Unyieldingly upholding and strengthening the Party's overall leadership※

Xi Jinping

One

　　The Chinese Communist Party is the core of leadership for the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, so it is necessary to strengthen and improve the Party's leadership and give full play to the Party's leading core role in overall planning and coordination.

(Speech at the first collective study of the 18th Central Political Bureau in November 17, 2012)

Two

　　The Party is the core of leadership for all our undertakings. As the ancients said, "The six directions share the same wind, and the nine states are united." In contemporary China, this cannot be achieved without the Party's leadership. The Central Committee, the Central Political Bureau, and the Standing Committee of the Central Political Bureau are the core of the Party's leadership and decision-making. Decisions and deployments made by the Party Central Committee must be implemented by the Party's organizational, propaganda, united front, and political and legal departments, as well as by the Party organizations of the People's Congress, the government, the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the courts, and the procuratorates, and the Party organizations of public institutions and people's organizations. Party organizations must play their role. Party organizations at all levels should be responsible to the Party committee and report their work to the Party committee. Some comrades are accustomed to treating their work as their own private domain, feeling that since they are in charge, there is no need to report, nor do they want others to interfere, and some even do not want the Party committee to interfere, otherwise it would be a separation of Party and government. This idea is incorrect. The Party committee plays a leading core role, and all aspects should consciously report major work and major situations to the Party committee, and work wholeheartedly within their own responsibilities under the unified leadership of the Party committee. Reporting has its advantages; it allows for brainstorming and collective efforts, leading to better results. Party committees (Party groups) at all levels and in all regions and departments should strengthen their reporting to the Party Central Committee; this is also a rule.

(Speech at the Third Plenary Session of the 18th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection on January 14, 2014)

Three

　　The greatest national condition of China is the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party. What is Chinese characteristic? This is the Chinese characteristic. The system of leadership by the Chinese Communist Party is our own; it is not cloned from anywhere, nor is it blindly following others. No matter what beneficial things we absorb, they must ultimately be localized. The wind of the October Revolution blew in, but our Party did not ultimately become a Soviet-style party. After the end of the Cold War, the Soviet Union disintegrated and Eastern Europe underwent drastic changes, but we still followed our own path, which is why we are where we are today. Practice is the sole criterion for testing truth. China has followed this path for more than 90 years since the founding of the Party, more than 60 years since the founding of New China, and more than 30 years of reform and opening up, moving from one victory to another, from one success to another. What can shake our belief?

(Speech at the thematic democratic life meeting of the Standing Committee of the Lankao County Committee of Henan Province on May 9, 2014)

Four

　　The leadership of the Chinese Communist Party is the most essential characteristic of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Without the Communist Party, there would be no New China, and there would be no prosperity and strength of New China. Upholding the strong leadership core of the Chinese Communist Party is crucial to the destiny of the Chinese nation. The leadership of the Chinese Communist Party supports and guarantees the people's ability to be masters of their own house. We must uphold the Party's leading core role in overall planning and coordination, and through the system of people's congresses, ensure that the Party's guidelines, policies, and decisions are fully implemented and effectively executed in national work. We must support and guarantee that state power organs actively, independently, and responsibly carry out their work in accordance with the Constitution and laws, in a coordinated manner. We must continuously strengthen and improve the Party's leadership, skillfully transforming the Party's propositions into the will of the state through legal procedures, skillfully transforming the candidates recommended by the Party organization into leaders of state power organs through legal procedures, skillfully implementing the Party's leadership over the state and society through state power organs, and skillfully using the principle of democratic centralism to uphold the authority of the Party and the state and maintain the unity of the whole Party and the whole country.

(Speech at the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the founding of the National People's Congress on September 5, 2014)

Five

　　The Party's leadership is the most essential characteristic of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the most fundamental guarantee of socialist rule of law. Adhering to the path of socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics fundamentally means upholding the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party. The rule of law by the people is proposed by our Party, and the elevation of the rule of law by the people to a fundamental strategy for the Party to lead the people in governing the country is also proposed by our Party, and the Party has always led the people in promoting the rule of law in practice. The comprehensive advancement of the rule of law should be conducive to strengthening and improving the Party's leadership and consolidating the Party's ruling position and completing the Party's ruling mission; it is definitely not intended to weaken the Party's leadership.

