The spirit of communism is floating all over Beijing this week. There are banners everywhere and Hu Jintao's opening speech has been broadcast over and over again on all the television channels.

But not everyone finds the party leader's words convincing. The 25-year-old Dong Li could only smile condescendingly: "My generation doesn't believe in anything. We want power and money, we don't believe in religion or ideology. We're all nihilists, we believe in nothing."

Li's words might be typical for a young Chinese who grew up in times of turbulent capitalism but they seem a bit out-of-place for a comrade.

Pragmatic thinking

He joined the party three years ago -- for very pragmatic reasons, however: "It can help my career. I want be part of the elite. The party represents the elite. I became a member so I could climb the career ladder."

The son of a party functionary, Li studied at one of the best American universities. He is now a civil servant. He said he could lose his job by being so open -- Li Dong is not his real name.

People such as Li are never mentioned in the official propaganda, according to which only people who are deeply convinced join the party. Li Dongsheng is a congress spokesman: "Many young people who are full of enthusiasm apply -- private businessmen too. Most fully support the party. They're our front-line."

Not driven by conviction

But young people such as Yuan Long -- a 29-year-old economist who studied at an elite university disagree.

"To be honest," he said, "party membership has nothing to do with conviction or ideology. If you want to be a civil servant you have better chances if you're a member. And personally I've got no plans to go abroad. If you want to work abroad, you don't need to join the party -- it's as simple as that."

Yuan's parents and grandparents were different. They were convinced comrades, firmly believing in Mao and socialism. Yuan says they wouldn't survive in the new China where only money matters. They would never have dreamt of lying about their convictions.

Yuan explained he had become a member by "downloading stuff from the Internet. Something from Marx and Engels' Communist Manifesto. And then I said it had always been my dream to join the party."

Climbing the ladder

Yuan Long and Li Dong go to the party meetings every so often and hope to get a leg up the career ladder. When asked about the party congress, Yuan shook his head and said it had nothing to do with him, he wasn't interested at all.

He added he had no time for the long speeches. His job was more important -- his construction firm was hoping to join the stock exchange next year, he explained. Real socialism with Chinese characteristics!