UPHOLD PARTY LEADERSHIP IN ALL AREAS

UPHOLD PARTY LEADERSHIP IN ALL AREAS*

December 2013-October 2017

I

Chinese socialism has many characteristics, and the defining one is Party leadership. Strengthening and improving Party leadership over economic work is essential to democratic centralism and is a strength of our political system. Our Party exercises overall leadership and coordinates work in all areas. Economic work is our central task, which must fully reflect the Party’s leadership. Taking this central task as our top priority, we can work better in other areas.

(from the speech at the Central Conference on Economic
Work, December 10, 2013)

II

We emphasize that Party leadership, the people’s position as masters of the country, and law-based governance of the country form an indivisible whole. Of these, Party leadership is of paramount importance. In upholding Party leadership, we must uphold the people’s position as masters of the country and implement law-based governance which is the Party’s basic strategy in leading the people to run the country. Party leadership and law-based governance are consistent. Only by upholding Party leadership will the people fully realize their role as masters of the country. Only then will the rule of law in national affairs and social activities be institutionalized and enforced in an orderly manner. Party leadership should not be opposed to the people’s position as masters of the country or to law-based governance, nor shall we use the two to destabilize or challenge Party leadership. That is ideologically wrong and politically dangerous.

(from the speech at the Central Conference on Law and Order, 
January 7, 2014)

III

The Party is the leadership core of all our undertakings. As an old Chinese saying goes: “Customs and moral education are uniform throughout the country, and same decrees are implemented nationally.” This would not happen in contemporary China without Party leadership. The Central Committee, the Political Bureau of the Central Committee and the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee constitute the leadership and decision-making core of the Party. 

The decisions and plans made by the Central Committee must be implemented by the departments of the Party responsible for organization, public communication, the united front, and judicial, prosecuting, and public security issues; by Party organizations of people’s congresses, governments, CPPCC committees, courts and procuratorates; and by Party organizations of public institutions and people’s organizations. All Party organizations must play their role. 

Party organizations in all sectors are accountable to Party committees and must report on their work. Some officials believe their work is a matter for themselves. They do not think they need to report on their work, and they do not want other people to be involved. Some do not even want Party committees to inquire about their work; otherwise, they will claim that there is no separation between Party and government affairs. This is a misconception.

Party committees act as the core of leadership. All sectors must consciously report to them on major programs and situations, and under their leadership make every effort to do the work within the scope of their functions and duties. Reporting serves a useful purpose as it facilitates brainstorming to pool and share wisdom for getting things done better. It is also a rule for Party committees and Party leadership groups in all provincial authorities and central departments to continue the practice of reporting to the Central Committee.

(from the speech at the Third Plenary Session of the 18th
CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection,
January 14, 2014)

IV

We must be fully aware that Party leadership is what characterizes contemporary China. It is what “Chinese characteristics” means. The system of CPC leadership was our own design; we did not clone or copy it from others. All the good things we have introduced from the outside will finally be adapted to the Chinese context. Russia’s October Revolution in 1917 influenced China, but our Party did not turn to Soviet socialism. After the Cold War, the Soviet Union disintegrated and Eastern Europe experienced dramatic change. But we continued on our own way, which is why we achieved what we have today.

(from the speech at a criticism and self-criticism meeting among
members of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee
of Lankao County, Henan Province, May 9, 2014)

V

The leadership of the CPC is essential to socialism with Chinese characteristics. The People’s Republic of China is prosperous and strong. It would not exist without the CPC. To uphold the CPC as the core of the leadership is essential to the future of the Chinese nation. The leadership of the CPC guarantees the position of the people as masters of the country. We must uphold the Party’s core role in exercising overall leadership and coordinating the efforts of all, ensuring that the Party’s guidelines, principles, policies, decisions and plans are carried out comprehensively and effectively through the system of people’s congresses. We must support and safeguard the agencies of state power in carrying out their work separately yet concertedly, in accordance with the Constitution and the law. We must strengthen and improve the Party’s leadership, turn the Party’s views into the will of the state, train candidates recommended by Party organizations to become leaders of agencies of state power through legal procedures, and exercise the Party’s leadership over the country and society through agencies of state power. We must maintain the authority of both the Party and the state and the unity and solidarity of the Party and the country under the principle of democratic centralism.

(from the speech at the meeting to mark the 60th anniversary
of the National People’s Congress, September 5, 2014)

VI

CPC leadership is the common choice of the Chinese people from all political parties, people’s organizations, ethnic groups, and social strata, and from all walks of life. It is the primary feature of Chinese socialism and the fundamental guarantee for the progress of the CPPCC. To stay on the right course, the CPPCC must uphold CPC leadership.

(from the speech at the meeting to mark the 65th anniversary
of the CPPCC, September 21, 2014)

VII

The CPC is the leadership core of China’s socialist undertakings, exercising overall leadership and a coordination role in all areas. In China today, no political or any other force is stronger than the CPC. The Party is the leading political force and exercises leadership over all areas of endeavor in every part of the country. It is the ruling party, and its leadership is the fundamental guarantee for us to accomplish all the undertakings of the Party and country. It is also the essential guarantee that ensures political stability, economic development, ethnic unity and social stability. We should uphold this principle with no vacillation.

