Gao Ying: Deepening Political Inspection and Advancing Self-Revolution

On July 22, the Second Symposium on the Theory and Practice of Inspection was held in Beijing by the CPC Inspection Theory Research Center. The theme of the conference was "Deepening Political Inspection and Advancing Self-Revolution." Shi Taifeng, President and Secretary of the Party Leading Group of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), Gao Xiang, Vice President and Deputy Secretary of the Party Leading Group of CASS, Hang Yuanxiang, Head of the Discipline Inspection and Supervision Group of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection ^[1] (CCDI) and the National Commission of Supervision (NCS) stationed in CASS and member of the Party Leading Group, and Luo Liping, Deputy Director of the Office of the Central Inspection Work Leading Group, attended the opening ceremony. Gao Xiang and Luo Liping delivered speeches.

Gao Xiang pointed out that since the 18th CPC National Congress ^[2], the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has attached great importance to inspection work. It has consistently adhered to the positioning of "political inspection," incorporating inspection—a strategic institutional arrangement for intra-Party supervision—into the overall deployment of comprehensively and strictly governing the Party. The inspection system has undergone a revolutionary transformation, making it a "sharp sword of the Party and a heavy weapon of the nation." Political inspection takes the "Two Upholds" as its fundamental task, strengthens the Party's centralized and unified leadership, and promotes the implementation of the Party's line, principles, policies, and the decision-making deployments of the Party Central Committee; it is an innovative measure by a Marxist party to advance self-revolution. By confronting problems directly and exercising its role as a "sharp sword" in punishing corruption and evil while rectifying conduct and enforcing discipline, political inspection pushes the construction of clean government and the anti-corruption struggle into the depths ^[3]; it is an important manifestation of our Party's courage in self-revolution. Political inspection enforces the primary responsibility and supervisory responsibility for comprehensively and strictly governing the Party, urges the Party organizations under inspection to plug institutional loopholes, and promotes the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity; it is an effective path for advancing self-revolution. Through the implementation of rectification, political inspection promotes the resolution of prominent problems reflected by the masses, enhances the people's sense of gain, happiness, and security, and has become a "plus factor" for the CPC to win the hearts of the people and consolidate its foundation for governance.

Gao Xiang emphasized that studying, researching, and interpreting Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is the unshirkable and sacred duty of philosophy and social science workers. General Secretary Xi Jinping’s series of important expositions on the Party’s self-revolution, comprehensively and strictly governing the Party, and inspection work are important components of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. The broad masses of philosophy and social science workers must persist in using Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as guidance, adhere to a people-centered research orientation, courageously shoulder their responsibilities and missions, and conduct in-depth research on major theoretical and practical issues. They should produce more high-quality research results that can withstand the test of history, the people, and practice, thereby serving the decision-making of the Party Central Committee.

Luo Liping pointed out that since the 19th CPC National Congress, inspection work has deepened through persistence and developed through deepening. Its direction has become clearer, its political positioning more precise, its institutional system more complete, and its work pattern more sound, becoming an important institution for managing the Party, governing the Party, and national governance. The establishment of the CPC Inspection Theory Research Center is a concrete measure to study and implement General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important expositions on inspection work, as well as a powerful measure to strengthen basic research on inspection work in the New Era and deepen the understanding of its underlying laws. Over these years, political inspection has been continuously deepened, forming a relatively scientific and complete system of inspection theory. By comprehensively and accurately implementing the principles of inspection work and insisting on the integrated advancement of discovering problems and promoting their resolution, the role of treating both symptoms and root causes ^[4] has become more prominent. High-quality advancement of full coverage of inspection provides strong support for comprehensively and strictly governing the Party. The construction of a coordination pattern between higher and lower-level inspections and patrols ^[5] has further exerted the systemic advantages and the role of integrated supervision. The establishment and improvement of the institutional system for inspection work has led to a continuous increase in the levels of standardization, legalization, and regularization. The strengthening of institutions and teams has forged a loyal and responsible cadre of inspection and patrol personnel.

Relevant personnel and expert scholars from the Office of the Central Inspection Work Leading Group, the Central Party School (National Academy of Governance), CASS, Peking University, Renmin University of China, and other units attended the meeting. They conducted in-depth discussions on the experience, effectiveness, and development direction of political inspection from various dimensions, including history, theory, and practice. Participating scholars believed that the inspection system in the New Era, on one hand, retains beneficial elements from the inspection and supervision systems in Chinese history, inheriting their cultural heritage and following their functional mechanisms. On the other hand, based on the fundamental orientation of modernization, the value adherence of being "people-centered," and the requirements of the era for high-quality development, it has undergone innovative development. It is necessary to follow the basic concepts of "good laws and good governance" (良法善治), continue to persist in and improve the inspection system, clarify the responsibility positioning, value stance, work processes, and application of results of inspections, and strengthen the statutory nature of powers, the protection of rights, due process, and the implementation of rectification. This will continuously promote the legalization, standardization, and proceduralization of inspection supervision, better exerting the role of the inspection system as a "sharp sword of the Party and a heavy weapon of the nation."

Wang Xiaoxia, Vice Chair of the CPC Inspection Theory Research Center and Executive Deputy Secretary of the CASS Party Committee Directly Under the Central Government, presided over the opening ceremony. The conference was hosted by CASS and organized by the CPC Inspection Theory Research Center, the CASS New Era Party Building Research Center, and the CASS Party Committee.