Marxism Research Network
Unofficial English Translation

Hong Xianghua: Uphold the conviction that "success does not have to come from me" and "I must contribute my share to success"

Special Topics

The outlook on political performance concerns vital questions such as for whom one exercises power, how to exercise power, the effectiveness of practice, and the fulfillment of responsibilities. In the opening year of the "15th Five-Year Plan," General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "Leading cadres at all levels must proceed from the realization of the Party's missions and tasks, establish and practice a correct outlook on political performance, and see whether their thoughts and actions have deviated from the lofty ideal of Communism and the common ideal of socialism with Chinese characteristics; whether they have turned away from the fundamental purpose of serving the people whole-heartedly; whether they have drifted away from the Party's line, principles, and policies and the major decision-making deployments of the CPC Central Committee; and whether they have become detached from the national conditions and the realities of their own regions and departments. They must promote Chinese-path modernization with single-minded focus, embodying the spiritual realm of 'success does not have to be mine, but I must contribute to success' [1]." On the great journey of advancing the construction of Chinese-path modernization, we must profoundly grasp the "historical responsibility of 'who else but me,'" the "political magnanimity of selfless dedication," the "strategic resolve of persisting over the long term," and the "historical initiative of forging ahead" contained within this spirit. We must take it as an important guideline for establishing and practicing a correct outlook on political performance, calibrating our direction amidst complex practices, demonstrating responsibility, and creating solid achievements that can withstand the test of practice, the people, and history.

Clarifying the Value Orientation of Governing for the People

General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "The Party's foundation is in the people, its lifeblood is in the people, and its strength is in the people"; "The Party's greatest political advantage is its close ties with the masses, while the greatest danger after coming to power is becoming detached from the masses." The Marxist historical-materialist outlook holds that the people are the creators of history and the subjective force of historical development and social progress. "Success does not have to be mine, but I must contribute to success" not only demonstrates the political character and sense of responsibility of Chinese Communists who keep the overall situation in mind and are willing to dedicate themselves, but also fundamentally and profoundly answers the essential question of "for whom" one governs.

Holding the heart of "contributing to success" and remaining true to the original aspiration to seek benefits for the people. The spiritual core of "success does not have to be mine, but I must contribute to success" is precisely a vivid interpretation of the value position of "governing for the people." General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "We Communists undertake careers and create political achievements for the purpose of benefiting the people, not for personal promotion or loss." This important discourse profoundly points out that a correct outlook on political performance is one that creates benefits for the people; it reveals that the essence of political achievement lies not in the display of personal fame, but in the enhancement of the people's well-being. "Success does not have to be mine" is, in essence, an adherence to "governing without selfishness." It requires Party members and cadres to move beyond the narrow vision of personal promotion or loss, and to oppose treating political achievements as "potted landscapes" [2] for window-dressing or "springboards" for seeking private gain. Instead, they should focus their wisdom and energy on practical matters that lay foundations, benefit the long term, and favor the people's livelihoods. With the historical patience of "achievements in the present, benefits for a thousand autumns," they should be willing to do the preparatory work and dare to take on tasks that may not be completed during their tenure. The active conduct and proactive responsibility demonstrated by "I must contribute to success" reflect the requirement that "governing must lead to action." Every Party member and cadre is a public servant, and the power in their hands comes from the people. One must have a sense of responsibility of "always being concerned" [3], proactively taking charge in resolving the urgent, difficult, and anxious problems of the masses, and playing an active role in increasing the well-being of the people. They must work pragmatically, use effective methods, and seek real results in the benefit issues that the masses care about most—those that are most direct and realistic, such as employment, education, healthcare, elderly care, and housing—so that the people can truly feel that development is higher in quality and that livelihoods are warmer. This adherence to value positions stems from a profound grasp of the essence of a Marxist political party. The Communist Party of China never represents the interests of any interest group, any power group, or any privileged class; it always puts the people's interests first. Practicing "success does not have to be mine, but I must contribute to success" means transforming this essential requirement into concrete action, ensuring that governing activities always revolve around "benefitting the people" and fundamentally strengthening the value foundation of "governing for the people."

