Qu Qingshan: A Sharp Ideological Weapon for Strengthening Party Conduct in the New Era

The Central Committee has decided that from the conclusion of the 2025 National Two Sessions ^[1] through July, the entire Party will carry out an intensive study and education program on the thorough implementation of the spirit of the central Eight-Point Regulations. In March 2025, during an inspection tour of Guizhou and Yunnan, General Secretary Xi Jinping put forward clear requirements for conducting this study and education program. The General Secretary pointed out: "The Central Committee's decision to conduct intensive study and education on the thorough implementation of the spirit of the central Eight-Point Regulations throughout the Party is a key task for Party building this year. Party organizations at all levels must meticulously organize and implement this, pushing Party members and cadres to strengthen their composure and develop proper habits, so as to consolidate soul and gather strength, and to start businesses and pursue careers through an excellent style of work."

Our Party attaches great importance to its own construction, emphasizing in particular that "to run China’s affairs well, the key lies in the Party" and that "the issue of Party style is a matter of life and death for the Party." Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has gone all out to vigorously grasp Party building, beginning with the strengthening of the Party's conduct and breaking ground by formulating and implementing the Eight-Point Regulations. Reviewing this unforgettable journey—one that has been extraordinary and unusual—a "small opening" has brought about great changes, and a "small opening" has facilitated a great transformation. With the first stone of the Eight-Point Regulations placed on the board, the entire game of conduct construction became animated: the style of the Party and government took on a brand-new look, social and folk customs continued to improve, and the image of the Party in the hearts of the people was reshaped. With a new atmosphere of conduct construction, our Party has won the trust and support of the masses.

Great practice gives birth to innovative theory, and innovative theory guides great practice, demonstrating the power of thought. In the practice of advancing the comprehensively and strictly governing the Party, General Secretary Xi Jinping has delivered a series of important speeches and issued a series of important instructions and comments on strengthening the Party's conduct, forming General Secretary Xi Jinping's important expositions on strengthening the Party's conduct. These important expositions are an integral part of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important thought on Party building and his important thought on the Party's self-revolution. They provide a sharp ideological weapon for strengthening the Party's conduct in the New Era, as well as the fundamental guidance for carrying out the intensive study and education on the thorough implementation of the spirit of the central Eight-Point Regulations.

I. General Secretary Xi Jinping's important expositions on strengthening the Party's conduct profoundly expound upon the great significance, essential attributes, and core tenets of strengthening the Party's conduct.

Party building is a systematic project involving different fields and aspects. So, why must our Party strengthen its conduct construction? What is the relationship between the Party's conduct construction and its other forms of construction? What position and role does the Party's conduct construction occupy in the cause of the Party and the people? Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, in the practice of advancing the comprehensively and strictly governing the Party, General Secretary Xi Jinping has profoundly expounded upon the great significance, essential attributes, and core tenets of strengthening the Party's conduct in the New Era, providing scientific answers to a series of major theoretical and practical questions.

The Party's conduct concerns whose side the people are on ^[2] and determines the success or failure of the cause of the Party and the state. This is General Secretary Xi Jinping's high-level summary of the significance of strengthening the Party's conduct in the New Era. The Party's conduct is the Party's image; it is the barometer for observing the relationship between the Party and the masses and between cadres and the masses, as well as whose side the people are on. If the Party's conduct is upright, the people will be in high spirits, and the Party and the people can share weal and woe. The General Secretary pointed out: "As a Marxist party upholding the lofty ideal of communism, our Party's conduct has been generally good throughout its nearly century-long journey of struggle." During the arduous years of the revolutionary war era, our Party nurtured and adhered to the Party's "Three Great Styles of Work" ^[3], which are the prominent markers distinguishing our Party from other political parties. There are many reasons why our Party was able to achieve victory in the New Democratic Revolution ^[4] and lead the people in establishing the New China; a crucial one is that our Party always maintained flesh-and-blood ties with the masses, ultimately "using the Yan'an style to defeat the Xi'an style" ^[5]. The General Secretary further pointed out: "All things are in flux, and the environment the Party faces and the ranks of the Party are also changing. Particularly after the Party took power nationwide, the changes brought to the ranks of Party members and cadres by the Party's status as the ruling party have been very obvious." Issues of conduct have manifested in increasingly complex ways. The General Secretary emphasized: "The more we reform and open up, the more we develop the socialist market economy, and the longer we remain in power, the more prominent the various issues of conduct within the Party become, and the more we must strengthen education and construction regarding conduct." The General Secretary explicitly stated, "The foundation of our Party's governance is very solid, but if the issues of conduct are not resolved well, there could even be a moment like 'The Hegemon King Bids His Lady Farewell' ^[6]"; "If a ruling party does not pay attention to conduct construction and allows unhealthy tendencies to erode the Party's body, it faces the danger of losing the people's hearts and losing political power." The General Secretary’s important expositions are truly deafening!

