Party Building Research Institute of the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee: Strive to Create a New Situation in Party Building and Organizational Work
For a nation to stand at the forefront of the times, it cannot for a moment be without theoretical thinking, nor can it for a moment be without the guidance of correct thought. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping—focusing on the major contemporary question of what kind of long-term governing Marxist party to build and how to build it—has highlighted the theme and main line of comprehensively and strictly governing the Party. He has proposed a series of new concepts, new ideas, and new strategies for managing, governing, advancing, and strengthening the Party, forming General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important thought on Party building. To study and implement this important thought in depth, the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee organized the compilation of An Outline of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s Important Thought on Party Building (hereafter referred to as the Outline). The Outline is rich in content, clear in its viewpoints, profound in its discourse, and rigorous in its logic. It is highly political, ideological, systematic, and instructional, serving as an authoritative auxiliary reader for the broad masses of Party members and cadres to deeply study and grasp General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important thought on Party building. At present, we must study and use the Outline well, pushing the study toward greater depth and substance, further deepening our understanding, achieving comprehensive integration, and practicing what we believe with firm conviction regarding General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important thought on Party building.
Study and use the Outline well to profoundly recognize the great significance of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important thought on Party building
General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important thought on Party building is the latest theoretical achievement in the field of Party building that adheres to the "Two Combinations" [1] and applies the "Six Must-Persists" [2]. It constitutes the "Party building chapter" of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, providing a sharp ideological weapon for effective Party management, forceful Party governance, and successful Party building. In its introduction, the Outline profoundly elucidates the great theoretical, practical, and world significance of this important thought.
This important thought possesses deep theoretical origins. Marx and Engels founded the Marxist doctrine on party building, laying the theoretical foundation for the construction of proletarian parties. Lenin led the Russian October Revolution to victory, transforming socialism from theory into reality and allowing the Marxist doctrine on party building to be tested, enriched, and developed in practice. Our Party was established according to Marxist principles of party building. In the process of promoting the Sinicization of Marxism, we have always insisted on using Marxist positions, viewpoints, and methods to analyze, research, and solve the contradictions and problems encountered in Party building. We have continuously deepened our understanding of the laws governing the development of a Marxist party, forming a Sinicized Marxist theoretical system for Party building. The Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has remained unswerving in upholding the guiding position of Marxism. It has persisted in and developed the party-building doctrines of Marx, Engels, and Lenin, as well as the theories on Party building within Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the Theory of Three Represents, and the Scientific Outlook on Development. Bravely advancing theoretical innovation, it has formed a scientifically complete, logically rigorous, and organically unified important thought on Party building.
This important thought possesses a rich fertile soil of practice. To whatever stage the cause of the Party and the people develops, Party building must advance to that stage, and the theory of Party building will develop accordingly. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has kept its eyes on the general trend of social development, the world's changes unseen in a century, and the great cause of national rejuvenation. It has summarized and applied the historical experience of the Party’s century of struggle, especially the practical experience of Party building and state governance in the New Era. It has scientifically answered the major theoretical and practical questions faced in advancing the great new project of Party building [3] in the New Era, guiding Party building to achieve historic and pioneering accomplishments and produce all-round, deep-seated influence. General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important thought on Party building centrally embodies the grand vision, broad perspective, and great wisdom of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core in advancing the great new project of Party building in the New Era. It is strategic, holistic, and creative, demonstrating powerful truth-force in the practice of guiding the resolution of prominent problems in Party building and advancing the Party’s great cause.
This important thought possesses a broad world vision. The Communist Party of China is a party that seeks happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation; it is also a party that seeks progress for humanity and the "Great Harmony" [4] for the world. Currently, changes in the world, the times, and history are unfolding in unprecedented ways. On one hand, the historical trend of peace, development, cooperation, and mutual benefit is unstoppable; the aspirations of the people and the general trend of the times dictate that the future of humanity will ultimately be bright. On the other hand, hegemonism, power politics, and "zero-sum game" mentalities—manifested as bullying, plunder, and coercion—are causing grave harm. The deficits in peace, development, security, and governance are intensifying, and human society faces unprecedented challenges. General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important thought on Party building maintains a "concern for all under heaven" (xiong huai tian xia). It gains insight into the general trends of world political and economic development and draws lessons from the rise and fall of political parties worldwide. It centrally reflects the new tasks and requirements posed by the changes of the times for the great new project of Party building in the New Era. It breaks the myth of the Western political party system. With its lofty value orientation and unique ideological charm, it provides Chinese propositions and Chinese solutions for the development of world political civilization in the era of globalization. It contributes Chinese wisdom and Chinese strength to the progress of human political civilization, demonstrating a broad mind and a magnificent spirit.
