Zhang Zhiyuan and Wang Yitong: Research on Integrating Integrity Culture into the Construction of Primary-level Party Organizations from the Perspective of Governance Modernization

Integrity culture is an important means of advancing Party building, possessing profound significance for strengthening the construction of primary-level Party organizations and promoting the modernization of national governance. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has attached great importance to primary-level governance and the development of an integrity culture, repeatedly emphasizing the vital role of primary-level governance in the modernization of the national governance system and capacity. In 2021, the "Opinions of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on Strengthening the Modernization of the Primary-level Governance System and Governance Capacity" pointed out that "primary-level governance is the cornerstone of national governance; the coordinated promotion of governance in townships (sub-districts) and urban and rural communities is a foundational project for realizing the modernization of the national governance system and capacity." The report to the 20th CPC National Congress explicitly stated the need to "strengthen the construction of a culture of integrity in the New Era, and educate and guide the vast number of Party members and officials to enhance their consciousness of 'not wanting to be corrupt.'" The Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee clearly directed to "strengthen the construction of a culture of integrity in the New Era" and further improve the working mechanism for the integrated promotion of the "three non-corruptions" ^[1]. As the practical subjects for carrying out primary-level governance, primary-level Party organizations are the key link in strengthening Party building in the New Era. Their uprightness and integrity are not only related to the level of modernization in primary-level governance but are also a core component of advancing the modernization of the national governance system and capacity. In the process of promoting Chinese-path modernization, we must persist over the long term in building primary-level Party organizations, ensuring they become strong fighting fortresses that effectively realize the Party's leadership, and deepening the rectification of corruption issues that occur at the people's doorsteps. From the perspective of governance modernization, clarifying the important motives and contemporary value of integrating integrity culture into the construction of primary-level Party organizations, and analyzing the practical paths for this integration, holds significant theoretical value and practical meaning for achieving new breakthroughs in the New Great Project of Party Building ^[2] in the New Era.

I. Important Motives for Integrating Integrity Culture into the Construction of Primary-level Party Organizations

The construction of a culture of integrity is an important "magic weapon" for advancing the comprehensive and strict governance of the Party. The construction of primary-level Party organizations is a vital link in the Party's promotion of national governance modernization throughout its long-term governance of the country. We must unswervingly advance the Party’s self-construction to maintain its perpetual progressiveness and purity. In the process of using the modernization of primary-level governance to boost Chinese-path modernization, the integration of integrity culture into primary-level Party organization construction originates from the integrity culture thoughts of classical Marxist writers and draws nourishment from the culture of integrity within Chinese political thought; it accords with the realistic needs of the Communist Party of China to solve the unique challenges facing a large party. Therefore, from the perspective of governance modernization, there are rich theoretical motives for integrating integrity culture into the construction of primary-level Party organizations, based on an organic combination of historical development and practical needs.

(1) Theoretical Motive: The Integrity Thought of Classical Marxist Writers

Theory is the precursor to action. The integration of integrity culture into primary-level Party organization construction can be traced back to the relevant discourses of classical Marxist writers and shares deep roots with the integrity culture thoughts they proposed. These thoughts provide the theoretical impetus for enriching and developing the culture of integrity in the New Era and for integrating it into primary-level Party organizations to promote the modernization of the national governance system and capacity.

