Grasping the Intrinsic Unity of Party Discipline and Undertaking Endeavors

Tight organization and strict discipline are the fine traditions and political strengths of the Communist Party of China. In December 2024, at the democratic life meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, General Secretary Xi Jinping stated, “Party discipline has both an educational and constraining function and a safeguarding and motivating role. Party discipline and undertaking endeavors are intrinsically unified.” This important exposition profoundly elucidates the intrinsic relationship between Party discipline and undertaking endeavors. It is a summary of our Party’s experience from the great practice of comprehensive and strict governance of the Party in the New Era, and provides fundamental guidance for advancing Party discipline building and inspiring the historical initiative of Party cadres to undertake endeavors on the new journey of the New Era.

组织严密、纪律严明是中国共产党的优良传统和政治优势。2024年12月，习近平总书记在中共中央政治局民主生活会上提出，“党的纪律既有教育约束功能，又有保障激励作用。党的纪律和干事创业是内在统一的”。这一重要论述，深刻阐明了党的纪律与干事创业的内在关系，是我们党对新时代全面从严治党伟大实践的经验总结，为新时代新征程推进党的纪律建设和激发党员干部干事创业的历史主动提供了基本遵循。

From the very day of its founding, our Party inscribed discipline and rules on its banner. In July 1921, the First Program of the Communist Party of China, adopted at the First National Congress, contained multiple provisions related to discipline. On the eve of the victory of the War of Resistance Against Japan, Comrade Mao Zedong pointed out: “Do we want victory? Do we want victory nationwide? If so, we need a Party that is disciplined, ideologically pure, and organizationally pure, a Party that meets unified standards.” After the founding of New China, the Party Central Committee conducted centralized Party spirit and discipline education across the entire Party and explicitly stated: “To build a strong socialist country, there must be strong unified leadership from the center, unified national planning and unified discipline nationwide. Undermining this necessary unity is impermissible.” After reform and opening up, Comrade Deng Xiaoping pointed out: “To achieve the Four Modernizations under China’s socialist system, it goes without saying that our cadre contingent must adhere to the socialist path, possess basic Marxist-Leninist viewpoints, and abide by Party discipline and state discipline.” As socialism with Chinese characteristics entered the New Era, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, facing increasingly complex international and domestic environments and the arduous task of advancing Chinese-path modernization, placed greater emphasis on strengthening Party discipline building. It incorporated comprehensive and strict governance of the Party into the Four-Pronged Comprehensive Strategy, advanced the construction of a clean government and the fight against corruption with unprecedented courage and resolve, and achieved historic and groundbreaking accomplishments in comprehensive and strict governance of the Party, producing comprehensive and profound impacts.

我们党自成立之日起就把纪律和规矩写在自己旗帜上。1921年7月，党的一大通过的《中国共产党第一个纲领》，即有多条涉及纪律规定。抗日战争胜利前夕，毛泽东同志指出：“我们要不要胜利，要不要在全国胜利？如果要的话，就要有一个有纪律的、思想上纯洁的、组织上纯洁的党，合乎统一标准的党。”新中国成立后，党中央在全党范围内开展集中的党性党纪教育，并明确提出：“为了建设一个强大的社会主义国家，必须有中央的强有力的统一领导，必须有全国的统一计划和统一纪律，破坏这种必要的统一，是不允许的。”改革开放后，邓小平同志指出，“我们要在中国社会主义制度下实现四个现代化，理所当然的，我们的干部队伍一定要坚持社会主义道路，要有马列主义的基本观点，要遵守党的纪律和国家的纪律”。中国特色社会主义进入新时代，以习近平同志为核心的党中央面对更趋复杂的国际国内环境和推进中国式现代化的繁重任务，更加重视加强党的纪律建设，将全面从严治党纳入“四个全面”战略布局，以前所未有的勇气和定力推进党风廉政建设和反腐败斗争，全面从严治党取得了历史性、开创性成就，产生了全方位、深层次影响。