Study and use the Outline well to deeply grasp the scientific system and rich connotations of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important thought on Party building
General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important thought on Party building persists in connecting history with reality, linking Party management and governance with state governance, and combining theory with practice, constituting a scientific, complete, and mature theoretical system of Party building. The main body of the Outline consists of thirteen chapters, systematically explaining the core essence, spiritual substance, rich connotations, and practical requirements of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important thought on Party building. It clarifies the core viewpoints and important concepts of each "Persist" [5], providing key guidance for a comprehensive understanding and holistic grasp of this important thought.
First, upholding and strengthening the overall leadership of the Party. This is the fundamental principle of Party building. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that the leadership of the Communist Party of China is the most essential characteristic of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the greatest advantage of the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics; the Party is the highest force for political leadership. The Party's leadership is all-encompassing, systematic, and holistic, and it must be implemented in an all-encompassing, systematic, and holistic manner. We must improve the institutional system of Party leadership that oversees the overall situation and coordinates all parties, improve the mechanism for implementing the major decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee, and implement Party leadership in all fields, aspects, and links of managing the Party and governing the country. This "Persist" profoundly reveals the internal unity between Party leadership and socialism with Chinese characteristics, highlights the extreme importance of the Central Committee's centralized and unified leadership and its position and role in the Party's leadership system, and further deepens our Party's understanding of the theory of the essence of socialism and the essential requirements of socialism with Chinese characteristics.
Second, persisting in leading social revolution through the Party's self-revolution. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that self-revolution is the Party's "second answer" to escaping the historical cycle of rise and fall [6], and the courage for self-revolution is the most distinctive character of our Party. The "Four Tests" and "Four Dangers" [7] facing the Party will exist for a long time. We must always maintain the sobriety and firmness to solve the unique problems of a large party, improve the system for comprehensively and strictly governing the Party, and comprehensively promote the Party's self-purification, self-perfection, self-innovation, and self-improvement, continuously leading social revolution through the Party's self-revolution. This "Persist" profoundly reveals the dialectical relationship in which self-revolution and social revolution accompany and promote each other, finding an effective path for building a long-term governing Marxist party.
Third, persisting in taking the Party's political building as the overarching principle to lead all aspects of Party building. Political issues are fundamental issues at all times. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that the Party's political building is the fundamental construction of the Party, determining the direction and effect of Party building. We must place the Party's political building at the forefront of Party building: setting the correct political direction, adhering to the Party's political leadership, consolidating the political foundation, nourishing the political ecosystem, preventing political risks, perpetually maintaining our political character, and improving political judgment, political understanding, and political execution. This ensures that the whole Party maintains a high degree of consistency with the Party Central Committee in political stance, political direction, political principles, and political path, and ensures the unity and solidarity of the Party. This "Persist" proclaims the extreme importance of the Party's political building and its functional positioning of "establishing the roots and consolidating the foundation" in the Party building of the New Era, highlighting the fundamental problems and key measures of Party building in the New Era.
Fourth, persisting in the principle that "the country is the people, and the people are the country." This is the fundamental value orientation of Party building. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that "winning the country and guarding the country is about guarding the hearts of the people." We must never forget our original aspiration and founding mission, adhere to the people-centered development philosophy, adhere to the fundamental purpose of serving the people whole-heartedly, and take the people's yearning for a better life as the Party's goal. We must firmly establish the mass viewpoint, implement the mass line, respect the people's pioneering spirit, always maintain flesh-and-blood ties with the people, and always breathe the same air, share the same fate, and remain heart-to-heart with the people. This "Persist" reflects the organic unity of the Party's nature, purpose, ideals, beliefs, and goals, sounding the clarion call of the times for our Party to remain unswerving, forge ahead, and win the hearts of the people and the future.
Fifth, persisting in ideological Party building and strengthening the Party through theory. Ideological building is the foundational construction of the Party. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that possessing the guidance of scientific Marxist theory is the fundamental reason why our Party can firm up its faith and conviction and grasp historical initiative. We must persist in combining the basic principles of Marxism with China's specific reality and with China's fine traditional culture, continuously writing new chapters in the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism. We must unswervingly use Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to congeal the soul and forge the spirit, carry forward the Great Founding Spirit of the Party [8], and educate and guide Party members and cadres to build a solid foundation of faith, supplement their "spiritual calcium," and hold steady the "rudder of thought." This "Persist" profoundly elucidates the "winning code" of how our Party has continuously risen after setbacks and been tempered into steel through hardships, demonstrating the rock-firm power of faith of the CPC.
