Marxism Research Network
Unofficial English Translation

Wang Xiangping: The Fundamental Principles and Action Guide for Deepening the Improvement of Party Style

Xi Jinping Thought (New Era)

The style of a governing party determines its image, the orientation of public support [1], and the very survival of the Party and the state. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core began its breakthrough by formulating and implementing the Eight-Point Regulations. By persisting in a top-down approach and leading by example, they resolved the fundamental questions of what to focus on and how to grasp style construction under new circumstances. Through the revolutionary forging of comprehensively and strictly governing the Party, the style of the Party and the government has taken on a completely new look, while social and folk customs continue to improve, reshaping the Party’s image in the hearts of the people. Currently, the entire Party is conducting study and education on the in-depth implementation of the spirit of the Eight-Point Regulations; a key component of this effort is the earnest study and realization of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important expositions on strengthening the Party's style construction. The recently published Excerpted Expositions of Xi Jinping on Strengthening the Party’s Style Construction comprehensively and systematically reflects the General Secretary’s thoughts on the great significance, target requirements, and paths and methods for strengthening style, providing the fundamental principles and a guide to action for advancing style construction in depth.

Far-Sighted Strategic Thinking— The Party’s Style Relates to Public Support and Determines the Success or Failure of the Cause of the Party and the State

The Party’s style is its image; it is the barometer for observing the relationship between the Party and the masses, and between cadred and the masses, as well as the orientation of public support. When the Party’s style is upright, the people’s morale is smooth, and the Party and the people can share weal and woe. Standing at the new starting point of the New Era, General Secretary Xi Jinping’s emphasis on strengthening the Party’s style construction stems from both a profound sense of crisis [2] and far-reaching strategic considerations.

Maintaining a fine style is one of the important reasons our Party has continuously achieved victory. On April 24, 1945, in the political report On Coalition Government delivered at the Seventh National Congress of the Party, Comrade Mao Zedong summarized for the first time the Party’s "Three Great Styles" [3], emphasizing that these were the prominent hallmarks distinguishing our Party from any other. This became a major innovative achievement in the theory of Party building. It is precisely because the Party cultivated and persisted in a whole set of glorious traditions and fine styles—including the "Three Great Styles"—through long-term struggle and practice that it has been able to traverse a century of wind and rain, rising again many times in moments of peril and correcting errors after they occurred [4], becoming a Marxist party that cannot be knocked down or crushed. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "During the difficult years of the revolutionary war era, the standards for the whole Party’s style construction were very high, the measures were very strict, and the tests were very real. The great revolutionary spirits, such as the Jinggangshan Spirit, the Long March Spirit, the Yan'an Spirit, and the Xibaipo Spirit, are all composed of visible, tangible, and perceptible glorious traditions and fine styles." These glorious traditions and fine styles are the concentrated manifestation of the Party’s nature, purpose, original aspiration and founding mission, and its faith and conviction. The century-long history of struggle enlightens us: if the Party is to win the support and backing of the masses, it must perseveringly carry forward its glorious traditions and fine styles.

As a Marxist party in power over the long term, we can never afford to be negligent regarding issues of style. After the Party took power nationwide, its status as the governing party brought about immense changes to the ranks of Party members and cadres. Around the time of the founding of New China, Comrade Mao Zedong repeatedly cautioned the whole Party to remain vigilant against new situations and problems brought about by the change in the Party’s status, and he frequently worked on this issue. In the more than 70 years since the founding of New China, various problems occurring in the Party's style have actually been closely related to this change in status. With the increase in the Party’s time in power and the profound changes in the internal and external environments, style problems have movements manifested in increasingly complex ways. Throughout history, in China and abroad, there are countless examples of "the person perishing and the government ceasing" [5] due to the corruption of the style of the ruling group. In the latter period of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) being in power, the high-level leadership became seriously detached from the grassroots, the organization became seriously detached from the Party members, and the members became seriously detached from the masses. Within the Party, there appeared various problems such as the hollowing out of belief, the pluralization of ideology, and the bureaucratization of institutions, which became one of the important reasons for the collapse of the CPSU. Therefore, if a governing party does not pay attention to style construction and allows unhealthy tendencies to erode the Party’s organism, it faces the danger of losing the people’s hearts and its political power. Drawing on historical lessons, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "If our Party is to remain the vanguard of the times and the backbone of the nation, and to always be a Marxist governing party, it must always be 'excessively hard' in its own qualities." What does "always being excessively hard" mean? It means persisting in and carrying forward the Party’s fine traditions and style, and building the Party into a vibrant Marxist governing party that always stands at the forefront of the times, is wholeheartedly supported by the people, has the courage for self-revolution, and can withstand the test of all kinds of storms.

