Wu Hui and Ding Yongqiang: Scientific Paths for Implementing Democratic Centralism in the New Era
Democratic centralism is the fundamental organizational principle and leadership system of our Party; it is the application of the mass line [1] within Party life. The effectiveness of its implementation is directly linked to the rise or fall of the cause of the Party and the state. Since the 18th National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has delivered a series of important discourses on upholding and perfecting democratic centralism, profoundly pointing out that "implementing democratic centralism requires efforts from two aspects: the cadres and the mechanisms," and emphasizing the need to "strictly enforce institutional implementation and comprehensively implement democratic centralism." This provides the fundamental observance for upholding and utilizing this fundamental system in the New Era and on the new journey. Based on this new historical orientation, we must consciously use General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important discourses as our guide, gain a deep understanding of the contemporary value of democratic centralism, examine the practical challenges it faces, focus on resolving contradictions and problems in its execution, and continuously improve the quality and level of the construction of democratic centralism.
I. The Major Significance of and a Review of Problems in Implementing Democratic Centralism in the New Era
In the context of the New Era, democratic centralism holds an irreplaceable and important position in upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics and advancing the great new project of Party building. However, in practice, the implementation of this system still faces many real-world challenges. Conducting an in-depth review of these problems and exploring systemic paths for resolving them has become an urgent and crucial task for our times.
(1) The Major Significance of Implementing Democratic Centralism in the New Era
Under the backdrop of the New Era, accurately grasping and firmly implementing democratic centralism is of major and far-reaching significance for maintaining the unity and unification of the Party, enhancing the efficacy of national governance, and optimizing the Party's methods of leadership.
First, it is the fundamental principle for upholding the authority of the Party Central Committee and its centralized, unified leadership. Democratic centralism is the institutional cornerstone of maintaining the Central Committee's authority and centralized, unified leadership. Its core principle, the "Four Subordinates" [2], establishes the authoritative status of the Party Central Committee at the level of organizational systems and political discipline, ensuring that the entire Party maintains a high degree of consistency with the Central Committee in thought, politics, and action. This institutional arrangement allows the Central Committee’s decision-making and deployments to be implemented efficiently, effectively overcoming regionalism [3] and departmentalism. Practice in the New Era has fully proven that only by adhering to democratic centralism can the entire Party form a unified will and action, maintain strategic resolve in complex environments, and provide a strong political guarantee for the development of the cause of the Party and the state.
Second, it is the core support for advancing the modernization of national governance. Democratic centralism has been deeply integrated into the state institutional system, becoming a key support for the modernization of China’s system and capacity for governance. This system realizes the organic unity of broad democracy and efficient centralization: on one hand, it broadly absorbs the will of the people through sound channels to solidify the foundation of decision-making; on the other hand, through scientific centralization, it transforms the people’s will into unified action. This mechanism both guarantees the democratic nature of governance and enhances governance efficacy. From medium-to-long-term planning to the implementation of major strategies, democratic centralism demonstrates the unique advantage of "coordinating the whole country like a single chessboard" [4], providing an institutional guarantee for the effective governance of a hyper-large-scale country.
Third, it is the key mechanism for combining scientific decision-making with efficient execution. Democratic centralism is an important guarantee for the integration of scientific decision-making and efficient execution. Under this mechanism, the decision-making stage ensures scientific rigor by promoting democracy and conducting in-depth research; the execution stage ensures policy implementation by transforming collective wisdom into a unified will through centralization and unification. This mechanism not only improves the quality of decision-making but also strengthens the force of execution, demonstrating powerful organizational mobilization capabilities and resource allocation efficiency. It is the key guarantee for promoting the development of the cause of the Party and the state.
Fourth, it is the solid foundation for fostering a clean and upright political ecosystem within the Party. In the process of pushing the comprehensive and strict governance of the Party toward greater depth, democratic centralism is the fundamental guarantee for creating a healthy intra-Party political ecosystem. Through strict institutional norms, it establishes the basic observance for intra-Party political life: on one hand, it fully develops democracy, guarantees the rights of Party members, and strengthens intra-Party supervision to prevent personal autocracy and the abuse of power; on the other hand, it maintains centralization and unity, tightens discipline and rules, and corrects tendencies toward laxity, lack of coordination, and everyone going their own way. Practice has proven that only by upholding and perfecting democratic centralism can we persistently purify the political ecosystem and consolidate the Party's position as the core of leadership.
