Zhang Zhongjun: Resolutely Curb Formalism and Bureaucratism
The Party's work style is the Party's image; it relates to whether the people lend or withdraw their support, and it determines the success or failure of the cause of the Party and the state. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping has occupied a strategic height concerning the overall development of the cause of the Party and the state, delivering a series of important expositions on strengthening the Party’s work style and putting forward a series of new thoughts, viewpoints, and judgments. These provide scientific guidance for the effort to persist in avoiding formalism and bureaucratism. We must adhere to deep study and meticulous comprehension, grasping core tenets, understanding the spiritual essence, and clarifying practical requirements. We must persist in and apply the positions, viewpoints, and methods that run through these teachings, persistently strengthening the Party’s work style construction, continuously and deeply rectifying formalism and bureaucratism, and promoting the deep and substantial implementation of study and education on the spirit of the Central Eight-Point Regulations.
Earnestly Enhancing the Sense of Responsibility, Mission, and Urgency
The primary manifestations of formalism are the decoupling of knowledge from action, the lack of pursuit of practical results, the "mountains of documents and seas of meetings" [1], flowery but useless "flowery fists and embroidered legs" [2], the coveting of empty titles, and the practice of fraud. The primary manifestations of bureaucratism are being divorced from reality and the masses, acting high and mighty with a disregard for reality, and being characterized by overbearing bossiness and self-inflation.
Formalism deviates from the requirement of unifying form and content, pursuing form in a one-sided manner while ignoring substantive content and effects. Bureaucratism deviates from the source and purpose of power, and consequently deviates from the Party's original aspiration and mission. Comprehensive analysis reveals that formalism and bureaucratism share common characteristics, harms, and roots; they are inherently linked, both being keen on performing for superiors while being irresponsible toward subordinates and disregarding practical effects. We must stand at the height of taking a clear-cut political stand and profoundly grasp the significance and realistic urgency of persisting in avoiding formalism and bureaucratism.
First, profoundly recognize the severe harmfulness of formalism and bureaucratism.
General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized that "formalism and bureaucratism can kill people," and he has repeatedly used the term "great enemy" to describe their severe harmfulness. "Formalism and bureaucratism are incompatible with the nature, purpose, and fine traditions of our Party; they are the great enemy of our Party and the great enemy of the people." "Formalism and bureaucratism are prominent contradictions and problems currently existing within the Party; they are the great enemy hindering the implementation of the Party's line, principles, policies, and the major decision-making arrangements of the Party Central Committee." "Formalism and bureaucratism are the great enemy of the development of the cause of the Party and the state." "Formalism and bureaucratism are the great enemy to realizing the Party's missions and tasks on the new journey in the New Era." These important expositions are, one might say, incisive and deafening.
Viewed from the height of politics, the harmfulness of formalism and bureaucratism is manifested in the following aspects: first, they hinder the implementation of the Party Central Committee’s decision-making arrangements, damage the authority and centralized, unified leadership of the Party Central Committee, and jeopardize the development of the cause of the Party and the state; second, they violate the nature and purpose of the Party, damage the "flesh-and-blood ties" between the Party and the masses, damage the Party's prestige and image, and erode the Party's foundation for governance. At the same time, formalism and bureaucratism directly damage the internal atmosphere and political ecosystem of the Party, distorting the worldview, outlook on life, and values of officials, increasing the burden on grassroots officials, and dampening enthusiasm for entrepreneurship and action.
Second, profoundly recognize the essence and root causes of formalism and bureaucratism.
Only by seeing through appearances to the essence can we find the deep-seated causes of the problems and work toward suppressing unhealthy winds from the perspectives of ideals and convictions, work procedures, and institutional mechanisms.
In 2013, while conducting research and guiding the Party’s mass line educational practice activity in Hebei, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "The essence of formalism is subjectivism and utilitarianism; its root is a distorted outlook on political achievements and a lack of a sense of responsibility. It uses boisterous forms to replace solid implementation and uses a glamorous exterior to cover up contradictions and problems. The essence of bureaucratism is the mischief of residual feudal thinking; its root is the heavy influence of 'official-centered' [3] thinking and a distorted view of power—acting as a 'mandarin boss' [4], being high and mighty, and being divorced from the masses and reality." In 2019, in his speech at the third plenary session of the 19th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Behind formalism is the mischief of utilitarianism and pragmatism, a distorted outlook on political achievements, and a lack of a sense of responsibility. People only want to be officials but not to do work; they only want to stand out but not to take responsibility. They are satisfied with doing superficial work, emphasizing 'manifest achievements' over 'latent achievements' [5], and emphasizing packaging over practical effects. Behind bureaucratism is 'official-centered' thinking, a deviation in values, and a distorted view of power—blindly relying on personal experience and subjective judgment, and being seriously divorced from reality and the masses." These two important expositions, from the heights of politics and Party spirit, from the dimension of establishing a correct view of power and political achievements, and from the perspective of the unity of internal and external causes, profoundly reveal the essence and root causes of formalism and bureaucratism.
