Strengthening the Main Responsibility for Comprehensive and Strict Governance of the Party with the Spirit of Reform

The “Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Further Deepening Reform Comprehensively to Advance Chinese-Path Modernization” (hereinafter referred to as the “Decision”), reviewed and adopted at the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, [1]1 The "Two Responsibilities" refer to the main responsibility and the supervisory responsibility within the system of comprehensive and strict governance of the Party. arranges in a dedicated section to enhance the Party’s leadership level in further deepening reform comprehensively and advancing Chinese-path modernization, wherein it requires strengthening the main responsibility and supervisory responsibility for comprehensive and strict governance of the Party. Clarifying and implementing the main responsibility for comprehensive and strict governance of the Party is an important experience gained in managing and governing the Party in the New Era.

党的二十届三中全会审议通过的《中共中央关于进一步全面深化改革、推进中国式现代化的决定》（以下简称《决定》）以专题形式部署提高党对进一步全面深化改革、推进中国式现代化的领导水平，其中要求强化全面从严治党主体责任和监督责任。明确并落实全面从严治党主体责任是新时代管党治党取得的重要经验。

Condensing the Valuable Experience of Comprehensively Deepening Reform

凝结全面深化改革宝贵经验

Clarifying the main responsibility for comprehensive and strict governance of the Party is an important achievement of comprehensively deepening reform in the New Era. The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC proposed principles to be implemented in further deepening reform comprehensively, which are a scientific summary of the valuable experience of reform and opening up, especially the comprehensive deepening of reform in the New Era. Using these six principles as analytical indicators, it can be seen that the main responsibility for comprehensive and strict governance of the Party manifests a distinct spirit of reform and condenses valuable reform experience. These principles are undoubtedly the fundamental guidelines for strengthening the main responsibility for comprehensive and strict governance of the Party on the new journey.

明确全面从严治党主体责任是新时代全面深化改革的一个重要成果。党的二十届三中全会提出进一步全面深化改革要贯彻的原则，是对改革开放以来特别是新时代全面深化改革开放宝贵经验的科学总结。以这六条原则为分析指标，可以看到全面从严治党主体责任彰显着鲜明的改革精神，凝结了宝贵的改革经验。这些原则无疑也是新征程上强化全面从严治党主体责任的根本遵循。

First, the main responsibility for comprehensive and strict governance of the Party takes upholding the Party’s overall leadership as its core concern. Party leadership is the fundamental guarantee for further deepening reform comprehensively and advancing Chinese-path modernization. General Secretary Xi Jinping has clearly pointed out: “Comprehensive and strict governance of the Party, the core is to strengthen Party leadership, the foundation is in comprehensiveness, the key is in strictness, and the crux is in governance.” [2]2 The Fourth Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, held in October 2014, focused on advancing law-based governance in all respects. Among the four principles stipulated in the general provisions of the “Regulations on the Implementation of the Main Responsibility of Party Committees (Party Leadership Groups) for Comprehensive and Strict Governance of the Party,” the first is “adhering to closely centering on strengthening and improving the Party’s overall leadership.” The main responsibility for comprehensive and strict governance of the Party requires Party organizations at all levels to firmly establish the concept that failing to manage and govern the Party is a serious dereliction of duty, and to embody Party leadership in daily education, management, and supervision. Conversely, wherever there is Party leadership, the requirements for comprehensive and strict governance of the Party must be implemented.

第一，全面从严治党主体责任以坚持党的全面领导为核心关切。党的领导是进一步全面深化改革、推进中国式现代化的根本保证。习近平总书记鲜明地指出：“全面从严治党，核心是加强党的领导，基础在全面，关键在严，要害在治。”《党委（党组）落实全面从严治党主体责任规定》总则规定的四条原则中，摆在第一位的就是“坚持紧紧围绕加强和改善党的全面领导”。全面从严治党主体责任要求各级党组织牢固树立不管党治党就是严重失职的观念，把党的领导体现到日常教育管理监督中。反过来讲，哪里有党的领导，哪里就必须落实全面从严治党要求。

Second, the main responsibility for comprehensive and strict governance of the Party takes adhering to a people-centered approach as its value orientation. The people’s aspiration for a better life is our goal. Why can comprehensive and strict governance of the Party not be relaxed or loosened even a little? General

