A communist party branch has been formally set up at Wal-Mart's Chengdu Jiaoda Road store.
This is the first party branch of Wal-Mart in western China and its sixth party branch in China. Wang Jianjiang, director of Chengdu Jinniu District's Organizing Committee, says that there are just a few party branches among foreign companies in the area because these foreign companies fear that the foundation of a party branch will bring negative effect to their operation. However, Wang tells local media that because most companies are willing to have a trade union within their company, this helps get twice the result with half the effort of building a party branch.
Right now, there are nine party members at Wal-Mart's Party branch. For the next step, they will elect a general secretary for the branch. Wang says that the party branch will carry out a series of activities centered on Wal-Mart and try its best show the leading role of the communist party.
A representative from Wal-Mart says that the establishment of the party league at the Chengdu store will be useful for bringing the pioneering spirit of the Communist party into the company and it is a good thing for the enterprise in the long run.
Wal-Mart China opened its first Communist Party Branch in China in Shenzhen in December 2006.