Upholding "selflessness in success" and strictly observing the bottom line of exercising power for the public good. To achieve "success does not have to be mine," Party members and cadres must be single-mindedly devoted to the public. Only when everything is done out of public-spiritedness can one have a correct outlook on right and wrong, on interests, on power, and on career, and only then can one truly achieve "I must contribute to success." The realm of "forgetting the self in success" is never about passive avoidance of responsibility or inaction; rather, it is about discarding selfish calculations, letting go of personal gains and losses, and always treating power with a public heart while fulfilling missions with selflessness. This is the ideological foundation for Party members and cadres to exercise power impartially. Among these, strictly observing the bottom line is the prerequisite and guarantee for the impartial exercise of power. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "Power is a double-edged sword; exercised within the track of the rule of law, it can benefit the people; exercised outside the law, it will inevitably harm the country and the people." Without the constraint of a bottom line, power will deviate from the correct track and breed corruption, and "forgetting the self in success" will become empty talk. As practitioners of public power, Party members and cadres must remember that the power in their hands is for serving the people, not private property. Only by breaking out of the limitations of personal interest, not craving empty titles, and not seeking private gain, can power truly be used on the "blade" [4]—used for doing practical things for the people and solving difficult problems. To persist in selflessness in success, one must have the broad mind of "success does not have to be mine, but I must contribute to success," deeply cultivate the noble sentiment of dedicating oneself to the cause of the Party and the people, fulfill duties based on one's post, share the Party's concerns, work for the country, seek benefits for the people, and be willing to be an unsung hero. One must resolutely resist "privilege-seeking" [5] thinking and unhealthy tendencies, and with the self-discipline of "having fear in one's heart and a stopping point in one's actions," handle the relationships between public and private, emotion and reason, and interest and law, fulfilling the sacred duties entrusted by the Party and the people with single-minded focus.

Practicing "responsibility in success" and performing duties through practical work for the people. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Concrete work rejuvenates the nation, while empty talk harms the country." If one does not settle down to grasp implementation, no matter how good the goal or the blueprint, it can only be a "flower in the mirror or the moon in the water" [6]. The dialectical unity of "success does not have to be mine, but I must contribute to success" provides a guide for action to discard empty talk, strictly avoid wasted effort, practice the concept of "governing for the people," and answer the test of serving the people through real and practical work. Entering the New Era, the principal contradiction in Chinese society has evolved into the contradiction between the people's ever-growing need for a better life and unbalanced and inadequate development. The needs of the masses are shifting from the basic guarantee of "whether there is something" to the quality pursuit of "whether it is good or excellent." Whether it is the promotion of equalization of basic public services, the continuous strengthening of the social safety net, or the sustained improvement of the living environment, all must rely on solid investment, hard-tackle problem-solving, and relay-style practical work, moving forward one step at a time. "Success does not have to be mine" requires Party members and cadres to cultivate the historical patience of "the predecessors plant the trees, and the successors enjoy the shade," not craving momentary merit or temporary fame, but doing "hidden achievements" [7] solidly and thoroughly. "I must contribute to success," meanwhile, requires Party members and cadres to perform their duties and focus on implementation with a sense of responsibility of "always being concerned," hitting the nail with the spirit of "driving a nail" [8] blow by blow until it is firm and secure, ensuring that various livelihood measures take root and benefit the masses. To uphold the value pursuit of "success does not have to be mine, but I must contribute to success," we must persist in producing political achievements for the people and through practical work, establishing ourselves through practical work and benefiting the people with real results, creating solid achievements worthy of the era and the people through continuous struggle.

Clarifying the Working Methods for Creating Political Achievements

General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "A correct outlook on political performance requires us to persist in proceeding from reality and acting according to laws, and through scientific decision-making and hard, practical work, create achievements that can withstand the test of practice and history, truly benefit the people, and be recognized by the masses." "Success does not have to be mine, but I must contribute to success" clearly marks the scientific path for how Chinese Communists in the New Era "create political achievements" in terms of principles, directions, and practical methods. Scientific decision-making is not only a concentrated expression of a correct worldview and methodology but also a practical necessity and action requirement for practicing a correct outlook on political performance. To establish and practice a correct outlook on political performance, Party members and cadres are required to take "success does not have to be mine, but I must contribute to success" as an important guideline and put scientific decision-making into practice.