第二，全面从严治党主体责任以坚持以人民为中心为价值导向。人民对美好生活的向往就是我们的奋斗目标。为什么全面从严治党不能松一点、宽一点？习近平总书记这样回答：“我们不舒服一点、不自在一点，老百姓的舒适度就好一点、满意度就高一点，对我们的感觉就好一点。”全面从严治党的实践试出了人心向背。“八项规定”改变中国。以“得罪千百人、不负十四亿”的使命和担当开展史无前例的反腐败斗争，消除了党、国家、军队内部存在的严重隐患，确保党和人民赋予的权力始终用来为人民谋幸福。

Third, the main responsibility for comprehensive and strict governance of the Party is the result of upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground. The Party exercising self-supervision and governing itself strictly is a consistent requirement and fundamental policy of Party building. For strict governance of the Party to be earnestly implemented, responsibilities must be clear and rewards and punishments must be distinct. On the basis of inheriting the long-standing experience of Party building, especially the responsibility system for clean governance and anti-corruption, the "Two Responsibilities" [1]1 The "Two Responsibilities" refer to the main responsibility and the supervisory responsibility within the system of comprehensive and strict governance of the Party. for comprehensive and strict governance of the Party were creatively proposed. Among them, the main responsibility specifically addresses problems such as "local Party committees failing to take the lead and coordinate, resulting in the departmentalization of Party building," "whenever supervision is mentioned, one only thinks of the discipline inspection commission or shifts the task to it," and "the secretary only takes command but does not go into battle."

第三，全面从严治党主体责任是坚持守正创新的成果。党要管党、从严治党，是党的建设的一贯要求和根本方针。从严管党治党要得到认真贯彻落实，就必须责任清晰、赏罚分明。在传承长期以来党的建设特别是党风廉政建设责任制经验的基础上，创造性提出全面从严治党“两个责任”，其中，主体责任极具针对性地解决“地方党委不抓总、不统筹，党的建设部门化”“一谈到监督就只想到纪委或推给纪委”“书记只挂帅不出征”等问题。

Fourth, the main responsibility for comprehensive and strict governance of the Party adheres to taking institutional development as the main thread. In October 2015, the meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee first proposed the main responsibility for comprehensive and strict governance of the Party. At that meeting, the revision of the Regulations on Disciplinary Sanctions of the CPC included the failure of Party organizations to fulfill the main responsibility for comprehensive and strict governance of the Party or to fulfill it effectively within the scope of sanctions. Subsequently, central intra-Party regulations such as the revised or newly formulated Regulations on the Work of Local Party Committees, Regulations on Accountability, the Norms on Political Life Within the Party Under the New Situation, Regulations on Intra-Party Supervision, Regulations on the Work of Party Organs (Trial), and Regulations on the Work of Party Leadership Groups successively stipulated the main responsibility for comprehensive and strict governance of the Party. In March 2020, the Provisions on the Implementation of the Main Responsibility of Party Committees (Party Leadership Groups) for Comprehensive and Strict Governance of the Party was specifically issued, which is an important measure to improve the responsibility system for comprehensive and strict governance of the Party.

第四，全面从严治党主体责任坚持以制度建设为主线。2015年10月，中央政治局会议第一次提出全面从严治党主体责任，会议修订纪律处分条例就把党组织不履行全面从严治党主体责任或者履责不力纳入处分范围。之后，制定或修订党的地方委员会工作条例、问责条例、关于新形势下党内政治生活的若干准则、党内监督条例、工作机关条例（试行）、党组工作条例等中央党内法规相继规定全面从严治党主体责任。2020年3月专门出台《党委（党组）落实全面从严治党主体责任规定》，是健全全面从严治党责任制度的重要举措。

Fifth, the main responsibility for comprehensive and strict governance of the Party adheres to advancing on the track of the rule of law. The Fourth Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee [2]2 The Fourth Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, held in October 2014, focused on advancing law-based governance in all respects. clarified that the system of intra-Party regulations is an important component of the socialist rule-of-law system with Chinese characteristics. The Party Central Committee adheres to governing the Party according to regulations, promptly transforming the concept of the main responsibility for comprehensive and strict governance of the Party into a system of intra-Party regulations, reflecting that the reform of the Party building system also follows the principle of unifying reform and the rule of law. Law-based governance in all respects requires the organic unity of law-based governance and governing the Party according to regulations. The Law on Administrative Sanctions for Public Officials stipulates that the appointing and dismissing organs or units of public officials shall, in accordance with their management authority, impose sanctions on public officials who violate the law, and the sanction work shall apply the provisions of this Law on the types and application of administrative sanctions, as well as illegal acts and the applicable administrative sanctions. This legalizes and specifies the main responsibility of appointing and dismissing organs and units for strictly managing public officials, reflecting the coordination and connection between the concept of main responsibility in Party regulations and national laws.