In the Manifesto of the Communist Party, Marx and Engels explicitly pointed out that "they have no interests separate and apart from those of the proletariat as a whole"—that is, the Communist Party has no special interests of its own. This assertion determines that the Communist Party should be a party of integrity and its members should be individuals of integrity. The policies formulated by the Party must proceed from the interests of the people, and both Party organizations at all levels and individual members must constantly accept the supervision of the people to maintain their progressiveness and purity. This important thesis provided a solid political foundation for the Party to always stand on the side of the people, handle various complex relationships in the modernization process through its own progressiveness and purity, and solidly advance the modernization of governance. After successfully leading the Russian October Revolution and establishing the world's first socialist state, Lenin inherited and enriched Marx and Engels' theories on Party building, continuing to explore the construction of a ruling party in a socialist country. Lenin soberly realized that after the completion of the socialist revolution, corruption would be encountered in the process of leading the socialist regime to explore governance modernization. He pointed out the need to struggle relentlessly against internal corruption, noting that "procrastination and bribery are diseases that no military victory or political reform can cure." Through strengthening institutional construction, Lenin required the Political Education Committee to eliminate illiteracy and raise cultural levels, teaching the masses a culture that could break through bribery and corruption, allowing them to participate in the supervision of Party organizations and members at all levels. Through mass supervision, the soil for corruption in society could be reduced, thereby eradicating various forms of corruption within the Party. Simultaneously, proceeding from the progressiveness of the Party and its members, Lenin raised the requirements for Party members and increased the severity of punishments for corruption. During the implementation of the New Economic Policy, facing the situation where some cadres abused the policy, he clearly stated that "the punishment for Communists should be twice as severe as for non-Party personnel." Through the process of conducting mass supervision and strictly punishing internal corruption, Lenin continuously increased the cost of corrupt behavior. In the process of promoting the modernization of national and social governance, he inherited and developed the integrity thoughts of Marx and Engels by continuously strengthening and improving the institutional construction of Party organizations to reduce the occurrence of internal corruption. Thus, the integrity culture thoughts of classical Marxist writers provide the theoretical motive for further developing and improving integrity culture under new historical conditions, laying the theoretical foundation for its integration into primary-level Party organizations and providing a beneficial reference for promoting the modernization of governance.

(2) Historical Motive: Experience of Integrity Culture Construction in Chinese Political Practice

The construction of integrity culture in Chinese political practice has a long history. From ancient rulers reorganizing the bureaucracy and advocating for integrity while punishing corruption, to modern Chinese Communists persisting in comprehensively and strictly governing the Party and advancing the anti-corruption struggle, the culture of integrity has gradually formed and continuously improved through thousands of years of Chinese social development, becoming an important component of fine traditional Chinese culture. The integrity culture of the New Era is deeply rooted in fine traditional Chinese integrity culture; it was gradually shaped during the period of socialist revolution and construction, developed during the period of reform, opening up, and socialist modernization, and has been further enriched and perfected during the anti-corruption struggle of the New Era.

Diligence in administration, love for the people, and integrity in public office were essential qualities for virtuous officials and capable ministers in ancient China, as well as important criteria for state evaluation of officials. During the Spring and Autumn period, Yanzi ^[3] proposed that "integrity is the foundation of government," clearly stating that integrity is fundamental to governing the state. During the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Taizong, Li Shimin, pointed out that "if the ruler is greedy, the state will surely fall; if the minister is greedy, he will surely lose his life," indicating the relationship between integrity and social governance—that the presence or absence of integrity jeopardizes the security of national political power. During the Qing Dynasty, Emperor Kangxi proposed, "whenever I think of the joys and sorrows of the people's lives, it is rooted in whether the officialdom is corrupt or honest," highlighting the link between clean governance and the people's lives and social governance. Modern Chinese political practice also contains a rich culture of integrity. Sun Yat-sen advocated for integrity throughout his life, pointing out on various occasions that one "must not have the heart to make a fortune or merely want to be a high official; one must resolve to make sacrifices and aspire to do great things," indicating that when citizens participate in national and social governance, they should be honest and dedicated to the country, society, and nation. Mao Zedong attached great importance to advancing anti-corruption work within social governance, noting that "the matter of opposing corruption and waste is a major event for the entire Party." In the early days of the People’s Republic, the "Three-Antis" and "Five-Antis" ^[4] movements were carried out in a timely manner to punish the unhealthy tendencies of corruption within the Party. Facing the spread of unhealthy trends among the masses after reform and opening up, Deng Xiaoping vigorously strengthened the construction of clean government, stating, "We must oppose corruption and build a clean government. This is not for a day or two, or a month or two; the entire process of reform and opening up must oppose corruption." He clarified that the Party must unswervingly punish and oppose corruption and strengthen integrity culture to advance the modernization of governance. Jiang Zemin treated the improvement of Party conduct and the building of a clean government as a major political task in the process of the Party governing the country and conducting social governance, noting that "the building of Party conduct, a clean government, and the anti-corruption struggle are matters of life and death for the Party and the state." Hu Jintao placed high importance on the construction of the Party's work style and enriched the culture of integrity on this basis, requiring leading officials at all levels to "truly be upright and untainted, always maintaining the noble Character and revolutionary integrity of a Communist" when participating in governance. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has attached great importance to integrity culture construction, repeatedly emphasizing its importance in the process of Party building and stressing that the foundational work of primary-level governance modernization must be handled well. Therefore, from the perspective of governance modernization, the integration of integrity culture into the construction of primary-level Party organizations draws upon the experience of thousands of years of Chinese political practice, which will inevitably help strengthen Party building in the New Era and promote the modernization of national governance through comprehensively and strictly governing the Party.

