Promoting the Party's Discipline Building to Continuously Achieve New Results

Strictly enforcing and upholding the Party's discipline is the common responsibility of the entire Party. President Xi Jinping delivered an important speech at the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection[1]1 The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, held in January 2025, is the annual meeting of the Party's internal disciplinary oversight body., expounding from the overall perspective of the development of the Party and the state the objectives and tasks as well as the practical requirements for comprehensively and strictly governing the Party in the current and future periods, and making strategic plans for advancing this effort in depth. On the new long march of examination[2]2 A reference to Mao Zedong's metaphor of “entering Beijing to take an examination” before the founding of the People's Republic, later used by Xi Jinping to describe the Party's ongoing historical tasks., we must place Party discipline building in the prominent position of comprehensively and strictly governing the Party, unremittingly grasping this work with strictness, consistency, and thoroughness, and promoting the Party's discipline building to continuously achieve new results.

严格执行和维护党的纪律，是全党的共同责任。习主席在二十届中央纪委四次全会上发表重要讲话，从党和国家事业发展全局的高度，深刻阐述当前和今后一个时期全面从严治党的目标任务、实践要求，对深入推进全面从严治党作出战略部署。新的赶考路上，我们必须把党的纪律建设摆在全面从严治党突出位置，坚持不懈把这项工作抓紧抓严、抓经常、抓到位，推动党的纪律建设不断取得新成效。

I

一

To govern the country well, the Party must first be governed well; only when the Party thrives can the country be strong. Currently, our country is at a critical juncture of using Chinese-path modernization to comprehensively advance the great cause of building a strong country and rejuvenating the Chinese nation. Using the results of the Party's discipline building to effectively manage and govern the Party is of great significance for responding to complex situations and severe challenges and for shouldering the historic mission of national strength and rejuvenation.

治国必先治党，党兴才能国强。当前，我国正处在以中国式现代化全面推进强国建设、民族复兴伟业的关键时期。用党的纪律建设成效管好党、治好党，对于有效应对复杂形势和严峻挑战，肩负起强国复兴的时代重任，具有十分重要的意义。

The inevitable choice for solving the unique challenges facing a large Marxist ruling party. Our Party, as the world's largest Marxist ruling party, possesses both the enormous advantage of accomplishing great deeds and building great achievements and the objective existence of unique challenges facing a large party. How to always remain true to the original aspiration and founding mission[3]3 A slogan referring to the Party’s mission to seek happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation., how to always unify thought, will, and action, how to always possess strong governance capability and leadership level, how to always maintain the entrepreneurial spirit of being devoted to work, how to always be able to promptly discover and solve problems within itself, and how to always maintain a political ecology of clean and upright governance—all these are the unique challenges that our large party must solve. The Party's discipline is the lifeblood of the Party; discipline building is a key link in Party building[4]4 A term for the systematic construction of the Party in areas such as ideology, organization, style, discipline, and institutions. and also a key measure for solving these challenges. Only by integrating strict discipline throughout all aspects and the entire process of comprehensively and strictly governing the Party can we ensure that this century-old great Party always maintains vigorous vitality and strong combat effectiveness and always remains the strong leading core of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

解决大党独有难题的必然选择。我们党作为世界上最大的马克思主义执政党，既有办大事、建伟业的巨大优势，也客观存在着大党独有难题。如何始终不忘初心、牢记使命，如何始终统一思想、统一意志、统一行动，如何始终具备强大的执政能力和领导水平，如何始终保持干事创业精神状态，如何始终能够及时发现和解决自身存在的问题，如何始终保持风清气正的政治生态，都是我们这个大党必须解决的独有难题。党的纪律是党的生命，纪律建设是党的建设的关键环节，也是解决这些难题的关键举措。只有把严明纪律贯穿到全面从严治党各方面全过程，才能确保我们这个百年大党始终保持旺盛生命力和强大战斗力，始终成为中国特色社会主义事业的坚强领导核心。

The inevitable choice for maintaining the Party's advanced nature and purity. The advanced nature and purity of a Marxist political party are not naturally preserved with the passage of time. Under conditions of long-term governance by the Party, factors that weaken the Party's advanced nature and impair its purity emerge constantly, dangers that deviate from the original aspiration and founding mission and shake the Party's foundation are everywhere, and prominent problems of ideological impurity, political impurity, organizational impurity, and style impurity still exist within the Party. The Party's discipline is formed in long-term practice to meet the needs of the development of the Party's cause, embodying the Party's original aspiration and founding mission, fundamental purpose, and fine style of work; it is a powerful guarantee for maintaining the Party's advanced nature and purity. Only by relying on iron discipline, continuously eliminating all harmful factors that damage the Party's advanced nature and purity, and constantly eradicating all pathogens that erode the Party's healthy organism, can the Party forever preserve the true character of a Marxist political party and ensure that it never deteriorates, never changes its hue, and never loses its flavor.

