The family is the basic cell of society, and the future and destiny of families are closely linked to those of the nation and the ethnic group. Since the advent of the new era, General Secretary Xi Jinping has attached great importance to the building of families, family education, and family traditions, emphasizing that the cultivation of family ethos should be given top priority and making it a mandatory course for leading cadres. How should we understand the relationship between the family ethos, family education, and family traditions of Party members and cadres and the Party’s conduct and government integrity? What are some typical manifestations of an improper family ethos? What disciplinary and legal responsibilities might arise from such issues? And how can we strengthen daily supervision, deliver effective educational warnings, and urge Party members and cadres—especially leading officials—to examine themselves, set a good example, and strictly manage their relatives and children? We have specially invited discipline inspection and supervision officials to join us in this discussion.

How can we understand the relationship between the family, family education, and family ethos of Party members and cadres, and the Party’s conduct and government ethics?

Cui Shiping: Since the 18th National Congress of the Party, General Secretary Xi Jinping has attached great importance to the building of family values, family education, and family traditions. He has regarded the cultivation of family ethos as an essential component of the conduct-building efforts for Party members and cadres, especially leading cadres. He has repeatedly emphasized that “the family ethos of leading cadres not only affects their own families but also impacts the Party’s style and government conduct.” Moreover, he has repeatedly warned that “a corrupted family ethos is often a major factor driving leading cadres toward serious disciplinary violations and illegal activities.” He has called on leading cadres to “inherit and promote China’s outstanding traditional culture, as well as carry forward the red family ethos of our revolutionary predecessors,” and to “set an exemplary standard in family ethos development and truly put self-cultivation and family management into practice.” There exists a profound and intrinsic connection between the family values, family education, and family traditions of Party members and cadres and the Party’s style and government conduct. The two mutually influence and interact with each other, together forming an important dimension of the Party’s conduct-building and the broader social ethos-building efforts.

The family traditions, education, and conduct of Party members and cadres have a profound impact on the Party’s and government’s ethos. When family traditions are upright, the government’s ethos will be clean and honest. Jiao Yulu’s family tradition—“loving labor, living a frugal and simple life, and rejecting special privileges”—has consistently served as a model for the entire Party, injecting momentum into the creation of a clean and pragmatic Party and government ethos. Zhou Enlai’s “Ten Family Rules” set an exemplary standard for the entire Party, emphasizing that public power must serve the public interest and reinforcing the sense of public service among generation after generation of Party members and cadres. On the contrary, if Party members and cadres—especially leading officials—deviate from proper conduct, exhibit immoral behavior, fail to properly manage and educate their families, and thereby cause serious consequences or adverse effects, not only will their own families be put at risk, but the overall image of the Party membership will also be severely damaged, and the Party’s and government’s ethos will be seriously tainted.

The Party’s conduct and government’s conduct play a leading and normative role in shaping the family ethos, family education, and family traditions of Party members and cadres. The achievements made in building the Party’s conduct and government’s conduct can promote the optimization of Party members’ and cadres’ family ethos, family education, and family traditions, thus fostering a virtuous cycle of mutual reinforcement. The construction of the Party’s conduct and government’s conduct sets the “overall tone” for the cultivation of family traditions among Party members and cadres. Our Party emphasizes the fundamental principle of “serving the people wholeheartedly” and stresses the requirements for exercising power—“exercising power with fairness, in accordance with the law, for the benefit of the people, and with integrity.” These principles are conveyed to Party members and cadres through intra-Party education. In daily life, Party members and cadres subtly incorporate such ideas as “loyalty to the Party” and “working for the well-being of the people” into their family education and family traditions, ensuring that their family ethos is aligned with the Party’s ideological requirements.

Weichang Building: Throughout history, the Chinese nation has always attached great importance to family, family education, and family ethos. As an ancient saying goes, “The foundation of the world lies in the state; the foundation of the state lies in the family.” General Secretary Xi Jinping has delivered a series of important speeches focusing on emphasizing family values, family education, and the cultivation of positive family ethos. He explicitly called upon Party members, cadres—and especially leading cadres—to lead upright lives, practice thrift in managing their families, perform their duties with integrity, and uphold clean governance; to take good care of themselves and their families, and to foster a fine family ethos befitting Communists in the new era.

