Leading Social Conduct and Public Morality with a Fine Party Conduct

The recently published 10th issue of *Qiushi* journal carried an important article by General Secretary Xi Jinping, "Persevere in Implementing the Eight-Point Regulations of the Central Committee and Lead Social Conduct and Public Morality with a Fine Party Conduct." [1]1 The Eight-Point Regulations are a set of rules issued by the CPC Central Committee in December 2012 to improve Party and government work style, requiring frugality, efficiency, and closer ties with the masses. The article emphasizes that formulating and implementing the Eight-Point Regulations of the Central Committee is an act of our Party in the New Era to win public trust by establishing credibility, and it must be persistently pursued with lasting effort; if ten years are insufficient, then twenty years; if twenty years are insufficient, then thirty years, until it truly becomes a custom and transforms into prevailing practice, leading social conduct and public morality with a fine Party conduct. These resounding words are both a sober recognition of the "unique challenges facing a large Party" and a solemn declaration that "the improvement of work style is always on the agenda," demonstrating our Party's firm determination to leave a mark with every action and to make every step count. [2]2 "Leaving a mark with every action and making every step count" (抓铁有痕、踏石留印) is a Chinese idiom used by Xi Jinping to describe the determination to implement policies with tangible, lasting results.

近日出版的第10期《求是》杂志发表了习近平总书记的重要文章《锲而不舍落实中央八项规定精神，以优良党风引领社风民风》。文章强调，制定实施中央八项规定，是我们党在新时代的徙木立信之举，必须常抓不懈、久久为功，十年不够就二十年，二十年不够就三十年，直至真正化风成俗，以优良党风引领社风民风。掷地有声的话语，既是对“大党独有难题”的清醒认识，也是对“作风建设永远在路上”的郑重宣示，彰显了我们党抓铁有痕、踏石留印的坚定决心。

A fine Party conduct is a powerful force for uniting the Party and the people. When the Party conduct is upright, the people are united; when the people are united, the cause prospers. The Party's work style and image affect its creativity, cohesion, and combat effectiveness, and determine the success or failure of the Party's and the state's undertakings. Our Party is the vanguard of the Chinese working class, the vanguard of the Chinese people and the Chinese nation. Only when Party cadres lead by example, practicing the fine work style of diligence, thrift, hard work, and plain living, can they set an example for the whole society and guide social conduct and public morality toward goodness and improvement. When Party cadres think about problems from the people's standpoint, make decisions with a focus on solving the difficulties most concerning to the masses, and handle affairs based on enhancing the people's well-being, the people will surely gain a solid sense of fulfillment, happiness, and security, and social cohesion and centripetal force will naturally be greatly enhanced. Using the Party's fine work style to consolidate hearts and minds will surely inject a more proactive spiritual force and a more powerful practical force into Chinese-path modernization.

优良党风是凝聚党心民心的强大力量。党风正则人心齐，人心齐则事业兴。党的作风和形象关系党的创造力、凝聚力、战斗力，决定党和国家事业成败。我们党是中国工人阶级的先锋队、中国人民和中华民族的先锋队，党员干部以身作则，践行勤俭节约、艰苦奋斗的优良作风，才能为全社会树立榜样，引领社风民风向善向好。党员干部想问题都站在人民立场，做决策都着眼于解决群众最关注的难题，办事情都立足于增进人民福祉，那么人民群众必将收获扎实的获得感、幸福感和安全感，也自会大大增强社会凝聚力和向心力。以党的优良作风凝心聚力，必将为中国式现代化建设注入更为主动的精神力量和更为磅礴的实践力量。

Looking back on the journey of struggle spanning more than a hundred years, from its very founding, the Communist Party of China used its advanced ideology and strong organization to cleanse the turbid and promote the clear, leading the long-suffering Chinese people to break free from the ideological shackles of semi-colonial and semi-feudal society and surge forward in tenacious resistance. After the founding of New China, Party members strictly observed discipline, cadres kept the masses in their hearts, and the people exerted their master-of-the-house spirit, driving national construction with vigor and transforming the social landscape. Since reform and opening up, our Party has consciously strengthened its advanced nature and integrity, and has unremittingly strengthened work style improvement. Especially since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the Party Central Committee has started with the formulation and implementation of the Eight-Point Regulations as a breakthrough, deeply advanced comprehensive and strict governance of the Party, actively responded to the people's expectations, and played a positive guiding role in the Party's and government's conduct and even the entire social atmosphere.

回望百余年奋斗征程，中国共产党一经成立，就以先进的思想和坚强的组织涤浊扬清，带领饱受苦难的中国人民挣脱半殖民地、半封建社会的思想桎梏，在顽强抗争中激荡前行。新中国成立后，党员严守纪律，干部心系群众，人民发挥主人翁精神，推动国家建设如火如荼，让社会面貌改天换地。改革开放以来，我们党自觉加强先进性和纯洁性建设，驰而不息加强作风建设。特别是党的十八大以来，党中央从制定和落实八项规定破题，深入推进全面从严治党，对人民群众期盼作出积极回应，对党风政风乃至整个社会风气发挥积极导向作用。

Entering the New Era, the work style improvement that began with the formulation of the Eight-Point Regulations has curbed some unhealthy tendencies that had long remained unchecked, corrected some stubborn and chronic ills that had persisted for years, and the political ecosystem of clean governance has been increasingly consolidated, with new winds of righteousness constantly filling the whole society. For example, Haikou, Hainan, has earnestly corrected formalism and bureaucracy. Facing the problems that enterprises find headache-inducing, such as "not being able to distinguish policies, not understanding procedures," it introduced a system of enterprise service commissioners. Town mayors, county magistrates, district heads, and bureau directors have transformed into chief enterprise service commissioners, using "one-to-one" precise services to break the unspoken rules of "eating, taking, carding, and demanding," opening up efficient and precise development channels for enterprises. Many places are introducing such measures, making the business environment for enterprises clearer and the government-business relationship cleaner and more cordial. The renewed Party and government conduct blows the wind of civilization into every corner of society and into every household. Today, the "clean plate campaign" has become a conscious act of the people, low-carbon and environmentally friendly practices permeate daily life, and moderate, rational, and green consumption are increasingly popular... The positive interaction between Party conduct and social conduct and public morality is becoming increasingly prominent.

