“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 ethos 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.

Integrity discipline refers to the code of conduct that party organizations at all levels and all members must observe in order to ensure honesty and integrity in their official duties and other activities. At its core, it requires officials to exercise power impartially and refrain from using public authority for personal gain. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, “If a person fails to uphold integrity and self-discipline, he will lack moral backbone in his character and lack firmness in his actions.” He emphasized the need to “exercise power in accordance with the law, exercise power with integrity, and exercise power with廉洁 (integrity).” The newly revised "Regulations on Disciplinary Actions of the Communist Party of China" (hereinafter referred to as the "Regulations"), in Chapter Eight—"Disciplinary Measures for Violations of Integrity Discipline," sets forth an inviolable bottom line for party members, guiding them to resist corruption, stay clean and pure, maintain vigilance in their hearts, and act with restraint.

First, we must firmly oppose privileged thinking and privileged practices. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that leading cadres must exercise strict self-discipline and consciously fight against privileged thinking and privileged practices—starting with themselves, taking charge of those around them, and building a robust protective network from the closest possible environments to prevent and resist privilege. Article 94, paragraph 1 of the Regulations further specifies and concretizes the relevant provisions adopted by the Party’s 20th National Congress in the Party Constitution amendment, adding the phrase “opposing privileged thinking and privileged practices.” Privileged thinking and privileged practices take many forms, among which violations of integrity discipline are particularly concentrated. The Regulations emphasize opposing privileged thinking and privileged practices as the very first item under integrity discipline, giving it an overarching role and permeating the entire body of integrity discipline. This demonstrates our Party’s consistent stance and true character of combating privilege with a spirit of thorough self-revolution, guiding Party members and cadres to firmly remember their role as public servants of the people, exercise power impartially, and maintain clean governance.

Second, we must resolutely implement the spirit of the Central Committee’s Eight-Point Regulations and enforce strict discipline to rectify work styles. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that formulating and implementing the Central Committee’s Eight-Point Regulations is a move by our Party in the new era to establish trust through clear and firm actions, and we must persistently and steadily carry this effort forward. Since the 18th National Congress of the Party, the Party Central Committee has taken the lead by setting an example, simultaneously addressing the “Four Winds” and fostering a new ethos, thereby building a solid barrier against violations of the Central Committee’s Eight-Point Regulations. At the same time, however, we must clearly recognize that hedonism and extravagance occasionally reemerge, violations continue to occur despite repeated warnings, and hidden, disguised forms of misconduct are quietly taking root—issues whose harm cannot be ignored. The Regulations adhere to a problem-oriented approach, precisely targeting specific issues and focusing on new situations and problems identified in practice, thus enriching the disciplinary provisions for behaviors that violate the spirit of the Central Committee’s Eight-Point Regulations. In response to the increasingly sophisticated and creative methods used to illegally give gifts, a second paragraph has been added to Article 98, explicitly stipulating disciplinary measures for acts of giving gifts in disguise under the guise of lecture fees, project fees, consulting fees, and the like. This provision addresses the act of illegal gift-giving; however, since “giving” and “receiving” are mutually related, those who receive such gifts disguised as the aforementioned fees will also face corresponding disciplinary action. Regarding typical violations involving the squandering of public funds, Article 116 has been amended from “violating regulations on official hospitality management” to “violating hospitality management regulations,” thereby covering all types of hospitality—including official, business, and foreign affairs hospitality. Furthermore, the Regulations have added a new provision in Article 114 to impose disciplinary measures on the indiscriminate distribution of benefits; and in Articles 118 and 119, additional catch-all clauses have been introduced to provide disciplinary measures for violations of regulations governing meetings, office space management, and other related areas. These amendments ensure more comprehensive coverage of disciplinary offenses and promote the normalization and long-term effectiveness of style-of-work building.

