Deeply Understand and Grasp “Enhancing the Party’s Political Leadership”

Chinese-path modernization is a socialist modernization led by the Communist Party of China, and upholding and strengthening the Party’s overall leadership is the fundamental guarantee for advancing Chinese-path modernization. The *Proposal of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development* (hereinafter referred to as the *Proposal*) states: “Persist in using the Party’s self-revolution to lead social revolution, persistently advance comprehensive and strict governance of the Party, enhance the Party’s political leadership, ideological guidance, mass organization, and social appeal, improve the Party’s ability and level to lead economic and social development, and gather mighty strength for advancing Chinese-path modernization.” Upholding and strengthening the Party’s overall leadership is, first and foremost, upholding and strengthening the Party’s political leadership and continuously enhancing the Party’s political leadership. Deeply understanding and grasping “enhancing the Party’s political leadership” is of great significance for uniting efforts to advance Chinese-path modernization.

中国式现代化是中国共产党领导的社会主义现代化，坚持和加强党的全面领导是推进中国式现代化的根本保证。《中共中央关于制定国民经济和社会发展第十五个五年规划的建议》（以下简称《建议》）指出：“坚持以党的自我革命引领社会革命，持之以恒推进全面从严治党，增强党的政治领导力、思想引领力、群众组织力、社会号召力，提高党领导经济社会发展能力和水平，为推进中国式现代化凝聚磅礴力量。”坚持和加强党的全面领导，首先是坚持和加强党的政治领导，不断增强党的政治领导力。深刻理解和把握“增强党的政治领导力”，对于凝心聚力推进中国式现代化具有重要意义。

1. The Party Is the Highest Political Leadership Force

1.党是最高政治领导力量

Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping has clearly put forward and repeatedly emphasized: “The most essential characteristic of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the leadership of the Communist Party of China; the greatest strength of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics is the leadership of the Communist Party of China; the Party is the highest political leadership force.” The major proposition that “the Party is the highest political leadership force” is a principled theoretical achievement of adapting Marxist party theory to the Chinese context and the needs of the times, profoundly revealing the unshakable political status and irreplaceable leading role of the Communist Party of China within the entire country.

党的十八大以来，习近平总书记鲜明提出并反复强调：“中国特色社会主义最本质的特征是中国共产党领导，中国特色社会主义制度的最大优势是中国共产党领导，党是最高政治领导力量。”“党是最高政治领导力量”这一重大命题，是马克思主义政党学说中国化时代化的原理性理论成果，深刻揭示了中国共产党在整个国家中不可撼动的政治地位和无可替代的领导作用。

Only when the proletariat forms a unified and independent party can it have cohesion and combat effectiveness. Marx and Engels believed that communists understand the conditions, process, and general results of the proletarian movement and are always the most resolute and driving part in the revolutionary movement. Lenin, in leading the Russian proletarian revolution and socialist construction, attached great importance to the issue of Party leadership. He not only regarded the advanced proletarian party as the highest form of class unity for the proletarians but also advocated that all political and economic work of the state power should be led by the communist party, which is “the only guarantee for the victory of socialism, a broad road leading to victory.” As an advanced party armed with Marxism, the Communist Party of China is the vanguard of the Chinese working class, and at the same time the vanguard of the Chinese people and the Chinese nation. In the course of its struggle spanning over a century, from the earth-shaking founding of the Party, to the earth-shaking founding of New China, to the earth-shaking reform and opening up, and then to the historic achievements and historic changes in the cause of the Party and the state since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the Communist Party of China has always adhered to the political nature of a proletarian party, carried forward the fine tradition of a Marxist party that clearly emphasizes politics, and made upholding the Party’s political leadership the primary task of upholding the Party’s overall leadership.

无产阶级只有组成统一的独立的政党，才有凝聚力和战斗力。马克思恩格斯认为，共产党人了解无产阶级运动的条件、进程和一般结果，在革命运动中始终是最坚决的、起推动作用的部分。列宁在领导俄国无产阶级革命和社会主义建设中高度重视党的领导权问题，不仅将先进的无产阶级政党视为无产者实现阶级联合的最高形式，还主张国家政权的一切政治经济工作都应由共产党来领导，这是“社会主义胜利的唯一保证，是一条通向胜利的康庄大道”。作为以马克思主义武装起来的先进政党，中国共产党是中国工人阶级的先锋队，同时是中国人民和中华民族的先锋队。在百余年奋斗历程中，从建党的开天辟地，到新中国成立的改天换地，到改革开放的翻天覆地，再到党的十八大以来党和国家事业取得历史性成就、发生历史性变革，中国共产党始终坚守无产阶级政党的政治本色，发扬马克思主义政党旗帜鲜明讲政治的优良传统，把坚持党的政治领导作为坚持党的全面领导的首要任务。

