Tongfang Academy
Micro Party Class · Issue 286
Uphold the Party’s leadership over further comprehensive deepening of reform.
“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.
The “Decision of the CPC Central Committee on Further Deepening Comprehensive Reform and Promoting Chinese-style Modernization,” adopted at the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee (hereinafter referred to as the “Decision”), clearly defines the principles for further deepening comprehensive reform through “six坚持” (“Six Adherences”), placing “upholding the Party’s overall leadership” first. The “Decision” emphasizes: “The Party’s leadership is the fundamental guarantee for further deepening comprehensive reform and promoting Chinese-style modernization.” To do well in China’s affairs, the key lies in the Party. In further deepening comprehensive reform, we must unswervingly uphold and strengthen the Party’s overall leadership, integrate Party leadership into every aspect and the entire process of reform, ensure that reform always advances along the correct political direction, and open up a new chapter in the building of Chinese-style modernization.
Upholding the Party's leadership is the fundamental reason behind the historic achievements made in comprehensively deepening reform in the new era.
General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “Upholding the Party’s leadership and exercising strict governance over the Party in all respects are the key to and the foundation for the success of reform and opening-up.” The successful practices and great achievements made since the advent of the new era in comprehensively deepening reform fundamentally stem from the Party Central Committee—with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core—steering the ship and providing guidance, as well as from the scientific guidance provided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.
The leadership has formulated a comprehensive plan for deepening reform in an all-round way. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: “The Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee was also epoch-making, ushering in a new era of comprehensively deepening reform and systematically and holistically designing and advancing reform, thus opening up a brand-new chapter in China’s reform and opening-up drive.” As the practice of reform and opening-up and socialist modernization in the new era continues to move forward, China’s reform has gradually entered a critical stage and a deep-water zone. A series of long-accumulated contradictions have begun to overlap and intertwine, and a number of newly emerging, pressing issues urgently need to be addressed. Faced with these arduous and complex reform tasks, the Party Central Committee—with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core—has set the course and drawn up the blueprint, demonstrating great historical initiative, tremendous political courage, and a strong sense of responsibility as it pushes forward comprehensive deepening reform from this new historical starting point. In November 2013, the Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee adopted the “Decision of the CPC Central Committee on Several Major Issues Concerning Comprehensively Deepening Reform,” which laid out a systematic plan for comprehensively deepening reform and proposed the overarching goal of “improving and developing the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and promoting the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity.” The decision clearly defined the strategic priorities, order of priority, main areas of focus, working mechanisms, modes of advancement, and timetable and roadmap for comprehensively deepening reform. Under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee, comprehensive deepening reform is advancing with unprecedented determination and intensity.
We must advance comprehensive deepening of reform with great political courage and wisdom. The deeper the reform goes, the more complex and acute the conflicts of interest it touches upon—and inevitably, the greater the resistance and obstacles we will encounter. Every step forward is no easy feat. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “The Communist Party of China always represents the fundamental interests of the broadest masses of the people; it shares weal and woe with the people and stands by their side through thick and thin. It has no special interests of its own and has never represented the interests of any particular interest group, powerful clique, or privileged class.” In the process of comprehensively deepening reform, our Party dares to tackle tough challenges and venture into treacherous waters, constantly breaking through ideological barriers and overcoming entrenched interests, and resolutely addressing stubborn systemic and institutional problems. The courage for self-revolution is the Communist Party of China’s most distinctive trait and greatest strength—a key reason why the Party can unite and lead the people to overcome obstacles and deepen reform. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized the need to “advance reform with the spirit of self-revolution.” In the course of comprehensively deepening reform, “as long as a reform measure benefits the overall situation, promotes the development of the Party and the country, and helps establish sound and complete systems and mechanisms within our own system and field, we must consciously subordinate ourselves to the overall reform effort and serve the overall reform cause. We must have the courage for self-revolution, dare to face problems head-on, and work together to do a good job on this grand undertaking of comprehensively deepening reform.” The Communist Party of China consistently upholds the principle that the Party’s self-revolution should lead the great social revolution. We are deepening reform of the Party’s organizational system, promoting clean governance and fighting corruption, continuously purging, perfecting, innovating, and elevating the Party itself, and constantly enhancing the whole Party’s enthusiasm and initiative in advancing comprehensive deepening of reform.
