Continuously Realizing the Party’s Self-Purification and Self-Reform

“The Party’s work style bears on the Party’s image, on whether the people support it, and on the Party’s very survival.” This thunderous judgment and warning from General Secretary Xi Jinping, from the heights of history, the times, and the overall situation, profoundly elucidates the extreme importance of work style building. Over more than 100 years of work style building, the Communist Party of China has achieved historic accomplishments and accumulated rich experience. The accomplishments gratify us; the experience deepens our thinking.

“党的作风关系党的形象，关系人心向背，关系党的生死存亡。”习近平总书记这一振聋发聩的判断和警示，从历史、时代和大局的高度，深刻阐明了作风建设的极端重要性。中国共产党100多年的作风建设，取得了历史性的成就，也积累了丰富的经验。成就令我们欣慰，经验深化我们的思考。

Reflection One: The Party’s work style is a direct expression of the Party’s nature and vitality

思考之一：党的作风是党的性质和生命力的直接表现

The Party’s work style is the behavioral orientation and stylistic characteristics manifested by the Party in its thinking and activities. In terms of content, it includes study style, writing style, meeting style, ideological style, work style, leadership style, and lifestyle. The Party’s work style is the Party’s image.

党的作风，是党在思维和活动中表现出来的行为取向和风格特点。就其内容而言，有学风、文风、会风、思想作风、工作作风、领导作风、生活作风等。党的作风，就是党的形象。

The Party’s image is the cognitive result and value judgment formed in people’s minds about the Party’s features, based on all the actions the Party takes by virtue of its own nature, which display and transmit certain information to the outside world. The formation of the Party’s image depends on three main links — the subject, the object, and the intermediary — and is fundamentally determined and shaped by the Communist Party of China itself as the subject.

党的形象，是党基于自身性质而实施的所有行为，通过向外部展示和传输某种信息，然后在人们头脑中形成的关于党的面貌的认知结果和价值判断。党的形象的形成，取决于主体、客体和中介三个最主要的环节，根本上是由中国共产党这个主体自己形成和决定的。

The Party’s work style displays the Party’s perceptible and knowable external image, but in essence, it is the embodiment and reflection of the Party’s nature, fundamental purpose, value orientation, organizational condition, and all its actions. What kind of party the Communist Party of China is, how its advanced nature and vitality are, and how its relationship with the masses is — all can be manifested through the Party’s work style.

党的作风，展示了党的可感可知的外部形象，但本质上，是党的性质、根本宗旨、价值取向、组织状况和全部行为的体现和反映。中国共产党是一个什么样的党，党的先进性和生命力如何，党与人民群众的关系如何，都能从党的作风上表现出来。

Precisely because of this, work style becomes a barometer and thermometer of the Party’s nature and state. The Party’s work style bears not only on the Party’s image but also on the Party’s life. A good work style indicates that the Party is in a state full of vitality and vigorous progress; a bad work style indicates that some illness or tumor has already appeared in the Party’s organism, urgently requiring treatment.

正因为如此，作风成为党的性质和状态的晴雨表、温度计。党的作风不仅关系党的形象，而且关系党的生命。好的作风表明，党正处于充满活力、蓬勃向上的状态；坏的作风表明，党的肌体已经出现了某种病症和毒瘤，急需医治。

Reflection Two: Always understand and strengthen the Party’s work style building from the height of survival or extinction

思考之二：始终从生死存亡的高度，认识和加强党的作风建设

The development of the Communist Party of China over more than 100 years has always been linked with work style building. The four words “survival or extinction” constantly warn us of the risks and challenges we face and urge us to unswervingly strengthen the Party’s work style building.

中国共产党100多年的发展，始终与作风建设联系在一起。“生死存亡”四个字，时时警示我们面临的风险和挑战，敦促我们坚定不移加强党的作风建设。

Facts have repeatedly proven that work style building is a game of survival or extinction. In different historical periods, work style building has certain themes and characteristics, but in each period, work style building bears on the Party’s fate, on the Party’s survival or extinction. When the work style is correct, the people support it; when the work style is incorrect, the people are dissatisfied. If the support of the people is lost, the Party’s governing foundation will collapse. If work style problems are effectively resolved, the Party is full of vitality and vigor; conversely, it is very likely to encounter setbacks and fall into a dangerous situation.

