A Political Dilemma in Higher Educational Reform Should the Communist Party have a political and constitutional presence in private education institutions?

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) oversees the governance of public sector higher education institutions, and the Party's leadership is constitutionally assured. Most private education institutions, however, exist as corporations, and this legal status means that constitutionally the CCP is not part of the governing body. This paper first discusses the question, what is 'the absolute leadership of the Party in education'?, and then the issues surrounding the relationship between the CCP and the governing body in an institution of private education. Possible legal avenues are also examined to provide a new perspective on the role of the CCP in the private tertiary education sector. That the presence of the CCP in the private tertiary education sector is problematic reflects a political dilemma in current Chinese society: capitalist elements have been introduced to reform various aspects of economy and society, but the political system has remained unchanged. Can China implement further reforms without this affecting the political status quo? This discussion can be seen as a call for political reform.