第五，全面从严治党主体责任坚持在法治轨道上推进。党的十八届四中全会明确了党内法规体系是中国特色社会主义法治体系的重要构成。党中央坚持依规治党，及时将全面从严治党主体责任从理念转化为党内法规制度，体现出党的建设制度改革同样遵循改革和法治相统一的原则。全面依法治国要求依法治国与依规治党有机统一。《公职人员政务处分法》规定公职人员任免机关、单位应当按照管理权限给予违法的公职人员处分，处分工作适用该法关于政务处分的种类和适用、违法行为及其适用的政务处分之规定，从而将任免机关、单位从严管理公职人员的主体责任法律化、具体化，体现了主体责任理念在党规国法之间的衔接协调。

Sixth, the main responsibility for comprehensive and strict governance of the Party adheres to taking a systematic approach as an important method. Regarding the internal system, in terms of the content of responsibility, the main responsibility for comprehensive and strict governance of the Party is not limited to "Party affairs" but also includes "the Party's affairs," that is, it must coordinate the Party's own building with the Party's leadership over the state and society. In terms of the subjects of responsibility, the secretary fulfills the duties of the first responsible person, and other members of the leading group bear important leadership responsibilities within the scope of their duties. In terms of the responsibility mechanism, the Party building leading group is a deliberative and coordinating body; the general offices (offices), functional departments, and working bodies are the specific implementing organs; and the Party's discipline inspection organs, as well as the Party committees of departments and units, undertake assisting duties. Regarding the external system, the main responsibility and the supervisory responsibility complement each other and are interconnected and coordinated. The responsibility system is organically linked with the organizational system, education system, supervision system, and institutional system, together constituting a comprehensive and strict governance of the Party system with complete elements, full functions, scientific norms, and efficient operation.

第六，全面从严治党主体责任坚持以系统观念为重要方法。就内部系统而言，在责任内容上，全面从严治党主体责任并不限于“党内的事”，还包括“党的事”，也即要统筹党的自身建设与党对国家和社会的领导；在责任主体上，书记履行第一责任人职责，领导班子其他成员在职责范围内负重要领导责任；在责任机制上，党的建设工作领导小组是议事协调机构，办公厅（室）、职能部门、办事机构等是具体执行机关，党的纪律检查机关、部门和单位机关党委承担协助职责。就外部系统而言，主体责任与监督责任相辅相成、贯通协同；责任体系与组织体系、教育体系、监管体系、制度体系等有机衔接，共同构成要素齐全、功能完备、科学规范、运行高效的全面从严治党体系。

Strengthening the Main Responsibility with the Spirit of Reform and Strict Standards

以改革精神和严的标准强化主体责任

The Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee [3]3 The Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, held in July 2024, focused on further deepening reform comprehensively to advance Chinese-path modernization. requires adhering to governing the Party with the spirit of reform and strict standards. The main responsibility for comprehensive and strict governance of the Party is the result of reform, and it needs to be consolidated and developed with the spirit of reform. Localities, departments, and units should actively explore effective methods to strengthen the main responsibility. The key to comprehensive and strict governance of the Party lies in strictness, and it is necessary to implement and consolidate the main responsibility in detail with strict standards, to better adapt to solving the unique problems of a large party such as the "six issues of how to always." [4]4 The "six issues of how to always" are a set of challenges for a large Marxist ruling party: how to always maintain the Party's original aspiration and founding mission, how to always unify thought, will, and action, how to always possess the ability to lead and govern, how to always maintain the vigor of the contingent, how to always maintain a clean and upright political environment, and how to always overcome risks and challenges.