Coordinating the relationship between the present and the long term, and persisting in not craving momentary merit. The key to establishing and practicing a correct outlook on political performance lies in correctly handling the relationship between the present and the long term—solving the people's worries based on the present while strengthening the foundation for the long term. "Success does not have to be mine" is the internal unity of a long-term historical view and a correct outlook on political performance. It requires merging the "small self" into the "large self"; as long as it is scientific, realistic, and conforms to the people's wishes, one must work crop after crop and follow one blueprint to the end. Achieving "success does not have to be mine" requires Party members and cadres to correctly handle the relationship between the present and the long term in their endeavors and duties, maintaining historical patience and strategic resolve. They must recognize that comprehensively advancing the great cause of building a strong country and national rejuvenation through Chinese-path modernization is a gradual process; one cannot engage in premature "advance-ism" detached from reality, nor miss development opportunities by following old ruts. Basing oneself on the present means focusing on the practical problems that the masses are anxious about, confronting prominent contradictions and deep-seated challenges in the development process, and using feasible measures to precisely solve bottlenecks and "pain points" in the livelihood sector. It means effectively preventing and defusing various risks and hidden dangers, truly solving the interest issues the masses care about most, so that the people can truly feel the effects and changes brought by development in their daily lives. Focusing on the long term means strictly avoiding the impetuous mentality of seeking quick success and short-sighted behavior. One must settle down to invest more resources and energy into "hidden achievement" work that lays foundations and benefits the long term, systematically planning forward-looking long-term development plans to lay a solid foundation for sustainable development. Only by maintaining the strategic resolve and historical patience to deploy, advance, and implement current urgent tasks and long-term grand goals together, and achieving an effective balance between short-term visible results and long-term development, can the fruits of Chinese-path modernization be firmly rooted and continuously benefit the people, truly withstanding the test of practice, the people, and history.

Coordinating the relationship between the whole and the part, keeping the overall situation in mind to serve global development. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "All regions and departments must persist in a systems concept, consciously act under the overall situation, and play the whole country's game of chess. One must be good at 'playing the piano'; planning for one area must not forget the whole, basing oneself on the present must not ignore the long term, and highlighting key points must not neglect the general. Pay attention to the coordination of various policies, maintain the consistency of macro-policy orientation, and prevent and overcome departmentalism and local protectionism." "Success does not have to be mine, but I must contribute to success" contains the distinct political character of Chinese Communists: always keeping the "big picture" and the overall situation in mind, putting in the effort for "success" without seeking the "name" of success. Advancing Chinese-path modernization with single-minded focus in this spirit requires Party members and cadres to be led by a correct outlook on political performance, establish a global perspective, and correctly handle the relationship between the "whole" and the "part," finding their position while serving the overall situation to promote local development. When Party members and cadres fulfill their duties, the emphasis is on cultivating the "one chessboard for the whole country" [9] mindset, always considering work within the general trend of overall development. Keeping the overall situation in mind does not mean denying local initiative, but rather better utilizing local advantages under the premise of obeying the big picture. Different regions have different resource endowments and development stages; the key lies in finding one's own functional positioning within the overall situation and avoiding "rushing headlong" or blindly following trends. To persist in the spirit of "success does not have to be mine, but I must contribute to success," one must discard erroneous ideas such as "departmentalism" [10] and consciously plan the work of one's own field and region within the overall development of the Party and the state's cause. Overall work is an organic whole; certain links may have weaknesses, and certain fields may temporarily have blank spots. Party members and cadres must dare to step forward and take responsibility, rather than standing by or passing the buck. Especially when responding to major risks and challenges or completing urgent, difficult, and dangerous tasks, one must prioritize the overall interest, disregard personal gain or loss, be brave enough to sacrifice and dedicate oneself, and practice the responsibility of "I must contribute to success" through actual actions. On one hand, based on job responsibilities, one should work meticulously on various specific tasks, creating highlights and improving quality and efficiency; on the other hand, one should proactively align with overall deployments, identifying the connection and starting points between local work and global work, striving to both "bring glory to one's area" and "add luster to the whole," promoting synergistic efforts and the overall improvement of all tasks.

Coordinating the relationship between macro-strategy and concrete action, planning the layout by 'reaching the grand while exhausting the microscopic' [11]. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized:

