Comprehensive and Strict Governance of the Party Guarantees Economic and Social Development

Upholding the Party’s overall leadership is a principle that must be followed for economic and social development during the “15th Five-Year Plan” period [1]1 The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, held in July 2025, focused on studying and implementing the spirit of the 20th National Congress and deliberated the proposal for the 15th Five-Year Plan., and only by advancing comprehensive and strict governance of the Party can the Party’s leadership be better integrated into all aspects and the entire process of economic and social development. General Secretary Xi Jinping, in his important speech at the Fifth Plenary Session of

坚持党的全面领导是“十五五”时期经济社会发展必须遵循的原则，推进全面从严治党才能更好把党的领导贯穿经济社会发展各方面全过程。习近平总书记在二十届中央纪委五次全会上发表重要讲话强调，“以更高标准、更实举措推进全面从严治党，更加坚决有力地贯彻落实党中央重大决策部署，更加科学有效地把权力关进制度笼子，更加清醒坚定地推进反腐败斗争，为实现‘十五五’时期目标任务提供坚强保障”。这是着眼“十五五”时期经济社会发展提出的要求，为推进全面从严治党指明了重点和方向。

Upholding the Party’s overall leadership is a principle that must be followed in economic and social development.

坚持党的全面领导是经济社会发展必须遵循的原则

The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Party [1]1 The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, held in July 2025, focused on studying and implementing the spirit of the 20th National Congress and deliberated the proposal for the 15th Five-Year Plan. clearly identified the “six upholds” as important principles that must be followed in economic and social development during the “15th Five-Year Plan” period [2]2 The “15th Five-Year Plan” refers to China’s national economic and social development plan for the period 2026–2030., with upholding the Party’s overall leadership placed first. Practice has proven that the stronger and more resolute the adherence to Party leadership, and the stricter and more effective the governance of the Party, the more enduring and stable the guarantee for economic and social development becomes. To promote high-quality development in the economy and society during the “15th Five-Year Plan” period, it is necessary to deeply understand the extreme importance of upholding the Party’s overall leadership and effectively integrate Party leadership into all aspects and the entire process of development.

党的二十届四中全会明确“十五五”时期经济社会发展必须遵循的“六个坚持”重要原则，排在首位的就是坚持党的全面领导。实践证明，坚持党的领导越坚强有力，管党治党越严格有效，经济社会发展的保障就越持久稳固。推动“十五五”时期经济社会高质量发展，必须深刻认识坚持党的全面领导的极端重要性，切实把党的领导贯穿发展各方面全过程。

First, setting the direction, planning the overall situation, formulating policies, and promoting reform. The direction of economic and social development directly affects the outcomes of development. Through political leadership and ideological guidance, the Party ensures the socialist orientation of China’s economic and social development. Economic and social development plans are macroscopic, holistic, and operational, requiring top-level design and coordinated arrangements. Upholding the Party’s overall leadership enables a scientific positioning of the development stage, an objective analysis of the development environment, and a reasonable establishment of development goals, strategic priorities, and major measures for the economy and society, thereby promoting sustained and healthy economic and social development. Achieving the goals and tasks of economic and social development requires support from specific policies. Upholding the Party’s overall leadership ensures that specific policies are formulated based on the development environment and strategic priorities to drive China’s economic and social development, guaranteeing the realization of development goals and tasks. The impetus for promoting economic and social development comes from reform. Under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee, further deepening reform comprehensively is advancing with unprecedented intensity, continuously achieving substantive progress.

一是把方向、谋大局、定政策、促改革。经济社会发展方向直接关系发展成效，党通过政治领导和思想引领，确保我国经济社会发展的社会主义方向。经济社会发展规划具有宏观性、总体性和操作性，需要顶层设计、统筹安排，坚持党的全面领导能够科学定位发展阶段，客观分析发展环境，合理确立经济社会发展目标、战略重点和重大举措，推动我国经济社会持续健康发展。实现经济社会发展目标任务，需要具体政策支撑。坚持党的全面领导确保依据发展环境、战略重点制定具体政策推动我国经济社会发展，确保发展目标任务的实现。推动经济社会发展的动力来自改革，在党中央坚强领导下，进一步全面深化改革以前所未有的力度向前推进，不断取得实质性进展。

