[Persistently Advancing Full and Rigorous Party Self-Governance] Continually Breaking New Ground in Governing, Revitalizing and Strengthening the Party in the New Era

CCTV.com report (Xinwen Lianbo): General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that to govern the country, one must first govern the Party, and only when the Party thrives can the country be strong. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has, from the strategic perspective of consolidating the Party’s governing position and achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, persistently advanced full and rigorous Party self-governance, continually broken new ground in governing, revitalizing and strengthening the Party in the new era, and united and led the entire Party in striving to create new glories on the new Long March.

In the first three quarters of this year, China’s economy forged ahead under pressure, with gross domestic product growing by 4.6% year on year. It demonstrated a development trend of increasingly innovation-driven momentum and an improving structure, and continued to rank among the leaders of the world’s major economies. These hard-won results are a concentrated reflection of the Party’s capacity and proficiency in leading economic and social development.

Only when the Party thrives can the country be strong.

In November 2012, when the members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the 18th CPC Central Committee met with Chinese and foreign journalists, General Secretary Xi Jinping directly addressed the many grave challenges facing the Party and the many problems within it that urgently needed to be resolved, stating, “To forge iron, one must be strong oneself.” Since the 18th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has explained in depth the meaning and essential principles of full and rigorous Party self-governance, forming a scientific system that is logically rigorous and comprehensive, which has become an important component of Xi Jinping Thought on Party Building. Born out of the great practice of full and rigorous Party self-governance in the new era, Xi Jinping Thought on Party Building provides the fundamental guidance for strengthening Party building in the new era.

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that the core of full and rigorous Party self-governance is strengthening the Party’s leadership; its foundation lies in being comprehensive, its key lies in rigor, and its crucial element lies in governance. The Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core incorporated full and rigorous Party self-governance into the general requirements for Party building in the new era and wrote it into the Party Constitution. With the Party’s political development as the overarching guide, it has strengthened all aspects of Party building. With the determination to use potent medicine to cure serious illness and stringent measures to restore order, and the courage to scrape poison from the bone and sever an arm to save the body, it has persistently advanced full and rigorous Party self-governance. It has opened up new horizons in the self-reform of this century-old major party, driven historic achievements and historic transformations in the cause of the Party and the country, and enabled the Party and the people to seize the historical initiative in strengthening both the Party and the country.

The year 2026 is the opening year of the 15th Five-Year Plan. General Secretary Xi Jinping issued a call to the entire Party to advance full and rigorous Party self-governance with higher standards and more concrete measures. At multiple meetings and during inspection tours this year, he emphasized the need to strengthen the entire Party’s sense of mission and determination to strive, consolidate Party solidarity and unity, maintain the purity of its ranks, and improve its governing capacity and leadership. He earnestly admonished Party members and officials to strengthen their sense of political responsibility and historical mission, establish and practice a correct view of performance, improve their capabilities for advancing modernization, vigorously promote the spirit of struggle, remain unwavering in punishing corruption, and earn the people’s trust through the tangible results of full and rigorous Party self-governance, ensuring that the Party always remains the strong leadership core of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

In the opening year of the 15th Five-Year Plan, faced with a complex international situation and arduous, demanding domestic tasks involving reform, development and stability, the entire Party has thoroughly studied and implemented Xi Jinping Thought on Party Building, upheld the Party’s overall leadership and the centralized, unified leadership of the Party Central Committee, and taken concrete action to firmly support the “Two Establishments” and resolutely uphold the “Two Safeguards.” It has practiced a people-centered philosophy of development and undergone tempering and emerged as hardened steel through the revolutionary forging of full and rigorous Party self-governance.

Full and rigorous Party self-governance means holding fast to the fundamental political direction, forging sharp ideological weapons, and tempering an iron will of faith and conviction.

The question of one’s view of performance is a fundamental issue concerning whether the Party is founded for the public good and exercises power for the people. This year, a study and education campaign on establishing and practicing a correct view of performance has been carried out throughout the Party. All regions and departments have made the number of good and practical things done for ordinary people an important criterion for assessing performance. They have maintained an unwavering commitment to rigor, conducted comprehensive and thorough examinations of problems, and taken substantive action to rectify prominent problems such as newly appointed officials ignoring their predecessors’ outstanding obligations, vanity projects, projects designed to burnish officials’ records, and the pursuit of quick success and immediate benefits, seeing the work through with a rigorous and practical approach.

Some localities have focused on common community-level disputes and requests involving neighbors, families and property management, promoting the “Six-Chi Alley Working Method.” Officials go among the people, patiently provide guidance, encourage mutual accommodation and resolve grievances, addressing the small matters, everyday concerns and worries close to residents’ homes, and promoting harmonious neighborhood relations and lasting peace and stability at the grassroots level. Some localities have established and improved long-term mechanisms, introducing a system for handing over registers of unresolved problems to newly appointed heads of Party organizations and members of leadership teams. Through the successive efforts of outgoing and incoming officials, some pressing difficulties and concerns that had remained unresolved for years, such as obtaining property ownership certificates for resettlement housing and renovating dangerous bridges, have been properly addressed. Some localities, faced with large numbers of “high-emission” enterprises and the tough challenge of controlling air pollution, have firmly established a view of performance centered on benefiting the people and intensified pollution-control upgrades at enterprises. The citywide comprehensive air quality index, PM2.5 and other major indicators have improved markedly, allowing residents to directly experience the changes brought about by the study and education campaign.

Full and rigorous Party self-governance means building trust by delivering on promises, removing decay so that healthy tissue can grow, and keeping warning bells ringing.

In September this year, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Commission of Supervision released a nationwide summary of cases investigated and handled in August involving violations of the spirit of the central Party leadership’s eight-point decision. This was the 156th consecutive month that monthly figures had been released since November 2013. In response to the stubborn and recurring nature of the “Four Forms of Misconduct,” the entire Party conducted a study and education campaign in 2025 on thoroughly implementing the spirit of the central Party leadership’s eight-point decision. With the persistence of hammering in a nail, it worked tirelessly to make improvements in conduct regular and enduring, promoting continued improvements in Party and government conduct.

Full and rigorous Party self-governance stimulates the enthusiasm, initiative and creativity of the entire Party, continually transforming its political and organizational strengths into strengths that secure success.

This year, a group of National Outstanding Communist Party Members, National Outstanding Party Affairs Workers and National Advanced Primary-Level Party Organizations received commendations. Some have persisted in independent innovation and led their teams in building a world-class fully automated container terminal; some have led Party members and residents in creating a widely renowned “international cultural makers’ village” and actively promoted common prosperity among surrounding villages; and some have deeply integrated Party building with industry development, serving the public with dedication and turning taxis on the move into windows of warmth for the city. In carrying out tasks involving reform, development and stability, Party members and primary-level Party organizations across the country have demonstrated new responsibility and new accomplishments, vividly reflecting our Party’s vitality as it keeps pace with the times, stands at the forefront and flourishes.

Full and rigorous Party self-governance is an unending journey!

Embarking on the new Long March, a vibrant Marxist governing party that stands at the forefront of the times, enjoys the people’s heartfelt support and can withstand all manner of trials and storms will advance full and rigorous Party self-governance with higher standards and more concrete measures, uniting and leading the people of the entire country toward the dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.