(2) Primary Problems Existing in the Execution of Democratic Centralism
Since the start of the New Era, the entire Party’s consciousness and ability to implement democratic centralism have significantly increased, and the institutional system has been continuously perfected. However, when measured against the high standards and strict requirements of the Party Central Committee, there remain some prominent problems in practice that urgently need to be resolved.
As early as June 28, 2013, at the National Organizational Work Conference, General Secretary Xi Jinping profoundly pointed out: "To solemnize intra-Party life, the most fundamental thing is to earnestly execute the Party's democratic centralism," specifically emphasizing the need to "focus on solving problems such as insufficient development of democracy, insufficient correct centralization, insufficient conduct of criticism, and insufficient strictness of discipline." Subsequently, on a series of important occasions, including participating in the special democratic lifestyle meeting [5] of the Standing Committee of the Hebei Provincial Party Committee in September 2013, attending the Sixth Plenary Session of the 18th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection on January 12, 2016, and presiding over the 33rd collective study session of the Political Bureau of the 18th CPC Central Committee on June 28, 2016, General Secretary Xi Jinping conducted further profound analyses of these problems.
Insufficient development of democracy. This manifests primarily as some members of leadership teams, especially the "top leaders" (yibashou), speaking only of centralization and not of democracy. They place themselves above the organization, act arbitrarily, practice "patriarchalism" and "one-voice rule" [6], and even treat the localities or departments they oversee as "independent kingdoms" or "private fiefdoms." Some top leaders habitually set the tone in deliberations and decision-making, making final decisions on major issues without sufficient deliberation and discussion among team members, ignoring the opinions of the majority and rendering democratic procedures a mere formality.
Insufficient correct centralization. This manifests as some leading cadres speaking only of democracy and not of centralization. Their capacity for scientific decision-making and effective centralization is deficient, leading leadership teams to often fall into prolonged discussion without resolution due to differences of opinion, or to handle matters of principle by simple majority vote. This ultimately results in "discussing without deciding, or deciding without acting." Other leading cadres are heavily influenced by individualism and departmentalism; once their personal opinions are not adopted, they develop feelings of resistance and engage in incessant disputes over their own power, affecting the unity of the team and the efficiency of decision-making.
Insufficient conduct of criticism. Criticism and self-criticism are a "magic weapon" of the Party's political life and a key link in implementing democratic centralism. However, in some Party organizations, this weapon has not been effectively utilized: some cadres avoid the important and dwell on the trivial when criticizing others, talking much about work but little about ideology; they avoid the substantial and dwell on the superficial during self-criticism, speaking much of achievements but little of problems. Particularly regarding burgeoning, trending, or even principled problems that violate democratic centralism, some cadres lack the "spirit of struggle" [7], resulting in criticism becoming a mere formality that fails to "nip problems in the bud."
Insufficient strictness of discipline. Democratic centralism is a serious organizational principle and iron political discipline. However, some Party committees (and Party leadership groups) fail to fulfill their responsibilities in implementation and follow-through. They lack regular analysis and assessment of the execution status of the leadership teams and members under their jurisdiction, and their educational guidance and organizational measures fail to keep pace. Some Party organizations even violate the fundamental principle of the "Four Subordinates," implementing decisions from the Party Central Committee or higher authorities only when they agree with them, while discounting or performing "variations" on those they do not like. Furthermore, some Party members and cadres have a weak sense of organization, refusing to obey organizational decisions and treating the Party organization as a "private club" where they can do as they please. All of these behaviors seriously damage the authority and executive force of the system.
It must be clearly recognized that solving these "Four Insufficiencies" is not a task that can be accomplished overnight; it requires the entire Party to persist over the long term.
(3) Analysis of the Causes of These Problems
The formation of the "Four Insufficiencies" is related both to deviations in the ideological understanding of some leading cadres and to the inadequacies and imperfections at the level of systems and mechanisms.