The family environment, family education, and family ethos of Party members and cadres are directly linked to the Party’s and government’s conduct. As stated in the "Great Learning" from the "Book of Rites": "It is said that to govern a country well, one must first put one's own family in order; if one cannot even educate one's own family, how could one possibly educate others?" The public’s assessment of the Party’s and government’s conduct is based on their evaluation of Party members and cadres—especially leading cadres—who are close to them. This assessment extends beyond their work styles and personal conduct to encompass the character, integrity, and behavior of their relatives and children, thereby determining whether they truly practice integrity in self-cultivation, integrity in wielding power, and integrity in managing their families. Therefore, the family environment, family education, and family ethos of Party members and cadres—particularly leading cadres—are not only crucial to an individual’s personal advancement or decline and to the honor or disgrace of their own families, but also profoundly influence the atmosphere prevailing in a particular locality, field, or institution.

A sound family ethos and proper family education are conducive to fostering a clean and upright Party and government atmosphere. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, “The family style of leading cadres is not merely a personal or private family matter; rather, it is an important reflection of their work style.” As revealed by the cases investigated, many cadres who have run into trouble suffered from improper family conduct and lax family education. Such issues not only inflicted fatal harm on themselves and their families, undermining the image and credibility of the Party and the government, but also corrupted social norms. A positive family ethos helps cultivate the worldview, outlook on life, and values of Party members and cadres, enabling them to consistently uphold Party principles in the course of performing their duties and exercising their powers, and to forever maintain their political integrity and incorruptibility. Only by being strict with themselves and rigorously managing their families—setting exemplary standards for family members, guiding and properly managing their relatives and children—can Party members and cadres prevent tragedies such as “family-based corruption” from occurring. Moreover, they can draw spiritual strength from maintaining good family and work styles, thereby promoting the cultivation of a clean Party and government atmosphere through positive family and work ethics.

What are some typical manifestations of an improper family ethos? What disciplinary and legal responsibilities might one incur?

Weichang Building: A comprehensive review of typical cases of disciplinary and legal violations reveals that improper family conduct often serves as a key factor driving Party members and cadres—especially leading officials—toward serious disciplinary and legal breaches. Many such cases are driven by distorted views of familial relationships, which lead to the breakdown of family ethics and ultimately ruin one’s own future and shatter the happy lives of family members. These incidents severely erode Party and government conduct, damaging the image of the Party and the government.

Family ties become distorted, giving rise to indulgence and overindulgence. Some people feel they’ve spent too little time and energy on showing filial piety toward their parents, spending insufficient time with their spouses and children, providing inadequate education for their offspring, or offering sufficient mutual support among siblings. Driven by a “compensation mentality,” they make wrong choices between public and private interests, emotions and the law—willingly wielding public authority to pursue private gains for their families and tacitly allowing family members to exploit their influence to act in violation of regulations. Others, faced with unreasonable demands from their loved ones, unconditionally give in, always granting whatever is asked, mistaking indulgence for genuine care and substituting material compensation for emotional companionship. Such behavior may appear warm and tender on the surface, but in reality, it brings nothing but harm.

If one’s own conduct is improper, it can negatively influence one’s family members. Some individuals harbor serious privileges and consider themselves superior to others; in their work, they flaunt “authority” and seek “special treatment,” while in their daily lives, they pursue “luxury” and relish a sense of “superiority.” Family members, seeing this behavior, tend to imitate it blindly, engaging in reckless comparisons and ostentatious displays of wealth. They become arrogant and condescending, giving orders left and right, thereby causing harmful social repercussions. Others have distorted values and warped perceptions of power, even indoctrinating their children with the erroneous notion that “being an official means getting rich.” They take for granted that their children will exploit their public authority to pursue personal gain and enjoy special privileges, pushing their offspring perilously close to disciplinary violations and even criminal activities.

