STRENGTHEN INTERNAL PARTY ACTIVITIES AND GOVERNANCE

STRENGTHEN INTERNAL PARTY ACTIVITIES AND GOVERNANCE*

October 27, 2016

I. Exercise Full and Rigorous Governance over the Party

To implement the decisions made at the plenary session, we must build a better understanding of full and rigorous governance over the Party. After the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, having comprehensively analyzed the new circumstances and tasks faced by the Party and the state, and the emerging situations and problems in the Party, the country, society and the international environment, the Party’s Central Committee came to an important conclusion: To succeed in the great struggle with many new features, effectively deal with threats and challenges, and realize the Two Centenary Goals and the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation, we must strengthen the Party. If its members’ conviction is wavering, their organization flaccid, their discipline weak and their conduct slack, the Party will not be able to effectively respond to the tests it faces in governance, reform and opening up, the market economy, and the external environment. Nor will it be able to overcome the dangers of a lack of drive and competence, disengagement from the people, inaction, or corruption. In this case, it will be unable to achieve its ultimate goals. There is a risk that it will become seriously detached from the people and repeat the tragedy of Farewell My Concubine. This is the fundamental reason why the Central Committee has time and again emphasized that it takes a good blacksmith to forge good tools.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, we have incorporated full and rigorous internal Party governance into the Four-pronged Comprehensive Strategy. This is an essential choice of our Party in responding to the changing situation in the world, in China and in the Party in the new era. Focusing on solving problems, we have strengthened internal Party governance mainly in the following respects:

First, political awareness. We have armed ourselves and forged cohesion with the latest achievements in adapting Marxism to Chinese conditions. We have consolidated the foundations of our values with ideals and convictions and education on Party consciousness, and guided all Party members to hold to the Party’s ideals and convictions and have stronger confidence in the path, theory, system and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Second, Party self-discipline. We have upheld and enforced the Party’s leadership, and guided all Party members 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 have worked to ensure that all obligations related to internal Party governance are fulfilled and continued to strengthen the consciousness and capability of Party organizations at all levels in exercising internal Party governance.

Third, discipline compliance. To ensure the Party’s unity and concerted action, we have given top priority to compliance with Party discipline, tightened political discipline and rules, and urged all Party members to bear in mind the Five Musts, and to avoid the Seven Malpractices.

Fourth, supervision over officials. We are adopting a sound approach to selecting officials and extending reform of the management of officials. We have discarded the practice of “four overemphases”. We have rectified undesirable tendencies and improved the environment in the selection and appointment of officials.

Fifth, high standards for good conduct. We have emphasized that leading officials play an exemplary role. With perseverance and targeted efforts, we aim to solve problems that were deemed intractable, and have continued to improve the conduct of the Party and the government.

Sixth, the fight against corruption. We have shown zero tolerance for corruption and dealt with both “tigers” and “flies”. We are narrowing the gap between the bars of the institutional cage. In particular, we have removed high-ranking corrupt officials such as Zhou Yongkang, Bo Xilai, Guo Boxiong, Xu Caihou and Ling Jihua, effectively curbing the spread of corruption.

Through several years of effort, we have made significant progress in exercising full and rigorous internal Party governance. Integrity is on the rise within the Party, and Party conduct and social ethos are improving. These are comprehensive and profound changes that are encouraging and far-reaching, creating tremendous momentum for the cause of the Party and the country. This shows that the strategic decision made by the Central Committee to strengthen internal Party governance is absolutely correct and has gained strong support from all Party members and the people.

Nonetheless, we are soberly aware of the following problems: The governing environment our Party faces is complex, as are the factors undermining the Party’s progressive and wholesome nature and the makeup of Party membership. Some deep-seated problems within the Party have not been completely resolved. Factors that may cause the recurrence of old problems still exist. We are also facing some new situations and problems. With regard to full and rigorous governance over the Party, some Party members and officials still lack adequate understanding, are ill-prepared in mind, and have shown little initiative.

The entire Party must realize that the foundations of the Party’s governing status will be unstable and might even crumble if supervision over the Party is lax and outstanding issues of significant public concern remain unsolved. Likewise, if we allow the problems that have previously been solved to recur, we will lose the trust of the people and face greater danger.