Every party has a political attribute, and each has its own political mission, political goals, and political pursuits. Lenin believed that “the Party’s task is to provide general leadership over the work of all state organs,” where “general leadership” refers to leadership over the Party’s “main political tasks” and “central political tasks.” Comrade Mao Zedong pointed out: “We rely on politics to lead; without politics, there is no leadership.” Comrade Deng Xiaoping believed: “The leadership of the Party committee is mainly political leadership, ensuring the correct political direction, ensuring the implementation of the Party’s line, principles, and policies, and mobilizing the initiative of all aspects.” For the Communist Party of China, the Party’s political construction is an eternal task, the most fundamental and core of which is to grasp the correct political direction and uphold political leadership. The Party’s political leadership is mainly reflected in leadership over major decisions such as the Party’s line, principles, and policies, and leadership in defending political positions, grasping the correct political direction, adhering to political principles, firming up the political path, maintaining political resolve, and preventing political risks. Among these, the most important and fundamental is to resolutely uphold the authority and centralized, unified leadership of the Party Central Committee, ensuring the authority of the Party Central Committee to have the final say and to be the sole arbiter. Upholding the Party’s political leadership determines the essence and direction of the Party’s overall leadership. The Communist Party of China is the highest political leadership force, and it must undertake, with strong political leadership, the mission and responsibility of comprehensively building a strong country and advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-path modernization, ensuring that Chinese-path modernization always advances smoothly on the correct track.

任何政党都有政治属性，都有自己的政治使命、政治目标、政治追求。列宁认为，“党的任务是对所有国家机关的工作进行总的领导”，这里“总的领导”就是对党的“主要政治任务”和“中心的政治任务”的领导。毛泽东同志指出：“我们是依靠政治来领导，离开了政治就谈不上领导。”邓小平同志认为：“党委的领导，主要是政治上的领导，保证正确的政治方向，保证党的路线、方针、政策的贯彻，调动各个方面的积极性。”对于中国共产党来说，党的政治建设是一个永恒课题，其中最根本、最核心的是把准政治方向、坚持政治领导。党的政治领导主要体现为党的路线、方针、政策等重大决策的领导，在捍卫政治立场、把准政治方向、坚持政治原则、坚定政治道路以及保持政治定力、防范政治风险等方面的领导，其中最重要、最根本的是坚决维护党中央权威和集中统一领导，确保党中央一锤定音、定于一尊的权威。坚持党的政治领导决定着党的全面领导的本质和方向，中国共产党是最高政治领导力量，必须以坚强的政治领导承担起以中国式现代化全面推进强国建设、民族复兴伟业的使命和责任，确保中国式现代化始终在正确轨道上顺利前进。

2. Our Party Has Always Focused on Building the Party Politically

2.我们党历来注重从政治上建设党

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, “Focusing on building the Party politically is an important guarantee for our Party’s continuous growth and its march from victory to victory.” The Communist Party of China has always focused on building the Party politically, integrating the strengthening of the Party’s political construction throughout the entire century-long history of leading China’s revolution, construction, and reform. Especially since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, our Party has unequivocally placed the Party’s political construction as the fundamental construction of the Party at the forefront of Party building. In this process, the Party’s political line has been implemented, the Party’s unity and solidarity have been maintained, and the Party’s political leadership has been continuously enhanced.

习近平总书记指出，“注重从政治上建设党是我们党不断发展壮大、从胜利走向胜利的重要保证”。中国共产党历来注重从政治上建设党，把加强党的政治建设贯穿领导中国革命、建设和改革的百余年历史全过程。特别是党的十八大以来，我们党旗帜鲜明将党的政治建设作为党的根本性建设摆在党的建设首位，在此进程中，党的政治路线得到贯彻，党的团结统一得到维护，党的政治领导力不断得到增强。

During the period of the New Democratic Revolution, the Party clearly set the overall goal of Party building as “building a Bolshevik Communist Party of China that is nationwide, mass-based, and fully consolidated ideologically, politically, and organizationally.” The Gutian Conference established the principle of building the Party ideologically and building the army politically. [1]1 The Gutian Conference (December 1929) was a meeting of the Communist Party of China that established the principle of the Party’s absolute leadership over the army and emphasized ideological and political building. The Zunyi Conference opened a new stage in which the Party firmly established a correct political line, policies, and strategies and independently solved the practical problems of the Chinese revolution. [2]2 The Zunyi Conference (January 1935) was a pivotal meeting during the Long March that established Mao Zedong’s leadership within the Party and corrected the military line. With outstanding political leadership and correct strategic policies, our Party was the first to raise the banner of resistance against Japan, put forward the correct line and general strategic policy for the War of Resistance, guided the direction of China’s War of Resistance, and became the mainstay leading the entire nation’s War of Resistance. History shows that the more difficult the times, the more they highlight the importance of the Party’s political leadership.