Behind the scenes and in public view, familial corruption is rampant. Some individuals harbor a deeply entrenched “official-centric” mindset, using their official rank and wealth as the sole yardstick for measuring personal worth. They take pride in being able to “handle private matters” for relatives and “save face” for the family, engaging extensively in “inbreeding” and promoting relatives to positions of power while bestowing upon them lucrative benefits. Others treat the authority in their hands as their family’s private fiefdom, tacitly permitting and even encouraging their relatives to secretly collect money, amass wealth, and engage in business for personal gain—engaging in blatant quid pro quo deals between power and money and reaping enormous ill-gotten profits. This “family-style corruption” has reached an extreme level, seriously disrupting economic order, undermining social fairness and justice, and damaging the political ecosystem within the Party.

Shao Haifeng: Since the advent of the new era, the Party Central Committee has introduced a series of regulations and institutional frameworks that set forth clear requirements for the building of family values, family education, and family traditions among Party members and leading cadres. The "Code of Conduct for Integrity and Self-Discipline of the Communist Party of China" calls on Party members and leading cadres to "practice integrity within their families and take the lead in cultivating sound family traditions." The "Several Guidelines on Intra-Party Political Life under New Conditions" stipulates that "leading cadres, especially senior cadres, must pay close attention to their families, family education, and family traditions, and effectively educate and manage their relatives and staff members around them." The "Opinions on Strengthening the Construction of an Integrity Culture in the New Era" further emphasizes that the building of family traditions should be regarded as an important component of the conduct-building efforts for leading cadres. It is evident that improper family conduct among Party members and cadres—especially among leading cadres—is by no means a private matter. Once they cross the disciplinary red line, they will inevitably pay a heavy price.

Among these cases, some involve violations of integrity discipline. If a Party member or cadre, after using their official authority or influence derived from their position to secure benefits for others, unwittingly allows their spouse, children, or spouses of their children—other close relatives—to accept property or other benefits without their knowledge, they shall be held accountable under the Party’s disciplinary regulations according to Article 94 of the "Regulations on Disciplinary Actions of the Communist Party of China" (hereinafter referred to as the "Regulations"). If a leading Party member or cadre knowingly tolerates their relatives’ use of their position or status to seek special treatment, privileges, or personal gain—for instance, failing to correct instances where relatives improperly obtain remuneration, or failing to intervene when relatives engage in business activities within the scope of their jurisdiction that could compromise their impartial performance of official duties—such conduct shall be subject to Party disciplinary action pursuant to Articles 96 and 107 of the Regulations. If a leading Party member or cadre uses their official authority or influence to secure benefits for their relatives in areas such as approval and supervision, resource development, financial lending, large-scale procurement, transfer of land-use rights, real estate development, engineering bidding, and public fiscal revenue and expenditure; or provides assistance to relatives in obtaining deposits, promoting financial products, or operating special resources such as high-end local specialties, thereby securing personal gains for them; or if they illegally grant special treatment to relatives in transportation, medical care, security, or other related fields, they shall be held accountable under the Party’s disciplinary regulations according to Article 104, Article 109, and other relevant provisions of the Regulations.

Some individuals have violated discipline in their daily lives. If Party member leading cadres fail to attach sufficient importance to the building of family ethos and neglect the supervision and education of their family members, thereby causing adverse effects or serious consequences—for instance, if their family members, taking advantage of their status as spouses, children, or spouses of children of these leading cadres, interfere in matters within the leading cadre’s purview, such as work assignments and personnel arrangements, seeking improper benefits, or even violating social public order and good morals, or even committing illegal or criminal acts—then, in accordance with Article 152 of the Regulations, Party member leading cadres shall be held accountable under Party discipline.

Moreover, if Party members and cadres fail to promptly correct problems related to improper family conduct, they may even be suspected of committing official misconduct. Article 33 of the "Administrative Disciplinary Measures for Public Officials of the People's Republic of China" stipulates that those who indulge or tacitly approve specific persons with close ties to them to exploit their own authority or influence in their official capacities for personal gain shall be subject to disciplinary measures commensurate with the severity of the circumstances. If such behavior is allowed to continue unchecked, minor quantitative changes may eventually lead to qualitative transformation, potentially resulting in criminal offenses involving official duties. For example, if a Party member or cadre uses their official authority or influence to benefit others, and either explicitly instructs or implicitly approves relatives to accept property on their behalf, this could constitute joint bribery. In other cases, when relatives take advantage of the Party member or cadre’s official actions to secure undue benefits for others and accept property from those others, they may be suspected of accepting bribes through the abuse of influence.