Problems themselves are not to be feared; what does ring the alarm is when we have no solution to the problems or lack perseverance in pushing through the solution. As an ancient Chinese writer said, “People who fall aside will achieve nothing, and farmers who are indolent will reap no harvest.”  Therefore, the whole Party must maintain its resolve, make real, decisive and persistent efforts in enforcing strict Party discipline, and apply stringent standards throughout the process and in every aspect of internal Party governance.

China is entering a decisive stage in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, and the Chinese nation is in a critical period leading to its rejuvenation. As our reform enters uncharted waters and our economic development has entered a new normal, various problems overlap and risks and hidden dangers mount. In today’s world, as the international balance of power is shifting and the global economy is undergoing profound adjustment, China’s development faces a more complex and challenging international environment. On our journey ahead, there are various stumbling blocks. In such internal and external circumstances, to seize the initiative, gain the advantage, and win the future, we must make the Party still stronger so that it can unite the people and lead them in responding to daunting challenges, defusing grave risks, removing major obstacles, and resolving serious problems.

In exercising full and rigorous governance over the Party, we need to make an effort that is both comprehensive and focused. One key is to strengthen and regulate internal Party activities and tighten internal scrutiny. The basis of full and rigorous governance over the Party is to be strict with internal Party activities. Self-supervision of the Party should start with internal Party activities. The Party’s governing status decides that internal Party scrutiny is the first and most fundamental means among all forms of supervision for the Party and the country. Only by driving other forms of scrutiny with internal Party scrutiny and by improving the relevant systems can we provide a strong institutional guarantee for full and rigorous governance over the Party. The Guidelines and Regulations adopted at this plenary session are consistent and complementary and form an important institutional and regulatory guarantee for strengthening internal Party governance.

II. Comprehensively Strengthen and Regulate Internal Party Activities

Sound internal Party activities are one of the great traditions of the CPC and a hallmark that distinguishes the Party from other political parties. It has long been proved that sound internal Party activities are an important means for our Party to uphold its nature and purpose and maintain its progressive and wholesome nature. They are a golden key to problems within the Party, a great furnace to temper members’ and officials’ commitment to the Party, and a purifier to improve Party conduct.

“A carpenter’s line marker is created because there are objects that are not straight.” This plenary session is problem-oriented as it focuses on strengthening and regulating internal Party activities and tightening internal Party scrutiny. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, as we continuously strengthen internal Party governance, outstanding problems within the Party have been increasingly exposed. High-ranking officials such as Zhou Yongkang, Bo Xilai, Guo Boxiong, Xu Caihou and Ling Jihua were not only financially greedy and decadent, but also overinflated in their political ambitions. They conspired in political maneuvering by means such as feigning compliance, ganging together in pursuit of selfish interests, and forming cliques. These serious political problems caused me to ponder. In the past three years and more, I have repeatedly emphasized that it is imperative to understand and do a good job in internal Party governance from a political perspective.

On November 16, 2012, at the first meeting of the Political Bureau of the 18th Central Committee, I emphasized that members should take the lead in knowing the rules, abiding by discipline, and observing the Party’s organizational principles and guiding principles for its internal activities. On November 20, I published the article titled “Earnestly Study and Strictly Observe the Party Constitution” in the People’s Daily, emphasizing that we should strictly follow the various provisions in the Party Constitution on internal Party activities, hold to principles without flinching, carry out criticism and self-criticism, and play a leading role in promoting integrity and opposing malfeasance.

On January 22, 2013, at the Second Plenary Session of the 18th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, I said that to improve Party conduct we need to purify the political ecosystem and foster a sound environment of clean government. On June 25, the Political Bureau convened a special meeting to review the implementation of the central Party leadership’s Eight Rules and discuss measures on further improving Party conduct. At the meeting, I emphasized that we require Party organizations at all levels and all Party members and officials, and especially leading officials, to willingly abide by the Party’s Constitution, its organizational principles, and the guiding principles for its internal activities. They must willingly accept regulation by Party discipline; one cannot place oneself above the Party organization. Members of the Political Bureau must be the first to meet these requirements.

