Sun Zhengyan: Persistently Implementing the Spirit of the Central Committee's Eight-Point Regulation
Carrying out in-depth study and education on the implementation of the spirit of the Central Eight-Point Regulations throughout the entire Party is a key task for Party building this year. In March, the Central Party Building Work Leading Group held a meeting noting the Central Committee's decision to conduct this study and education from the conclusion of the 2025 National Two Sessions [1] through July. The year 2025 marks the final year of the 14th Five-Year Plan and a vital year for further comprehensively deepening reform, during which the layouts for the 15th Five-Year Plan will be drafted. At this critical juncture, conducting this study and education is an important measure to consolidate and deepen the achievements of the thematic education and Party discipline study and education; it is an inevitable requirement for maintaining close ties between the Party and the masses [2] as well as between officials and the masses, and for consolidating the Party’s foundation for governance; and it provides a powerful guarantee for advancing Chinese-path modernization.
1. The Central Eight-Point Regulations are the Central Committee's act of "establishing trust by moving the pole," a landmark measure for governing the Party in the New Era
On December 4, 2012, a meeting of the Political Bureau of the 18th CPC Central Committee reviewed and approved the Eight-Point Regulations on improving work style and maintaining close ties with the masses—now famously known simply as the "Eight-Point Regulations." Spanning just over 600 characters, they established rules for strengthening style construction [3] across eight areas: improving investigation and research, streamlining meetings and activities, streamlining documents and Briefings, standardizing foreign visits, improving security work, improving news reports, strictly managing the publication of manuscripts, and practicing strict economy. It became the "first cut" in comprehensively and strictly governing the Party in the New Era and the "first action" for Chinese Communists to reshape the Party's image. General Secretary Xi Jinping once discussed the original aspiration behind the regulations: "After the 18th National Congress, when the Central Committee discussed how to grasp Party building, we thought of the problem where 'a tiger attacking heaven doesn't know where to take the first bite' [4]. We later decided to grasp the Eight-Point Regulations; we had to take a bite and truly swallow and digest that piece." From their introduction to their implementation, and finally to becoming a landmark discourse that has changed China, the reason the Eight-Point Regulations have resonated so deeply is inseparable from their distinct characteristics.
First: Leading by example from the top. "He who is good at prohibiting others must first prohibit himself." Actions are silent commands; teaching by example is the model for execution. Leading from the top means using the power of example to guide the whole Party. Since the 18th National Congress, whether during domestic inspections or foreign visits, General Secretary Xi Jinping has consistently led by example, taking the lead in strictly implementing the Central Eight-Point Regulations and their implementation rules without compromise or deviation. He has set a benchmark for the entire Party through practical action, providing a powerful impetus for improving work style. These regulations began with the Political Bureau and the "key minority" [5] within the Party, transmitting pressure down through every level to the "nerve endings," conveying a strict requirement for implementation without blind spots or exceptions. The broad ranks of Party members and officials have maintained the political consciousness of aligning themselves with the Central Committee, adhering to the Eight-Point Regulations as a code of conduct. They ensure strict self-reflection and unswerving execution at all times and places, with one level demonstrating for the next and leading the next, resulting in a favorable situation of countering the "Four Winds," fostering new customs, improving the political atmosphere, and guiding public morals. These solid results and tangible changes have won unanimous praise from the people.
