Xi Jinping Launches Party Rectification Movement

Yesterday, a conference on the Party’s Mass Line Education and Practice Movement was convened in Beijing. This conference was attended by the entire Standing Committee, as well as just about the entire top-level Chinese leadership. At this meeting, it was announced that the Party would launch its expected rectification campaign, which has been dubbed ‘Party Mass Line Education and Practice Movement’ (党的群众路线教育实践活动 Dang de qunzhong luxian jiaoyu shijian huodong). Since his accession, Xi Jinping has stressed the harm brought onto the Party by corruption and abuse, starting – amongst others – a drive to reduce conspicuous consumption by officials, as well as official banquets and cars. Furthermore, it seems that the notion that the Party has become too large has been gathering pace. In this view, the Party has let in too many people, a good deal of whom lack the conviction and sacrifice that Party membership should entail. In other words, the Party’s corruption problem is not the consequence of perverse incentives created structurally, but of individual failings of morality. In the last few months as well, a debate on constitutionalism and political reform has emerged, in which the Party is called upon to implement the Constitution and protect individual rights. This movement seems to provide a response to this: the relationship between the Party and the people is one of flesh and blood, and must be purged of its bad element in order to remain pure. 

As usual, many articles have been written and will be written to analyze the theoretical and political implications of this movement in the usual outlets.  Over the next few days, this website will publish translations of a number of them, but unfortunately, Xi’s announcement comes in the middle of exam marking time. For the moment, the official Xinhua version of Xi’s announcement is translated hereunder:

The Party’s Mass Line Education and Practice Movement Work Conference Convenes – Xi Jinping Makes Important Speech.

Xinhua Beijing, 18 June (Journalists Xu Jingyue, Zhou Yingfeng). The Party’s Mass Line Education and Practice Movement Work Conference has convened in Beijing on 18 June, the CCP Central Committee General Secretary, State Chairman and Central Military Commission Chairman Xi Jinping attended the conference and made an important speech, to deploy the Mass Line Education and Practice Movement. He emphatically pointed out that launching the Party’s Mass Line Education and Practice Movement is a necessary requirement for realizing the struggle objectives determined by the 18th Party Congress, is a necessary requirement for maintaining the progressiveness and purity of the Party, and consolidating the governing basis and governing position of the Party, and is a necessary requirement for resolving prominent issues to which the masses strongly react. The comrades in the entire Party must vigorously participate in this movement, forge close relationships between the Party and the masses, and the cadres and the masses through real actions, and gain the result of the satisfaction of the masses.

CCP Standing Committee of the Politburo members Li Keqiang, Zhang Dejiang, Yu Zhengsheng, Wang Qishan and Zhang Gaoli attended the main meeting, the head of the Central Committee Party Mass Line Education and Practice Movement Leading Small Group Liu Yunshan chaired the conference. The conference was organized through teleconferencing.

Xi Jinping stressed that the mass line is the lifeline and basic work line of our Party. To realize the struggle objectives determined by the 18th Party Congress and realize the Chinese Dream of National Rejuvenation, it is necessary to firmly rely on the people, and fully muster the vigour, initiative and creativity of the broadest people. Launching the Party’s Mass Line Education and Practice Movement is aimed at ensuring that comrades in the entire Party firmly keep in mind and scrupulously abide by the basic purpose of serving the people with the whole heart and mind, to tightly bring the people together with a fine work style, and to strive and struggle to realize the objectives and tasks determined by the 18th Party Congress.

Xi Jinping pointed out that popular disapproval relates to the life and death of the Party. Only if the Party links heart to heart with the people, breathes together with them, shares the same fate, and relies on the people to drive historical progress throughout, will it be possible to be solid as rocks. Launching the Party’s Mass Line Education and Practice Movement is aimed at establishing a deep base for pursuing the values of serving the people, pragmatism and honesty in the thoughts and actions of the comrades in the entire Party, tamping down a basis for Party governance, consolidating the Party’s governing position, strengthening the Party’s creativity, cohesion and fighting strength, and ensuring that there is a broad, thick and reliable mass basis to maintain the Party’s progressiveness and purity and consolidating the Party’s governing basis and governing position.