The greater the risks, the more the challenges, and the heavier the tasks, the more we must strengthen the Party’s style construction. In today’s world, the changes unseen in a century [6] are accelerating; our country is in a critical period for realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. While we have achieved great historical success in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, won the battle against poverty, and smoothly embarked on the new journey of comprehensively building a modern socialist country, we still face many difficulties and challenges on the road ahead. In particular, under the new situation, there are many problems within the Party that urgently need to be resolved. For example, some feel they can now "take a breather and rest their feet," acting as "stable officials" or "peace-time officials"; some feel that since "the boat has reached the pier and the car has reached the station" [7], they no longer seek progress, becoming mediocre and lazy in their administration and just drifting along; some have increased their personal calculations, worrying about personal gains and losses, fearing responsibility while coveting fame, wealth, and enjoyment; some are used to acting as "megaphones" or "transfer stations" [8], bypassing difficulties when they meet them and passing problems up to their superiors, lacking the sharpness and fighting spirit to overcome obstacles. Realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-path modernization is an unprecedented and great undertaking that will inevitably face unprecedentedly huge challenges. General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized many times: the greater the risks, the more the challenges, and the heavier the tasks, the more we must strengthen the Party’s style construction, using a good style to boost spirits, stimulate fighting will, establish a good image, and win the hearts of the people.

Thorough and Concise Theoretical Interpretation— Style Issues Are Essentially Issues of Party Spirit; the Core Is the Relationship Between the Party and the Masses

Style reflects image and quality; it embodies Party spirit [9], and it is Party spirit that plays the decisive role. To grasp style construction, one must "return to simplicity and truth" and "strengthen the foundation and cultivate the source" [10], highlighting the priorities of firming up ideals and convictions, practicing the fundamental purpose, and strengthening moral cultivation.

To maintain and carry forward the Party’s fine style, firming up ideals and convictions is fundamental. Conviction is the root, while style is the form; when the root is upright, the form is cohesive, but when the root is not upright, the form must dissipate. Our Party takes Marxism as its foundation for building the Party, the realization of Communism as its highest ideal, and wholehearted service to the people as its fundamental purpose. This is the "root" of Communists. For a Communist, if faith is shaken, if one deviates from Party spirit and loses the sense of purpose, one may be captured during a "hunting" attempt [11]. For the Communist Party, once it loses its ideals and convictions, it will have no essential difference from other political parties; it will lose its spiritual power and spiritual bond, become a "shambolic crowd" [12], and find it difficult to escape the fate of failure. General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized that ideals and convictions are the "calcium" of the Communist’s spirit. If Communists lack ideals and convictions, they will "lack calcium" in their spirits, leading to "rickets" [13], which inevitably results in political degeneration, economic greed, moral decay, and a lifestyle of corruption. Therefore, in grasping style construction, we must "return to simplicity and truth" and "strengthen the foundation and cultivate the source," guiding Party members—especially leading cadres—to continuously strengthen their cultivation of Party spirit, and to constantly build a solid foundation of faith, replenish the "calcium" of the spirit, and hold steady the "rudder" of thought.

Serious and earnest intra-Party political life is the "purifier" of the Party's style. The kind of intra-Party political life that exists determines the style of the Party members and cadres. Whether a leading group is strong and possesses combat effectiveness is closely related to whether there is serious and earnest intra-Party political life; whether a leading cadre is strong and has high prestige is also closely related to whether they have been tempered through serious and earnest intra-Party political life. Since the 18th National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has presided over the annual democratic life meetings of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, conducting serious criticism and self-criticism to set a benchmark and example for the entire Party. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "The weapon of criticism and self-criticism must be used boldly not only toward subordinates but also toward peers and especially toward superiors. It cannot be that the higher the position, the less one can be spoken to or touched. The weapon of criticism and self-criticism should be used more often, used regularly, and used fully and well, making it a habit, a conscious act, and a responsibility." Practice has repeatedly shown that serious and earnest intra-Party political life is the "golden key" to resolving contradictions and problems within the Party, the "melting pot" for the vast number of Party members and cadres to temper their Party spirit, and the "purifier" for cleaning the Party’s style.

