Shan Boya and Gao Mengran: Three Dimensions of Understanding and Resolving the Unique Challenges Facing a Large Party
"The unique challenges of a large Party" is a new theoretical proposition mentioned by General Secretary Xi Jinping in his report to the 20th National Congress of the CPC. It represents both a grasp of the laws governing Marxist political parties and a strategic foresight for advancing the Great New Project of Party Building in the New Era. This innovative theory fully demonstrates the profound sense of concern, high degree of historical consciousness, and strong sense of mission and responsibility of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core in unswervingly promoting the comprehensive and strict governance of the Party. The key to managing China's affairs well lies with the Party. In the New Era, the fundamental path to resolving the unique challenges of a large Party lies in adhering to comprehensively and strictly governing the Party and persisting in the Party’s self-revolution. In January 2016, at the Sixth Plenary Session of the 18th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "The core of comprehensively and strictly governing the Party is strengthening Party leadership." [1] The purpose of comprehensively and strictly governing the Party is to uphold and strengthen the overall leadership of the Party; Party building aims to play a leading role in all work, including central tasks. The guarantee for comprehensively and strictly governing the Party is to adhere to the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee and the overall leadership of the Party. Stressing the leadership of the proletarian party is a basic viewpoint of Marxist theory on Party building, and also the "key code" for the Party's one victory after another over the past century. Therefore, there is a natural and inseparable connection between solving the unique challenges of a large Party in the New Era and strengthening Party leadership. Remaining clear-headed and determined in addressing this major proposition of the times while deeply understanding the scientific gist of "the unique challenges of a large Party" provides significant value for unswervingly promoting the comprehensive and strict governance of the Party and consolidating the Party's long-term governing status.
I. The Historical Dimension: Understanding the "Largeness" of a Large Party from the Centenary Journey
To deeply understand "the unique challenges of a large Party," one must first recognize what constitutes a "large Party" and grasp the essential characteristics of a "large Party's" development. In October 2017, when meeting Chinese and foreign journalists with the members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the 19th CPC Central Committee, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "The Communist Party of China is the largest political party in the world. Being large, it must look like a large party." [2] As a "large Party," the CPC is not only reflected in the sheer number of its members and the massive scale of its organization, but more so in a comprehensive reflection of the Party’s ideals and beliefs, its will and character, its spiritual realm, and its breadth of vision. The Party’s strong leadership throughout its centenary journey has been the "calming pillar" [1] for the continuous development of the cause of the Party and the state, and the fundamental guarantee for national rejuvenation. The great ambition, great confidence, great responsibility, and great vision it has displayed support the "look" of the world's largest political party.
(1) Great Ambition: Aspiring to a lasting legacy for the nation
The "look" of a century-old large Party is reflected in its lofty ambitions and its concern for the lasting legacy of the nation. In modern times, China's political situation underwent sudden and violent changes, with acute contradictions between the Chinese nation and foreign powers, as well as internal class contradictions. The establishment of the CPC was a response to the issues of national independence and liberation under the extremely severe circumstances of a fragmented country, people living in misery, and internal and external oppression. The centenary journey is a history of development in which the Party led the people from achieving national independence and liberation to national prosperity and the people's happiness. The CPC has taken national salvation as its main thread, using the New Democratic Revolution to overthrow the "three great mountains" [2], unifying the resolution of national and class contradictions, and moving toward the establishment of the state through revolution. With the aim of national revitalization, it established the basic socialist system, implemented a series of "Five-Year Plans," coordinated "all sides" [3], independently promoted the "Four Modernizations" [4], and strode toward development. Taking national wealth as its center, it implemented the "three-step" development strategy [5] and committed to making the country strong through reform along the main axis of economic construction. With the goal of making the country a great power, it has accelerated the building of a new development pattern, focused on promoting high-quality development, and comprehensively advanced the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through "Chinese-path modernization," writing a new chapter of struggle.
