Tongfang Academy
Micro Party Class · Issue 350
The fight against corruption in the new era has enabled the Party to gain historical initiative.
“Theoretical cultivation is the core of the comprehensive quality of Party members and cadres. Theoretical maturity is the foundation for political maturity, and political steadfastness stems from theoretical clarity.” For Party members and cadres, fostering a fine academic style and strengthening theoretical education are both fundamental requirements for cultivating Party spirit and an inescapable political responsibility.
Tongfang Law Firm provides all its lawyers with learning opportunities in the form of micro-party classes, thereby enhancing their ideological and political awareness as well as their spirit of learning and inquiry. By establishing a long-term educational mechanism, the firm has created a new platform for self-education and self-improvement.
At the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that, having entered a new era and facing prominent challenges in Party conduct and integrity building as well as the fight against corruption, we have consistently upheld the principle of investigating and punishing all corruption and cracking down on all greed, continuously purifying our cadre ranks, safeguarding the Party’s image, consolidating our red江山 (red territory), and gaining historical initiative in ensuring that the Party remains unchanged in its nature, color, and flavor. We have also gained historical initiative in rallying and leading the entire people to jointly strive for the great cause of building a strong country and achieving national rejuvenation. Deeply understanding this important statement is of great significance for us to firm up our confidence, remain clear-headed, advance the fight against corruption in greater depth, and use great self-revolution to lead great social revolution.
The fight against corruption in the new era has secured a historic initiative to ensure that the Party remains unchanged in its nature, color, and flavor.
Since the 18th National Congress of the Party, our Party has demonstrated a high degree of self-awareness in carrying out self-revolution, severely punishing corruption, promptly removing the viruses that erode the Party’s healthy body, and continuously enhancing its political immunity. As a result, the Party’s creativity, cohesion, and combat effectiveness have been significantly strengthened.
In the new era, the fight against corruption has inherited and developed the Party’s advanced character of rejecting corruption and guarding against its resurgence. Ruthlessly purging corrupt elements within the Party and maintaining the purity of the membership are both an essential requirement for a Marxist political party and a key manifestation of its advanced nature. A Marxist political party takes the thorough liberation of all humanity as its highest ideal; it has no special interests of its own other than the interests of the working class and the broadest masses of the people. This very nature dictates that the Party cannot tolerate corruption in any form and will never allow corrupt elements to hide within its ranks. On this point, the classical Marxist writers have made many insightful observations. Marx said, “Our Party stands out in this 19th century precisely because of its spotless purity.” Engels pointed out, “When various decadent and vain elements can flaunt themselves without any hindrance, we must abandon policies of concealment and compromise—indeed, if necessary, we should not fear debate or even quarrels. A political party that would rather tolerate any fool running rampant and bullying within its ranks than openly refuse to acknowledge him is a party with no future.” Lenin stated, “As long as there is such a thing as bribery and corruption, as long as there is even the slightest possibility of bribery and corruption, there can be no talk of politics at all.” “Under conditions where bribery and corruption are permitted and rampant, enforcing the law will only lead to worse outcomes.”
