Opening Up New Horizons for Self-Reform

In the fifth volume of *Xi Jinping: The Governance of China* (hereinafter “the fifth volume”), the important expositions on Party leadership and the Party’s self-reform are concentrated in the chapter “Upholding and Strengthening the Centralized and Unified Leadership of the Party Central Committee and Carrying the Party’s Self-Reform Through to the End.”

在《习近平谈治国理政》第五卷（以下简称“第五卷”）中，关于党的领导和党的自我革命的重要论述，集中体现在“坚持和加强党中央集中统一领导，把党的自我革命进行到底”这一章里。

First, with immense courage in theoretical innovation, advance the systematization of the important thought on the Party’s self-reform.

第一，以理论创新的巨大勇气，推进党的自我革命的重要思想的体系化。

Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, building on the historic achievements of comprehensive and strict governance of the Party over a decade of tempered effort, General Secretary Xi Jinping has, with immense courage in theoretical innovation, further constructed a theoretical system for the important thought on the Party’s self-reform.

党的十八大以来，在全面从严治党十年磨一剑的历史性成就基础上，习近平总书记以理论创新的巨大勇气，对党的自我革命的重要思想进一步进行了理论体系化构建。

In the fifth volume, the article “New Responsibilities and New Achievements in Party Building and Organizational Work” puts forward the “important thought on Party building.” This thought was later summarized as the “Thirteen Upholds,” highlighting the main theme and main line of comprehensive and strict governance of the Party.[1]

在第五卷中，《党的建设和组织工作要有新担当新作为》一文提出了“关于党的建设的重要思想”。这一思想后来被概括为“十三个坚持”，突出了全面从严治党的主题主线。

In January 2024, at the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, General Secretary Xi Jinping systematically expounded the important thought on the Party’s self-reform; this portion of his speech is included in the fifth volume under “Deepening the Party’s Self-Reform.” This speech focuses on the original theoretical contributions concerning the Party’s self-reform, looks to the great practice of comprehensive and strict governance of the Party on the new journey of the New Era, profoundly elaborates on major questions such as why our Party must engage in self-reform, why it can engage in self-reform, and how to advance self-reform, and, regarding how to carry out self-reform, puts forward the strategic policy of the “Nine Withs,” completing the systematization of the important thought on the Party’s self-reform.[2]

2024年1月，习近平总书记在二十届中央纪委三次全会上系统论述了关于党的自我革命的重要思想，这部分讲话被收录在第五卷《深入推进党的自我革命》中。这次讲话聚焦关于党的自我革命的原创性理论贡献，着眼于新时代新征程全面从严治党的伟大实践，深刻地阐述了我们党为什么要自我革命、为什么能自我革命、怎样推进自我革命等重大问题，并就怎样进行自我革命，提出了“九个以”的战略方针，完成了关于党的自我革命的重要思想的体系化构建。

Regarding why self-reform is necessary, the basic reasoning is that the tasks shouldered by the Party are arduous and heavy, and the environment it faces is severe and complex; therefore, it must have the courage to turn its blade inward. Especially in comprehensively deepening reform and opening up, it is necessary to continuously break down the barriers of entrenched interests in order to lead social revolution; this clarifies the goal of the Party’s self-reform.

关于为什么要自我革命，基本的道理是党肩负的任务艰巨而繁重，所处的环境严峻而复杂，所以要有刀刃向内的勇气。特别是在全面深化改革中，必须不断破除利益固化的藩篱，才能引领社会革命，这明确了党的自我革命的目标。

Regarding why the Party can engage in self-reform, the source of confidence lies in the fact that the Party has no special interests of its own. Under the long-term historical conditions of facing the “Four Tests” and the “Four Dangers,” to break out of the historical cycle of rise and fall, it is necessary not only to have the “first answer” of popular supervision but also the “second answer” of self-reform, clarifying that bold self-reform is the most distinctive character and the greatest political strength of our Party.[3] This constitutes the two major principles of using the Party’s self-reform to lead the great social revolution and breaking out of the historical cycle of rise and fall through self-reform and popular supervision.