Second: Consistency and perseverance. "The Central Eight-Point Regulations are not a five- or ten-year regulation, but a long-term, effective iron rule and hard yardstick." From the 18th Central Political Bureau establishing rules for style construction at the outset, to the first meeting of the 19th Central Political Bureau reviewing and approving the Detailed Rules for the Implementation of the Central Eight-Point Regulations, to the first meeting of the 20th Central Political Bureau researching the same theme and further deepening and refining it—all these release a clear signal of consistently carrying style construction through to the end. Every year, major meetings such as the Plenary Sessions of the Central Committee, the Plenary Sessions of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), and the democratic life meetings [6] of the Political Bureau make specific arrangements and set clear requirements for implementing the Eight-Point Regulations and strengthening style construction. From the Mass Line Education and Practice holds, the "Three Stricts and Three Steadies" [7] special education, and the "Two Studies, One Action" [8] study and education, to the thematic education on "Remaining True to our Original Aspiration and Keeping our Mission Firmly in Mind," Part History study and education, the thematic education on studying and implementing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and the Party discipline study and education, these successive rounds of concentrated intra-Party education have all made style construction a core component. These reflect the Central Committee's clear attitude of pursuing the Eight-Point Regulations with consistency and perseverance. At the level of practical disciplinary inspection and supervision, since the first report in September 2013 through the end of May this year, the CCDI and the National Commission of Supervision have released monthly reports on the investigation of violations of the spirit of the Central Eight-Point Regulations for 140 consecutive months. During this period, statistical indicators have been repeatedly optimized, and the content has expanded from reporting hedonism and extravagance to including formalism and bureaucratism. This centrally demonstrates the results achieved across various regions in continuously correcting the "Four Winds," allowing the people to truly feel that the rectification of conduct, discipline, and corruption is happening right beside them.
Third: Nipping problems in the bud and ensuring implementation. "To hold the line against corruption and degeneration, one must start with the small things and details. If a small hole is not patched, a large hole will bring suffering." A careful reading of the 600-plus characters of the Eight-Point Regulations reveals that they all focus on specific, minor matters with high operability. They avoid being overcautious or shouting empty slogans, instead driving tangible and accessible changes in the "everyday matters" surrounding officials and the masses. Take mooncakes as an example: once, the price of a box of mooncakes in shopping malls could range from 999 to 1,999 yuan or even higher, constantly shocking the public. Giving mooncakes required ensuring they weren't the same as previous years, were "high-end and atmospheric" [9], and weren't too cheap. These various "mooncake irregularities" were, at their root, problems of work style. In early September 2013, the CCDI and the Leading Group of the Party’s Mass Line Education and Practice issued a Notice on Implementing the Spirit of the Central Eight-Point Regulations and Firmly Halting Unhealthy Tendencies such as Gift-Giving with Public Funds during the Mid-Autumn and National Day Holidays. It explicitly demanded that "during the holidays, it is strictly forbidden to use public funds to send mooncakes or festive gifts" and "those who violate discipline against the trend will be investigated and punished whenever discovered." Subsequently, from opening reporting windows for "Four Winds" issues like public-funded mooncakes, to the CCDI issuing consecutive documents to rectify the "sky-high price mooncake" problem, to the National Development and Reform Commission and the State Administration for Market Regulation "slimming down" mooncake packaging in terms of materials, layers, and price—this prompted a return to the traditional cultural essence of mass consumer goods and used a small entry point to drive a social fashion of rejecting extravagance and advocating frugality. From mooncakes to greeting cards, from official vehicles to office buildings and halls, and from focusing on holidays to daily routines, by nipping problems in the bud and connecting the dots, breakthroughs in specific issues led to the resolution of systemic problems. These concrete and solid actions promoted the "establishment of trust by moving the pole" and the transformation of the social atmosphere into custom.
2. Once a single piece is placed, the whole game of style construction comes alive
Comprehensively and strictly governing the Party in the New Era began by breaking ground with the implementation of the spirit of the Central Eight-Point Regulations. The Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core took the lead by example. From seriously investigating hedonism and extravagance to resolutely correcting formalism and bureaucratism with the "spirit of driving a nail" [10]; from breaking down privilege-seeking mindsets and behaviors to rectifying unhealthy tendencies and corruption occurring at the people's side—one flaw after another was corrected, one problem after another was broken through, and the effort persisted year after year. Through the revolutionary forging of comprehensively and strictly governing the Party in the New Era, the situation of lax discipline and superficial work styles has been significantly altered. An atmosphere where management is truly strict, dares to be strict, and remains strict over the long term has basically taken shape. The Party and government's work style has taken on a completely new look, the social atmosphere and public morals have continued to improve, and the Party's image in the hearts of the people has been reshaped. A 2024 survey by the National Bureau of Statistics showed that 94.9% of the surveyed public approved of the results of implementing the spirit of the Central Eight-Point Regulations. "The Eight-Point Regulations changed China" has become a consensus among the broad ranks of Party members, officials, and the masses.
