Deeply Understanding the Contemporary Significance of the Party’s Work Style Construction

Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping, standing at the

党的十八大以来，习近平总书记站在夯实党的执政根基、巩固党的执政地位、完成党的执政使命的政治高度，围绕加强党的作风建设作出一系列重要论述，立意高远、内涵丰富、思想深刻，既从认识论层面回答了“作风建设是什么”的理论命题，更从方法论维度构建起“抓什么、怎么抓”的实践体系，把我们党对作风建设的规律性认识提高到一个新的高度，为新时代加强党的作风建设提供了思想武器。

This year, the Central Committee launched a study and education campaign across the entire Party on thoroughly implementing the spirit of the Eight-Point Regulations, once again proclaiming our Party’s firm resolve and unwavering confidence in fighting against unhealthy practices to the end. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized during the 21st collective study session of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee that we must start with improving work style to advance comprehensive and strict governance of the Party, and further implement the requirements of the Party’s self-revolution in the New Era. We must earnestly study and comprehend the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important expositions on strengthening the Party’s work style construction, effectively enhance the political, ideological, and action consciousness of implementing the spirit of the Eight-Point Regulations, grasp and refine all work with the tenacity of driving a nail, cultivate the Party’s work style construction with the perseverance of being forever on the road, and write an answer sheet for high-quality development of philosophy and social sciences in the posture of one taking an examination. [1]1 The Eight-Point Regulations: A set of rules on improving Party and government conduct adopted by the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee in December 2012, targeting extravagance, bureaucracy, and other undesirable practices.

今年，中央在全党开展深入贯彻中央八项规定精神学习教育，再次宣示了我们党与不良风气斗争到底的坚强决心和坚定信心。习近平总书记在中央政治局第二十一次集体学习时强调，坚持从抓作风入手推进全面从严治党，把新时代党的自我革命要求进一步落实到位。我们要认真学习领会习近平总书记关于加强党的作风建设的重要论述精神，切实增强贯彻落实中央八项规定精神的政治自觉、思想自觉、行动自觉，以钉钉子精神抓实抓细各项工作，以永远在路上的恒心抓好党的作风建设，以赶考者姿态书写哲学社会科学高质量发展答卷。

Deeply understand the important exposition that “the Party’s work style is related to the Party’s image, related to the support of the people, and related to the survival or extinction of the Party,” earnestly appreciate the epochal implication of “those who win the people’s hearts win the world; those who lose the people’s hearts lose the world,” and firmly establish a high consciousness of winning the hearts and minds of the Party and the people with an excellent work style. The Party’s work style is the Party’s image, a barometer for observing the relationship between the Party and the masses, between cadres and the people, and the support of the people. If a ruling party does not pay attention to work style construction and allows unhealthy practices to erode the Party’s body, it will be like an invisible wall separating the Party from the people, and the Party will lose its foundation, its lifeblood, and its strength. We must deeply recognize that work style issues are by no means trivial matters or minor details, but major political issues related to the survival or extinction of the Party and the success or failure of its cause. We must always maintain a high degree of vigilance, enhance our sense of crisis, govern work style issues with the strictest standards and the harshest measures, and always win the people’s trust and support with an excellent work style.

深刻领会“党的作风关系党的形象，关系人心向背，关系党的生死存亡”的重要论述，用心体会“得民心者得天下，失民心者失天下”的时代意蕴，牢固树立以优良作风赢得党心民心的高度自觉。党的作风是党的形象，是观察党群干群关系、人心向背的晴雨表。执政党如果不注重作风建设，听任不正之风侵蚀党的肌体，就会像一座无形的墙把党和人民群众隔开，党就会失去根基、失去血脉、失去力量。我们必须深刻认识到，作风问题绝非小事、小节，而是关系党的生死存亡、事业兴衰成败的重大政治问题，要始终保持高度警醒，增强危机意识，以最严格的标准、最严厉的措施治理作风问题，始终以优良的作风赢得人民信赖和拥护。

Deeply understand the important exposition that “the essence of work style issues is fundamentally a matter of Party spirit,” earnestly appreciate the epochal implication of “one who plants trees must cultivate their roots; one who cultivates virtue must nurture their heart,” and firmly establish a high consciousness of strengthening Party spirit cultivation through theoretical arming. General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized the importance of Party spirit for Party members and cadres, pointing out that “problems with cadres nowadays mainly arise from deficiencies in ‘virtue’ and weak Party spirit,” and that “to advance self-revolution, we must consolidate the foundation and cultivate the source, and strengthen Party spirit.” General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important expositions brilliantly elucidate the essential attributes of strengthening the Party’s work style construction in the New Era, profoundly reveal that the internal root of work style issues lies in impure Party spirit and the dilution of the sense of purpose, and indicate that the key to work style construction lies in strengthening Party spirit training and transforming the subjective world. We must persist in using the Party’s innovative theory to solidify the soul, further cultivate the “inner cultivation” of Communists, guide Party members and cadres to continuously temper a strong Party spirit, and forever maintain the political essence of Communists.

