Building the Party ideologically is an important secret for the development and strength of the Communist Party of China. "Focus on ideologically building the party": developing from political party building to original ideological party building.

Beijing Daily Client | Author Shi Zhongquan

The century-old party building with ideological party building as the core has played a decisive role in making the Communist Party of China the most powerful Marxist advanced party in the world. ideological party building is an important secret for the development and strength of the Communist Party of China.

"Focus on ideologically building the party": From political party building to original ideological party building

Since its founding, the Communist Party of China has focused on the party's self-building. When was founded, the party had no experience and could only learn from Lenin's party-building ideas and the party-building experience of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. The focus was on the party's political construction. After the failure of the Great Revolution, the party's main force shifted to the vast rural areas where counter-revolutionary rule was weak. Party members who came from farmers and other petty bourgeoisie accounted for the majority in the party. At the same time, the party had been in a rural struggle environment for a long time. How to make the party truly become a proletarian party with Marxist qualities was the party's goal at that time. Construction tasks that urgently need to be solved. If this problem is not resolved, it will be difficult for the party to settle down and survive. Mao Zedong initially solved this problem in the process of opening up the Jinggangshan revolutionary base and moving to southern Jiangxi and western Fujian to carry out guerrilla warfare.

Mao Zedong has been at the bottom of Chinese society for a long time, has been at the forefront of the revolutionary struggle for a long time, and has a profound foundation of Chinese traditional culture . Based on more than a year of practical experience in the armed struggle of workers and peasants in Jinggangshan and the specific situation of the party organization in the Red Army, he combined the idea of ​​"the heart of the ideological master and the conduct of a moral model" formed by studying traditional culture in his early years with Marxism-Leninism Combining party building theory, it puts forward the principle of "focusing on building the party ideologically", that is, the principle of ideological party building. In his report to the Party Central Committee in November 1928, he emphasized that “we feel that the issue of proletarian ideological leadership is a very important issue” and “if we do not give proletarian ideological leadership, the trend will be to Incorrect". The "September Letter" from the Central Committee to the Front Committee of the Fourth Red Army in September 1929 affirmed Mao Zedong's correct understanding.

In late December 1929, the Gutian Conference resolution drafted under the leadership of Mao Zedong further pointed out: "The most urgent issue within the Red Army Party is the issue of education. In order to improve and expand the Red Army, and in order to be able to bear the burden of struggle tasks, we must start from Start with inner-party education.” The resolution also stipulates specific conditions for joining the Communist Party. In this way, the resolution of the Gutian Conference preliminarily answered the question of "how to focus on building the party ideologically to maintain the nature of the proletarian vanguard when the party membership is mainly composed of farmers." This marks the initial formation of Mao Zedong's original party-building theory that elevated political party building to ideological party building.

After the Zunyi Conference in January 1935, the principle of "focusing on ideologically building the party" advocated by Mao Zedong gradually became the consensus of the whole party. During the National Anti-Japanese War, he made it clear that Communist Party members must not only join the Party organizationally, but also join the Party ideologically. "There are many party members who have joined the party organizationally, but have not fully joined the party ideologically, or even not at all." Our party "in order to lead the revolutionary movement to develop better and complete it faster, we must organize it ideologically To rectify the situation seriously, in order to rectify it organizationally, we first need to rectify it ideologically, and we need to launch an ideological struggle between the proletariat and the non-proletariat.” The rectification movement is a great practice to strengthen the party's ideological theory and party spirit cultivation education, oppose all kinds of non-proletarian ideas, and focus on building the party ideologically.

At the Seventh National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 1945, Mao Zedong further emphasized that "serving the people wholeheartedly, never being separated from the masses for a moment, and proceeding from the interests of the people in everything" is the fundamental requirement for the Communist Party's advanced nature; "All speeches and actions of Communists must be in line with the The greatest interests of the overwhelming majority of the people and the support of the overwhelming majority of the people are the highest standards.” He also clearly put forward the idea of ​​"three major styles of work". The Seventh National Congress pointed out: Comrade Mao Zedong’s party-building line enables the Communist Party of China, where workers do not constitute the majority, to build an advanced Marxist party. This is the creative development of the Marxist-Leninist theory of party building in China.

"If institutional problems are not solved, ideological and style problems cannot be solved": The thought of institutional party governance has enriched and developed the theory of ideological party building

After the party's Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China , Deng Xiaoping became the core of the party's second generation central leadership collective , which has made significant developments in Mao Zedong’s party-building theory with ideological party-building as the core.

He summarized the lessons of the "Cultural Revolution" and put forward the important point that to uphold the party's leadership, we must improve the party's leadership and resolutely reform the party and state leadership systems. He pointed out: the socialist system we established is a good system and must be upheld. However, some of the current specific systems, including the organizational system and cadre system, still have many shortcomings, which seriously hinder the realization of the superiority of socialism. The bureaucracy and privilege phenomena that are prominent among the masses certainly have an ideological and work-style aspect to them, but if the institutional problems are not solved, the ideological and work-style problems cannot be solved either.

He emphasized that institutional issues are more fundamental, overall, stable and long-term. This kind of institutional issue is related to whether the party and the country will change its color, and must be paid great attention by the whole party. Improving the party's leadership means reforming and improving certain organizational systems, cadre systems and work systems of the party's leadership. Only by resolutely reforming these specific systems that produce bureaucracy and privilege, "will the people trust our leadership, the party and socialism, and our cause will have unlimited hope." This is the idea of ​​system-based party governance, which has great guiding significance for the construction of the ruling party.