Issues of conduct are essentially issues of Party spirit. This is General Secretary Xi Jinping's incisive exposition on the essential attributes of strengthening the Party's conduct in the New Era. Conduct reflects image and quality; it embodies Party spirit, and it is Party spirit that plays the decisive role. We must resolve the issue of Party spirit on the basis of resolving issues of conduct; this is an important focal point for improving conduct. The General Secretary profoundly pointed out, "The fundamental yardstick for measuring the strength of one’s Party spirit is the distinction between 'public' and 'private,'" and "Some issues of conduct may seem small—a few meals, a few drinks, a few gift cards—but they are all connected to the issue of public versus private, and they are all related to public funds and public power." The General Secretary emphasized: "To grasp conduct construction, we must return to the basics and cultivate the fundamental source, highlighting the firming up of ideals and convictions, the practicing of the fundamental purpose, and the strengthening of moral cultivation." The General Secretary pointed out: "Conviction is the root, and conduct is the form; if the root is upright, the form will cohere; if the root is not upright, the form will inevitably scatter. To maintain and carry forward the Party's fine traditions, firming up ideals and convictions is fundamental." "For us Communists, whether we can resolve issues of conduct is a very important yardstick for measuring our faith in Marxism, our conviction in socialism and communism, and our loyalty to the Party and the people." The General Secretary further emphasized: "Party spirit, Party conduct, and Party discipline are an organic whole; Party spirit is the foundation, Party conduct is the manifestation, and Party discipline is the guarantee." Party spirit, Party conduct, and Party discipline are unified in the practice of Party building; the three are interconnected and mutually reinforcing, working together to forge a strong and powerful Marxist party. In accordance with the General Secretary's requirements, we must use the conduct of earnest and serious intra-Party political life as a "purifier" for the Party's conduct.

The core of the issue of conduct is the relationship between the Party and the masses. This is General Secretary Xi Jinping's precise distillation of the core tenets of strengthening the Party's conduct in the New Era. To strengthen the construction of cadre conduct, the most important thing is to grasp the core issue of maintaining flesh-and-blood ties with the masses. The General Secretary emphasized: "For the Party to continue to withstand the tests of governance, reform and opening up, the market economy, and the external environment, it must always maintain close ties with the masses." At all times and under all circumstances, the position of sharing the same breath and destiny with the people must not change, the purpose of serving the people wholeheartedly must not be forgotten, and the historical materialist viewpoint that the masses are the true heroes must not be lost; we must always adhere to the principle of establishing the Party for the public and governing for the people. The General Secretary further pointed out profoundly: "The country is the people, and the people are the country; as we fight to win the country and work to guard it, what we are guarding is the people's hearts." The CPC's roots are in the people, its lifeblood is in the people, and its strength is in the people; the masses possess endless wisdom and power. Only by always believing in the people, relying closely on the people, and fully mobilizing the enthusiasm, initiative, and creativity of the broad masses can we converge the majestic power of a united people. The General Secretary explicitly required: "We must always place the people in the highest position in our hearts, stand firm on the people's position, cultivate deep feelings for the people, grasp the characteristics and laws of mass work under the new situation, take the lead in following the mass line, and manifest our concern and affection for the people throughout the entire process and in all aspects of fulfilling our duties. we must focus on guaranteeing and improving people's livelihoods, respond in a timely manner to the reasonable demands of the masses, and effectively do good things well, do practical things solidly, and handle difficult things properly." Between the lines of the General Secretary's important expositions, there is a profound depth of feeling and great love for the masses.

II. General Secretary Xi Jinping's important expositions on strengthening the Party's conduct profoundly expound upon the major measures, key tasks, and the "key minority."

