Jin Xingyu: An Interpretation of Historical Materialism on "The Party's Self-Revolution Focuses on the Governance of Power"
Planning and advancing the Party's self-revolution at a "critical moment," ensuring that the supervision of power always serves the overall situation of the development of the cause of the Party and the state, is an important experience formed by the Communist Party of China (CPC) in the historical process of more than a century of unremitting struggle. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized in an important speech at the Fifth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection [1] that "the Party's self-revolution focuses on the governance of power, and confining power within the cage of institutions is an important task for comprehensively and strictly governing the Party in the New Era." Focusing on the critical period of basically realizing socialist modernization, strengthening the building of the Party's advanced nature and purity through the "governance of power" profoundly demonstrates the Party's determination and will to win historical initiative through self-revolution at major historical junctures. This ensures that the power bestowed by the people always benefits the people, providing a solid guarantee for realizing the tasks and goals of the "15th Five-Year Plan" period.
"The Governance of Power" Gains Credibility from History
According to the perspective of historical materialism, power in modern society emerged alongside the birth of the state and is essentially a force for maintaining public interests and social order. Building on a critique of the rationalist view of power held by bourgeois thinkers, the classical Marxist writers proposed the fundamental historical materialist viewpoint that civil society determines the state. They argued that the state is an organized apparatus of violence standing above society, possessing and exercising public power to regulate the class relations of various parties within society. Engels pointed out that "political power is nothing but a means for achieving economic interests." It is evident that, unlike the power consciousness in primitive society—which was formed based on blood ties and relied on traditional customs to maintain public interests—power in class society is distinctly coercive. It is often closely linked to the vested interests of specific subjects, and its operational process is one where specific patterns of interest distribution become increasingly solidified and reproduced. However, in a class society where individual and public interests still need to be reconciled, power often faces the political risk of deviating from its normal trajectory. This presents the contemporary challenge that power arising from society must necessarily be subject to social supervision and restraint.
The CPC is a Marxist party with strict discipline. In the historical process of leading revolution, construction, and reform, it has inherited and developed the Marxist theory of power supervision, continuously seeking the answer to escaping the historical cycle of rise and fall [2], and forming a "governance of power" scheme that organically combines people's supervision with self-revolution. In July 1945, during a conversation in a Yan’an cave dwelling with Huang Yanpei [3], Mao Zedong pointed out that "letting the people supervise the government" was a summary of our Party's experience in leading the revolution, exercising local governance, and strengthening its own building; it was the first answer found by the CPC to escape the historical cycle of rise and fall. After a century of struggle, and especially through new practices since the 18th National Congress [4], our Party has provided a second answer: self-revolution. From the perspective of historical logic, people's supervision and self-revolution are inherently consistent. Fundamentally, both use the supervision of power to maintain the flesh-and-blood ties between the Party and the masses. That is, within the organic unity of internal and external "governance of power," they ensure the Party does not degenerate, change its character, or lose its flavor under the conditions of long-term governance. The "15th Five-Year Plan" period is a critical stage for consolidating the foundation and launching a comprehensive effort to basically realize socialist modernization. At this moment, taking the "governance of power" as the handle for the Party's self-revolution means that the Party's self-revolution encompasses not only self-purification, self-perfection, self-innovation, and self-improvement, but also the political requirement to hold and use power well for the people, advancing the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity within the organic unity of the "bottom line" and the "high line."
Institutional Constraints Direct the Course of "Governance of Power"
As a political superstructure, institutions are closely related to human practical activities; they arise and take shape from social needs, and their inherent coerciveness in turn influences the development of individuals and society. Faced with the "Four Winds" which the masses abhor and reflect strongly upon, as well as the current situation where the anti-corruption struggle remains grave and complex, we must fully recognize the generative relationship in which undesirable styles and corruption are intertwined and reinforce each other. The essence of this is the influence of "privilege mentality" and the use of power for personal gain. The "governance of power" must rely on institutions. To advance the Party's self-revolution, the standardized operation of power must be further realized. Only through sustained efforts to truly confine power within the cage of institutions can we minimize the space for "rent-seeking" and truly solve the problem of intertwined "style and corruption." General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, "Without a sound system and without power being confined in the cage of institutions, corruption cannot be controlled." After the 18th National Congress, the Party Central Committee began by formulating and implementing the Eight-Point Regulations to break the deadlock, establishing "iron rules" and rigid constraints. With unprecedented force, it has practiced the rule of law and institutional Party governance, formulating and revising a large number of state laws and internal Party regulations. This allows various systems to coordinate and form a synergy, ensuring that comprehensively and strictly governing the Party proceeds steadily and reaches far through a continuously improving system of norms.