First, weak cultivation of Party spirit. A strong Party spirit is the fundamental prerequisite for executing democratic centralism. Currently, the concept of Party spirit among some leading cadres has weakened; they lack a high degree of identification with the Party's theory, line, and mission, leading to insufficiently firm political stances and a loosening of the sense of organizational discipline. Once the ideological foundation is unstable, it becomes easy in specific work to place personal will above organizational principles or to take a utilitarian and selective attitude toward collective decisions, which fundamentally weakens the practical efficacy of democratic centralism.
Second, unclear theoretical cognition. Accurately grasping the dialectical relationship between democracy and centralization is the ideological basis for correctly implementing democratic centralism. In reality, some leading cadres lack a deep understanding of its theoretical connotations, failing to truly grasp the organic unity of "centralization based on democracy" and "democracy under centralized guidance" as a relationship where neither can be neglected. Vagueness in theoretical cognition leads directly to fragmentation and opposition in practice, resulting in deviations such as "speaking only of democracy without centralization" or "speaking only of centralization without democracy."
Third, lack of precision in institutional construction. The vitality of a system lies in its execution, and the effectiveness of execution fundamentally depends on the clarity and operability of the institutional regulations. Currently, there is a problem of weak enforcement of existing intra-Party regulations on one hand; on the other hand, related supporting systems are still imperfect—for instance, the scope of "major matters" is not clearly defined, and the norms for deliberation and decision-making procedures are unclear. This leads to excessive elasticity and insufficient rigidity in institutional execution, leaving space for arbitrary "variations" and selective implementation.
Fourth, lax discipline and accountability. Strict discipline and accountability are important supports for maintaining the authority of democratic centralism and guaranteeing its effective operation. In practice, if there is a fear of "confronting the tough" [8] regarding violations of democratic centralism—if enforcement is too broad, too soft, or even indulgent—it easily creates a "broken window effect," weakening the rigid constraints of discipline. This phenomenon not only encourages a "stroke of luck" [9] mentality in individual cadres but also fundamentally erodes the seriousness of democratic centralism as the Party's fundamental organizational principle, weakening its deterrent power.
II. Firmly Grasping the "Key Minority" of Leading Cadres
In implementing democratic centralism, leading cadres are the primary subjects of practice and responsibility; the depth of their cognition and the strength of their practice directly determine the execution efficacy of the system. Firmly grasping the "key minority" of leading cadres is the key to ensuring that democratic centralism is put into practice. Leading cadres at all levels must adhere to the unity of knowing and doing, using knowledge to promote action and action to promote knowledge, striving to internalize democratic centralism in the heart and externalize it in action.
(1) Using Knowledge to Promote Action: Strengthening Education and Training in Democratic Centralism
Education and training are the foundational links in implementing democratic centralism. As early as October 1938, at the Sixth Plenary Session of the Sixth CPC Central Committee, Comrade Mao Zedong pointed out: "Education regarding democratic life must be implemented within the Party so that members understand what democratic life is, what the relationship between the democratic system and the centralized system is, and how to implement democratic centralism." In September 2013, while participating in the special democratic lifestyle meeting of the Standing Committee of the Hebei Provincial Party Committee, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "For every leading cadre, we must strengthen education and training on democratic centralism to make everyone familiar with the rules of democratic centralism and understand the methods of democratic centralism." These important discourses profoundly clarify the foundational status of education and training. Cadre training institutions, such as Party schools (academies of governance) at all levels, must implement this requirement, making democratic centralism a core course to comprehensively enhance the relevant literacy and capabilities of leading cadres.
Focus on education and training in basic theory. The principle of democratic centralism budded in the era of Marx and Engels, was initially established by Lenin, and has been continuously enriched and developed by the Communist Party of China through long-term practice in revolution, construction, and reform. History shows that upholding and developing democratic centralism is the optimal organizational principle and leadership system for a proletarian party to comply with the requirements of the times and achieve political goals. On the basis of inheriting the essence of relevant Marxist-Leninist theories, the Communist Party of China has particularly highlighted and profoundly elaborated on the dialectical unity between democracy and centralization. According to the "Constitution of the Communist Party of China," democratic centralism includes six basic principles: the "Four Subordinates" principle, the principle of intra-Party elections, the principle of the Party’s leadership system, the principle of handling relations between higher and lower organizations, the principle of the Party’s collective leadership, and the principle of prohibiting the cult of personality. These six principles systematically regulate the basic order of intra-Party life, profoundly reflecting the essential requirement of combining centralization based on democracy with democracy under centralized guidance. They are the core essentials that leading cadres must master.
