The Internal Logic and Practical Requirements of Deepening Reform of the Party Building System

The key to handling China’s affairs well lies in the Party. The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC proposed that “Party leadership is the fundamental guarantee for further comprehensively deepening reform and advancing Chinese-path modernization,” and emphasized “taking mobilizing the entire Party’s enthusiasm, initiative, and creativity in pursuing reform and promoting development as the focal point, and improving the systems and mechanisms for Party building.” General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out at the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection that “on the new journey of the New Era, we must persist in governing and managing the Party with the spirit of reform and strict standards, striving to achieve greater results and ensure that the deployments of the 20th National Congress of the CPC and the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee are implemented and realized.” At present, deepening reform of the Party building system and improving the systems and mechanisms for Party building are both an important component of further comprehensively deepening reform and an important guarantee for the success of further comprehensively deepening reform. Deeply understanding the internal logic, goals and tasks, and key measures of deepening reform of the Party building system, and grasping the practical requirements for its systematic advancement, can empower and enhance the continued advancement of the great new project of Party building, and provide a strong guarantee for striving to write a new chapter in Chinese-path modernization.

办好中国的事情关键在党。党的二十届三中全会提出，“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”，并强调“以调动全党抓改革、促发展的积极性、主动性、创造性为着力点，完善党的建设制度机制”。习近平总书记在二十届中央纪委四次全会上指出，“新时代新征程，必须坚持用改革精神和严的标准管党治党，努力取得更大成效，确保党的二十大和党的二十届三中全会部署落地落实”。当前，深化党的建设制度改革，完善党的建设制度机制，既是进一步全面深化改革的重要组成部分，也是进一步全面深化改革取得成功的重要保证。深刻领会深化党的建设制度改革的内在逻辑、目标任务和关键举措，把握深化党的建设制度改革系统推进的实践要求，能够为继续推进党的建设新的伟大工程赋能增效，为奋力谱写中国式现代化新篇章提供坚强保证。

1. Strengthening Historical Initiative, Deepening Understanding of Reform of the Party Building System

1.增强历史主动，强化对深化党的建设制度改革的认识

Classical Marxist writers believed that the development of productive forces brings about the expansion of social interaction and the universal development of the division of labor. This expanded interaction requires “order” and rules to maintain it, and these rules gradually evolve into institutions. History and practice show that institutions are fundamental, overarching, stable, and long-term issues concerning the development of the Party and the state’s undertakings. As the strong leading core of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the CPC maintains a high degree of consciousness in leading social revolution through the Party’s self-revolution, deepening institutional governance of the Party and governance of the Party according to regulations. Since reform and opening up, and especially since the comprehensive deepening of reform in the New Era, our Party has adhered to taking institutional building as the main thread, focusing on eliminating institutional and mechanistic drawbacks in various aspects. This has not only provided solid institutional guarantees for economic and social development and advancing Chinese-path modernization but also provided key support for realizing the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity. The Third Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee proposed “deepening reform of the Party building system,” and the report of the 19th National Congress of the CPC incorporated “integrating institutional building throughout” into the general requirements for Party building in the New Era. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, reform of the Party building system has closely focused on seeking breakthroughs in areas such as the Party’s organizational system, the cadre and personnel system, the grassroots organization building system, and the talent development system and mechanisms. It has concentrated on “perfecting the system for comprehensive and strict governance of the Party,” “erecting pillars and beams” [1]1 A Chinese idiom meaning to establish the basic framework or foundation of a system. to solidify the institutional foundation for comprehensive and strict governance of the Party, achieving remarkable results in promoting reform of the Party building system. This marks that our Party’s understanding of the laws of governance and the laws of Party management has reached a new height.