迈入新时代，以制定八项规定为开端的作风建设，刹住了一些长期没有刹住的歪风，纠治了一些多年未除的顽瘴痼疾，清正廉洁的政治生态日益巩固，全社会新风正气不断充盈。比如，海南海口认真纠治形式主义、官僚主义，面对企业头疼的“分不清政策、搞不懂流程”等难题推出企业服务专员制度。镇长、县长、区长、局长变身企业首席服务专员，以“一对一”精准服务破除“吃拿卡要”的潜规则，开辟企业高效精准发展通道。很多地方都在推出这样的举措，企业营商环境更加清明，政商关系越发亲清。焕然一新的党风政风将文明新风吹遍社会角落、送至千家万户。如今，光盘行动成为百姓自觉，低碳环保浸润日常点滴，适度消费、理性消费、绿色消费日益普及……党风与社风民风的良性互动日益凸显。

The improvement of work style is always on the agenda; to forge iron, one must be strong oneself. At the crucial juncture of securing a decisive victory in the 14th Five-Year Plan, the Party Central Committee is carrying out education and learning on the in-depth implementation of the spirit of the Eight-Point Regulations of the Central Committee throughout the Party. This is timely and of great significance. Currently, this education and learning is being carried out vigorously in various places. Continuously strengthening the Party's work style improvement lies in leading cadres; attention must be paid to and the "key role" of the "key minority" must be brought into play. Leading cadres at all levels should set an example for those below, from top to bottom, with one level leading the next, one level setting an example for the next, and consciously taking the lead in demonstrating. Party cadres should also consciously temper their Party spirit, strictly observe Party discipline, manifest the pure nature of Communists with noble character and clean conduct, cultivate a fine Party conduct through serious and earnest intra-Party political life, and serve as benchmarks for leading social trends.

作风建设永远在路上，打铁还须自身硬。在决胜“十四五”的重要节点，党中央在全党开展深入贯彻中央八项规定精神学习教育，正当其时，意义重大。眼下，学习教育正在各地如火如荼开展中。持续加强党的作风建设，关键在领导干部，要重视并发挥“关键少数”的“关键作用”。各级领导干部要以上率下，自上而下，一级带一级，一级做给一级看，自觉起带头示范作用。党员干部也应自觉锤炼党性修养，严守党纪，以高尚品格和廉洁操守彰显共产党人的纯正本色，以严肃认真的党内政治生活培育优良党风，当好引领社会风尚的标杆。

In recent years, documents such as the "Opinions on Strengthening the Construction of a Clean Culture in the New Era" have been successively issued, linking Party conduct construction with rectifying discipline, stopping corruption, and promoting integrity. They establish clear rules, break unspoken rules, help promote the Party's fine traditions, cultivate new winds and righteous atmosphere, and provide important guidance and guarantees for achieving clean cadres, clean government, clean politics, and a clean society. Party cadres must maintain close ties with the masses, plan and carry out work around the people's ardent expectations, and actively accept the supervision and evaluation of the masses. Party organizations at all levels must also continuously improve the mechanism for identifying and assessing cadres on the front line, guiding Party cadres to firmly establish a correct outlook on power, political performance, and career.

近年来，《关于加强新时代廉洁文化建设的意见》等文件相继出台，把党风建设与正风肃纪反腐相贯通，立明规则，破潜规则，助力弘扬党的优良传统、培树新风正气，为实现干部清正、政府清廉、政治清明、社会清朗提供了重要牵引与保障。党员干部要密切联系群众，围绕人民群众的殷切期盼谋篇布局、开展工作，主动接受群众的监督评价。各级党组织也须不断完善一线考察识别干部机制，引导党员干部牢固树立正确的权力观、政绩观、事业观。

Leading social conduct and public morality with a fine Party conduct requires lasting effort and transforming into prevailing practice. Work style problems are recurrent and stubborn; they cannot be solved overnight. A fine Party conduct is a powerful driving force and prerequisite for improving social conduct and public morality, while the new tasks and new challenges of optimizing social conduct and public morality put forward new goals and new requirements for Party conduct construction. We should continue to carry forward the spirit of driving in the nail, striking one blow after another, building a solid institutional dam for comprehensive and strict governance of the Party, cultivating a political ecosystem of integrity and righteousness, jointly creating a social ecosystem full of righteous atmosphere, stimulating the enthusiasm for starting undertakings and doing work, and gathering a stronger joint force for the development of the Party's and the state's cause.

以优良党风引领社风民风，要久久为功、化风成俗。作风问题具有反复性和顽固性，不可能一蹴而就。优良的党风是改进社风民风的强大动力和前提，优化社风民风的新任务新挑战则对党风建设提出了新目标新要求。我们应继续发扬钉钉子精神，一锤接着一锤敲，筑牢全面从严治党的制度堤坝，涵养风清气正的政治生态，共同营造正气充盈的社会生态，激发干事创业的热情，为党和国家事业发展汇聚更强大合力。

(Author: Zhang Tai, Associate Researcher at the School of Marxism, Shandong University)

（作者：张泰，系山东大学马克思主义学院副研究员）

Online Editor: Tongxin

网络编辑：同心