Deeply Understanding the Rich Implications of “Transforming into Custom and Convention”

The Party’s work style is related to popular support and determines the success or failure of the Party’s and the nation’s undertakings. Currently, the entire Party is conducting study and education on thoroughly implementing the spirit of the Eight-Point Regulations, promoting the normalization and long-term effectiveness of work style building. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “The formulation and implementation of the Eight-Point Regulations was our Party’s act of moving a tree to win the people’s trust in the New Era; it must be persistently grasped and long-term efforts made, ten years is not enough, twenty years is not enough, thirty years is not enough, until it truly transforms into custom and convention, using a fine Party style to lead social and popular styles.” [1]1 “Moving a tree to win the people’s trust” (徙木立信) refers to a story from the ancient Legalist reformer Shang Yang (c. 390–338 BCE), who placed a log at the city gate and promised a reward to anyone who moved it, to demonstrate that the state’s decrees would be faithfully enforced. “Transforming into custom and convention” is a key phrase in work style building, embodying our Party’s profound grasp of the laws of work style building, and possessing rich ideological connotations and theoretical implications. To carry out the study and education well, we must deeply understand the essential meaning of transforming into custom and convention, and provide a strong guarantee for advancing Chinese-path modernization with new achievements in work style building.

党的作风关系人心向背，决定党和国家事业成败。当前，全党正在开展深入贯彻中央八项规定精神学习教育，推进作风建设常态化长效化。习近平总书记指出：“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。”“化风成俗”，是作风建设的关键词，体现了我们党对作风建设规律的深刻把握，具有丰富的思想内涵、理论意蕴。开展好学习教育，必须深入理解化风成俗的内涵要义，以作风建设新成效为推进中国式现代化提供有力保障。

1. Transforming into custom and convention is the direction indicated for improving work style in the New Era

1.化风成俗是新时代改进作风的方向所指

Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has begun by formulating and implementing the Eight-Point Regulations to break new ground, vigorously grasping work style building with the momentum of leaving a mark on stone and grabbing iron and leaving an impression, [2]2 “Leaving a mark on stone and grabbing iron and leaving an impression” (踏石留印、抓铁有痕) is a Chinese idiom meaning to act with firm resolve and tangible results. curbing some unhealthy tendencies that had long gone unchecked, correcting some deep-seated problems that had persisted for years, promoting a completely new look in Party and government conduct, and winning the trust and support of the people. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “We must show perseverance and tenacity, continue to work hard on constancy and length, strictness and substance, depth and detail, manage into habits, grasp results, and transform into custom and convention.” This indicates that transforming into custom and convention is the direction indicated and the goal set for improving work style in the New Era.

党的十八大以来，以习近平同志为核心的党中央以制定和落实中央八项规定开局破题，以踏石留印、抓铁有痕的劲头狠抓作风建设，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，推动党风政风焕然一新，赢得人民群众信任拥护。习近平总书记指出：“要拿出恒心和韧劲，继续在常和长、严和实、深和细上下功夫，管出习惯、抓出成效，化风成俗。”这表明，化风成俗是新时代改进作风的方向所指、目标所在。

What is meant by transforming into custom and convention? “Custom” (feng) and “convention” (su) are both important concepts in traditional Chinese culture. Confucius put forward the proposition of “changing customs and transforming conventions” (yi feng yi su), believing that “the virtue of the gentleman is like the wind; the virtue of the petty person is like the grass; when the wind blows over the grass, it must bend,” [3]3 This is a quotation from the Analects of Confucius (Lunyu, XII.19), where Confucius uses the metaphor of wind and grass to describe the influence of rulers on the people. pointing out the exemplary and leading role of the gentleman in moral education. Ancient texts contain views such as “custom forms above, convention transforms below” and “what is taught above becomes custom; what is followed below becomes convention,” clarifying the differences and connections between the two and revealing the transformation mechanism from “custom” to “convention.” Generally speaking, “custom” (feng) refers to prevailing practice and fashion, mainly top-down education, guidance, demonstration, and teaching, embodying the mainstream value orientation of a specific era; “convention” (su) refers to habits and customs, which are behavioral patterns and value concepts widely recognized by the common people and put into daily practice, possessing greater durability and stability as a social and cultural phenomenon. Transforming into custom and convention in the sense of work style building means, through persistently and deeply implementing the spirit of the Eight-Point Regulations, transforming the fine work style advocated and promoted by the Party Central Committee into the daily behavioral habits of all Party members and cadres, and into civilized practices that the whole society takes for granted and consciously follows, thereby forming a clean and upright political ecosystem and an upward and virtuous social atmosphere.