Focus on education and training in relevant rules. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out...
“The inner-Party rules of our Party are the norms of conduct and regulations that Party organizations at all levels and all Party members must abide by.” It must be emphasized that we should “focus on strengthening education and training on democratic centralism to ensure that leadership teams at all levels establish proper rules.” These rules cover four levels: First are the six basic principles prescribed by the Party Constitution, among which the “Four Subordinates” [10] constitute the most fundamental political discipline and political rules; the “combination of collective leadership with individual responsibility based on the division of labor” is the core rule for the work of Party committees; and “prohibiting all forms of personality cult” is the key rule for handling the relationship between leaders and the masses. Second is the Guiding Principles for Inner-Party Political Life Under New Circumstances, in which the section on “adhering to the principle of democratic centralism” clarifies specific requirements for the collective leadership system, the responsibilities of leadership team members, and execution and supervision. Third are inner-Party regulations such as the Regulations on Inner-Party Supervision of the Communist Party of China and the Regulations on Disciplinary Action of the Communist Party of China. For instance, the Regulations on Disciplinary Action of the Communist Party of China (2023 edition) draws a disciplinary "red line" against "unorganized activities such as forming cliques, engaging in cronyism, factionalism, political climbing, and cultivating personal power within the Party," providing an institutional basis for implementing democratic centralism. Fourth is the prohibition of personal dependency relationships within the Party. Comrade Deng Xiaoping once criticized the fact that “personal dependency relationships exist in many places and units.” General Secretary Xi Jinping has frequently warned that “we must never engage in the practice of feudal dependency within the Party; we must never engage in the practice of 'small peaks' [11], small circles, or small cliques; and we must never engage in the practice of retainers, clerical clans, or hangers-on.” Leading cadres must be familiar with these rules and internalize them as norms of conduct.
Focus on education and training in work methods. Comrade Mao Zedong pointed out: “Democratic centralism is a system and also a method,” and vividly explained it as being “resourceful and decisive” (duomou shanduan)—resourcefulness means fully promoting democracy, and decisiveness means correctly implementing centralization. Leading cadres should focus on learning three work methods: First, study Methods of Work of Party Committees. This work profoundly elucidates the specific path of “democracy first, centralization afterwards.” Democracy first requires extensively listening to opinions, tolerating criticism, conducting healthy ideological struggles, and uniting with comrades who hold different views; centralization afterwards requires being adept at making correct decisions on the basis of democratic discussion. General Secretary Xi Jinping once issued an important instruction on revisiting this work, noting its particularly prominent practical guiding significance. Second, study the “Sixteen-Character Formula.” The principle of “collective leadership, democratic centralism, individual consultation, and meeting-based decision-making” prescribed by the Party Constitution is the concretization and operational guide for democratic centralism in the decision-making process of Party committees, providing the basic compliance for achieving scientific and democratic decision-making. Third, learn the art of leadership where the chief executive acts as a “squad leader” rather than a “patriarch,” along with collaborative methods where leadership team members “take their respective responsibilities and cooperate synergistically,” continuously improving the leadership capacity to both promote democracy and correctly centralize.
(2) Promoting Knowledge through Action: Cadres Taking the Lead in Implementing Democratic Centralism
The key to implementing democratic centralism is action. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “Implementing democratic centralism is the common political responsibility of the whole Party. First and foremost, it is the responsibility of leading cadres at all levels, especially comrades of the Central Politburo. Everyone must play an exemplary role.” Leading cadres, especially high-ranking cadres, must consciously practice this requirement and lead the whole Party in forming a positive atmosphere for implementing democratic centralism.
Comrades of the Central Politburo set an example. As the Party's high-level leadership, the words and deeds of Central Politburo comrades serve as a bellwether for the whole Party. General Secretary Xi Jinping requires that Central Politburo comrades take the lead in promoting inner-Party democracy, maintaining the authority of the Party Central Committee, adhering to collective leadership, and conducting criticism and self-criticism, while executing the system without various dilutions. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping has successively participated in and guided special democratic life meetings [12] of the Standing Committee of the Hebei Provincial Party Committee and the Lankao County Party Committee in Henan Province. He has participated in his own Party branch activities as an ordinary member many times, taking the lead in picking up the weapons of criticism and self-criticism, and conducting in-depth self-examination and analysis of Party spirit, setting a benchmark for the whole Party.