事实反复证明，党风建设是一种生死存亡的博弈。在不同的历史时期，作风建设有一定的主题和特点，但每一时期的作风建设，都关系党的命运，关系党的生死存亡。作风正，人民拥护；作风不正，人民不满。如果失去了人民的支持，党的执政基础就会垮塌。有效地解决作风问题，党就充满生机活力；反之，就很有可能遇到挫折，陷入危险的境地。

The Communist Party of China, amid the sound of alarm bells that ring out constantly, maintains a high degree of vigilance, unremittingly strengthens and improves work style building, and continuously realizes the Party’s self-purification and self-reform. Thus, at each important historical juncture, it has enhanced the Party’s cohesion, combat effectiveness, and creativity, seized the initiative in development and progress, and ensured the gradual realization of the Party’s original aspiration and founding mission.

中国共产党在时时敲响的警钟声中，保持高度的警惕，始终不懈地加强和改进作风建设，不断实现党的自我净化和自我革新，因而在一个个重要历史关头，增强了党的凝聚力、战斗力和创造力，掌握了发展前进的主动权，保证了党的初心和使命的逐步实现。

Reflection Three: The Party’s work style building is a process that is forever “on the road”

思考之三：党的作风建设是一个永远“在路上”的过程

According to the Marxist viewpoint, the world is not a collection of ready-made things but a collection of processes. All things are in an infinite process of movement and development. Therefore, whether it is the Party’s cause or Party building, both are processes of gradual advancement and continuous deepening.

按照马克思主义的观点，世界不是既成事物的集合体，而是过程的集合体。万事万物都处在运动发展的无限过程之中。所以，无论党的事业，还是党的建设，都是一个渐次推进、不断深入的过程。

General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasizes, “Work style problems are stubborn and recurrent; forming a fine work style cannot be done once and for all, and overcoming a bad work style cannot be achieved overnight,” and “work style building is always on the road.” Achievements are on the road; shortcomings are also on the road. It was on the road in the past, it is on the road now, and it will still be on the road in the future.

习近平总书记强调，“作风问题具有顽固性和反复性，形成优良作风不可能一劳永逸，克服不良作风也不可能一蹴而就”，“作风建设永远在路上”。成绩，是在路上；不足，也是在路上。过去在路上，现在在路上，将来仍然在路上。

Being on the road means we must keep advancing; being on the road means we cannot have any thought of catching our breath or taking a rest. We must have the momentum of leaving a mark where we step and grabbing iron with a grip, and the tenacity of seeing things through to the end and doing them well. No matter which node on the road we are at, we must persistently advance comprehensive and strict governance of the Party, continuously eliminate all viruses that erode the Party’s healthy organism, vigorously foster a political ecosystem and social environment of uprightness and integrity, and forever preserve the Party’s vigor and vitality.

在路上，就要不断前进；在路上，就不能有任何喘口气、歇歇脚的念头。要有踏石留印、抓铁有痕的劲头，要有善始善终、善作善成的韧劲。无论在路上的哪个节点，都必须持之以恒推进全面从严治党，不断清除一切侵蚀党的健康肌体的病毒，大力营造风清气正的政治生态和社会环境，永葆党的生机和活力。

Reflection Four: Answer the historic “heavenly question” with two historic answers

思考之四：以两个历史性答案回答历史性“天问”

On the road of revolution, construction, and reform, the Communist Party of China has raised a series of questions like “heavenly questions.” How to break out of the historical cycle of rise and fall [1]1 The “strange cycle of historical periodicity” (历史周期率) refers to the recurring pattern in Chinese dynastic history whereby a ruling house rises, becomes corrupt, and is overthrown. Mao Zedong famously discussed this cycle with Huang Yanpei in 1945, arguing that the CPC could escape it through democratic oversight and self-reform. is one of the greatest “heavenly questions.”

中国共产党在革命、建设、改革的道路上，提出了一系列“天问”般的问题。如何跳出历史周期率，就是最大的“天问”之一。

Facing this “heavenly question,” Comrade Mao Zedong gave the first answer, which is the “new path of democracy.” “Only when the people supervise the government will the government not dare to slack off. Only when everyone takes responsibility will there be no end of the regime with the death of the ruler.” [2]

面对这个“天问”，毛泽东同志给出了第一个答案，这就是“民主新路”。“只有让人民来监督政府，政府才不敢松懈。只有人人起来负责，才不会人亡政息。”

After more than a hundred years of struggle, especially the practice since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping has led our Party to give a second answer, which is self-revolution. The 20th National Congress of the CPC demanded “using the Party’s self-revolution to lead social revolution” and emphasized that “anti-corruption is the most thorough self-revolution.”