On October 8, 2014, at the conference reviewing the education campaign on the Party’s mass line, I said, “Internal Party activities are the main platform on which Party organizations educate its members and Party members strengthen their commitment to the Party. Strengthening internal Party governance must start with internal Party activities. Internal Party activities determine the conduct of Party members and officials." “Essentially, strengthening internal Party governance means ensuring that Party organizations at all levels and all Party members and officials act in accordance with the Party’s guiding principles for its internal activities and with its regulations.” On October 23, when I stated at the second full assembly of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee that Party members and officials, leading officials in particular, should strictly abide by political discipline and rules, I pointed out, “Some officials, ignoring the Party’s political discipline and rules, have engaged in one or more of these malpractices: (1) making appointments based on favoritism and discriminating against those who hold different views; (2) ganging together to form self-serving factions; (3) making anonymous and false allegations against others and spreading rumors; (4) buying support and votes; (5) promising high positions in exchange for favors and relying on cronyism for promotion; (6) feigning compliance while opposing in action and going their own way; (7) failing to comply with or even making baseless criticisms of Central Committee decisions. Some of their conduct is outrageous. These problems have often failed to draw attention in some localities and departments. Even when identified, they have not been understood and dealt with as actions running counter to Party discipline and state law. This is wrong and must be rectified.” These are the Seven Malpractices, which I talked about mainly from a political perspective.

On January 13, 2015, at the Fifth Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, I emphasized that to observe political discipline and rules, it is essential to focus on the following: to uphold the authority of the Central Committee and make sure that Party members and officials all keep in line with the Party’s central leadership in thinking, action and political orientation; to safeguard the unity of the Party and unite with everyone loyal to the Party regardless of their origin and background; to abide by organizational procedures, request instructions or report as required when major issues are concerned, and ensure that no one is permitted to act beyond his or her authority; to obey the decisions of the Party organization, and ensure that no one is permitted to carry out activities it bans; to rein in relatives and immediate staff, and never allow them to use their connections to seek personal gain. These are the Five Musts as I called them. On October 29, at the second full assembly of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, I emphasized, “Now it is indeed necessary to restore the political ecosystem and carry forward the Party’s great traditions and conduct. In this regard, members of the Central Committee should identify with and share the concerns of the Party, and work towards its interests and play an exemplary role.”

On July 1, 2016, at the ceremony marking the 95th anniversary of the founding of the Party, I underlined that “we must strengthen and regulate internal Party activities; strictly enforce the CPC’s political discipline and rules; make internal Party activities more politically oriented, up to date, principled, and effective; and comprehensively purify the political environment within the Party.”

Over the past few years I have been reiterating the importance of rigorously carrying out internal Party activities, because our Party is at a critical historic juncture, when significant changes in the Party membership and new developments in the relations between the Party and the people and between officials and the people demand that we make a political effort to strengthen internal Party governance in every respect.

The Guidelines adopted at this session not only embody the provisions and requirements of the Party Constitution, but also are a systematic representation of the rules and measures that have been formed through recent experience in strengthening internal Party governance. Targeting major conflicts and problems inside the Party, the Guidelines lay out provisions in 12 sections, pointing out symptoms and issuing prescriptions to deal with both symptoms and root causes. The key to making the Guidelines effective lies in their enforcement.

First, we should work to accomplish the fundamental task of guiding people in their ways of thinking. “To succeed, one must become resolute first.” To better guide people in their ways of thinking and strengthen their theoretical education is a top task for internal Party activities and a prerequisite for concerted action. Mao Zedong once pointed out, “Ideological education is the key link to be grasped in uniting the whole Party for great political struggles.” The root cause of problems in our Party is that some members and officials waver in their ideals and convictions, and falter in their worldview, outlook on life, and values. Ideals and convictions come from perseverance and are tempered by practice. We should strengthen education in theory, in ethics, and in commitment to the Party. We should guide Party members and officials to strengthen their beliefs, reinforce the marrow of their faith, and maintain the correct way of thinking. We want them to uphold the truth, the correct path, principles, and rules; to recognize virtue, follow social ethics, and restrict personal desires; and to observe moral standards, preserve integrity, and cultivate character. We want them to be able to conduct themselves in life and society with faith, character and action.

Political activities, the political ecosystem, and political culture within the Party are complementary. Political culture is the soul of political activities, exerting an imperceptible influence on the political ecosystem. We should build a strong intra-Party political culture and prepare the ground for a sound political ecosystem, advocating and practicing values such as honesty, frankness, fairness, pragmatism, realism, hard work, and integrity, and opposing misconduct such as nepotism, unscrupulous pursuit for money and position, undesirable practices among officials, and hidden rules.