(Speech at the second plenary session of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on October 23, 2014)

Six

　　The Chinese Communist Party is the core of leadership for the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and it is in a position of overall planning and coordination. In today's China, there is no political force or any other force greater than the Chinese Communist Party. The Party leads everything, from the Party, government, military, civilians, and academia to the east, west, south, north, and center; it is the highest political leading force. The Chinese Communist Party is the ruling party, and the Party's leadership is the fundamental guarantee for doing a good job in all aspects of the Party and state's work, and it is the fundamental point for China's political stability, economic development, national unity, and social stability; there can be no wavering whatsoever.

(Speech at the study seminar for provincial and ministerial-level leading cadres on comprehensively advancing the rule of law in accordance with the spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on February 2, 2015)

Seven

　　A prominent characteristic of the superiority of China's socialist political system is the Party's leading core role in overall planning and coordination; it can be figuratively described as "the moon surrounded by stars," and this "moon" is the Chinese Communist Party. In the grand chess game of the national governance system, the Party Central Committee is the "commander" sitting in the central army tent, with chariots, horses, cannons, and soldiers each displaying their strengths, forming a clear overall picture. If China were to become a collection of independent entities, a loose sand, not only would the goals we have set not be achieved, but disastrous consequences would inevitably arise.

　　(Speech at the study seminar for provincial and ministerial-level leading cadres on comprehensively advancing the rule of law in accordance with the spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on February 2, 2015)

Eight

　　The principle of Party spirit is the fundamental principle of the Party's news and public opinion work. The Party's management of propaganda, ideology, and media is an important aspect of upholding the Party's leadership. The principle of Party spirit must not only be mentioned but also stated forcefully; it cannot be evasive or hesitant. In 2006, when I was working in Zhejiang, I put forward 12 words for Zhejiang Province to do a good job in news and public opinion work, namely, "serving the Party and the people, clarifying the murky and promoting the clear, and being discerning," emphasizing serving the Party and the people in the first place.

　　The most fundamental aspect of upholding the principle of Party spirit is upholding the Party's leadership over news and public opinion work. Media run by the Party and the government are propaganda platforms for the Party and the government; they must be Party-oriented, must be in the hands of the Party, and must become the mouthpiece of the Party and the people; "Party newspapers and periodicals must unconditionally publicize the Party's propositions." No matter how the times develop or how the media landscape changes, the principle and system of the Party's management of the media cannot change.

(Speech at the symposium on the Party's news and public opinion work on February 19, 2016)

Nine

　　Upholding the Party's leadership over national security work is the fundamental principle for doing a good job in national security work. All regions should establish and improve the responsibility system for national security work under the unified leadership of the Party committee, strengthen the responsibility for maintaining national security, and be responsible and fulfill their responsibilities in their respective areas. We should care for and cherish the national security cadre team and provide them with convenient conditions and policy guarantees.

(Speech at the symposium on national security work on February 17, 2017)

Ten

　　The absolute leadership of the Party over the military is an essential characteristic of socialism with Chinese characteristics, an important political advantage of the Party and the state, and the fundamental principle and soul of the People's Liberation Army's founding and strengthening. No matter how the times develop or the situation changes, our army will always be the Party's army and the people's army. The entire army must strengthen its political awareness, awareness of the overall situation, core awareness, and awareness of alignment, resolutely uphold the authority of the Party Central Committee, resolutely implement the fundamental principles and systems of the Party's absolute leadership over the military, and resolutely obey the command of the Party Central Committee and the Central Military Commission. On this major principle, our minds must be exceptionally clear, our attitude exceptionally firm, and our actions exceptionally resolute; there can be no wavering, no hesitation, no ambiguity.

(Speech at the Rally Celebrating the 90th Anniversary of the Founding of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, August 1, 2017)

Eleven

　　To comprehensively and strictly govern the Party, we must uphold and strengthen the Party's overall leadership. Upholding and strengthening the Party's overall leadership is related to the future and destiny of the Party and the state. All our undertakings are built on this foundation and rooted in this most essential characteristic and greatest advantage. Making mistakes on this issue is often disastrous and subversive. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, we have adopted a series of major measures to correct the ambiguous and erroneous understanding that existed for a period of time, reversing the weakening of Party leadership and the lack of Party building in some localities and departments, and enabling the Party's leadership to be comprehensively strengthened.

