One of the world's largest retailers, Wal-Mart, has set up a Chinese Communist Party (CPC) branch in its headquarters in south China.

Wal-Mart's Chinese headquarters in the southern city of Shenzhen opened its CPC branch on November 15, reported the Shenzhen Special Zone Daily.

The establishment of the branch by Wal-Mart China marked the success in promoting the work of the CPC within foreign companies and would surely boost more CPC organizations in foreign-financed companies, said Wang Suiming, head of the CPC Shenzhen City Committee's organization department.

This was another breakthrough made by the Fortune 500 company after it set up a trade union in its headquarters last month, Wang said. In August, Wal-Mart set up its first party branch in the northeast city Shenyang.

According to the CPC Constitution every Party member must belong to a branch, cell or other specific unit of the CPC to participate in the regular activities of the Party. Primary Party organizations are formed with at least three full CPC members.

Wal-Mart founded its first trade union in Jinjiang in July and since then at least 60 more Wal-Mart outlets in China have set up trade unions with more than 6,000 members, according to the All-China Federation of Trade Unions.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. entered the Chinese market in 1996. It now has 67 stores in 34 Chinese cities with over 30,000 employees.

(Xinhua News Agency December 18, 2006)