Li Yi: Grasping Work Style Requires Returning to Basics and Strengthening the Foundation [1]
At present, the whole Party is conducting deep study and education on the implementation of the spirit of the central Eight-Point Regulations, reflecting our Party's firm determination to improve work styles with perseverance. General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized that "the issue of work style is, in essence, an issue of Party spirit," and that "conviction is the root; work style is the form. When the root is upright, the form is cohesive; when the root is not upright, the form will surely scatter." Work style reflects image and quality, embodies Party spirit, and is also determined by Party spirit. In the strengthening and improvement of work styles, strengthening Party spirit is fundamental. We must work hard at returning to the basics [1] and strengthening the foundation [2], guiding Party members and cadres to continuously strengthen their cultivation of Party spirit, elevate their ideological awareness, and consolidate the ideological bedrock for the deep implementation of the spirit of the central Eight-Point Regulations and the continuous improvement of work styles.
I. Profoundly grasp Party spirit as the "greatest virtue" and increase the consciousness of improving work styles
"For leading cadres, Party spirit is the greatest virtue." General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized the importance of Party spirit to Party members and cadres, pointing out that "when cadres encounter problems now, it is mainly a matter of 'virtue' and a weakness in Party spirit." Only those who cultivate great virtue can achieve great undertakings. "Virtue" is of foundational significance for individuals, political parties, and society alike; in conducting oneself and handling affairs, the first priority is to honor virtue and cultivate the self. In a certain sense, the process of strengthening the cultivation of Party spirit is also a process of honoring virtue, self-cultivation, and rectifying the mind. Party members and cadres, especially leading cadres, must consciously achieve the clarity of great virtue [3], the observance of public virtue, and the strictness of private virtue, sublimating their ideological realm and molding a pure character.
The Party spirit of the Communist Party of China is the concentrated manifestation of the advanced nature and purity of a Marxist party. The Party spirit of Chinese Communists is the specific characteristic of the Party’s nature as manifested in individual members; it is the cornerstone for Party members and cadres to establish themselves, their careers, their words, and their virtue. General Secretary Xi Jinping once told this moving story: during the Long March, while crossing the Snowy Mountains, a comrade dressed in thin, old clothes froze to death. The commander ordered the quartermaster to be summoned, intending to ask why he had not issued a padded coat to this frozen comrade. The comrades in the ranks told him with tears in their eyes that the comrade who had frozen to death was the quartermaster himself. The General Secretary lamented: "The man in charge of clothing would rather freeze to death himself than dress warmly first—what a sublime ideological realm!" Party spirit may seem intangible, but it reveals a powerful force at critical moments. It is precisely by relying on the selfless dedication of millions of advanced elements with strong Party spirit and high political awareness that our Party has won one arduous struggle after another, uniting and leading the people to move from victory to victory.
Just as a strong physique requires long-term training, a strong Party spirit also requires constant cultivation, constant practice, constant reflection, and constant progress. Lenin pointed out that "the Party is the advanced, conscious layer of the class," and "our task is to safeguard the firmness, consistency, and purity of our Party. We should strive to raise, raise, and raise again the title and role of the Party member." For a Marxist party, advanced nature and purity will not be naturally maintained over time. For a Communist, the cultivation of Party spirit will not naturally increase with the length of Party membership, nor will it naturally increase with promotion in rank. History and reality prove that whenever a Marxist party loses its advanced nature and purity, it moves toward failure. The "Four Tests" and "Four Dangers" [4] facing our Party are long-term and acute, and the factors that influence the Party's advanced nature and weaken its purity are complex. Party members and cadres must use the spirit of self-revolution to continuously remove impurities, eliminate viruses, and prevent pollution. They must remain clear-cut in the face of major issues of right and wrong, fearless in the face of storms and tests, and firm in their stance before various temptations, forever preserving the political character of Communists.