(Speech at the Second Plenary Session of the 19th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, January 11, 2018)

Twelve

　　The Constitution is the fundamental legal basis for our Party's long-term governance. China's Constitution confirms the ruling status of the Communist Party of China and its core position in the state's power structure in overseeing the overall situation and coordinating various aspects. This is the most essential characteristic of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the greatest advantage of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics, and the most fundamental guarantee of socialist rule of law.

(Speech at the Second Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, January 19, 2018)

Thirteen

　　The leadership of the Communist Party of China is the most essential characteristic of socialism with Chinese characteristics, embodies the common will and fundamental interests of all the people of all ethnic groups across the country, and is the fundamental guarantee for decisively winning the battle to fully build a moderately prosperous society and achieving a great victory for socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era. Our Party has been in power for a long time in a large country with a population of more than 1.3 billion. To ensure national unity, legal unity, unity of command, and market unity, to achieve economic development, political clarity, cultural prosperity, social justice, and a good ecological environment, and to smoothly advance various undertakings of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, we must improve the system and mechanisms for upholding Party leadership, better leverage the Party's greatest advantage of leadership, and shoulder the major responsibilities of waging great struggles, building a great project, advancing great undertakings, and realizing great dreams.

(Explanation of the Draft Decision and Plan on Deepening the Reform of Party and State Institutions at the Third Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, February 26, 2018)

Fourteen

　　In China's political life, the Party holds a leading position. Strengthening the Party's centralized and unified leadership and supporting the people's congresses, governments, the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and the supervisory, judicial, and procuratorial organs, people's organizations, enterprises and institutions, and social organizations in performing their functions, carrying out their work, and playing their roles are two unified aspects. The draft decision firmly grasps the main line of adapting to the requirements of the development of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, constructing a system of functions of Party and state institutions that upholds the Party's overall leadership and reflects the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of the people, and focuses on leveraging the Party's leadership, the greatest institutional advantage, through institutional arrangements. It comprehensively considers the establishment of various Party and state institutions, coordinates and brings into play the functions of various institutions, improves the system and mechanisms for scientific leadership and decision-making, effective management and implementation, and ensures the Party's long-term governance and the long-term stability and prosperity of the state.

(Explanation of the Draft Decision and Plan on Deepening the Reform of Party and State Institutions at the Third Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, February 26, 2018)

Fifteen

　　Deepening the reform of Party and state institutions is a necessary requirement for upholding and strengthening the Party's overall leadership and strengthening the Party's ability to govern for a long time. The Party leads everything—the Party, government, military, civilian, educational, and other sectors, east, west, south, north, and center. The Party is the highest political leadership force, and Party leadership is our greatest institutional advantage. Strengthening the Party's leadership over all work is not empty or abstract; it must be implemented and reflected in all aspects and at all levels. Through deepening the reform of Party and state institutions, we must strive to resolve the institutional and mechanism issues of the Party's leadership over all work from the perspective of institutional functions, resolve the issues of the institutional and functional relationships between the Party, government, military, and the masses under the conditions of the Party's long-term governance in China's national governance system, provide a sound and powerful institutional and mechanism guarantee, a solid organizational foundation, and an effective work system for effectively leveraging the Party's greatest institutional advantage, ensure that the system for the Party's leadership over the state and society is strengthened and improved, and better shoulder the major responsibilities of waging great struggles, building a great project, advancing great undertakings, and realizing great dreams.

(Speech at the Second Plenary Session of the Third Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, February 28, 2018)

Sixteen

　　"Governing a country is like planting a tree; if the roots are unshaken, the branches and leaves will flourish." The roots of our governance are the leadership of the Communist Party of China and China's socialist system. On this point, we must be confident and clear. Party leadership must be comprehensive, systematic, and holistic, and must be reflected in economic construction, political construction, cultural construction, social construction, ecological civilization construction, national defense and the military, national reunification, foreign affairs, and Party building. Any area, aspect, or link that is deficient or weakened will weaken the Party's strength and harm the cause of the Party and the state.

(Speech at the Second Plenary Session of the Third Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, February 28, 2018)

Seventeen

　　Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, we have not only gained new understanding of upholding Party leadership in theory, but also made new explorations in practice, improving the system and mechanisms for the Party's leadership over all work. We must implement and reflect the upholding of Party leadership in reform, development, stability, domestic and foreign affairs, national defense, and the governance of the Party, state, and military, ensuring that the Party always oversees the overall situation and coordinates various aspects.