The problems of formalism and bureaucratism result from a combination of the officials' own reasons and the influence of the external environment. For example, incomplete institutional mechanisms, unsatisfactory constraints and supervision of the allocation and operation of power, issues in selection and appointment, problems in supervision, inspection, assessment, and accountability, and the political ecosystem are all important factors in the generation of formalism and bureaucratism. Of course, the external environment only acts through internal causes. The fundamental reasons for the emergence of formalism and bureaucratism are an official’s weak Party spirit and deficiencies in their ability to perform their duties.
From the perspective of ideological roots, the prevalence of the Four Winds ultimately boils down to unstable ideals and convictions. The Four Winds and their various manifestations are all connected to the "master switch" of one's worldview, outlook on life, and values. If the "master switch" problem is not well-resolved, then various forms of "derailment," "overstepping," or "leaks" [6] are inevitable. The essence of formalism and bureaucratism is a deviation from the principle of Party spirit, a loss of purpose, and a skewing of the outlook on power and political achievements.
From the perspective of the root of interests, formalism and bureaucratism emerge because of the selfish motives of some Party members and officials. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Some leading officials' motivations for doing things are not so pure; they bind their work together with personal fame and gain. Some, to gain capital for promotion, emphasize manifest achievements over latent achievements and 'face' over substance, being over-ambitious and eager for quick success. Some, to cater to superiors and please leaders, are keen on creating projects within the leader's 'visual range'—not fearing that the masses will be dissatisfied, but fearing that the leader will not notice. Some, to leave a name for themselves or erect a monument to themselves, like 'posing' rather than 'doing,' and are keen on 'creating momentum for a moment' rather than 'benefiting a locality.'" Leading officials who like to engage in formalism and bureaucratism do not put the interests of the Party and the people first, but instead advocate the supremacy of personal or small-group interests, only thinking about their own "one acre and three fen of land" [7]. For their own so-called "political achievements," "reputation," or for self-preservation, they do not hesitate to waste manpower, financial, and material resources, and even resort to fraud and deceiving those above and below, thereby causing losses to the cause of the Party and the people.
In addition, the "competence anxiety" [8] and lack of ability of leading officials are also important causes of formalism and bureaucratism. The central tasks of the Party on the new journey in the New Era place new and higher requirements on the mental state, ideological concepts, quality, ability, and work style of leading officials, yet some officials still face situations where they are not sufficiently adapted. Some, when encountering contradictions and problems, have no idea what to do and are at their wits' end; some shirk responsibility and shift the blame, transferring thorny puzzles to others or down to the grassroots; some cannot think of practical and effective methods and can only copy and mechanically execute the spirit of higher authorities without regard for whether it conforms to reality or can effectively solve problems; some follow the philosophy of self-preservation, seeking only to avoid mistakes while disregarding the Party's line, principles, or policies and the interests of the people, caring only whether they can evade responsibility and striving to avoid being held accountable.
Third, profoundly recognize the great significance of persisting in avoiding formalism and bureaucratism.
Currently, China is in a critical period of comprehensively promoting the construction of a strong country and the great cause of national rejuvenation through Chinese-path modernization. Formalism and bureaucratism deviate from the Party's political line, ideological line, organizational line, and mass line; they are "stumbling blocks" and "tigers in the road" hindering the construction of a strong country and national rejuvenation. Rectifying formalism and bureaucratism is an inherent requirement for advancing the comprehensive and strict governance of the Party in depth and building our Party into a more powerful and vigorous Marxist party. It is an inevitable requirement for maintaining close ties between the Party and the masses and the officials and the masses, and for consolidating the Party's long-term governance foundation. It is an urgent requirement for comprehensively advancing the construction of a strong country and national rejuvenation, as well as an objective requirement for leading officials to shoulder their missions and realize their life value. We must persist in rectifying formalism and bureaucratism with stricter standards and requirements and more practical and powerful measures from the political and strategic height of the Party's long-term governance, the long-term stability of the country, and the happiness and well-being of the people. This will promote a sustained improvement in the Party's work style and provide a powerful guarantee for the advancement of Chinese-path modernization.