The "Four Winds" have been effectively corrected, and a clean and honest political ecosystem is being increasingly consolidated. General Secretary Xi Jinping profoundly pointed out that when the common people look at style construction, they do not primarily look at how many meetings were held, how many speeches were made, or how many documents were issued, but at what problems were solved. Once, faced with profound changes in the international, national, and Party situations, the whole Party was sharply confronted with the "Four Dangers": the danger of a lack of drive, the danger of incompetence, the danger of becoming detached from the people, and the danger of corruption. Phenomena of detachment from the masses existed extensively within the Party, and some problems were quite serious, manifesting centrally in the "Four Winds": formalism, bureaucratism, hedonism, and extravagance. Formalism manifested primarily as inconsistency between words and actions, a lack of practical results, a "mountain of documents and a sea of meetings" [11], flashy but useless work, and seeking vanity and fraud. Bureaucratism manifested primarily as detachment from reality and the masses, being high and mighty, ignoring reality, and being self-important and self-aggrandizing. Hedonism manifested primarily as a lack of drive, a lack of ambition, seeking fame and profit, craving enjoyment, focusing on ostentation, and a prevailing culture of play. Extravagance manifested primarily as wastefulness, profligacy, grand construction projects, excessive festivities, a lavish lifestyle, and even using power for personal gain and succumbing to moral decay. Focusing on the "Four Winds," disciplinary inspection and supervision organs have insisted on putting "strictness" first and investigating to the end, keeping a close eye on pervasive and recurring chronic malaises and focusing on areas and regions where problems are prominent and work is weak. By exerting targeted force and making key breakthroughs, they have pushed style construction to be tightly grasped with real results. Data shows that since the 18th National Congress, 1.167 million cases of "Four Winds" issues have been investigated nationwide, with 1.081 million people receiving disciplinary actions, effectively curbing unhealthy tendencies.
Work to rectify formalism and reduce burdens at the grassroots level is being solidly advanced, and the spirit of entrepreneurship has been effectively boosted. General Secretary Xi Jinping has profoundly pointed out that formalism and bureaucratism are incompatible with our Party's nature, purpose, and fine traditions; they are the great enemies of our Party and the people. Since the 18th National Congress, under the personal arrangement and promotion of General Secretary Xi Jinping, a series of measures focusing on solving prominent formalism and bureaucratism problems have been released. This includes the General Office of the CPC Central Committee issuing documents to address the "mountain of documents and sea of meetings," the excessive frequency of inspections and evaluations directed at the grassroots, and the problem of "leaving a trail" [12] for its own sake, explicitly proposing a "Year of Reducing Burdens on the Grassroots." Furthermore, a special working mechanism led by the General Office with the participation of eight units (including the CCDI, the National Commission of Supervision, the Organization Department, and the Propaganda Department) was established to specifically coordinate and promote this work. From the first public release of data on formalist and bureaucratist violations to the issuance of the Several Provisions on Rectifying Formalism to Reduce Burdens on the Grassroots by the General Offices of the Central Committee and the State Council, the institutional regulations of recent years have been integrated. This marks the first time that norms for reducing grassroots burdens have been established in the form of intra-Party regulations. This series of measures has lightened the burden on grassroots officials, enhanced governance capacity, and significantly increased the enthusiasm of grassroots Party members and officials for entrepreneurship, with results continuously benefiting the masses.
