The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Party emphasized that “we must, with the tenacity and determination to remain on the road forever, persistently advance comprehensive and strict governance of the Party, resolutely implement the Party’s requirements for self-revolution, and promote the normalization and long-term effectiveness of Party conduct building.” The Party’s style is its image; it affects public sentiment and determines the success or failure of the Party and the country’s undertakings. On the new journey of fully building a modern socialist country and marching toward the second centenary goal, persistently honing a solid work style is not only an inevitable requirement for our Party to maintain its advanced nature and purity, but also the key to rallying the strength to forge ahead and overcoming risks and challenges. We must earnestly study and implement the spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Party, adopting the resilience of “constancy” and the perseverance of “long-term commitment” to steadily advance the normalization and long-term effectiveness of Party conduct building, and continuously achieve new victories with a good work style and a positive image.

The building of work style is an enduring task in Party building. It serves as a crucial yardstick for measuring the Party’s advanced nature and purity, and provides a robust guarantee for maintaining these qualities. As a Marxist political party, the Communist Party of China is the vanguard of the proletariat; advanced nature and purity are intrinsic attributes of a proletarian political party. As the ruling Marxist party, our Party has always pursued the goal of perpetually preserving its advanced nature and purity. We have consistently attached great importance to the building of work style, using outstanding work styles to nurture Party spirit and rally strength. Over the past century and more, our Party has united and led the people to achieve tremendous accomplishments in revolution, construction, and reform. A key factor behind these achievements is that, throughout its long-term practice, our Party has relentlessly fought against unhealthy tendencies, cultivating and upholding a set of glorious traditions and fine work styles. Since the 18th National Congress of the Party, the Party Central Committee has taken the formulation and implementation of the Eight-Point Regulation as its starting point, adopting a strict approach and turning the knife inward. With the spirit of driving nails home, we have tackled the “Four Winds,” and through a new look in work-style building, we have consolidated the Party’s advanced nature and purity, earning the trust and support of the people. Yet we must deeply recognize that under conditions of long-term governance, the advanced nature and purity of a Marxist political party cannot be naturally sustained over time. Being advanced and pure in the past does not mean being so today, and being advanced and pure today does not guarantee permanence. Various factors that weaken the Party’s advanced nature and undermine its purity are ever-present and ubiquitous. Formalism and bureaucratism can erode policy implementation effectiveness, while hedonism and extravagance can corrode the very foundations of the Party’s rule. Only by persevering with the tenacity and determination of “always being on the road,” continuously addressing unhealthy practices and promoting fine work styles, can we ensure that the Party never degenerates, never changes color, and never loses its flavor—thus perpetually preserving its advanced nature and purity and remaining the strong leadership core of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Building a sound work style is a systematic undertaking that encompasses multiple dimensions—political, ideological, working, and personal—and requires us to set clear targets and exert coordinated efforts across the board. In the political realm, cultivating a sound work style is embodied in forging firm political loyalty, upholding our political stance, and bravely shouldering political responsibilities. Only with an excellent work style can we become politically strong: steadfast in matters of direction and principle, clearly standing up for what is right and rejecting what is wrong even amid major tests and turbulent challenges; reliable, trustworthy, and reassuring in critical moments; and consistently maintaining high-level alignment with the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core—in thought, politics, and action. Ideologically, building a sound work style means adhering to the principle of linking theory with practice and seeking truth from facts. Improving our study style and transforming our thinking hinge on using knowledge to guide action and achieving unity between knowing and doing. The fine tradition of linking theory with practice demands that Party members and cadres not only deeply study the Party’s innovative theories, mastering the underlying stances, viewpoints, and methods, and thoroughly grasping the principles, doctrines, and philosophies embedded therein, thus truly using learning to forge our souls, enhance our wisdom, rectify our conduct, and boost our work; but also closely integrate theoretical study with practical work, adopting a spirit of realism to go deep into the grassroots and among the masses, drawing wisdom and finding solutions from practice itself. In terms of work, building a sound work style is embodied in pursuing truthfulness and pragmatism, taking concrete actions, and demonstrating responsibility and initiative. “Empty talk harms the country; practical action strengthens it.” Whether Party members and cadres possess a work style characterized by earnestness and pragmatism directly affects the enforceability of policies and the effectiveness of their work. This calls upon Party members and cadres to put real effort into their work, come up with practical measures, and get things done. They must resolutely address prominent problems such as formalism and bureaucracy, and use tangible results in their work to win the hearts of the people and alleviate their concerns. In daily life, building a sound work style is reflected in practicing frugality and integrity, and maintaining honesty and incorruptibility. “A thousand-mile dike can be breached by an ant’s nest.” Though seemingly minor, problems in one’s lifestyle actually touch upon the bottom line of integrity for Party members and cadres. Only by being strict with oneself and preventing small issues from escalating can we remain true to our principles and never cross the red lines in our work. In real life, many Party members and cadres who have taken the path of illegal and criminal activities often started precisely because of immoderate lifestyles and unhealthy interests. Only by maintaining a pure lifestyle, cultivating healthy interests, and preserving noble moral standards can we always remain selfless, upright, and untainted.

To steadily advance the normalization and long-term effectiveness of Party conduct building, we need to coordinate efforts across multiple fronts, including ideological guidance, institutional safeguards, supervisory accountability, and exemplary leadership. We must strengthen ideological guidance and solidify the ideological foundation. Ideology is the guiding force behind action; only by deeply recognizing the importance of conduct building at the ideological level can we consciously practice good conduct. We must persistently use Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to unify our hearts and forge our souls, thoroughly study and implement Xi Jinping’s Thought on Strengthening the Military, and intensify learning about the history of the Party, the history of New China, the history of reform and opening-up, and the history of socialist development. By drawing wisdom and strength from the Party’s century-long struggle, we can truly understand where good conduct originates and what its essence is, thereby genuinely enhancing our political, ideological, and practical awareness in learning from and carrying forward the Party’s and the military’s glorious traditions and fine styles. We must improve institutional safeguards and tighten the institutional cage. Institutions are fundamental, comprehensive, stable, and long-term—serving as crucial safeguards for regulating the exercise of power and promoting the development of undertakings. We need to refine and improve systems related to conduct building, clearly defining specific requirements and behavioral norms, and strengthening the enforcement of these systems so that they truly become “hard constraints” governing the behavior of Party members and cadres, thus driving conduct building from merely addressing symptoms to tackling root causes. We must strengthen supervision and accountability, and rigorously investigate and punish problems. We should establish a comprehensive, multi-level, and three-dimensional supervisory system, placing the exercise of power under the sunlight. Regarding problems in conduct building, we must adopt a “zero-tolerance” stance: whenever a problem is discovered, it must be investigated and dealt with promptly, without any leniency or compromise. Through strict accountability, we can create a deterrent effect and urge Party members and cadres to consciously improve their conduct. We must emphasize exemplary leadership and set a strong example, creating a vibrant atmosphere. Leading cadres must lead by example and take the initiative, using their own exemplary behavior to foster a robust atmosphere that values and practices good conduct, thereby uniting collective strength through outstanding style.