We have accumulated valuable experience in comprehensively deepening reform. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, our Party has, with a sense of urgency and a spirit of seizing every moment, continuously transformed the grand blueprint for comprehensive deepening reform into vivid practices of Chinese-style modernization. In many fields, we have achieved historic transformations, systematic reshaping, and holistic reconstruction, providing the fundamental driving force and institutional guarantees for the historic achievements and transformative changes made by the Party and the country in the new era. Since the reform and opening-up—and especially during the journey of comprehensively deepening reform in the new era—our Party has created and accumulated a wealth of valuable reform experiences, which are prominently embodied in six key aspects: upholding the Party’s overall leadership, putting the people at the center, adhering to both upholding the correct principles and promoting innovation, taking institutional development as the main thread, pursuing comprehensive governance according to law, and adopting a systematic approach. These experiences provide a scientific methodological guide for further comprehensively deepening reform from this new historical starting point.
The Party's leadership is the fundamental guarantee for further deepening reform in a comprehensive manner and advancing Chinese-style modernization.
General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that “the greatest strength of the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics lies in the leadership of the Communist Party of China.” Chinese-style modernization is socialist modernization led by the Communist Party of China. The Party is the leading core for further deepening reform in a comprehensive manner and for fully advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-style modernization.
The Party’s comprehensive leadership is the fundamental political guarantee for further deepening reform in a comprehensive manner. Whether it’s the Party, the government, the military, the people, or academia—whether in the east, west, south, north, or center—the Party leads everything and serves as the highest political leadership force. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “Why has our country been able to maintain long-term stability without chaos? The fundamental reason lies in our unwavering adherence to the Communist Party’s leadership. The Party’s leadership is the ‘stabilizing anchor’ that ensures the continuous development of the Party and the country’s cause.” Further deepening reform in a comprehensive manner involves an even broader scope, touches upon deeper interests, and demands greater intensity of effort. The task of properly coordinating the relationship among reform, development, and stability becomes even more critical. Only the Party, with its own organizational and institutional advantages, can shoulder this heavy responsibility. To govern our large country well, we must uphold the Party’s comprehensive leadership—especially the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee—ensuring that the Party continues to play its pivotal role as the overall leader and coordinator of all parties throughout the process of further deepening reform in a comprehensive manner.
The Party’s innovative theories for the new era provide a powerful ideological weapon for further deepening reform in a comprehensive manner. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, “We adhere to using innovation in thought and theory to guide innovation in reform practice, and we use the summarization of practical experience to promote the enrichment and development of our thought and theory.” Further deepening reform in a comprehensive manner is a profound adjustment that affects the overall situation—a transformation that is all-round, deep-seated, and fundamental. It must be guided by the Party’s innovative theories for the new era. Our Party has always attached great importance to theoretical innovation and ideological education, consistently using the latest achievements of Marxism adapted to China’s context and the times to guide China’s revolutionary, construction, and reform practices. On this new journey, further deepening reform in a comprehensive manner even more urgently requires the guidance of scientific theories. We must continuously enrich our understanding of further deepening reform in the new era through theoretical innovation, and scientifically answer a series of major theoretical and practical questions, such as why we need to further deepen reform in the new era and how we should do it. We must uphold the guiding role of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era in driving reform, and—while constantly grasping the laws governing historical development and employing scientific methods—gain mastery over further deepening reform in a comprehensive manner, thus seizing the historical initiative in advancing the building of a strong country and the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
The Party possesses strong leadership capabilities for further deepening and comprehensively advancing reform. First, it has exceptional strategic planning capacity. From the “three-step” development strategy and the new “three-step” development strategy initiated since the reform and opening-up, to the strategic plan for building a modern socialist power in two steps in the new era, the Party has consistently emphasized strategic planning and top-level design, regarding the formulation of medium- and long-term plans for national economic and social development as the “first move” in leading reform and promoting socialist modernization. Guided by strategic planning, the Party-led reform and modernization efforts can always uphold overall design, coordinated integration, holistic advancement, and consistent implementation. Second, the Party demonstrates remarkable organizational mobilization capacity. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “Our socialist system boasts extraordinary organizational mobilization, coordinated integration, and implementation capabilities, enabling us to fully leverage the unique advantages of pooling resources to tackle major, difficult, and urgent tasks.” At the call of the Party Central Committee, it is able to organize and mobilize all sectors across the country, gathering tremendous strength to further deepen and comprehensively advance reform. Third, the Party has robust decision-making and implementation capacity. Ensuring that decisions are effectively implemented—the “last mile”—is crucial for driving reform forward. A sound mechanism for implementing decisions and deployments serves as an important guarantee for the Party’s leadership in further deepening and comprehensively advancing reform. General Secretary Xi Jinping attaches great importance to the ability of Party members and cadres to rigorously implement reforms, stressing the need to “strengthen our ability to ensure effective implementation, adhere to telling the truth, pursuing practical matters, devising concrete measures, and seeking real results.” The Party’s style of work—emphasizing pragmatism and focusing on implementation—helps ensure that all decisions and deployments for further deepening and comprehensively advancing reform are put into practice, enabling reform to continuously achieve substantive progress.