深刻领会“作风问题本质上是党性问题”的重要论述，用心体会“种树者必培其根，种德者必养其心”的时代意蕴，牢固树立以理论武装强化党性修养的高度自觉。习近平总书记多次强调党性之于党员、干部的重要性，指出“现在干部出问题，主要是出在‘德’上、出在党性薄弱上”，“推进自我革命，必须固本培元、增强党性”。习近平总书记的重要论述，精辟阐述了新时代加强党的作风建设的本质属性，深刻揭示了作风问题的内在根源在于党性不纯、宗旨意识淡化，指明了作风建设的关键在于加强党性锻炼、改造主观世界。我们必须坚持用党的创新理论凝心铸魂，进一步修好共产党人的“心学”，引导党员干部不断锤炼坚强党性，永葆共产党人的政治本色。

Deeply understand the important exposition that “the core of work style issues is the relationship between the Party and the masses,” earnestly appreciate the epochal implication of “who am I, for whom, and relying on whom,” and firmly establish a high consciousness of implementing the mass line and practicing the purpose of serving the people. Our Party’s greatest political advantage is close ties with the masses; the greatest danger after the Party takes power is becoming divorced from the masses. The starting point and ultimate goal of the Party’s work style construction must ultimately be attributed to realizing, safeguarding, and developing the fundamental interests of the broadest majority of the people. Any behavior that divorces from the masses, ignores the sufferings of the masses, or harms the interests of the masses is a betrayal of the Party’s nature and purpose. General

深刻领会“作风问题核心是党同人民群众的关系问题”的重要论述，用心体会“我是谁，为了谁，依靠谁”的时代意蕴，牢固树立对贯彻群众路线、践行为民宗旨的高度自觉。我们党的最大政治优势是密切联系群众，党执政后的最大危险是脱离群众。党的作风建设的出发点和落脚点，最终都要归结到实现好、维护好、发展好最广大人民的根本利益上来。任何脱离群众、漠视群众疾苦、损害群众利益的行为，都是对党的性质和宗旨的背叛。习近平总书记关于“作风问题核心是党同人民群众的关系问题”的重要论述，精准提炼了新时代加强党的作风建设的核心要义，是对新时代站稳人民立场、筑牢党的执政根基、巩固党的长期执政地位的科学回答。我们必须始终坚持以人民为中心的发展思想，把贯彻群众路线作为生命线和根本工作路线，使一切工作都体现人民意愿、维护人民利益、增进人民福祉，确保党永远不变质、不变色、不变味。

Deeply understand the important thesis that "the task of improving work style is very heavy, and the Eight-Point Regulations are an entry point and a mobilization order,"[1]1 The Eight-Point Regulations: A set of rules on improving Party and government conduct adopted by the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee in December 2012, targeting extravagance, bureaucracy, and other undesirable practices. earnestly appreciate the contemporary implication of "wood takes shape when held to the plumb line, and metal is sharpened when put to the whetstone,"[2]2 A classical allusion from the ancient Chinese text *Xunzi*, meaning that people and things must be disciplined and corrected by rules and standards. and firmly establish a high degree of self-awareness in building a dike for work style through rigid constraints. Nothing can be accomplished without norms or standards. General Secretary Xi Jinping has profoundly pointed out, "Since we are making regulations, we must strive toward stricter standards and make them real and substantive," and "the Central Eight-Point Regulations are not regulations for five or ten years, but are long-term effective iron rules and hard constraints." General Secretary Xi Jinping's important theses profoundly elaborate the foundational and key role of the Central Eight-Point Regulations in work style construction, revealing the law of Party governance and Party building that uses institutional rigid constraints to regulate the exercise of power and promote a fundamental improvement in work style. The Central Eight-Point Regulations replace "generally" with "in all cases" and omit the word "trial," precisely to demonstrate a resolute attitude and show that these regulations are rigid; their attribute of "long-term effectiveness" reflects our Party's deepened understanding of the laws of work style construction and sends a strong signal that comprehensive and strict governance of the Party is always on the way. We must profoundly recognize that the value of work style construction lies in persistence, and its difficulty also lies in persistence. We must show perseverance and tenacity, continuously make efforts in the aspects of constancy and duration, strictness and substance, depth and detail, strengthen the rigid binding force and execution of institutions, ensure that every violation is investigated and every breach is punished, accumulate small victories into big ones, until it becomes custom and practice.