The work style of the Party and government leads social and public morals toward the good, and the society is increasingly filled with a new atmosphere of integrity. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that formulating and implementing the Central Eight-Point Regulations was an act of "establishing trust by moving the pole" for our Party in the New Era. We must grasp it relentlessly and persist over the long term until it truly becomes a custom, using the Party's fine style to lead social and public morals. It can be seen that "using the Party's fine style to lead social and public morals" was a major goal of the Central Committee in implementing the regulations and is a true reflection of how the Eight-Point Regulations have evolved from an intra-Party system into a social code of conduct. The conduct of leading cadres is an important weather vane for social atmosphere. Through specific means such as strict investigations, pre-holiday briefings, and integrity reminders, and by focusing on the "Four Winds" through a process of "repeatedly grasping and grasping the repeats," style construction has used the Eight-Point Regulations as an entry point not only to rectify unhealthy tendencies but also to cultivate a healthy and positive intra-Party political culture. This involves both "pulling up rotten trees" and "treating sick trees" [13], investigating serious "official-oriented" [14] mindsets and distorted views of power, and breaking through privilege-seeking thoughts and behaviors. This helps the broad ranks of Party members and officials establish a correct view of their performance, thereby eradicating the ideological and cultural roots behind unhealthy tendencies. This allows bad habits such as excessive eating and drinking, "face culture" [15], and collusion between officials and businessmen to have no place to hide, using a clean and upright political ecosystem to nurture a positive social atmosphere.
The level of institutionalization in conduct building has steadily risen, continuously releasing the governance efficacy of conduct construction. General Secretary Xi Jinping has profoundly pointed out that "rather than standing by the pond longing for fish, it is better to go back and weave a net" [16], and "rather than stirring the soup to stop it from boiling, it is better to remove the firewood from beneath the cauldron" [17]. To promote the normalization and long-term effectiveness of conduct building, the key lies in having a complete set of scientific and rational laws and regulations as a guarantee. From the perspective of top-level design, since the 18th Party Congress, the Eight-Point Regulations and their implementation rules have been continuously refined and executed with precision. The Party Central Committee has issued a series of systems regarding diligence and frugality in Party and government organs, opposition to waste, management of domestic official hospitality, and reform of official vehicle use. The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Commission of Supervision have issued guiding opinions on rectifying formalism and bureaucratism and curbing food waste. Consequently, the levels of institutionalization and standardization in conduct building have continuously improved. Various regions and departments, integrating their respective realities, have issued a series of rules and regulations regarding the rectification of the Four Winds, the strengthening of supervision and prevention, the intensification of strict management coupled with compassionate care, and the rigorous management of cadres. They have utilized information technology such as big data for early warning and correction, establishing rules at the institutional level and rectifying the atmosphere at the practical level, thereby driving Party members and cadres to form a high degree of self-awareness in "maintaining awe and knowing when to stop" [18] and abiding by rules and discipline. Simultaneously, efforts have been strengthened in the construction of families, family education, and family traditions. Activities to promote clean family traditions and family-assisted integrity have been carried out, deeply mining resources for integrity and strengthening education in honesty. This guides Party members and cadres to "strengthen the foundation and nurture the source" [19] ideologically, upholding integrity and professional honesty, and eradicating the soil where conduct problems sprout through a combination of treating both symptoms and root causes and applying systemic governance.
3. Cultivate the "Study of the Heart" for Communists
Currently, the entire Party is engaged in an education campaign to deeply implement the spirit of the central Eight-Point Regulations. The task of improving work conduct is highly arduous; the Eight-Point Regulations serve as an entry point and a mobilization order. The Eight-Point Regulations are neither the highest standard nor the ultimate goal; they are merely our first step in improving conduct and the basic requirement we must achieve as Communists. General Secretary Xi Jinping has profoundly pointed out that conduct issues are, fundamentally, issues of Party spirit. To put the implementation of the spirit of the Eight-Point Regulations into practice and fundamentally consolidate the foundation of conduct building, one must master the compulsory course of Party spirit education for the cultivation of a Communist’s character—cultivating the "study of the heart" [20] for Communists.