(2) Great Confidence: The people are the "land and rivers"
The "look" of a century-old large Party is reflected in its vast confidence and its persistence in a people-centered approach. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "The people are the greatest source of confidence for our Party’s governance and the solid foundation of our Republic." [3] "The people, and the people alone, are the motive force in the making of world history." [4] This is a basic viewpoint of the Marxist materialist conception of history, revealing the subjectivity of the people in historical development. On the basis of critiquing German classical philosophy, Marx formed a series of insights regarding human beings and the essence of man. He believed that humans are not "abstract people" but "real people" [6] who drive the development of productive forces and historical progress; history is the history of "real people." He creatively proposed the advanced idea of "seeking interests for the vast majority," which differs from the theological view of history that proclaims all living beings are "the property of God" and all development relies on "God's will." It also differs from the heroic view of history which argues that all achievements should be attributed to the intellect or rationality of a few "great men"—that is, "the soul of the entire world history is the history of these great men." [5] It is further distinct from the Western bourgeois belief in the supremacy of capital and the assertion that "man's value is determined by money." The CPC is a party guided by advanced Marxist theory, which dictates that the Party always represents the "vast majority" rather than any interest group, power clique, or privileged stratum.
(3) Great Responsibility: It takes a good blacksmith to make good steel
The "look" of a century-old large party lies in its courage to take responsibility, as expressed in the proverb "it takes a good blacksmith to make good steel." [7] On July 3, 2018, at the National Conference on Organizational Work, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Before the 18th National Congress of the Party, facing the prominent problems that had existed within the Party for a period of time, the whole Party was deeply worried, and I was deeply worried. After thinking it over and over, I realized that it takes a good blacksmith to make good steel." [6] The Party's own building directly determines the success or failure of national rejuvenation. As early as the New Democratic Revolution, the Gutian Congress [8] began to explore the fine tradition of ideological Party building and political army building. Since then, the CPC has gradually formed a layout for Party building consisting of ideological, organizational, and conduct building. The report of the 13th National Congress proposed institutional Party building for the first time, and the 14th National Congress and the Fourth Plenary Session of the 14th Central Committee clarified the goals for institutional building; the 16th National Congress wrote institutional building into the Party Constitution. The 17th National Congress emphasized advancing Party building with a spirit of reform and innovation, forming a general deployment of "one main line and five key points." The report of the 19th National Congress put forward the General Requirements for Party Building in the New Era, emphasizing that political building be put in first place, forming a "5+2" layout for Party building [9]. Based on the new journey of the New Era, the report of the 20th National Congress deployed seven major tasks around the "Great Party Building" pattern and for the first time put forward the new requirement of two "always on the road" [10]. It takes a good blacksmith to make good steel; only by being "hard" yourself can you forge hard steel. The purpose of continuously strengthening the Party's own building is to inherit the Party’s fine traditions, promote the great founding spirit of the Party, carry forward the "red lineage," and forge the Party's "indestructible vajra body" [11].
(4) Great Vision: Bearing the world in mind to benefit the globe
The "look" of a century-old large Party is reflected in its vast vision, encompassing all rivers and bearing the world in mind. A "large Party" must not only be committed to its own country's development but also face the international stage. The world influence sought by the CPC is not to safeguard specific interest groups or to seek global hegemony, but for the common well-being of all humanity. Its inner cultivation far transcends Western ideological prejudice and the nearsightedness of narrow interest groups. As early as 1956, when looking forward to 21st-century China, Comrade Mao Zedong said with great pride: "China is a country with 9.6 million square kilometers of land and 600 million people. China ought to make a greater contribution to humanity." [7] Since the 18th National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized on many occasions at home and abroad: "China will always be a contributor to global development." [8] At the same time, General Secretary Xi Jinping has further expanded the connotation of "making a greater contribution," proposing "Chinese experience" and contributing "Chinese wisdom" in terms of strategic partnerships, security patterns, economic development, cultural exchanges, and ecological construction. These efforts have been widely welcomed and supported by the international community, especially by the vast number of developing countries, showing strong international influence and shaping power.
II. The Comparative Dimension: Understanding "Uniqueness" by Contrasting the Rise and Fall of Political Parties Worldwide
Contemporary world politics is party politics. Looking at the history of the development of large parties around the world—whether it is the painful lesson of once-unrivaled, leading large and old parties losing the people and power, or even leading to the death of the party and the state, or the vivid contrast between today’s "China’s Governance" and "Western Chaos"—this series of historical rises and falls provides a profound mirror for us to grasp historical initiative in solving the unique challenges of a large Party on the new journey of the New Era.