Adopting Comprehensive Measures to Deeply Rectify Chronic Ailments
General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out: "We must not only resolutely oppose formalism and bureaucratism in thought and work style, but also resolutely oppose them in terms of systems, clearing away the soil where formalism and bureaucratism breed and spread." Formalism and bureaucratism are chronic ailments. We must persist in comprehensive measures and continue to rectify them deeply with the "spirit of driving nails" [9], treating the symptoms based on their outward manifestations and, even more importantly, treating the root causes by addressing the essence and origin of the problems.
First, resolutely implement General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important instructions and the decision-making arrangements of the Party Central Committee.
Upholding the Two Establishments and achieving the Two Upholds is concrete. It is reflected in the resolute implementation of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important instructions and the Party Central Committee’s decision-making arrangements, in the effectiveness of performing duties and doing one's job well, and in daily words and deeds. Whether located at the "first kilometer" or the "last kilometer" [10] of implementing the Party Central Committee’s decisions, one must maintain the authority of the Party Central Committee as the final word and the sole supreme authority [11] through practical actions. One must always maintain a high degree of consistency with the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core regarding political stance, direction, principles, and path, and consciously align with the Party's theory, line, principles, and policies to timely correct deviations.
Earnestly achieve a commitment to politics and the big picture. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "It is necessary to firmly establish the idea of the whole country as a single chessboard, act consciously under the overall situation, and insist that minor principles submit to major principles and local interests submit to the overall interests of the state." Leading officials should be good at considering problems, making decisions, and handling affairs from the position of the Party and the people and the overall situation of the Party and state's work. Even for work deployments within the scope of departmental and local authority, the prerequisite must be the resolute implementation of the Party Central Committee’s decision-making arrangements, ensuring that orders are carried out and prohibitions are obeyed.
Firmly grasp the strategic positioning of each region and department within the overall development of the country, and go all out to implement the principles, measures, and requirements determined by the Party Central Committee without any deviation. The imbalance of economic and natural conditions in different regions is an objective reality; they have different strategic positions, shoulder different responsibilities, and play different roles in the national overall picture. They should base themselves on their own reality, consciously integrate the work of departments and localities into the "great chessboard" of the cause of the Party and the state, plan for one region from the perspective of the whole, and serve the whole from one region, each showing their strengths and playing to their advantages, so as to win glory for one's region while adding luster to the overall situation even more.
Raise political awareness and maintain a calm mind and strategic resolve. When faced with a choice of interests, leading officials should focus on the "big abacus," being good at calculating the "grand account," the "total account," and the "long-term account," rather than the "small abacus," the "small account," the "local account," the "departmental account," or the "immediate account." They cannot make judgments based only on their own "one acre and three fen of land," and even less should they damage global interests for local interests, or damage fundamental and long-term interests for temporary interests.
Second, adhere to the principle that power is granted by the people and used for the people, and establish a correct view of power.
The Marxist view of power is summarized in two sentences: power is granted by the people, and power is used for the people. "Power is granted by the people" points to the fundamental source and basis of power; "power is used for the people" points to the fundamental nature and purpose of power. Building a party for the public and governing for the people is our Party's governing philosophy. In exercising power, leading officials must firmly establish a correct view of power.
Adhere to the principle that all power in the state belongs to the people. The power in the hands of leading officials and the positions they hold are given by the Party and the people and are used to do work for them; officials must be responsible to the Party and the people.
Adhere to the exercise of power within the track of the rule of law. One must always revere power and remember that functions and powers are determined by law, understanding where power comes from and where the boundaries are drawn, ensuring that nothing is done without legal authorization and that all statutory duties are performed.
Adhere to the constraint and supervision of power. It is necessary to improve the constraint and supervision mechanism for the allocation and operation of power and resolutely oppose the ideology and phenomenon of privilege. Leading officials must consciously accept the supervision of the Party and the people, prevent the abuse of power, resolutely oppose corruption, and never turn public power into a tool for seeking personal gain.