保持党的先进性和纯洁性的必然选择。马克思主义政党的先进性和纯洁性不是随着时间推移而自然保持下去的。在党长期执政条件下，各种弱化党的先进性、损害党的纯洁性的因素无时不有，各种违背初心使命、动摇党的根基的危险无处不在，党内依然存在着思想不纯、政治不纯、组织不纯、作风不纯等突出问题。党的纪律是我们党在长期实践中适应党的事业发展形成的，体现着党的初心使命、根本宗旨、优良作风，是保持党的先进性和纯洁性的有力保障。只有依靠铁的纪律，不断清除一切损害党的先进性和纯洁性的有害因素，不断清除一切侵蚀党的健康肌体的病原体，才能永葆马克思主义政党本色，确保党始终不变质、不变色、不变味。

The inevitable choice for leading social revolution through the Party's self-revolution. The Party's self-revolution is a powerful driving force for promoting social revolution; the new tasks and new challenges of social revolution in turn impose new goals and new requirements on the Party's self-revolution. The two mutually reinforce and complement each other. Advancing Chinese-path modernization is an unprecedented pioneering undertaking and a new great social revolution led by the Party under new historical conditions. Currently, there are still areas where our Party does not fully meet the requirements or adapt to the situation in terms of its own construction, and it needs to continuously self-purify, self-improve, self-reform, and self-enhance, forging the Party to be stronger and more powerful. Only by carrying forward the thorough spirit of self-revolution, unswervingly and comprehensively strictly governing the Party, and effectively raising and enforcing discipline and rules, so that our Party can remove impurities, strengthen immunity, and fortify its sinews and bones, can the Party unite into "a piece of hard steel"[5]5 A metaphor for unity and strength, often used in Party discourse to describe the solidarity of the entire Party., become the strong leading core of Chinese-path modernization, and ensure that the great social revolution led by the Party is invincible.

以党的自我革命引领社会革命的必然选择。党的自我革命是推进社会革命的强大动力，社会革命的新任务新挑战又对党的自我革命提出新目标新要求，二者相互促进、相得益彰。推进中国式现代化是一项前无古人的开创性事业，是党领导的一场新的伟大社会革命。当前，我们党在自身建设上还存在一些不匹配、不适应的地方，需要不断自我净化、自我完善、自我革新、自我提高，把党锻造得更加坚强有力。只有发扬彻底的自我革命精神，坚定不移全面从严治党，切实把纪律和规矩挺起来、立起来、严起来，使我们党不断去杂质、强免疫、壮筋骨，才能使党团结成“一块坚硬的钢铁”，成为中国式现代化的坚强领导核心，确保党领导的伟大社会革命无往而不胜。

II

二

Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC[6]6 The 18th National Congress of the CPC was held in 2012, marking the beginning of Xi Jinping's leadership., President Xi Jinping has profoundly summarized the successful experience of the Party's discipline building, scientifically grasped the characteristics and laws of discipline building in the New Era, and put forward a series of new thoughts, new viewpoints, and new judgments on comprehensively strengthening the Party's discipline building, providing direction and guidance for advancing comprehensive and strict governance of the Party in depth.

党的十八大以来，习主席深刻总结党的纪律建设的成功经验，科学把握新时代党的纪律建设的特点规律，就全面加强党的纪律建设提出了一系列新思想新观点新论断，为推动全面从严治党向纵深发展指明了方向、提供了遵循。

Insist on taking the strengthening of discipline building as the fundamental strategy for comprehensively and strictly governing the Party. To govern the Party and to do so strictly, what is relied upon? It is strict discipline and rules. The Party's discipline is the code of conduct that all Party organizations and Party members must abide by, and it is the statute that must be relied upon for comprehensively and strictly governing the Party. Strengthening discipline building is an integral part of the principle that to govern the country well the Party must first be governed well and that governing the Party must be strict, conforming to the inherent requirements of advancing comprehensive and strict governance in depth, and ensuring that such governance has rules to follow and discipline to rely on. Insist on incorporating the strengthening of discipline building into the overall framework of Party building in the New Era and the system of comprehensively and strictly governing the Party, adhere to the principle that Party discipline is stricter than law and that discipline takes precedence over law, and build a complete set of operational mechanisms for handling affairs strictly according to discipline and rules, ensuring that all requirements of comprehensive and strict governance are implemented.