何谓化风成俗？“风”与“俗”都是中国传统文化的重要概念。孔子提出“移风易俗”这一命题，认为“君子之德风，小人之德草，草上之风必偃”，指明君子在道德教化中的示范引领作用。古代典籍中“风成于上，俗化于下”“上之所化为风，下之所化为俗”等观点，阐明二者之间的区别与联系，揭示由“风”及“俗”的转化机理。大体而言，“风”指风气、风尚，主要是自上而下的教育引导、示范教化，体现的是特定时代的主流价值导向；“俗”则指习俗、习惯，是老百姓广泛认同、付诸日常实践的行为方式和价值观念，其作为一种社会文化现象具有更强的持久性、稳固性。作风建设意义上的化风成俗，指的是通过持续深入落实中央八项规定精神，把党中央倡导和推动的好作风转化为全体党员干部日常的行为习惯，转化为全社会习以为常、自觉遵循的文明风尚，进而形成风清气正的政治生态和向上向善的社会风气。

This important concept of transforming into custom and convention embodies our Party’s profound insight into the characteristics and laws of work style issues, and also demonstrates a high degree of consciousness and strategic resolve in persistently improving work style. In recent years, our Party has closely focused on prominent issues strongly reflected by the masses, effectively governing “corruption on the tip of the tongue,” “the unhealthy tendency in private clubs,” “extravagance on wheels,” etc., [4]4 “Corruption on the tip of the tongue” refers to extravagant banquets using public funds; “the unhealthy tendency in private clubs” refers to the use of exclusive clubs for improper activities; “extravagance on wheels” refers to the misuse of official vehicles. curbing the spread of the “four forms of decadence.” [5]5 The “four forms of decadence” (四风) are formalism, bureaucracy, hedonism, and extravagance, targets of the anti-corruption campaign since 2012. But at the same time, “work style issues are stubborn and recurrent; they improve when grasped, but rebound when relaxed.” In practice, hedonism and extravagance occasionally resurface; formalism and bureaucracy remain hard to change in some localities and departments; and disguised and mutated forms of unhealthy practices grow stealthily. The reason lies in the fact that the pathogens causing the “four forms of decadence” have not been eradicated, and some deep-seated problems have not been thoroughly resolved, which determines that work style building is an arduous and complex long-term task. Realizing transforming into custom and convention essentially means curing the deep-seated problems behind the chronic ills of work style, and promoting greater achievements in work style building in the New Era.

化风成俗这一重要理念，体现了我们党对作风问题特点规律的深刻洞察，也表明了持之以恒改进作风的高度自觉和战略定力。近些年，我们党紧盯群众反映强烈的突出问题，有效治理“舌尖上的腐败”“会所中的歪风”“车轮上的铺张”等，遏制住了“四风”问题蔓延态势。但与此同时，“作风问题具有顽固性和反复性，抓一抓有好转，松一松就反弹”。实践中，享乐主义、奢靡之风不时抬头，形式主义、官僚主义在一些地方和部门依然积习难改，不正之风隐形变异行为潜滋暗长。究其原因，在于导致“四风”问题的病原体还没有根除，一些深层问题未得到彻底解决，这决定了作风建设是一项艰巨复杂的长期任务。实现化风成俗，本质上是要根治作风积弊背后的深层次问题，推动新时代作风建设取得更大成效。