马克思主义经典作家认为，生产力的发展带来社会交往的扩大和分工的普遍发展，这种扩大的交往需要“秩序”和规则来维系，这些规则逐步演化为制度。历史和实践表明，制度是关系党和国家事业发展的根本性、全局性、稳定性、长期性问题。中国共产党作为中国特色社会主义事业的坚强领导核心，始终保持以党的自我革命引领社会革命的高度自觉，深化制度治党、依规治党。改革开放以来特别是新时代全面深化改革以来，我们党坚持以制度建设为主线，着力破除各方面体制机制弊端，不仅为经济社会发展、推进中国式现代化提供坚实制度保障，也为实现国家治理体系和治理能力现代化提供关键支撑。党的十八届三中全会提出“深化党的建设制度改革”，党的十九大报告将“把制度建设贯穿其中”写入新时代党的建设总要求。党的十八大以来，党的建设制度改革紧紧围绕党的组织制度、干部人事制度、基层组织建设制度、人才发展体制机制等方面寻求改革突破口，并聚焦“完善全面从严治党制度”，“立柱架梁”筑牢全面从严治党制度基石，在推动党的建设制度改革方面成效显著，标志着我们党对执政规律、治党规律的认识达到了新高度。

The wise change with the times; the knowledgeable adapt to circumstances. Good institutions always undergo self-renewal and self-adjustment through reform, innovation, and keeping pace with the times. Currently, with profound changes in the world situation, national conditions, and Party conditions, to effectively respond to various risks and challenges and solidly advance Chinese-path modernization, we must promote the deepening and solidification of reform of the Party building system with the spirit of reform and innovation. First, deepening reform of the Party building system conforms to the endogenous logic of institutional construction and development and also meets the overall needs of further comprehensively deepening reform. Marx pointed out that “the process of institutional change is the process of interaction between the tension of productive forces and the adaptive capacity of relations of production.” The Third Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee clarified that the overall goal of comprehensively deepening reform is to improve and develop the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and advance the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity, and proposed “six focal points.” [2]2 The six focal points of comprehensively deepening reform proposed at the Third Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee: economic system reform, political system reform, cultural system reform, social system reform, ecological civilization system reform, and Party building system reform. The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee clarified that the overall goal of further comprehensively deepening reform is to continue improving and developing the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and advance the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity, and proposed “seven focal areas,” [3]3 The seven focal areas proposed at the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee, which added a focus on national security to the previous six. adding the security domain and enriching and perfecting the requirements for various fields in keeping with the times. Currently, to further comprehensively deepen reform, we must grasp the “bull’s nose” of economic system reform, advance reforms in various fields, and thereby promote better adaptation between relations of production and productive forces, and between the superstructure and the economic base. The Party building system belongs to the superstructure and needs to change with the times, achieving replacement, iteration, and transformation. Second, further comprehensively deepening reform and advancing the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity require continuously improving the Party’s leadership system and governing style. Through continuously deepening reform of the Party building system, we consolidate foundations, promote strengths, shore up weaknesses, and strengthen weak links, promoting the Party building system to become more mature and more定型. [4]4 A Chinese term meaning "finalized" or "set in a stable form," often used in the context of institutional development. Finally, solving the unique problems of a large party such as the “six always how” [5]5 The "six always how" refers to the six major challenges unique to a large party as identified by Xi Jinping: how to always maintain the Party's original aspiration and founding mission, how to always unify the will and action of the entire Party, how to always maintain the Party's advanced nature and purity, how to always realize the Party's mission and tasks, how to always maintain the Party's close ties with the masses, and how to always maintain the Party's vitality and combat effectiveness. and building a more powerful and stronger Marxist governing party still rely on reform and institutions, using the “system” within the Party to achieve “governance” within the Party. This requires continuously deepening reform of the Party building system, perfecting the system for comprehensive and strict governance of the Party, and continuously enhancing the Party’s capacity for self-purification, self-improvement, self-renewal, and self-enhancement. This ensures that the Party never changes its nature, never changes its color, and never changes its flavor, continuing to win historical initiative on the new journey.