Uphold the Party’s overall leadership and ensure that reform always advances in the correct political direction.
Direction determines the path, and the path determines our destiny. To further deepen reform in a comprehensive and all-around manner, we must always uphold and strengthen the Party’s overall leadership, ensure that reform never halts and opening-up never stops, and steadily advance along the correct political course.
We must uphold the Party Central Committee’s centralized and unified leadership over further deepening reform in a comprehensive manner. As reform progresses deeper and becomes increasingly challenging, we must be thoroughly familiar with the “waters” and hold firm to the rudder; under no circumstances should we make disruptive mistakes on fundamental issues. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “Our reform and opening-up is guided by a clear direction, stance, and principles. Of course, we must continue to raise high the banner of reform, but our reform is one that steadily advances along the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics—neither retracing the old, closed, and rigid path nor taking the wrong path of changing banners while retaining the same essence.” No matter how much reform is carried out, we must absolutely remain unwavering in upholding the Party’s overall leadership, adhering to Marxism, staying true to the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and maintaining the people’s democratic dictatorship. At the same time, we must dare to innovate, thoroughly and effectively reform those aspects that need to be changed and can be changed, and once we have made a firm judgment, we must pursue them with unshakable determination. The Decision sets forth that the overarching goal of further deepening reform in a comprehensive manner is “to continue perfecting and developing the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and to advance the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity,” thereby clearly defining the fundamental direction for further deepening reform. To implement the overarching goal and all reform tasks for further deepening reform in a comprehensive manner, the key lies in the Party—and crucially, in strengthening Party leadership, especially the Party Central Committee’s centralized and unified leadership.
Ensure that the Party’s leadership is integrated into every aspect and the entire process of further deepening reform in a comprehensive manner. “Matters may be handled by various quarters, but the central authority must take the lead.” The “Two Establishments” are the decisive factors behind the historic achievements and transformative changes made by the Party and the country; the “Two Upholds” are the highest political principle and fundamental political norm for further deepening reform in a comprehensive manner. Only by deeply understanding the decisive significance of the “Two Establishments” and firmly upholding the “Two Upholds” can we ensure that the entire Party marches in step and obeys orders without question, and consistently guarantee that the major decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee on further deepening reform are fully implemented. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, “The Party’s leadership must be comprehensive, systematic, and holistic.” We must fully bring into play the Party’s core role in overseeing the overall situation and coordinating all parties, and ensure that the Party’s leadership is effectively implemented in every aspect and throughout the entire process of further deepening reform in a comprehensive manner. Party committees (Party groups) at all levels are responsible for implementing the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee, playing their leading roles in setting the direction, managing the overall situation, and ensuring implementation, thereby promoting the effective implementation and tangible results of all measures for further deepening reform in a comprehensive manner.
Enhancing the well-being of the people should serve as both the starting point and the ultimate goal for further deepening reform in a comprehensive manner. Whether or not reform succeeds hinges on the hearts and minds of the people; the sense of gain and level of recognition that the masses feel toward reform are crucial indicators for gauging the political direction of reform. The fundamental tenet of the Communist Party of China is to serve the people wholeheartedly. Since its inception, the Party has consistently regarded striving for the happiness of the people and the rejuvenation of the nation as its original aspiration and mission. Whenever the people voice their needs, reform must respond accordingly. Further deepening reform in a comprehensive manner ultimately aims to ensure that the fruits of reform are shared by all the people, enabling them to lead better lives. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “The fundamental purpose of our reform efforts is to make our country stronger and more prosperous, to build a fairer and more just society, and to enable our people to live better lives.” The people are the creators of history and the driving force behind further deepening reform in a comprehensive manner. Without the support of the masses, reform cannot be sustained. To further deepen reform comprehensively, we must closely rely on and unite the broad masses of the people in advancing reform, always safeguarding the interests of the people throughout the reform process, and letting the people themselves evaluate and judge the effectiveness and outcomes of the reform.
Source | People's Daily Online, Official Website for Party History Study and Education
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