党的二十届三中全会要求，坚持用改革精神和严的标准管党治党。全面从严治党主体责任是改革的成果，需要以改革精神将其巩固好、发扬好，地方、部门和单位应积极探索强化主体责任的有效办法。全面从严治党的关键在严，需要以严的标准将主体责任落细、压实，同解决“六个如何始终”的大党独有难题更好相适应。

Focusing on the deployment for further deepening reform comprehensively, strengthen the main responsibility for comprehensive and strict governance of the Party. First, the Decision of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC [5]5 The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC, held in July 2024, focused on further deepening reform comprehensively to advance Chinese-path modernization. Its Decision is a key policy document outlining reform tasks. requires, in the paragraph under “deeply advancing the construction of a clean government and the fight against corruption” and beginning with “improving the Party and state supervision systems,” that the main responsibility and supervisory responsibility for comprehensive and strict governance of the Party be strengthened. The general requirement for improving the Party and state supervision systems is unified leadership by the Party, comprehensive coverage, and authoritative efficiency. Unified leadership means strengthening the main responsibility, enhancing overall coordination, and making supervision work more coordinated in decision-making and command, integration of resources and forces, and application of measures and means. The primary form of intra-Party supervision is supervision by Party committees. Party committee supervision is comprehensive supervision. Party committees, Party groups, and even grassroots Party organizations must uphold fundamental principles and break new ground in daily supervision, comprehensively using forms such as heart-to-heart talks, inspections and spot checks, participating in and guiding Party organizational life, accepting letters and visits of reports, supervising the rectification of inspections and tours, and handling measures under the first form [6]6 The “first form” refers to the mildest of the four forms of disciplinary oversight within the CPC, involving measures such as criticism and self-criticism, reminders, and admonishment for minor issues, aimed at early intervention., embedding management and supervision throughout the entire process of exercising leadership; they must, in accordance with relevant intra-Party regulations, formulate practical and effective lists of main responsibilities for comprehensive and strict governance of the Party, refining responsibilities to individuals, quantifying them to posts, and specifying them to matters; they must take as key problem-oriented priorities for strengthening the main responsibility the concretization, precision, and normalization of political supervision mentioned in the Decision, the mechanisms for the allocation and restriction of power, the prevention and treatment of formalism and bureaucracy, opposition to the mindset and phenomena of privilege, and the rectification of corruption in areas where power is concentrated, funds are intensive, and resources are abundant. At the same time, they must also, centering on the Decision’s deployment for deepening the reform of the Party building system, further implement the main responsibility for comprehensive and strict governance of the Party in areas such as strengthening the armed forces with the Party’s innovative theories, implementing the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee, preventing and correcting deviations in the outlook on political performance, normalizing the mechanism for competent cadres to be promoted and incompetent ones to be demoted, fully leveraging the role of Party members, effectively reducing burdens at the grassroots level, and enhancing the authority and enforcement of intra-Party regulations. Attention must be paid to continuously releasing a strong signal of valuing practical work, practical results, and a sense of responsibility through strengthening the main responsibility for comprehensive and strict governance of the Party, and to focusing on mobilizing the entire Party’s initiative, enthusiasm, and creativity in grasping reform and promoting development.

聚焦进一步全面深化改革部署，强化全面从严治党主体责任。首先，党的二十届三中全会《决定》是在“深入推进党风廉政建设和反腐败斗争”之下、以“完善党和国家监督体系”开头的段落中要求强化全面从严治党主体责任和监督责任的。完善党和国家监督体系的总要求是党统一领导、全面覆盖、权威高效。统一领导，就是要强化主体责任，加强统筹协调，使监督工作在决策部署指挥、资源力量整合、措施手段运用上更加协同。党内监督第一位的是党委监督。党委监督是全方位的监督。党委、党组乃至基层党组织要守正创新日常监督，综合运用谈心谈话、检查抽查、参加指导党的组织生活、受理信访举报、督促巡视巡察整改、第一种形态处理措施等形式，把管理和监督寓于实施领导的全过程；要根据相关党内法规，制定务实管用的全面从严治党主体责任清单，将责任细化到人、量化到岗、具体到事；要把《决定》提到的政治监督具体化精准化常态化、权力配置和运行制约机制、防治形式主义官僚主义、反对特权思想和特权现象、整治权力集中、资金密集和资源富集领域腐败等作为强化主体责任的重点问题导向。同时，也要围绕《决定》关于深化党的建设制度改革部署，在加强党的创新理论武装、落实党中央决策部署、防治政绩观偏差、领导干部能上能下常态化、充分发挥党员作用、切实为基层减负、增强党内法规权威性和执行力等方面进一步落实全面从严治党主体责任。要注重通过强化全面从严治党主体责任持续释放重实干、重实绩、重担当的强烈信号，着力调动全党抓改革、促发展的积极性主动性创造性。