(3) Practical Motive: The Realistic Need for the CPC to Solve the Unique Challenges Facing a Large Party

The report to the 20th CPC National Congress clearly pointed out, "As the largest Marxist ruling party in the world, our Party must always maintain sobriety and firmness in solving the unique challenges facing a large party to always win the support of the people and consolidate its long-term ruling status." As the front line for implementing the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee, primary-level Party organizations are effective channels for demonstrating the progressiveness and purity of the CPC to the masses. They are a key link in solving the unique challenges facing a large party through comprehensive and strict governance. The integrity of primary-level Party organizations not only affects the overall image of the CPC but also affects the effectiveness of the modernization of the national governance system and capacity. Integrating integrity culture helps these organizations maintain their purity, demonstrate the Party’s image of integrity, win the people's support, and play the role of a fighting fortress in the process of solving the unique challenges facing a large party.

Primary-level Party organizations are the "nerve endings" of the Party's close contact with the masses and the front-line positions for uniting and mobilizing the people. Only by making these organizations strong and consolidating primary-level political power can the foundation of socialism with Chinese characteristics be made firm. Integrating integrity culture into these organizations is an effective means of advancing the Party's self-revolution and is one of the important answers to how the CPC solves the unique challenges facing a large party. As the world's largest Marxist ruling party, the CPC has a vast organizational structure and a large number of members and cadres, making Party building inherently arduous. Furthermore, as the ruling party of a country with a population of over 1.4 billion, whether the CPC can maintain long-term governance is related to the fundamental interests of the broadest masses of the Chinese people, the modernization of the governance system, the construction of a great modern socialist country, and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Currently, the international situation is volatile, with external risks and challenges coming one after another; domestic social development has also undergone new changes, bringing new challenges to the modernization of governance. The CPC must solve the unique challenges facing a large party while responding to these new challenges and changes, continuously winning the support of the people and remaining the strong leadership core of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Given the new challenges of governance modernization in the New Era, solving the unique challenges facing a large party must start from primary-level Party organizations—the foundation of all the Party's work and combat effectiveness—treating their construction as the top priority within Party building. In the process of integration, corruption issues and unhealthy trends occurring at the people's doorsteps can be gradually resolved, protecting the fundamental interests of the masses and accelerating governance modernization. At the same time, persistently purifying the intra-Party political ecosystem, providing a healthy environment for the growth of cadres at the primary level, and building a solid foundation of integrity and rectitude are of great practical significance for advancing the comprehensive and strict governance of the Party in depth. Integrating integrity culture helps the CPC enhance its primary-level governance capacity while maintaining its essence of progressiveness and purity and strengthening its commitment to its original aspiration and founding mission, ensuring it remains sober and firm in solving the unique challenges facing a large party.

II. The Contemporary Value of Integrating Integrity Culture into the Construction of Primary-level Party Organizations

At present, our country is on a New Era journey to comprehensively advance the great cause of building a powerful nation and achieving national rejuvenation through Chinese-path modernization. A key link in this process is maintaining a state of mind that never slackens, persistently rectifying conduct, enforcing discipline, and fighting corruption. This involves giving full play to the role of primary-level Party organizations as "combat bastions," rectifying the "unhealthy winds" and corruption that occur at the people's doorstep, and solidly advancing the modernization of the governance system. The integration of integrity culture into the construction of primary-level Party organizations helps fortify the foundation of ideals and convictions, promotes the building of an honest society, and inherits and develops integrity culture, possessing rich political, social, and cultural value.

(1) Political Value: Fortifying the Foundation of Ideals and Convictions and Consolidating the Party’s Governing Foundation Incorruptibility and integrity are essential components of integrity culture. They constitute the political character that the Communist Party of China (CPC) has consistently maintained and upheld for over a century since its founding, and are inevitable requirements for practicing the original aspiration and founding mission of Chinese Communists. On the New Era journey, as the governing party of a country with a massive population and economic scale, the CPC faces both opportunities and challenges in the process of advancing governance modernization. Since primary-level Party organizations are the basis for all the CPC's work, strengthening these organizations and improving primary-level governance in the New Era is crucial for promoting the modernization of the national governance system and capacity. The integration of integrity culture into primary-level Party organizations is a practical implementation of the General Requirements for Party Building in the New Era ^[5]. It represents an extension and deepening of the new great project of Party building ^[6] and is an important measure to advance the modernization of the national governance system and capacity by improving primary-level governance. It can fortify the foundation of ideals and convictions and "replenish the calcium" of the ideals and convictions ^[7] of Communists in the New Era, thus possessing rich political value.