深刻领会“改进工作作风的任务非常繁重，八项规定是一个切入口和动员令”的重要论述，用心体会“木受绳则直，金就砺则利”的时代意蕴，牢固树立以刚性约束筑牢作风堤坝的高度自觉。没有规矩，不成方圆。习近平总书记深刻指出，“既然作规定，就要朝严一点的标准去努力，就要来真格的”，“中央八项规定不是五年、十年的规定，而是长期有效的铁规矩、硬杠杠”。习近平总书记的重要论述，深刻阐述了中央八项规定在作风建设中的基础性、关键性作用，揭示了以制度刚性约束规范权力运行、推动作风根本好转的管党治党规律。中央八项规定用“一律”替换“一般”，不加“试行”两字，就是要表明一个坚决的态度，表明这个规定是刚性的；其“长期有效”的属性，体现了我们党对作风建设规律认识的深化，释放了全面从严治党永远在路上的强烈信号。我们必须深刻认识到，作风建设贵在坚持、难在坚持，要拿出恒心和韧劲，持续在常和长、严和实、深和细上下功夫，强化制度的刚性约束力和执行力，做到执纪必严、违纪必究，积小胜为大胜，直至化风成俗。

Deeply understand the important thesis that "formalism, bureaucracy, hedonism, and extravagance are concentrated manifestations of work style problems and must be resolved as the principal contradiction and the principal aspect of the contradiction,"[3]3 The "four forms of decadence" (四风, *sì fēng*): A standard abbreviation in CPC discourse for formalism, bureaucracy, hedonism, and extravagance, identified as the main targets of the Party's rectification campaign since 2013. earnestly appreciate the contemporary implication of "the good remover of harm examines its root; the good curer of illness cuts off its source,"[4]4 A classical allusion from the Tang dynasty statesman Bai Juyi's policy essay *Policy on the Essentials of Governing*, emphasizing the need to address root causes of problems. and firmly establish a high degree of self-awareness in eradicating the stubborn diseases of the "four forms of decadence"[5]5 See note [3]. with the spirit of driving a nail. Focusing on concentrated rectification of prominent problems within the Party during a specific period is a distinctive feature of our Party's work style construction. Entering the New Era, formalism, bureaucracy, hedonism, and extravagance are the problems most deeply detested by the masses and about which they complain most strongly. We must adhere to a problem-oriented approach, carry forward the spirit of driving a nail, closely monitor the old problems and new trends of the "four forms of decadence," deeply explore the ideological roots and institutional loopholes, adhere to addressing both symptoms and root causes and comprehensive measures, continuously compress the space for their breeding, and achieve deep-level changes in work style construction.

深刻领会“形式主义、官僚主义、享乐主义和奢靡之风是作风问题的集中表现，要作为主要矛盾和矛盾的主要方面来解决”的重要论述，用心体会“善除害者察其本，善理疾者绝其源”的时代意蕴，牢固树立以钉钉子精神铲除“四风”顽疾的高度自觉。针对一个时期党内的突出问题进行集中纠治，是我们党开展作风建设的鲜明特点。进入新时代，形式主义、官僚主义、享乐主义和奢靡之风是群众深恶痛绝、反映最强烈的问题。我们必须坚持问题导向，发扬钉钉子精神，紧盯“四风”老问题和新动向，深挖思想根源、制度漏洞，坚持标本兼治、综合施策，不断压缩其滋生空间，实现作风建设的深层次变革。

Deeply understand the important thesis that "leading cadres at all levels must take the lead in transforming work style, practice what they preach, and set an example for those below,"[6]6 "Key minority" (关键少数): A term used by Xi Jinping to refer to leading cadres at and above the county and department level, whose conduct is seen as crucial for setting the tone for the entire Party. earnestly appreciate the contemporary implication of "if people do not lead, others will not follow; if one does not take the lead, others will not believe,"[7]7 A classical allusion from the *History of the Song Dynasty*, meaning that if leaders do not set an example, others will not follow. and firmly establish a high degree of self-awareness in using the "key minority" to lead the "vast majority." Leading cadres are the "key minority" for the development of the Party and the state's cause and serve as a weather vane for the entire Party and society. General Secretary Xi Jinping warns leading cadres, "What you ask others to do, you must first do yourself; what you forbid others to do, you absolutely must not do yourself." The reason why the Central Eight-Point Regulations have a penetrating power that moistens things silently lies precisely in "starting from the Party Central Committee and starting from senior cadres." As leading cadres who are Party members, we must restrain ourselves with higher standards and stricter requirements, consciously become active advocates, model practitioners, and firm defenders of fine work styles, lead everyone by doing and show everyone by example, and use the self-revolution of the "key minority" to lead and drive the transformation of the work style of the "vast majority."