"Strengthen responsibility and accountability, and implement the CPC Central Committee's major decisions, deployments, and policy measures without compromise. We must strengthen synergy and cooperation, enhance the flexibility, coordination, and integration of policy measures, and strive to achieve maximum policy effectiveness." The Central Committee's decisions and deployments govern the overall situation and the long term; they are the fundamental observance for local work. They must be implemented to the letter, always taking alignment with the spirit of the Central Committee as a major political task, deeply grasping its core essence and practical requirements to ensure the direction of work does not deviate and actions are not hollow. At the same time, China is a vast territory where local conditions vary significantly, each with different development foundations, resource endowments, and internal contradictions. In response to this, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "We must strengthen precision thinking, persist in 'aiming for the great while exhausting the minute' [12], ensuring that planning encompasses the whole situation while operations are meticulous and precise, doing solid and proper work with the 'embroidery technique' [13]." To practice the work orientation of "success does not have to be reached during my tenure, but I must contribute to its achievement," one must be adept at examining problems and grasping general trends from a global perspective, while also being skilled at working on details to seek practical results. This requires leading cadres to base their overall layout on a strategic height, deeply grasping the general trends of the era and the core requirements of the work, and clarifying the general direction, key tasks, and paths for advancement—neither deviating from the main line of development nor ignoring long-term value. In specific implementation, they should be adept at using systems thinking to break down macro-strategies into stage-specific goals and refine overall tasks into concrete measures. They should conduct in-depth investigations and research to understand local realities and, combining these with local development facts, implement precise policies tailored to local conditions. Simultaneously, they must discard extensive [14] work modes, deeply analyze bottlenecks and difficulties, scientifically formulate targeted measures, refine the division of tasks, and press down on positional responsibilities. By decomposing macro-strategic deployments into actionable and verifiable concrete actions, they can ensure work is handled with detail and substance to produce results.

Coordinate the relationship between stability and progress, ensuring that in all endeavors, one "moves with a swift hoof but a steady pace" [15] and forges ahead with courage. When governing a region for a period, one must both carry out work boldly and forge ahead with determination, while maintaining overall stability and continuity of work. The general principle of seeking progress while maintaining stability is an important principle of our Party's national governance. To practice "success does not have to be reached during my tenure, but I must contribute to its achievement," one must scientifically grasp the dialectical unity between "stability" and "progress." "Stability" is a scientific working method and, moreover, a responsible pursuit of political achievement; it is by no means an absence of ambition or stagnation. Its core lies in holding the bottom line and consolidating the foundation to ensure development does not drift off course and people's livelihoods are guaranteed. "Progress" is the important momentum for breaking through predicaments and promoting development. "Stability" divorced from "progress" easily slides into a passive situation of being content with the status quo and remaining parochial. Only when the two complement each other can we move with a swift hoof but a steady pace and forge ahead with courage in our endeavors. The "15th Five-Year Plan" period [16] is a critical period for consolidating the foundation and fully exerting force to basically achieve socialist modernization. To achieve the goal of "significant results in high-quality development" during this period, we must overcome difficulties in key areas with the realm of thought and accountability defined by "success does not have to be reached during my tenure, but I must contribute to its achievement." We must firmly grasp the principle of seeking progress while maintaining stability and promoting stability through progress, coordinating development and security, persisting in putting the people first, and promoting a better integration of an efficient market and a promising government. In terms of practical paths, on the one hand, we must persist in "prioritizing stability and seeking progress while maintaining stability," taking active initiative on the basis of holding the bottom line, preventing a "rush to action" or blind impetuosity, and ensuring every step forward is solid, steady, and effective. On the other hand, we must consolidate "stability" through "progress," daring to break fixed mindsets, having the courage to promote institutional, categorical, and practical innovation. By deepening reform, optimizing distribution, and promoting coordination, we can continuously resolve the problems of unbalanced and inadequate development, making the foundation of high-quality development more stable and its momentum stronger.

Clarifying Evaluation Criteria for the Effectiveness of the Outlook on Political Achievements

"Success does not have to be reached during my tenure, but I must contribute to its achievement" highlights a sense of responsibility that does not seek temporary gain or empty fame, and more importantly, a historical consciousness that is based on the long term and focused on the overall situation. The development of our Party's cause has never been achieved overnight; many major projects and important undertakings often require successive generations to struggle and persist over the long term. This clarifies the evaluation criteria for the effectiveness of political achievements, requiring the assessment of gains and losses with a historical eye and a global vision.