2. Transforming into custom and convention means achieving changes in habits, concepts, and atmosphere

2.化风成俗就要实现习惯之变、观念之变、风气之变

Strengthening work style building requires both treating symptoms and, more importantly, treating root causes. Transforming into custom and convention means promoting work style building from treating symptoms to treating root causes, from quantitative change to qualitative change. Only by transforming into custom and convention, achieving changes in habits, concepts, and atmosphere, can Party and government conduct be comprehensively improved, and can work style building enter a new realm.

加强作风建设，既要治标，更要治本。化风成俗意味着要推动作风建设从治标到治本、从量变到质变。只有化风成俗，实现习惯之变、观念之变、风气之变，才能让党风政风全面好起来，才能推动作风建设步入新境界。

Transformation from “strictly observing rules” to “forming habits.” Nothing can be accomplished without norms or standards. Good habits are often the result of management and long-term cultivation. Transforming into custom and convention requires Party members and cadres to strictly implement disciplinary rules and gradually form good habits of observing regulations and disciplines. In 2012, the Politburo meeting of the CPC Central Committee reviewed and approved the “Eight-Point Regulations of the 18th Politburo on Improving Work Style and Maintaining Close Ties with the Masses,” establishing rules and drawing red lines. Subsequently, in response to new situations and problems, the Party Central Committee twice revised the detailed implementation rules of the Eight-Point Regulations, further standardizing, refining, and perfecting the implementation of the Eight-Point Regulations and the promotion of work style building. Under the exemplary leadership of the Politburo, various localities and departments formulated corresponding specific regulations based on the Eight-Point Regulations. These disciplinary rules and regulations standardize the words and deeds of Party members and cadres, serving as an external rigid constraint; as long as they are strictly adhered to over time, they can gradually form a habit and a practice. After years of strict implementation, the spirit of the Eight-Point Regulations is becoming a behavioral habit for the vast majority of Party members and cadres.

从“严守规矩”向“养成习惯”转化。没有规矩，不成方圆。好的习惯，往往都是管出来的，都是长期养成的。化风成俗，要求党员干部严格落实纪律规矩，逐渐形成遵规守纪的良好习惯。2012年，中共中央政治局会议审议通过《十八届中央政治局关于改进工作作风、密切联系群众的八项规定》，立下规矩、划出红线。随后，针对新情况新问题，党中央先后两次修订中央八项规定实施细则，对贯彻执行中央八项规定、推进作风建设作出进一步规范、细化和完善。在中央政治局示范带动之下，各地各部门根据中央八项规定制定了相应具体规定。这些纪律规矩规范党员干部言行举止，是一种外在的刚性约束，只要严格坚持下去，久而久之就能形成一种习惯、一种风气。经过多年的严格贯彻落实，中央八项规定精神正在成为广大党员干部的行为习惯。

Sublimation from “implementing in action” to “internalizing in the mind.” Transforming into custom and convention requires examining both behavioral habits and value concepts. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, “Our Party, as a Marxist ruling party, must not only possess powerful truth force but also powerful personality force; truth force is concentratedly embodied in our Party’s correct theory, and personality force is concentratedly embodied in our Party’s fine work style.” [6]6 This quotation is from Xi Jinping’s speech at a meeting commemorating the 95th anniversary of the founding of the CPC (2016). From improving investigation and research, to improving meeting style and writing style, to standardizing visit activities, etc., every requirement of the Eight-Point Regulations and its detailed implementation rules is a concrete manifestation of our Party’s fine work style, fully displaying the lofty ideals and beliefs, distinct people’s stance, and unique value pursuits of Chinese Communists. The ancients said, “If one keeps doing it, one will become a gentleman.” [7]7 This is a classical Chinese saying from the historical text *Zizhi Tongjian* (Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government), attributed to the ancient philosopher Xunzi. Transforming into custom and convention means, through persistently implementing the spirit of the Eight-Point Regulations, continuously practicing the specific requirements for improving work style, deeply comprehending the people-oriented feelings and spiritual pursuits behind each regulation, and internalizing them into one’s own value choices and cultural concepts, constantly raising the spiritual realm and demonstrating personality force.