Since its founding, the Communist Party of China has been highly vigilant against corruption and has resolutely punished it. This has been a crucial historical lesson that has enabled our Party to consistently win the heartfelt support of the people and remain at the forefront of the times—a red gene that our Party has upheld unswervingly and passed down from generation to generation. During the period of the New Democratic Revolution, our Party adopted strict discipline and stringent measures to firmly purge corrupt elements from the revolutionary ranks. In 1926, the Central Committee of the CPC issued the "Notice of the Expanded Central Meeting—Resolutely Purging Corrupt Elements." In 1927, the Fifth National Congress of the Party elected the Central Commission for Inspection. In 1933, the Central Executive Committee of the Chinese Soviet Republic issued Instruction No. 26 on the Punishment of Corruption and Wastefulness, which stipulated: "Those who embezzle public funds amounting to 500 yuan or more shall be sentenced to death." In 1938, the Shaan-Gan-Ning Border Region promulgated the "Interim Regulations on the Punishment of Corruption in the Shaan-Gan-Ning Border Region," which provided: "Those who embezzle sums exceeding 500 yuan shall be sentenced to death or to a fixed-term imprisonment of five years or more." At the very outset of the founding of New China, in order to consolidate the newly established regime, maintain the purity of the Party membership, and prevent weak-willed members within the Party from being undermined by seductive temptations, our Party promptly launched campaigns of rectification and reorganization as well as the "Three Anti" and "Five Anti" movements, resolutely purging corrupt elements and executing Liu Qingshan and Zhang Zishan. Comrade Mao Zedong said, "The big corrupt officials are enemies of the people; they are no longer our comrades or friends. Therefore, we must resolutely, thoroughly, and completely eliminate them without the slightest hesitation or sympathy." In the new era of reform and opening up and socialist modernization, in response to the new situations and challenges facing Party conduct and integrity building under market economic conditions, our Party has focused on perfecting the system for punishing and preventing corruption, persistently fighting against corruption, and making significant progress in addressing two historic tasks: enhancing the Party's governance capacity and leadership level, and improving its ability to resist corruption, prevent degeneration, and fend off risks.
As we enter a new era, the Party Central Committee—with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core—has embraced the mission and responsibility of “offending thousands but failing to let down 1.4 billion people.” It adheres to the principles of zero tolerance, full coverage, and no forbidden zones; insists on strong deterrence, high-pressure enforcement, and long-term intimidation; pursues both bribe-givers and bribe-takers with equal rigor; and commits to investigating every reported case and punishing every instance of corruption. With the determination to use powerful remedies to cure deep-seated ills and severe punishments to restore order, the Party has launched an unprecedented campaign against corruption—“hitting tigers,” “swatting flies,” and “hunting foxes”—achieving remarkable results in the fight against corruption. As a result, the Party’s advanced qualities of resisting corruption and preventing degeneration have been further promoted and amplified, ensuring that it remains true to its original aspirations despite enduring vicissitudes and retains its authentic character despite weathering countless storms.
In the new era, the fight against corruption has strengthened the Party’s ability to resist corruption and prevent its recurrence. In response to the new requirements for Party building arising from evolving situations and tasks, our Party has actively explored effective approaches for self-purification, self-improvement, self-renewal, and self-enhancement. We have vigorously promoted theoretical innovation grounded in practice, continuously deepened our understanding of the laws governing the Communist Party’s governance and the rules of its own development, and thus developed General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important thoughts on Party building. These thoughts provide profound answers to the major contemporary questions of what kind of long-term ruling Marxist party we should build and how we should build such a party. Moreover, they have given rise to General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important ideas on the Party’s self-revolution, offering incisive responses to critical questions such as why we must carry out self-revolution, why we are capable of doing so, and how we can advance it effectively. These important ideas provide scientific guidance for further advancing comprehensive and strict governance of the Party, thereby enhancing the scientific nature, foresight, systematicness, and creativity of Party management and governance. Our Party has accumulated richer experience in combating all kinds of corrupt elements, becoming increasingly adept at grasping the underlying patterns and characteristics of the anti-corruption struggle. The methods we employ to detect and investigate corruption cases have become ever more scientific, and our arsenal of tools has grown ever more diverse. We have identified a comprehensive set of effective strategies, measures, and approaches for both punishing and preventing corruption, establishing a systemic mechanism that simultaneously deters, disables, and dissuades corruption. As a result, the fight against corruption has become more methodical, more forceful, and more effective. Through the practice of anti-corruption efforts, we have forged an ironclad team of discipline inspection and supervision officials who are loyal, clean, responsible, and courageous in their fight against corruption—thus elevating the capacity of Party organizations and Party members at all levels to resist corruption and prevent its recurrence.