(1) The uniqueness of "sheer scale"
As the world's largest Marxist ruling party, the primary uniqueness of its "largeness" lies in the Party's massive volume and scale. As of the end of 2022, the CPC had 98.041 million members and 5.065 million primary-level Party organizations. On one hand, the rapid growth of the Party membership indicates that the Party's centripetal force, appeal, and mobilization power have strengthened, and its governing foundation has become more solid. On the other hand, it also indicates that the task of high-quality construction of the member ranks is more arduous. It is necessary to continue deepening the intensity of Party management and governance to ensure the advanced nature and purity of the Party membership. During the New Democratic period, up until the 7th National Congress, there were only 1.21 million members, less than 0.3% of the national population at the time. In terms of numbers, it was indeed a "single spark" [12], yet the CPC attached great importance to internal political, ideological, and organizational building. Despite the small number of members, they had firm convictions and were proactive; the Party was full of vitality, allowing it to "arouse millions of workers and peasants to act with one heart." If a large Party cannot effectively manage its massive ranks, and organizational problems arise or internal political disagreements occur, it often creates serious hidden dangers for Party building. For example, in the 1980s and 90s, before the drastic changes in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, the proportion of Party members in socialist countries was above 6%, but the proportion in Romania was the highest, reaching 16.1%—on average, one in six people was a Party member. However, Romania also collapsed the fastest at that time. Before the regime had even completely disintegrated, these Party members scattered in all directions to pursue their own futures. This was later called the "Romanian Paradox" by academic circles. [9]
(2) The uniqueness of "theoretical innovation"
When ideas are new, the party is new; when theory is strong, the party is strong. The strength and advantage of the CPC lie in its possession of a complete set of scientific theoretical systems. Marxism is the guiding ideology and theoretical foundation of our Party. Later, we persisted in combining Marxism-Leninism with Chinese practice, Chinese history, and Chinese culture, continuously promoting the Sinicization of Marxism and constantly enhancing the flexibility and adaptability of the Party's theoretical and ideological systems. If a country or a political party’s guiding ideology is vague and lacks a core value system, then the loss of its ideological "territory" and the loss of power will only be a matter of time. For example, at the beginning of its rule, the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) of Mexico held high the banner of "nationalism" to achieve national unity, economic development, and to resist threats from the United States. However, internally it could not face social contradictions, and externally it could not handle the rapid changes in international relations. As Mexico joined the North American Free Trade Area, globalist concepts and neoliberal trends seeped into the party from all sides. Coupled with the rapid rise of technocrats, a tide of realism and pragmatism filled the party and government. Members who were loyal to the cause of the party and the state and firm in their ideals and beliefs were no longer valued. Nationalism and socialism were shelved, eventually leading to "social liberalism," which resulted in the loss of the presidential election in 2000, ending 71 years of continuous rule.
(3) The uniqueness of "manifold challenges"
The Communist Party of China (CPC) has achieved long-term governance, successfully realized the First Centenary Goal, and created a "Chinese miracle" rare in world history. Looking at history, both ancient and modern, Chinese and foreign, this is evidenced by the "historical cycle" [13] of the rise and fall of Chinese dynasties, the repeated alternation of Western political parties between being in power or in opposition, and the drastic changes in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. Consequently, General Secretary Xi Jinping proposed the "four things that are not easy" [14] regarding long-term governance, defining four important stages and conducting a deep-level analysis of the roots of the rise and fall of parties and nations. First, it is not easy to remain mindful of potential danger in times of peace and maintain the enterprising spirit of the early days of one's undertaking when one has achieved success and fame. Second, it is not easy to remain frugal, restrained, and diligent from beginning to end after seizing state power. It is not difficult to be full of passion and vitality in the early stages of revolution; the difficulty lies in remaining mindful of adversity, maintaining the "spirit of the Foolish Old Man" [15], and adhering to the "restraint of rules" throughout the entire process of governing the country after taking power. Third, it is not easy to strictly manage officialdom and prevent corruption and extravagance during times of peace. Corruption is a worldwide problem and the largest "malignant tumor" harming the Party's vitality and combat effectiveness. During its long period in power, the Indian National Congress failed to effectively manage various instances of corruption and abuse of power by officials; the party's prestige plummeted, and it was eventually replaced by the rapidly rising Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), failing to reverse its decline to this day. Fourth, it is not easy to follow the tide of the times and respond to the will of the people at moments of major change. Promoting innovation in the methods of governing and disciplining the Party, and having the courage to ride the wind of reform to benefit the people, is the key to the robust growth of a large party. In contrast, Poland tried to take the path of reform to break free from the shackles of the Soviet model, but due to a lack of autonomy, it subsequently fell back into the old pattern of following the Soviet Union. In handling party-mass relations, its internal policies were divorced from national conditions and ran counter to the people, while its foreign policy turned the country into a dependency of a major power. Both severely damaged national self-esteem and sowed the seeds of unrest.