坚持把加强纪律建设作为全面从严治党的治本之策。党要管党、从严治党，靠什么管，就是靠严明纪律和规矩。党的纪律是党的各级组织和全体党员必须遵守的行为规则，是全面从严治党必须依据的法度。加强纪律建设是治国必先治党、治党务必从严的题中应有之义，顺应深入推进全面从严治党的内在要求，确保全面从严治党有章可循、有纪可依。坚持把加强纪律建设纳入新时代党的建设总体布局和全面从严治党体系，坚持纪严于法、纪在法前，构建起一整套严格按纪律规矩办事的运行机制，确保把全面从严治党各项要求落到实处。

Insist on giving top priority to strictly observing political discipline and political rules. Among all Party disciplines and rules, political discipline and political rules are the most fundamental and important. We must profoundly understand the decisive significance of the Two Establishments[7]7 The Two Establishments refer to establishing Xi Jinping's core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole, and establishing the guiding position of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era., strengthen the Four Consciousnesses[8]8 The Four Consciousnesses: consciousness of the need to maintain political integrity, think in big-picture terms, follow the leadership core, and keep in alignment with the central Party leadership., fortify the Four Confidences[9]9 The Four Confidences: confidence in the path, theory, system, and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics., achieve the Two Upholds[10]10 The Two Upholds: uphold the authority and centralized, unified leadership of the Party Central Committee; uphold the core position of General Secretary Xi Jinping., and implement the system of the Chairman of the Central Military Commission assuming overall responsibility[11]11 The system under which the Chairman of the Central Military Commission has the final say on military affairs, emphasizing unified command of the armed forces.. We must unswervingly uphold the Party's comprehensive leadership, unambiguously implement the Party's line, principles, and policies, resolutely uphold the authority and centralized, unified leadership of the Party Central Committee, and consciously maintain a high degree of alignment with the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core in ideology, politics, and action. We must always keep a tight grip on the political principle of taking a clear political stand, and never allow anyone to oppose the Party Central Committee on major political principles or matters of principle and right and wrong. We must resolutely prevent and investigate the "seven insidious practices"[12]12 Seven insidious practices that undermine political discipline, including engaging in factionalism, forming cliques, and resisting central Party decisions., show no leniency toward those who form "small cliques" or "small circles," and resolutely eliminate "double-dealers" and "fake loyalists"[13]13 Terms for Party members who outwardly pretend loyalty but secretly oppose the Party (double-dealers) or feign allegiance while acting otherwise (fake loyalists)..

坚持把严守政治纪律和政治规矩放在首位。在党的纪律规矩中，政治纪律和政治规矩是最根本、最重要的。要深刻领悟“两个确立”的决定性意义，增强“四个意识”、坚定“四个自信”、做到“两个维护”，贯彻军委主席负责制。要坚持党的全面领导不动摇，贯彻党的路线方针政策不含糊，坚决维护党中央权威和集中统一领导，自觉在思想上政治上行动上同以习近平同志为核心的党中央保持高度一致。必须时刻绷紧旗帜鲜明讲政治这根弦，决不允许在重大政治原则问题、大是大非问题上同党中央唱反调，坚决防范和查处“七个有之”问题，对搞“小团伙”“小圈子”的人决不手软，坚决清除“两面人”“伪忠诚”。