The core of style issues is the relationship between the Party and the masses. Mass work is our "life-saving skill" [14]; our Party started out by relying on mass work, and it must similarly rely on mass work to achieve long-term governance. For a period of time, while our development achievements were very significant and the material and cultural living standards of the people continuously improved, the Party’s connection with the people actually became estranged. Instances of detachment from the masses became more prominent in certain aspects. Where did the problem lie? General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "In my view, it is mainly because some Party members and cadres have a weakened sense of purpose, their feelings for the masses have changed, and style issues have become prominent. If the mass viewpoint is lost, the mass standpoint is misaligned, and the mass line is deviated from, you will no longer exist in the eyes of the masses." General Secretary Xi Jinping creatively put forward a series of heart-stirring and popular theoretical assertions such as "the mass line is the lifeline and fundamental working line of the Party," "the core of style issues is the relationship between the Party and the masses," "Zhongnanhai [15] must always be directly connected to the masses," and "the country is the people, and the people are the country" [16]. These have greatly deepened our understanding of the theoretical connotation of the mass viewpoint. At the same time, General Secretary Xi Jinping clearly proposed a series of practical requirements, such as "the Communist Party of China regards doing things for the people and bringing benefits to the people as the most important political achievement, and regards how many good and practical things have been done for the common people as the important standard for testing political performance." Since the 18th National Congress, the Party Central Committee has treated winning the battle against poverty as a landmark project for building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, leading hundreds of millions of rural poor people out of poverty and completing the historical task of eliminating absolute poverty. This fully reflects the development philosophy of "persisting in a people-centered approach" by the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, vividly interpreting the firm standpoint and "people-serving sentiment" of the Chinese Communists in the New Era to seek happiness for the Chinese people.

Practice and Exploration with Remarkable Results— The Eight-Point Regulations Are a Landmark Measure for Changing the Political Ecosystem and the Face of Society

After the 18th National Congress, facing various problems and malpractices within the Party, how was the Party to manage itself? How was the "comprehensive and strict governance of the Party" to be made strict? It was like "a tiger trying to eat the sky, not knowing where to start" [17]. However, "the difficult tasks of the world must be started from the easy; the great affairs of the world must be started from the small." [18] The Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core took a holistic view and conducted an in-depth assessment. After repeated consideration, it decided to begin style construction by grasping the Eight-Point Regulations, starting from the small to see the big, using the small to lead the big, persevering consistently, and deepening step by step.

Once the "chess piece" of the Eight-Point Regulations was played, the entire "chessboard" of style construction came alive. Given that for a time before the 18th National Congress, an atmosphere of excessive wining and dining was prevalent among some leading cadres, leading to great dissatisfaction among the common people and causing many to lose confidence, General Secretary Xi Jinping solemnly emphasized in his speech on improving work style and maintaining close ties with the masses at the Political Bureau meeting on December 4, 2012: "We are making these regulations not for show, nor for seeking famem but to implement them honestly." For more than a decade, the Party Central Committee has persisted in "catching things early and while they are small, nipping them in the bud," correcting one fault after another, breaking through one problem after another, and staying the course year after year. After ten years of "perfecting the sword" through revolutionary forging, some unhealthy tendencies that had long gone unchecked were halted, and some "stubborn ailments" [19] that had not been removed for years were corrected. The situation of lax discipline and floating style has changed significantly, and an atmosphere of "truly managing and being strict, daring to manage and be strict, and long-term managing and being strict" has basically formed. The facts eloquently prove that the Eight-Point Regulations are a landmark measure for changing the political ecosystem and the face of society, and they are our Party's act of "erecting the pole to establish trust" [20] in the New Era.

Starting with the Political Bureau and pushing forward from the top down. "One who is good at prohibiting must first prohibit oneself and then others." [21] Style construction must start with leading cadres, and leading cadres must first start with Central leadership. After the Central Eight-Point Regulations were issued, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "Leading cadres at all levels must lead by example and set a precedent. What is said must be done, and what is promised must be fulfilled. We will start with the comrades of the Political Bureau, beginning with myself." From the very beginning of the 18th Central Political Bureau establishing rules for style construction, to the first meetings of the 19th and 20th Central Political Bureaus studying the implementation of the Central Eight-Point Regulations and further deepening and refining them, to the Political Bureau holding annual democratic life meetings to hear reports on the implementation of the Regulations—the members of the Political Bureau have lead by example at all times and in all places. They have turned the implementation of the spirit of the Central Eight-Point Regulations into a conscious action. Leaders at all levels followed the example of their superiors, producing a powerful demonstration effect on the entire Party. Pushing from the top down and leading by example have become distinct characteristics and successful experiences of style construction in the New Era.

