Tongfang Academy
Micro Party Class · Issue 278
Promote a culture of pragmatism, integrity, and simplicity.
“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.
Promoting the Party’s resolution of prominent issues in Party conduct through concentrated study and education within the Party is a fine tradition of our Party, and also an important measure for unifying Party-wide consensus and rallying collective strength to take concerted action. Since the 18th National Congress of the Party, the Party Central Committee—with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core—has successively launched a series of concentrated and regular Party education initiatives, including the Practice Campaign on the Mass Line, the Special Education Campaign on “Three Stricts and Three Honests,” the Study and Education Campaign on “Two Studies and One Action,” the Thematic Education Campaign on “Staying True to Our Original Aspiration and Keeping Our Mission Firmly in Mind,” the Education Campaign on Party History, the Thematic Education Campaign on Studying and Implementing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and the Education Campaign on Party Discipline. When assessing whether these study and education efforts have been effective, the people’s most direct impression is whether the problems existing in Party conduct have been effectively addressed and whether the work styles of Party members and cadres have demonstrably improved. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: “We must vigorously promote a style of pragmatism, integrity, and frugality, carry forward the spirit of self-revolution, and organize well concentrated disciplinary education throughout the Party.” The Opinions of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee on Consolidating and Expanding the Achievements of the Thematic Education Campaign on Studying and Implementing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era propose: “We must vigorously promote a style of pragmatism, uphold integrity, and cultivate a habit of frugality, using the spirit of thorough self-revolution to sweep away political dust, purify our political souls, and correct behavioral deviations.” This will surely inspire us further to carry out study and education activities, guiding all Party members and cadres to identify gaps by benchmarking against requirements for Party conduct, trace the root causes by aligning with Party principles, and clarify concrete measures by comparing them with Party discipline. With the tenacity and persistence of always being on the road, we will carry the Party’s self-revolution through to the end, and use a sound Party and government ethos to drive positive social trends and improve public morale.
Uphold a pragmatic and action-oriented approach, and always maintain the spirit of dedication and entrepreneurship.
“An adult does not seek superficial glamour; a gentleman focuses on practicality.” Emphasizing down-to-earth action and seeking truth through pragmatism is an excellent tradition of our Party. Comrade Mao Zedong stressed that the Communist Party “lives by being truthful and pragmatic,” and that Communist Party members must possess a spirit of “serious and diligent practice.” Comrade Deng Xiaoping emphasized: “Without action, there is not even a trace of Marxism.” General Secretary Xi Jinping has underscored: “We must uphold the principle of earnestly pursuing practical results and rigorously implementing tasks—every single task must be carried out in a substantive manner and yield tangible outcomes.” Generation after generation of Communists have adhered to the ideological line of seeking truth from facts, pursuing truth with pragmatism, and working hard with dedication and perseverance. Under their leadership, the Chinese people have overcome countless difficulties and obstacles on the path forward, and through courageous and tenacious struggle, the Chinese nation has achieved the great leap from standing up and becoming prosperous to becoming strong. The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation has entered an irreversible historical process.
In concrete practice, running counter to the spirit of pragmatism are various forms of formalism and bureaucratic practices. At its core, formalism is a manifestation of subjectivism and utilitarianism, rooted in a distorted view of political achievements and a lack of sense of responsibility. Bureaucratic practices, on the other hand, stem from a serious detachment from the masses and from reality, fueled by an overemphasis on official status and a warped perception of power. Both formalism and bureaucratic practices are long-standing and complex phenomena; under different conditions, they continually give rise to new variants and manifestations, seriously undermining the close, flesh-and-blood bond between the Party and the people. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “Formalism and bureaucratic practices are chronic and stubborn ills that surface from time to time and are difficult to guard against completely. We must persistently and repeatedly tackle them.” In addressing formalism and bureaucratic practices, we must never afford ourselves any slack or complacency, nor should we allow ourselves to grow weary or lose our fighting spirit. We must absolutely not use formalism or bureaucratic practices to fight formalism or bureaucratic practices themselves. Instead, we must maintain a steadfast political resolve—always keeping up the good work—with firm determination and unyielding perseverance, relentlessly pressing ahead with rigor, maintaining constant vigilance, and making sustained, long-term efforts to achieve substantive progress in stamping out formalism and bureaucratic practices once and for all.