The establishment and perfection of institutions confirm humanity's pursuit of a better society and provide an important guarantee for achieving social progress and the free and comprehensive development of human beings. The supervision of power is a key issue that the Party's self-revolution must address. Emphasizing that the Party's self-revolution focuses on the governance of power is manifested as institutional governance and the use of power according to regulations. This makes various forms of supervision more standardized, more powerful, and more effective—"confining power within the cage of institutions more scientifically and effectively." This means adhering to the principle that everyone is equal before regulations and systems, that there are no privileges in observing them, and no exceptions in executing them. It means effectively transforming the achievements of the "governance of power" from the Party's self-revolution into governance efficacy that promotes high-quality development of the economy and society. Facing a more complex international situation and more arduous tasks for domestic stability during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, we must more resolutely and effectively implement the major decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee, confine power in the cage of institutions more scientifically and effectively, and advance the anti-corruption struggle with greater clarity and steadfastness. We must promote the smooth realization of the grand blueprint for China's economic and social development during the "15th Five-Year Plan" through forceful actions and practical results.
The Value of "Governance of Power" Belongs to the People
History is created by human activities; the masses of the people are the decisive force driving historical development. The greatest difference between the classical Marxist theory of power supervision and Western bourgeois theories is that Marxism stands at the height of the general laws of human social development to reveal that power comes from the people, must accept the supervision of the people, and ultimately achieves the liberation of humanity and the self-liberation of human beings. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized, "On the fundamental question of for whom we govern, for whom we exercise power, and for whom we seek interests, our minds must be particularly clear and our stance particularly steadfast." Since the day of its founding, the CPC has written "the people" on its banner, integrating the core of "the people" into the leadership's theory and practice of power supervision, and deeply rooting the Party's political and mass foundations through a strong supervision system. Therefore, a scientific and effective "governance of power" must rely on the support of the people, maintain ties with the masses, listen to their opinions and suggestions, and accept their supervision. Only by giving play to the supervisory role of the masses can the Party's propositions fully embody the will of the people, develop true democracy, and stimulate the creative vitality of the people.
Viewing the source of power scientifically and using power correctly and effectively is of great significance for advancing comprehensively and strictly governing the Party and the anti-corruption struggle in depth. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized, "All our power is bestowed by the people; it must be exercised correctly and we must be accountable to the people. No privilege mentality or phenomena are allowed within the Party, and even less so the emergence of interest groups, power cliques, or a privileged stratum." The people are the source of state power; all power in the state belongs to the people. The masses are not only the source of courage for the Party's self-revolution but also the source of confidence for strengthening the supervision of power. We must prevent and correct whatever the masses oppose and hate. The "governance of power" focuses on rectifying the undesirable styles and corruption problems occurring "at the people's side," focusing on education, medical care, housing, agriculture, and rural areas—affairs closely related to the daily lives of the masses. We must accurately identify what the people hate, promptly break the trends that the people detest, and thoroughly understand the urgent, difficult, and anxious problems of the masses. By persevering in improving conduct, enforcing discipline, and fighting corruption, we provide maritime security for the development of the Party and state.
The people's stance is the fundamental political stance of the CPC. The power held by leading cadres at all levels is part of the Party's governing power and must always be used to seek happiness for the people. We must cherish and use well the power bestowed by the people, consciously let the people supervise power, and rely closely on the people to create great historical undertakings. Conforming to the irresistible historical trend of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and standing at the critical moment of the opening year of the grand blueprint of the "15th Five-Year Plan," we must advance comprehensively and strictly governing the Party with higher standards and more practical measures, ensuring that the power bestowed by the Party and the people operates under the sun. The string of self-revolution must be pulled tighter. On the new journey, the CPC must place the supervision of the masses at the core of the "governance of power," unclogging supervision channels, innovating supervision methods, and strengthening supervision guarantees. By winning the trust and support of the people, the Party will maintain its character as a Marxist party and always remain the most reliable and strongest backbone of the Chinese people. Only by upholding a sense of historical mission in the "governance of power" can we persist over the long term and continuously provide a good answer to the "Yan’an Cave Question" of the New Era within the organic unity of gaining credibility from history, from institutions, and from the people.