Integrity culture emphasizes prioritizing the public good over private interest, exercising self-restraint for the public service, and maintaining integrity in governance. Integrating integrity culture into the construction of primary-level Party organizations can, through the enrichment and development of its connotations in the New Era, actively guide primary-level Party members and cadres to establish correct views on power and achievements. This enables them to consciously resist the various realistic temptations and corrupt behaviors they face in daily life, eliminate all kinds of "evil winds" and unhealthy tendencies, and purify the internal political ecosystem starting from primary-level Party organizations. This ensures that the CPC maintains its advanced nature and purity in the New Era, consolidating its combat effectiveness and continuously improving the modernization level of the national governance system and capacity. Strengthening the construction of integrity culture provides spiritual support for escaping the "historical cycle" ^[8]. The integration of integrity culture into primary-level Party organizations can push the process of comprehensively and strictly governing the Party toward greater depth and substance. It leads primary-level Party members and cadres to consciously and strictly abide by intra-Party regulations and political discipline, maintain a clear head while serving the people, and eliminate selfish thoughts during the process of self-cultivation and moral enlightenment. By always keeping the people's interests in their hearts and truly "thinking what the people think and feeling the urgency the people feel," they can improve primary-level governance and advance the modernization of social governance. This ensures that primary-level Party members and cadres consistently maintain the political character of Chinese Communists in terms of ideological concepts, behavioral norms, and value orientations, thereby consolidating the Party's governing foundation through firm ideals and convictions.

(2) Social Value: Promoting the Construction of an Honest Society and Carrying Forward a Positive Social Atmosphere The CPC is the core of leadership for the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the guide for national rejuvenation, and the backbone of the hundreds of millions of people. The image of primary-level Party members in the minds of the masses represents the image of all CPC members, and the image of primary-level Party organizations represents the image of the Party organization as a whole; the ability of primary-level Party organizations to conduct primary-level governance embodies the level of modernization of the national governance system and capacity. Advancing the integration of integrity culture into primary-level Party organization construction helps to convey the political character of Chinese Communists at the front line of social governance and establishes the CPC's governing philosophy of "establishing a Party for the public and governing for the people" in the hearts of the masses. By integrating integrity culture, primary-level governance levels are continuously improved. By leveraging the unique advantage of primary-level Party organizations being close to the people, the values of "being an upright person and doing things cleanly" are transmitted to every citizen through the daily work of primary-level governance, thus promoting the building of an honest society.

The integration of integrity culture into primary-level Party organization construction must continuously cultivate the soil of integrity culture characterized by "honesty in administration and impartiality in the exercise of power." It should guide the vast number of primary-level Party members and cadres to seek no private gain or personal favors in primary-level governance, to truly engage in practical work for tangible results, and to consciously discard erroneous ideas and distance themselves from wrong behaviors. This continuously purifies the internal Party ecosystem and uses the transformation of the intra-Party political ecosystem to drive the transformation of social atmosphere, thereby creating a clean and upright social environment. Under the guidance of integrity culture, primary-level Party organizations can better fulfill their roles in strengthening primary-level governance and uniting and mobilizing the masses, pushing primary-level governance toward modernization and improving the modernization level of the national governance system and capacity. In this process, primary-level Party members and cadres must always play a vanguard and exemplary role, consciously studying and promoting integrity culture. They must take a clear-cut stand on matters of right and wrong, remain firm in the face of various temptations, and consistently achieve "restraint of greed and cultivation of integrity." By acting as pioneers and role models for the masses, they guide the people to form an awareness of integrity in social life and promote social harmony and stability through primary-level governance. Meanwhile, maintaining integrity in the family and drawing a clear line between the public and the private are important components of integrity culture in the New Era and are necessary requirements for modernizing national governance. As the "key minority" ^[9] among Party members and cadres, leading cadres must play a "key role." The family conduct (jiāfēng) of primary-level Party members and cadres affects the broader social atmosphere. By strengthening their study of integrity culture and establishing honest family traditions and precepts, primary-level Party members and cadres should not indulge their families in using power for personal gain. They should drive the construction of an honest society with good family conduct, promote a positive social atmosphere, and thereby strengthen the construction of integrity culture in the New Era, assisting the modernization of the national governance system and capacity.