During his participation in the deliberations of the Jiangsu delegation at the Second Session of the 14th National People's Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: “We must consolidate and expand the achievements of thematic education, establish long-term mechanisms, resolutely address formalism and bureaucratism, effectively reduce burdens on the grassroots level, unleash the creative vitality of the entire Party and society, and boost the morale and spirit of Party members and cadres in their work and entrepreneurship.” All Party members and cadres must establish and practice a correct view of political achievements and a proper understanding of power. They should integrate addressing formalism and bureaucratism with a willingness to take responsibility, devote more time and energy to getting things done and ensuring effective implementation, and translate the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee into concrete actions. By maintaining the certainty of our own work, we can better respond to the uncertainties brought about by changing circumstances. We must adhere to a combination of problem-oriented and goal-oriented approaches, make great efforts to tackle issues that hinder high-quality development, address the urgent, difficult, and troubling concerns of the masses, and focus on resolving prominent problems in Party building. Grounded in reality, we should carry out regular rectifications and improvements, establish and refine systems and regulations, so that the people can truly feel the tangible results of these efforts and experience real gains. We should uphold the fine tradition of “going down to the grassroots four times,” uphold and develop the “Fengqiao Experience” for the new era, follow the mass line of the new era, enhance our skills in working among the masses, and do more things that lay solid foundations, benefit the long term, yield practical results, and achieve real accomplishments. Through concrete actions and tangible outcomes in tackling formalism and bureaucratism, we will strive to provide strong ideological and stylistic guarantees for promoting high-quality development.
Promote a culture of integrity and always maintain a politically upright and honest character.
“Integrity is the foundation of governance and the source of people’s well-being.” Honesty and integrity are the political hallmark of our Party. From the very moment of its founding, our Party has regarded corruption as its archenemy and has consistently pursued efforts to build a clean and honest government and wage an unrelenting fight against corruption. The attitude we adopt toward corruption and the actions we take to eradicate it determine the rise and fall of a political party and a regime. As a Marxist political party, the Communist Party of China has no special interests of its own—only the interests of the working class and the broadest masses of the people. Throughout its century-long history, the Party’s journey has been one of struggle and development under its leadership in revolution, construction, and reform, as well as a history of combating corruption and building a clean and upright political system. Our Party has always upheld its political hallmark of honesty and integrity, firmly opposing corruption and ensuring that the Party will never degenerate, thus safeguarding the enduring vitality and red character of our country.
General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “Corruption is the manifestation of various unhealthy factors within the Party that have accumulated over a long period and continued to fester. Fighting corruption means waging a battle against all pathogens that weaken the Party’s advanced nature and undermine its purity.” Since entering the new era, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has launched an unprecedented anti-corruption campaign, achieving an overwhelming victory and fully consolidating its gains. Yet we must also deeply recognize that the situation remains grave and complex, and we must never underestimate the tenacity and harmfulness of corruption. As long as the soil and conditions that give rise to corruption persist, the fight against corruption and promoting integrity cannot be paused for even a moment, and we can afford no room for retreat or compromise. We must always maintain a clear head and political steadfastness, consistently muster the courage to face problems squarely, and remain firmly committed to wielding the sword inwardly. We must unswervingly uphold the strict tone, strengthen efforts to rectify conduct and enforce discipline, and win the heartfelt support of the people through a clean and upright environment.
For Party members and cadres to be strong themselves, they must first be honest and upright. Integrity lies in self-consciousness, values persistence, and is particularly challenging when it comes to thoroughness. In December 2023, the newly revised "Disciplinary Regulations of the Communist Party of China" were released. This marks the third revision of these regulations by the Party Central Committee since the 18th National Congress, sending a strong signal that strict Party governance will only become stricter and enforcement of discipline will intensify over time. At the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, it was proposed to take the study and implementation of the newly revised Disciplinary Regulations as an opportunity to strengthen disciplinary education, earnestly carry out Party discipline learning and education, and focus on addressing issues such as lack of attention to, understanding of, or mastery of Party rules and discipline. In March 2024, during his inspection tour of Hunan Province, General Secretary Xi Jinping explicitly pointed out: “We must organize and carry out Party discipline learning and education effectively, guiding Party members and cadres to learn the discipline, understand the discipline, clearly recognize the discipline, and strictly abide by it. We must also urge leading cadres to establish a correct view of power, exercise power justly, exercise power according to law, exercise power for the people, and exercise power with integrity.” By conducting concentrated disciplinary education throughout the Party organization, we can further educate and guide all Party members and cadres to keep the string of discipline and rules taut at all times, uphold their original aspirations with integrity, promote a sound atmosphere with righteous conduct, maintain the self-awareness of introspection, the caution of walking on thin ice, and the sense of responsibility for strict management and governance. Party members and cadres must always fortify their ideological defenses, firmly hold onto the disciplinary red lines, comprehensively identify potential risks to integrity, diligently brush away “dust from the mind,” frequently reflect on the dangers of greed, and constantly overcome the “inner demons.” They should clearly distinguish right from wrong, understand honor and shame, respect and fear the sacred, and remain mindful of integrity and bottom lines. They must engrave compliance with rules and discipline deep in their hearts, internalize them into daily behaviors without conscious effort, continuously purify themselves, and forever preserve their clean and upright character.