Xi Jinping stressed that, generally speaking, at present, the situation of all levels’ Party organizations, Party members and cadres implementing the Party’s mass line is good, the relations between the Party and the masses is also good, the broad Party members and cadres have had a pioneering and model function in charging the enemy lines and selfless contribution in all work matters of reform, development and stability, gaining the affirmation and support of the broad popular masses. This is the main stream and must be fully affirmed. At the same time, we must notice that, in the face of deep changes in global circumstances, national circumstances and Party circumstances, the danger of spiritual slackening, the danger of insufficient ability, the danger of becoming separated from the masses and the danger of negativity and corruption have been put in front of the Party more acutely, the phenomenon of becoming separated from the masses exists in great numbers within the Party, which is collectively reflected in the “four styles” of formalism, bureaucratism, hedonism and extravagance. We must greatly investigate, greatly overhaul and greatly clean up maladies in work styles and filth in actions.

Xi Jinping pointed out that in launching the Party’s Mass Line Education and Practice Movement, the magnificent banner of Socialism with Chinese characteristics must be held high, the spirit of the 18th Party Congress must be completely implemented, and we must, with Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the important “Three Represents Thought” and the scientific development view as guidance, implement the major work deployments and requirements put forward by the Centre since the 18th Party Committee, closely revolve around maintaining and developing the Party’s progressiveness and purity, realistically strengthen education on the Marxist mass viewpoint and the Party’s mass line for the whole body of Party members with serving the people, pragmatism and honesty as main content, make implementing the spirit of the Eight Rules of the Centre into an entry point, and strive to resolve prominent issues.

Xi Jinping stressed that this education and practice movement’s main task is to focus on work style construction, and collectively resolve the problem of the “four styles” of formalism, bureaucratism, hedonism and extravagance. These “four styles” violate our Party’s nature and purpose, they are issues that the masses detest at present, and to which they strongly react. They are also the main source of harm to the relationship between the Party and the masses, and the cadres and the masses. If the problem of the “four styles” is resolved well, there will be better conditions to resolve all other problems existing within the Party.

Xi Jinping pointed out that the education and practice movement must fix eyes upon self-purification, self-perfection, self-innovating and self-improvement, having “seeing oneself in the mirror, correct hats and clothes, cleaning up and treating illness as general requirements. To see oneself in the mirror, the main part is taking the Party Constitution in the mirror, compare oneself with Party discipline, the expectations of the masses and advanced models, compare oneself with the requirements of improving work styles, and put forward problems, look for weak spots and clarify orientations in terms of the sense of purpose, work styles, clean government and self-discipline. Correctly wearing hats and clothes mainly means, according to the requirements of serving the people, pragmatism and honesty, daring to squarely face flaws and insufficiencies, strictly enforcing Party discipline and especially political discipline, daring to touch on thoughts, facing up to contradictions and problems, starting from oneself, starting from the present, rectifying acts, consciously correct self-cultivation on the Party nature, bring Party member duties in order, linking up with Party discipline and state law, and maintain the fine image of the Communist Party. Cleaning up mainly means launching criticism and self-criticism with a spirit of rectifying work styles, deeply analysing the causes of problems that occur, cleansing away the dust on thoughts and actions and maintaining the political essence of the Communist Party. Treating illnesses mainly refers to the principles of persisting in learning from past mistakes and avoiding future ones, curing illnesses and save the patient, differentiate circumstances, suit the medicine to the illness, educate and warn Party members and cadres whose work style has problems, investigate and prosecute those with grave problems, conduct special clean-up of harmful tendencies and prominent issues.

Xi Jinping stressed that we must launch criticism and self-criticism with a spirit of rectifying work styles, convene democratic small-scale meetings, persist in opening the doors and starting activities. The education and practice movement must have county and department-level or higher leading organs, leadership ranks and leading cadres as focus point. All levels’ leading cadres are organizers, drivers and supervisors of the movement, and are even more participants in the movement, they must bring themselves in with the identity of a common Party member, and strive to raise their understanding a level, study a step more deeply, become a stage more advanced in practice, and analyse and resolve prominent problems a notch better. Maintaining the flesh-and-blood relationship between the Party and the popular masses is an eternal task, the work style issue is a repeating and stubborn manner, which must be regularly grasped and grasped for the long term, it is especially necessary to establish and complete long-term mechanisms stimulating Party members and cadres to persist in serving the people, pragmatism and honesty. We must use this movement as a juncture to formulate new rule systems, perfect existing rule systems and abolish unsuitable rule systems. Once rule systems are formed, they must be strictly observed, there can be no exceptions in the implementations of rule systems.