Second, coordinating relationships across various aspects and concentrating resources to accomplish major tasks. Economic and social development involves relationships across multiple dimensions, such as the present and the long term, the central and local authorities, reform and opening up, material civilization and cultural-ethical progress, efficiency and fairness, and vitality and order. Only by upholding the Party’s overall leadership can we command the overall situation, coordinate all parties, properly handle relationships across various aspects, and, through balanced consideration, shore up weaknesses and strengthen strengths, ensuring that economic and social development always proceeds steadily on a track of systemic synergy, balance, and coordination. Concentrating resources to accomplish major tasks is a notable advantage of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics. Only by upholding the Party’s overall leadership can we, through scientific top-level design, precisely allocate limited resources to key areas and links in economic and social development, forming a powerful synergy of the whole nation working as one chessboard.

二是协调各方面关系，集中力量办大事。经济社会发展涉及各方面关系，如当前和长远、中央和地方、改革和开放、物质文明建设和精神文明建设、效率和公平、活力和秩序等。坚持党的全面领导，才能统揽全局、协调各方，妥善处理各方面关系，在统筹兼顾中补齐短板、锻造长板，确保经济社会发展始终在系统协同、平衡协调的轨道上稳健前行。集中力量办大事是中国特色社会主义制度的显著优势。坚持党的全面领导，才能通过科学的顶层设计将有限资源精准配置到经济社会发展的关键领域和环节，形成全国一盘棋的强大合力。

Third, rallying forces from all sides and mobilizing the people’s initiative, enthusiasm, and creativity. The people are the creators of history, the decisive force in achieving social change, and the main force driving economic and social development. Achieving the goals and tasks of economic and social development during the “15th Five-Year Plan” period requires fully mobilizing the people’s initiative, enthusiasm, and creativity. The people’s standpoint is the fundamental political stance of the Communist Party of China. Upholding the Party’s overall leadership ensures that economic and social development is planned from the perspective of the people’s interests, adhering to development for the people, development relying on the people, and development outcomes shared by the people. It transforms the fruits of high-quality development into tangible livelihood improvements that the masses can feel, enhancing the people’s sense of gain, happiness, and security, and solidly advancing common prosperity for all people. Our Party has always respected labor, knowledge, talent, and creation, fostering a favorable environment conducive to mobilizing all positive factors, stimulating the creativity of the entire society, and promoting high-quality economic development. Only by upholding the Party’s overall leadership can we better rally the mighty force of unity and concerted struggle, injecting inexhaustible momentum into economic and social development.

三是凝聚各方面力量，调动人民的积极性主动性创造性。人民是历史的创造者，是实现社会变革的决定性力量，也是推动经济社会发展的主体力量。实现“十五五”时期经济社会发展目标任务，要求充分调动人民的积极性主动性创造性。人民立场是中国共产党的根本政治立场。坚持党的全面领导能够确保从人民利益出发谋划经济社会发展，坚持发展为了人民、发展依靠人民、发展成果由人民共享，将高质量发展成果转化为群众可感可及的民生实事，提升人民的获得感、幸福感、安全感，扎实推进全体人民共同富裕。我们党始终尊重劳动、尊重知识、尊重人才、尊重创造，营造有利于调动一切积极因素、激发全社会创造活力、推动经济高质量发展的良好环境。坚持党的全面领导，才能更好凝聚万众一心、团结奋斗的磅礴力量，为经济社会发展注入不竭动能。

Advancing comprehensive and strict governance of the Party is an inevitable requirement for upholding the Party’s overall leadership.

推进全面从严治党是坚持党的全面领导的必然要求

To forge iron, one must be strong oneself. Only by advancing comprehensive and strict governance of the Party can we better uphold and strengthen the Party’s overall leadership. The proposal for the “15th Five-Year Plan” explicitly states: “Take comprehensive and strict governance of the Party as the fundamental guarantee to promote a qualitative and effective improvement in the economy along with a reasonable quantitative growth.” [3]3 This is a paraphrase of the guiding principles in the proposal for the 15th Five-Year Plan, as reported in official documents. Only through effective and robust governance of the Party can we ensure that Party leadership remains as firm as a rock and that the goals and tasks of the “15th Five-Year Plan” period are successfully accomplished.