Adhere to the unity of power and responsibility. Where there is power, there must be responsibility; power and responsibility must be commensurate; responsibility must be assumed, and failure to fulfill it must be investigated. Power is responsibility, and responsibility means taking action. Leading officials must perform their duties in accordance with the law, be dedicated to their work, and ensure that responsibility is known in the heart, carried on the body, and fulfilled in action.
Third, adhere to the people-centered development philosophy and establish a correct outlook on political achievements.
One’s perspective on performance achievements reflects a leading official’s political stance, cultivation of Party spirit, and breadth of vision. The people’s stance is the fundamental political stance of our Party, and serving the people heart and soul is our Party’s fundamental purpose. Leading officials must take bringing benefits to the people as the most important achievement of their governance, consciously acting as selfless contributors dedicated to the welfare of the masses.
We must persist in taking the delivery of tangible benefits and practical deeds for the common people as the important standard for testing performance. This involves both grounding ourselves in the present by using our hearts and emotions to solve the urgent, difficult, and anxious problems of the masses—ensuring good deeds are done to their satisfaction—while also looking to the long term by perfecting the systems and mechanisms that solve livelihood issues, thereby achieving a continuous improvement in the quality of people’s lives.
It is essential to properly grasp the relationship between the immediate and the long-term, and between "latent achievements" (qianji) and "manifest achievements" (xianji) [12]. General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized many times that leading officials must possess the spiritual outlook of "success does not have to happen during my watch" and the historical responsibility of "I must contribute to the ultimate success." This requires leading officials to do more things that lay a foundation and benefit the long term. They must not engage in blind competition divorced from reality, nor in "vanity projects" (xingxiang gongcheng) or "performance projects" (zhengji gongcheng) [13] that waste labor and money; they must truly be responsible to history and the people. The reason Zhejiang’s "Double-Eight Strategy" [14] has achieved such outstanding results is precisely that for over 20 years, one term of leadership has worked after another, persevering with tenacity and persisting over the long term. Leading officials must adhere to the principle of "painting a single blueprint to the end," performing both practical deeds that are visible, tangible, and beneficial to the common people today, and tasks that are meritorious in the present age while benefiting the long term and future generations.
We must follow the Party's mass line in the New Era. We must persist in doing everything for the people and relying on the people in everything, adhering to the principle of "from the masses, to the masses," and always maintaining a flesh-and-blood connection with the people. In the process of doing mass work, leading officials must learn and practice the "Four Down to the Grassroots" [15] work method and system. They should consciously seek advice and needs from the people, listen to the people’s voice, and respond to the people’s expectations. They must effectively do good deeds well, do practical deeds solidly, and handle difficult deeds properly, so that the people’s sense of gain, happiness, and security becomes more substantial, better guaranteed, and more sustainable.
Fourth, implement the Party's ideological line of seeking truth from facts and creatively implement the decisions and deployments of the CPC Central Committee.
Seeking truth from facts is the basic ideological, working, and leadership method of the Party. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized, "Whether we can achieve seeking truth from facts is the key to the success or failure of various undertakings of the Party and the State." Adhering to seeking truth from facts means implementing the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important instructions and the decisions of the CPC Central Committee based on actual conditions; one must not engage in the ways of formalization, "routinism" (taoluhua), or superficiality.
We must earnestly comprehend and implement the spirit of the CPC Central Committee. We must thoroughly understand the central spirit and be adept at organically combining it with the realities of one's own region and field to implement it creatively. For example, developing new quality productive forces does not mean ignoring or abandoning traditional industries, nor does it mean following a single mold. Various regions must persist in proceeding from reality, "establishing the new before breaking the old" (xianli houpo) [16], acting according to local conditions, and providing classified guidance. Based on local resource endowments, industrial foundations, and scientific research conditions, they should selectively promote the development of new industries, new models, and new drivers, using new technologies to transform and upgrade traditional industries, and actively promoting the high-end, intelligent, and green development of industry.