Second, we should enforce strict discipline, which is key. As our ancestors said, “Nothing can be accomplished without regulations and rules.” Strict discipline is an inherent requirement and important guarantee for improving and regulating internal Party activities. We should strengthen intra-Party institutional restrictions, and narrow the gap between the bars of the institutional cage. Political discipline and rules are the most crucial part of Party discipline, and observing them is the basis for observing other Party discipline. Party organizations and Party members should conscientiously abide by political discipline and rules, maintain their 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, ensuring that they are firm in political belief and stance and follow a correct orientation.

We should work to ensure every order or prohibition is executed without fail, and investigate and prosecute all violations, so that discipline and rules become a strong deterrent against the broken windows phenomenon and its negative consequences. We should review the current rules and regulations for internal Party activities in accordance with the Guidelines, revising whatever should be revised, supplementing those that require it, and formulating new ones if necessary. Party organizations shoulder the responsibility for enforcing discipline and rules. They must strengthen scrutiny and accountability, targeting those who slack off in this regard. The goal is to transform lax and slack Party governance into strict and firm governance.

Third, we should adopt the right approach in selecting and appointing officials, which is a weather vane for internal Party activities. Unhealthy tendencies and corruption in the appointment of officials are most harmful; a correct orientation is the fundamental solution to rigorously carrying out internal Party activities. We must implement the standards for good officials and be strict with officials in their political consciousness, character, conduct, and clean governance, rewarding and promoting high performers who are loyal, honest, responsible, pragmatic, incorruptible, hardworking, and keen on reform, while leaving no space for and punishing those who feign compliance, flatter and ingratiate superiors, practice fraud, and do nothing practical, but angle for posts and indulge their own interests. We must be resolute in correcting unhealthy tendencies in the selection and appointment of officials, ensuring that no appointment is made of unqualified people, preventing the phenomenon of “bad money drives out good”, and creating a sound political ecology with a clean environment for employing capable officials. We should improve the institutions for managing and overseeing officials so that selection is not over-emphasized and supervision is not overlooked. In addition, we need to fine-tune mechanisms that allow for and address mistakes, give more positive incentives, and guide officials to maintain a positive mindset, work hard, and act responsibly.

Fourth, we should make good use of regular activities of Party organizations. They are an important part and vehicle of internal Party activities. They are an important way that Party organizations educate, manage and oversee Party members. The capability and competence of a leading body depends very much on whether it carries out regular activities of Party organizations in earnest. We should reinforce the organizational system to ensure that the following activities receive due attention: Three Meetings and One Lecture; Party members in leading positions engaging in criticism and self-criticism sessions both among themselves and within their branch of affiliation; and democratic appraisal, frank communication and self-criticism among Party members and within Party branches. We also need to strengthen regular education, management and oversight of Party members. And we should adopt new approaches to make regular activities of Party organizations more appealing and effective.

Criticism and self-criticism are good tools for the Party to address problems and keep itself healthy, and an important means to strengthen and regulate internal Party activities. Officials must take the lead and leading groups should set a good example in creating an atmosphere of criticism and self-criticism within the Party. Officials should firmly oppose such ideas as “it is none of my business” or “it is better to say nothing about what’s wrong”. And they should overcome any tendency to cover up errors and fail to correct mistakes.

Fifth, we should focus on both inheritance and innovation, which are two key links. The great tradition of internal Party activities that our Party has brought into being is its permanent treasure, whether in the past, the present, or the future. We must never cast aside this tradition, which gives us our soul; neither should we change our nature as a true Communist party. At the same time, as conditions change, we should constantly innovate and improve the content, forms, vehicles, methods and means of internal Party activities, and guide new practice with new experience. Giving better play to the role of such activities, we should try to create a lively political situation in which we have both centralism and democracy, both discipline and freedom, both unity of will and personal ease of mind. 

