Shen Xiaoming: Forging the Basic Skills for Effective Ideological and Political Work
Ideological and political work is the lifeline of all work.
In September 2021, the Party Central Committee issued the Regulations on the Ideological and Political Work of the Communist Party of China (hereinafter referred to as the "Regulations") [1], requiring all regions and departments to conscientiously follow and implement them. The Regulations emphasize that all Party members, especially leading officials, should develop the habit of conducting ideological and political work, continuously improve their capabilities in this field, and be adept at performing deeply thorough and meticulous ideological and political work. This requires the broad masses of Party members and officials to build a solid foundation in the basic skills of ideological and political work, fully leverage its guiding role, and better unify thinking, build consensus, and pool strength.
I
Ideological and political work is a highly challenging and complex undertaking that touches upon every aspect of social life. Building a solid foundation in its basic skills is inseparable from the tempering of multifaceted abilities and the cultivation of personal character. Among these, at least the following points should be mastered:
First, political stamina to stand firm in one's position and maintain a correct direction. This is the "ballast stone" of ideological and political work and the foundation for ensuring that the work does not deviate or become distorted. The broad masses of Party members and officials must take "speaking politics" [2] as the primary requirement, build solid political loyalty, and be of one heart and mind with the Party Central Committee at all times and under all circumstances. Speaking politics is by no means an empty slogan; it must be manifested in concrete actions: maintaining a particularly clear head and a particularly firm stance in the face of major issues of right and wrong and on questions of political principle; having the courage to "draw one's sword" [3]; voluntarily resisting various erroneous trends of thought; and resolutely struggling against all words and deeds that attack the Party’s leadership or negate the socialist system. When handling complex and sensitive issues, one must have the vision to view matters from a political perspective, remain vigilant against "low-level red" and "high-level black" [4], and firmly grasp the initiative in work.
Second, the ability to integrate theory with practice. Doing ideological and political work well requires not only deeply studying and understanding the Party's innovative theories and accurately grasping the nation's major general and specific policies and their spiritual essence, but also casting a theoretical gaze upon vivid reality. One must become familiar with the realistic foundations, resource endowments, and local customs of regional development, and identify the entry and connection points for policy implementation. By organically merging policy spirit with local reality and transforming abstract theory into concrete guides for action, one ensures that work both "plugs into the antenna" [5] (aligns with central leadership) and "is grounded in the soil" (connects with the grassroots), giving ideological guidance warmth and policy implementation strength.
Third, profound and acute powers of insight. Society is developing rapidly, and ideas and concepts are diverse and active. Conducting ideological and political work requires a broad historical perspective and strategic thinking. On one hand, one must perceive the new methods and characteristics of Western ideological infiltration and grasp the complex situation of exchange, fusion, and confrontation among different ideologies and cultures. On the other hand, one must acutely capture new trends in ideas and concepts brought about by changes in social structure and adjustments in interest patterns. One must sense new changes in the value orientations and interest demands of different groups—such as young students and personnel in new forms of employment—to grasp the essence amidst complicated phenomena and discern the mainstream amid a clamor of voices.
Fourth, the capacity for innovation that advances with the times. One must keep pace with the era, deeply study the laws of public opinion dissemination and ideological and political work under new circumstances, and skillfully use new media and technologies to empower this work. Emphasis should be placed on discourse transformation and innovation—integrating "grand theories" into "small stories" and translating "document-speak" into "everyday talk." Targeting the cognitive characteristics of different groups allows for "precision irrigation" [6]. This means using "youth language" to dialogue with the young and "hometown dialects and slang" to tell stories of policy changes. By speaking out and providing guidance promptly during major events and at critical junctures, we can move ideological and political work from one-way indoctrination to two-way interaction, truly achieving an effect where it enters the ears, the brain, and the heart.
II
Ideological and political work is highly practical in nature; it requires a continuous improvement of capabilities and innovation in thinking and methods while responding to changes of the times and solving real-world problems. However, the current reality shows that some Party members and officials still have unsubstantial or inadequate basic skills when carrying out ideological and political work, which impacts its actual effectiveness. This urgently requires high attention and resolution.