We must conduct in-depth investigation and research to make scientific decisions and implement them correctly. Investigation and research are our Party’s "family treasure" and the basic skill for doing all work well. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, "Investigation and research are the foundation of planning and the path to success; without investigation, there is no right to speak, and without investigation, there is no right to make decisions." He also noted, "Correct decision-making is inseparable from investigation and research, and correct implementation is equally inseparable from investigation and research." The process of carrying out investigation and research is a process of comprehending the Party’s innovative theories and a process of maintaining flesh-and-blood ties with the people. To master this basic skill, one must go deep into reality to understand the true situation and various problems, and to discover and summarize the fresh experiences created by the masses. Moreover, on the basis of investigation, one must engage in deep and meticulous reflection to find the essence and laws governing things, identifying specific measures and methods to solve difficult problems. Investigation and research cannot be a mere "passing through" (zou guochang) or a formality—doing research for research’s sake. Rather, it must truly discover problems, discover true problems, solve true problems, and truly solve problems.
We must respect objective reality and objective laws. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized, "The imbalance of economic and natural conditions in different regions is an objective reality." He noted that "solving the problem of unbalanced development must conform to economic and natural laws, act according to local conditions, provide classified guidance, acknowledge objective differences, and not engage in 'one-size-fits-all' (yidaoqie) approaches." For example, in promoting comprehensive rural revitalization, we should scientifically grasp the differences and characteristics of various regions, emphasizing regional characteristics and reflecting rural flavor. In particular, we must protect traditional villages, ethnic villages, and traditional architecture, avoiding a unified model where "one design is built to the end" or "one color is painted everywhere."
Whether it is policy deployment, work arrangements, or promotional measures, all must conform to actual conditions and respect the scientific spirit, persisting in acting according to local conditions, doing one’s best, and acting within one’s means. If there is a lack of scientific spirit and a truth-seeking attitude—if one does not consider one's own conditions, does not respect objective laws, violates common sense, and blindly makes decisions, expands operations, or launches projects—not only will no achievements be produced, but a host of problems will arise, leaving behind many lingering complications.
Fifth, improve systems and mechanisms to create a sound political ecosystem.
If the political ecosystem is murky, the environment for governance will be harsh; if the political ecosystem is clear, the environment for governance will be excellent. Leading officials should consciously act as powerful promoters of a sound political ecosystem, creating a favorable environment for strictly guarding against formalism and bureaucratism.
We must improve incentive and constraint mechanisms that value practical work. We must persist in the correct orientation of selecting and appointing personnel, vigorously selecting officials who are politically sound, dare to take responsibility, are eager for reform, have outstanding achievements, and are clean and honest, thereby incentivizing entrepreneurship. We must improve the scientific evaluation system for performance, standardize the official performance appraisal mechanism, and improve positive incentive mechanisms. We must promote the "ability of officials to move up or down" (nengshang nengxia) [17], forming a favorable situation where the capable are promoted, the excellent are rewarded, the mediocre are demoted, and the inferior are eliminated, encouraging officials to perform their duties with dedication and vigor. We must implement the mechanism for "allowing for and correcting errors" (rongcuo jiucuo), strictly implementing the "Three Distinctions" [18], unifying strict management and supervision with the encouragement of responsibility and action, unequivocally standing up for those who take responsibility, being responsible for those who are accountable, backing those who do work, and encouraging those who innovate.
We must persist in all-around strict management, regular supervision, and scientific, precise accountability. We should comprehensively use means such as inspections (xunshi xuncha) and audit supervision to discover and correct problems of formalism and bureaucratism in a timely manner. For those who cause major losses or bad influences—especially those who turn a deaf ear to central requirements, go their own way, ignore orders, or disregard prohibitions—serious handling and accountability must be pursued in accordance with regulations, discipline, and the law. We must improve mechanisms for political supervision that are concrete, precise, and routine, and improve supporting systems for strengthening supervision over "top leaders" (yibashou) and leadership teams. We must strengthen the penetration of daily management and supervision, managing "key people" in "key places," controlling "key matters" at "key times."
We must improve long-term mechanisms for reducing burdens on the grassroots. We must earnestly implement the Several Provisions on Rectifying Formalism to Reduce Burdens at the Grassroots, effectively streamlining documents, strictly reducing meetings, coordinating and standardizing inspections and evaluations, standardizing the secondment of officials, standardizing the management of government mobile internet applications, clarifying grassroots powers and responsibilities, and standardizing demonstration and "reaching-the-standard" activities. This will free the hands and feet of officials from the shackles and "routines" of formalism and bureaucratism.