打铁还需自身硬，推进全面从严治党才能更好地坚持和加强党的全面领导。“十五五”规划建议明确提出“以全面从严治党为根本保障，推动经济实现质的有效提升和量的合理增长”。唯有有力有效管党治党，才能确保党的领导坚如磐石，确保“十五五”时期目标任务圆满完成。

Through comprehensive and strict governance of the Party, improve the Party’s capacity and level in leading economic and social development. During the “15th Five-Year Plan” period, China’s development is in a period where strategic opportunities coexist with risks and challenges, and uncertainties and unpredictable factors are increasing. The domestic and international situation is complex and volatile, with both favorable conditions and numerous unfavorable factors. Specifically, regarding the problems facing China’s economic and social development, some are long-standing issues accumulated over time, such as unbalanced and inadequate development, the arduous task of transitioning between old and new growth drivers, and the relative lag in agricultural and rural modernization. Others are new problems emerging recently with changes in the development situation, such as supply being stronger than demand. The old problems and new challenges facing China’s economic and social development place higher demands on the Party’s capacity and level in leading economic and social development. The process of comprehensively and strictly governing the Party is also a process of improving the Party’s capacity and level in leading economic and social development. It is necessary to focus on the tasks and requirements of economic and social development, strengthen concrete, precise, and routine supervision and inspection, promote Party members and cadres to establish and practice a correct outlook on political performance, further implement the responsibility for governing the Party strictly and comprehensively, effectively improve the Party’s capacity and level in leading economic and social development, and better seize opportunities and respond to challenges.

通过全面从严治党提高党领导经济社会发展的能力和水平。“十五五”时期我国发展处于战略机遇和风险挑战并存、不确定难预料因素增多的时期，国内国际形势复杂多变，既存在有利条件，也存在诸多不利因素。具体就我国经济社会发展面临的问题而言，有些是长期积累形成的老问题，如发展不平衡不充分、新旧动能转换任务艰巨、农业农村现代化相对滞后等；有些是近期随着形势发展变化出现的新问题，如供强需弱等。我国经济社会发展面临的老问题、新挑战，对党领导经济社会发展的能力和水平提出了更高要求，全面从严治党的过程也是提高党领导经济社会发展能力和水平的过程。要聚焦经济社会发展的任务要求，加强具体化、精准化、常态化的监督检查，推动党员干部树立和践行正确政绩观，把管党治党责任进一步落实到位，切实提高党领导经济社会发展的能力和水平，更好抢抓机遇、应对挑战。

Through comprehensive and strict governance of the Party, ensure that the Party always remains the strong leading core of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics. The leadership of the Communist Party of China is the most essential feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the greatest strength of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics. The prerequisite for manifesting this feature and leveraging this strength is comprehensive and strict governance of the Party. Only through comprehensive and strict governance of the Party can we always maintain the Party’s advanced nature and purity, and use the Party’s self-revolution to lead the great social revolution. The proposal for the “15th Five-Year Plan” was formulated under the Party’s leadership, and its goals and tasks can only be realized under the Party’s leadership. Ensuring the Party’s core leadership position is necessary for upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics, and also for comprehensively advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-path modernization.

通过全面从严治党确保党始终成为中国特色社会主义事业的坚强领导核心。中国共产党领导是中国特色社会主义最本质的特征，也是中国特色社会主义制度的最大优势。彰显这一特征、发挥这一优势的前提是全面从严治党。全面从严治党，才能始终保持党的先进性和纯洁性，以党的自我革命引领伟大社会革命。“十五五”规划建议是在党的领导下制定的，也必须在党的领导下才能实现各项目标任务。确保党的领导核心地位，是坚持和发展中国特色社会主义的需要，也是以中国式现代化全面推进中华民族伟大复兴的需要。

Through comprehensive and strict governance of the Party, consolidate the Party’s long-term governing position. The Communist Party of China’s long-term governing position was formed in the process of leading China’s revolution, construction, and reform. It is the choice of history, the choice of the people, and the choice of the times, and it is also the political foundation for promoting China’s sustained economic development and long-term social stability. During the long-term governing process of the Communist Party of China, different stages have faced different contradictions and problems. As the world’s largest Marxist governing party, to always win the people’s support and consolidate its long-term governing position, the Party must always maintain the sobriety and determination to solve the unique problems of a large party, continuously deepen comprehensive and strict governance of the Party, and consolidate the foundation for the Party’s long-term governance. This is necessary for the Party’s own development and also for maintaining national security and social stability.