Persist in implementing the spirit of the central Eight-Point Regulations without wavering. Some worry whether the execution of the Eight-Point Regulations will be a "passing gust of wind" [22] or merely lapse into a matter of form. Whether we can dispel these doubts among the cadres and the masses depends critically on our actions. As early as the beginning of 2013, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out with foresight: "The Eight-Point Regulations are an entry point and a mobilization order"; they are "only the beginning, only the first step in solving the problem; much hard work remains." Style issues are recurrent and stubborn; they cannot be resolved overnight or through a single battle. Even less can they be handled like a passing wind that stops after a single gust; they must be grasped constantly and over the long term. The remarkable results of implementing the Eight-Point Regulations in the New Era teach us that in this world, nothing is impossible if one is "earnest" [23]. As long as we get serious, there is no problem that cannot be solved. The dam of the Eight-Point Regulations was built with great difficulty; we must cherish it, constantly patrolling and inspecting it, and reinforcing it with fresh soil. General Secretary Xi Jinping solemnly pointed out: "The Eight-Point Regulations are not a five-year or ten-year regulation, but a long-term, effective 'iron rule' and 'hard benchmark'"; we "must grasp them unremittingly and persist over the long term—if ten years is not enough, then twenty; if twenty is not enough, then thirty—until they truly transform into a prevailing custom, leading the social and folk atmosphere with a fine Party style."

Pathways and Methods for Addressing Symptoms and Root Causes— Taking Multiple Concurrent Approaches and Comprehensive Measures to Promote the Regularization and Long-term Efficacy of Style Building

Style issues are stubborn and recurrent; forming a fine style is not a once-and-for-all endeavor, and overcoming a bad style cannot be achieved in a single stroke. To promote the regularization and long-term efficacy of style building, the key lies in a complete set of scientific and rational laws and regulations. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that style building must address both symptoms and root causes, employ comprehensive measures, be meticulous in detail, and reach every corner.

Consistently deepening the correction of the "Four Winds" is a key task of style building. The habits underlying the "Four Winds" run deep; it is a case of "three feet of ice not being formed by a single day's cold" [24]. The difficulty in correcting styles lies in preventing a rebound. Things are constantly developing and changing, and the "Four Winds" problems possess strong variability and infectivity. To solve these problems, we must address both symptoms and root causes. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: we must unremittingly correct the "Four Winds," keep a close watch on their new forms and trends, investigate and punish them strictly without yielding an inch, witness the emergence of a "new normal" through persistence, and seek long-term efficacy through institutional building. We must treat the halting of the "Four Winds" as an important way to consolidate the heart of the Party and the people. We must resolutely prevent the emergence of "fatigue syndrome." We must strike at the first sign of bad habits such as hedonism and extravagance, remain constantly vigilant against hidden and mutated trends of the "Four Winds," and never allow dead embers to flare up again! We must never allow new evils to emerge before the old ones are eliminated!

Style building must grasp the "key few"—leading cadres at all levels. Leading cadres are the "key few" in the development of the cause of the Party and the state; they serve as a bellwether for the entire Party and society. During the years of revolutionary war, a major difference between our army and the Kuomintang army was that our cadres led the charge in battle, shouting "follow me," whereas Kuomintang officers often told their soldiers "you go." This one-word difference made a world of distinction. Fan Zixia, commander of the New 10th Brigade of the 129th Division of the Eighth Route Army, told his troops: "If I advance, you follow me; if I stop, you push me; if I retreat, you shoot me." Regarding style building, the leadership of cadres is a silent demonstration. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, from Democratic Life Meetings of the Central Policy Bureau and collective study sessions of the Central Political Bureau to special seminars for provincial and ministerial-level cadres and workshops for county Party secretaries, General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized in his speeches on various occasions that leading cadres must profoundly recognize the importance of their leading role. They must measure themselves with a strict ruler and hold themselves to a high standard. Ultimately, demanding others from above or pushing them from behind is never as effective as leading them from the front.