Cultivate a frugal ethos and always uphold the fine tradition of hard work and struggle.
“Frugality is a virtue; curbing extravagance and promoting frugality is a hallmark of good governance.” Being thrifty and modest, and firmly resisting luxury and waste, have long been treasured legacies of our Party. Comrade Mao Zedong pointed out: “All government officials should understand that corruption and waste are grave crimes.” General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: “In the past, our Party achieved great feats through hard work and thrift; today, we must continue to guide our work with this very spirit.” “No matter how high our country’s development reaches, no matter how much our people’s lives improve, we must never abandon the ethos of hard work and thrift.” From the red rice and pumpkin soup of the Land Revolution War period to the “millets and rifles” of the Anti-Japanese War era, the older generation of revolutionaries defeated the “Xi’an style” with the “Yan’an style.” From the streamlined administration and increased efficiency following the founding of New China to the vigorous implementation of the Central Committee’s Eight-Point Regulation and its detailed rules in the new era—resolutely resisting hedonism and extravagance... The spirit of hard work and thrift has not only been a vital guarantee for our Party’s journey and growth but also remains a crucial foundation for our Party to carry forward the past, open up the future, and create new glories.
We must soberly recognize that, as a major developing country, our nation remains—and will for the foreseeable future remain—in the primary stage of socialism, and the problem of unbalanced and inadequate development remains strikingly prominent. Today, the world is undergoing a transformation of a magnitude unseen in a century. As we embark on a new journey toward fully building a modern socialist country, whether it’s confronting the reality of relatively scarce resources or striving to lift more than 1.4 billion people into modernization as a whole, these challenges underscore the imperative for us to carry forward the spirit of hard work and frugality and to consistently practice thrift in all undertakings. As General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out: “Now that our living conditions have improved, we must by no means lose the spirit of hard work and frugality. We must uphold the principle of cultivating ourselves through simplicity and enriching our enterprises through thrift, and persist in practicing strict economy and conducting all affairs with diligence and frugality.” Under any circumstances, we must consciously strengthen our resolve to live a frugal life, and at no time should we abandon the ethos of enduring hardship.
Party members and cadres must truly focus on addressing the issue at its ideological roots, cultivating from the depths of their hearts a sense of valuing frugality and shunning extravagance, embracing a spirit of hard work and simplicity, and adopting behaviors that reflect these principles. They should nurture positive and healthy lifestyle interests, starting with small daily actions and maintaining strict discipline in their everyday lives, thereby consciously developing a habit of thriftiness. Party committees and governments at all levels must implement a comprehensive conservation strategy, promote conservation efforts across all sectors, and firmly oppose ostentation, waste, and the pursuit of superficial displays of wealth. They should allocate limited resources precisely where they are most needed—on critical areas such as economic development and improving people’s livelihoods. We must vigorously carry forward the fine tradition of diligence and thriftiness of the Chinese nation, always bearing in mind that it is easy to slip into luxury from frugality but extremely difficult to return to simplicity once one has become accustomed to extravagance. We must oppose luxury and wastefulness and discourage excessive consumption, advocating instead for a simple, moderate, green, and low-carbon lifestyle. In this way, practicing thrift and opposing waste will become a widespread social norm, and the spirit of hard work and frugal entrepreneurship will be put into practice and reflected in concrete actions.
The Party’s work style is its image; it affects the hearts and minds of the people and determines the Party’s very survival. Improving the Party’s work style is an ongoing process with no final endpoint. On this new journey ahead, we must take General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important thoughts on the Party’s self-revolution as our guiding principle, remain ever vigilant and firm in addressing the unique challenges faced by a large party, and always maintain the close bond between the Party and the masses. We must vigorously promote a culture of pragmatism, integrity, and simplicity, using outstanding work styles to uplift spirits, inspire fighting spirit, enhance the Party’s image, and win the hearts of the people. In doing so, we will continuously strengthen both the political and mass foundations upon which the Party rests its governance, and pool the tremendous strength of hundreds of millions of people united and striving forward, thus fully advancing the great cause of building a strong country and achieving national rejuvenation through Chinese-style modernization.
Source | People's Daily Online, Official Website for Party History Study and Education
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Tongfang Academy Micro-Party Class, Issue 279: Upholding the Mass Line and the Mass Work Approach
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Tongfang Academy Micro-Party Class, Issue 277: Let Compliance with Rules and Discipline Become the Conscious Pursuit of Party Members and Cadres