The "First-in-Command" (yibashou) leads by example. The First-in-Command is the “squad leader” of the leadership team, and their implementation of democratic centralism directly affects the unity of the team and the quality of decision-making. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: “In implementing democratic centralism, it is crucial for the ‘First-in-Command’ to lead by example.” The Guiding Principles for Inner-Party Political Life Under New Circumstances explicitly requires that “principal responsible comrades of Party committees (Party leadership groups) must promote democracy, be adept at centralization, and dare to take responsibility.” Promoting democracy means regarding oneself as an equal member of the team, deciding issues strictly according to the principle of the minority subordinating to the majority, paying attention to listening to different opinions, and resolutely refusing to run a "one-man show." Being adept at centralization means taking Charge of the overall situation and setting the direction, concentrating collective wisdom into correct resolutions, unifying divergent opinions, and persuading those with negative opinions. Daring to take responsibility means prioritizing the Party's cause and the people's interests, adhering to principles, being serious and responsible, and daring to take responsibility in the face of mistakes. Jiao Yulu and Gu Wenchang, role-model County Party Secretaries, are paragons of First-in-Commands implementing democratic centralism. Jiao Yulu once said that a County Party Secretary should be good at being a “squad leader” so that the “squad” has unified thinking and unified actions. He took Mao Zedong’s method of “concentrating [opinions] from the masses and persevering with them among the masses to form correct leadership opinions” as his work method for implementing democratic centralism. Gu Wenchang always conducted in-depth investigations and research among cadres and the masses before making decisions, letting everyone speak their minds and pooling wisdom before making a choice. General Secretary Xi Jinping has issued instructions many times for leading cadres to learn from and carry forward the spirit of Jiao Yulu and Gu Wenchang, emphasizing that “leading cadres should cultivate democratic literacy as a leadership capacity and master it as an art of leadership,” pointing the way for First-in-Commands to implement democratic centralism.
Team members improve their political stance. Members of the leadership team are an important force in implementing democratic centralism; they must talk about politics, consider the big picture, and effectively fulfill their duties. The Guiding Principles for Inner-Party Political Life Under New Circumstances puts forward three clear requirements for leadership team members in implementing democratic centralism. First is to fully express opinions. Establish a global perspective, enhance responsibility awareness, and fully express opinions when researching work. Especially regarding work for which one is responsible under the division of labor, one must thoroughly understand the spirit of higher authorities and the situation at the grassroots, putting forward specific opinions for collective decision-making. Second is to execute collective decisions. Once a Party organization's decision is made, it must be resolutely executed to the end; one must not act on one’s own authority or follow one’s own course in violation of the collective decision. Third is to maintain team unity. Resolutely oppose erroneous words and deeds such as remaining silent during meetings but speaking wildly afterwards, or being "one way to a person’s face and another behind their back," and jointly maintain unity based on the principles of Party spirit.
Implementing democratic centralism is a lifelong compulsory course for leading cadres. Only by consistently adhering to the unity of knowledge and action—deepening theoretical cognition through education and training while enhancing execution capabilities through practical exercise—can they truly become model practitioners of democratic centralism and continue to provide a strong political guarantee for the development of the cause of the Party and the people.
III. Consolidating the Institutional Mechanism as the Fundamental Safeguard
The demonstration and leadership of leading cadres are important drivers for implementing democratic centralism, while long-term, stable institutional mechanisms are the fundamental safeguard. At present, aiming at the “Four Inadequacies” [13] existing in practical execution, it is necessary to further strengthen the construction of the democratic centralism institutional system, reinforce institutional execution, and effectively transform the advantages of democratic centralism into the Party's political, organizational, institutional, and work advantages.
(1) Improving Systems for Developing Inner-Party Democracy
Inner-Party democracy is the lifeblood of the Party. To develop inner-Party democracy, we must improve an institutional system with clear subjects, standardized procedures, smooth channels, and timely feedback to ensure that members' democratic rights are implemented.