Xi Jinping stressed that all levels’ Party Committees must strengthen a sense of responsibility and sense of urgency, and make launching the education and practice movement into an important political matter, grasp it closely, tightly and truly. It is necessary to clarify tasks and duties, main leaders must grasp this personally; deeply investigate and research matters, formulate realistic and feasible implementation plans; strengthen concrete guidance, guarantee the correct orientation; persist in comprehensive planning, considering all factors, ensuring grasping with two hands, promoting matters with two hands; strengthen propaganda and guidance, create a good public opinion atmosphere.

When chairing the conference, Liu Yunshan pointed out that the important speech of General Secretary Xi Jinping, from the height of strategy and the overall picture, deeply elaborated the importance of launching the Party’s Mass Line Education and Practice Movement, put forward clear requirements concerning launching criticism and self-criticism with a spirit of work style rectification, striving to resolve prominent issues existing in the area of work styles, stimulating long-term mechanisms spurring Party members and cadres to persist in serving the people, pragmatism and honesty, and strengthening leadership over the education and practice movement, the speech had a strong ideological nature, focus and guiding nature. Everyone must absolutely earnestly study and deeply comprehend this, realistically unify thoughts around the spirit of the speech, use the spirit of the speech to guide the launch of the education and practice movement, and firmly do the education and practice movement well.

The CCP Politburo members in Beijing, the secretaries of the secretariat, the Party members and vice-committee head of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, the State Councillors, the Head of the Supreme People’s Court, the Head of the Supreme People’s Procuratorate and the vice-chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference attended the main meeting.

Furthermore, the main meeting was attended by: the members of the Central Committee Party Mass Line Education and Practice Movement Leading Small Group, relevant responsible comrades from all provinces, regions, municipalities and vice-province-level cities, as well as the Xinjiang Production-Construction Corps Party Committee, main responsible comrades from the Party groups (Party committees) of all Centre and State organs’ ministries and commissions, all people’s organizations and centrally-managed enterprises, financial organs and higher education institutes; the director and vice director of the Party Mass Line Education and Practice Movement Central Supervision Group, relevant responsible comrades from the People’s Liberation Army and Armed Police.

Members of the leadership ranks of all provinces, regions, municipalities and vice-provincial-level cities, as well as the Xinjiang Production-Construction Corps participated in separate meetings.

党的群众路线教育实践活动工作会议召开 习近平发表重要讲话
新华网北京６月１８日电（记者徐京跃　周英峰）党的群众路线教育实践活动工作会议６月１８日在北京召开，中共中央总书记、国家主席、中央军委主席习近平出席会议并发表重要讲话，对全党开展教育实践活动进行部署。他强调指出，开展党的群众路线教育实践活动，是实现党的十八大确定的奋斗目标的必然要求，是保持党的先进性和纯洁性、巩固党的执政基础和执政地位的必然要求，是解决群众反映强烈的突出问题的必然要求。全党同志要积极参与到活动中来，以实际行动密切党群干群关系，取得群众满意的成效。

中共中央政治局常委李克强、张德江、俞正声、王岐山、张高丽出席主会场会议，中央党的群众路线教育实践活动领导小组组长刘云山主持会议。会议以电视电话会议形式举行。

习近平强调，群众路线是我们党的生命线和根本工作路线。实现党的十八大确定的奋斗目标，实现中华民族伟大复兴的中国梦，必须紧紧依靠人民，充分调动最广大人民的积极性、主动性、创造性。开展党的群众路线教育实践活动，就是要使全党同志牢记并恪守全心全意为人民服务的根本宗旨，以优良作风把人民紧紧凝聚在一起，为实现党的十八大确定的目标任务而努力奋斗。

习近平指出，人心向背关系党的生死存亡。党只有始终与人民心连心、同呼吸、共命运，始终依靠人民推动历史前进，才能做到坚如磐石。开展党的群众路线教育实践活动，就是要把为民务实清廉的价值追求深深植根于全党同志的思想和行动中，夯实党的执政基础，巩固党的执政地位，增强党的创造力凝聚力战斗力，使保持党的先进性和纯洁性、巩固党的执政基础和执政地位具有广泛、深厚、可靠的群众基础。

习近平强调，总体上看，当前各级党组织和党员、干部贯彻执行党的群众路线情况是好的，党群干群关系也是好的，广大党员、干部在改革发展稳定各项工作中冲锋陷阵、忘我奉献，发挥了先锋模范作用，赢得了广大人民群众肯定和拥护。这是主流，必须充分肯定。同时，我们必须看到，面对世情、国情、党情的深刻变化，精神懈怠危险、能力不足危险、脱离群众危险、消极腐败危险更加尖锐地摆在全党面前，党内脱离群众的现象大量存在，集中表现在形式主义、官僚主义、享乐主义和奢靡之风这“四风”上。我们要对作风之弊、行为之垢来一次大排查、大检修、大扫除。