从“落实于行”向“内化于心”升华。化风成俗，既要看行为习惯，又要看价值观念。习近平总书记指出，“我们党作为马克思主义执政党，不但要有强大的真理力量，而且要有强大的人格力量；真理力量集中体现为我们党的正确理论，人格力量集中体现为我们党的优良作风”。从改进调查研究，到改进会风文风，再到规范出访活动等，中央八项规定及其实施细则的每一项要求，都是我们党优良作风的具体体现，充分展现着中国共产党人的崇高理想信念、鲜明人民立场、独特价值追求。古人云，作之不止，乃成君子。化风成俗，就是要通过锲而不舍落实中央八项规定精神，持续践行改进作风的具体要求，深切体悟一条条规定背后的为民情怀、精神追求，并使之内化为自身的价值选择、文化观念，不断提高精神境界、彰显人格力量。

Expansion from “improving work style” to “leading popular customs.” When the Party style is correct, popular customs are pure. If the Party style is not up to standard or not strong, social atmosphere cannot be good. The ultimate goal of transforming into custom and convention is to use a fine Party and government style to lead social and popular customs, promoting an upward and virtuous social atmosphere. During the Yan’an period, Comrade Mao Zedong pointed out, “As long as our Party’s work style is completely correct, the people of the whole country will learn from us. Those outside the Party with such unhealthy practices, as long as they are kind-hearted, will learn from us.” [8]8 This is a paraphrase of Mao Zedong’s remarks in his 1942 essay “Rectify the Party’s Style of Work.” At that time, our Party used the “Yan’an style” to drive the formation of a new trend of “ten absences” in the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region, [9]9 “Ten absences” (十个没有) refers to a slogan from the Yan’an period listing ten social ills that were eliminated, such as no corrupt officials, no beggars, and no prostitutes. ultimately defeating the “Xi’an style” and achieving revolutionary victory. Since the New Era, the Eight-Point Regulations have washed away the foul and promoted the clean, leading the change in the Party’s work style, driving a significant improvement in social atmosphere, and gathering strong positive energy for the development of the Party’s and the nation’s undertakings. Practice has proven that as long as we persist in carrying forward the Party’s fine work style, unswervingly correct the “four forms of decadence” and foster new practices, we will surely achieve a positive interaction between Party and government conduct and social and popular customs, and jointly create new historical achievements with the good work style and good image of the whole society.

从“改进作风”向“引领民风”拓展。党风正，则民风淳。党风不过关、不过硬，社会风气也就不可能好。化风成俗，最终目的是要以优良党风政风引领社风民风，推动社会风气向上向善。在延安时期，毛泽东同志曾指出，“只要我们党的作风完全正派了，全国人民就会跟我们学。党外有这种不良风气的人，只要他们是善良的，就会跟我们学”。当时，我们党以“延安作风”带动陕甘宁边区形成“十个没有”的新风尚，最终打败“西安作风”取得革命胜利。新时代以来，中央八项规定激浊扬清，引领党的作风之变，带动社会风气明显改进，为党和国家事业发展凝聚了强大正能量。实践证明，只要我们坚持发扬党的优良作风，持之以恒纠“四风”、树新风，就一定能实现党风政风与社风民风的良性互动，以全社会的好作风好形象共同创造新的历史伟业。

3. The key to transforming into custom and convention lies in persisting in long-term efforts

3.化风成俗的关键在于坚持久久为功

As an eternal subject, work style building requires long-term efforts. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized, “Implementing the spirit of the Eight-Point Regulations is a tough battle and a protracted war.” This requires us to carry forward the spirit of driving in nails, show determination and tenacity, and apply systematic measures and overall advancement.