Improve the collective leadership system. Adhering to the collective leadership system and implementing the combination of collective leadership and individual responsibility based on the division of labor is an important component of democratic centralism. According to the requirements of the Guiding Principles for Inner-Party Political Life Under New Circumstances, improving the collective leadership system should focus on three links. First, improve the rules of procedure and decision-making processes for leadership teams. The scope of deliberation must be clarified, distinguishing the boundary between “Triple-Great and One-Large” [14] matters (statutory matters that must be discussed) and routine work. Audit standards for agenda items should be refined, and for matters involving the overall situation, pre-conditions such as pre-meeting investigation and demonstration, expert evaluation, and risk prediction should be clarified. Decision-making processes should be standardized: strictly audit the completeness of materials before meetings; strictly implement the “First-in-Command speaks last” system and the voting system during meetings; and establish a decision execution ledger after meetings, specifying the responsible subjects and completion deadlines. Second, standardize the relationship between the power and responsibilities of the Secretary and the committee members. Within the leadership collective, the Secretary and members are equal in political status, and their decision-making power in participating in major issues is also equal. The Secretary should be good at promoting democracy and fully listening to members’ opinions; members should enhance their global perspective and actively participate in collective decision-making. Establish a regular communication mechanism, standardize the democratic life meeting system, and create a political atmosphere of democratic discussion and democratic supervision. Third, refine the system of individual responsibility based on the division of labor. Establish and implement a system where the division of labor among leadership team members is reported to the superior Party committee for the record. Through institutional designs where power and responsibility are matched, the effect of superimposing the authority of collective leadership with the execution power of individual division of labor can be released.
Improve the system for ensuring broad participation of Party members in inner-Party political life. Party members are the subjects of inner-Party democracy, and ensuring their rights is the foundation for developing it. Guided by the Guiding Principles for Inner-Party Political Life Under New Circumstances, we should focus on improving three systems. First, improve the system of transparency in Party affairs. Distinguish between core and routine affairs, and between confidential and public information, and establish a system of transparency in Party affairs characterized by categorized disclosure and dynamic adjustment. On the basis of making meetings and documents public, improve the construction of online disclosure platforms. Implement disclosure for the entire process of major decision-making—from preparation and discussion to execution and evaluation—to protect members’ right to know. Second, broaden the channels for Party members to express opinions. Improve the system for members to attend meetings of Party committees (leadership groups) as observers, clarifying the selection mechanism for observers, the right to speak, and the process for adopting and providing feedback on opinions. Improve the evaluation and opinion-soliciting system for major inner-Party decisions, absorbing representatives of members from different levels and fields to participate in discussions on major policies. Build digital participation platforms to expand the breadth and depth of member participation in inner-Party affairs. Third, improve the processing and feedback mechanism for opinions and suggestions. For suggestions involving policy formulation, the lead department should study them and provide feedback on adoption; for requests involving people's livelihoods, clear handling time limits should be set and progress publicized. Promote the “first-recipient responsibility system” and seriously hold accountable those who are perfunctory or procrastinate.
Improve institutional mechanisms to better play the role of Party delegates. Delegates to Party congresses are the bridge and bond between the Party and the masses. Better playing their representative role is an inevitable requirement for developing inner-Party democracy and pooling wisdom and strength from all sides. At the closing ceremony of the 20th National Congress of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that delegates to the National Congress must “actively reflect the voices of the broad Party members and the masses, and correctly fulfill their duties as delegates.” To implement this important requirement, while adhering to and improving the collective leadership system of Party committees (leadership groups), we must further improve supporting systems and refine work mechanisms. First, explore the establishment of a mechanism for Party delegates to participate in major decision-making consultations. Before researching major issues, Party committees (leadership groups) can systematically organize specialized discussions or solicit opinions from delegates in relevant fields, fully absorbing their professional insights and grassroots experience. Simultaneously, improve the mechanism for handling delegate proposals and motions, implementing list-based management and closed-loop operation for opinions and suggestions put forward by delegates, suppressing handling responsibilities to ensure that delegate voices are effectively transformed into decision-making references. Second, explore the establishment of mechanisms for Party delegates to participate in democratic recommendation and democratic evaluation. When conducting annual appraisals and mid-term inspections of leadership teams and leading cadres, a certain proportion of relevant Party delegates can be invited to participate in the democratic recommendation of important cadres in the region, as well as the democratic evaluation of the Party committee leadership team at the same level and its members. Delegates can also be organized to participate in evaluations of the work of the Standing Committee of the Party committee at the same level as needed, using their opinions as an important reference and basis for the Party committee to manage and supervise cadres, strengthen its own construction, and improve its work. Third, improve the system for Party delegates to attend Party committee meetings and maintain contact with Party members and the masses. Establish a categorized invitation mechanism for delegates to attend Party committee meetings, inviting delegates from relevant fields to attend plenary sessions, Standing Committee meetings, and special meetings based on the meeting agenda. Improve the normalized mechanism for delegates to contact members and the masses, relying on community grids and delegate studios to deepen regular contact. Establish and improve a "direct-through train" mechanism for delegates to reflect mass opinions, ensuring that the voice of the grassroots can be transmitted to the decision-making level quickly and smoothly.