Shortcomings in political standing and the need for improved political capacity. Some Party members and officials have weak political sensitivity and discernment. They lack the ability to examine, analyze, and handle problems from a political height. They are not adept at judging political trends from business operations, identifying political essences from daily phenomena, detecting political signs from biased or nascent issues, or grasping political logic from intricate and contradictory relationships. Some view ideological and political work as a "soft target" of an abstract nature [7], believing it is not as substantive or as conducive to "political achievement" as focusing on the economy or starting construction projects; thus, they do not emphasize it enough. Some lack a holistic perspective and are oblivious to "the country's most fundamental interests" (guo zhi da zhe) [8], failing to consciously plan their work within the overall context of the Party and state’s development. Some treat the study of the Party's innovative theories as a superficial exercise, failing to use its positions, viewpoints, and methods to solve real problems. Some lack deep understanding of the people's ideological state and social reality; when faced with the people’s confusion or cognitive biases, they often fail to explain or guide effectively, or even choose to evade the issue.
Inadequate grasp of the new situation and characteristics of ideological and political work, with a remaining lack of capacity for precision policy-making. Some Party members and officials have an insufficient understanding of the profound changes and internal laws of the domestic and international situation, making it difficult for them to see the essence through phenomena or scientifically predict development trends. There is a lack of deep research into the internet-era characteristics of the thinking and discourse habits of the youth, ignoring their needs for personalized expression and interactive experiences, which leads to a lack of targeting and appeal in ideological and political work. For new social strata characterized by diverse ideas and varied professional backgrounds, existing methods do not match their characteristics, habits, or needs. Effective mechanisms for classified guidance and precision services have not yet been formed, and the coverage and effectiveness of work need improvement.
Lack of innovation in methods and monolithic means of work. Some Party members and officials use outdated methods and stiff language, relying on large meetings, reading out documents, and using clichés, which lacks appeal and infectiousness and fails to stimulate emotional resonance or ideological identification. Some lack close ties with the masses—they cannot "get a word in" or "sit on the same bench" as the people. They have little understanding of the actual situation at the grassroots and an inaccurate grasp of real demands, resulting in few solutions and poor effects in solving problems concerning the immediate interests of the people. Under informationized conditions, the scenarios and carriers of ideological and political work have undergone profound changes, placing higher demands on the ability to combine online and offline work. However, many officials show obvious deficiencies. Some lack the skills for online guidance and interaction, making it difficult to adapt to the fast-paced network dissemination environment. Although many units have opened WeChat public accounts or short-video accounts, content production remains at the level of "text transporting" or "meeting transcripts," failing to follow the laws of network dissemination for creative transformation and precision pushing. When explaining Party policies and theories at the grassroots, many give mechanical interpretations rather than linking them closely to local development and examples from people’s lives, which greatly discounts the dissemination effect.
The aforementioned issues collectively reflect that some Party members and officials have a shallow understanding of the laws of ideological and political work and an imprecise grasp of its contemporary nature. There is significant room for improvement in solidifying basic skills. We must treat ideological and political work as a regular and fundamental task, grasping it firmly and substantively to build a solid foundation of capability for performing our duties.
III
Adhering to the principle of "centering on the core task and serving the overall situation" is a rule that ideological and political work must follow. To build a solid foundation in basic skills, we must find the right entry and focal points, deeply integrating ideological and political work with central tasks, ensuring that wherever the central work advances, ideological and political work follows.
Ideological and political work possesses distinct political attributes and functions. Building solid basic skills requires maintaining the correct political direction, standing firm in political positions, and strengthening political responsibility. The primary task is to promote the use of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to "forge the soul and consolidate the heart." We must make full use of institutional carriers such as the Theoretical Learning Center Groups of Party committees (party leadership groups) and the "First Agenda" [9] system. Through various forms such as individual study, special seminars, and guidance reports, we should "read the original works, learn the original texts, and comprehend the original principles." This allows us to systematically master the worldview, methodology, and the positions, viewpoints, and methods inherent in Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, thereby building a solid foundation of faith, replenishing the "spiritual calcium," and steadying the "ideological rudder." We must strengthen the consciousness and ability to view problems from a political perspective, consciously making decisions and handling affairs from the standpoint of the Party and the people and the overall situation of the Party and state. We must plan and advance ideological and political work within the context of high-quality development and Chinese-path modernization, allowing it to naturally integrate into every aspect of economic and social development "like salt dissolving into water." Through meticulous ideological guidance and policy interpretation, the decision-making and deployments of the Party Central Committee can be transformed into the unified understanding and conscious action of the officials and the masses.