Use a strong Party spirit to adhere to the evaluation yardstick and stabilize the "ballast stone" [17] of a correct outlook on political achievements. In establishing and practicing a correct outlook on political achievements, Party spirit plays the decisive role. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Only with a strong Party spirit and the discarding of selfish desires can we ensure that the outlook on political achievements does not deviate." Party spirit is the important cornerstone for Party members and cadres to establish themselves, their careers, their words, and their virtue; it is also the fundamental yardstick for measuring whether their outlook on political achievements is upright. Cadres with strong Party spirit always put the interests of the Party and the people first, persist in exercising power according to the law, impartially, and with integrity. They base their endeavors on selflessness, clear distinctions between public and private, putting the public before the private, and forgetting the self for the public. What they pursue are actual achievements that can withstand the test of history, rather than temporary "limelight" and empty fame. Conversely, if Party spirit is impure and selfishness is at work, one will lose direction, deviate from the track, and go astray regarding the outlook on political achievements. This requires making the study of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important expositions on establishing and practicing a correct outlook on political achievements a "required course." We must persist in linking theory with practice, and in integrating study, thought, and application with the unity of knowledge, belief, and action. This ensures that the realm of "success does not have to be reached during my tenure" and the accountability of "I must contribute to its achievement" are internalized in the heart and externalized in action, sincerely performing duties for the Party and the people, and creating—with feet on the ground—true, good, and solid political achievements that can withstand scrutiny.

Calibrate the coordinates of political achievements with historical consciousness, persisting in giving equal weight to "latent achievements" and "manifest achievements." Measuring the effectiveness of political achievements cannot be limited to short-term data but must be examined within the long river of history. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "We must both do practical things that the common elderly people can see, touch, and benefit from, and do good things that lay the groundwork, build the foundation, and benefit the long term for future generations. We must perform both manifest work and latent work." In evaluating political achievements, we must look at "manifest achievements" but place even more importance on "latent achievements." "Manifest achievements" are immediate results that are intuitively visible to the masses, while "latent achievements" are foundational tasks that focus on the long term and benefit future generations. Persistent emphasis on both requires coordinating the present with the long term and balancing current needs with the future. On the one hand, based on the present, we should actively develop socio-economic projects with significant returns and handle practical livelihood matters with visible effects, striving to ensure the growth and development of manifest achievements benefit the masses and contribute to the present. On the other hand, focusing on the long term, we must consolidate the foundation for development, accumulate potential energy, and take the initiative to undertake preparatory and foundational work, discarding short-sighted behaviors like "draining the pond to catch the fish" [18], so that the benefits last for a thousand autumns. Currently, China's economy has entered a stage of high-quality development, which encompasses systemic projects such as industrial upgrading, innovation-driven growth, factor optimization, and green transformation—each requiring us to persist over the long term. In their endeavors, Party members and cadres must persist in giving equal weight to both latent and manifest achievements, discarding the impetuous mentality of seeking "short, smooth, and fast" [19] results. For example, regarding strategic emerging industries that have high technical thresholds and long investment return cycles but concern national competitiveness, they must dare to invest and be good at nurturing them, not avoiding responsibility or wavering in determination because results are slow to appear, so that the fruits of development truly benefit all the people and future generations.

Use institutional innovation to improve the assessment and evaluation system, breaking the "GDP-only" and "short-term-only" tendencies. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "We must establish a scientific and standardized cadre assessment and evaluation system, forming an effective mechanism to encourage cadres to seek truth and be pragmatic. This will ensure that those cadres who emphasize reality, speak the truth, do practical things, and seek actual results not only do not suffer losses but are encouraged, praised, and put in important positions; meanwhile, those cadres who engage in superficial window-dressing, create 'vanity projects' and 'prestige projects' [20] that waste money and manpower, or run around seeking office, not only gain no benefit but are criticized and punished." A scientific assessment and evaluation system is the key guarantee for establishing and practicing a correct outlook on political achievements, directly influencing the orientation of a cadre's achievements and actions. To make cadres feel the organization's impartiality, fairness, and justice through practical actions, we need to take institutional innovation as a breakthrough point. We must improve the cadre assessment and evaluation system, accelerating the construction of a system that reflects the New Development Philosophy [21] and meets the requirements of high-quality development. This should include the status of establishing and practicing a correct outlook on political achievements as a key component, inspiring cadres to perform their duties for the Party and the people with a sense of responsibility of "always being concerned" [22] and a spirit of proactive accountability. On the one hand, we must construct a diverse, comprehensive, and dynamic system of assessment indicators, closely following the New Development Philosophy of innovative, coordinated, green, open, and shared development, and scientifically setting evaluation indicators that are critical, leading, and operable. On the other hand, we must fully consider differences in functional positioning, developmental stages, and duties across different regions, implementing categorized and differentiated assessments to avoid a "one-size-fits-all" approach, truly setting up the standard for "performing well" and the orientation of "working solidly."