Adhering to the integration of rectifying style, enforcing discipline, and fighting corruption is an effective path for style building. Party spirit, Party style, and Party discipline are an organic whole: Party spirit is the foundation, Party style is the manifestation, and Party discipline is the guarantee. Since the 18th National Congress, the Party Central Committee has successively carried out a series of concentrated study and education campaigns throughout the Party, focusing on improving style, tightening discipline, and punishing corruption, promoting the integration of these three elements. Practice shows that the longer we grasp these issues, the more we realize how difficult it is to transform the atmosphere! The intertwining of unhealthy styles and corruption is a prominent problem that must be focused on in the current stage of building a clean government and the anti-corruption struggle. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: use "simultaneous investigation" to strictly punish the problem of style-corruption intertwining, and "simultaneous treatment" to eradicate their common causes. We must grasp style rectification, disciplinary enforcement, and anti-corruption together, always maintaining a strict tone, strict measures, and a strict atmosphere. We must use a fine style as the lead, strict discipline as the guarantee, and the fight against corruption as a means to clear obstacles. This will promote the Party's self-revolution to be interconnected and progressive, constantly realizing its own leap through "discarding the old to create the new" [25] and upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground.

Ensuring the comprehensive purity of the Party's style is an important objective of style building. In the final analysis, grasping style building is done in the hope that cadres at all levels can establish and carry forward a good style. Since the 18th National Congress, the Party Central Committee's vigorous focus on style building has been aimed at extending outward from solving the "Four Winds" to improving ideological style, work style, leadership style, and cadres' lifestyle, as well as improving the style of study, writing, and meetings, so that the Party's style becomes comprehensively pure. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that comprehensively and strictly governing the Party and encouraging responsibility and action are internally unified, not opposed to each other. "Strictness" is not intended to manage everyone to death or turn the Party into a stagnant pool of lifelessness and inaction. Rather, it is through clarifying directions, establishing rules, rectifying the atmosphere, and strengthening immunity that we form a clean and healthy internal political ecosystem. This creates a favorable environment for entrepreneurship and action, further mobilizing the initiative, enthusiasm, and creativity of the whole Party, and effectively ensuring that the fine Party style leads the social and folk atmosphere toward progress and kindness.

Promoting the regularization and long-term efficacy of style building is the institutional guarantee for style building. For a period, style issues existed in a "vicious circle" that was difficult to escape. The crux lay in an underestimation of their stubbornness and recurrence, a lack of tenacity in constant management and patience in strict management, and a lack of institutions that govern for the long term and consolidate the foundation. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized, "the key is to work hard on grasp things constantly, grasp things in detail, and grasp things over the long term" and to "carry forward the spirit of driving the nail" [26]. Ultimately, grasping style building must rely on institutions. We must look to the long term, address both symptoms and root causes, establish and improve rules and regulations, and tighten the "cage" of institutions [27] to ensure that the formed institutions are workable, authoritative, and useful in the long run. Through rigid institutional provisions and strict execution, we ensure that style improvement becomes standardized, regularized, and long-term. Since the New Era began, the Party Central Committee has promoted a series of new theoretical and practical achievements in style building, which have been continuously integrated into the Several Norms Regarding Intra-Party Political Life Under the New Situation, the Code of Integrity and Self-Discipline, and written into intra-party regulations such as the Regulations on Intra-Party Supervision, the Regulations on Party Disciplinary Actions, and the Regulations on Accountability. These provide the fundamental guidance and institutional guarantee for the entire Party to continuously improve its style, marking a new stage in the institutionalization and regularization of style building.

Style building is always on the road; there is never a "stop" note. The Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has led and promoted the continuous improvement of the Party and government style, winning the trust and support of the masses. These changes are comprehensive, profound, far-reaching, and heartening, accumulating powerful positive energy for the cause of the Party and the state. We should take the opportunity of the study and education for the deep implementation of the spirit of the Eight-Point Regulations to profoundly grasp the great political, theoretical, and practical significance of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important expositions on strengthening the Party's style building. We must fully recognize the major achievements made in the Party's style building in the New Era, and soberly grasp the new situations and trends facing the Party's style building on the "New Journey" [28]. We must persist with the stamina of "rolling a stone up a mountain" and the courage of "climbing over a slope and crossing a hurdle," maintain our focus, never yield an inch, persist over the long term, and relentlessly strengthen the Party's style building, ensuring the Party always remains the strong leadership core of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

(The author is the Deputy Director of the First Research Department of the Institute of Party History and Literature of the CPC Central Committee) Web Editor: Tongxin Source: China Discipline Inspection and Supervision Daily, May 8, 2025, Page 5.