新民主主义革命时期，党明确提出党的建设总目标是“建设一个全国范围的、广大群众性的、思想上政治上组织上完全巩固的布尔什维克化的中国共产党”。古田会议确定了思想建党、政治建军的原则，遵义会议开启了党坚定正确政治路线、政策策略并独立自主解决中国革命实际问题的新阶段。我们党以卓越的政治领导力和正确的战略策略，率先举起抗日旗帜，提出正确的抗战路线和战略总方针，指引中国抗战的前进方向，成为领导全民族抗战的中流砥柱。历史表明，越是艰难的时刻，越能彰显出党的政治领导力的重要性。

During the period of socialist revolution and construction, Comrade Mao Zedong proposed: “Our goal is to create a political situation in which there is both centralism and democracy, both discipline and freedom, both unity of will and personal ease of mind and liveliness.” On the one hand, our Party consolidated the newly born regime through land reform, suppressing counterrevolutionaries, launching the “Three-Antis” and “Five-Antis” campaigns, and winning the great victory in the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea. [3]3 The “Three-Antis” campaign (1951–1952) targeted corruption, waste, and bureaucracy within the Party and government; the “Five-Antis” campaign (1952) targeted bribery, tax evasion, theft of state property, cheating on government contracts, and stealing state economic information among private businesses. The War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea (1950–1953) was China’s intervention in the Korean War. On the other hand, by formulating the general line for the transition period, it established the political line for the Party to lead the people in socialist revolution. During this period, Comrade Mao Zedong put forward famous theses such as “political work is the lifeblood of all economic work” and “the Party must lead everything.”

社会主义革命和建设时期，毛泽东同志提出“我们的目标，是想造成一个又有集中又有民主，又有纪律又有自由，又有统一意志、又有个人心情舒畅、生动活泼，那样一种政治局面”。我们党一方面通过土地改革、镇压反革命、开展“三反”“五反”运动、赢得抗美援朝战争伟大胜利等巩固新生政权，另一方面通过制定党在过渡时期的总路线，确立了党领导人民进行社会主义革命的政治路线。这一时期，毛泽东同志提出了“政治工作是一切经济工作的生命线”“党是领导一切的”等著名论断。

During the new period of reform and opening up and socialist modernization, our Party made the major political decision to implement reform and opening up, established the development of socialist modernization as the main task, and emphasized that reform, opening up, and modernization must adhere to the basic principles of socialism. It established the basic line for the primary stage of socialism, laying the political cornerstone for the development of the Party and the state’s cause. It put forward the idea that the Party’s leadership is mainly political leadership, ideological leadership, and organizational leadership, emphasizing the need to continuously improve the Party’s leadership and governance level, enhance the Party’s ability to resist corruption, prevent degeneration, and withstand risks, and continuously strengthen the Party’s political leadership.

改革开放和社会主义现代化建设新时期，我们党作出实行改革开放的重大政治抉择，将开展社会主义现代化建设确立为主要任务，强调改革开放和现代化建设必须坚持社会主义基本原则；确立社会主义初级阶段的基本路线，为党和国家事业发展奠定了政治基石；提出党的领导主要是政治领导、思想领导和组织领导的思想，强调要不断提高党的领导水平和执政水平，提高党拒腐防变和抵御风险能力，不断增强党的政治领导力。

As socialism with Chinese characteristics entered a New Era, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core placed the Party’s political construction at the forefront of Party building, making systematic and comprehensive arrangements for the Party’s political construction in terms of firming up political faith, strengthening political leadership, improving political ability, and purifying the political ecosystem. It put forward that “the Party leads everything in all sectors—Party, government, military, civilian, and academic, east, west, south, north, and center,” requiring the entire Party to always firmly support the Two Establishments and resolutely achieve the Two Upholds. [4]4 The Two Establishments refers to establishing Xi Jinping’s core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole, and establishing the guiding position of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. The Two Upholds refers to upholding Xi Jinping’s core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole, and upholding the authority and centralized, unified leadership of the Party Central Committee. The authority and centralized, unified leadership of the Party Central Committee have been effectively guaranteed, the system of Party leadership institutions has been continuously improved, the Party’s leadership methods have become more scientific, and the entire Party has become more unified in thought, more united politically, and more consistent in action. Great practices such as poverty alleviation, building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, advancing Chinese-path modernization, and the Party’s self-revolution have proven that the Party’s political leadership has become stronger and more powerful through revolutionary tempering.