作风建设作为一项永恒课题，需要久久为功。习近平总书记强调，“落实中央八项规定精神是一场攻坚战、持久战”。这要求我们发扬钉钉子精神，拿出决心和韧劲，系统施策、整体推进。

Continuously consolidate the foundation and strengthen the ideological base. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “To improve work style, we must return to simplicity, consolidate the foundation, and strengthen the foundation, with emphasis on firming up ideals and convictions, practicing the fundamental purpose, and enhancing moral cultivation.” If Party spirit is pure, then Party conduct is correct; if Party spirit is impure, Party conduct will inevitably be incorrect. The issue of work style is essentially an issue of Party spirit. We must see Party spirit through work style and, on the basis of solving work style problems, solve Party spirit problems. This is the premise and foundation for realizing the transformation of practices into customs. Party spirit education is a required course for Communists to cultivate their moral character and is also the “mental cultivation” of Communists. We should persist in grasping Party spirit, Party conduct, and Party discipline together, making the tempering of Party spirit and the enhancement of self-cultivation a lifelong task, fundamentally eradicating the soil that breeds unhealthy practices, and forever preserving the political essence of Communists. Guide Party members and cadres to deeply study and implement Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, fortify the foundation of faith, replenish the calcium of spirit, and steady the rudder of thought, building an impregnable fortress against unhealthy practices from the depths of the soul.

持续固本培元，夯实思想根基。习近平总书记指出：“抓作风建设，就要返璞归真、固本培元，重点突出坚定理想信念、践行根本宗旨、加强道德修养。”党性纯，则党风正；党性不纯，党风必然不正。作风问题本质上是党性问题，必须透过作风看党性，在解决作风问题的基础上解决好党性问题。这是实现化风成俗的前提和基础。党性教育是共产党人修身养性的必修课，也是共产党人的“心学”。应坚持党性、党风、党纪一起抓，把锤炼党性、提高修养作为终身课题，从根本上铲除滋生不良作风的土壤，永葆共产党人的政治本色。引导党员干部深入学习贯彻习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想，筑牢信仰之基、补足精神之钙、把稳思想之舵，从灵魂深处筑起抵御不正之风的铜墙铁壁。

Adhere to a problem-oriented approach and strictly prevent backsliding and resurgence. The most taboo thing in improving work style is “starting strong and finishing weak,” and the most feared thing in transforming practices into customs is the “broken windows effect.” [10]10 The “broken windows effect” is a criminological theory suggesting that visible signs of disorder, like broken windows left unrepaired, encourage further crime and decay; here it is used metaphorically to warn that tolerating minor lapses in discipline can lead to widespread erosion of standards. In March 2025, during his inspection tours in Guizhou and Yunnan, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “Over the years, the Eight-Point Regulations have indeed driven fundamental changes, renewing the atmosphere, and most of the deeply ingrained problems of the past have disappeared. At the same time, it must be noted that some places have seen loosening, some aspects still have blind spots and dead corners, and some unhealthy practices have rebounded and resurged. Driving in nails, we must drive a few more times, persevere over time, and transform practices into customs.” We should fully grasp the stubbornness and recurrence of the “Four Forms of Decadence,” [11]11 The “Four Forms of Decadence” (四风) refer to formalism, bureaucratism, hedonism, and extravagance, which have been the primary targets of the CPC’s campaign to improve work style since 2013. strictly and unremittingly grasp all kinds of prominent problems, and maintain the strict tone for the long term. Grasp the regional, industry-specific, and stage-specific characteristics of work style issues, focus on rectifying problems that commonly occur and repeatedly arise, and at the same time, analyze and resolve the deep-seated contradictions and problems behind them from the surface to the core. In response to the hidden and mutated tendencies of unhealthy practices, develop a sharp eye for accurate identification and judgment, achieving close attention, constant vigilance, upgraded tactics, and no compromise, resolutely eliminating the space for the survival and spread of unhealthy practices.