Clarifying the Responsibility and Accountability of Party Members and Cadres in Their Endeavors

"Success does not have to be reached during my tenure, but I must contribute to its achievement" defines the responsibility and accountability of Party members and cadres in the New Era, highlighting the original aspiration and founding mission of Chinese Communists. Currently, China's development has entered a period where strategic opportunities coexist with risks and challenges, and uncertain and unpredictable factors are increasing. The more that crises and opportunities coexist, and the more uncertain and unpredictable things become, the more we need to give full play to the Party's core leadership role in overseeing the whole situation and coordinating all parties. We must build a high-quality cadre team that is politically strong, highly capable, and excellent in conduct. Guided by a correct outlook on political achievements, we must place the strengthening of the backbone team of governing cadres in a prominent position, striving to forge a backbone team that is politically loyal, highly competent, and clean and self-disciplined. With a high degree of political, ideological, and behavioral consciousness, they shall struggle unremittingly for the cause of the Party and the people.

Fortify the foundation of ideals and convictions, and temper the political character of absolute loyalty. The noble realm and sense of mission of "success does not have to be reached during my tenure, but I must contribute to its achievement" stems essentially from absolute loyalty to the Party, sincere love for the people, and unswerving faith in Marxism. This deeply highlights the political stance, value pursuits, and spiritual integrity of Chinese Communists in the New Era. Responsibility and accountability in endeavors are not abstract concepts but are concrete political missions for every post and every Party member, reflecting the internal requirements and practical standards of loyalty to the Party, responsibility to the country, and dedication to the people. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "With firm ideals and convictions, one's standing becomes higher, one's vision broader, and one's mind more open. One can then persist in the correct political direction, not becoming proud or impetuous in victory and prosperity, nor becoming dispirited or wavering in difficulties and adversity, withstanding various risks and trials, consciously resisting the erosion of various decadent ideas, and forever maintaining the political character of a Communist." The first requirement for establishing and practicing a correct outlook on political achievements is to fortify the foundation of ideals and convictions, integrating political loyalty into one's blood and soul. Through ideological tempering, political experience, practical exercise, and professional training, cadres must continuously enhance their political judgment, political understanding, and political execution. As the backbone force of our Party's national governance, Party members and cadres must take the strengthening of ideals and convictions as a lifelong task, deeply understanding the decisive significance of the Two Establishments, strengthening the Four Consciousnesses [23], firming the Four Confidences [24], and achieving the Two Upholds. They must always remain in high alignment with the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core in thought, politics, and action. They must reflect loyalty to the Party in practical actions to implement the Central Committee's decisions and deployments, and in the concrete results of promoting high-quality development. They should consciously plan work and promote implementation from the overall situation of the Party and the state's cause, integrating political consciousness—sincerely loving the Party, always worrying about the Party, firmly protecting the Party, and fully advancing the Party—into the entire process of performing duties and into all aspects of work and life. With rock-solid ideals and convictions, an absolutely pure character of loyalty, a spiritual realm of "success does not have to be reached during my tenure," and a historical accountability of "I must contribute to its achievement," they will build a solid political foundation for carrying the responsibility and accountability of their endeavors.

Hone excellent professional skills and manifest the accountability of a willingness to work and work solidly. In any endeavor, capability is the foundation and accountability is the key. Facing new situations, new tasks, and new challenges, Party members and cadres must place the elevation of ability and the strengthening of skills in an important position, carring the mission and accountability with excellent quality. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized:

“Cadres, especially young cadres, must improve their political ability, investigation and research ability, scientific decision-making ability, ability to tackle tough reform challenges, emergency response ability, mass work ability, and implementation ability.” These “seven abilities” constitute the essential qualities for promoting high-quality development and serve as the key yardstick for testing whether Party members and cadres can shoulder heavy responsibilities. To temper excellent professional skills, demonstrate a commitment to hard work and practical results, and allow the spiritual state of “success does not have to happen during my term, but I must contribute to its achievement” to take root, the key lies in continuously enhancing these “seven abilities.”