(3) Cultural Value: Inheriting and Developing Integrity Culture, Firming and Enhancing Cultural Confidence Viewed through the lens of governance modernization, the integration of integrity culture into primary-level Party organization construction further enriches and develops that culture. This occurs through the processes of enhancing the cohesion and combat effectiveness of primary-level Party organizations and improving primary-level governance, based on the inheritance and promotion of fine traditional Chinese culture, red revolutionary culture, and advanced socialist culture. This provides deep cultural roots for advancing the modernization of the national governance system and capacity. Integrity culture is the essence of Chinese civilization, and its construction represents the CPC's inheritance, continuation, and value-application of the "integrity gene." This integration helps guide primary-level Party members and cadres to understand and grasp the profound integrity culture and thoughts within fine traditional Chinese culture through in-depth study, and to consciously combine integrity culture with the practice of primary-level governance. By using fine traditional Chinese culture as the foundation in the New Era to continuously advance the enrichment and development of integrity culture, cultural confidence in socialism with Chinese characteristics can be further enhanced. Simultaneously, it helps primary-level Party members and cadres review the "eventful years" ^[10] of the CPC leading the Chinese people through revolution, construction, and reform. It allows them to understand and inherit the noble character of revolutionary predecessors who were selfless and honest for the sake of the Party and the people's cause, thereby inheriting, developing, and consciously practicing integrity culture in primary-level governance, enhancing cultural confidence, and maintaining lofty ideals and convictions.

In the process of integrating integrity culture into primary-level Party organization construction and promoting the modernization of the national governance system and capacity through primary-level governance, integrity culture is innovated and developed as it combines with the integrity genes of fine traditional Chinese culture, red revolutionary culture, and advanced socialist culture. Through this inheritance and development within the practice of governance modernization in the New Era, the correct views of primary-level Party members and cadres regarding power, interests, and achievements will be further deepened, and the cohesion within the CPC will be strengthened as never before. During this process, primary-level Party members and cadres will immerse themselves with greater enthusiasm and higher morale into the great practice of advancing the modernization of the national governance system and capacity through Chinese-path modernization. They will fulfill their vanguard role as models for the masses, continuously promoting the inheritance and development of integrity culture in the New Era, advancing cultural confidence and self-strengthening, and creating new glory for socialist culture.

III. The Practical Path for Integrating Integrity Culture into the Construction of Primary-Level Party Organizations Integrating integrity culture into the construction of primary-level Party organizations is a vital component of currently advancing the comprehensive and strict governance of the Party. It is a major measure in persisting with the Party’s self-revolution to lead social revolution, and a key lever for advancing the comprehensive deepening of reforms and Chinese-path modernization. From the perspective of governance modernization, this integration must continuously push the new great project of Party building in the New Era to a deeper level by strengthening integrity education, improving institutional construction, innovating publicity methods, and reinforcing the leading role of Party building.

(1) Strengthening Integrity Education to Enhance the Integrity Awareness of Primary-Level Party Members and Cadres In essence, integrity culture is a holistic manifestation of value concepts, ways of thinking, and behavioral norms concerning integrity. It plays a value-guiding role in promoting the modernization of primary-level governance and serving the modernization of the national governance system and capacity. To integrate integrity culture into primary-level Party organizations, it is necessary to utilize existing educational resources and update educational methods. By presenting facts and reasoning, primary-level Party members and cadres can be helped to thoroughly understand integrity culture, guiding them toward a strong consensus and increasing their awareness of integrity, thereby pushing integrity culture into primary-level governance.

On one hand, in the process of integration, integrity awareness must be raised through strengthened education. The role of ideological and political work in advancing primary-level governance modernization should be actively utilized. Currently, the Internet has become the main front, main battlefield, and foremost edge of the ideological struggle. In constructing integrity culture, primary-level Party members and cadres should be helped to closely integrate the new practices of Chinese-path modernization in the New Era. Integrity culture should guide them to establish correct views on power, achievements, and values, providing inexhaustible spiritual momentum for pushing the comprehensive and strict governance of the Party to deeper levels and toward the primary level, and for advancing the modernization of national governance. Through integrity education, the advanced nature and purity of primary-level Party members and cadres can effectively eradicate the soil and conditions for the growth of corruption, enabling them to continuously advance governance modernization through proactive responsibility and action.