The "form" of work style has its "root" in the hearts of the people. Whether work style problems can be properly resolved is an important yardstick for measuring whether a Communist remains firm in their Marxist faith, upholds their ideals and convictions, and preserves their loyalty to the Party and the people. If the heart is purified and the aspirations are lofty, one will naturally and consciously maintain an excellent work style. Conversely, if faith is shaken, the purpose is betrayed, and Party spirit is lost, problems will inevitably arise in work style. Therefore, improving work styles cannot be a simple matter of discussing the issue in isolation; it must start from the "heart" and focus on the "heart." We must educate and guide Party members and cadres to always keep the Party in their hearts and be single-minded toward the Party, frequently asking themselves what the Communist Party of China is and what it is meant to do, and what a Communist is and what they are meant to do. We must continuously strengthen Party spirit, raise awareness, and elevate our realm, making the process of improving work style a process of acting for the great public good, upholding great righteousness, and seeking the "greater self," forging an excellent work style through a strong Party spirit.
[Caption: Various regions are taking the opportunity of conducting study and education on the deep implementation of the spirit of the central Eight-Point Regulations to organize Party members and cadres to go deep into the grassroots frontline, listen to the voices of the people, and resolve their concerns, effectively transforming the achievements of work style construction into practical results in serving the people. The photo shows local Party members and cadres learning about the situation from villagers in Cuigang Village, Sanqigang Township, Hefei City, Anhui Province, on April 26, 2025. Photo by Zhao Ming / Renmin Pictures]
Firmness in Party spirit is inseparable from firmness in theory. For Party members and cadres, only by strengthening theoretical arming, continuously drawing nourishment for Party spirit from the Party's innovative theories, and learning and cultivating oneself throughout one's entire life can the foundation of firm Party spirit be fortified. Xi Jinping Throught on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is imbued with firm faith in Marxism and firm conviction in socialism and communism; it concentrically displays the political character, value pursuits, and spiritual outlook of contemporary Chinese Communists. Party members and cadres must consciously use this thought to transform their subjective world, elevating their ideological realm and improving their Party spirit through "study, thought, practice, and comprehension" [5], preventing perverse trends and evil spirits from approaching or attaching to them.
II. Party spirit is, in the final analysis, a matter of stance; we must strengthen and improve work styles by standing on the stance of the Party and the people
General Secretary Xi Jinping profoundly pointed out: "Party spirit is, in the final analysis, a matter of stance. Whether thinking about problems, conducting research, making decisions, or handling affairs, Communists must stand on the stance of the Party and the people, and cannot put personal interests first. This is the principle of Party spirit for Communists." A good work style originates from a strong Party spirit. The fundamental ruler for measuring the strength of Party spirit is the distinction between "public" and "private." If one stands on the "public" stance of the Party and the people, Party spirit will necessarily be strong; if one stands on the "private" stance of the individual, distractions will necessarily be numerous. In other words, if everything is done out of public-mindedness and power is exercised impartially, the spirit of the central Eight-Point Regulations will naturally not be seen as a "constraint," but as a basic requirement that a Communist should fulfill.
The people's stance is the fundamental stance of a Marxist party. From the moment of its birth, the Communist Party of China has always shared the same fate and breath with the people. When the Red Army passed through Shazhou Village in Rucheng County, Hunan, during the Long March, three female Red Army soldiers stayed in the home of an elderly woman named Xu Jiexiu. Upon leaving, they cut their only quilt in half and left one piece for her. The old woman said: "What is the Communist Party? The Communist Party is the kind of people who, even if they have only one quilt, will cut off half to give to the common people." Such a relationship is a true sentiment born of the blending of hearts, and even more, it is an invincible force. On November 3, 2013, General Secretary Xi Jinping visited the people of Shibadong Village in Xiangxi, Hunan. When faced with the question "How should I address you?" from a villager, the elderly Shi Basan, he replied cordially: "I am a servant of the people." These plain words reflect a profound sentiment of "the people foremost" [6] and demonstrate the unchanging original aspiration of Communists. As the years turn, the loyal heart remains as one. For over 100 years, Communists have never forgotten that they are among the people, not outside them, and certainly not above them. That the Party and the people sail in the same boat through wind and rain, sharing life and death and always maintaining "flesh-and-blood ties," is the fundamental guarantee for the Party to overcome all difficulties and risks.