(Speech at the Fifth Collective Study of the 19th Central Political Bureau, April 23, 2018)

Eighteen

　　Promoting the institutionalization and legalization of Party leadership is both a necessary aspect of strengthening Party leadership and an important task of the rule of law. Why has China been able to maintain long-term stability and avoid chaos? The fundamental reason is that we have always upheld the leadership of the Communist Party. Party leadership is the "ballast" for the continuous development of the Party's and state's undertakings. This amendment to the Constitution, based on the confirmation of the Party's leading position in the preamble to the Constitution, also clearly stipulates in the General Principles that the leadership of the Communist Party of China is the most essential characteristic of socialism with Chinese characteristics, strengthening the Party's leading position in overseeing the overall situation and coordinating various aspects. The amendment to the Constitution has been well received by all sectors. We must continue to promote the institutionalization and legalization of Party leadership, continuously improve the Party's leadership system and work mechanisms, and implement Party leadership throughout the process and in all aspects of comprehensively governing the country according to law.

(Speech at the First Meeting of the Central Committee for Comprehensively Deepening Reform under the Rule of Law, August 24, 2018)

Nineteen

　　The strengthening of the Party's overall leadership has been effectively implemented, and the institutional and functional system for upholding the Party's centralized and unified leadership has been further improved. The landmark achievement of this institutional reform is to implement the strengthening of the Party's leadership in all fields, aspects, and links from the perspective of institutional functions. We have strengthened the Party's leadership over major work in areas such as deepening reform, the rule of law, the economy, national security, cyberspace, diplomacy, institutional restructuring, military-civilian integration, auditing, education, and rural areas, and enriched the responsibilities of departments such as Party organization, propaganda, united front, political and legal affairs, Party building in government organs, and education and training, strengthening the functions of coordinating major work within their respective systems and fields. The system of unified Party leadership over mass organizations has been further improved. We have established the National Supervisory Commission, strengthened the Party's unified leadership over anti-corruption work, and built a supervisory system under unified Party command, with comprehensive coverage and high efficiency. Through reform, the Party's ability to set direction, plan the overall situation, formulate policies, and promote reform has been enhanced, and the Party's position in overseeing the overall situation and coordinating various aspects has been consolidated.

(Remarks at the Summary Meeting on Deepening the Reform of Party and State Institutions, July 5, 2019)

Twenty

　　Strengthening the Party's leadership over the work of the People's Political Consultative Conference. The leadership of the Communist Party of China is the common choice of all the Chinese people, including various democratic parties, groups, ethnic groups, social strata, and all walks of life. It is the original aspiration when the CPPCC was founded and the fundamental guarantee for the development and progress of the People's Political Consultative Conference. We must integrate upholding Party leadership into all aspects of the CPPCC's work and effectively implement the Party Central Committee's requirements for the work of the People's Political Consultative Conference.

(Remarks at the Central CPPCC Work Conference and the Commemorative Meeting for the 70th Anniversary of the Founding of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, September 20, 2019)

Twenty-one

　　The socialist system with Chinese characteristics is a rigorous and complete scientific system. The fundamental, basic, and important systems play a pivotal role, among which the Party leadership system holds a dominant position. The Party leadership system is China's fundamental leadership system. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, we have clearly stated that "the most essential characteristic of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the leadership of the Communist Party of China, and the greatest advantage of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics is the leadership of the Communist Party of China, and the Party is the highest political leadership force." This plenary session emphasized that "we must uphold the Party's leadership over all aspects of society, including the Party, government, military, civilian, education, and all regions, and resolutely uphold the authority of the Party Central Committee, improve the Party's leadership system that oversees the overall situation and coordinates various aspects, and implement the Party's leadership in all fields, aspects, and links of national governance." This is the most valuable experience of the Party leading the people in revolution, construction, and reform. In promoting the construction of systems in all aspects, promoting the development of various undertakings, and strengthening and improving work in all aspects, we must uphold the Party's leadership and consciously implement the fundamental requirements of the Party's overall leadership and coordination.

(Remarks at the Second Plenary Session of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, October 31, 2019)

Twenty-two