On the other hand, integrity culture must be integrated into the daily work of primary-level governance within primary-level Party organizations. Primary-level Party members and cadres should be shaped into staunch advocates and conscious practitioners of integrity culture. Furthermore, this integration should combine with the unique local integrity culture resources to help primary-level Party members and cadres enhance their sense of identity with and mission toward integrity culture in a "silent and nourishing" (rùnwù wúshēng) manner ^[11]. Primary-level Party organizations must grasp ideological construction, ensuring that integrity culture enters the minds and hearts of primary-level Party members and cadres. This guides them to internalize integrity culture in their hearts and externalize it in their actions during daily governance. It promotes an integrated approach to ensuring that primary-level Party members and cadres "dare not, cannot, and have no desire to be corrupt" (bù gǎn fǔ, bù néng fǔ, bù xiǎng fǔ), forming a clean and upright primary-level governance environment. Starting from the smallest primary-level Party branches—the fundamental units of the CPC—integrity culture should be comprehensively integrated into every link, element, and field of primary-level governance. By persisting in addressing both symptoms and root causes, the construction of "Incorruptible Primary Levels" (qīnglián jīcéng) can be advanced with substance.

(2) Improving Institutional Construction to Enhance Primary-Level Governance Efficiency through Integrity Culture Institutions are the solid guarantee and important support for advancing the comprehensive deepening of reforms and Chinese-path modernization. Institutional construction is a key support for enhancing governance efficiency and a pivot for modernizing the governance system. Improving the institutional construction for integrating integrity culture into primary-level Party organizations and using it to enhance governance efficiency is a vital driving force for the modernization of the national governance system and capacity.

At present, the anti-corruption struggle has achieved an overwhelming position and is continuously consolidating and developing a clean and upright political ecosystem. By improving the institutional construction of integrating integrity culture into primary-level Party organizations, we must gradually form a long-term mechanism for integrity culture to act upon these organizations, resolutely win the tough and protracted battle against corruption, promote the integrated construction of improving Party conduct and fighting corruption, and enhance the efficacy of integrating integrity culture into primary-level governance. On one hand, integrating integrity culture into the construction of primary-level Party organizations is a systematic and long-term project; we must establish corresponding long-term institutions to fully leverage the enduring role of integrity culture through institutional advantages. We should gradually promote the institutionalization of this integration to ensure that related work is carried out in an orderly manner. Necessary integrity culture education activities should be conducted regularly in primary-level Party organizations. This requires both the full utilization of traditional propaganda media such as newspapers, magazines, and display boards, as well as the active use of emerging communication channels like the internet. We must regularly promote correct values of clean governance and clean social customs ^[12], construct "concentric circles" ^[13] both online and offline, and gradually form a long-term mechanism for integrity culture education that is institutionalized, standardized, and proceduralized. Simultaneously, we must promote the institutionalization of supervision over this integration, strengthening supervision and discipline enforcement to ensure institutions are effectively implemented. We must strengthen internal Party supervision and make good use of social supervision, placing the integration process under the scrutiny of the people. By truly combining integrity culture education with the construction of primary-level Party organizations, we can give full play to the advantages of the socialist system of democratic supervision, using integrity culture to enhance primary-level governance efficacy and serve the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity. On the other hand, we must improve the public opinion guidance mechanism for this integration, guiding primary-level Party members, officials, and the broad masses to consciously study and practice integrity culture, thereby providing a favorable public opinion environment for integrity culture to boost primary-level governance efficacy. We must correctly and rationally utilize various propaganda positions, actively using public opinion to disseminate the latest developments in the integration process. We should organize interactive communication between primary-level officials and the masses, promoting the integration through their mutual interaction. By providing correct public opinion guidance, we can create a favorable social atmosphere for understanding integrity culture, effectively curb the spread of unhealthy tendencies, enhance the leading and appealing power of integrity culture, and improve its efficacy in serving the modernization of primary-level governance.

(III) Innovating propaganda methods to drive integrity culture construction deep into primary-level governance

Cultural innovation is an inexhaustible source of momentum for social development and progress. In the process of promoting the integration of integrity culture into the construction of primary-level Party organizations, the innovative development of propaganda methods is an important path for advancing integrity culture deep into primary-level governance. To ensure that integrity culture plays a role in the modernization of primary-level governance, we must innovate propaganda methods in a timely manner. This allows the integrity culture found within fine traditional Chinese culture, red revolutionary culture, and advanced socialist culture to reach the primary level through novel means, achieving deep integration.