坚持问题导向，严防反弹回潮。改进作风最忌“虎头蛇尾”，化风成俗最怕“破窗效应”。2025年3月，习近平总书记在贵州和云南考察期间指出：“这些年，八项规定确实是推动了根本性的变化，风气为之一新，过去积重难返的现象大部分没有了。同时要看到，有一些地方发生了松动，有一些方面还存在盲区死角，一些不良风气出现了反弹回潮。钉钉子嘛，再钉几下，久久为功，化风为俗。”应当对“四风”问题的顽固性、反复性有充分把握，对各类突出问题严抓不放、常抓不懈，把严的基调长期坚持下去。把握作风问题的地区性、行业性、阶段性特点，抓住普遍发生、反复出现的问题深化整治，同时由表及里地分析解决其背后的深层次矛盾问题。针对不正之风的隐形变异倾向，练就精准识别判断的火眼金睛，做到紧盯不放、时刻防范、升级打法、寸步不让，坚决消除不正之风的生存蔓延空间。

Enhance strategic resolve and form long-term normalcy and lasting effectiveness. Improving work style is not a one-day effort, and transforming practices into customs requires sustained, gentle exertion. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that the key to improving work style “lies in making it normal, detailed, and long-term.” Making it normal means grasping it frequently and seeing it as the norm, not engaging in “two separate skins” or “a passing fad”; making it detailed means grasping it deeply and seeing concrete measures, grasping every detail thoroughly, achieving interlocking links and steady progress; making it long-term means grasping it persistently and seeing lasting results, focusing on exerting force from the institutional and mechanism level to form long-term guarantees. On the new journey, we should place greater emphasis on using the spirit of reform and the rule-of-law mindset to solidify the achievements of work style improvement, further improve a strict and complete regulatory and institutional system for work style improvement, enhance the seriousness and authority of the system through strict implementation, and achieve the institutionalization, standardization, and normalization of work style improvement. Persist in unifying the grasping of punishment and the grasping of responsibility, strictly implement the main responsibility and supervisory responsibility, and urge Party organizations at all levels and leading cadres to strengthen their sense of responsibility in vigorously grasping work style improvement. Only in this way can we prevent unhealthy practices from staging a comeback, break out of the vicious cycle of “it gets better when grasped, and loosens when let go,” and truly realize the transformation of practices into customs.

增强战略定力，形成常态长效。抓好作风建设非一日之功，化风成俗更要绵绵发力。习近平总书记强调，作风建设“关键是要在抓常、抓细、抓长上下功夫”。抓常，就要经常抓、见常态，不搞“两张皮”“一阵风”；抓细，就要深入抓、见实招，把各个细节抓到位，实现环环相扣、步步为营；抓长，就是要持久抓、见长效，注重从体制机制层面发力形成长效保障。新征程上，要更加注重以改革精神、法治思维固化作风建设成果，进一步健全严格、完善的作风建设法规制度体系，以严格执行提高制度严肃性权威性，实现作风建设制度化、规范化、常态化。坚持抓惩治和抓责任相统一，严格落实主体责任和监督责任，督促党的各级组织和领导干部强化狠抓作风建设的责任担当。唯有如此，才能防止不正之风卷土重来，走出“抓一抓就好一些，放一放就松下来”的怪圈，真正实现化风成俗。

(Authors: Su Shengli and Guo Guangyin, respectively Distinguished Researcher of the Jiangsu Provincial Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and Deputy Director of the Political Affairs Office of Qunzhong Magazine; Member of the Academic Committee of the Jiangsu Provincial Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and Professor at the School of Philosophy, Nanjing University)

（作者：苏胜利、郭广银，分别系江苏省习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想研究中心特约研究员、群众杂志社政治处副处长；江苏省习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想研究中心学术委员会委员、南京大学哲学学院教授）

Online Editor: Tongxin

网络编辑：同心