After the 18th National Congress of the CPC, facing various problems and malpractices within the Party, how should the Party manage itself? How should the comprehensively and strictly governing the Party be made "strict"? Like a tiger trying to eat the sky, one must first figure out where to take the first bite. After careful thought and in-depth research, General Secretary Xi Jinping and the Central Committee resolutely decided to start with conduct construction, particularly by tackling prominent problems such as the Four Winds within the Party. By "starting small to see the big, and using the small to lead the big," they found the breakthrough point and solved the problem of what to grasp and how to grasp it regarding conduct construction under the new situation. The formulation and implementation of the central Eight-Point Regulations was our Party’s act of "setting up the pole to establish trust" ^[7] in the New Era, and it became a landmark measure for changing the political ecosystem and the social landscape. The Central Committee took the lead and set an example for the subordinates, playing a leading and exemplary role for the conduct construction of the entire Party. In this process, the General Secretary profoundly expounded upon the major measures, key tasks, and the "key minority" ^[8] for strengthening the Party's conduct in the New Era, and put forward clear requirements on how to strengthen the Party's conduct in the New Era.

The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection proposed to "unswervingly implement the spirit of the central Eight-Point Regulations and rectify the 'Four Winds' with strictness to the end." The picture shows the statistical table of cases of violation of the spirit of the central Eight-Point Regulations investigated and handled nationwide in January 2025, released by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Commission of Supervision on February 26, 2025. This is the 137th consecutive month that the monthly report data has been released. (Photo provided by the News and Communication Center of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Commission of Supervision)

The central Eight-Point Regulations are the entry point and the mobilization order for improving conduct, and they are long-term effective iron rules and hard benchmarks. This is General Secretary Xi Jinping's vivid expression of the major measures for strengthening the Party's conduct in the New Era. Without rules, there is no order. The General Secretary pointed out: "In formulating rules in this area, the guiding ideology is to demand strictness, reflecting that the Party must manage the Party and govern the Party with strictness." The General Secretary particularly emphasized: "Since we are making regulations, we must strive toward a stricter standard and be serious about it. Things that are neither painful nor itchy, or that are overly steady and safe, are just empty slogans; they won't be implemented, and it would be better not to do them at all. To set rules is to implement things that already have clear norms, to constrain things that do not conform to norms, and to standardize things that have no norms. Rules are meant to play a constraining role, so they should be a bit tight. Being a bit tight naturally makes one uncomfortable, and there is a problem with the level of comfort; it is exactly about being a bit more uncomfortable and a bit more ill-at-ease. If we are a bit more uncomfortable and ill-at-ease, the people's comfort will be a bit better, their satisfaction will be a bit higher, and their feeling toward us will be a bit better." The General Secretary also profoundly pointed out: "The Eight-Point Regulations are neither the highest standard nor the final goal; they are only the first step in improving our conduct and the basic requirement we should achieve as Communists." The General Secretary has repeatedly emphasized that implementing the spirit of the central Eight-Point Regulations is a battle of attrition and a protracted war. The central Eight-Point Regulations are not just for five or ten years, but must be adhered to over the long term. We must show perseverance and tenacity, continuing to work hard on being "constant and long-term, strict and substantial, deep and meticulous," so that these practices become habits, yield results, and transform into social customs. We must carry forward the "spirit of driving the nail" ^[9], pressing forward with the spirit of "leaving footprints on the stone and finger marks on the iron" ^[10]; we must see things through from beginning to end and achieve success, preventing a "tiger's head but a snake's tail" ^[11] finish. We must let the entire Party and all the people supervise us, and let the masses constantly see tangible results and changes.

Continuously deepening the rectification of the Four Winds is a key task for strengthening the Party’s conduct in the New Era, one that General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized with particular prominence. Entering the New Era, in the face of profound changes in the global, national, and Party situation, the entire Party faced the increasingly acute dangers of a lack of drive, incompetence, bereavement of the masses, and passivity and corruption ^[12]. Phenomena of detachment from the masses existed extensively within the Party, and some problems were quite serious, manifesting in a concentrated manner as the "Four Winds": formalism, bureaucratism, hedonism, and extravagance.

The General Secretary pointed out: "In terms of formalism, the main issues are the divergence between knowledge and action, a lack of focus on practical results, 'mountains of documents and seas of meetings' ^[13], flowery but impractical flourishes, and a craving for empty fame and deceit." Regarding bureaucratism, he noted "detachment from reality and the masses, acting high and mighty while ignoring reality, and being consumed by narcissism and self-inflation." On hedonism, he highlighted "mental lethargy and a lack of ambition, the pursuit of fame and wealth, a craving for enjoyment, and a prevailing trend of ostentation and playfulness." Finally, regarding the wind of extravagance, he cited "profligacy and waste, unbridled extravagance, grand construction projects and excessive festivals, luxurious living, and even the use of power for personal gain and degeneration."