Insist on advancing the Party's discipline building with a strong tone of strictness. The vitality of discipline lies in its enforcement; discipline must become a live wire that carries high voltage. Adhere to grasping Party spirit, Party conduct, and Party discipline together[14]14 A combined approach to enhance Party spirit, correct Party conduct, and enforce Party discipline., give full play to the role of discipline building as an effective tool for addressing both symptoms and root causes, consolidate and expand the normalization of strict enforcement and accountability for violations, further strengthen the tone of strictness, strict measures, and strict atmosphere, and ensure that iron discipline "bares its teeth" and exerts its power, making Party officials and members take it seriously, stay alert, and know when to stop. For actions that violate rules and regulations, stepping on the "red line", crossing the "bottom line", or breaching the "minefield", we must investigate and punish them firmly whenever found, without making exceptions for numerous offenders, without granting leniency on supposedly forgivable grounds, and without letting it slide "this time only". No "hidden doors" or "skylights"[15]15 Metaphors for allowing exceptions or loopholes in the enforcement of discipline.are allowed, and the "broken window effect"[16]16 A criminological theory used in Chinese political discourse to mean that if minor violations are tolerated, they will encourage more serious ones. must be resolutely prevented, so as to effectively uphold the seriousness and authority of discipline.

坚持突出严的基调推进党的纪律建设。纪律的生命力在于执行，必须使纪律成为带电的高压线。坚持党性党风党纪一起抓，充分发挥纪律建设标本兼治的利器作用，巩固和发展执纪必严、违纪必究常态化成果，进一步强化严的基调、严的措施、严的氛围，让铁纪“长牙”、发威，让党员干部重视、警醒、知止。对违规违纪、破坏法规制度踩“红线”、越“底线”、闯“雷区”的行为，发现一起坚决查处一起，不搞法不责众，不搞情有可原，不搞下不为例，不留“暗门”、不开“天窗”，坚决防止“破窗效应”，切实维护纪律的严肃性和权威性。

Insist on combining strict management with care, and integrating incentives with constraints. The Party's discipline not only defines the bottom line and boundaries that cannot be crossed but also provides a behavioral guideline for Party officials and members to work cleanly and boldly. We must deeply understand that discipline and entrepreneurship are intrinsically unified, comprehensively exert the educational, constraining, guaranteeing, and incentivizing roles of discipline, organically combine strengthening discipline consciousness with giving play to subjective initiative, and highly unify strict management and supervision with encouraging responsibility and action. By clarifying direction, establishing rules, rectifying conduct, and strengthening immunity, we enable the vast majority of Party officials and members to boldly reform, innovate, and take initiative within the bounds of discipline. Establish a normalized and long-term disciplinary education mechanism, so that discipline education runs through the entire cycle of cadre growth and integrates into the whole process of organizational management. Accurately apply the "four forms"[17]17 The four forms of disciplinary action: 1) criticism and education; 2) light disciplinary measures; 3) heavy disciplinary measures; 4) transfer for criminal investigation.of supervision and discipline enforcement, and implement the "three distinctions"[18]18 The three distinctions: distinguishing between mistakes made in exploring reforms and violations of discipline; between errors in experiments and intentional violations; between normal performance of duties and misconduct., so as to stimulate the initiative, creativity, and dynamism of the broad masses of Party officials and members, and promote a vivid situation of pioneering spirit and healthy competition.

坚持严管和厚爱结合、激励和约束并重。党的纪律既明确了不能触碰的底线和边界，也为党员干部干净干事、大胆干事提供了行动准绳。深刻认识党的纪律和干事创业是内在统一的，综合发挥纪律的教育约束、保障激励作用，把强化纪律性和发挥主观能动性有机结合起来，把从严管理监督和鼓励担当作为高度统一起来，通过明方向、立规矩、正风气、强免疫，使广大党员干部在遵规守纪中大胆改革创新、干事创业。建立常态化长效化的纪律教育机制，使纪律教育贯穿干部成长全周期、融入组织管理全过程，准确运用监督执纪“四种形态”，落实好“三个区分开来”，激发广大党员干部的积极性、主动性、创造性，推动形成锐意进取、奋勇争先的生动局面。

III

三

Strengthening the Party's discipline building is a long-term and arduous task. On the new journey, we must always maintain the firm persistence that comprehensive and strict governance of the Party is always on the march and the Party's self-revolution is always on the march, ensure the implementation of various tasks and measures for discipline building, and further improve the pertinence and effectiveness of discipline building.