The purpose of implementing the Guidelines is to effectively solve major problems in internal Party activities. All Party organizations, members and officials should consciously check their thoughts and actions against the Guidelines, face up to their mistakes with courage, conduct self-analysis, and tackle deep-rooted problems. On the one hand, we should work to solve the problems that are all-pervasive and most conspicuous. For example, at work, some officials are arbitrary; some seek no others’ input in making decisions, or behave in disregard of rules and oppose centralism. Some officials simply favor form over substance, or engage in bureaucratism, hedonism, and extravagance. There is also abuse of power, embezzlement, bribery, moral decline, and violation of the law and discipline. Some officials do not observe discipline, and fail to enforce discipline strictly or punish transgression. Some lack drive, shirk their responsibilities, are mediocre and lazy on the job, and accomplish nothing. These problems, obvious in the eyes of the people, have clearly defined stipulations against them. The solution lies in strict enforcement and more rigid constraints.

On the other hand, we need to tackle problems that are highly political and potentially devastating. For example, some officials do not follow the CPC Central Committee on major issues, or refuse to act in accordance with our Party’s political discipline and rules. Some are not loyal to or honest with the Party, feign compliance, practice fraud, or conceal private vice behind a mask of public virtue. Some officials make appointments based on favoritism or for reasons of personal gain. Some angle for official positions, buy and sell posts, or engage in vote rigging. Some gang together in pursuit of private interests, form exclusive cliques, or are primarily driven by overinflated political ambitions. Such problems are often hidden, and will not become apparent until critical moments. Our solution is to establish criteria for spotting them, put in place an effective mechanism, and deal with typical instances in a timely manner.

Internal Party activities are a complicated matter, and problems differ from place to place. It takes courage to confront our problems and competence to solve them. We should address whatever problems that come up, with a focus on the most difficult and serious. When trying to solve these problems, we should make comprehensive analysis, and draw inferences about other problems from individual examples. And every measure we take or effort we make should help strengthen and regulate political activities and purify the political ecosystem within our Party.

III. Reinforce the Party’s Internal Scrutiny

The Regulations passed at this plenary session represent a top-level design to strengthen internal Party scrutiny in the current era. These are basic rules regulating current and future internal Party scrutiny, and we must lay emphasis on their implementation, so that they serve as a restraint on the conduct of all Party organizations, members and officials.

In the Yan’an days, Chairman Mao Zedong emphasized the need to break the historical cycle of rise and fall. It was thus made clear at the Eighth CPC National Congress in 1956 that all Party members and organizations were subject to top-down and bottom-up scrutiny. Today we are improving our Party’s internal scrutiny system in order to make it more effective and efficient for preventing and correcting misconduct and reinforce our ability to cleanse, improve, renew and temper our Party.

There is a long-standing prominent problem in the Party – people are reluctant to or dare not engage in scrutiny, or they resist it. They worry about suffering from retaliation if they criticize their superiors, about damaging friendships with persons of equivalent rank if they criticize them, about losing support if they criticize their subordinates. In many central and local government departments, internal Party scrutiny exists only on paper. The absence of such scrutiny will inevitably lead to the weakening of Party leadership, a failure to strengthen the Party, and inefficiency in internal Party governance. All Party members should be fully aware that internal scrutiny is the source of health and life for the Party. We should constantly bolster our will to tackle deep-rooted problems, so that actively carrying out scrutiny and being receptive to such scrutiny become standard conduct throughout the Party.

Internal Party scrutiny is a task for our Party. Party committees or Party leadership groups are responsible for scrutiny, and their secretaries are first in the line of responsibility. Members of Party standing committees or Party leadership groups and Party committee members conduct scrutiny within the defined scope of their duties. Party officials at various levels must understand and shoulder their responsibilities, perform their duties and be bold in carrying out scrutiny. Done properly, internal Party scrutiny will be carried out in the spirit of learning from past mistakes to avoid future ones, and curing the sickness to save the patient. We should talk to people to give them warnings as to their conduct, and engage in criticism and self-criticism so as to identify problems and handle them promptly. An analysis of typical cases in recent years shows a common corruption process. People first commit small acts of misconduct, and these gradually become more serious. If they had been pulled up by the Party organizations at the outset, it would have been possible, certainly in some cases, to halt their slip down the path of wrongdoing before it was too late. Party organizations should communicate more with Party members, learning about how they think, live and work. They should pay more attention to feedback from officials and the people, and prevent minor misdeeds from growing into major wrongdoing. Internal Party scrutiny should be carried out everywhere, at any time and in everything, to urge Party members and officials to take on and play their role properly. All Party members should make a habit of drawing each other’s attention to and correcting mistakes, in order to make common progress.