深刻领会“各级领导干部要带头转变作风，身体力行，以上率下”的重要论述，用心体会“人不率则不从，身不先则不信”的时代意蕴，牢固树立以“关键少数”引领“绝大多数”的高度自觉。领导干部是党和国家事业发展的“关键少数”，对全党全社会都具有风向标作用。习近平总书记告诫领导干部“要求别人做到的自己首先做到，要求别人不做的自己绝对不做”。中央八项规定之所以具有润物细无声的穿透力，关键就在于“从党中央抓起、从高级干部做起”。作为党员领导干部，我们必须以更高标准、更严要求约束自己，自觉做优良作风的积极倡导者、模范践行者、坚定维护者，带着大家干、做给大家看，以“关键少数”的自我革命引领带动“绝大多数”的作风转变。

Deeply understand the important discourse on “promoting the normalization and long-term effectiveness of work style construction,” earnestly appreciate the era implications of “if the law is not strict, governance will not be achieved; if orders are not carried out, strictness will not be realized,”[8]8 A classical allusion from the ancient Chinese legalist text *Shangjunshu* (Book of Lord Shang), emphasizing that strict laws and their rigorous enforcement are essential for effective governance. and firmly establish a high degree of consciousness in using institutions to ensure the standardized operation of power. Work style construction cannot be accomplished overnight or once and for all; it must be integrated into daily life and persistently pursued. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized, “On the issue of improving work style, we cannot retreat, nor are we allowed to retreat. We must maintain the tenacity of constant effort and the patience of long-term effort, seek normalcy through persistence, and seek long-term effectiveness through institutional construction.” General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important discourse profoundly summarizes the inherent laws and long-term complexity of strengthening the Party’s work style construction in the New Era, points out the fundamental path of deepening from treating symptoms to treating root causes and achieving both symptomatic and root-cause treatment, and embodies the core requirements of governing the Party with institutions and in accordance with regulations. We must integrate institutional construction throughout the entire process and all aspects of work style construction, continuously improve the supporting institutional system, strengthen the execution of institutions, insist on using institutions to manage power, handle affairs according to institutions, and rely on institutions to manage money and personnel, so that institutions truly become hard constraints, and resolutely eradicate the soil and conditions for the breeding of corruption.

深刻领会“推进作风建设常态化长效化”的重要论述，用心体会“法不严则不治，令不行则不严”的时代意蕴，牢固树立以制度保障规范权力运行的高度自觉。作风建设不可能一蹴而就、一劳永逸，必须融入日常、抓在经常。习近平总书记强调，“在改进作风问题上，我们不能退，也退不得，必须保持常抓的韧劲、长抓的耐心，在坚持中见常态，向制度建设要长效”。习近平总书记的重要论述，深刻总结了新时代加强党的作风建设的内在规律和长期性复杂性，指明了从治标向治本深化、实现标本兼治的根本路径，体现了制度治党、依规治党的核心要求。我们必须把制度建设贯穿于作风建设全过程各方面，不断完善配套制度体系，强化制度执行力，坚持用制度管权、按制度办事、靠制度管钱管人，使制度真正成为硬约束，坚决铲除腐败滋生的土壤和条件。

To whatever stage the cause of the Party and the people develops, the Party’s work style construction must advance to that stage. On the new journey of comprehensively building a modern socialist country, we must tighten the string of self-revolution, continuously deepen the understanding and grasp of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important discourse on strengthening the Party’s work style construction, ensure political firmness with theoretical clarity, ensure conscious action with institutional rigidity, inject spiritual impetus into improving work style and fostering new practices, and continuously build a solid work style dam for striving to take the lead in the process of Chinese-path modernization.

党和人民事业发展到什么阶段，党的作风建设就要推进到什么阶段。在全面建设社会主义现代化国家新征程上，必须绷紧自我革命这根弦，持续深化对习近平总书记关于加强党的作风建设的重要论述的认识和把握，以理论清醒保证政治坚定，以制度刚性保障行动自觉，为改作风树新风注入精神动力，持续筑牢在中国式现代化进程中奋勇争先的作风堤坝。

(The author is Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and President of the Chongqing Academy of Social Sciences)

（作者系重庆社会科学院党组书记、院长）

Online editor: Tongxin

网络编辑：同心