Strengthen Our Political Acumen, Understanding and Capacity to Deliver

Strengthen Our Political Acumen, Understanding and Capacity to Deliver*

December 24-25, 2020

We are going to celebrate the centenary of our Party next year. From the epoch-making founding of the CPC all the way to the establishment of the PRC that opened a brand new chapter, from the reform and opening up that brought nationwide change all the way to the post-18th CPC National Congress era that witnessed historic achievements and transformations in the undertakings of our Party and our state, the fundamental reason for a century of successes is that the Party has remained true to its original aspiration and founding mission to seek happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation. To sustain this original aspiration and founding mission and guarantee enduring success in the undertakings of the Party and the people, we must reinforce political awareness, look at problems from a political perspective, grasp the overall political situation, and improve our political acumen, understanding and capacity to deliver.

Taking a clear political stance is a distinctive feature of a Marxist party and also a political strength that our Party has valued from the outset. In exercising leadership in governance, the key is to keep to the correct political orientation, preserve the political character of the Party, and forge ahead on the path of building socialism with Chinese characteristics. We members of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee must be adept at observing and dealing with problems from a political perspective, in the same way as we do in shooting – knowing the range, aligning the sights, and aiming at the bullseye – to make political awareness an inner part of our thinking rather than a requirement imposed from the outside.

A clear political stance requires sound political acumen. One point has been constantly proved in the historical process of revolution, construction and reform under the leadership of the Party: Political proactivity is the most favorable form of proactivity, while political passivity is the most dangerous form of passivity. To improve political acumen, we must prioritize national political security, secure the people’s interests, uphold and develop Chinese socialism, and increase our capacity for evaluating changing situations, identifying the true nature of issues, telling right from wrong, mitigating risks, and rising to challenges.

As members of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, we must be capable of reflecting on issues of fundamental significance to the overall and long-term undertakings of the Party and the state, strengthen our efforts in drawing up strategic, systemic and proactive plans, and stay sober-minded and insightful when dealing with major issues or making critical decisions. We must have the ability to distinguish political problems from everyday work, have a keen eye for sensitive matters and tendencies that might trigger political issues, learn to understand the political logic behind complex contradictions and relationships, and maintain our political stance and direction.

A clear political stance requires good political understanding. Leading officials, particularly high-ranking ones, who shoulder political responsibilities must have a thorough understanding of the guidelines of the Central Committee, and follow them closely in analyzing situations and improving their work. In other words, they must always align themselves with the requirements of the Central Committee. As the key organizers and leaders of the implementation of these guidelines, we members of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee must work harder to increase our political understanding and to fully understand matters of national significance and our role in relation to such matters.

A clear political stance requires the capacity to deliver. Leading officials, particularly high-ranking ones, must uphold the guidelines of the Central Committee, respond promptly to its calls, fully implement its decisions, put a stop to anything it prohibits, and resolutely uphold its authority and centralized, unified leadership without hesitation or deviation. We must make preparations for worst-case scenarios, focus on solving problems in our work, be sharp and quick in foreseeing and identifying potential threats, and take preventive measures. We must increase our sense of responsibility and act accordingly, and face up to and resolve problems when they arise.

A clear political stance requires strict discipline. We members of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee must exercise consistent self-cultivation and self-discipline, maintain self-respect, conduct self-examination, stay alert and motivated, maintain the strictest discipline even when unsupervised, guard against temptation, identify erroneous ideas from the outset, and be cautious in making friends. To preserve our integrity, we must cherish our moral principles as we do our lives. We must set an example in restraining family members and opposing the exploitation of privilege.

* Main points of the speech at a meeting of criticism and self-criticism among members of the Political Bureau of the 19th CPC Central Committee.

(Not to be republished for any commercial or other purposes.)