The General Secretary sharply noted that the Four Winds run counter to our Party’s nature and purpose; they are the problems the masses loathe most and react to most strongly, and they are a major root cause of damage to the relationship between the Party and the masses, and between officials and the masses. He demanded that in solving the Four Winds, we must "adjust the focus, find the pressure points, and grasp the essentials" ^[14], neither "letting the mind wander" nor "becoming blurry-eyed." To oppose formalism, we must focus on solving the problem of superficial work; to oppose bureaucratism, we must focus on cases where officials fail to protect or act upon the interests of the people; to oppose hedonism, we must focus on overcoming the mindset of carpe diem and the phenomenon of privilege; and to oppose extravagance, we must focuses on ruthlessly checking the unhealthy trends of profligacy and debauchery.

In solving the Four Winds, we must proceed from reality and grasp the primary contradictions—addressing whatever problem is most prominent and urgent, identifying the target, and shooting the arrow with a clear aim to seek practical results. The General Secretary emphasized that the Four Winds are stubborn, long-term, and complex; though they have been suppressed for now, they will surely stage a comeback if we are not earnest or if we fail to "nip them in the bud" ^[15]. We must maintain high vigilance against the Four Winds and their various mutations, continue to "tighten the spring," maintain a high-pressure stance, refuse to yield an inch, and see the task through to the end. We must find normalcy through persistence, seek long-term effects through institutional building, and promote an improvement in social mores. We must treat the halting of the Four Winds as a vital path for consolidating the heart of the Party and the people, resolutely prevent the emergence of "fatigue syndrome," strike down unhealthy habits like hedonism and extravagance as soon as they rear their heads, and remain ever-watchful for new, invisible mutations of the Four Winds. We will never allow the dying embers to flare up again! We will never allow new evils to sprout while old ones remain!

Leading officials at all levels must take the lead in changing their style of work, practicing what they preach and leading by example—this is the explicit requirement General Secretary Xi Jinping has placed upon the "key minority" ^[16] regarding the strengthening of the Party’s conduct in the New Era. "When the wind blows from above, the customs below are transformed." The General Secretary pointed out: "In improving Party conduct and building a clean government, the key lies with leading officials, and in particular, the Central Committee must take the lead. 'If the upper beam is not straight, the lower beam will be crooked; if the middle beam is not straight, the house will collapse.' ^[17] What we require others to do, we must first do ourselves; what we forbid others from doing, we must first refrain from doing ourselves." This is true in all things: those below follow the example of those above. Whatever the superiors favor, the subordinates will pursue even more excessively; whatever the superiors dislike, the subordinates will surely avoid. If the top relaxes by an inch, the bottom will relax by a foot. "If a person does not lead, others will not follow; if one does not go first, others will not believe."

The General Secretary pointed out that in terms of conduct building, the leadership taking a good lead is a silent demonstration. "Only when the Political Bureau improves its own conduct and becomes a model for the whole Party can it lead the improvement of Party conduct and the building of clean government for the entire Party." Leading organs are vital bodies in the national governance system, and leading officials are the "key minority" in the development of the Party and state’s cause; they serve as a barometer for the whole Party and society. Having leading organs and officials charge at the front and act first is the key to our Party’s success. The General Secretary requires leading officials at all levels to create a "lead goose effect" ^[18]. They must exercise strict self-discipline, consciously struggle against "privilege-seeking" mindsets and phenomena, and become accustomed to working and living in an environment of supervision and restraint. The General Secretary particularly emphasized that leading officials, especially high-ranking ones, must manage themselves well, but also manage their families, relatives, and staff, as well as the atmosphere of the fields they oversee. They must take the lead and fulfill their responsibilities in creating a clean and upright political ecosystem, forming "refreshing" relationships between comrades and "regularized" relationships between superiors and subordinates, maintaining "cordial and clean" ^[19] government-business relations, and fostering an upward and outward-looking social environment. The General Secretary has set a glorious example for the whole Party in terms of integrity and self-discipline.

III. General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important expositions on strengthening the Party's conduct profoundly elaborate on the effective paths, important goals, and institutional safeguards for strengthening the Party’s conduct.

