In an interview with The Epoch Times, Chairman of the Overseas Joint Committee for China Democratic Movement Wei Jingsheng said he believes that the actual number of people who want to quit the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) should far exceed the number counted on The Epoch Times’ Tuidang (Quit the CCP) website.

Mr. Wei said that many media had misled people by heaping praise on the CCP regime. Many people, including Westerners, think that the CCP regime is very stable and has contributed to economic development. Under such circumstances, many Chinese will be disinclined to quit the CCP.

He pointed out that the current economic boom in China is really a mirage. Most of the people in China continue to suffer from a repressive regime, where even the middle classes can't escape from CCP’s racketeering. He said that the situation is even worse, because natural or man-made disasters can affect the population at any time. Some high-ranking officials of his acquaintance were even more scornful of the CCP than he. The CCP’s actions and deeds are counter to the original intention of the veteran CCP members- to seek prosperity for the people.

Mr. Wei said that the withdrawals from the CCP are actually a natural phenomenon. He said that people had lost their trust in the CCP over 20 years ago. He remembers seeing many banners identifying agencies and organizations at a parade supporting the protesting students before June 4, 1989. Even the General Office of the Central Committee was acting in support of the students at that time, indicating just how bad things had become. That was 16 years ago, so one could imagine that now, there is even less support for the regime because the CCP goes against the will of people.

Wei also pointed out that the CCP’s current movement to “maintain advancement” actually amounts to its admitting it can no longer attract many members. The Party Constitution has a regulation stipulating that failure to pay membership dues for over six months is considered as an automatic resignation from the party. Nowadays one’s name stays on the membership list even if the fees are 10 years overdue.

Wei recounted that the officials at his brother’s work unit kept on reminding his brother to pay his membership dues. So desperate were they that they said he could ignore his unpaid dues for the previous five months as long as he started to pay his dues once more. The CCP is desperately trying to attract more members, especially targeting young students just prior to their graduation. It realizes that if these students do not join the CCP before graduation, it is even less likely they will join later. The CCP is already on the verge of collapsing; only a very few fools still want to join it to show their support.

The recent defection of Mr. Chen Yonglin helps Westerners to see how a CCP member really views the Party. Many CCP members are fed up with the CCP’s autocracy, and no longer want to be counted amongst its accomplices. Mr. Chen used to work in the Chinese Consulate with the responsibility of ensuring that no one from the party defected, yet he himself defected. There are people who have not yet physically removed themselves from the CCP due to various concerns, but their hearts have already betrayed the CCP. Both CCP members and ordinary people are counting the remaining days before its demise.

Regarding some people’s suspicion over the authenticity of the renunciation numbers on The Epoch Times’ withdrawal website, Mr. Wei feels that two million is too small. He believes the actual number of people who desire to withdraw from the CCP is approximately 20 million.