The key to building solid basic skills in ideological and political work lies in the word "substance" (shi). Doing this work is not an abstract "sitting and discoursing on the Dao" [10]; it must be combined with the reality of work and life. We must earnestly listen to the demands and suggestions of our subjects, deeply consider the reasoning behind them, and see if the work truly resolves ideological confusion or responds to the people’s concerns. In particular, we should focus on the "urgent, difficult, anxious, and hopeful" problems [11] of the people—such as employment, education, medical care, housing, elderly care, and social security—and come up with more solutions and "hard moves." By focusing on key links, we must clarify "what to grasp, who should grasp it, and how to grasp it" to fundamentally eliminate the phenomenon of "blurred responsibilities" and the "two layers of skin" (where theory and practice are disconnected) [12]. We must expand work coverage, focusing especially on emerging fields and key groups to eliminate "blank spots" and "blind zones" in our work. Efforts should be made to bridge capability gaps, becoming adept at getting close to the masses and using their language and communication skills to explain theories and principles thoroughly. The emphasis of ideological and political work should be on integration into daily routine and the formation of mechanisms; we must build a systematic and standardized institutional system to avoid "campaign-style" [13] approaches. We must consolidate and expand grassroots positions, building and using various platforms as solid supports for regular education and guidance. We must strengthen the professionalization and stability of the workforce, improving safeguard and incentive measures to ensure that ideological and political work has people to handle it, can be sustained, and produces long-term effects.
Whether ideological and political work is effective depends on whether the methods are appropriate and the measures are substantive. Different regions have significant differences in economic development, cultural traditions, and social structures. If a "one-size-fits-all" approach is used, the work will inevitably fail to achieve ideal results. Building solid basic skills requires adhering to seeking truth from facts and upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground. Based on local conditions and relying on local traditions, unique resources, and developmental advantages, we must precisely plan work content and implementation methods so that the work truly "grounds itself in the soil, emits the steam of life, and possesses vitality." In recent years, Hunan has kept in mind General Secretary Xi Jinping’s instructions, leveraging its "red" (revolutionary) resources. We have closely combined ideological and political education with the revitalization of red resources, launching "My Trip to Shaoshan" [14] red study tours. By moving the classroom into the Former Residence of Mao Zedong, we have built a new model of education that integrates online and offline interaction, school and society linkage, teaching and research integration, and the fusion of culture and technology. This deeply integrates the study of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era with revolutionary tradition education, guiding students to inherit "red genes" and strengthen their ideals and beliefs, achieving significant results that educate students, satisfy parents, and earn social acclaim. Practice proves that adapting to local conditions and innovating methods are important ways to enhance the effectiveness of ideological and political work.
To do ideological and political work in a targeted manner, we must deeply study the cognitive levels, value orientations, acceptance habits, and interest concerns of different groups. For the youth, given their active and agile thinking, we should use new media contexts and interactive experiences to integrate mainstream values into vivid stories during equal dialogue. For officials and employees, we should link the work to their duties and growth needs, integrating it into daily management, capacity building, and team construction to create a good atmosphere for entrepreneurship and responsibility. For grassroots masses, we should use more easily understood language, transforming "grand narratives" into stories from their lives that they enjoy, stimulating resonance and convincing them through both reason and emotion. For groups in new forms of employment, we should focus on their professional characteristics and actual needs, emphasizing both political guidance and service cohesion. We should integrate the Party's innovative theories into business scenarios to increase appeal and focus. By addressing their "urgent, difficult, anxious, and hopeful" problems, we can build a comprehensive Party-mass service matrix, solving their worries through legal consultation, psychological counseling, and occupational injury protection. At the same time, we must grasp the right timing and intensity, cultivating acute social insight to carry out work effectively at special moments when contradictions are concentrated or social attention is high. For example, in July 2024, Zixing City in Chenzhou, Hunan, suffered a rare and severe natural disaster. Under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, the Hunan Provincial Party Committee and Government prioritized the safety of the people’s lives and property. We carried out rescue operations, hazard screening, relocation of the masses, and post-disaster reconstruction. We transformed the moving stories of "when one place is in trouble, help comes from all sides" into vivid resources for ideological and political education. In the "First Lesson of School" in the autumn of that year, we vigorously publicized the support from the central government and all sectors of society, conveyed General Secretary Xi Jinping's care, and demonstrated the superiority of the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, thereby guiding students to further strengthen their ideological and behavioral consciousness of "listening to the Party and following the Party."
Building a solid foundation in the basic skills of ideological and political work requires Party organizations at all levels to shoulder their primary responsibility. They must conscientiously study, publicize, and implement the Regulations, build a broad pattern for jointly advancing the work, and gather a powerful synergy. This ensures that the provisions of the Regulations are put into practice, promoting the upholding of fundamentals and breaking of new ground in ideological and political work in the New Era, and continuously opening up new vistas.