The commissions for discipline inspection at various levels are responsible for internal Party scrutiny and accountability. They should put political discipline and rules first, strengthen scrutiny of compliance with the Party Constitution and Party discipline and rules, and check the implementation of the Party’s guidelines, principles, policies and resolutions within their prescribed jurisdiction. They should conduct discipline inspection under the dual leadership system, strengthen the leadership of commissions for discipline inspection over those at lower levels, reinforce leadership over dispatched inspection groups, and ensure that all obligations related to internal Party governance are fulfilled by both the Party organization under scrutiny and the inspection group. As a vehicle and a means for Party committees or Party leadership groups to fulfill their responsibilities in their relevant fields, Party affairs offices should carry out internal Party scrutiny within their scope of responsibilities. They should strengthen both the internal scrutiny of their own departments and the routine scrutiny of their sector. They should investigate and handle problems promptly instead of always forwarding them to Party committees and commissions for discipline inspection. A powerful mesh of internal Party scrutiny will be woven as long as we join hands at all levels and across all areas.

Democratic scrutiny by Party members is a basic approach within the Party. It is not only the right but also the unshirkable duty and obligation of Party members to our Party. Party organizations and members at the grassroots level should strengthen supervision over Party officials, and urge them to participate in regular activities of their Party organizations and perform their obligations as Party members. At Party meetings, Party members should be bold in exposing violations of the Party Constitution and discipline, in criticizing, with evidence, any Party organization or member, and in reporting any organization or member to the Party on issues of misconduct that contravene the law and Party discipline. Party organizations at all levels should guarantee Party members’ rights to be informed and to scrutinize; encourage and support their active role in internal Party scrutiny; and strictly investigate and handle cases of interfering with scrutiny and retaliation against anyone involved in scrutiny.

Internal Party scrutiny is the first and most fundamental means among all forms of scrutiny for the Party and the country. But it cannot work as a joint force without being integrated with scrutiny by state agencies, other political parties, the general public, and public opinion. Officials should welcome scrutiny from all sides, showing both breadth of mind and confidence. We should support democratic oversight by the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference in accordance with its charter, value the comments, criticisms and suggestions from other political parties and prominent individuals without party affiliation, and encourage them to speak frankly and offer suggestions. We should consciously accept supervision from the people, provide smooth channels for reporting through letters and calls, deal seriously with typical violations of discipline, and promptly respond to the concerns of the people. We should strengthen public opinion as a means of supervision, and use media exposure and analysis of typical cases as a warning, so as to create a positive atmosphere of public opinion in favor of ensuring full and rigorous governance over the Party.

IV. Focus on Leading Officials, Especially High-Ranking Ones

“If we fail to lead by example, others will neither trust nor follow us.” Strengthening and regulating internal Party activities and tightening internal Party scrutiny must begin with leading officials, especially those in senior positions. This is determined by the special positions they hold that offer them great power, and is also necessitated by their special responsibility to play a model role.

Our Party always attaches great importance to strengthening senior officials’ political commitment, improving their conduct, and guiding them to play an exemplary role. In 1938, Mao Zedong pointed out, “…our Party’s fighting capacity will be much greater … if there are one or two hundred comrades with a grasp of Marxism-Leninism which is systematic and not fragmentary, genuine and not hollow.” In 1989, Deng Xiaoping said, “As long as we have a good Political Bureau, and a good Standing Committee in particular, and as long as the committee is united and sets an example by working hard to build the country and by combating corruption, it can withstand all kinds of trouble.” Jiang Zemin also emphasized on many occasions that as the Party’s senior officials, members of the Central Committee “must align with the Central Committee in thinking and political stance, resolutely uphold the Central Committee’s authority, and unwaveringly follow the Party’s guidelines and policies. At critical moments in particular, they should be even firmer in implementing major decisions of the Party and never vacillate at any time and under any circumstance. If all high-ranking officials do so, the Party can always remain strongly cohesive and highly effective.” Hu Jintao said, “Leading officials at all levels, especially those holding senior positions, must maintain integrity and self-discipline, develop a firm Marxist worldview, outlook on life, and values, and take the right attitude towards power, position and interest. They must constantly cultivate ethical qualities as officials, think about the harms of greed, and discipline themselves. They must remain vigorous, enterprising and righteous as Communists, behave properly, exercise introspection, self-caution and self-motivation, and be truly clean and honest.”

