good articles. Unfortunately for a lot of the mainstream journals, they are limited in what they can report, not because they are censored or self-censored, but because they usually can’t get access to the right people. They get access to the official people, not the right people, and get the official story.