Over a century of struggle and practice vividly demonstrates that when Party discipline is well enforced and strictly managed, the Party’s cause advances smoothly; otherwise, the Party’s cause encounters repeated setbacks. At the same time, Party discipline and undertaking endeavors have never been a matter of attending to one at the expense of the other; rather, they are a unity that promotes and complements each other. As General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “Discipline not only clarifies the bottom line and boundaries that cannot be crossed but also provides a code of conduct for Party members and cadres to work cleanly and boldly.” On the one hand, Party discipline “is a safety guardrail for Party members and cadres to maintain integrity and honesty.” As a rigid constraint that all Party organizations and members must observe, Party discipline, by clarifying direction, establishing rules, rectifying conduct, and strengthening immunity, defines the boundaries of what is “permissible” and “impermissible” for Party members and cadres, points out the political direction for undertaking endeavors, and enables Party members and cadres to maintain a clear head in the process of undertaking endeavors, avoiding blind rashness in times of success or hesitation in times of difficulty, ensuring that undertaking endeavors always advance on the correct track. On the other hand, “observing discipline and rules means possessing full freedom and broad space for undertaking endeavors.” Upholding integrity, understanding rules, and abiding by discipline are not meant to tie the hands of cadres, but rather, by standardizing the words and deeds of Party members and cadres, to enable reform and innovation in all aspects to be carried out more scientifically, extensively, and effectively. Through strict enforcement of discipline, the Party forever maintains its advanced nature and integrity, maintains the close connection between the Party and the masses, like seeds and soil, like fish and water, effectively curbs unhealthy tendencies and corruption, fosters a clean and upright political ecosystem for undertaking endeavors, protects Party members and cadres who genuinely want to work and are capable of working, and inspires the enthusiasm of the vast majority of Party members and cadres for undertaking endeavors.

百余年的奋斗实践生动证明，党的纪律抓得好、管得严，党的事业就一帆风顺；否则，党的事业就会挫折重重。与此同时，党的纪律与干事创业从来不是顾此失彼的，而是相互促进、相辅相成的统一体。正如习近平总书记指出的：“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。”一方面，党的纪律“是党员、干部保持清正廉洁的安全防护栏”。党的纪律作为各级党组织和全体党员必须遵守的刚性约束，通过明方向、立规矩、正风气、强免疫，为党员干部明确了“可为”“不可为”的行动边界，为干事创业指明政治方向，使党员干部在干事创业过程中保持清醒头脑，避免顺利时盲目冒进或困难时畏首畏尾，确保干事创业始终在正确轨道上前进。另一方面，“遵规守纪，就会拥有干事创业的充分自由和广阔空间”。讲诚信、懂规矩、守纪律，不是要束缚干部的手脚，而是要通过规范党员干部言行，使各方面改革创新更科学、更广泛、更有效地开展起来。通过严格执行纪律，使党永葆自身的先进性与纯洁性，使党和人民群众始终保持着种子和土地、鱼和水的密切联系，能够有效遏制不正之风和腐败现象，为干事创业营造风清气正的政治生态，保护真正想干事、能干事的党员干部，激发广大党员干部的干事创业热情。

On the new journey of the New Era, Party discipline and undertaking endeavors must both be grasped and grasped firmly, achieving their intrinsic unity.

新时代新征程上，党的纪律与干事创业必须两手抓、两手硬，实现两者的内在统一。

Closely focus on promoting reform and development to strengthen discipline building, and boost the endogenous motivation of Party members and cadres for undertaking endeavors. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “We must adapt to the new requirements of the development of Chinese-path modernization, and strive to cultivate a high-quality and professional cadre contingent that is loyal, clean, and responsible.” “We must closely focus on promoting reform and development to strengthen Party building, and boost the spirit of Party members and cadres for undertaking endeavors.” How to forever maintain the mental state of undertaking endeavors is a unique challenge facing our Party as a major party in long-term governance. Our Party has been in power for a long time, and peace has lasted for many years. Many Party members and cadres have not experienced life-and-death tests, lack the tempering of severe struggles and harsh environments, and are prone to pursuing comfort and pleasure, becoming dispirited and lacking enterprise. They are prone to panic and lose their composure in the face of the great struggle with many new historical features, and may even fall into a state of confusion, not knowing what to do or what can be done. The task of comprehensively building a modern socialist country and realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is arduous and long, and there are still various difficulties and challenges on the path forward. On the new journey, we should closely focus on the Party’s central tasks to conduct heartfelt and tangible discipline education, enhancing the sense of responsibility and mission of Party members and cadres for undertaking endeavors. In discipline building, strengthen struggle education and responsibility education for Party members and cadres, encourage them to forever maintain a spirit of hard struggle and vigorous enterprise, dare to struggle and be adept at struggle, dare to take responsibility and act, and rely on tenacious struggle to continuously open up new horizons for the development of the Party’s cause.