关于为什么能自我革命，底气所在就是党没有自己的特殊利益。在长期面临“四大考验”和“四大危险”的历史条件下，要跳出治乱兴衰的历史周期率，不仅要有人民监督的“第一个答案”，还需要自我革命的“第二个答案”，明确了勇于自我革命是我们党最鲜明的品格和最大的政治优势。这就构成了以党的自我革命引领伟大社会革命、通过自我革命和人民监督跳出历史周期率的两大原理。

Regarding how to carry out self-reform, it is necessary to take upholding the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee as the fundamental guarantee, leading the great social revolution as the fundamental purpose, Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as the fundamental guideline, breaking out of the historical cycle of rise and fall as the strategic goal, solving the unique challenges facing a large Party as the main direction of attack, improving the system for comprehensive and strict governance of the Party as the effective pathway, forging a strong organization and building a capable contingent as the key focus, rectifying work style, enforcing discipline, and combating corruption as the important starting point, and combining self-supervision with popular supervision as the powerful driving force. From the fundamental guarantee, fundamental purpose, and fundamental guideline, to the strategic goal, main direction of attack, and effective pathway, and then to the key focus, important starting point, and powerful driving force, the internal logic is rigorous, forming the theoretical system of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important thought on the Party’s self-reform.

关于怎样进行自我革命，就要做到以坚持党中央集中统一领导为根本保证，以引领伟大社会革命为根本目的，以习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想为根本遵循，以跳出历史周期率为战略目标，以解决大党独有难题为主攻方向，以健全全面从严治党体系为有效途径，以锻造坚强组织、建设过硬队伍为重要着力点，以正风肃纪反腐为重要抓手，以自我监督和人民监督相结合为强大动力。从根本保证、根本目的、根本遵循，到战略目标、主攻方向、有效途径，再到重要着力点、重要抓手、强大动力，内在逻辑严密，形成了习近平总书记关于党的自我革命的重要思想的理论体系。

Second, with a strong problem orientation, accurately grasp the unique challenges facing a large Party.

第二，以强烈的问题导向，准确把握大党独有难题。

Since the 20th National Congress of the CPC, General

党的二十大以来，习近平总书记以强烈的问题导向，对什么是大党独有的难题进行了分析阐释。2023年1月，他在二十届中央纪委二次全会上阐述了六个方面的难题，即“六个如何始终”。这部分讲话被收录在第五卷《时刻保持解决大党独有难题的清醒和坚定》一文中。

The “six how to always” — that is, how to always remain true to the original aspiration and founding mission, how to always unify thought, will, and action, how to always possess strong governing capacity and leadership level, how to always maintain the entrepreneurial spirit in undertaking work and starting enterprises, how to always be able to promptly discover and resolve one’s own existing problems, and how to always maintain a clean and upright political ecosystem. These constitute the main factors affecting the Party’s advanced nature, integrity, and governing capacity building in the New Era and on the new journey, thereby clarifying the direction of key efforts for self-reform.

“六个如何始终”，即如何始终不忘初心、牢记使命，如何始终统一思想、统一意志、统一行动，如何始终具备强大的执政能力和领导水平，如何始终保持干事创业精神状态，如何始终能够及时发现和解决自身存在的问题，如何始终保持风清气正的政治生态。它构成新时代新征程影响党的先进性纯洁性和执政能力建设的主要因素，从而明确了自我革命的攻坚方向。

The protracted and arduous nature of solving the unique challenges of a large Party requires a sober understanding of the soil and conditions that breed corruption, which determines that the anti-corruption struggle in the New Era and on the new journey must make sustained efforts and advance in depth in eradicating this soil and these conditions. The fifth volume’s article “Making Great Efforts to Eradicate the Soil and Conditions That Breed Corruption” is part of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s speech at the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