The fight against corruption in the new era has fostered a powerful momentum within the Party to resist corruption and prevent its recurrence. Facts eloquently demonstrate that, in contemporary China, there is no one untouchable, no “golden charter of immunity,” no “hereditary princes” immune to scrutiny, no so-called “safe havens” beyond reach, and no forbidden zones that cannot or will not be investigated—this has become a widespread consensus across the entire Party and society. After more than a decade of anti-corruption efforts, the initiative of Party organizations at all levels in preventing and combating corruption has significantly increased; the vigilance of the vast number of Party members and cadres toward integrity risks has markedly risen; and the enthusiasm of the general public in exercising oversight has greatly intensified. The value concept of “integrity brings honor, while corruption invites shame” has taken deep root in people’s hearts. By using the fight against corruption to promote clean officials, a clean government, and transparent politics, we are ensuring that the Party remains unchanged in its nature, color, and flavor—and this will continue to be a major historical task for Party governance, a crucial political responsibility for all Party members, and a shared aspiration of all the Chinese people. The momentum thus generated will surely be irresistible and invincible, making it exceedingly difficult for corrupt elements to feel secure, leaving them with nowhere to hide and no escape from detection.
The fight against corruption in the new era has won for the Party the historical initiative to unite and lead all the people in jointly striving toward the great cause of building a strong country and achieving national rejuvenation.
To forge iron, one must first be strong oneself. Having been tempered through the anti-corruption campaign of the new era, the Party’s political leadership, ideological guidance, ability to organize the masses, and capacity to rally society have all been significantly strengthened, providing a solid guarantee for fully advancing the cause of building a strong country and achieving national rejuvenation through Chinese-style modernization.
The fight against corruption in the new era has made the Party’s leadership stronger and more effective. Corruption weakens the Party’s leadership, undermines its combat effectiveness, and hinders the implementation of the Party’s theories, guidelines, and policies. Our Party is committed to firmly upholding the authority of the Party Central Committee and ensuring its centralized and unified leadership. We have stepped up political oversight, treating the thorough implementation of major decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee and the important instructions and directives of General Secretary Xi Jinping as top priorities. We are resolutely cracking down on violations of political discipline and rules, effectively preventing instances of failing to carry out orders or ignoring prohibitions, making selective choices, seeking loopholes, or watering down policies. We are working hard to remove bottlenecks, blockages, and difficulties in the process of policy implementation, thus ensuring that the Party Central Committee’s commands are strictly obeyed and enforced. In 2024, disciplinary inspection and supervision agencies at all levels across the country disciplined a total of 12,000 individuals for violating political discipline. We have rigorously addressed the “seven types of problems,” thoroughly investigated and exposed “double-faced individuals,” and eliminated serious hidden dangers within the Party, the state, and the military, thereby safeguarding the Party’s unity and solidarity. We have also resolutely tackled corruption cases involving intertwined political and economic issues, effectively preventing interest groups, powerful factions, and privileged classes from infiltrating, interfering with, and seizing state power. This ensures that the Party always governs according to the common aspirations and fundamental interests of the people, and that leading cadres at all levels always use the power entrusted to them by the people to serve the people’s interests.
The fight against corruption in the new era injects powerful positive energy into economic and social development. Fairness and justice are essential conditions for the healthy development of the economy and society, and corruption represents the greatest form of injustice. Severely punishing corruption is a robust measure to foster a market-oriented, rule-of-law-based, and internationally competitive business environment, as well as to safeguard and promote social fairness and justice. By vigorously addressing corruption in areas where power is concentrated, funds are abundant, and resources are rich—such as finance, state-owned enterprises, energy, tobacco, pharmaceuticals, sports, infrastructure projects, and bidding and tendering—we are firmly cracking down on corrupt practices like extortion, bribery, and petty corruption. We are also making concerted efforts to break down market barriers and local protectionism, narrow the space for rent-seeking and privilege-seeking, reduce inappropriate government intervention, and build a new type of clean and close relationship between government and businesses. In doing so, we have removed obstacles that hinder the market’s decisive role in resource allocation and impede the government’s ability to play its proper role. Through the serious investigation and handling of a series of major cases in the financial sector, we have promptly eliminated hidden financial risks and firmly upheld the bottom line of preventing systemic financial risks. By tackling misconduct and corruption affecting people’s daily lives in sectors such as education, healthcare, elderly care, social security, ecological protection, work safety, food and drug safety, and funeral services, we have protected the pension savings and life-saving funds of the people, safeguarded the basic livelihoods of the population, and effectively promoted the development of people’s welfare programs. By deepening reform of the discipline inspection and supervision system and improving the Party and state’s oversight framework, we are advancing the refinement and development of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics and promoting the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity, thereby significantly enhancing the effectiveness of national governance. It can be said that the fight against corruption serves both as a “barrier remover” and a “booster” for economic and social development, as well as a guardian and promoter of social fairness and justice. Without strong anti-corruption efforts, it would be extremely difficult to write a new chapter in the “two great miracles”—rapid economic growth and long-term social stability.