明者因时而变，知者随事而制。好的制度总是在改革创新、与时俱进中进行自我更新、自我调适。当前，随着世情、国情、党情的深刻变化，有效应对各种风险挑战，扎实推进中国式现代化，必须以改革创新精神推动党的建设制度改革走深走实。首先，深化党的建设制度改革合乎制度建构发展的内生逻辑，也契合进一步全面深化改革的全局需要。马克思指出，“制度变迁的过程是生产力的张力和生产关系的适应能力之间的相互作用过程”。党的十八届三中全会明确全面深化改革的总目标是完善和发展中国特色社会主义制度，推进国家治理体系和治理能力现代化，并提出“六个紧紧围绕”。党的二十届三中全会明确进一步全面深化改革的总目标是继续完善和发展中国特色社会主义制度，推进国家治理体系和治理能力现代化，并提出“七个聚焦”，增加了安全领域，对各领域目标要求也与时俱进作了丰富和完善。当前，进一步全面深化改革，要牵住经济体制改革“牛鼻子”，推进各个领域改革，进而推动生产关系和生产力、上层建筑和经济基础更好相适应。党的建设制度属于上层建筑，需要应时而变，实现更替、迭代和变革。其次，进一步全面深化改革、推进国家治理体系和治理能力现代化，要求不断完善党的领导体制和执政方式，通过持续深化党的建设制度改革，固根基、扬优势、补短板、强弱项，推动党的建设制度更加成熟更加定型。最后，解决好“六个如何始终”的大党独有难题，建设更加坚强有力的马克思主义执政党，还得靠改革、靠制度，以党内之“制”实现党内之“治”，这就要求通过持续深化党的建设制度改革，健全全面从严治党体系，不断增强党的自我净化、自我完善、自我革新、自我提高能力，从而确保党始终不变质、不变色、不变味，在新征程上继续赢得历史主动。

2. Emphasizing Reform and Innovation, Clarifying Key Priorities

2.注重改革创新，明晰关键重点

The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee proposed that “the entire Party must consciously place reform in a more prominent position, closely centering on advancing Chinese-path modernization to further comprehensively deepen reform,” and it is necessary to “innovate and improve leadership methods and governing methods” and “raise the Party’s leadership level in further comprehensively deepening reform and advancing Chinese-path modernization.” Therefore, deepening reform of the Party building system requires a “further” concept of reform and innovation, implementing the “comprehensive” practical requirements of reform, and achieving gradual advancement and systematic integration in the process of “deepening.” This requires us to grasp the entirely new challenges and strategic goals facing the Party under the new situation with holistic thinking, and to clarify the key tasks and crucial measures for deepening reform of the Party building system.

党的二十届三中全会提出，“全党必须自觉把改革摆在更加突出位置，紧紧围绕推进中国式现代化进一步全面深化改革”，要“创新和改进领导方式和执政方式”“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”。由此，深化党的建设制度改革，要有“进一步”的改革创新理念，落实“全面”的改革实践要求，在“深化”中实现渐次推进、系统集成。这需要我们以总体性思维把握新形势下党面临的全新挑战和战略目标，明晰深化党的建设制度改革的重点任务和关键举措。

From the perspective of the focal point of reform, deepening reform of the Party building system crucially requires following the major principle of the “six persistences” [6]6 The "six persistences" are major principles for further comprehensively deepening reform: persisting in the Party's comprehensive leadership, persisting in a people-centered approach, persisting in upholding and improving the basic socialist system, persisting in taking institutional building as the main thread, persisting in law-based governance, and persisting in systematic integration. to mobilize the entire Party’s enthusiasm, initiative, and creativity in pursuing reform and promoting development, and improving the systems and mechanisms for Party building. This is the key link and core focus of the current reform. This requires, through further comprehensively deepening reform, effectively eliminating the ideological concepts, institutional and mechanistic drawbacks, and structural contradictions that hinder the advancement of Chinese-path modernization, further liberating and developing social productive forces, and stimulating and enhancing social vitality. It is necessary to effectively strengthen the fighting spirit and fighting ability of Party members and cadres, stimulate and enhance governing ability and professional competence, grasp the key minority, and foster a sound political ecosystem. We must improve incentive mechanisms for taking on responsibilities, accelerate the construction of assessment and incentive systems that coordinate with high-quality development, promote Party organizations at all levels and the vast majority of Party members and cadres to become promoters and doers of reform, and encourage cadres to be sharp in reform, dare to take responsibility, and be good at taking action.

