Jiang Sen and Wu Hui: Studying and Understanding General Secretary Xi Jinping’s Important Thought on the Party’s Self-Reform from Three Dimensions
The "Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Further Comprehensively Deepening Reform and Advancing Chinese-path Modernization," adopted at the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, points out that we must maintain a high degree of self-awareness in leading social revolution through the Party's self-revolution; persist in governing the Party with the spirit of reform and strict standards; improve the system of norms and institutions for the Party's self-revolution; and continuously promote the Party’s self-purification, self-perfection, self-reformation, and self-improvement to ensure the Party remains the strong leadership core of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Since the 18th National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has taken comprehensively and strictly governing the Party as the great practice of the Party's self-revolution in the New Era. It has creatively put forward a series of original and landmark new concepts, ideas, and strategies, forming General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important thoughts on the Party’s self-revolution, guiding this century-old Party to continuously open new horizons of self-revolution. Facing a new historical starting point, the deeper the reform goes, the more we must uphold the spirit of self-revolution, profoundly study and grasp General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important thoughts on the Party’s self-revolution, deepen the improvement of Party conduct, the building of clean government, and the anti-corruption struggle, and persist over the long term in advancing the comprehensive and strict governance of the Party to build our Party into an even stronger and more powerful force.
I. Why Must Our Party Engage in Self-Revolution?
General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "As the world's largest Marxist governing party, how can our Party successfully escape the historical cycle of rise and fall [1] and ensure that it never changes its nature, its conviction, or its character? This is a strategic question facing all comrades in the Party." This provides methodological guidance for us to profoundly understand why the Party must engage in self-revolution.
(1) Self-revolution is the Party's second answer to escaping the historical cycle of rise and fall. Whether a political party or a regime can escape the historical cycle of rise and fall is a fundamental issue concerning its success or failure, and it is also a historical task that our Party has continuously reflected upon and explored. During the years of revolutionary war, the Chinese Communists, with Comrade Mao Zedong as their chief representative, gave the first answer: letting the people supervise the government. After a century of exploration by the Party, and particularly through the revolutionary tempering of comprehensively and strictly governing the Party in the New Era, we have found the second answer: self-revolution. Since the 18th National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has approached the issue from the height of coordinating the "two overall situations" [2], advancing the comprehensive and strict governance of the Party with a strong spirit of self-revolution and deploying a "combination of punches" [3] for self-revolution, thereby enriching and expanding the new paths and methods for the Party to escape the historical cycle. The CPC organically combines and highly unifies these "two answers," allowing them to function both internally and externally in a symbiotic progression. This reveals the code for the century-old Party’s enduring prosperity and eternal youth, ensuring the Party remains invincible and always stands as the vanguard of the times and the backbone of the nation.
(2) Self-revolution is a powerful weapon for the Party to maintain its advanced nature and purity. Advanced nature and purity are the foundation for a Marxist party to maintain its vitality and the main line of its self-construction; the objective of promoting self-revolution is to ensure the Party never changes its nature, its conviction, or its character. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "To maintain its advanced nature and purity and realize its noble mission, a Marxist party must 'take the mending of faults to heart, take the seeking of faults as an urgent matter, regard the ability to correct faults as a virtue, and consider the hearing of one’s faults as wisdom' [4], and solve its own existing problems without a moment's relaxation." An advanced Marxist party is not born that way; it is tempered through continuous self-revolution. It is precisely by constantly "replenishing calcium" to strengthen the bones, detoxifying and disinfecting, and removing the decayed to let the new flesh grow [5] that the Party has been able to forge itself into a Marxist party that always stands at the forefront of the times throughout its magnificent century-long journey. On the new journey in the New Era, the "four tests" and "four dangers" [6] facing the Party remain severe and complex. The whole Party must have the courage to face problems head-on and the determination to "turn the blade inward" [7], unswervingly advancing the Party's self-revolution to ensure its status as the strong leadership core of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics.