Integrity culture has been continuously formed, developed, and improved through thousands of years of Chinese political practice, possessing an inherent continuity and an "advance with the times" innovative quality. Innovating the propaganda methods for this integration meets the need for integrity culture to innovate through inheritance. On one hand, we must turn the internet—the "greatest variable"—into the "greatest increment," ^[14] enriching the methods of dissemination, promoting full coverage of the integration, and increasing the fit between integrity culture and primary-level governance. In the process of integration, primary-level Party organizations can establish a matrix of new media accounts with distinctive features and high recognition to fuse multi-media propaganda. They should promptly update and share activities related to the integration and regularly optimize propaganda content to guide interactive participation by the masses. In this process, we not only urge primary-level Party members and officials to carry out activities seriously but also allow the masses to understand the innovative achievements of the integration. This enables both officials and the masses to encounter integrity culture content through new media platforms in their daily lives, allowing them to learn and practice it through "subtle influence" ^[15], thereby deeply embedding it in primary-level governance. On the other hand, we should carry out diverse propaganda activities to enhance the attraction and appeal of integrity culture. We can promote digital experiences, narrative-based communication, and fun learning activities within primary-level Party organizations. By calling on officials and the masses to participate actively, they can personally grasp the rich connotations of integrity culture and practice it in daily life, promoting a clean and upright primary-level political ecosystem. Meanwhile, we must emphasize "upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground." We must always remember that New Era integrity culture possesses the attributes of advanced socialist culture; we must "uphold the fundamental" of advanced socialist culture while "breaking new ground" in propaganda methods. In this process, we must firmly grasp the main thread of Chinese socialist culture, innovate dissemination methods under the leadership of the CPC, and combine integrity culture with the common ideal of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the lofty ideal of communism, further enriching the ideological connotations and contemporary value of integrity culture.

(IV) Strengthening the leading role of Party building to improve the level of primary-level governance modernization

In the report to the 20th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping explicitly pointed out: "We will maintain the clear orientation of prioritizing the primary level, promote rural revitalization through Party building, strengthen Party building in urban communities, and advance primary-level governance led by Party building." This important discourse provides key guidance for integrating integrity culture into primary-level Party organizations to advance governance modernization. We must strengthen the leading role of Party building, give play to the role of primary-level Party organizations as "battlestations" ^[16] and the vanguard and exemplary role of Party members, and resolutely implement the decisions and arrangements of the Party Central Committee at the primary level.

Primary-level governance is the foundational task for promoting the modernization of national governance. Strengthening the leading role of Party building in this process helps translate the Party's organizational advantages into governance efficacy. On one hand, we must push for the close integration of integrity culture construction and primary-level Party organization building to form a synergy. By sinking Party building resources to the primary level, we can ensure stricter education and management of Party members, more serious intra-Party political life, a more rigorous organizational system, and firmer political beliefs among primary-level officials. On the other hand, we should encourage primary-level Party organizations to independently carry out innovative practices and explore new models of integrity culture construction. Utilizing "Smart Party Building" platforms, we should approach this work with the "nail-driving spirit" ^[17], clarifying that Party organizations at all levels are the political subjects responsible for integrity culture construction. We should encourage them to explore evaluation mechanisms that are more scientific and conducive to modernization, avoiding problems like "excessive trace-leaving" ^[18] or "unclear powers and responsibilities." In this process, we can actively draw lessons from the "Fengqiao Experience" ^[19] in the New Era, focusing on relying on the masses to tell stories of integrity, adhering to a problem-oriented approach, and conducting self-rectification and self-inspection among officials to prevent corruption and enhance their consciousness in serving the people.

From the perspective of governance modernization, promoting the integration of integrity culture into primary-level Party organization construction is driven by three factors: the integrity thoughts of classical Marxist authors, the experience of integrity culture construction in Chinese political practice, and the realistic need for the CPC to solve the "unique challenges of a large party." In the New Journey, we must continue to explore new paths and models to ensure that integrity culture becomes a spontaneous spiritual pursuit and guide for action for primary-level officials, providing inexhaustible spiritual momentum for unswervingly promoting comprehensively and strictly governing the Party.