Among them, enhancing political ability focuses on continuously improving political judgment, political discernment, and political implementation [25] to ensure all work advances in the correct political direction. Enhancing investigation and research ability focuses on going deep into the grassroots, the masses, and the field to identify the crux of problems by mastering firsthand materials, thereby grounding decisions on a solid and reliable foundation of research. Enhancing scientific decision-making ability focuses on establishing a strategic vision and being adept at weighing pros and cons and conducting scientific demonstrations so that all decisions align with actual conditions, objective laws, and the will of the masses. Enhancing the ability to tackle tough reform challenges focuses on the courage to “gnaw on hard bones” and “wade through dangerous shoals” [26], cultivating opportunities within crises and opening new prospects amid changes, using reform methods to resolve developmental dilemmas. Enhancing emergency response ability focuses on strengthening risk awareness and bottom-line thinking [27], refining risk prevention and control mechanisms, and effectively preventing or defusing various hidden risks. Enhancing mass work ability focuses on remaining firmly rooted in the people’s standpoint and closing the “flesh-and-blood ties” between the Party and the masses by effectively handling practical matters concerning people’s livelihoods. Enhancing implementation ability focuses on carrying forward the "spirit of the nail" [28], working one task after another with the tenacity to “leave a mark in the iron and a footprint in the stone” [29], transforming the Party Central Committee’s decisions and deployments into concrete actions and turning the grand blueprint into a beautiful reality.

Only by combining the tempering of abilities with long-term responsibility—enduring storms, seeing the world, and strengthening their mettle in tasks that lay foundations and benefit the long term—can Party members and cadres address their capacity shortcomings and master professional skills while solving difficult problems and responding to challenges. Only by persisting in investigation and research, seeking truth from facts, settling down to practice their skills, and stooping down to grasp implementation can they continuously improve their political judgment, political discernment, and political implementation, supporting their responsibility and actions with professional competence. Only with the drive to “cut a road through the mountains and build a bridge across the water” and the tenacity of “persisting over the long term to achieve lasting results” (久久为功，善作善成), transforming their duties and missions into concrete actions for entrepreneurship, can they interpret the responsibility of “I must contribute to achievement” through practical work and real results.

Adhering to the bottom line of integrity and self-discipline to forge a strong and powerful cadre contingent. Integrity and self-discipline represent the baseline for Party members and cadres in their official duties and are vital guarantees for the Party’s long-term governance and eternal vitality. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out: “If a person fails the test of integrity and self-discipline, they will lack the backbone to be a human being.” He also noted: “High-quality development requires the guidance of high-quality Party building. We must establish a correct orientation for personnel selection and work, guiding cadres at all levels, especially leading cadres, to practice a correct view of performance, enhance their capabilities, shoulder responsibilities, and strive for excellence.” The commitment that “success does not have to happen during my term, but I must contribute to its achievement” should take integrity and self-discipline as its foundation, ensuring the cadre contingent remains clean, pure, strong, and powerful.

Self-revolution is the Party’s "second answer" to escaping the historical cycle of rise and fall [30]. Currently, the “four tests” and “four dangers” [31] faced by the Party persist over the long term; comprehensively and strictly governing the Party is always a work in progress, and the Party’s self-revolution is always a work in progress. For Party members and cadres to persevere in promoting self-revolution through the spiritual state of “success does not have to happen during my term, but I must contribute to its achievement,” they must become accustomed to working and living in an environment subject to supervision and constraint, continuously achieving self-purification, self-improvement, self-innovation, and self-elevation. For Party organizations at all levels, it is necessary to concurrently address Party spirit, Party conduct, and Party discipline, ensuring that the rectification of conduct, the tightening of discipline, and the fight against corruption are interconnected. We must improve the mechanisms for restricting and supervising the allocation and operation of power, resolutely rectify misaligned views of performance such as formalism and bureaucratism, and continue to rectify unhealthy tendencies and corruption around the masses, thereby encouraging cadres to work boldly under the premise of observing regulations and maintaining integrity.

The requirements of integrity and self-discipline must be integrated into the entire process of cadres' work and entrepreneurship. We must use a strong and powerful style of work to unite the hearts of the Party and the people, forging a cadre contingent that the Party can trust and the people are satisfied with, ensuring the Party remains the strong leadership core of Chinese-path modernization. Furthermore, integrity and self-discipline must be used as a key yardstick for the selection and appointment of cadres. Attention should be paid to observing and identifying cadres on the front lines of major struggles, both to enhance their various abilities for promoting high-quality development and to strengthen their awareness of discipline and rules. For those with significant flaws in integrity, a “one-vote veto” must be resolutely applied, enabling cadres to continuously enhance their ability to resist corruption and prevent degeneration through ideological tempering, political training, practical exercise, and professional training.