习近平指出，开展党的群众路线教育实践活动，必须高举中国特色社会主义伟大旗帜，全面贯彻落实党的十八大精神，以马克思列宁主义、毛泽东思想、邓小平理论、“三个代表”重要思想、科学发展观为指导，贯彻好党的十八大以来中央作出的重大工作部署和要求，紧紧围绕保持和发展党的先进性和纯洁性，以为民务实清廉为主要内容，切实加强全体党员马克思主义群众观点和党的群众路线教育，把贯彻落实中央八项规定精神作为切入点，着力解决突出问题。

习近平强调，这次教育实践活动的主要任务聚焦到作风建设上，集中解决形式主义、官僚主义、享乐主义和奢靡之风这“四风”问题。这“四风”是违背我们党的性质和宗旨的，是当前群众深恶痛绝、反映最强烈的问题，也是损害党群干群关系的重要根源。“四风”问题解决好了，党内其他一些问题解决起来也就有了更好条件。

习近平指出，教育实践活动要着眼于自我净化、自我完善、自我革新、自我提高，以“照镜子、正衣冠、洗洗澡、治治病”为总要求。照镜子，主要是以党章为镜，对照党的纪律、群众期盼、先进典型，对照改进作风要求，在宗旨意识、工作作风、廉洁自律上摆问题、找差距、明方向。正衣冠，主要是按照为民务实清廉的要求，勇于正视缺点和不足，严明党的纪律特别是政治纪律，敢于触及思想、正视矛盾和问题，从自己做起，从现在改起，端正行为，自觉把党性修养正一正、把党员义务理一理、把党纪国法紧一紧，保持共产党人良好形象。洗洗澡，主要是以整风的精神开展批评和自我批评，深入分析发生问题的原因，清洗思想和行为上的灰尘，保持共产党人政治本色。治治病，主要是坚持惩前毖后、治病救人方针，区别情况、对症下药，对作风方面存在问题的党员、干部进行教育提醒，对问题严重的进行查处，对不正之风和突出问题进行专项治理。

习近平强调，要以整风精神开展批评和自我批评，开好民主生活会，坚持开门搞活动。教育实践活动要以县处级以上领导机关、领导班子、领导干部为重点。各级领导干部既是活动组织者、推进者、监督者，更是活动参与者，要以普通党员身份把自己摆进去，力争认识高一层、学习深一步、实践先一着、剖析解决突出问题好一筹。保持党同人民群众的血肉联系是一个永恒课题，作风问题具有反复性和顽固性，必须经常抓、长期抓，特别是要建立健全促进党员、干部坚持为民务实清廉的长效机制。要以这次活动为契机，制定新的制度，完善已有的制度，废止不适用的制度。制度一经形成，就要严格遵守，执行制度没有例外。

习近平强调，各级党委要增强责任感和紧迫感，把开展好教育实践活动作为一项重大政治任务抓紧抓好抓实。要明确责任职责，主要领导亲自抓；深入调查研究，制定切实可行的实施方案；加强具体指导，确保正确方向；坚持统筹兼顾，做到两手抓、两促进；加强宣传引导，营造良好舆论氛围。

刘云山主持会议时指出，习近平总书记的重要讲话从战略和全局的高度深刻阐述了开展党的群众路线教育实践活动的重大意义，对以整风精神开展批评和自我批评、着力解决作风方面存在的突出问题、建立促进党员干部坚持为民务实清廉的长效机制、加强对教育实践活动的领导提出了明确要求，具有很强的思想性、针对性、指导性。大家一定要认真学习、深刻领会，切实把思想统一到讲话精神上来，用讲话精神指导教育实践活动的开展，扎扎实实把教育实践活动搞好。

在京中共中央政治局委员、书记处书记，全国人大常委会党员副委员长，国务委员，最高人民法院院长，最高人民检察院检察长，全国政协党员副主席出席主会场会议。

在主会场参加会议的还有：中央党的群众路线教育实践活动领导小组成员，各省区市和副省级城市、新疆生产建设兵团党委有关负责同志，中央和国家机关各部委、各人民团体以及中央管理的企业、金融机构和高等院校党组（党委）主要负责同志；党的群众路线教育实践活动中央督导组组长、副组长，人民解放军和武警部队有关负责同志等。

各省区市和副省级城市、新疆生产建设兵团领导班子成员在分会场参加会议。