中国特色社会主义进入新时代，以习近平同志为核心的党中央将党的政治建设置于党的建设首位，从坚定政治信仰、强化政治领导、提高政治能力、净化政治生态等方面对党的政治建设进行系统全面部署。提出“党政军民学，东西南北中，党是领导一切的”，要求全党必须始终坚定拥护“两个确立”、坚决做到“两个维护”，党中央权威和集中统一领导得到有力保证，党的领导制度体系不断完善，党的领导方式更加科学，全党思想上更加统一、政治上更加团结、行动上更加一致。脱贫攻坚、全面建成小康社会、推进中国式现代化以及党的自我革命等伟大实践证明，党的政治领导力在革命性锻造中更加坚强有力。

Thus it can be seen that the history of the Chinese Communist Party is a history of upholding and strengthening the Party’s political leadership, forging and enhancing the Party’s political leadership. As long as we unswervingly uphold and strengthen the Party’s overall leadership and continuously enhance the Party’s political leadership, ideological guidance, mass organization, and social appeal, our Party will be able to calmly respond to various complex situations and risk challenges, gathering immense strength for advancing Chinese-path modernization.

由此可见，一部中国共产党的历史，就是一部坚持和加强党的政治领导、锻造和增强党的政治领导力的历史。只要毫不动摇坚持和加强党的全面领导，不断增强党的政治领导力、思想引领力、群众组织力、社会号召力，我们党就能够从容应对各种复杂局面和风险挑战，为推进中国式现代化凝聚磅礴力量。

3. Enhancing the Party’s political leadership on the new journey

3.在新征程上增强党的政治领导力

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “Comprehensively advancing the building of a strong country and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-path modernization is the central task of the Party and the state on the new journey of the New Era, and it is the greatest politics of the New Era.” Upholding the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party is the most distinctive feature and the greatest advantage of Chinese-path modernization, and it is the highest principle that must be upheld in advancing Chinese-path modernization. Practice has proven that the greater the cause, the more it cannot do without strong and correct leadership, and the more it requires the exertion and enhancement of the Party’s political leadership.

习近平总书记指出：“以中国式现代化全面推进强国建设、民族复兴伟业，是新时代新征程党和国家的中心任务，是新时代最大的政治。”坚持中国共产党领导，是中国式现代化最鲜明的特征和最大的优势，是推进中国式现代化必须坚持的最高原则。实践证明，越是伟大的事业，越离不开坚强而正确的领导力量，越需要发挥和增强党的政治领导力。

Exerting the theoretical advantage. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, “The more firmly the Marxist skill of ‘looking after one’s own house’ is mastered, the higher the political stance, the stronger political judgment, political comprehension, and political execution become, and the more proactive one becomes in observing the situation, planning development, and preventing and defusing risks.” Possessing the guidance of Marxist scientific theory is not only the ideological and theoretical foundation of the Party’s political leadership but also the source of the political advantage of the Party leading and advancing Chinese-path modernization. Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is the latest achievement in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times, systematically outlining the grand blueprint for comprehensively advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-path modernization, and making original and principled contributions to enriching and developing Marxist modernization theory. To advance Chinese-path modernization, it is necessary to accurately grasp and apply the worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, fully exerting the Party’s strong political advantage of leading with advanced theory and arming with scientific theory.

发挥理论优势。习近平总书记指出，“马克思主义这个看家本领掌握得越牢靠，政治站位就越高，政治判断力、政治领悟力、政治执行力就越强，观察时势、谋划发展、防范化解风险就越主动”。拥有马克思主义科学理论指导，既是党的政治领导力的思想理论之基，也是党领导和推进中国式现代化的政治优势之源。习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想是马克思主义中国化时代化的最新成果，系统擘画了以中国式现代化全面推进中华民族伟大复兴的宏伟蓝图，为丰富和发展马克思主义现代化理论作出了原创性和原理性贡献。推进中国式现代化，必须准确把握和运用习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想的世界观和方法论，充分发挥我们党以先进理论引领、用科学理论武装的强大政治优势。