(2) Improving the System for Implementing Correct Centralization
Correct centralization is the core essence and key link of democratic centralism. To implement correct centralization, relevant institutional arrangements must be perfected to ensure that the whole Party is unified in will and action.
Improve the implementation of...
The institutionalization of the "Two Upholds." The "Two Upholds" constitute the Party’s highest political principle and fundamental political requirement; they are the key to ensuring the concentration, unity, strength, and vigor of the entire Party. The most fundamental requirement for implementing democratic centralism is to resolutely achieve the "Two Upholds." In accordance with the requirements of the Outline of the Plan for Formulating Internal Party Regulations of the Central Committee (2023–2027), the improvement of the system for implementing the "Two Upholds" should focus on strengthening the following six areas. First, improve the system for arming the entire Party and educating the people with Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, guiding Party members and cadres to profoundly grasp the significant meaning and practical requirements of the "Two Upholds." Second, improve the leadership system of the Party Central Committee over major work; based on the Regulations on the Work of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, perfect supporting systems to ensure that only the Party Central Committee has the authority to decide upon and interpret major national principles and policies. Third, improve the system by which the Party Central Committee leads various organizations at all levels, refining the institutional mechanisms for the Party's leadership over the People’s Congresses, the government, the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), judicial organs, the military, people’s organizations, enterprises and public institutions, grassroots self-governing organizations, and social organizations. Fourth, perfect the mechanism for implementing the major decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee, coordinating the smooth flow of government orders [15] with measures tailored to local conditions, clarifying the core essence and implementation boundaries of policies, and ensuring that "prescribed actions" (guiding actions) are implemented while "optional actions" remain compliant. Fifth, improve the system for ensuring the entire Party maintains a high degree of consistency with the Party Central Committee, clarifying specific requirements for implementing the "Two Upholds" across all fields, including reform, development, stability, internal affairs, diplomacy, and national defense. Sixth, improve the system for building the political capacity of Party members and cadres, making the firm maintenance of the Party Central Committee’s authority and centralized, unified leadership the primary task in building the political capacity of leadership teams and leading cadres.
Improve the system for requesting instructions and submitting reports on major matters. The system for requesting instructions and reporting is an important institutional arrangement for strengthening the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out: "The system of requesting instructions and reporting is an important system of our Party and an effective working mechanism for executing the Party’s democratic centralism." Based on the Regulations of the Communist Party of China on Requesting Instructions and Reporting on Major Matters, "list-based" management should be refined. First, define a core list of "matters that must be requested." This includes major principles and policies regarding the overall situation of Party and state work, major principles and issues, matters under the centralized and unified management of the Party Central Committee, and other major matters that can only be led and decided by the Party Central Committee; instructions must be requested from the Party Central Committee in a timely manner and in strict accordance with prescribed procedures, and the Central Committee’s decisions and deployments must be resolutely executed. Second, define a priority list of "matters that should be reported." This includes progress on important work and major emergencies, which should be reported truthfully and proactively. Third, clarify a "negative list" of matters that "do not require instructions." This defines the scope of routine affairs to prevent requesting instructions for every single thing or over-reporting. Fourth, establish a dynamic adjustment mechanism for these lists. Based on the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee and actual work needs, the lists for requesting instructions and reporting should be evaluated and adjusted annually to ensure they remain targeted and adaptable.
(3) Strictly Enforcing Institutional Implementation
The vitality of a system lies in its implementation. We must ensure that democratic centralism is effectively put into practice through the strengthening of supervision, precise accountability, and early warning mechanisms.