紧紧围绕抓改革促发展加强纪律建设，提振党员干部干事创业的内生动力。习近平总书记指出，“要顺应中国式现代化事业发展新要求，着力造就忠诚干净担当的高素质专业化干部队伍”，“要紧紧围绕抓改革促发展加强党的建设，提振党员干部干事创业精气神”。如何始终保持干事创业精神状态，是中国共产党作为一个长期执政的大党面临的独有难题。我们党长期执政，承平日久，许多党员干部没有经历过生死考验，缺乏严峻斗争和艰苦环境的磨砺，容易追求安逸享乐而意志消沉、不思进取，容易在具有许多新的历史特点的伟大斗争面前慌了心神、乱了阵脚，甚至可能出现不知该何为、不知何所为的迷茫状态。全面建成社会主义现代化强国、实现中华民族伟大复兴任重道远，前进道路上仍然还有各种困难和挑战。新征程上，应紧紧围绕党的中心任务进行走心有形的纪律教育，提升党员干部干事创业的责任感和使命感。在纪律建设中加强党员干部的斗争教育、担当教育，鼓励党员干部始终保持艰苦奋斗、奋发有为的精气神，敢于斗争、善于斗争，勇于担当作为，依靠顽强斗争不断打开事业发展新天地。

Accurately apply the “four forms” of supervision and discipline enforcement, implement the “three distinctions,” and foster a sound political ecosystem for undertaking endeavors. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: “We must guide Party members and cadres to fully understand and implement Party discipline, and, under the premise of observing discipline and rules, work with peace of mind, act boldly, forge ahead with keen determination, and actively contribute, creating achievements worthy of the people and the times.” Strengthening Party discipline building, although requiring effort in “strictness” and “management,” does not mean making Party members and cadres overly cautious and afraid to innovate. On the contrary, it aims to standardize the words and deeds of Party members and cadres through studying, understanding, clarifying, and abiding by discipline, forming a clean and upright political ecosystem within the Party, and creating a favorable environment conducive to Party members and cadres undertaking endeavors. Therefore, we must accurately apply Party discipline norms, especially accurately applying the “four forms” of supervision and discipline enforcement, strictly implementing the “three distinctions,” and focusing on solving the problems of Party members and cadres acting recklessly, failing to act, daring not to act, and acting incompetently. Through precise and standardized discipline enforcement, we should stimulate the enthusiasm, initiative, and creativity of the vast majority of Party members and cadres to forge ahead and undertake endeavors, forming a strong atmosphere and a vivid situation of striving on the new journey and making contributions in the New Era.

准确运用监督执纪“四种形态”，落实“三个区分开来”，营造干事创业的良好政治生态。习近平总书记强调，“要引导党员、干部全面理解和执行党的纪律，在遵规守纪前提下，安心工作、放手干事、锐意进取、积极作为，创造不负人民、不负时代的业绩”。加强党的纪律建设，虽然要在“严”“管”上下功夫，但并不是使党员干部处处谨小慎微、不敢开拓创新，相反，而是要通过学纪知纪明纪守纪规范党员干部言行，形成风清气正的党内政治生态，营造有利于党员干部干事创业的良好环境。因此，我们要准确运用党的纪律规范，尤其是要准确运用监督执纪“四种形态”，严格落实“三个区分开来”，着力解决党员干部乱作为、不作为、不敢为、不善为的问题，以精准规范执纪激发广大党员干部开拓进取、干事创业的积极性、主动性、创造性，形成奋进新征程、建功新时代的浓厚氛围和生动局面。

(Authors: Wu Yating and Tang Xiaoqin, both are Distinguished Researchers of the Hunan Provincial Research Center for the Theoretical System of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics; respectively, Lecturer and Professor at the School of Marxism, Hunan University of Science and Technology)

（作者：吴雅婷、唐小芹，均系湖南省中国特色社会主义理论体系研究中心特约研究员，分别系湖南科技大学马克思主义学院讲师、教授）

Online Editor: Tongxin

网络编辑：同心