III. The Dimension of Reality: Focusing on "Where the Difficulty Lies" from the Perspective of the New Era and the New Journey
"Act before things happen; manage before disorder breaks out." A strong sense of concern for potential adversity is a prominent spiritual trait of the Chinese nation and a unique fine quality of Chinese Communists. As a massive political organization, the CPC inevitably faces a series of unique dilemmas and challenges. To analyze "where the difficulty lies" for a large party, we must base ourselves on the New Era and the New Journey, focusing on the major assertion of the "six 'how to always'" [16] and looking toward the central task of the CPC. We must see both the difficulties brought about by the scale and system of the large party itself and consider the special historical status and developmental context closely related to the generation of these unique challenges.
(1) The "difficulty of persistence" in always remembering the original aspiration and founding mission
A Marxist party is an advanced party representing the interests of the working class, always struggling "for the interests of the vast majority." Precisely because of this selflessness and thoroughness, it is determined that "the Communists fight for the attainment of the immediate aims, for the enforcement of the momentary interests of the working class; but in the movement of the present, they also represent and take care of the future of that movement" [17]. Therefore, the struggle for a grand ideal is destined to be a journey through wind and rain, inevitably subject to pressure from imperialism and the negative influence of capitalist ideological trends. It is easy for vacillation in ideals and convictions to occur, which determines the difficulty of persisting in the original aspiration and founding mission. General Secretary Xi Jinping once pointed out: "A nation that forgets where it came from is a nation without a future; a party that forgets its original aspiration is a party without a future." "Staying true to our original aspiration and founding mission" is the fundamental political soul of our Party and the eternal source for realizing the Party's nature and purpose; it injects infinite vitality into the exercise of the Party's leadership, cohesion, and combat effectiveness. The original aspiration and founding mission of the CPC contain an incomparably strong spiritual force. In the New Era and the New Journey, various dangers and tests that violate the Party's original aspiration and shake its foundations still exist; hard-won practical results need to be durably reinforced. Reflecting on the unique challenge of "how to always stay true to our original aspiration and keep our mission firmly in mind" demonstrates the CPC's high degree of clear-headedness and historical consciousness. It aims to solve a series of problems within the Party that run counter to its aspiration and mission. This is both a profound insight into thoughts and behaviors that contradict the Party's mission under new circumstances and a continued inquiry into where the CPC came from and where it is going. Furthermore, it is a deep warning to the entire Party to remember the "fundamental question of what the CPC is and what it aims to do."
(2) The "difficulty of consensus" in achieving a high degree of unity and solidarity
Maintaining the Party's unity and solidarity is a basic principle of Marxist party-building theory and an important "red line" running through Party building. "How to unify thoughts, will, and actions" is essentially about how to maintain the Party's unity and solidarity; it is a unique challenge the CPC must solve. The larger the scale of membership, the more complex the structure of the Party ranks. In particular, with the increase in the number of Party members employed in new economic and social organizations in recent years, how to conduct solidarity work among these highly mobile and professionally diverse emerging groups and win over the vast majority is an arduous and necessary problem that must be solved in the New Era. Furthermore, in the process of comprehensively deepening reform, a major topic that must be considered is how to integrate with China's new struggle and practice without being impacted by the diversification of social concepts. We must ensure the new development philosophy is better understood and recognized, thereby effectively resisting the erosion of the Party's unity and solidarity by phenomena such as money worship, hedonism, extreme individualism, and passive corruption. From the perspective of democratizing intra-Party life, since the 18th National Congress, our Party has taken the comprehensive development of deliberative democracy as an important form of practicing whole-process people's democracy. It has actively developed grassroots democracy and placed greater emphasis on building grassroots Party organizations and expanding their functions, further broadening the channels and pointing the way for strengthening intra-Party democracy under new historical conditions. However, in the practice of grassroots intra-Party democracy, there still exist situations where some members and cadres lack discipline, exhibit liberalist tendencies, or make remarks detrimental to the Party's unity and solidarity. Some show insufficient professional competence in their work, respond slowly to major risks and tests, or fail to effectively execute the major decisions of the Party Central Committee. These are all serious hidden dangers to the Party's unity and solidarity that must be taken seriously and eliminated.