Improve supervision mechanisms. The Regulations of the Communist Party of China on Internal Party Supervision list the adherence to democratic centralism as a focus of supervision. In improving the mechanism for supervising the implementation of democratic centralism, three priorities must be highlighted. First, keep a close watch on the "top leaders" (yibashou) and leadership teams. In accordance with the Opinions of the CPC Central Committee on Strengthening Supervision of "Top Leaders" and Leadership Teams, supervision over the "top leaders’" implementation of democratic centralism must be strengthened. A power list for top leaders should be established to clarify their power boundaries in collective decision-making. A system for periodic evaluation of the implementation of democratic centralism by leadership teams should be established, with the results incorporated into performance appraisals. Second, consolidate the "Two Responsibilities." Higher-level Party organizations must fulfill their comprehensive supervisory duties, focusing on the compliance of deliberation and decision-making procedures and the timeliness of reporting major matters. Discipline inspection and supervision organs must focus on their political supervision attributes, using democratic centralism as an important yardstick for testing the "Two Upholds" and maintaining "zero tolerance" for acts that violate institutional principles. Third, strengthen supervision from outside the Party. Hand over the power of supervision and judgment to the masses, and improve the mechanism for linking and coordinating internal Party supervision with external supervision.
Improve accountability mechanisms. In June 2024, during the 15th collective study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "Improve precise and scientific accountability mechanisms to pass pressure down through every level." Article 7 of the Regulations of the Communist Party of China on Accountability lists "serious violations of the principle of democratic centralism and failure to implement the rules of deliberation and decision-making of leadership teams" as a condition for accountability. In practice, two priorities must be grasped to promote precise and standardized accountability. First, differentiate between different scenarios to carry out precise accountability. For decision-making deviations caused by insufficient democracy—such as making arbitrary decisions without sufficient deliberation or suppressing dissenting opinions resulting in losses—accountability should be strictly pursued. For acts such as deliberately evading collective decision-making or individuals unilaterally changing resolutions, serious handling must occur in accordance with the Regulations of the Communist Party of China on Disciplinary Actions. For implementation deviations caused by insufficient correct centralization—such as delays in work due to discussion without decision, or fragmented approaches that undermine policy synergy—the responsible leaders in charge must be strictly held accountable. Second, precisely define the boundaries of responsibility and implement graded and classified accountability. Determine the method of accountability reasonably based on the degree of fault and the impact of the consequences. For minor cases, use cautionary talks and set a time limit for rectification; for those causing major losses or severe negative impact, resolutely implement organizational adjustments or Party and administrative discipline. Improve the mechanism for allowing and correcting errors (rongcuo jiucuo) [16], distinguishing between exploratory mistakes and intentional violations, so as to protect the initiative of cadres in their work.
Improve early warning mechanisms. Democratic centralism is an organic whole comprising both democracy and centralization; it requires an early warning mechanism for imbalances between the two. Inspection tours (xunshi xuncha) [17] are an important method for early warning. The Regulations of the Communist Party of China on Inspection Work include the "implementation of democratic centralism" as a focal point of inspections, providing an institutional basis for early warning of risk signals and correcting implementation deviations. The early warning mechanism can set triple indicators: at the decision-making level, focus on monitoring the collective decision-making rate for "Major Matters, Major Appointments, Major Project Arrangements, and Large-Scale Fund Use" (the "Triple Major and One Large") [18] and the implementation of the top leader's "final speaker" rule (meiwai biaotai) [19]; at the process level, track dynamic data such as meeting speech rates and the adoption rate of differing opinions; at the result level, evaluate the effect of decision execution and public satisfaction. By improving early warning mechanisms, problems of "insufficient democracy" or "insufficient centralization" can be discovered and rectified in a timely manner, promoting a dynamic balance between democracy and centralization.
Democratic centralism is a scientific, rational, and efficient system; it is our Party’s greatest institutional advantage. On the New Journey, we must strengthen our institutional confidence, uphold the fundamentals and break new ground, and—in accordance with systematic requirements—continuously refine the institutional framework of democratic centralism. We must strengthen institutional enforcement to ensure the organic unity of democracy and centralization, striving to forge the Party into a "piece of solid steel" to provide a strong institutional guarantee for advancing Chinese-path modernization.