解决大党独有难题的长期性和艰巨性，要求对腐败产生的土壤和条件要有清醒的认识，这决定了新时代新征程反腐败斗争必须要在铲除这些土壤和条件上持续发力、纵深推进。第五卷《下大气力铲除腐败滋生的土壤和条件》一文是习近平总书记在二十届中央纪委三次全会上讲话的一部分。

Regarding eradicating the soil and conditions that breed corruption, he put forward requirements in seven areas: strengthening the Party’s centralized and unified leadership over the anti-corruption struggle, continuing to maintain a high-pressure stance in punishing corruption, deepening reform to block the spread and growth of corruption, further improving the anti-corruption laws and regulations system, increasing the intensity of punishment for bribery, persistently purifying the political ecosystem, and strengthening the construction of a clean culture in the New Era.

对于铲除腐败滋生的土壤和条件，他提出了七个方面的要求：加强党对反腐败斗争的集中统一领导，持续保持惩治腐败高压态势，深化改革阻断腐败滋生蔓延，进一步健全反腐败法规制度，加大对行贿行为惩治力度，持之以恒净化政治生态，加强新时代廉洁文化建设。

Third, with a comprehensive systematic perspective, make efforts to improve the system for comprehensive and strict governance of the Party.

第三，以全面的系统观念，着力健全全面从严治党体系。

Since the 20th National Congress of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping has attached great importance to

党的二十大以来，习近平总书记把健全全面从严治党体系作为全局性、开创性的工作予以高度重视。他在二十届中央纪委二次全会上阐述了全面从严治党基本内涵：内容全涵盖，管党治党应该贯穿于党的建设的各方面；对象全覆盖，管全党、治全党，不留死角和空白；责任全链条，压实各级党委的主体责任、纪委的监督责任、书记的第一责任、其他成员的“一岗双责”；制度全贯通，把制度建设要求体现到全面从严治党全过程、各方面、各层级。

In “Further Improve the System for Comprehensive and Strict Governance of the Party, Open Up New Horizons for the Self-Revolution of a Century-Old Major Party,” General Secretary Xi Jinping systematically expounded the main tasks for improving the system for comprehensive and strict governance of the Party: to improve the organizational system that is connected from top to bottom and effective in execution; to improve the education system that consolidates the foundation, nourishes the root, gathers hearts, and forges the soul; to improve the supervision system that exerts precise force and addresses both symptoms and root causes; to improve the institutional system that is scientifically complete, effective, and practical; and to improve the responsibility system with clear subjects and explicit requirements.

在《进一步健全全面从严治党体系，开辟百年大党自我革命新境界》中，习近平总书记系统阐述了健全全面从严治党体系的主要任务：要健全上下贯通、执行有力的组织体系，健全固本培元、凝心铸魂的教育体系，健全精准发力、标本兼治的监管体系，健全科学完备、有效管用的制度体系，健全主体明确、要求清晰的责任体系。

In summary, through in-depth study of the Fifth Volume, further grasping the theoretical system of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important thought on the Party’s self-revolution helps deepen the understanding of the laws governing the Communist Party’s governance and strengthen the theoretical consciousness and practical impetus for further opening up new horizons for self-revolution on the new journey of the New Era.

总之，通过深入学习第五卷，进一步把握习近平总书记关于党的自我革命的重要思想的理论体系，有助于深化对共产党执政规律的认识，强化在新时代新征程上进一步开辟自我革命新境界的理论自觉和实践动力。

(The authors are, respectively, a distinguished researcher of the Shanghai Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and a professor at East China Normal University, and a specially invited researcher of the East China Normal University Research Base of the Shanghai Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.)

（作者分别为上海市习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想研究中心特聘研究员、华东师范大学教授，上海市习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想研究中心华东师范大学研究基地特约研究员）

Online editor: Huihui

网络编辑：慧慧