"If the Party's work style is upright, the people's morale will be smooth, and the Party and the people can share joy and sorrow"; "If we do not resolutely correct unhealthy tendencies and instead allow them to develop, they will become like an invisible wall separating our Party from the masses, and our Party will lose its foundation, its lifeblood, and its strength." General Secretary Xi Jinping used these vivid metaphors to profoundly clarify that the core of the work style issue is the relationship between the Party and the masses. The Party's work style concerns the Party's image and the orientation of the people's hearts. Only the further the Party is from unhealthy tendencies, the closer the hearts of the Party and the masses can be. Whether it was the proposal of the "Three Main Rules of Discipline and Eight Points for Attention" [7] during the Jinggangshan period, the large-scale Rectification Movement in Yan'an, or the proposal of the "Two Musts" [8] at the Second Plenary Session of the Seventh CPC Central Committee, an important purpose of our Party's continuous strengthening of work style construction throughout history has been to educate and guide the entire Party to always maintain flesh-and-blood ties with the masses.
When the central Eight-Point Regulations were first formulated, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "If we are a bit less comfortable and a bit less at ease, the people’s level of comfort will be a bit better, their satisfaction a bit higher, and their feeling toward us will be a bit better." Since the New Era, with the central Eight-Point Regulations as the entry point and mobilization order, a transformation of work style that "stirs the muddy and clears the internal" has surged across the land of China. The General Secretary has led by example. From the "White Mountains and Black Waters" [9] of the north to the shores of the South China Sea, from the watery towns of the plains to the Gobi deserts, from rural communities to frontier outposts, he has braved heat and cold, spared no effort, traveled with light escorts and simplified receptions, inquired about livelihoods and welfare, and observed the people's conditions and desires, setting a glorious example for the whole Party in improving work styles and maintaining close ties with the masses. Focusing on the "Four Winds" problems that the masses reacted to most strongly, issues were resolved one by one and fields were standardized one by one. From curbing "waste on the tip of the tongue" (frivolous banqueting), "corruption on wheels" (misuse of official vehicles), and "perverse trends in private clubs," to rectifying prominent problems of formalism and bureaucratism, many phenomena that were once deeply entrenched and difficult to change have been effectively eliminated. The Party's work style and the government's conduct have been refreshed, and the spirit of the Party and the people has been invigorated. A 2024 National Bureau of Statistics survey showed that 94.9% of respondents affirmed the results of the implementation of the spirit of the central Eight-Point Regulations. By focusing on resolving the unhealthy tendencies and deep-seated maladies that affect the comfort and satisfaction of the common people, our Party has won the support and trust of the masses through practical actions to relieve the people's worries, alleviate their grievances, and warm their hearts, powerfully nourishing the deep "blood-and-flesh" affection between the Party and the masses and deeply planting the roots of the Party's governance.
Ultimately, our Party's unremitting push to implement the spirit of the central Eight-Point Regulations is intended to use new achievements in work style construction to promote the maintenance of the Party's advanced nature and purity, continuously win the trust and support of the masses, and provide a powerful guarantee for further comprehensively deepening reform and advancing Chinese-path modernization. Under the new situation, the most important thing in strengthening work style construction is to stick closely to the key of maintaining the Party's flesh-and-blood ties with the masses. On the one hand, we must continuously enhance our feelings for the masses, persist in "from the masses, to the masses," share blessings and hardships with them, "sharing the salt when there is salt, and going without when there is none," achieving a state where one "sees only public servants and no officials." On the other hand, we must increase our capability to serve the people, firmly grasp the characteristics and laws of mass work, follow the mass line in the New Era with practical steps, and embody our concern for the masses and our sentiment for the common people throughout the entire process and in all aspects of performing our duties. We must widely listen to the opinions of the masses, consciously accept their supervision, and effectively "do the good things well, the practical things solidly, and the difficult things properly."
III. Take study and education as an opportunity to further strengthen Party spirit and rectify work styles
"The formulation and implementation of the central Eight-Point Regulations is our Party's act of 'establishing trust by moving the pole' [10] in the New Era." General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "We must grasp it unremittingly and persist over the long term. If ten years is not enough, then twenty; if twenty is not enough, then thirty, until it truly transforms into a custom and an ethos, leading the social and folk mores with an excellent Party style." Work style problems are stubborn and repetitive; strengthening and improving work styles cannot be achieved overnight or in a single stroke, and certainly cannot be like a "passing gust of wind" that stops after a moment. Work style construction has only a starting point and no end point. We must apply "constant" and "long-term" effort, carry forward the "spirit of driving a nail" [11], and dare to touch deep-seated problems and "gnaw on hard bones."