(3) The "difficulty of leadership" in possessing long-term governing capacity
How to always win the hearts of the people and achieve long-term governance is a fundamental question we must answer and solve well. Most political parties in Western countries only "govern" (zhìzhèng) rather than "lead" (lǐngdǎo). In contrast, due to the specificity of its nature, purpose, and mission, the CPC is both a leading party and a governing party, always prioritizing the interests of the people. Therefore, the Party's leadership and the Party's governance are inseparable. This not only requires the entire Party to always remember "who I am, for whom I work, and on whom I rely," maintaining the Party's advanced nature and purity, but also requires continuous exploration of "how to always possess strong governing capacity and leadership level." This aims to crack the fundamental problem of "how to build a long-term governing Marxist party," with the ultimate standard of evaluation being the satisfaction and recognition of the masses. Therefore, how to achieve effective and promising leadership during long-term governance is a major test facing our Party. This "difficulty of leadership" tests whether the CPC "knows how" and "is able." First, based on long-term governance itself, with the expansion of the Party membership and the increase in grassroots organizations, a large party faces the difficulty of balancing the delegation of power with centralized and unified leadership in practical work. It must fully authorize local organizations and grassroots cadres to give play to their initiative and creativity, yet it cannot loosen leadership over local organizations, ensuring consistent action and unified goals across all levels. Second, in the process of leading the realization of Chinese-path modernization, questions of whether we can adapt to social and environmental changes, whether we can resolve the diverse interests and demands of the masses, and how to achieve innovative transformation all require our Party to continuously improve its governing capacity and leadership level, moving in the direction of the people's expectations and striving for the goal of common prosperity.
(4) The "difficulty of motivation" in maintaining a spirit of enterprise and undertaking
Without spirit, a person cannot stand; without spirit, a nation cannot be strong; without spirit, a party cannot flourish. What kind of mental state a political party exhibits and whether this state is sustainable concerns the future and destiny of the party and the success or failure of its great cause. Party members are the cells of the Party organization; only when the cells are full of vitality can the party show vigor. Therefore, "how to always maintain a mental state of enterprise and undertaking" essentially emphasizes the internal motivation of the vast number of Party members and cadres. It is the continuous exercise of subjective initiative based on practice and the grasping of objective laws—an active and upward posture of progress. Huang Yanpei [18] once pointed out: "In the beginning, everyone is focused, no matter is left unattended, and no person fails to exert effort. Perhaps because times are difficult, one can only find life by facing ten thousand deaths." As the world's largest Marxist party, our Party has always been able to move forward against difficulties to open up new horizons in past historical practices. In the New Era and the New Journey, facing many "great struggles with new historical characteristics," the vast number of Party members and cadres must also be fearless, drawing nourishment from the Great Founding Spirit of the Party and fully carrying forward the spirit of struggle and revolution. In reality, however, long-term governance by a single party also risks leading some members and cadres to seek ease and enjoyment, potentially becoming coerced or corrupted by various interests. Within the Party, situations may arise where some members and cadres lack sufficient drive, or where their fighting skills and practical experience are inadequate. They may find it difficult to maintain a constant state of enterprise, craving comfort and becoming stuck in place without seeking progress. This requires not only that the vast number of Party members keep the "Three Requirements" [19] in mind, strengthen their study of Party constitutions and regulations, and arm their minds with the Party's innovative theories, but also requires the building and implementation of incentive mechanisms to encourage a correct orientation for cadres' undertakings. It requires grasping the "key minority" [20] to ensure that cadres truly possess political judgment, political discernment, and political implementation [21], so they "want to do things, are able to do things, and can successfully complete things, while continuously solving problems and cracking dilemmas."