Eighth Route Army officers and soldiers studied Marxism-Leninism theory seriously

In order to strengthen the building of the ruling party, Deng Xiaoping emphasized that ideological and political construction should be placed in the first place in party building. He particularly emphasized the following five points:

First, we must adhere to the ideological line of emancipating the mind and seeking truth from facts at all times. Emancipating the mind means making the mind consistent with reality, and making the subjective and objective consistent, which is seeking truth from facts. To truly persist in seeking truth from facts in all work, we must emancipate our minds.

Second, we must adhere to the fundamental purpose of serving the people wholeheartedly at all times and carry forward the revolutionary values ​​​​and outlook on life of the Communists. He repeatedly warned the whole party to take "people's approval or disapproval", "people's happiness or displeasure", "people's satisfaction or dissatisfaction" and "people's support or dissatisfaction" as the basic basis for measuring whether policies are correct and whether work is good or not.

Third, we must insist on talking about politics at all times, pointing out that persisting in reform, engaging in modern science and technology, and talking about politics will be more powerful.

Fourth, we must focus on building socialist spiritual civilization at all times and strive to cultivate new people with the "four haves". It is necessary to educate young people to become new people with ideals, morality, culture and discipline. When their mental outlook improves, it will also affect the party's style and help improve the party's style.

Fifth, we must adhere to the mass line at all times and carry forward the party’s fine tradition of hardship and simplicity. The more a country develops, the more difficult it must be to start a business.

After the great cause of reform and opening up was fully launched, Deng Xiaoping emphasized that one hand should focus on reform and opening up, and the other hand should punish corruption, and corruption should be opposed throughout the entire process of reform and opening up. Emphasizing that the most important thing to solve the problem of party style is to fight against corruption. The construction of party style must be carried out over a long period of time and run through the entire process of reform and opening up.

" Strict governance over the party relies on education, but also on the system": ideological party building and institutional party governance are closely integrated

General Secretary Xi Jinping proposed comprehensive and strict governance over the party in December 2014. Its theoretical basis is the idea of ​​"close integration of ideological party building and institutional party governance." The new idea of ​​ was proposed at the previous summary conference of the party’s mass line education and practice activities. He said: "Strictly governing the party relies on education, but also on the system. One is soft and the other is strong. They must work in the same direction and at the same time." Ideological education must be carried out in conjunction with the implementation of system regulations. "The system is not more, but the system." Essence lies in being pragmatic and effective, highlighting pertinence and guidance. "We must make the process of strengthening the party's governance through institutions a process of strengthening party building ideologically, and we must also make the process of strengthening party building ideologically a process of strengthening party governance by institutions." This is an important new connotation obtained by integrating ideological party building and institutional party governance in scientific synthesis.

The comprehensive integration of ideological Party building and institutional Party governance is reflected in the close integration of Party governance in accordance with regulations and Party governance based on virtue. The idea of ​​closely integrating ideological party building and institutional party governance belongs to the macro level. When carrying out party building work, we need to focus on specific things. The idea of ​​closely integrating the party's governance according to regulations and governing the party with virtue is not only the embodiment and foothold of the idea of ​​closely integrating ideological party building and system governance, but also the combination of governing the country according to law and governing the country with virtue. The logical extension of ideas enables two macro-level strategic ideas to take root.

Regarding governing the party according to rules, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized two points: First, we must strictly enforce party discipline, especially political discipline and political rules , take intra-party political life seriously, and focus on guiding ideology, lines, principles, policies, and On issues of principle related to the overall situation, the whole party must maintain a high degree of consistency with the Party Central Committee ideologically, politically and in action; secondly, must be stricter than the law and discipline before the law, integrate discipline and law enforcement, and integrate the party's Discipline and rules should be kept in front, and disciplines and rules should be used to control the majority, so that rules should be implemented first and small things should be caught early, so that all party members and cadres can strictly implement party rules and disciplines and modelly abide by national laws and regulations.

Governing the party with morality aims to implement the ideological requirements for party building. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized three points: First, we should do a good job in ideological and theoretical construction and strengthen the education of ideals and beliefs. Party members and cadres must first study Marxism seriously and improve their theoretical literacy; they must use ideals and beliefs as the spiritual "calcium" of Communists to build an "indestructible body." The second is to do a good job in ideological and moral construction, strengthen party spirit cultivation and education, continuously consolidate the ideological and moral foundation for party members and cadres to engage in politics honestly, build a solid ideological and moral defense line against corruption and prevent degeneration, and adhere to the spiritual home of the Communists. The third is to focus on the construction of work style, which is not only strict in self-cultivation, strict in using power, strict in self-discipline, but also pragmatic in planning, starting a business and being a person.

The close integration of ideological party building and institutional party governance requires the normalization of learning and education, and the construction of work style is always on the road. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: As a Marxist ruling party, our party must not only have a strong power of truth, but also a strong power of personality. The power of truth is concentrated in the Party’s correct theory, and the power of personality is concentrated in the Party’s fine style of work. Governing the Party with virtue and governing the Party according to rules are interconnected. Governing the Party in accordance with regulations contains the specific requirements of governing the Party with virtue and building the Party ideologically. Governing the Party with virtue is also supported by governing the Party in accordance with regulations and governing the Party with systems. The two have become a closely connected community, which is conducive to continuously enhancing the party spirit and loyalty of party members and cadres, and further strengthening the whole party's firmness in the communist ideal, Marxist belief, and socialism with Chinese characteristics. Therefore, the idea of ​​closely integrating ideological party building and institutional party governance has enriched and developed our party's party building theory and provided theoretical guidance for comprehensive and strict party governance. It is a new chapter in Marxist party building theory.

Ideological party building is the unique advantage of the Communist Party of China and the soul of the long-term governance of the Communist Party of China. Our party must firmly strengthen ideological party building and always maintain the party’s advanced nature and purity.

(The author is the former deputy director of the Central Party History Research Office)