(3) Self-revolution is the strong political guarantee for realizing Chinese-path modernization. The key to managing China’s affairs well lies in the Party. Our Party's courage to engage in self-revolution and promote reform and innovation allows it to continuously break down institutional barriers and the "fences" of entrenched interests, leading Chinese-path modernization toward prosperity and vitality. The 20th National Congress solemnly declared: "From this day forward, the central task of the Communist Party of China will be to lead the Chinese people of all ethnic groups in a concerted effort to realize the Second Centenary Goal of building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects and to advance the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through Chinese-path modernization." Chinese-path modernization is socialist modernization led by the Party; it is a magnificent undertaking without precedent and is simultaneously a great social revolution. The more arduous the tasks of social revolution, the more thorough the self-revolution must be. We must ensure the Party remains strong and powerful. Only by forging the Party into a piece of "invincible steel" can Chinese-path modernization possess a strong political guarantee and demonstrate a bright future.
II. Why Can Our Party Engage in Self-Revolution?
General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "The Communist Party of China always represents the fundamental interests of the broadest possible range of people, sharing weal and woe and a common destiny with the people. It has no special interests of its own and never represents the interests of any interest group, power bloc, or privileged stratum." This provides important inspiration for us to deeply understand why the Party is able to engage in self-revolution.
(1) Self-revolution originates from the Party's nature and purpose. The CPC is a party armed with Marxism. Its "people-centered" nature is the essential attribute of Marxism. Thinking and working together with the people and striving for their interests is the fundamental difference between a Marxist party and other political parties. The Manifesto of the Communist Party points out that the proletarian movement is the self-conscious, independent movement of the immense majority, in the interest of the immense majority. Precisely because the Party always upholds the fundamental stance of seeking interests for the vast majority and the fundamental purpose of serving the people wholeheartedly, it can stand out in the tide of the times and continuously clear away the bacteria and viruses infecting its body to maintain its health and vitality. Aside from the interests of the working class and the broadest masses of the people, the Party has no special interests of its own; it never represents any interest group, power bloc, or privileged stratum. At all times, the Party places the interests of the masses first. This is the source of our power and the basis of our confidence in conducting self-revolution.
(2) Self-revolution originates from the Party's original aspiration and founding mission. The original aspiration and founding mission of seeking happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation are the internal driving forces for Chinese Communists to have the courage for self-revolution. Since its birth, the Party has resolutely shouldered the solemn historical responsibility of striving for national independence, the liberation of the people, and the realization of national prosperity and people's happiness. In the historical process of realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, the Party has continuously advanced the "great project of Party building" through the spirit of self-revolution. To realize the fundamental interests of the broadest masses, it has persisted in the truth and corrected its errors, repeatedly "operating" on its own deep-seated maladies. Relying on its own strength rather than any other force to solve problems, the Party has continuously enhanced its capacity for self-purification, self-perfection, self-reformation, and self-improvement. The Party's original aspiration and founding mission carry the will and demands of the Chinese people and the Chinese nation. The Party's self-revolution is the process of struggling against all phenomena that contravene this will and these demands, ensuring that the Party never forgets its origins while opening up the future.
(3) Self-revolution originates from the Party's historical experience. The CPC's self-revolution has a profound historical foundation and a clear historical logic. In a certain sense, the history of the Communist Party of China is a history of continuously advancing self-revolution. During the New Democratic Revolution [8], our Party successively corrected "Rightist" opportunist errors and three "Leftist" errors. After the founding of New China, the Party carried out rectification movements and the "Three-Anti" campaign [9]. After the Reform and Opening-up, the Party achieved "setting things right" (拨乱反正), re-establishing the Marxist political, ideological, and organizational lines, conducting comprehensive Party rectification and a series of intensive educational activities. Since the 18th National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has clearly proposed that anti-corruption is the most thorough form of self-revolution. With the determination to "use potent medicine to treat a serious illness and heavy penalties to curb chaos" [10] and the courage to "scrape the poison off the bone and cut off one's own wrist like a brave warrior" [11], the Party has unswervingly "brushed aside flies," "hunted down tigers," and "captured foxes" [12], eliminating serious hidden dangers within the Party, the state, and the military. In short, self-revolution is a profound summary of the CPC's century of historical experience; it is an important reason why the Party has grown from weak to strong and flourished, clearly demonstrating the political consciousness, mode of action, and ultimate values of this century-old Party.
