Grasp the Era-Connotation of Party Spirit, Forge a Firm Political Character

“Party spirit” is a term frequently invoked in the course of the Chinese Communist Party’s building, and it is the reflection of the nature of the Chinese Communist Party in the Party organization and in individual Party members. General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important discourses on Party spirit are rich in content and profound in implication, profoundly elucidating a series of major issues such as what the Party spirit of Chinese Communists is, why Party spirit cultivation must be strengthened, and how to strengthen Party spirit cultivation, and they bear distinct characteristics of the era. They enrich and develop Marxist theory on Party building, further deepen our Party’s understanding of the laws governing the building of a Marxist ruling party, and provide the fundamental guidance for Chinese Communists to continuously strengthen their Party spirit cultivation.

“党性”是中国共产党建设历程中频频提及的词汇，是中国共产党性质在党组织和党员个体身上的反映。习近平总书记关于党性的重要论述内涵丰富、意蕴深刻，深刻阐明了什么是中国共产党人的党性、为什么要加强党性修养、怎样加强党性修养等一系列重大问题，具有鲜明的时代特征。它丰富和发展了马克思主义建党学说，进一步深化了我们党对马克思主义执政党建设规律的认识，为中国共产党人不断加强党性修养提供了根本遵循。

Firmly taking the stand of the Party and the people is the principle of Party spirit for Communists. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, in order to emphasize the Marxist political party nature of the Chinese Communist Party and highlight the consciousness of the Party’s mission and purpose, General Secretary Xi Jinping has elucidated the concept of Party spirit from the perspective of political stand. The Chinese Communist Party is a Marxist political party, and Marxist political parties always represent the interests of the proletariat and the masses of the people. The Chinese Communist Party has no special interests of its own and has never represented the interests of any interest group, any power group, or any privileged stratum; this is the fundamental distinction between the Chinese Communist Party and all other political parties. Therefore, Chinese Communists must firmly hold their political stand, adhere to the value concept of collectivism, and earnestly handle the relationships between public and private interests, and between Party spirit and individuality. They must uphold the supremacy of the people’s interests, act with public-mindedness in all matters, and must not use power for personal gain, still less bend the law for personal benefit. While upholding the interests of the masses of the people, they should protect their own legitimate rights and interests.

站稳党和人民的立场是共产党人的党性原则。党的十八大以来，为了强调中国共产党的马克思主义政党性质、凸显中国共产党的使命宗旨意识，习近平总书记从政治立场的角度对党性概念进行了阐发。中国共产党是马克思主义政党，马克思主义政党始终代表无产阶级和人民大众的利益。中国共产党没有任何自身的特殊利益，从来不代表任何利益集团、任何权势团体、任何特权阶层的利益，这是中国共产党区别于其他一切政党的根本之处。因此，中国共产党人要牢牢站稳政治立场，坚持集体主义的价值观念，认真处理好公私关系、党性与个性的关系。要坚持人民利益至上，事事出于公心，不能以权谋私，更不能徇私枉法。在坚持人民大众利益的前提下，维护自身的合法权益。

Firming up the ideal and conviction of Communists is the primary goal of tempering Party spirit. General Secretary Xi Jinping points out: “For us Communists, the primary task in tempering Party spirit is to firm up the lofty ideal of communism and the common ideal of socialism with Chinese characteristics.” Ideal and conviction are of utmost importance; they are the spiritual pillar and political soul of Chinese Communists. The lofty ideal of communism is the inevitable trend of the development of human society and the highest ideal and ultimate goal of the Chinese Communist Party’s continuous struggle. The common ideal of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the near-term goal formulated by the Chinese Communist Party based on the concrete realities of the primary stage of socialism, and it is the common ideological foundation for the united struggle of the entire Party and people of all ethnic groups across the country. Understanding the Party spirit of Communists from the perspective of firming up the Party’s ideal and conviction grasps the “master switch” of Communists’ thinking and provides ample spiritual strength for the Chinese Communist Party to advance courageously.