How can we strengthen daily supervision, deliver effective educational warnings, and urge Party members and cadres—especially leading officials—to examine themselves and set a good example, while strictly managing their relatives and children?

Cui Shiping: Cultivating a sound family ethos is an essential lesson for Party members and cadres, and also a crucial component of building a culture of integrity in the new era. Party members and cadres—especially leading officials—should examine themselves carefully, set a good example, and strictly manage their relatives and children, thereby solidifying the family’s defenses against corruption and moral decay.

Place greater emphasis on strengthening daily supervision. Integrate family ethos development into the study and education of Party members and cadres—for instance, by focusing on themes such as “Family ethos is closely linked to Party and governmental conduct” in thematic Party classes. Start with both positive guidance and cautionary warnings to help Party members and cadres deepen their understanding of the importance of family ethos development. Extend educational activities into the family setting by organizing events like the essay contest “A Good Family Letter: Passing on a Fine Family Ethos” and sharing sessions on family traditions and precepts, encouraging Party members and cadres to engage together with their relatives and children, thus turning integrity requirements into a shared family consensus. Closely monitor key groups: during integrity talks with newly promoted officials, those in critical positions, and young cadres, make family ethos development a mandatory topic of discussion. Educate Party members and cadres—especially leading officials—to set a good example by managing their families responsibly and maintaining harmonious family relationships. Strengthen supervision outside working hours by leveraging coordinated efforts among community Party organizations and facilitating open channels for public oversight, thereby gaining a deeper understanding of Party members and cadres’ family ethos development. Promptly issue reminders and urge corrections whenever any emerging or potential problems are identified.

Improve the education and warning mechanism. Treat the production of educational warning videos, innovative approaches to conducting warning education, and effectively following up on case investigations as key measures for comprehensively promoting the “three no-corruption” goals. By thoroughly investigating the root causes behind cases and identifying systemic vulnerabilities, we can produce thematic educational warning videos focused on family values and integrity, compile and publish confessions from those involved, and organize cadres and their families to watch these materials together, ensuring that the principle—“if one family member is corrupt, the entire family will suffer”—is deeply ingrained in their minds and hearts. At the same time, regularly arrange for Party members and cadres to observe trials of official misconduct cases and watch educational warning videos, using “events happening around us” to educate “those around us.” This approach aims to profoundly shock and deeply move Party members and cadres ideologically, keeping them constantly alert and resolute as they face the ongoing “exam” ahead.

By institutionalizing supervision and making education more concrete, we can create a synergistic effect of self-discipline among cadres, family support for integrity, and strict management by the organization, thereby promoting upright conduct among Party members and officials and fostering positive family values, and thus solidifying the family’s defensive line against corruption and moral decay.

Weichang Building: General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized, “Every leading cadre must place the building of family ethos in a prominent position, cultivate integrity in oneself and practice integrity within the family. While managing oneself strictly, they must also hold their spouses, children, and staff members to high standards.” Party members and cadres—especially leading cadres—must attach great importance to the building of family ethos, fulfill their responsibilities of strict management and education, and set an exemplary example in establishing a sound family ethos.

Focus on key priorities and strengthen daily supervision. Party members and cadres—especially leading officials—should proactively accept oversight. Party committees (Party groups) should regard the building of family ethos among cadres as an important component of routine supervision and management. During pre-appointment integrity talks with cadres, they should remind cadres to pay attention to the construction of their family traditions, education, and ethos. They should also conduct random checks and verifications of reports on personal matters submitted by leading cadres, gaining insight into the business activities and enterprise ventures of their spouses, children, and other relatives. Through integrity home visits and family forums, they can better understand the state of family ethos. For emerging or potential problems, timely reminders should be issued, addressing issues early and at their smallest scale. Disciplinary inspection and supervision authorities should closely monitor key groups—including “leading officials,” young cadres, newly promoted cadres, and those in critical positions—gaining a clear understanding of their activities outside working hours, as well as the business activities of their spouses and children. They should intensify daily supervision, guide party members and cadres—especially leading officials—to attach great importance to the building of family ethos, education, and traditions, and always serve as role models for their families.