(5) The "difficulty of innovation" in timely discovery and resolution of problems
Only with contradictions can there be development, and with development, there will be problems. Problems exist at all times and everywhere. Having problems is not frightening; the difficulty lies in discovering and solving them in a timely manner and in handling them through reform and innovation. Lenin once pointed out: "There has never been a revolution in history which after victory could be content to rest on its laurels." For this reason, he placed great emphasis on summarizing experience, requiring the courage to admit mistakes and the timely discovery and handling of problems within the Party, believing that a political party must dare to face its own errors directly. General Secretary Xi Jinping clearly pointed out: "For such a large party, occupying a governing position and controlling governing resources, it is easy to ignore one's own deficiencies and problems under the halo of governing achievements, falling into the predicament where 'it is easy to revolutionize others, but hard to revolutionize oneself.'" Therefore, "how to always be able to discover and solve one's own problems in a timely manner" is essentially about taking the initiative to "turn the blade inward" and conduct self-revolution. The Party's historical practice fully proves that the greatness of the CPC lies in its honesty and directness toward itself, being "courageous in self-revolution and possessing an extremely strong capacity for self-repair." Therefore, in the long process of promoting social revolution, to continue maintaining our Party's advanced nature and purity, we must scientifically, accurately, and seriously analyze and grasp problems, take the initiative in solving them, integrate theory with practice, seek truth from facts, carry the Party's great self-revolution through to the end, and continuously promote new achievements in comprehensively and strictly governing the Party.
(6) The "difficulty of adjustment" in creating a sound political ecosystem
"The political ecosystem, much like a natural ecosystem, is easily polluted if one is not careful; once problems emerge, the cost of restoration is immense." [39] The state of a country's political ecosystem fundamentally determines the direction and destiny of the entire social-ecological system. Whether the political ecosystem is healthy or unhealthy directly affects the morale and outlook of Party members and cadres, and bears upon the quality and efficiency of economic and social development. "How to consistently maintain a clean and upright political ecosystem" is of critical significance for cultivating a high-quality cadre force, comprehensively deepening reform, and promoting social development. As an organic coordination of multiple restrictive elements within the political party system, an active and progressive political ecosystem, when functioning well, will subtly shape a large number of outstanding Party members and cadres. Conversely, the damage an unhealthy political ecosystem inflicts on individuals is both obvious and rapid; thus, maintaining a clean and upright political ecosystem at all times presents a massive challenge.
When problems arise in the political ecosystem, the causes are complex and diverse. They include the inertia of historical-cultural mindsets—such as the deep cultural soil of "official-orientation" [22], the overemphasis on "relationships" (guānxi), and "nice-guy-ism" [23] that have long existed in Chinese history. They also include the soil for breeding corruption provided by structural imbalances in the supply and demand of certain public goods and services brought about by unbalanced and inadequate development. Furthermore, there are issues such as the incomplete system for comprehensively and strictly governing the Party and the need to further deepen the degree of rule of law. Since the 18th National Congress, certain problems and phenomena that damaged the intra-Party political ecosystem have been effectively resolved, but new contradictions and issues will emerge as practice develops, becoming the focus of social attention. Therefore, the difficulty in "consistently maintaining a clean and upright political ecosystem" lies in how to achieve proper "adjustment," which requires sustained efforts across multiple elements, including the internal political operating mechanisms of the Party, the internal political cultural environment, and the quality of the Party's political subjects.
IV. The Path to Resolution: Persisting in the View that Comprehensively and Strictly Governing the Party and the Party's Self-Revolution are Always on the Way
Problems are the echoes of an era, and solving them is the gear that drives the era forward. To explore the way to resolve the "unique challenges of a large party," we must persist in the view that comprehensively and strictly governing the Party and the Party's self-revolution are always on the way. We must actively respond to and solve these difficult problems with a spirit of innovation and reform, so as to better exert our leading role and make greater contributions to the development of the Party and the country.