III. How Does Our Party Advance Self-Revolution?
At the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, General Secretary Xi Jinping put forward the practical requirements of the "Nine Essentials" (九个以). This follows the earlier elaboration of the "Six Musts" (六个必须) principle-based requirements and the "Nine Persists" (九个坚持) based on the understanding of objective laws. It further enriches the top-level design and strategic planning of the Party's self-revolution, providing a practical guide for deeply advancing the Party's self-revolution on the new journey in the New Era.
(1) Taking the persistence of the Central Committee's centralized and unified leadership as the fundamental guarantee. Persisting in the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee is a major principle of Marxist party-building and a fine tradition and political advantage formed by our Party through long-term practice. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that the most essential feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the leadership of the Communist Party of China; the greatest advantage of the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the leadership of the CPC; the CPC is the highest force for political leadership, and persisting in the Central Commission's centralized and unified leadership is the highest political principle. The CPC is the subject of self-revolution, and the Party Central Committee is the "brain and center." There must be an authority that "sets the standard and has the final say" (定于一尊、一锤定音). This determines that advancing the Party's self-revolution in the New Era must involve top-level design and strategic planning by the Central Committee, with the entire Party advancing as one to ensure that self-revolution always proceeds in the correct political direction.
(2) Taking the leading of the great social revolution as the fundamental purpose. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "To successfully conduct the great social revolution of persisting in and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era, our Party must have the courage to conduct self-revolution." The Party's self-revolution never exists in isolation; it is highly integrated and dialectically unified with the Party's missions, goals, and central work. The Party's self-revolution is the fundamental prerequisite and political guarantee for the social revolution led by the Party; promoting social revolution is the fundamental destination and value pursuit of the Party's self-revolution. Only by building the Party into a stronger and more powerful force can the fundamental task of advancing the great social revolution be completed. We must plan and advance this work around the Party's missions and tasks on the new journey in the New Era, ensuring the Party's self-revolution better serves and is subordinated to the advancement of Chinese-path modernization.
(3) Taking Xi Jinping's Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as the fundamental compliance. Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is contemporary Chinese Marxism and 21st-century Marxism; it is the essence of Chinese culture and the Chinese spirit in our times, achieving a new leap in the Sinicization of Marxism. Advancing the Party's self-revolution must take the Party's innovative theories as guidance, unremittingly arming the whole Party with Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to temper the sharp ideological weapon of self-revolution. We must deeply study and practice the major significance, core tenets, basic connotations, and practical requirements of the Party's innovative theories, mastering the scientific worldview and methodology that runs through them to ensure the whole Party is unified in thought, will, and action, carrying the Party's self-revolution through to the end.
(4) Taking the escape from the historical cycle of rise and fall as the strategic goal. After a century of struggle, the Party has successfully explored the correct path to escape the historical cycle. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that escaping the historical cycle is a major issue concerning the Party’s enduring legacy, its survival, and the success or failure of our country's socialist system. Since the 18th National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has advanced the comprehensive and strict governance of the Party with a strong spirit of self-revolution. The guiding and protective political role of this governance has been fully exerted. The Party's political leadership, ideological guidance, mass organization, and social mobilization have been significantly strengthened. The people’s sense of gain, happiness, and security has continuously improved, promoting historical achievements and transformations in the cause of the Party and the state. Advancing the Party's self-revolution in the New Era must aim to escape the historical cycle, resolutely clearing away the viruses that damage the Party's healthy body and continuously consolidating the political and social foundations for the Party's long-term governance.
(5) Taking the resolution of the unique challenges facing a large party as the primary direction of attack. The CPC is the world's largest Marxist governing party; being "large" means it must act the part, but "largeness" also brings its own unique difficulties. At the Second Plenary Session of the 20th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, General Secretary Xi Jinping used...
The "Six Hows to Always" [13] summarize the practical focus and manifestations of the unique challenges facing a large party, providing scientific guidance for our accurate understanding of the basic connotations of these challenges. Resolving the unique challenges of a large party is a long-term process that requires perseverance and persisting over the long term; in particular, we must implement targeted treatment, comprehensive exertion of force, and address both symptoms and root causes regarding the "Six Hows to Always." Deeply advancing the Party’s self-revolution provides us with a powerful weapon to resolve the unique challenges of a large party. What it resolves are precisely the issues undermining the Party's advanced nature and purity, as well as the challenges of long-term governance. The method is to face problems head-on, turn the blade inward [14], remove the rot, and let new flesh grow.