In the new era, the fight against corruption has rallied the mighty strength of all the people working together to achieve this great cause. Only by punishing evil and promoting good, and upholding justice, can we ensure unity of purpose and harmony of spirit, thereby pooling our collective strength. Our Party firmly investigates and deals with corruption in personnel selection and appointment, rectifies unhealthy practices in these areas, and promotes the establishment of a sound orientation for selecting and appointing officials. As a result, the vast majority of Party members and cadres are fully committed to their duties without any concern about seeking personal gain through connections or favoritism, thus greatly boosting their enthusiasm and vigor in work and entrepreneurship. We adhere to the principle of simultaneously investigating and addressing both corruption and unhealthy tendencies—combating corruption through tackling unhealthy practices and using unhealthy practices as a starting point for uncovering corruption. By thoroughly probing into the corrupt practices hidden behind unhealthy trends, such as the illicit transfer of interests, we have brought about a fresh and revitalized atmosphere in Party conduct and government integrity, continuously improving social norms and public morals, constantly purifying the political ecosystem within the Party, and strengthening the bonds between the Party and the people, as well as between Party officials and the masses. We resolutely oppose privileged thinking and privileged phenomena, and severely investigate and punish “nepotistic corruption” and “corruption among officials’ families,” ensuring that the erroneous notion of “when one person rises, even chickens and dogs ascend to heaven” has no place in society. Through concrete actions and tangible results in the fight against corruption, our Party has further consolidated its governing foundation, greatly rallying the hearts of Party members, the military, and the people, and creating a vibrant situation in which everyone’s heart is turned toward the Party and the whole world is united in support of it.
Turn historical initiative into a powerful driving force for deepening the fight against corruption.
The historic initiative our Party has achieved in the fight against corruption in the new era has been hard-won and deeply cherished. It has laid a solid foundation and provided favorable conditions for us to bolster our confidence and seize the momentum to move forward. We must, with the tenacity and determination to remain on the path forever, exert our efforts precisely, sustain them continuously, and coordinate them synergistically, resolutely winning the tough battles, protracted struggles, and overall war against corruption.
Maintain strategic composure. At present, the situation in the fight against corruption remains grave and complex, and the task of eradicating the soil and conditions that give rise to corruption is still daunting and arduous. The existing stock of corruption has yet to be fully eliminated, while new cases continue to emerge. Corruption involving collusion between government officials and business interests poses a serious threat to the security of the state’s political regime. Corruption is particularly prevalent and frequent in key positions and critical areas. Regions where power is concentrated, funds are abundant, and resources are rich remain hotbeds of corruption. Corruption close to the people persists despite repeated efforts to curb it, and new and hidden forms of corruption keep emerging with ever more sophisticated methods. The political environment within the Party has not yet been thoroughly purified; the mechanisms for supervising and restraining the exercise of power remain imperfect; remnants of feudal thinking continue to exert influence; the decadent culture of capitalism keeps eroding us; and some localities and departments have failed to effectively implement their responsibilities for comprehensively enforcing strict Party governance. In light of this, we must maintain an exceptionally clear-headed perspective and deeply recognize that the fight against corruption is a major political struggle that we cannot afford to lose—and must never allow ourselves to lose. This struggle concerns whether the Party can stay true to its original aspirations and mission, uphold its nature and purpose, ultimately prevail in the great-power competition, and smoothly advance Chinese-style modernization. We must always maintain a profound sense of vigilance. We must also deeply understand that our Party has grown and strengthened through long-term struggles against corruption, and especially in the new era, we have seized historical initiative in the fight against corruption. We are fully capable of achieving even greater victories in this new era and on this new journey, and we must always remain firmly confident of victory. We must profoundly recognize that blind optimism—expecting quick and decisive victories or believing that the fight against corruption can be won once and for all—along with negative pessimism—thinking that the more we fight, the more corrupt we become—or failing to distinguish right from wrong—believing that anti-corruption efforts undermine economic development and demoralize cadres—are all mistaken and harmful ideas. We must always maintain strong resilience and ensure that our thinking and actions are fully aligned with the Party Central Committee’s scientific assessment of the situation and its strategic decisions on the fight against corruption.