(1) The Political Foundation: Resolutely Upholding the Central Committee's Authority and Centralized, Unified Leadership
The main peak is what matters when the mountains are vast; the pillar is what shows when the sea is in turmoil. While affairs are handled everywhere, the essentials lie in the Center. The authority of the Party Central Committee is the fundamental prerequisite for the entire Party to become more unified in thought, more cohesive in politics, and more consistent in action. To solve the unique challenges of a large party, we must first achieve a high degree of political unity. In November 2021, the Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee made a major political judgment and proposed the "Two Establishments," pointing out that resolutely upholding Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole, and resolutely upholding the Party Central Committee's authority and centralized, unified leadership, is the fundamental guarantee for the historic achievements and historic changes in the cause of the Party and the country since the 18th National Congress. On the new journey of the New Era, faced with risks and tests in advancing the path of Chinese-path modernization, to maintain the political and ideological focus of Communists, prevent corruption and degeneration, and consistently possess a tenacious fighting spirit and a clear head, we must continuously improve the system of the Party's leadership. All Party members must grasp the focal point of loyalty to the Party, adhere to the correct political stance, take a clear-cut political stand, fully recognize the decisive significance of the "Two Establishments," and continuously enhance the political consciousness of the "Two Upholds," the "Four Consciousnesses" [24], and the "Four Confidences" [25]. Only then can the entire Party be ensured to unite as "a single piece of hard steel" and march forward in step.
(2) The Ideological Foundation: Arming the Mind and Consolidating the Soul with the Party’s Innovative Theories
Marx once pointed out, "Ideas can never lead beyond an old world order, but only beyond the ideas of the old world order. Ideas cannot carry out anything at all. In order to carry out ideas, men are needed who can exert practical force." [40] Therefore, solving the "unique challenges of a large party" requires placing high importance on the power of arming the mind with theory to educate people. This necessitates achieving education and leadership of all Party members and cadres from an ideological height, solidifying the ideological foundation of the entire Party. To this end, we should use multimedia and new technologies to continuously stimulate the enthusiasm of all Party members to study new ideas, and to understand and master the Marxist stance, viewpoints, and methods, forming a strong ideological focus to resist various erroneous thoughts and non-Marxist ideologies. We must also realize the normalization, institutionalization, and systematization of learning and education, effectively integrating the Party's collective intensive education with regular education into rich practices. This will form an indestructible spiritual fortress within the entire Party, building ideological consensus and thereby achieving consistency in action. In this process, great attention should be paid to the power and effectiveness of theoretical dissemination, emphasizing political discipline and educational laws. High-quality dissemination should be created by combining theory, reality, and demand. Simultaneously, we should build scientific and effective supporting systems for theoretical study and effectiveness evaluation, and improve the long-term mechanism for Party-spirit (dǎngxìng) education, ensuring that the Party’s innovative theories enter the mind and heart, promoting the elevation of the entire Party’s ideological awareness and continuously consolidating learning outcomes.
(3) The Organizational Guarantee: Creating a High-Quality Cadre Force with Firm Ideals and Beliefs
Solving the "unique challenges of a large party" requires a rigorous organizational system as support. The vast number of Party members are the smallest units and reliable guarantee of such a system. To achieve organizational unity, we must cultivate and select excellent cadres, improve the overall quality and ability of the ranks, and build a high-quality cadre force with firm ideals and beliefs. First, we must adhere to the principle that "the Party manages talents" and prioritize political standards. We should build the ranks of Party members according to the standards for good cadres in the New Era, institutionalize these standards, and form clear and quantifiable reference points. At the same time, we must further improve the "Five Systems" [26] for the cultivation of good cadres, strengthen education and training, and establish sound selection mechanisms and career development paths to create a cadre force that is loyal, clean, and responsible. Second, we must rely on the comprehensive implementation of democratic centralism to effectively handle intra-Party relations. Democratic centralism is the fundamental organizational principle of our Party. Only by practicing democratic centralism can we strengthen the Party's organizational system, listen to the true thoughts of the vast number of Party members, protect the reasonable demands of cadres, effectively resolve various contradictions within the Party, and correctly handle various internal relationships. Third, we must focus on the self-growth of Party members. We should help Party members go deep among the masses and to the grassroots, continuously enhancing their sense of being public servants. They should cultivate their character in daily work, life, and study, and realize the Party's original aspiration and mission by solving the small, practical, and difficult problems surrounding the masses. This practical struggle should be the ultimate landing point for achieving new breakthroughs in undertaking new historical missions.