从改革的着力点看，深化党的建设制度改革，关键是要遵循“六个坚持”重大原则以调动全党抓改革、促发展的积极性、主动性、创造性，完善党的建设制度机制。这是当前改革要抓的关键环节和重心所在。这就要求通过进一步全面深化改革，有效破除妨碍推进中国式现代化的思想观念、体制机制弊端和结构性矛盾，进一步解放和发展社会生产力、激发和增强社会活力。切实增强党员干部的斗争精神和斗争本领，激发和提升执政本领和专业能力，抓好关键少数、营造良好政治生态。完善担当作为的激励机制，加快构建与高质量发展相协调的考核激励制度，推动各级党组织和广大党员干部争做改革的促进派和实干家，激励干部锐意改革、敢于担当、善于作为。

From the perspective of the focus of reform, we must always adhere to the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee over further comprehensively deepening reform. We should establish and improve long-term mechanisms for using study to forge the soul, enhance wisdom, correct conduct, and promote work, [7]7 These four phrases refer to using theoretical study to strengthen faith (forge the soul), enhance wisdom, improve work style, and promote practical work. highlight the main theme of studying and implementing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, establish a discipline education mechanism that combines regular and centralized approaches, and effectively transform learning outcomes into practical actions that benefit the people. We must continuously deepen reform of the cadre and personnel system, guide the practice of a correct outlook on political performance with a clear orientation for cadre selection, promote the mechanism for cadres to be able to move up and down, implement the “three distinctions,” [8]8 The "three distinctions" refer to distinguishing between mistakes made in exploration and experimentation due to lack of experience and violations of discipline and law; distinguishing between mistakes made in promoting reform and innovation and mistakes made in inaction and dereliction of duty; and distinguishing between unintentional mistakes in promoting development and intentional violations of discipline and law for personal gain. and improve the fault-tolerance and error-correction mechanism. We must strengthen professional training and practical exercise, enhance the daily management and supervision of cadres, unify strict management and supervision with encouraging taking on responsibilities, so that cadres can reform, innovate, and start undertakings while observing rules and disciplines. We must strengthen the political functions and organizational functions of Party organizations, enhance the political judgment, political understanding, and political execution of Party members and cadres, improve mechanisms for the education, management, and role-playing of Party members, strictly control the entry point for Party members, strengthen Party-building-led grassroots governance, and promote the comprehensive progress and comprehensive excellence of Party organizations at all levels. Through solid and effective measures, we will practically deepen the reform of the Party building system, promote the mature and定型 of the Party building system, and provide a strong guarantee for advancing Chinese-path modernization.

从改革的重点看，要始终坚持党中央对进一步全面深化改革的集中统一领导，建立健全以学铸魂、以学增智、以学正风、以学促干长效机制，突出学习贯彻习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想主题主线，建立经常性和集中性相结合的纪律教育机制，切实把学习成效转化成为民造福的实际行动。持续深化干部人事制度改革，以鲜明用人导向引领践行正确政绩观，推进干部能上能下，落实“三个区分开来”，健全容错纠错机制。强化专业训练和实践锻炼，加强干部日常管理监督，把从严管理监督和鼓励担当作为统一起来，使干部在遵规守纪中改革创新、干事创业。强化党组织政治功能和组织功能，提升党员干部的政治判断力、政治领悟力、政治执行力，完善党员教育管理、作用发挥机制，严把党员入口关，加强党建引领基层治理，推动各级党组织全面进步、全面过硬。通过扎实有效举措切实将党的建设制度改革引向深入，推动党的建设制度成熟定型，为推进中国式现代化提供有力保障。

3. Enhancing the Effectiveness of Deepening Reform of the Party Building System

3.提升深化党的建设制度改革实效

The reform of the Party building system must advance to whatever stage the cause of the Party and the people has reached. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, “Comprehensively advance the Party’s political building, theoretical building, organizational building, conduct building, and disciplinary building, with institution building贯穿 throughout, deeply advance the fight against corruption, continuously improve the quality of Party building, and build the Party into a Marxist governing party that always stays at the forefront of the times, enjoys the heartfelt support of the people, is brave in self-revolution, can withstand all kinds of trials and tribulations, and is full of vigor.” [n9] On the whole, deepening the reform of the Party building system is, in the final analysis, aimed at transforming the Party’s political, organizational, and institutional advantages into governance effectiveness, and using “Party governance” to lead “Chinese governance.”