We must promote, in a coordinated manner, the principles of "daring not to be corrupt, being unable to be corrupt, and having no desire to be corrupt." The integrated approach of "daring not to be corrupt, being unable to be corrupt, and having no desire to be corrupt" reveals the fundamental laws governing anti-corruption efforts. It is not only the basic guiding principle for combating corruption but also a crucial pathway for eradicating the very conditions and breeding grounds that give rise to corruption. We must continue to step up our efforts and maintain a firm, relentless stance against corruption—showing no fear, taking no prisoners, never backing down or making any concessions. We must keep the sword of justice ever-sharp and sustain an unrelenting offensive. Those who refuse to stop or curb their corrupt practices will face zero tolerance and unwavering prosecution. We will severely punish all forms of corruption involving collusion between officials and business interests—such as using business profits to support officials, using official positions to protect businesses, and the integration of official and business interests. We must focus particularly on systematically addressing areas where power is concentrated, funds are heavily invested, and resources are abundant; we must thoroughly investigate and uncover new and hidden forms of corruption. We must persistently tackle corruption at the grassroots level, close to the people, and intensify efforts to combat cross-border corruption. We must continue to strengthen our efforts and further reform and improve systems aimed at preventing corruption. In the course of deepening comprehensive reforms, we must place greater emphasis on using institutional mechanisms to regulate power, manage affairs, and govern personnel. We must scientifically allocate power, strictly regulate its exercise, and effectively supervise it, continuously refining and perfecting the oversight and restraint mechanisms governing the exercise of power. In handling specific cases, we must place even greater emphasis on using each case as an opportunity for reform and governance, identifying systemic weaknesses, promptly improving existing institutions, plugging institutional loopholes, and filling institutional gaps. We must also continue to intensify our efforts and strengthen education aimed at fostering a mindset that deters corruption. We must educate and guide Party members and cadres to build strong ideological defenses, establish a correct view of power, and practice a proper understanding of political achievements. They must genuinely ensure that they wield power justly, lawfully, for the benefit of the people, and with integrity. We must enhance warning and educational campaigns, urging Party members and cadres to learn from others’ experiences and reflect on themselves, firmly uphold the bottom line of integrity, remain highly vigilant against various “hunting” traps, and preserve the political character of Communists—remaining incorruptible and forever free from moral decay.
Consolidate the powerful synergy in the fight against corruption. Promoting the fight against corruption is a shared responsibility of the entire Party, requiring concerted efforts and coordinated actions from all parties involved. We must promote economic and social development as well as the fight against corruption in a coordinated manner. Party committees and governments at all levels should assess corruption risks when planning development, incorporate anti-corruption measures into work arrangements, and pay close attention to identifying and promptly addressing potential corruption risks during implementation and supervision. The fight against corruption must be integrated and coordinated with the Party’s political development, ideological development, organizational development, work style development, disciplinary development, and institutional development, fully leveraging the crucial roles of political oversight, ideological education, organizational management, work style rectification, disciplinary enforcement, and institutional improvement in preventing and combating corruption. We must further refine the institutional framework for anti-corruption efforts—under the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee, with coordinated command by Party committees at all levels, organizational coordination by discipline inspection and supervisory agencies, efficient collaboration among functional departments, and active participation and support from the people—strengthening the political responsibility for comprehensively enforcing strict governance within the Party, consistently upholding a tone of rigor, adopting stringent measures, and fostering a rigorous atmosphere, thereby driving the fight against corruption deeper and achieving ever new successes.
Source | People's Daily Online, Official Website for Party History Study and Education
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