Stay firm in ideals and convictions to fortify the foundation of Party spirit cultivation. Conviction is the root, while conduct is the form; when the root is upright, the form co Tales; when the root is not upright, the form inevitably dissipates. Only with firm ideals and convictions can one possess clear vision and an upright heart, and maintain a sober mind; if ideals and convictions waver, one will become "enslaved by material things" [21] and lose one's way. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Every intensive education campaign of the Party has begun with ideological education, focusing on solving problems of superficial learning, ideological disunity, and inconsistent action. By applying both steady, continuous effort and concentrated force, we move the entire Party toward ideological unity, political solidarity, and consistency in action." All intensive intra-Party education campaigns in the New Era, including this current education on deeply implementing the spirit of the Eight-Point Regulations, have taken the strengthening of ideals and convictions as a core component. By firmly grasping the fundamental element of ideological education, they provide a regular "baptism" for Party members regarding ideals, convictions, conduct, and discipline. This educates and guides Party members and cadres to fortify the foundation of faith, "replenish the calcium" of the spirit [22], and steady the "rudder" of thought. It drives Party members and cadres to hold fast to the "master switch" [23] of ideals and convictions, so they may take a clear-cut stand on major issues of right and wrong, remain fearless before the tests of wind and waves, stand firm against various temptations, and ensure the Party can trust, rely on, and feel at ease with them at critical moments. Only by working hard to "establish the roots and secure the foundation" can one prevent "noxious winds and evil spirits" [24] from approaching or attaching to oneself. Party members and cadres must remain firm in their ideals and convictions, deriving from them a "guiding light" to discern major trends, respond to changing situations, and observe the future; a "source of power" for unceasing struggle and tireless progress; "political wisdom" to distinguish right from wrong and clear the mist; and "powerful antibodies" to resist erosion and prevent degeneration.
Strengthen theoretical study and use the Party's innovative theories to coalesce the soul. Clarity and steadfastness in Party spirit are inseparable from clarity and steadfastness in theory. Whether it be the "political judgment, political understanding, and political execution" of Party members and cadres, or the breadth of their thinking and the height of their ideological realm, all are closely related to the depth of their theoretical cultivation. For leading Party cadres to temper their Party spirit and forge an "indestructible golden body" [25], they must arm their minds, guide their practice, and promote their work with the Party's innovative theories. Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is contemporary Chinese Marxism and 21st-century Marxism; it is the guiding ideology that the Party and the state must adhere to over the long term. The vast numbers of Party members and cadres must continue to study this scientific theory in depth, promptly learn the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s latest important speeches and instructions, and continuously improve their theoretical and political literacy. They must constantly strengthen their convictions, temper their original aspirations, and promote self-transformation and self-purification to better work for the Party and the people. We must carry forward the Marxist academic style of "linking theory with practice," achieving the integration of "learning, thinking, and application" and the unity of "knowledge, belief, and action." We must resolutely prevent problems such as going through the motions, lack of systematic depth, and the decoupling of study from application. We should effectively transform the results of learning into a high degree of self-awareness in firming up ideals and tempering Party spirit, and into vivid practices for performing one's duties and promoting the development of the cause.
Draw cultural nourishment to build a powerful spiritual world. Since the implementation of the Eight-Point Regulations, our Party has insisted on both rectifying the Four Winds and establishing new trends. We have not only resolutely rectified visible malpractices but also continuously eliminated the underlying ideological and cultural roots. This has promoted changes in the political ecosystem, cultural soil, and social outlook, helping to construct core values with powerful appeal. "When upright qi [vital energy] resides within, heterodox evils cannot interfere" [26]. When Party members and cadres consciously pursue healthy ways of working and living over the long term, vulgar things will not be able to approach them. Freed from the "mountain of documents and sea of meetings" [27] and the burden of social entertainment, even if they have only a little free time, they can accompany their families, enjoy domestic affection, hold a cup of green tea with a book in hand, cultivate elegant hobbies, let their minds wander beyond material things, and strengthen their bodies and wills—such arrangements are truly tasteful. To cultivate the "study of the heart" for Communists, one must profoundly grasp the ideological connotations of the "Two Combinations," especially the "Second Combination" [28]. We should draw wisdom and nourishment from fine traditional Chinese culture—such as "rectifying the heart and clarifying the Way" [29] and the "unity of knowledge and action" [30]. This thickens the humanistic, ideological, and moral foundations of the political ideals and faiths of Communists. It encourages a "return to simplicity and truth" [31], strengthens the foundation and nurtures the source, and fosters a drive toward goodness, building a powerful spiritual world for Communists to persevere in strengthening conduct building.