加强党的纪律建设是一项长期而艰巨的任务。新征程上，必须始终保持全面从严治党永远在路上、党的自我革命永远在路上的坚定执着，抓好纪律建设各项工作和举措的落实，进一步提高纪律建设的针对性和实效性。

Strengthen discipline education and achieve constant and unremitting efforts. Discipline education is the foundation of discipline building and the ideological guarantee for strict Party discipline. Party organizations at all levels should focus on solving problems such as some Party officials and members not taking Party Constitution and Party regulations seriously, not understanding them, or not mastering them, and educate and guide Party officials and members, especially leading officials, to earnestly study the Party Constitution and Party regulations, enhance their internal consciousness of learning, knowing, understanding, and abiding by discipline, engrave compliance with discipline in their hearts, and continuously strengthen discipline awareness and discipline determination. Adhere to the combination of discipline education and Party spirit education, thematic education and random education, positive guidance and negative warning, educate Party officials and members to know the boundaries and understand the bottom line, strengthen self-examination, and achieve reverence in the heart, caution in words, and restraint in actions.

加强纪律教育，做到常抓不懈。纪律教育是纪律建设的基础环节和严明党纪的思想保证。各级党组织要聚焦解决一些党员干部对党章党规党纪不上心、不了解、不掌握等问题，教育引导党员干部特别是领导干部认真学习党章党规党纪，增强学纪、知纪、明纪、守纪的内在自觉，把遵规守纪刻印在心，不断强化纪律意识、增强纪律定力。坚持纪律教育和党性教育、专题教育和随机教育、正面引导和反面警示相结合，教育党员干部知边界、明底线，加强自身检视，做到心有所畏、言有所戒、行有所止。

Strengthen the enforcement of discipline and form rigid constraints. Discipline is the "ruler"[19]19 A traditional Chinese educative tool, here metaphorically meaning the standard for judging and correcting behavior.for governing the Party. When discipline is strict and enforcement is powerful, education becomes convincing, institutions become binding, and oversight becomes effective. Party organizations at all levels must implement the principle that discipline must be enforced strictly and violations must be prosecuted, dare to manage and strictly govern, without relaxing rules because of high positions, without condoning problems because they are small, and without letting go of violators because they are many. Set up a rigid constraint of strict adherence to regulations, discipline, and law. Increase the intensity of investigating violations of the Party's discipline, seriously investigate and punish various acts of disciplinary and legal violations, and comprehensively exert the effects of punishment and deterrence, disciplinary sanction and redemption, education and warning.

强化纪律执行，形成刚性约束。纪律是管党治党的“戒尺”。纪律严明、执纪有力，教育才有说服力、制度才有约束力、监督才有制衡力。各级党组织要把执纪必严、违纪必究落到实处，敢管敢治、严管严治，不以权势大而破规，不以问题小而姑息，不以违者众而放任，立起严格依规依纪依法的硬约束。加大对违反党的纪律的行为查处力度，严肃查处各种违纪违法行为，综合发挥惩治震慑、惩戒挽救、教育警醒的功效。

Compress the chains of responsibility and form a joint force for advancement. Strengthening discipline building is a systematic project. Party organizations at all levels must assume the main responsibility, Party secretaries must fulfill the responsibility as the first person in charge, and other members of the leading team must fulfill the "dual responsibility for both Party affairs and administrative work"[20]20 The responsibility of leading cadres to manage both their administrative duties and Party building work in their field of responsibility., effectively take on the political responsibility for grasping discipline building, and adhere to the principle of leading by example at each level and managing at each level, forming a situation where everyone fulfills their own responsibilities, takes the initiative to shoulder responsibility, and works together to advance. Leading officials at all levels, as the "key minority"[21]21 Refers to leading cadres at and above the county/department level, who are considered crucial for enforcing Party discipline., must take the lead in implementing and upholding the Party's discipline, set an example at all times, and "lead from above"[22]22 A phrase meaning that leaders set a good example for subordinates by their own conduct., be strict with themselves, strictly fulfill their responsibilities, and strictly manage the areas under their jurisdiction. They should set higher standards and implement stricter requirements in observing discipline and rules, and be good organizers, demonstrators, and promoters of strengthening the Party's discipline building.

压实责任链条，形成推进合力。加强纪律建设是一项系统性工程，各级党组织要承担好主体责任，党组织书记要履行好第一责任人职责，其他领导班子成员要履行好“一岗双责”，切实担负起抓纪律建设的政治责任，坚持一级带一级、一级抓一级，形成各尽其责、主动担责、合力推进的态势。各级领导干部作为“关键少数”，要带头执行和维护党的纪律，时时处处以身作则、以上率下，严于律己、严负其责、严管所辖，在遵规守纪上树立更高标准、落实更严要求，当好加强党的纪律建设的组织者、示范者、推动者。

Online editor: Huihui

网络编辑：慧慧