通过全面从严治党巩固党的长期执政地位。中国共产党的长期执政地位是在领导中国革命、建设、改革进程中形成的，是历史的选择、人民的选择和时代的选择，也是推动中国经济持续发展、社会长期稳定的政治基础。中国共产党长期执政过程中，不同阶段面临不同的矛盾和问题。中国共产党作为世界上最大的马克思主义执政党，要始终赢得人民拥护、巩固长期执政地位，必须时刻保持解决大党独有难题的清醒和坚定，推动全面从严治党不断走向深入，夯实党长期执政的基础。这是党自身发展的需要，也是维护国家安全、社会稳定的需要。

Advance comprehensive and strict governance of the Party with higher standards and more concrete measures.

以更高标准更实举措推进全面从严治党

The New Era has inaugurated the new practice of comprehensive and strict governance of the Party. Through these years of effort, the Party’s capacity for self-purification, self-improvement, self-renovation, and self-enhancement has been significantly strengthened, and the lax and soft state of Party management and governance has been fundamentally reversed. At the same time, it must be clearly recognized that comprehensive and strict governance of the Party is always on the way. After existing problems are resolved, new problems may emerge with the development of the times and social changes. With a view to promoting economic and social development during the period of the 15th Five-Year Plan [4], comprehensive and strict governance of the Party must make sustained efforts in upholding the authority of the Party Central Committee and its centralized, unified leadership, and continue to exert force in areas such as more scientifically and effectively confining power within the cage of institutions, advancing the fight against corruption with greater sobriety and resolve, and strengthening the political sense of responsibility and historical sense of mission of Party members and cadres, so as to guarantee the implementation of the 15th Five-Year Plan blueprint with new achievements in Party management and governance.

新时代开启了全面从严治党的新实践，经过这些年的努力，党的自我净化、自我完善、自我革新、自我提高能力显著增强，管党治党宽松软状况得到根本扭转。同时应当清醒认识到，全面从严治党永远在路上。存量问题解决之后，随着时代发展、社会变迁又有可能滋生新的问题。着眼推动“十五五”时期经济社会发展，全面从严治党必须在维护党中央权威和集中统一领导上持续发力，从更加科学有效地把权力关进制度笼子、更加清醒坚定地推进反腐败斗争、强化党员干部的政治责任感和历史使命感等方面继续发力，以管党治党新成效保障“十五五”发展蓝图落地。

Resolutely uphold the authority of the Party Central Committee and its centralized, unified leadership. China is a large country with a population of over 1.4 billion, and the Communist Party of China is a large party with over 100 million members. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out, “The history of the Party and the history of New China’s development both tell us: to govern this large Party of ours well and to govern this large country of ours well, ensuring the Party’s unity and centralized, unified leadership is of utmost importance, and upholding the authority of the Party Central Committee is of utmost importance.” Upholding the authority of the Party Central Committee and its centralized, unified leadership is the most fundamental political discipline and political rule, and it is the decisive weapon for ensuring the Party’s unified steps. The period of the 15th Five-Year Plan is a critical period for consolidating the foundation and exerting full force to basically realize socialist modernization. Only by upholding the authority of the Party Central Committee and its centralized, unified leadership can it be ensured that the strategic deployments and major measures of the 15th Five-Year Plan proposal are implemented, turning the economic and social development plan into reality.

坚决维护党中央权威和集中统一领导。中国是拥有十四亿多人口的大国，中国共产党是拥有一亿多党员的大党。习近平总书记指出，“党的历史、新中国发展的历史都告诉我们：要治理好我们这个大党、治理好我们这个大国，保证党的团结和集中统一至关重要，维护党中央权威至关重要”。维护党中央权威和集中统一领导是最根本的政治纪律和政治规矩，是确保全党步调一致的制胜法宝。“十五五”时期是基本实现社会主义现代化夯实基础、全面发力的关键时期。维护党中央权威和集中统一领导，才能确保“十五五”规划建议的战略部署、重大举措落到实处，将经济社会发展规划变成现实。