(6) Taking the improvement of the system for comprehensively and strictly governing the Party as the effective path.
Improving the system for comprehensively and strictly governing the Party is a major assertion and brand-new requirement first proposed at the 20th National Congress of the CPC. During the 15th collective study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, General Secretary Xi Jinping made important arrangements for improving the system for comprehensively and strictly governing the Party from five aspects: the organizational system, educational system, supervisory system, institutional system, and responsibility system. In the New Era, advancing the Party's self-revolution requires firmly establishing a systems perspective, implementing the general requirements for Party building in the New Era and the strategic policy of comprehensively and strictly governing the Party. We must adhere to institutional Party governance and governing the Party in accordance with regulations, refine the system of institutional norms for the Party’s self-revolution, and implement the seven strategic deployments proposed by the 20th National Congress. We must integrate the requirements for comprehensively and strictly governing the Party into the entire process of Party building, ensuring they are fulfilled by organizations at all levels and by all Party members and cadres. This involves tightening the primary responsibility for comprehensively and strictly governing the Party as well as the supervisory responsibility, continuously refining the system of intra-Party regulations, and enriching the effective paths for the Party's self-revolution.
(7) Taking the forging of strong organizations and the building of a competent workforce as the important focal point.
Forging strong organizations and building a competent workforce are vital components of the Party’s organizational construction and the organizational foundation for advancing the Party's self-revolution. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized the need to persist in enhancing the political functions and the organizational and cohesive power of Party organizations, forging a cadre workforce that dares to and is skilled at struggle [15], and has the courage for self-revolution. We must implement the Party's organizational line for the New Era, establish and improve an organizational system that links higher and lower levels and ensures effective execution, and enhance the political and organizational functions of Party organizations. We must build a high-quality cadre workforce that is loyal, clean, and responsible, highlighting political standards in the selection and appointment of personnel. We should coordinate the construction of five major systems: quality cultivation, knowing people and identifying officials, selection and appointment, strict management, and positive incentives. We must strengthen the cultivation of cadres' spirit and capability for struggle, providing strong organizational support for advancing the Party’s self-revolution.
(8) Taking the rectification of conduct, enforcement of discipline, and anti-corruption as the important grasp.
Rectifying conduct, enforcing discipline, and fighting corruption are important methods of comprehensively and strictly governing the Party. General Secretary Xi Jinping clearly proposed major assertions such as: the issue of Party conduct is a matter of life and death for the ruling party; strengthening disciplinary construction is the fundamental strategy for comprehensively and strictly governing the Party; and anti-corruption is the most thorough form of self-revolution. We must persistently grasp conduct construction with "unceasing effort" [16], taking a clear-cut stand against formalism and bureaucratism. We must implement the spirit of the central Eight-Point Regulations with the "spirit of driving a nail" [17], and use the tightening of political discipline and political rules to drive the comprehensive tightening of all Party disciplines. We must integrally advance the "Three Nos" (不敢腐、不能腐、不想腐): ensuring that officials do not dare, are not able, and have no desire to be corrupt. The "Three Nos" should be treated as the basic policy for the anti-corruption struggle and an important strategy for comprehensively and strictly governing the Party, ensuring that all three elements exert force simultaneously, in the same direction, and comprehensively.
(9) Taking the combination of self-supervision and people's supervision as the powerful driving force.
General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "We cannot engage in self-revolution behind closed doors; instead, we must listen more to the opinions of the masses and consciously accept the supervision of the people." The combination of self-supervision and people's supervision—uniting the internal and the external, complementing and integrating with one another—is a great innovation of our Party in advancing self-revolution. It profoundly reflects the methodology of the dialectical unity of internal and external causes. To advance the Party's self-revolution in the New Era, we must persist in the leading role of intra-Party supervision and improve a supervisory system under the Party's unified leadership that is comprehensive, authoritative, and efficient. We must coordinate and align various forms of supervision, including state organ supervision, democratic supervision, judicial supervision, mass supervision, and public opinion supervision, while continuously expanding the channels for the people's supervision and improving the effectiveness of such supervision.
Source: Research on Party Building in Organs (机关党建研究), Issue 9, 2024. Online Editor: Jing Mu.