Conduct building is always a work in progress and never a finished task; it is by no means an interim measure, but an eternal subject. To consolidate the achievements of the Party’s conduct building—particularly the implementation of the Eight-Point Regulations—Party conduct must be grasped relentlessly, persisting over the long term; we must continuously improve intra-Party regulations and establish sound, effective, and usable systems and mechanisms. In this process, General Secretary Xi Jinping has profoundly elaborated on the effective paths, important goals, and institutional safeguards for strengthening the Party’s conduct in the New Era, pointing the way forward.

Adhering to the integration of rectifying conduct, disciplining, and anti-corruption—this is the systematic planning General Secretary Xi Jinping has conducted for the effective path of strengthening the Party’s conduct in the New Era. The General Secretary pointed out: "To establish explicit rules and break 'hidden rules,' we must create a broad climate of promoting integrity within the Party. If the 'macro-climate' is not formed, 'micro-climates' will naturally take hold." Grasping conduct is an important entry point and focus for advancing the Great New Project of Party Building. We must persist in governing the Party with rigor, implement the responsibility for governing the Party, and integrate the requirements of conduct building into the Party’s ideological, organizational, anti-corruption, and institutional building, thereby comprehensively improving the level of Party building work.

The General Secretary pointed out that comprehensively and strictly governing the Party necessitates the close integration of governing the Party according to regulations and governing the Party through virtue. Virtue leads people toward the good and is the necessary prerequisite and foundation of discipline; discipline is used to punish evil and is the strong backing and guarantee of virtue. We must tighten the theme of "integrity and self-discipline," insisting on positive advocacy and focusing on "establishing virtue," reiterating the Party's ideals, convictions, and purpose, as well as its fine traditions and style, to demonstrate the high standards of the noble moral pursuits of Communists. We must focus on the requirements of the "ruler" of Party discipline, listing a "negative list" and focusing on "establishing rules" to delineate the bottom lines that Party organizations and members must not cross. We must truly put discipline and rules at the forefront, picking up the ruler of discipline to both strive for high standards—using the power of personality to unite the Party and the people—and to hold the bottom line, strictly enforcing Party discipline and never crossing the "Thunder Pool" ^[20].

The General Secretary emphasized the need to deepen the use of the "Four Forms" of supervision and discipline ^[21], particularly focusing on the "first form." We must persist in "striking both tigers and flies," adhering to the principles of no "forbidden zones," full coverage, and zero tolerance. We must prioritize containment, maintain high pressure, and ensure long-term deterrence, strengthening the deterrent of "not daring to be corrupt," tightening the cage of "not being able to be corrupt," and enhancing the consciousness of "not wanting to be corrupt." We must take the integration of rectifying conduct, disciplining, and anti-corruption as an important handle, grasping them together. We must always maintain a rigorous tone, rigorous measures, and a rigorous atmosphere, using excellent conduct as a lead, strict discipline as a guarantee, and the punishment of corruption as a means of clearing obstacles. This promotes the Party's self-revolution in an interlocking and progressive manner, continuously achieving self-transcendence through upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground. The General Secretary also profoundly pointed out that the intertwining of unhealthy styles and corruption is a prominent problem to be addressed in the current struggle for Party conduct, clean government, and anti-corruption. Unhealthy styles and corruption are the "outside and inside" of the same coin, sharing the same origin. Unhealthy styles breed and hide corruption, while corrupt behavior encourages and exacerbates unhealthy styles, even giving rise to new conduct problems. We must insist on the integration of rectifying conduct, disciplining, and anti-corruption, using "simultaneous investigation" to severely punish problems where style and corruption intertwine, and "simultaneous governance" to eradicate the common roots of both.

(Caption: In recent years, local commissions for discipline inspection and supervision have focused on conduct building in the field of window services, strictly investigating cases to rectify unhealthy styles and corruption. The picture shows disciplinary inspection and supervision officials in Qingpu District, Shanghai, analyzing problem clues in March 2025. Provided by the News and Communication Center of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Commission of Supervision.)