Exerting the strategic advantage. Strategic issues are fundamental issues for a political party and a country. If strategic judgments are accurate, strategic planning is scientific, and strategic initiative is gained, the cause of the Party and the people will have great hope. The Chinese Communist Party is a Marxist political party that attaches great importance to strategic issues and is adept at strategic planning, possessing outstanding political leadership capabilities in setting direction, planning overall situations, determining policies, and promoting reform. This strategic advantage is also a powerful political advantage of the Chinese Communist Party in leading and advancing Chinese-path modernization. To advance Chinese-path modernization, it is necessary to fully exert the Party’s leadership political advantages in guiding strategic direction, anchoring strategic goals, formulating strategic plans, clarifying strategic tasks, and maintaining strategic focus, ensuring that Chinese-path modernization progresses smoothly along the socialist direction, anchors steadily toward the goal of a strong socialist modernized country, stimulates the strong momentum for building Chinese-path modernization, gathers the immense strength for building Chinese-path modernization, and wins strategic and historical initiative in Chinese-path modernization construction through the Party’s strategic advantage in political leadership.

发挥战略优势。战略问题是一个政党、一个国家的根本性问题。战略上判断得准确，战略上谋划得科学，战略上赢得主动，党和人民事业就大有希望。中国共产党是高度重视战略问题并善于从战略上谋篇布局的马克思主义政党，具有把方向、谋大局、定政策、促改革的卓越政治领导能力，这种战略优势也是中国共产党在领导和推进中国式现代化进程中的强大政治优势。推进中国式现代化，必须充分发挥党的领导在指引战略方向、锚定战略目标、制定战略规划、明确战略任务、保持战略定力等方面的政治优势，确保中国式现代化始终沿着社会主义方向顺利推进，锚定社会主义现代化强国目标行稳致远，激发建设中国式现代化的强劲动力，凝聚建设中国式现代化的磅礴力量，以党在政治领导上的战略优势赢得中国式现代化建设的战略主动、历史主动。

Exerting the institutional advantage. China’s socialist system possesses extraordinary organizational mobilization capacity, overall planning and coordination capacity, and implementation capacity, and has the unique advantage of concentrating resources to accomplish major tasks, difficult tasks, and urgent tasks. Among them, the system of people’s congresses is a good system that can effectively unite the strength of all the people to jointly advance Chinese-path modernization, possessing strong vitality and significant superiority. Within this fundamental institutional framework, the socialist system with Chinese characteristics demonstrates significant institutional advantages such as upholding the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee, concentrating resources to accomplish major tasks, “carrying out a blueprint to the end,” and “adhering to the national chessboard as a whole.” [5]5 “Carrying out a blueprint to the end” (一张蓝图绘到底) is a Chinese political idiom meaning persisting with a long-term strategic plan without deviation, often used to emphasize policy continuity. “Adhering to the national chessboard as a whole” (坚持全国一盘棋) is a metaphor for coordinating all parts of the country under a unified central plan. The scientific formulation and successive implementation of five-year plans is an important political advantage of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics. The Proposal [6]6 “The Proposal” refers to the “Proposal of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Formulating the 14th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035,” adopted at the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee in October 2020. anchors the development goals of Chinese-path modernization, outlines the blueprint for China’s development in the next five years, and proclaims the Party’s firm determination to lead the people to seize the opportunity and successively advance Chinese-path modernization. To strengthen the Party’s overall leadership in the process of Chinese-path modernization, it is necessary to transform the unique institutional advantages of socialism with Chinese characteristics into powerful governance effectiveness.

发挥制度优势。我国社会主义制度具有非凡的组织动员能力、统筹协调能力、贯彻执行能力，具有集中力量办大事、办难事、办急事的独特优势。其中，人民代表大会制度是能够有效凝聚全体人民力量一道推进中国式现代化的好制度，具有强大生命力和显著优越性。在这一根本制度框架下，中国特色社会主义制度彰显出坚持党中央集中统一领导、集中力量办大事、“一张蓝图绘到底”以及“坚持全国一盘棋”等显著制度优势。科学制定和接续实施五年规划是中国特色社会主义制度的重要政治优势。《建议》锚定中国式现代化发展目标，擘画中国未来五年发展蓝图，宣示了党带领人民乘势而上、接续推进中国式现代化的坚定决心。在中国式现代化进程中加强党的全面领导，必须把中国特色社会主义的独有制度优势转化为强大治理效能。

(Author: Huang Gang, specially appointed researcher at the Beijing Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, Dean of the School of Marxism at Central University of Finance and Economics)

（作者：黄 刚，系北京市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、中央财经大学马克思主义学院院长）

Online editor: Huihui

网络编辑：慧慧