Tongfang Academy
Micro Party Class · Issue 318
Put hard work and thrift into practice.
“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.
“Looking back at the achievements of our forefathers—both in nation and family—we see that success stems from diligence and frugality, while failure arises from extravagance.” Hard work and thrift are time-honored virtues of the Chinese nation and also an excellent tradition of our Party. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: “No matter how high our country’s development reaches, no matter how much people’s lives improve, we must never abandon the spirit of hard work and thrift.” Recently, the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council issued the “Action Plan for Food Conservation and Anti-Food Waste,” which underscores the importance of hard work and thrift. On this new journey ahead, consistently upholding the principles of hard work and thrift is not only an objective necessity for tackling complex situations and arduous tasks, but also an inevitable choice for achieving Chinese-style modernization.
Frugality and simplicity, coupled with a firm rejection of extravagance, are time-honored treasures of our Party. Throughout the different historical periods—revolution, construction, and reform—our Party has consistently emphasized hard work and thrift, embodying the Party’s political essence. During the New Democratic Revolution, Comrade Mao Zedong called upon us to “save every single copper coin for the cause of war and revolution.” In the period of socialist revolution and construction, Comrade Mao Zedong further stated: “To make our country prosperous and strong will require several decades of arduous struggle, including the implementation of a policy of strict economy and opposition to waste—a principle of building the nation through diligence and frugality.” In the new era, General Secretary Xi Jinping has delivered a series of important speeches on hard work and thrift, emphasizing that “hard work and thrift are not only crucial guarantees for our journey so far and for our growth and development, but also vital assurances for us to carry forward the past and open up a new future and create even greater glory.” He has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to practicing strict economy and opposing extravagance in all aspects of state governance, leaving indelible marks wherever he has gone. It is precisely through hard work and thrift that our Party has led the people to tap into their wisdom and creativity, pour out their hard labor, and build today’s vibrant China, ensuring that Chinese-style modernization holds an exceptionally bright future.
Without thrift, no one can establish a firm footing; without thrift, no family can thrive; without thrift, any political party is bound to fail; and without thrift, any nation is destined to perish. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, China’s social productivity has continued to grow, and its economic strength has achieved a historic leap forward. In 2023, the country’s GDP exceeded 126 trillion yuan, and per capita GDP reached 12,700 US dollars, placing China among the leading middle-income nations, while people’s living standards have steadily improved. At the same time, however, extravagance and waste have begun to creep in. For instance, according to estimates by relevant organizations, China wastes about 920 billion jin of food each year. If we could recover even half of this waste, it would be enough to feed 190 million people for an entire year. This massive food waste not only squanders the hard work of farmers but also negates the gains made through agricultural innovation driven by scientific and technological advances, thereby undermining the very foundation of national food security. Thrift is the common virtue; extravagance is the greatest vice. We must not treat frugality and thrift as minor matters nor regard extravagance and waste as trivial issues. In fact, these are major issues that profoundly influence social morality and determine the rise and fall of a nation. To truly put hard work and thrift into practice, we must not only carry out extensive publicity and education and cultivate sound moral values, but also adopt effective measures and establish long-term mechanisms.
Strengthen labor education and lead social trends. Labor can cultivate moral integrity, enhance intellectual capacity, strengthen physical health, and foster aesthetic appreciation—it possesses powerful educational functions. Those who shun labor and delight in ease, having distanced themselves from productive work and lacking firsthand experience and thoughtful understanding of the labor process, inevitably lack empathy for working people and their achievements, and thus become more susceptible to the influence of extravagance and waste. We must intensify labor education, guiding people to adopt a correct view of labor, helping them deeply appreciate how hard-won and precious the fruits of labor are, and continuously enhancing their moral awareness of thrift and frugality. Together, we should create a robust social atmosphere in which wastefulness is shameful and thriftiness is honorable, ensuring that practicing thrift and opposing waste becomes a widespread norm throughout society and inspires people to create a better life through labor.
We must vigorously strengthen conduct building and solidify institutional safeguards. When Party conduct is upright and public morals are sound, a fine Party and government ethos can lead and inspire societal and folk customs. Upholding the spirit of hard work and frugality, our Party must take the lead and set an exemplary standard. We must fully leverage the leading and exemplary role of Party members and cadres, who should set a good example through their own actions and serve as role models. Starting from small matters and minor details, we should vigorously promote a culture of thrift and frugality, firmly reject extravagance and waste, and thereby foster resource conservation for the benefit of the people and build a prosperous nation through thrift. To ensure effective oversight and sustain the momentum of conduct building, we must rely on institutional mechanisms. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the Party Central Committee has issued the "Eight-Point Regulations" and the "Six Prohibitions," and formulated the "Regulations on Practicing Frugality and Opposing Waste in Party and Government Organs," providing robust institutional guarantees for practicing thrift and combating waste. We must strictly enforce these regulations, resolutely prevent superficial compliance or fleeting campaigns, and persistently carry forward the spirit of hard work and frugality to ensure that thrift and frugality become truly ingrained in practice.
Source | People's Daily Online, Official Website for Party History Study and Education
Prev:
Tongfang Academy Micro-Party Class, Issue 319: Promoting the Party’s innovative theories to resonate more deeply with the people.
Next:
Tongfang Academy Micro-Party Class, Issue 317: Shining the Pioneering Spirit of Party Members