Sixth, persisting in maintaining a rigorous organizational system for the Party. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that the Party's strength comes from its organization; the Party's overall leadership and all its work must be realized through the Party's strong organizational system. We must improve the organizational system that connects the higher and lower levels and executes with vigor. We must enhance the political and organizational functions of Party organizations, building central and state organs into "model organs" that are political, disciplined, responsible, and efficient; building local Party committees into strong organizations that resolutely obey the command of the Party Central Committee, have strict management, powerful supervision, united leadership teams, and a pure atmosphere; and building primary-level Party organizations into strong "fighting fortresses" for effectively realizing Party leadership. This "Persist" clarifies the material reliance of the Party's strength and the internal requirements for systematic construction, pointing out the starting point and landing point for strengthening the construction of the Party's organizational system, and revealing the key to enhancing the Party's creativity, cohesion, and combat effectiveness to ensure the Party always maintains vigorous vitality.
Seventh, persisting in creating a high-quality cadre force that is loyal, clean, and responsible. Once the political line is determined, cadres are the deciding factor. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that the Party's cadres are the backbone of the cause of the Party and the state. We must adhere to the principle of the Party's supervision of cadres. We must persist in the standards of both integrity and ability, with integrity as the priority; persist in appointing people from "all corners of the land" based on merit; and persist in the standards for "good cadres" in the New Era, strictly guarding the gates of politics and integrity. We must strengthen the ideological tempering, political experience, practical training, and professional training of cadres. We must combine strict management with "kind concern," improve the incentive mechanism for cadres to take responsibility and act, and better stimulate the enthusiasm, initiative, and creativity of the broad masses of cadres. This "Persist" enriches and develops the contemporary connotation and practical requirements of our Party's cadre standards, providing a fundamental basis for building a high-quality cadre force and pointing out the direction for the healthy growth of cadres.
Eighth, persisting in gathering the world’s talents and putting them to use. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that national development and ethnic rejuvenation depend on talent. We must adhere to the Party's overall leadership over talent work, adhere to the strategic position of talent-led development, speed up the construction of world-important talent centers and innovation hubs, and accelerate the building of national strategic talent forces. We must cultivate, introduce, and use talents in an all-round way, deepen the reform of the talent development system and mechanism, and strengthen political guidance and political absorption, gathering outstanding talents from all sides into the cause of the Party and the people. This "Persist" profoundly answers the major theoretical and practical questions of why we build a strong talent-driven country, what such a country is, and how to build it. It highlights the strategic position of talent-led development and points out the direction for talent work in the New Era.
Ninth, persist over the long term in improving Party conduct and enforcing discipline. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out that the issue of Party conduct is a matter of life and death for a governing party, and that strengthening disciplinary development is the fundamental strategy for comprehensively and strictly governing the Party. We must focus closely on maintaining the flesh-and-blood ties [9] between the Party and the masses, unswervingly implement the spirit of the central Eight-Point Regulations, rectify the "Four Winds" with strictness to the end—focusing specifically on rectifying formalism and bureaucratism—and resolutely eliminate supervisor-class mentalities and behaviors. We must comprehensively strengthen the Party's disciplinary development, urging leading cadres, especially high-ranking cadres, to be strict with themselves, be strictly responsible for their duties, and strictly manage those under their jurisdiction. Any violation of Party discipline must be resolutely investigated and handled as soon as it is discovered. This "persistence" endows the development of conduct and discipline with new connotations for the New Era, declares our Party's firm determination and powerful will to govern the Party with strictness, and marks a deepening and a leap in our Party's regularized understanding of Party governance.
Tenth, persist in the integrated promotion of ensuring that officials do not dare, cannot, and do not want to be corrupt. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out that corruption is the largest "tumor" harming the Party's vitality and combat effectiveness, that anti-corruption is the most thorough form of self-revolution, and that the anti-corruption struggle is always on the road. We must persist in the integrated promotion of "not daring, cannot, and do not want," simultaneously exerting force through punitive deterrence, institutional constraints, and raising political consciousness. We must resolutely investigate and handle corruption where political and economic issues are intertwined, and resolutely prevent leading cadres from becoming spokespersons or agents for interest groups and power blocs. This "persistence" centrally reflects the CPC Central Committee's strategic considerations for unswervingly and comprehensively governing the Party with strictness. It demonstrates our Party's courage to "scrape the bone to poison" [10], use "strong medicine for a serious illness," and "heavy penalties to rectify chaos," providing the fundamental guidance for resolutely winning the tough, protracted, and total war of the anti-corruption struggle under new circumstances.