We must strengthen the leading role of leading organs and leading officials. Leading organs are important bodies in the national governance system, and leading officials are the "key minority" in the development of the Party and State’s cause, serving as a bellwether for the whole Party and society. Leading officials at all levels should take the lead in changing their work style, leading by example and through their own actions to create a "head goose effect" (touyan xiaoying) [19]. Leading organs at all levels must take the lead in identifying and rectifying the problems of formalism and bureaucratism within themselves.
Polishing Political Character and Forging Excellent Capabilities
General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that the problem of work style is fundamentally an issue of Party spirit. Political steadfastness and a strong Party spirit are the decisive factors for leading officials in guarding against formalism and bureaucratism. Leading officials must not only consciously accept strict education, management, and supervision from the Party organization, but also carry forward the spirit of self-revolution and the spirit of daring to struggle. They must continuously strengthen ideological tempering, political training, Party spirit cultivation, and practical experience, comprehensively improving their theoretical literacy, political caliber, Party spirit, and professional ability.
First, strengthen the consciousness of guarding against formalism and bureaucratism through the deep study of the Party's innovative theories.
Steadfastness in politics and Party spirit is inseparable from steadfastness in theory. Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is contemporary Chinese Marxism and 21st-century Marxism. We must consciously transform this important thought into a powerful force for firming up ideals, tempering Party spirit, guiding practice, and promoting work, turning it into vivid practice for implementing General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important instructions and the decisions of the CPC Central Committee.
Second, forge loyalty to the Party and the people through strict political training.
Formalism and bureaucratism are essentially political problems and issues of loyalty to the Party. We must accurately identify and resolutely put an end to formalism and bureaucratism, and be courageous and adept in waging a resolute struggle against them. Leading officials should consciously temper themselves in a serious and earnest inner-Party political life, frequently undergoing "political physical examinations" to purify their political souls. They should continuously improve their political judgment, political understanding, and political execution, being "clear-headed" and "honest" people in politics. They must always take the Party’s flag as their flag, the Party’s will as their will, and the Party’s mission as their mission. They must deeply comprehend the decisive significance of the "Two Establishments," resolutely achieve the "Two Upholds," and creatively implement the spirit of the CPC Central Committee to ensure the smooth realization of the goals and tasks set by the Party and the State.
Third, strengthen the cultivation of Party spirit through serious tempering.
Only with a strong Party spirit and the abandonment of selfish motives can formalism and bureaucratism be effectively rectified and cured. With a strong Party spirit, one can fortify the foundation of faith, supplement "spiritual calcium," and steady the "rudder of thought." One can then forge a loyalty that is unique, thorough, unconditional, unadulterated, and undiluted—maintaining one heart and mind with the CPC Central Committee at all times and under all circumstances. One can then truly love, worry for, protect, and invigorate the Party, doing one’s utmost to practice the Party’s original aspiration and founding mission and complete the tasks entrusted by the Party and the people. Party members and officials should take the tempering of Party spirit and the improvement of ideological awareness as a lifelong task. They should carry forward the spirit of thorough self-revolution, constantly reflect on themselves, temper the character and cultivation of a Communist, and elevate their vision and realm. They must always prioritize the cause of the Party and the people, persisting in being devoted to the public, being upright in character, and being cautious in the exercise of power.
Fourth, forge excellent capabilities through fervent practical experience.
At present, the speed of change in the situation and environment, the weight of the tasks of reform, development, and stability, the number of contradictions, risks, and challenges, and the magnitude of the test of governing the country are all unprecedented. The problems that need to be solved are becoming increasingly diverse and complex. To fulfill the duties and missions of the New Era entrusted by the Party and the people, leading officials must comprehensively enhance all aspects of their abilities. "A knife is sharpened on a stone; a person is tempered through tasks." The broad masses of officials should consciously take fervent practice as the best classroom, weathering storms, seeing the world, strengthening their "bones and muscles," and growing their talents. They should comprehensively improve their capacity for modernization, especially enhancing their ability to promote high-quality development, serve the masses, and prevent and resolve risks. At the same time, they should strengthen the cultivation of the spirit of struggle and the ability to struggle, focusing on enhancing their ability to prevent risks, tackle difficulties, meet challenges, and resist pressure. They should consciously take the people as their teachers, seek instruction from the capable, ask for advice from the wise, cultivate excellent skills, and consciously shoulder their missions and responsibilities to perform meritorious deeds for the Party and the people.
(The author is the Provost of the Central Party School of the CPC (National Academy of Governance)) Web Editor: Tongxin Source: Economic Daily, May 21, 2025, Page 10