Uphold coordinated efforts and deepen warning and educational initiatives. To ensure that warning and education are both thorough and effective, we must focus on key areas, take the initiative in planning, and conduct in-depth analyses of typical cases involving improper family conduct within our immediate circles. Through various methods—including holding warning and education meetings, watching warning and education films, compiling and distributing warning and education manuals, visiting warning and education bases, and observing court trials—we will carry out targeted and tiered warning and education programs for officials and their families, encouraging them to learn from these cases, examine themselves critically, and properly balance public and private interests, as well as emotions and the law. We will also strictly manage relatives and children.

Strengthen systems thinking and establish long-term mechanisms. Building family ethos is a systematic undertaking that requires the active participation of various relevant entities, including Party organizations, disciplinary inspection and supervision authorities, organizational and personnel departments, publicity departments, and women’s federations. It is essential to establish mechanisms for collaboration and coordination, and to plan and implement these efforts in an integrated manner. We should organically integrate family ethos building with the development of a culture of integrity for the new era, the promotion of traditional Chinese virtues, and the practice of core socialist values. To this end, we should set up joint conference systems and interdepartmental coordination mechanisms, and promote the regular implementation of activities such as family-based anti-corruption initiatives, exhibitions of family rules and precepts, sharing of family ethos stories, and integrity-focused home visits. Furthermore, we should advance family ethos building in tandem with the education of Party members and cadres, establishing daily education mechanisms and incorporating family ethos education into activities such as discipline and law lectures and cautionary education sessions.

How can Party members and cadres—especially leading cadres—set a good example, truly put self-cultivation and family management into practice, and cultivate a sound work ethic through positive family traditions?

Shao Haifeng: Party members and cadres—especially leading officials—must not only set an example by starting with themselves but also establish rules through concrete actions, cultivating a clean and upright atmosphere in every small detail of daily life.

Cultivate personal integrity and forge a strong spiritual foundation to solidify the roots of family ethos. When Party members and cadres—especially leading officials—themselves become role models characterized by political steadfastness and upright conduct, their families will have the most vivid “textbook,” and family ethos building will thus acquire a solid foundation. We must strengthen theoretical education, consistently using the Party’s innovative theories to unite hearts and fortify spirits, and firmly establish correct views on power, achievements, and career. We must enhance self-discipline, constantly nurturing loyalty, always reflecting on our responsibilities toward the people, and consistently upholding integrity, thereby maintaining noble moral character and healthy lifestyle interests. Above all, we must lead by example, earnestly shouldering the responsibility of educating and guiding our family members, and focusing on cultivating in them a sense of discipline and lawfulness, a fine tradition of hard work and simplicity, and a spirit of striving for self-reliance.

Draw a clear red line for family ethos through strict management and sincere care. "Managing one's family" is the unity of strict management and heartfelt care. Party members and cadres—especially leading officials—should show their love for their families in a “responsible” manner. They must establish sound family rules and clearly define boundaries, paying close attention to cultivating their family members' awareness of discipline and the law. They should educate their family members to understand and abide by the law, distinguish right from wrong, and consciously resist all kinds of temptations and corruption. They must set high standards for their family members, guiding and encouraging them to be self-reliant, strive hard, and avoid relying on their own power and status to seek personal gain. They must fortify the family’s defense line by proactively and truthfully reporting personal matters to the organization, frequently engaging in heart-to-heart talks with their family members, keeping abreast of their thoughts, work, and living conditions, promptly identifying and correcting any emerging or potential problems, and ensuring that an honest and upright family ethos becomes a solid barrier against unhealthy trends and evil influences.

