Wu Rongsheng: Utilizing the "Key Piece" of the Eight-Point Regulations to Reinvigorate the "Entire Chessboard" of Conduct Construction [1]
The Party’s style of work [1] concerns the Party's image, the winning or losing of the people’s hearts, and determines the success or failure of the cause of the Party and the state. A crucial historical experience of our Party is the resolution of prominent problems regarding Party style through concentrated education. General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized: "The more we reform and open up, the more we develop the socialist market economy, and the more we govern over the long term, the more prominent the various types of style problems within the Party become; thus, we must all the more strengthen education and construction of style." Study and education for the in-depth implementation of the spirit of the central Eight-Point Regulations are currently being carried out across the entire Party. This is a re-declaration by Chinese Communists to lead the trends of the times through the spirit of self-revolution, and a fresh departure in utilizing the "key piece" [2] of the central Eight-Point Regulations to revitalize the "entire chessboard" of style construction.
The core of the issue of style is the relationship between the Party and the masses. Problems in style are by no means trivial; if we do not resolutely rectify unhealthy tendencies and instead allow them to develop, they will act like an invisible wall separating our Party from the masses, and our Party will lose its foundation, its lifeblood, and its strength. When the classical Marxist writers founded the proletarian political party, they attached great importance to the issue of style. Friedrich Engels, in several letters discussing Party building, criticized "the style of sycophancy" and "the style of flashiness without substance." During the arduous years of revolution, our Party relied on its glorious traditions and excellent style to gather a magnificent and mighty force, ultimately "using the Yan'an style to defeat the Xi'an style" [3]. At the Second Plenary Session of the Seventh CPC Central Committee, Comrade Mao Zedong proposed the "two musts" [4], enriching the content of style construction—emphasizing modesty, prudence, freedom from arrogance and impetuousness, and hard struggle—thereby setting the direction and establishing rules for the Party’s style construction after assuming national governance.
The central Eight-Point Regulations originate from General Secretary Xi Jinping’s long-term practical exploration and theoretical reflection. As early as his tenure in local leadership, Comrade Xi Jinping was adept at opening up new horizons in work by grasping the Party's style construction. Shortly after becoming the Secretary of the Zhengding County Party Committee, he presided over the formulation of the "Several Regulations of the CPC Zhengding County Committee on Improving Leadership Style," putting forward clear requirements for leading cadres at all levels in the county. During his time in Ningde, he promoted and presided over the introduction of the "Twelve Rules for Clean Governance," which mainly included "no extravagant eating and drinking when going to the grassroots" and "no private use of public vehicles." After becoming the Secretary of the Zhejiang Provincial Party Committee, he designated 2007 as the province-wide "Year of Style Construction," focusing on six areas such as "vigorously promoting a culture of learning" and "improving work style." These important requirements for rectifying conduct and discipline [5] achieved practical results and provided practical references for the Party's style construction in the New Era, particularly for the formulation and implementation of the central Eight-Point Regulations.
After the 18th National Congress of the CPC, style construction had to solve the problem of "a tiger trying to eat the sky, not knowing where to take the first bite" [6]. On December 4, 2012, the Meeting of the Political Bureau of the 18th CPC Central Committee deliberated and adopted the Eight-Point Regulations on improving work style and maintaining close ties with the masses, using this as the breakthrough point for the Party’s style construction. "A regulation is a regulation; we did not add the words 'on a trial basis' because we wanted to demonstrate a resolute attitude and show that this regulation is rigid," General Secretary Xi Jinping spoke with firm words. The central Eight-Point Regulations consist of only 600-odd characters, yet they unleashed a transformation of style that cleared away the murky and brought in the pristine. They are neither the highest standard nor the ultimate goal; they are merely our first step in improving style, requiring us to persist over the long term and carry them forward. The first meeting of the Political Bureau of the 19th CPC Central Committee deliberated on the "Implementation Rules of the CPC Central Bureau for Implementing the Central Eight-Point Regulations"; at the first meeting of the Political Bureau of the 20th CPC Central Committee, the deliberation of these Implementation Rules once again became a key agenda item. The Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core began its breakthrough by formulating and implementing the central Eight-Point Regulations, insisting on a top-down approach and leading by example, thereby solving the problems of what to grasp and how to grasp style construction under new circumstances. Once this single "piece" of the central Eight-Point Regulations was placed, the whole chessboard of style construction was revitalized: the style of the Party and government took on a brand-new look, and social and folk customs continued to improve. Our Party won the trust and support of the masses through this new atmosphere of style construction. A 2024 National Bureau of Statistics survey showed that 94.9% of the surveyed masses expressed approval of the results of implementing the spirit of the central Eight-Point Regulations. The central Eight-Point Regulations have already profoundly changed China and will continue to do so.
"Sailing against the current, one must not relax the oar for a moment; water dripping through stone, one must not let a single drop stagnate." Style construction is a war of attrition; there will never be a "stop" sign. The central Eight-Point Regulations are not a five-year or ten-year regulation; they are iron rules and hard benchmarks that are effective over the long term. Conducting study and education is an effective form for promoting the normalization and long-term effectiveness of style construction. When the masses look to see if study and education are effective, their most intuitive feeling comes from seeing whether problems existing in the Party’s style are resolved and whether there is clear progress in the style of Party members and cadres. We need to demonstrate greater perseverance and tenacity, insisting on grasping Party spirit, Party style, and Party discipline together. We must integrate the rectification of conduct, the enforcement of discipline, and the fight against corruption, continuing to work hard on consistency and longevity, strictness and pragmatism, as well as depth and meticulousness. Through the solid results of study and education, we will continue to burnish the "golden business card" of the central Eight-Point Regulations.
Network Editor: Tong Xin Source: People's Daily (April 10, 2025, Page 09)