Eleventh, persist in improving the supervision system of the Party and the state. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out that supervision is an inherent element of governance and holds an important position in governing the Party and the country. We must improve a supervision system characterized by the Party's unified leadership, full coverage, and authoritative efficiency. We must refine mechanisms for the supervision and constraint of power, with intra-Party supervision playing the leading role while promoting the integration and coordination of various types of supervision, ensuring that power operates in the sunshine. We must advance the objectification, precision, and normalization of political supervision, enhancing the effectiveness of supervision over "top leaders" [11] and leadership teams. We must leverage the role of political inspections as a "sharp sword" to ensure that the power bestowed by the people is always used to seek benefits for the people. This "persistence" clearly proposes placing the improvement of the Party and state supervision system within the top-level design of the national governance system, marking our Party's discovery of a successful path to solving its own problems and escaping the "historical cycle" [12] under the conditions of long-term governance.
Twelfth, persist in institutional Party governance and governing the Party according to regulations. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out that strengthening the development of intra-Party regulations and systems is a long-term and fundamental strategy for comprehensively and strictly governing the Party, and that governing the Party according to regulations must be treated as the basic method for Party governance. We must improve the system of institutional norms for the Party's self-revolution, weaving the "cage of institutions" [13] more finely, tightly, and securely. Taking the Party Constitution as the fundamental basis and democratic centralism as the core, we must continuously improve the system of intra-Party regulations, enhancing their authority and execution. We must form mechanisms for adhering to the truth, correcting errors, discovering problems, and rectifying deviations, providing a fundamental, holistic, stable, and long-term guarantee for Party building in the New Era. This "persistence" deepens the understanding of the laws governing how the Communist Party of China manages itself and governs the country, highlighting the unique advantages of the "Governance of the CPC" and the "Governance of China," and pointing out the correct direction and methodological path for the scientific and institutionalized management of the Party.
Thirteenth, persist in implementing the political responsibility for comprehensively and strictly governing the Party. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out that to govern the Party strictly, one must enhance the awareness of governing the Party and implement the responsibility for doing so. We must consolidate the primary responsibility of Party committees (and leading Party groups) at all levels for comprehensively and strictly governing the Party. We must push the secretaries of Party committees (and leading Party groups) at all levels to shoulder their responsibility as the "person with primary responsibility," ensure that leadership team members implement "one post, two responsibilities" [14], and strengthen the supervisory responsibility of specialized organs. Pressure must be transmitted through every level, and responsibilities must be interlinked, ensuring the implementation of Party-building responsibilities on the ground. This "persistence" elucidates the specific connotations and practical requirements of a responsibility system with clear subjects and requirements, revealing the key to comprehensively and strictly governing the Party and providing an effective guarantee for the implementation and deepening of various arrangements.
Study and Use the Outline Well, Emphasize the Integration of Learning, Thinking, and Application, and the Unity of Knowledge, Belief, and Action, Transforming Study Results into Practical Work Effectiveness
At present, studying, utilizing, and implementing General Secretary Xi Jinping's important thought on Party building is a major political task for the entire Party and an important political responsibility for Party organizations at all levels and the vast number of Party members and cadres. The Outline [15] closely integrates the successful practice of comprehensively and strictly governing the Party in the New Era. It captures the important characteristic of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important thought on Party building—which explains not only "what it is" but also "why," and not only "what to grasp" but also "how to grasp it." Focusing on the prominent problems facing Party building and organizational work, the Outline adheres to a practice-oriented approach and emphasizes the transformation of learning into application, helping Party members and cadres learn new concepts, ideas, and methods for solving problems and breaking through difficulties. In its conclusion, the Outline proposes the full implementation of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important thought on Party building, insisting that comprehensively and strictly governing the Party is "always on the road" and the Party's self-revolution is "always on the road." The vast number of Party members and cadres should take the study of this thought as their foundation for self-cultivation and their basis for performing duties, persisting in "molding the soul through study, increasing wisdom through study, rectifying conduct through study, and promoting action through study," continuously deepening the study and implementation of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important thought on Party building.