Making the Party’s conduct comprehensively pure and taking the lead to improve social and folk customs through the Party’s excellent conduct—this is the clear practical orientation General Secretary Xi Jinping has proposed for the important goals of strengthening the Party’s conduct in the New Era. The General Secretary pointed out: "Our focus on conduct building is, in the final analysis, the hope that officials at all levels can establish and develop good styles, being 'strict in self-cultivation, strict in the use of power, and strict in self-discipline,' while being 'practical in planning, practical in entrepreneurship, and practical in conduct'." ^[22] We must extend outward from solving the Four Winds to improving ideological style, work style, leadership style, and the lifestyle of officials, as well as improving the style of study, writing, and meetings. We must strengthen the work of addressing root causes so that Party members and officials not only "dare not" be tainted by unhealthy trends but "cannot" and "do not want" to be tainted, thus making the Party's style comprehensively pure.

The General Secretary emphasized that we must persist in both rectifying the Four Winds and establishing new trends, using the Party's excellent conduct to drive folk and social customs and advocate for the new trends of the era. He proposed that we must vigorously promote the fine Chinese tradition of diligence and frugality. In leading social trends, we must clarify "great virtue" (public morality), observe "public virtue," and be strict with "private virtue." Leading officials at all levels must serve as banners and benchmarks, and all Party members must play a vanguard and exemplary role. Party members and officials, especially leading officials, must take the lead in practicing Socialist Core Values, emphasizing Party spirit, valuing character, and setting an example. They must take the lead in paying attention to family, family education, and family traditions, maintaining the noble character and integrity of Communists, and serving as leaders, creators, and maintainers of a good political ecosystem and social atmosphere.

Promoting the normalization and long-term effectiveness of conduct building is the fundamental requirement General Secretary Xi Jinping has placed on the institutional safeguards for strengthening the Party’s conduct in the New Era. The General Secretary pointed out the need to focus on solving problems through systems and mechanisms and to enhance the executive power of institutional implementation. We must deepen reform and transform functions, plugging the loopholes that breed unhealthy styles through structural and mechanical means, and solidifying the achievements of conduct building through reform methods.

The General Secretary pointed out that we must emphasize the "primary responsibility" of Party committees. Party committees at all levels, especially the principal responsible comrades, must realize that failing to grasp the building of Party conduct and clean government constitutes a serious dereliction of duty. They must constantly research, deploy, and focus on leadership, "sowing their own fields of responsibility." Commissions for discipline inspection at all levels must fulfill their supervisory responsibilities, assisting the Party committees in strengthening conduct building and anti-corruption coordination, while also urging and inspecting relevant departments to implement tasks for punishing and preventing corruption. Whether it is the Party committee, the commission for discipline inspection, or other relevant functional departments, they must "sign and endorse" ^[23] their responsibilities for Party conduct and clean government, ensuring they "defend their own territory."

The General Secretary also emphasized the need to encourage the grassroots to boldly explore and practice, striving for innovative results that help solve problems fundamentally and form long-term mechanisms. Based on the principles of "legal comprehensiveness and practical simplicity," we must embody the spirit of reform and the rule of law mindset, combining the requirements of the Central Committee, the expectations of the masses, practical needs, and fresh experiences. We must strive to form a comprehensive system of rules to ensure the standardization, normalization, and long-term effectiveness of conduct improvement, resolutely preventing a rebound of the Four Winds. We must treat both symptoms and root causes, implementing measures down to the smallest detail and the furthest reaches. We must improve the management mechanism for Party members, the mechanism for the strict management and supervision of officials, the normalized mechanism for rectifying conduct and discipline, and the integrated mechanism for promoting the "three non-corrupts" (dare not, cannot, want not). We should use technological means to strengthen supervision and solve the problem of supervision in a "society of acquaintances." The General Secretary has conducted profound and far-reaching thinking and design regarding the institutional safeguards for the Party’s conduct.

Conduct building is always on the road. In March 2025, during an inspection in Yunnan, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "The Party Central Committee has already deployed the study and education for the in-depth implementation of the spirit of the Central Eight-Point Regulations throughout the Party. Party organizations at all levels and the vast number of Party members and officials should consciously enhance their sense of responsibility and urgency for this study and education. They should link it to the situation and tasks of comprehensively and strictly governing the Party, link it to the specific practices of conduct building in their own locales and departments over the years, and further internalize the spirit of the Eight-Point Regulations and its implementation rules, grasping relevant disciplinary regulations to lay a solid ideological and political foundation for identifying problems and concentrated rectification." We must deeply study General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important expositions on strengthening the Party's conduct, solidly carry out this study and education, carry forward excellent styles, and demonstrate new responsibilities and achievements on the New Journey.

(Author: President of the Institute of Party History and Literature of the CPC Central Committee)