经过百余年奋斗特别是党的十八大以来的实践，习近平总书记领导我们党又给出了第二个答案，这就是自我革命。党的二十大要求，“以党的自我革命引领社会革命”，强调“反腐败是最彻底的自我革命”。

The increasingly complex international and domestic situation ensures that the new road of examination [3] is full of risks and challenges. How to break out of the historical cycle of rise and fall remains a severe test for the Communist Party of China. On the new journey of the New Era, the Communist Party of China can only, with a thoroughgoing spirit of self-revolution, tirelessly strengthen the Party’s work style building and perfect the system for comprehensive and strict governance of the Party, so as to continuously realize the Party’s self-purification, self-improvement, self-reform, and self-enhancement.

日趋复杂的国际国内形势，注定了新的赶考之路充满风险和挑战。如何跳出历史周期率，依然是对中国共产党的严峻考验。新时代新征程上的中国共产党，只有以彻底的自我革命精神，驰而不息加强党的作风建设，健全全面从严治党体系，才能不断实现党的自我净化、自我完善、自我革新、自我提高。

Reflection Five: The Party must not only be highly “purified” but also full of vitality

思考之五：党既要高度“净化”，也要活力四射

Social development requires not only order and balance but also momentum and vitality. Reform and opening up, fundamentally, was about solving the problem of a past lack of vitality, stimulating the momentum and vitality of social development through institutional adjustment and transformation. One of the greatest changes in Chinese society over the past few decades is that it has become “alive.”

社会的发展，既需要秩序、平衡，更需要动力、活力。改革开放从根本上来说，就是解决过去缺乏活力的问题，通过体制的调整和变革，激发社会发展的动力和活力。几十年来中国社会的最大变化之一，就是搞“活”了。

But after becoming “alive,” it is also very easy for some chaotic phenomena to appear. Many problems in the Party’s work style are reflections and manifestations of this chaos. Therefore, it is necessary to unswervingly advance comprehensive and strict governance of the Party. Through unremitting efforts, the Party’s work style, government conduct, folk customs, and social atmosphere have all been significantly purified.

但“活”了后，也很容易出现一些乱象。党的作风上的很多问题，就是这种乱象的反映和表现。因此，必须坚定不移全面从严治党。经过不懈努力，党风、政风、民风和社会风气都得到了显著净化。

Treating illness is not meant to kill the patient, but to bring the patient back to life. General

治病，不是为了把人治死，而是为了把人治活。习近平总书记指出：“全面从严治党的目的不是要把人管死，让人瞻前顾后、畏首畏尾，搞成暮气沉沉、无所作为的一潭死水，而是要通过明方向、立规矩、正风气、强免疫，营造积极健康、干事创业的政治生态和良好环境。”所以，加强党的作风建设，既要坚决净化党风，又要保证党是一个活力四射的党，从而激发社会活力，使中国社会不仅是一个稳定有序的社会，更是一个生机勃勃的社会。

In short, the more than 100-year history of the Communist Party of China has proven that strengthening the Party’s work style building is a process of continuously achieving self-purification and gaining the historical initiative. Such a process was carried out in the past, is being carried out now, and will continue to be carried out in the future. For the Party to break out of the strange cycle of historical periodicity [1]1 The “strange cycle of historical periodicity” (历史周期率) refers to the recurring pattern in Chinese dynastic history whereby a ruling house rises, becomes corrupt, and is overthrown. Mao Zedong famously discussed this cycle with Huang Yanpei in 1945, arguing that the CPC could escape it through democratic oversight and self-reform., it must maintain historical sobriety amid the long-ringing alarm bells, unremittingly do a good job of Party work style building, and ensure that the Party can win the initiative and win the future under any complex conditions.

总之，中国共产党100多年的历史证明，加强党的作风建设，是一个不断实现自我净化、赢得历史主动的过程。这样的过程过去在进行、现在在进行、将来仍然要进行。党要跳出历史周期率的怪圈，就必须在长鸣的警钟声中保持历史的清醒，坚持不懈抓好党的作风建设，确保党在任何复杂条件下都能赢得主动、赢得未来。

(The author is Vice President of the Chinese Society for the History of the CPC and a member of the Advisory Committee for the Central Marxist Theoretical Research and Construction Project.)

(作者为中国中共党史学会副会长、中央马克思主义理论研究和建设工程咨询委员会委员)

Online editor: Tongxin

网络编辑：同心