Third, we will refine the code of conduct for Party members and cadres after they leave their posts or retire, strengthening full-cycle management. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out that strict management of cadres must be implemented throughout the entire process of cadre development. The Regulations address issues such as some Party members and cadres continuing to engage in corruption after retirement or failing to fully retire, or leveraging their influence accumulated during their tenure to benefit others. To this end, the Regulations further enhance the management and supervision of Party members and cadres who have left their posts or retired. Article 105 has been enriched and improved to include stricter disciplinary provisions for individuals who engage in unauthorized professional activities after leaving office or retiring. The scope of applicability has been expanded from the original “leading Party members and cadres” to all Party members, reflecting the integration of focusing on the “key few” and managing the vast majority. Correspondingly, the scope of prohibited professional activities after leaving office has been broadened: in addition to the original restriction on engaging in businesses under the jurisdiction of one’s former position, a new criterion—“directly related to one’s former work”—has been added to the list of prohibited activities, thereby aligning with laws such as the Civil Servants Law and making the regulatory framework more stringent. In practice, determining the specific scope of “directly related to one’s former work” should be done in conjunction with the lists of restrictions on post-retirement professional activities formulated by relevant organizations. Meanwhile, Article 106 has been newly added to the Regulations, explicitly stipulating that Party members and cadres who, after leaving office or retiring, use their former authority or influence to seek benefits for relatives and other persons with special relationships in business activities, or who, using their former authority or influence, help others obtain benefits while their own relatives and other persons with special relationships accept property from those others, shall receive corresponding disciplinary measures. These provisions targeting Party members and cadres who have left their posts or retired are intended to emphasize that, while in office, Party members and cadres must not abuse their power or pursue personal gain; these requirements must remain consistent even after they leave their posts, and the standards of integrity must never be lowered. It is crucial that Party members and cadres remain true to their Party spirit even after leaving their posts and that their commitment to integrity does not fade upon retirement.

Fourth, we must urge Party members and cadres to strengthen education and discipline among their relatives and take the lead in practicing integrity within their families. General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly stressed that Party members and cadres should cultivate integrity in their personal conduct and uphold integrity in their family life, emphasizing the need for strict education and rigorous discipline toward relatives such as spouses and children. Article 104, paragraph 2 of the Regulations further clarifies the disciplinary measures applicable to Party members and cadres who violate regulations by providing assistance—such as facilitating the business operations of relatives involving valuable local specialties or other special resources—in order to seek personal gain. The essence of such behavior is to turn public power into a private tool for benefiting relatives and friends, using local specialties as a medium for seeking personal gain through abuse of power, and leveraging official authority to create one’s own “treasure trove” or “money-making tree.” Such actions violate the Party’s discipline on integrity, undermine social ethos and market order, and thus deserve severe punishment. Meanwhile, Article 107 of the Regulations has been enriched and refined to include more stringent disciplinary provisions for leading Party members and cadres who refuse to correct the illegal business activities of their spouses, children, and their spouses. Even if the leading cadre himself has not personally used his official position to seek private gain in the case of family members engaging in prohibited business activities, the existence of conflicts of interest arising from their official positions could still affect economic order and social fairness, and therefore such cases must also be regulated. In 2022, the General Office of the CPC Central Committee issued the "Regulations on the Management of Business Activities of Spouses, Children, and Their Spouses of Leading Cadres," setting out detailed provisions regarding the scope of application, specific circumstances, working measures, and disciplinary requirements. The Regulations impose prohibitions on business activities for spouses, children, and their spouses of leading cadres at different levels and in different categories. In practice, various regions and units have, based on their own local and institutional realities, further refined and improved the scope of prohibited business activities for spouses, children, and their spouses of leading cadres. Leading cadres are required to strictly abide by these relevant regulations.

Integrity and self-discipline are the bottom line for Communist Party members in their official duties and governance. Party members and cadres must deeply study and thoroughly understand the content and requirements of integrity discipline, consistently uphold self-respect, self-reflection, self-alertness, and self-motivation, constantly cultivate moral integrity in governance, frequently reflect on the dangers of greed, and always maintain a conscientious and disciplined attitude toward themselves—thus ensuring that they live with integrity and conduct their work with honesty and transparency.