党和人民事业发展到什么阶段，党的建设制度改革就要推进到什么阶段。习近平总书记指出，“全面推进党的政治建设、思想建设、组织建设、作风建设、纪律建设，把制度建设贯穿其中，深入推进反腐败斗争，不断提高党的建设质量，把党建设成为始终走在时代前列、人民衷心拥护、勇于自我革命、经得起各种风浪考验、朝气蓬勃的马克思主义执政党”。总的来看，深化党的建设制度改革，归根结底是为了将党的政治、组织、制度优势转化为治理效能，以“政党之治”引领“中国之治”。

Deepening the reform of the Party building system must adhere to an effectiveness orientation, adopt more pragmatic measures, and comprehensively enhance the actual results of the reform. First, continuously improve the leadership system and working mechanisms of the Party, improve the Party’s leadership methods and governing methods, enhance the Party’s ability to set the direction, plan the overall situation, formulate policies, and promote reform, give full play to the Party’s core leadership role in commanding the overall situation and coordinating all parties, and unite and lead the people in responding to major risks and challenges. Second, adhere to comprehensive treatment and multi-dimensional policy implementation, ensuring that political building, theoretical building, organizational building, conduct building, disciplinary building, institution building, and the fight against corruption all exert force in the same direction and in a comprehensive manner. Third, improve the working mechanism for simultaneously promoting the deterrence of “dare not be corrupt,” the cage of “cannot be corrupt,” and the conscience of “does not want to be corrupt,” [n10] enhance the interconnectedness, coupling, and synergy of the three, promote the concretization, precision, and normalization of political supervision, improve intra-Party regulations, and enhance the authority and enforcement of intra-Party regulations. Fourth, build an organizational system that is connected from top to bottom and has strong execution, promote Party building to drive comprehensive rural revitalization, use Party building to lead grassroots governance, explore effective ways to build the Party in the “three new” sectors, [n11] strengthen and improve the management of mobile Party members, and comprehensively enhance the quality and effectiveness of education and management for mobile Party members. Fifth, promote the normalization of leading cadres being able to take up and step down from posts, focus on solving problems such as arbitrary action, inaction, fear of action, and inability to act well, improve the working mechanism for effectively preventing and correcting deviations in the outlook on political performance, and continue to deepen the rectification of formalism to reduce burdens at the grassroots level. Sixth, establish and improve a normalized training mechanism, especially basic training mechanisms, effectively enhance the abilities of leading cadres to promote high-quality development, serve the masses, and prevent and defuse risks, strengthen professional training and practical exercise, comprehensively improve cadres’ ability to advance modernization, encourage the vast number of cadres to forge ahead with determination and strive to be the first, and ensure that Chinese-path modernization advances steadily and far.

深化党的建设制度改革，要坚持效能导向，采取更加务实举措，统筹提升改革实效。一是不断完善党的领导体制机制，改进党的领导方式和执政方式，提高党把方向、谋大局、定政策、促改革能力，充分发挥党总揽全局、协调各方的领导核心作用，团结带领人民应对重大风险挑战。二是坚持综合施治、立体施策，确保政治建设、思想建设、组织建设、作风建设、纪律建设、制度建设和反腐败斗争等同向发力、综合发力。三是完善一体推进不敢腐、不能腐、不想腐工作机制，增强三者的关联性、耦合性、协同性，推进政治监督具体化、精准化、常态化，完善党内法规，增强党内法规权威性和执行力。四是建设上下贯通、执行有力的组织体系，推进党建促进乡村全面振兴、党建引领基层治理，探索加强“三新”党建有效途径，加强和改进流动党员管理，全面提升流动党员教育管理质效。五是推进领导干部能上能下常态化，聚焦解决乱作为、不作为、不敢为、不善为等问题，健全有效防范和纠治政绩观偏差工作机制，持续深化整治形式主义为基层减负。六是建立完善常态化培训特别是基本培训机制，切实增强领导干部推动高质量发展、服务群众、防范化解风险的本领，强化专业训练和实践锻炼，全面提高干部现代化建设能力，激励广大干部锐意进取、奋勇争先，确保中国式现代化行稳致远。

(Author: Ni Mingsheng, Researcher at the Tianjin Research Center for the Theoretical System of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics, Professor at the Tianjin Municipal Party School)

（作者：倪明胜，系天津市中国特色社会主义理论体系研究中心研究员、天津市委党校教授）

Online Editor: Tongxin

网络编辑：同心