坚定共产党人的理想信念是锤炼党性的首要目标。习近平总书记指出：“我们共产党人锤炼党性，首要的就是坚定共产主义远大理想和中国特色社会主义共同理想。”理想信念至关重要，是中国共产党人的精神支柱和政治灵魂。共产主义的远大理想是人类社会发展的必然趋势，是中国共产党持续奋斗的最高理想和最终目标。中国特色社会主义共同理想是中国共产党根据社会主义初级阶段的具体实际所制定的近期目标，是全党全国各族人民团结奋斗的共同思想基础。从坚定党的理想信念的角度来理解共产党人的党性，把握住了共产党人思想的“总开关”，为中国共产党勇毅前行提供了充足的精神力量。

Taking a clear stand on politics is the fundamental act of tempering Party spirit. Taking a stand on politics is a fine tradition of Chinese Communists; only by taking a clear stand on politics and keeping lofty aspirations in mind can Chinese Communists avoid losing their direction. To this end, General Secretary Xi Jinping requires all Party members to firmly uphold the principled stand of Party spirit, strictly observe the Party’s political discipline and political rules, resolutely oppose erroneous tendencies such as liberalism, decentralism, and individualism, maintain a high degree of unity with the Party Central Committee in thought, politics, organization, and action, resolutely uphold the authority of the Party Central Committee and its centralized, unified leadership, and effectively consolidate unity within the Party. In addition, Chinese Communists must seriously conduct political activities within the Party, actively carry forward fine traditions such as seeking truth from facts, integrating theory with practice, criticism and self-criticism, and upholding democratic centralism, enhance the political nature, principled nature, and militant nature of intra-Party political activities, and strive to create a political ecosystem that is upright and clean.

旗帜鲜明讲政治是锤炼党性的根本之举。讲政治是中国共产党人的优良传统，只有旗帜鲜明讲政治，心存高远，中国共产党人才不会迷失方向。为此，习近平总书记要求全体党员必须坚定党性原则立场，严格遵守党的政治纪律和政治规矩，坚决反对自由主义、分散主义、个人主义等错误倾向，在思想上、政治上、组织上行动上同党中央保持高度一致，坚决维护党中央权威和集中统一领导，有效巩固党内团结。另外，中国共产党人要严肃党内政治生活，积极发扬实事求是、理论联系实际、批评和自我批评、坚持民主集中制等优良传统，提高党内政治生活的政治性、原则性和战斗性，努力营造风清气正的政治生态。

Upholding the unity of Party spirit and people’s character is the proper meaning of tempering Party spirit. Our Party is a Marxist political party that serves the people wholeheartedly. In essence, upholding Party spirit means upholding people’s character, and upholding people’s character means upholding Party spirit; there is no Party spirit divorced from people’s character, nor any people’s character divorced from Party spirit. The Chinese Communist Party is a Marxist political party that adheres to the fundamental purpose of serving the people wholeheartedly; the Party’s original aspiration and founding mission is to seek happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation. The unity of Party spirit and people’s character highlights the Party’s consciousness of purpose and mission and manifests the characteristics of the Chinese Communist Party as a mission-oriented party. To uphold the unity of Party spirit and people’s character, Chinese Communists must adhere to the correct outlook on power, outlook on political performance, and outlook on career, strengthen their emotional bonds with the masses, earnestly solve the urgent, difficult, anxious, and expectant problems faced by the masses, enhance the well-being of the masses, and ensure that the masses always have a sense of gain, happiness, and security. Furthermore, they must uphold the principal position of the masses, continuously bring into play the pioneering spirit and collective wisdom of the masses, and rely closely on the masses to propel the continuous development of the Party’s and the state’s undertakings.