(4) Institutional Execution: Continuously Improving the System of Norms and Regulations for the Party's Self-Revolution
The Party's self-revolution has gradually become institutionalized and standardized, and the CPC has gradually formed a system of norms and regulations for self-revolution with clear levels and a rigorous structure. To solve the unique challenges of a large party, we need to continuously explore and improve this system to achieve a benign interaction between cadres and intra-Party norms. First, regarding the construction of the system, we must clarify the basic principles of the system of norms and regulations for self-revolution. We must not only clarify its historical and practical context but also consistently uphold the Party's leadership. Taking the Party Constitution as the foundation, democratic centralism as the core, and the vast number of Party members as the main body, we must ensure that the construction of this system always maintains the correct political orientation and development direction. Second, we must focus on improving the quality of legislation and regulations in accordance with the law, and on strengthening the execution of the system. We must continuously improve the system of internal Party regulations, focusing on key issues in prominent areas of Party building, supplementing relevant systems, perfecting the main system of the Party's self-revolution, and ensuring proper coordination between various regulations. Third, we must strengthen supervision and accountability regarding institutional execution. We should promote and improve the Party's supervision system, paying particular attention to the organic combination of the Party's self-supervision and supervision by the masses to form a synergy. The importance and necessity of execution and supervision should be reflected in all aspects—from the issuance, promotion, and study of regulations to inspection, filing, evaluation, and cleaning. At the same time, we should give full play to the nurturing role of culture and focus on forming a culture of execution.
(5) Methodology and Strategy: Maintaining a Firm People-Centered Political Stance
The ultimate standard for testing the effectiveness of solving the challenges to governing capacity lies in the degree of improvement in the lives of the masses. To solve the "unique challenges of a large party," we must continue to deeply implement the Party's mass line in the New Era and attach importance to investigation and research. First, we must persist in the people-centered approach when conducting investigation and research. We should go toward the problems that the masses are urgently concerned about and return with methods to solve practical problems. In this process, we must clarify the interests and demands of different social groups and understand the nature and crux of the problems reported by the masses, so that "the situation is clear, the determination is great, and the method is correct." [41] In investigation and research, we should be willing to be the "pupils" of the masses, being humble and prudent, fully respecting the pioneering spirit of the masses, modestly taking the masses as our teachers, being truly responsible to them, serving them enthusiastically, and sincerely accepting their supervision. In this process, we must pay attention to enhancing emotional ties with the masses, adhering to the principle of "from the masses, to the masses," reaching the hearts of the people through deep communication, and winning their sincere support, thereby consolidating and expanding the foundation of our long-term governance. Second, we must accept the supervision and evaluation of the people and develop whole-process people's democracy. Party leadership should be integrated into various democratic systems, covering all stages of whole-process democracy from election to supervision. We should give full play to the advantages of consultative democracy in socialist democratic politics, continuously expand the orderly political participation of the masses, and take more effective measures to protect the citizens' rights to information, participation, expression, and supervision. We should also dig out typical innovative cases in grassroots democratic governance and expand the grassroots practical space for whole-process people's democracy.
(6) Spiritual Motivation: Relying on Tenacious Struggle to Open Up New Horizons for the Development of the Cause
The great changes in the first decade of the New Era have fully demonstrated the more confident and enterprising spirit of the Chinese people under the leadership of the CPC, as well as a stronger historical self-awareness and initiative. "Persisting in daring to struggle" is an important and precious experience of the CPC's century-long struggle. Solving the "unique challenges of a large party" requires relying on tenacious struggle to open up new horizons for the development of our cause. Therefore, on the journey of advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-path modernization—facing the openness and international nature of the environment of struggle, the volatility and variability of the targets of struggle, and the complexity and continuity of the process of struggle—we must maintain a firm and correct political stance. We must use dialectical thinking to grasp the direction of struggle, looking beyond phenomena and details to correctly grasp the essence and the overall situation. At the same time, we must focus on strategies and methods, master the art of struggle, mobilize all positive factors, unite all forces that can be united, and seek unity, coordination, and win-win results through struggle.
(This article is a staged result of the National Social Science Fund's Key Project "Research on Persisting and Strengthening the Party's Overall Leadership" [Project No. 19ADJ001])