An outstanding strength of our socialist political system is that the Party is at the core, exercising overall leadership and coordinating the efforts of all. Figuratively speaking, the Party is the moon surrounded by stars. If state governance is compared to a Chinese chess game, the Party Central Committee is the commander-in-chief, and the other parties give full play to their respective strengths – it is critical to see the big picture. If China fell into a state of disunity in which every party acted of their own volition, we would not be able to achieve the goals we have set, and we might well suffer catastrophic consequences. This was fully proved in China in the century of history from the Opium War of 1840 to the founding of the PRC.

(from the speech at a study session on implementing the
decisions of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central
Committee and advancing the rule of law, attended by principal
officials at the provincial and ministerial level, February 2, 2015)

VIII

At its Third Plenary Session, the 18th CPC Central Committee set a general goal: to improve and develop the Chinese socialist system and modernize China’s system and capacity for governance. The state governance system is a complex one composed of many subsystems. At its heart is the CPC, which exercises leadership over all areas of endeavor. People’s congresses, government departments, CPPCC committees, courts and procuratorates, the military, other political parties and prominent individuals without party affiliation, enterprises and public institutions, and people’s organizations such as trade unions, the Communist Youth League and women’s federations, perform their respective functions and cooperate with each other.

(from the speech at the Central Conference on the Party’s
Work with People’s Organizations, July 6, 2015)

IX

It is a great blessing for China, the Chinese people and the Chinese nation to have the CPC as the ruling party. As we read and understand the history of modern China and that of its revolution, it is readily apparent that without the leadership of the CPC, our country and our nation would not have made such great progress, nor would we have achieved such high international standing. In maintaining the fundamental principle of upholding the Party’s leadership, we should be particularly sober-minded and keen-sighted and take a firm stance, allowing no ambiguity or wavering.

(from the speech at the National Conference on Party Schools,
December 11, 2015)

X

China’s success hinges on the Party. The most essential feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the leadership of the CPC. The greatest strength of the socialist system of China is also the leadership of the CPC. The foundation and lifeblood of the CPC and the country and the interests and wellbeing of all Chinese people rely entirely on upholding and improving the leadership of the CPC.

(from the speech at the ceremony marking the 95th anniversary
of the founding of the CPC, July 1, 2016)

XI

An ancient Chinese said, “If decrees are not obeyed, government affairs will be mismanaged.” The Party exercises overall leadership over all areas of endeavor in every part of the country. The theories, guidelines and policies defined by the CPC Central Committee are the foundations to ensure that all Party members and people of all ethnic groups in China are united in mindset, determination and action. Only with authority can the CPC Central Committee pool the strength of all Party members and unite the whole Party and the whole nation, bringing into being an invincible force sharing common goals. If the CPC Central Committee had no authority, the Party’s theories, guidelines and policies would not be implemented, and different departments would act in disunity. The Party would become fragmented and become a “private club”, turning the Party’s leadership into empty voices.

All Party members must follow the Central Committee in political orientation, guidelines, stance and views. Any organization, member and official of the Party, whatever their level or field, no matter what department and unit they belong to, must follow the centralized, unified leadership of the Central Committee to ensure full and strict implementation of its decisions. No one shall be allowed to act as they please without the knowledge of the Central Committee.

(from the speech at a study session on implementing the
decisions of the Sixth Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central 
Committee, attended by principal officials at the provincial and 
ministerial level, February 13, 2017)

XII

To safeguard the authority of the Central Committee and the unity and solidarity of the Party, I think we should act on the following:

First, the whole Party must be deeply conscious of the need to maintain political commitment, think in terms of the general picture, follow the core leadership of the CPC Central Committee, and act in accordance with its requirements. We must uphold the authority of the Central Committee and its centralized, unified leadership to ensure unity in thought and deed. At no time and in no situation will anyone challenge or undermine the authority of the Central Committee. No one should engage in activities that contravene political discipline or rules of the Party, or that detract from the centralized, unified leadership of the Central Committee.

Second, we must uphold Party leadership, uphold and improve democratic centralism, and follow the systems and mechanisms that ensure Party leadership in all areas. All provincial authorities, central departments and all walks of life must consciously implement the decisions and plans of the Central Committee to ensure that the Party exercises overall leadership and coordinates work in all areas.

Third, we must faithfully follow the Party’s theories, guidelines, principles and policies, and implement the decisions and plans of the Central Committee to the letter. In doing their work, all localities and departments must first and foremost implement the decisions and plans of the Central Committee. They are not allowed to act on their own, disobey orders, or engage in or continue with expressly prohibited acts, or implement the decisions and plans of the central leadership in a perfunctory manner.

Fourth, leading officials at all levels of the Party, especially the most senior ones, must be loyal to the Party, be of service to the people, be aware of their responsibilities, and be strict in discipline. They must maintain their political commitment, increase their awareness of the need to observe discipline, maintain their moral integrity, and improve their will to resist corruption. They must consciously safeguard the authority of the Central Committee and the unity and solidarity of the Party, and play an exemplary role for all Party members.

(from the speech at the second full assembly of the Seventh 
Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, 
October 14, 2017)

* Excerpts from speeches made between December 2013 and October 2017.

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