We must persist in a problem-oriented approach. The formulation and implementation of the central Eight-Point Regulations was itself a powerful and pragmatic measure aimed at specific problems, focused on those problems, and corrected in light of them. The achievements of work style construction in the New Era are obvious to all, but instances of violating discipline against the trend still occur from time to time. The "Four Winds" problems have put on "invisibility cloaks" and played "smoke and mirror" games, as various invisible and mutated behaviors grow quietly. The dam of the central Eight-Point Regulations was built with great difficulty; we must cherish it doubly, constantly patrolling and inspecting it, and mending and reinforcing it. Party organizations at all levels should take the opportunity of conducting study and education to comprehensively and deeply investigate and identify problems existing in the implementation of the spirit of the central Eight-Point Regulations. Whatever problems exist should be resolved; whichever problems are prominent should be the focus of rectification. We must investigate and reform immediately, correcting as soon as we know, so as to promote the resolution of problems and the rectification of the social atmosphere.
[12] Adhere to the integrated approach of strengthening Party spirit, Party conduct, and Party discipline. Party spirit is the foundation. Only when Party members and cadres possess a strong Party spirit can they maintain a firm stance and a resilient will, and only then can they—from the inside out and at the most fundamental level—eternally preserve the political character of Communists who resist corruption and remain untainted. This, in turn, allows them to consciously increase their initiative in observing Party discipline and rectifying Party conduct, thereby ensuring rigorous discipline and a clean political atmosphere. Party conduct is the external manifestation. The state of a Party member’s or cadre’s conduct directly reflects the strength of their Party spirit and the strictness of Party discipline, while a fine Party conduct can nourish and promote Party spirit and uphold and reinforce Party discipline. Party discipline is the safeguard. The stricter the discipline, the better Party spirit can be protected and tempered, and the easier it becomes to form a healthy Party conduct. Party spirit, Party conduct, and Party discipline constitute an organic whole. Party members and cadres must benchmark themselves against the requirements for conduct to identify gaps, align themselves with the requirements for Party spirit to investigate root causes, and gauge themselves against the requirements for discipline to clarify their actions. They must integrate the strengthening of Party spirit, the strict observance of discipline, and the honing of conduct into their daily lives until these become habitual.
Adhere to the unification of strict management and supervision with the encouragement of responsibility and initiative. The purpose of rectifying conduct and enforcing discipline is not to manage people to the point of stifling them, making them hesitatant or over-cautious [13]. Rather, it is to create a positive, healthy political ecosystem and a favorable environment for entrepreneurship and achievement by clarifying direction, establishing rules, rectifying the atmosphere, and strengthening immunity. Party organizations at all levels should maintain the combination of strict management and "kind concern" [14], giving equal weight to incentives and constraints to better stimulate the enthusiasm, initiative, and creativity of the vast numbers of Party members and cadres. As Party members and cadres, they must, on the one hand, hold themselves to strict standards and correctly handle the relationships between public and private interests, righteousness and profit (yì and lì) [15], hardship and joy, and close yet clean connections [16]. They must resolutely avoid crossing the "bottom line" of discipline. On the other hand, they must pursue the "high line" of their careers, developing not only "broad shoulders" but "iron shoulders" [17] to bravely shoulder hardships, difficulties, responsibilities, heavy burdens, and risks, ensuring they work with clean hands while acting with boldness.
Adhere to the principle of cultivating people through culture. Culture moistens things silently [18], yet it possesses the power of "dripping water wearing through stone." To promote the spirit of the central Eight-Point Regulations until it becomes a social custom and to guide Party members and cadres to transform external requirements into internal pursuits, the infusion of a culture of integrity is indispensable. By deeply planting the cultural foundation of integrity and public service throughout the whole Party, and by cultivating the cultural soil for honest governance and the impartial use of power, we can guide the vast number of Party members and cadres to temper a noble character of selflessness and selfless dedication. This will allow them to foster a spiritual realm of self-restraint and public-mindedness, and to establish and carry forward correct values such as loyalty, honesty, openness, magnanimity, fairness, uprightness, seeking truth from facts, and hard struggle. When this is achieved, the entire Party will be filled with a refreshing breeze of integrity and a pervasive sense of righteousness.
(The author is the Deputy Director of the Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era at the CPC Central Party School (National Academy of Governance), and Vice President of the CPC Central Party School (National Academy of Governance).)
Source: Qiushi, Issue No. 11, 2025 Online Editor: Tongxin