Build Confidence, Unity and Fighting Spirit

Build Confidence, Unity and Fighting Spirit*

December 27-28, 2021

This is a fruitful meeting as we have exchanged ideas, examined problems, and set the direction for the future, which are the results we, members of the Political Bureau, have achieved in the education campaign on CPC history. This is very important to our preparation for the upcoming 20th National Congress of the Party. Your comments and proposals will be very helpful to improving our work.

Over the century since its founding in 1921, our Party has united the people and led them to remarkable achievements, and accumulated invaluable experience. The history of our Party is like a most lively and convincing textbook. Our Party has always attached great importance to the study of its past. The more we learn about its journey, the more deeply we understand the laws of history, the more insights we gain, and the better we can steer future development. The Central Committee made a decision early this year to launch an education campaign on CPC history in the whole Party and society to review, study and promote the Party’s history. Through this campaign, Party members will have a better understanding of our cause, firmer commitment to our ideals, higher standards of integrity, and greater determination to turn what has been learned into concrete actions. This education campaign is designed to help build confidence, unity and fighting spirit.

Whether we are able to maintain excellent performance on our new journey essentially depends on whether we have firm confidence. Over the past century, our Party has been dedicated to working for the wellbeing of the Chinese people and rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and to pursuing progress for humanity and great harmony for the world. Our commitment to the common good leads us on the right path to a better future for humanity. This is the greatest source of confidence that underpins our Party’s long-term governance of China and its capacity to rally the people and lead them forward into the future. Today, we can claim with full confidence that the CPC has been worthy of the choice of history and the people.

Our confidence is grounded in a full and accurate understanding of history. Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, faithful to historical materialism and a rational outlook on Party history, we have made considerable progress in ending confusion and resolving misunderstandings over certain major questions in relation to the history of the Party and the country. At the same time, we know full well that to have a good understanding of our past, it is still necessary for our Party to conduct a serious, comprehensive and authoritative review of its history, followed by an enduring campaign to study and publicize it. In this way, more and more people will get a proper perspective on Party history, and the general public will have a clear understanding of the official account of Party history. We will encourage Party members, officials and the general public, particularly young people, to bear in mind our past experiences and have full confidence in our journey ahead.

Unity is the lifeline of our Party. Our Party is experienced in unifying thinking and taking concerted action through reviewing history. This unity is, first and foremost, political unity, which has reached new heights with the joint efforts of the whole Party since the 18th CPC National Congress. The 19th Central Committee decided that Chinese socialism in the new era should be highlighted in the resolution adopted at its Sixth Plenary Session in 2021. This is of tremendous significance for our Party to unify thinking and take concerted action on major theoretical and practical questions, and to rally the Chinese people of all ethnic groups and lead them towards the victory of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era.

Our Party comes from the people, has its roots among the people, and is dedicated to serving the people. The resolution adopted at the Sixth Plenary Session was the third on the history of our Party. Its purpose is to remind all Party members that we should remain true to our original aspiration and founding mission in the new era; properly answer the essential questions of where we have come from and where we are going; always maintain close ties with the people; and guide the people to study our Party’s century-long history, fully understand its nature, and follow its leadership.

The emergence and development of Marxism and socialist countries is a story of hardship and struggle. During the New Democratic Revolution (1919-1949), we endured unprecedented difficulties and made enormous sacrifices. After the founding of the PRC in 1949, particularly after the 18th CPC National Congress, we addressed many major risks and challenges through courageous and tenacious struggle. In the new era, we will review and make good use of this experience, always be ready to respond to worst-case scenarios, and guard against potential dangers. We will maintain our fighting spirit, identify proper methods or approaches, and develop the capacity to solve problems. We will be dauntless and forge ahead no matter what difficulties may arise. We will respond effectively to risks and challenges on the way forward, both foreseeable and unexpected, while steering the ship of Chinese socialism onward through the waves.

The Political Bureau should draw wisdom and strength from our Party’s century-long history of struggle to improve itself. We, as members of the Political Bureau, must conscientiously turn the original aspiration into action, have a broad vision and foresight, show concern for the country and the people, make long-term and practical plans, avoid seeking personal gain, position or privilege, always focus on the cause of the Party and the people, and be forever close to the people and work by their side through thick and thin. We should play an exemplary role in strengthening commitment to the Party’s ideals and convictions. These ideals and convictions will be a beacon for us to observe the general situation, respond to change, and learn about future prospects; a source of strength for hard work and constant improvement; a source of political wisdom for us to distinguish between right and wrong and avoid confusion; a source of strong antibodies for us to resist unhealthy tendencies and decadence.

We, as members of the Political Bureau, must be firm and clearheaded ourselves and take the lead in upholding the authority and centralized, unified leadership of the Central Committee. In addition, we must also make a conscious effort to encourage all Party members to do likewise. In particular, we must prevent and reverse unhealthy trends. We must have keen and farsighted strategic vision, focus on new issues as they emerge, give broad rein to democracy, draw on collective wisdom, and put forward advice that is in line with reality for sound decision-making. We must set an example in fully implementing the decisions and plans of the Central Committee, and we must urge people in the sectors and departments for which we are responsible to study earnestly and understand thoroughly the Central Committee’s decisions and plans, which are of the greatest significance to our country, and ensure that they are implemented to the letter.

The top priority of the Political Bureau next year is to convene the 20th CPC National Congress. We, as members of the Political Bureau, must perform our duties in earnest and do our best with a strong sense of responsibility and mission. Leadership elections will take place this year and the next. Senior leaders must strictly observe political discipline and rules and abide by organizational discipline and election regulations. We must guide leading officials to correctly understand the decisions of our Party, appraise themselves honestly, subordinate themselves to overall interests, and defer to the decisions of the organization. We must all gird up our loins as Communists and devote all our energy to work.

At this meeting, many valuable comments and suggestions have been made on the work of the Central Committee, and of the central and local governments. These must be examined immediately after the meeting with measures to improve our work and deliver concrete results.

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

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