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the Central Committee has repeatedly emphasized that its members must set a good example in strengthening their ideals and convictions, carrying out earnest study and practice, upholding democratic centralism, and promoting exemplary conduct. It has emphasized that senior officials must lead by example in being loyal to the Party, fulfilling their responsibilities in Party governance, and abiding by Party discipline.

Admittedly, the various problems in recent years in internal Party activities and internal Party scrutiny can be ascribed to some extent to the general environment of the market economy and the profound changes in the makeup of Party membership. Nevertheless, problems of high-ranking officials are often the main cause of the growth and spread of problems in the localities and departments where those officials work. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, almost 200 senior officials have been investigated and held accountable, many of whom had been provincial Party secretaries or governors, ministers, and alternate or full members of the Central Committee. In particular senior leading officials such as Zhou Yongkang, Bo Xilai, Guo Boxiong, Xu Caihou and Ling Jihua caused enormous damage to the image and prestige of our Party. That is why we emphasize the important role of leading officials, especially officials in senior positions, when it comes to internal Party governance and the implementation of the Guidelines and Regulations. That is also why I said at the second full assembly of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee: “We must be clear about the special importance of senior officials to the Party and the country. High-ranking officials must consciously examine themselves against the standards set by the Party, and temper and improve themselves accordingly. The higher their positions are, the more they are expected to do the following: work diligently, devote themselves selflessly to the Party and the people, strictly abide by the rules, exercise power in a proper, prudent and incorruptible manner, cherish honor and integrity as much as they cherish their own life, remold their subjective world, sincerely accept oversight, and work hard to become good officials trusted by the Party and the people.”

The Guidelines and Regulations adopted at this plenary session highlight senior officials and set higher standards and stricter requirements for them. This is a distinctive feature of these two internal Party documents. Next, the Central Committee is going to formulate a detailed instruction for senior officials to implement the Guidelines and specify those requirements which are merely general principles in the Guidelines.

Senior officials should be clear about the special importance of their position, have a stronger sense of self-discipline, become the person that others can look up to, and play an exemplary role in observing the Party Constitution. They should be the first to meet the requirements set for Party members and officials and refrain from doing anything Party members and officials are not allowed to do. At the same time they should earnestly carry out their responsibilities in Party governance, have the moral fiber to tackle tough problems in strengthening internal Party activities and tightening internal Party scrutiny, and ensure that they can identify the problems that fall within their jurisdiction as soon as possible, and effectively solve them without delay. We should carry out strict education, management and supervision of senior officials. Once their problems are identified, they must be reminded, criticized, or punished, and their wrongdoing rectified. We must not ignore problems, nor should we cover them up or play them down.

The head of a leadership team should play an exemplary role in implementing the Guidelines and Regulations, as this is important for managing leadership teams and leading officials. We should make the education of those in command more targeted, their management more regular, and their supervision more effective, so that they take the lead in abiding by the Party Constitution and rules, and the Constitution and the law, earnestly enforce democratic centralism, continuously strengthen their commitment to the Party, and do not abuse their power for personal gain. 

Among high-ranking officials, members of the Central Committee, its Political Bureau and the Political Bureau Standing Committee should be the first and foremost to shoulder responsibility. We Central Committee members must do the following: hold firm ideals and convictions, resolutely safeguard and fully implement the Party’s basic line, unwaveringly follow the Central Committee’s orders and uphold its authority, improve our moral qualities, act as models in applying the core socialist values, strictly observe the Party’s political discipline and rules, take the lead in respecting, studying, abiding by and applying laws, persevere in opposing the Four Forms of Official Misconduct, wage resolute struggles against ideas and instances of seeking privilege, establish a sound family culture, educate and restrain our family members and immediate staff, and sincerely accept scrutiny from all sides. We should understand the importance of strengthening the Central Committee, its Political Bureau and the Political Bureau Standing Committee, as they bear on the long-term prosperity and stability of the Party and the country. We should effectively carry out internal Party activities and internal Party scrutiny at these levels, and lead the whole Party in breaking new ground in strengthening internal Party governance through our own exemplary actions.

* Part of the speech at the second full assembly of the Sixth Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee.

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