Enrich the connotations of family ethos through a sense of responsibility and commitment. Family ethos is an important component of social ethos, and a positive family ethos is crucial for fostering a wholesome atmosphere throughout society. Party members and cadres—especially leading officials—must take the lead in inheriting and promoting the fine traditional virtues of Chinese families, cultivate exemplary family ethos, and attach great importance to the development of civilized families. They should consciously carry forward the red family ethos of revolutionary predecessors, infusing their family ethos and education with the patriotic spirit of steadfast faith and loyalty to the Party, the fine tradition of thrift and hard work, and the integrity of self-discipline and avoidance of privilege. By setting high standards for themselves and managing their families accordingly, they can ensure that family ethos and personal conduct are aligned. It is essential to closely integrate the building of family ethos with fulfilling one’s duties and responsibilities. Actively share with family members the philosophy of serving the people, recount experiences and gains from serving the public at work, and help family members understand and support your professional endeavors, thus creating a mutually reinforcing relationship between family life and career. We must nurture a sense of social responsibility and patriotic sentiment within our families, aligning individual values with societal values, and jointly foster a new ethos of socialist family civilization characterized by love for both country and family, mutual affection, striving for goodness, and shared prosperity.

Cui Shiping: Party members and cadres—especially leading officials—should consciously set an example by practicing integrity and self-discipline, exercising power with integrity, and maintaining integrity within their families.

Emphasize the importance of leading by example and solidifying the family foundation of loyalty to the Party. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, “The family is a person’s first classroom, and parents are a child’s first teachers.” As the backbone of their families, Party members and cadres should set a good example and strive to become role models in loving and safeguarding the Party. In daily life, they should guide their relatives and children to take firm faith as their root, sincere loyalty as their soul, and an upright and honest style as their foundation, ensuring that love for the Party and the country takes deep root within the family.

We should place great emphasis on inheriting and promoting the rich cultural heritage of self-cultivation and family harmony. The Chinese nation boasts a time-honored tradition of family education and family ethos. Confucius’s admonition, “Without learning propriety, one cannot establish oneself,” and Zhu Xi’s family precepts, “Even a thread or a bit of silk—always remember how hard it is to come by,” both embody the principle of cultivating a righteous heart and upholding moral integrity. The red family ethos is an essential component of China’s fine family traditions. Mao Zedong urged his children to “endure hardship, seek knowledge, make progress, and strive upward,” while Zhu De established family rules emphasizing “cultivating virtue and nurturing people, and practicing diligence and frugality in managing the household.” These examples vividly demonstrate the Communist Party members’ commitment to self-discipline, strict self-cultivation, and integrity in managing their families, and they carry profound spiritual strength. Party members and cadres, especially leading officials, should earnestly study and practice these fine traditions, tailor them to the demands of the times, and formulate practical and feasible family rules and precepts. By transforming abstract family ethos into concrete behavioral guidelines, they can guide their relatives and children to develop sound “three outlooks.”

Uphold integrity in the exercise of power and strictly adhere to the ethical bottom line of self-discipline and public service. As every word and deed of Party members and cadres—especially leading officials—serves as a “reference point” for their family members and children, they must deeply internalize the requirements of “upholding noble moral principles, observing public ethics, and practicing strict personal morality.” They must adopt a bottom-line mindset of clearly distinguishing between public and private interests, manage the power entrusted to them with rigor, and set exemplary standards through concrete actions of exercising power impartially. This will guide their family members and children to firmly stand on the right side when faced with right and wrong, clearly draw the line between public and private interests, and strictly abide by disciplinary and legal boundaries in all matters and duties, always ensuring that they neither overstep their authority nor violate regulations.

Strengthen educational constraints to prevent family members and children from engaging in inappropriate conduct. The achievements and honors of Party members and cadres—especially leading officials—are not a basis for their relatives and children to flaunt themselves or act recklessly. We must educate our families to abandon any sense of privilege and always uphold the bottom line: "Never engage in unjust acts, never seek ill-gotten gains." When family members or children make mistakes or behave inappropriately, we must never tolerate or condone such behavior. Instead, we should immediately take a firm stance, offer serious criticism, and issue timely reminders. This attitude of zero tolerance and no favoritism is the deepest form of love and care we can show our family members. Only by adopting this approach can we truly safeguard the long-term peace and happiness of our families.