Persist in using strict standards to grasp the “ox nose” [7]7 “Ox nose” is a Chinese idiom meaning the key point or crucial link that controls the whole situation, often used in political discourse to emphasize grasping the most important aspect of a task. of the main responsibility, and promote the implementation of the responsibility for governing the Party and managing it strictly through “three fulfillments”: the fulfillment of the responsible subject, the fulfillment of responsibility requirements, and the fulfillment of assessment and accountability. First, the responsible subject strictly fulfills its duties. The “first in command” must personally deploy important Party building work, personally inquire into major issues, personally coordinate key links, and personally supervise important cases, supporting, guiding, and supervising other members of the leadership team and lower-level secretaries in fulfilling their responsibilities for comprehensive and strict governance of the Party, effectively acting as the “secretary who governs the Party and manages it.” Other members of the leadership team must comprehensively grasp the situation of Party members and cadres in their respective departments and units in observing discipline and regulations, strengthen management and supervision over key areas and critical positions, and effectively fulfill their “dual responsibilities for one post” [8]8 “Dual responsibilities for one post” refers to the requirement that leading cadres are responsible for both their professional duties and the Party building work (including clean governance) in their respective areas of responsibility.. Second, responsibility requirements are comprehensively strict. Persist in being strict across all areas, including politics, ideology, cadre management, work style, discipline enforcement, and anti-corruption, and across the entire process, including planning, decision-making, implementation, inspection, and supervision. The key to governing the Party and managing it strictly lies in strictly managing cadres; we must combine strict management with care, strengthen comprehensive management and regular supervision of cadres, and achieve comprehensive management, strict standards, linked links, matched measures, and clear responsibilities. Use the spirit of reform and innovation to continuously solve the problem of supervising the “first in command,” explore the formulation of a list of matters for which the “first in command” consciously accepts supervision, and discipline inspection commissions at the same level must regularly report to higher-level discipline inspection commissions on the implementation of the main responsibility and the integrity and self-discipline of the “first in command” at the same level. Third, assessment and accountability are strict and precise. Improve the assessment system for implementing the main responsibility for comprehensive and strict governance of the Party, optimize the form of reporting on responsibility fulfillment, expand the scope of intra-Party evaluation, and introduce a mechanism for mass supervision. Strictly and accurately implement the accountability regulations and the disciplinary action regulations, and in accordance with principles such as consistency of power and responsibility and proportionality of fault and responsibility, hold accountable Party organizations and leading cadres who fail to fulfill or incorrectly fulfill their responsibilities for governing the Party and managing it strictly, thereby forcing the implementation of responsibilities through accountability.

坚持用严的标准牵牢主体责任这个“牛鼻子”，以责任主体、责任要求和考核问责“三个到位”推动管党治党责任落实到位。其一，责任主体严以履责。“一把手”要坚持党建重要工作亲自部署、重大问题亲自过问、重点环节亲自协调、重要案件亲自督办，支持、指导和督促领导班子其他成员、下级书记履行全面从严治党责任，切实当好“管党治党的书记”。领导班子其他成员要全面掌握分管部门和单位党员干部遵规守纪情况，加强对重点领域、关键岗位的管理监督，切实尽到“一岗双责”。其二，责任要求全面从严。坚持政治、思想、治吏、作风、执纪、反腐等全领域从严，规划、决策、执行、检查、监督等全过程从严。管党治党的重点在于从严管理干部，要坚持严管和厚爱相结合，加强对干部全方位管理和经常性监督，做到管理全面、标准严格、环节衔接、措施配套、责任分明。以改革创新精神持续解决对“一把手”监督难题，探索制定“一把手”自觉接受监督的事项清单，同级纪委要坚持定期将同级“一把手”落实主体责任、廉洁自律等情况向上级纪委报告。其三，考核问责严肃精准。健全落实全面从严治党主体责任考核制度，优化履责报告形式，扩大党内评议范围，引入群众监督机制。严格准确执行问责条例、纪律处分条例，按照权责一致、错责相当等原则，对不履行或者不正确履行管党治党责任的党组织和领导干部问责，倒逼责任落实。

(The author is the Executive Director and Associate Professor of the Research Center for Intra-Party Regulations at Central South University)

（作者系中南大学党内法规研究中心执行主任、副教授）

Online Editor: Huihui

网络编辑：慧慧