坚持党性和人民性的统一是锤炼党性的应有之义。我们党是全心全意为人民服务的马克思主义政党，从本质上说，坚持党性就是坚持人民性，坚持人民性就是坚持党性，没有脱离人民性的党性，也没有脱离党性的人民性。中国共产党是马克思主义政党，坚持全心全意为人民服务的根本宗旨，党的初心和使命就是为中国人民谋幸福。为中华民族谋复兴。党性和人民性相统一，突出了中国共产党的宗旨意识和使命意识，彰显了中国共产党使命型政党的特征。坚持党性和人民性相统一，中国共产党人就要坚持正确的权力观、政绩观、事业观，加强同人民群众的感情，认真解决人民群众所面临的急难愁盼问题，增进人民群众的福祉，使人民群众始终有获得感、幸福感和安全感。此外，要坚持人民群众的主体地位，不断发挥人民群众的首创精神和集体智慧，紧紧依靠人民群众推动党和国家事业不断发展。

Carrying forward the Party’s fine traditions and work style is a key measure for tempering Party spirit. The issue of work style is essentially an issue of Party spirit. For us Communists, whether we can solve the issue of work style is an important yardstick for measuring our faith in Marxism, our conviction in socialism and communism, and our loyalty to the Party and the people. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, in response to the problems of formalism, bureaucracy, hedonism, and extravagance that exist within the Chinese Communist Party itself, General Secretary Xi Jinping has

发扬党的优良传统作风是锤炼党性的关键举措。作风问题本质上是党性问题。对我们共产党人来讲，能不能解决好作风问题，是衡量对马克思主义信仰、对社会主义和共产主义信念、对党和人民忠诚的一把重要尺子。党的十八大以来，针对中国共产党自身存在的形式主义、官僚主义、享乐主义和奢靡之风问题，习近平总书记把握现象与本质关系的辩证法，从党性的高度进行思考，要求共产党人正党风、守纪律、强党性。党性、党风、党纪是一体的，党性是根本、党风是表现、党纪是保障。共产党人锤炼党性，一方面要不断强化党性修养，挺起党性修养的脊梁，修炼共产党人的“心学”，将其作为终身课题，抵挡不良诱惑，弘扬浩然正气，练就金刚之身。另一方面，要不断发扬党的优良传统作风，做到理论联系实际、密切联系群众、敢于自我批评、艰苦奋斗、勤俭节约、求真务实、踏实肯干。坚决反对形式主义、官僚主义、享乐主义和奢靡之风等不良倾向，反对各种特权思想和特权现象，旗帜鲜明反对腐败，营造风清气正的党内生态。此外，要不断筑牢纪律意识，注重用党规党纪约束一言一行，做到心中有戒律、行事有准绳，善于把他律转换成自律，在纪律上管住手脚，在干事上放开手脚，攻坚克难，奋勇争先。

Daring to struggle and being adept at struggle are the dynamic requirements for tempering Party spirit. "When Communists speak of Party spirit and principle, they must speak of struggle." For Chinese Communists to speak of Party spirit, they must first actively promote the spiritual quality of daring to struggle, struggling against all mental states that are utterly unprincipled, lax and slack, dispirited, dejected, and apathetic, so as to achieve vigorous action, positive striving, and sharp progress. Second, they must correctly grasp the methods and strategies of struggle, adeptly seizing the key, grasping the principal contradiction, and grasping the principal aspect of the principal contradiction in the great practice of Chinese-path modernization, correctly handling the dialectical relationship between the principal contradiction and secondary contradictions, correctly handling the dialectical relationship between individual interests and collective interests, correctly handling the dialectical relationship between immediate interests and long-term interests, correctly handling the dialectical relationship between struggle and unity, correctly handling the dialectical relationship between being justified, advantageous, and restrained [1]1 "Being justified, advantageous, and restrained" (有理有利有节) is a principle of struggle articulated by Mao Zedong, meaning to act with moral justification, practical benefit, and appropriate restraint., and correctly handling the dialectical relationship among timing, degree, and effectiveness [2]2 "Timing, degree, and effectiveness" (时、度、效) is a formula for propaganda and practical work, emphasizing the need to choose the right moment, maintain the proper intensity, and achieve the desired result., so as to do one's own work well and advance the development of the cause. Finally, they must continuously enhance their ability to struggle, daring to face major risks and powerful opponents without fear and to meet challenges head-on, daring to gnaw on hard bones [3]3 "Gnaw on hard bones" (啃硬骨头) is a common metaphor in CPC discourse for tackling the most difficult and intractable problems. and solve new difficulties in the great practice of advancing socialism with Chinese characteristics for a New Era, and continuously advance the great cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