Continuously improve political standing and keep the mission and responsibility in mind. We must persist in timely follow-up study of General Secretary Xi Jinping's latest important speeches and instructions. We must profoundly experience the General Secretary’s strong sense of historical initiative, extraordinary theoretical courage,卓越 political wisdom, and sincere feelings for the people, remaining always loyal to the Party, the people, Marxism, and the Party's cause. We must profoundly realize that General Secretary Xi Jinping's important thought on Party building is a strategic consideration made from a holistic, long-term, and trend-oriented perspective, always firmly believing that under the guidance of this important thought, we can surely build our Party into a stronger and more powerful entity. We must profoundly experience the fundamental principles, value pursuits, and priority tasks defined by the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, as well as the functions, duties, and historical missions bestowed upon us. We must always firmly implement the general requirements for Party building in the New Era, consciously practice the Party's organizational line for the New Era, and—with a spirit of thorough self-revolution—make the ideas and measures for comprehensively and strictly governing the Party more scientific, more rigorous, and more effective.
Continuously strengthen theoretical study and promote deepening and transformation. We must persist in comprehensive and systematic study, focusing closely on the vivid practice of advancing the "Great New Project of Party Building" in the New Era since the 18th Party Congress. Closely integrating the historic and pioneering achievements in comprehensively and strictly governing the Party, we must profoundly understand the major significance, rich connotations, spiritual essence, and core tenets of this important thought, as well as its theoretical origins, original contributions, scientific system, scientific methods, and practical orientations. We must persist in deep-thinking study, combining it with the study of the basic principles of Marxism and the Party's major theoretical innovations across various historical periods, clarifying what the "inheritance" [16] is and where the "advancement with the times" lies, so as to know the "what," the "why," and the "why it must be so." We must persist in organized study, focusing on the theme of comprehensively and strictly governing the Party. We must carefully organize study and training, making this important thought a key aspect of the study and education plan for the Party's innovative theories. It should be included as a major component of the theoretical study center groups of Party committees (and leading Party groups) and incorporated into the teaching arrangements of Party schools (academies of governance) and cadre colleges as the primary and core course, promoting its entry into textbooks, classrooms, and minds. We must persist in active individual study. The vast number of Party members and cadres must consciously become firm believers in and faithful practitioners of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important thought on Party building, treating it as the best "nutritional supplement" and "textbook" for self-cultivation and self-discipline. They should continuously internalize it, externalize it in action, and transform it into effectiveness, interpreting their loyalty to the Party through practical actions of truly loving the Party, always worrying about the Party, firmly protecting the Party, and fully promoting its prosperity.
Vigorously promote the spirit of seeking truth and deepen research and interpretation. We must further strengthen the holistic and systematic research of the "thirteen persistences," focusing on elucidating the academic logic contained within them. We must clarify their theoretical origins, developmental trajectory, theoretical basis, and internal logic, actively promoting the development of the disciplinary, academic, and discourse systems of Party building. Concentrated efforts should be made for publicity and interpretation, utilizing the main channels of Party newspapers, journals, television, and radio stations at all levels. We must explain vibrant thoughts in a vibrant way and explain thorough theories thoroughly, continuously enhancing the political, ideological, theoretical, and emotional identification of Party members, cadres, and the masses.
Closely integrate functions and duties, and strive to take responsibility and act. Standing on the conditions of the New Era, we must vigorously promote the fine Marxist style of study, persist in the integration of learning, thinking, and application, and the unity of knowledge, belief, and action, playing our functional role in strengthening Party leadership, advancing the Party's cause, and comprehensively and strictly governing the Party. Focusing on the central task of comprehensively advancing the construction of a strong country and the great cause of national rejuvenation through Chinese-path modernization, we must strengthen problem-oriented, practice-oriented, and demand-oriented approaches. We must "place our thoughts, our work, and our responsibilities" into the study, frequently benchmarking our progress and timely correcting deviations. We must consciously transform General Secretary Xi Jinping's important thought on Party building into specific policies, tasks, and measures—implementing them one by one to ensure they take root and achieve results. We must ensure that the direction of Party building does not deviate, the goals do not shift, and the focus does not scatter, so that we may collectively build our Party well and strong. We must persist in leading high-quality development with high-quality Party building, continuously solving new problems encountered in practice, deep-seated problems in reform, development, and stability, the urgent anxieties of the masses, major issues in the changing international situation, and prominent problems facing Party building. We must effectively prevent and resolve major risks, strive to propose new concepts, ideas, and methods that truly solve problems, work creatively, and strive to be firm activists and "doers" in the construction of Chinese-path modernization, continuously turning the grand blueprint drawn by the 20th Party Congress into a beautiful reality.