敢于斗争、善于斗争是锤炼党性的能动要求。“共产党人讲党性、讲原则，就要讲斗争。”中国共产党人讲党性，首先要积极发扬敢于斗争的精神品质，同一切毫无原则、放松懈怠、萎靡不振、意志消沉、无动于衷的精神状态作斗争，做到奋发有为、积极向上、锐意进取。其次，要正确掌握斗争的方法策略，在中国式现代化的伟大实践中善抓关键、抓主要矛盾、抓主要矛盾的主要方面，正确处理主要矛盾和次要矛盾的辩证关系，正确处理个人利益和集体利益的辩证关系，正确处理眼前利益和长远利益的辩证关系，正确处理斗争和团结的辩证关系，正确处理有理有利有节的辩证关系，正确处理时、度、效的辩证关系，做好本职工作，推动事业发展。最后，要不断提升斗争本领，敢于在重大风险、强大对手面前毫不畏惧、迎难而上，在推进新时代中国特色社会主义的伟大实践中敢于啃硬骨头、解决新难题，不断推进中国特色社会主义的伟大事业。

Cultivating the “mind work” of Communists is an important pathway to tempering Party spirit. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out, “Party spirit education is a required course for Communists to cultivate their moral character, and it is also the ‘mind work’ of Communists.” To temper Party spirit, Chinese Communists must, first, strengthen self-cultivation and self-transformation through Party spirit education, internalizing the Party’s ideological theories, ideals and convictions, purpose consciousness, original aspiration and founding mission, work style and traditions, and Party discipline and state laws, and externalizing them in action, thereby enhancing Party spirit cultivation and achieving the unity of knowledge and action. [4]4 The “unity of knowledge and action” (知行合一) is a classical Confucian concept, later developed by the Ming-dynasty philosopher Wang Yangming, emphasizing the inseparability of moral knowledge and moral practice. Second, they must undergo Party spirit tempering through Party organizational life, honing themselves within such institutions as the “three meetings and one lecture,” [5]5 “Three meetings and one lecture” (三会一课) refers to a basic system of Party organizational life in the CPC: regular meetings of the branch committee, the general membership meeting, and the Party group meeting, plus one Party lecture. democratic life meetings, democratic evaluation of Party members, and heart-to-heart talks, and consciously accepting the education, management, and supervision of Party organizations. Third, they must consciously exercise self-discipline and moral cultivation in daily work and life, correctly handling the relationships between public and private, righteousness and profit, right and wrong, and hardship and pleasure, shaping an open, upright, and selfless glorious character, maintaining a rigorous lifestyle, and cultivating healthy life interests. Fourth, they must strengthen Party spirit tempering in the great practice of the Party’s self-revolution and social revolution, enhancing various abilities and skills for modernization. They must strive to become Party members who are politically steadfast, dare to take responsibility, are keen on reform, achieve outstanding results, and are clean and honest, accumulating experience, strengthening their backbone, and tempering Party spirit through weathering storms and seeing the world.

修炼共产党人的“心学”是锤炼党性的重要途径。习近平总书记指出，“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’”。中国共产党人锤炼党性，一要在党性教育中加强自身修炼和自我改造，将党的思想理论、理想信念、宗旨意识、初心使命、作风传统、党纪国法等内化于心、外化于行，提高党性修养，做到知行合一。二要在党的组织生活中进行党性历练，在“三会一课”、民主生活会、民主评议党员、谈心谈话等制度中磨炼自身，自觉接受党组织的教育、管理和监督。三要自觉在日常工作和生活中进行自我约束和人格锤炼。正确处理好公私、义利、是非、苦乐等关系，塑造光明磊落、坦荡无私的光辉品格，保持严肃的生活作风，培养健康的生活情趣。四要在党的自我革命和社会革命的伟大实践中加强党性锻炼，提高现代化建设的各种能力与本领。要努力成为政治过硬、敢于担当、锐意改革、实绩突出、清正廉洁的共产党员，在经风雨、见世面中积累经验、强壮筋骨、锤炼党性。

(The author is a research fellow at the Shanghai Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era)

（作者系上海市习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想研究中心研究员）

Online editor: Huihui

网络编辑：慧慧