More scientifically and effectively confine power within the cage of institutions. The Party’s self-revolution focuses on governing power; confining power within the cage of institutions is an important task of comprehensive and strict governance of the Party. The key to confining power within the cage of institutions lies in using institutions to regulate the granting and exercise of power, clarifying the boundaries of power and the procedures for its operation. In advancing the process of comprehensive and strict governance of the Party, it is necessary both to continuously improve institutional regulations with the development of the times, promptly plug institutional loopholes, making institutions dense but not cumbersome, effective and practical, and to strive to enhance the implementation capacity of institutions, strengthen their rigid constraints, uphold equality before institutions for everyone, so as to give full play to the normative, deterrent, and guarantee functions of institutions. In particular, the “first-in-command” [5] of each unit and department must take the lead in abiding by institutions, ensuring the authority of institutions, and through the exemplary guidance of leading cadres, foster respect and reverence for institutions throughout society, consciously abide by institutions, and strictly act in accordance with institutions, so as to give full play to the role of institutions in the process of national governance.

更加科学有效地把权力关进制度笼子。党的自我革命重在治权，把权力关进制度笼子是全面从严治党的一项重要任务。把权力关进制度笼子，关键在于用制度规范权力的授予和使用，厘清权力边界和权力运行程序。在推进全面从严治党过程中，既要随着时代发展不断完善制度规定，及时堵住制度漏洞，使制度密而不繁、有效管用，又要着力提高制度的执行力，增强制度的刚性约束，坚持制度面前人人平等，以充分发挥制度的规范、震慑和保障作用。特别是各单位、各部门的“一把手”要带头遵守制度，确保制度的权威性，并通过领导干部的示范引导全社会形成对制度的尊重和敬畏，自觉遵守制度、严格按制度办事，以充分发挥制度在国家治理过程中的作用。

Advance the fight against corruption with greater sobriety and resolve. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC [6], through practical exploration, our Party has successfully forged a path of anti-corruption with Chinese characteristics, under the centralized, unified leadership of the Party Central Committee, addressing both symptoms and root causes, and integratively advancing the mechanisms that ensure officials dare not, cannot, and do not want to be corrupt. However, judging from some corruption cases recently investigated and dealt with, the situation of the anti-corruption struggle remains severe and complex, and the task of eradicating the soil and conditions for breeding corruption remains arduous and heavy. Advancing the fight against corruption with greater sobriety and resolve requires improving the mechanism for simultaneous investigation of misconduct and corruption, promptly grasping the new trends, new methods, and new characteristics of corruption, innovating the means and methods of the anti-corruption struggle, improving the mechanism for implementing anti-corruption responsibilities, promptly discovering, accurately identifying, and effectively governing various types of corruption problems, especially new types of corruption and hidden corruption, and demonstrating the determination of comprehensive and strict governance of the Party through the achievements of the anti-corruption struggle.

更加清醒坚定地推进反腐败斗争。党的十八大以来，我们党经过实践探索，成功走出一条在党中央集中统一领导下，标本兼治、一体推进不敢腐不能腐不想腐的中国特色反腐败之路。但从近期查处的一些腐败案件来看，反腐败斗争形势仍然严峻复杂，铲除腐败滋生土壤和条件的任务仍然艰巨繁重。更加清醒坚定地推进反腐败斗争，要求完善风腐同查同治机制，及时把握腐败的新动向新方式新特点，创新反腐败斗争的手段方式，完善反腐败责任落实机制，及时发现、精准识别、有效治理各类腐败问题，特别是新型腐败和隐性腐败问题，以反腐败斗争的成效彰显全面从严治党的决心。

Enhance the political sense of responsibility and historical sense of mission of all Party members and cadres. The blueprint for economic and social development during the period of the 15th Five-Year Plan has been drawn up; whether it can become reality depends, to a decisive extent, on Party members and cadres. Realizing the goals and tasks of economic and social development during the period of the 15th Five-Year Plan requires Party organizations at all levels and Party members and cadres to enhance their political sense of responsibility and historical sense of mission, with a mental state of “success does not necessarily require my presence, but success must necessarily involve my contribution” [7], firmly establish a people-centered outlook on political performance, adhere to proceeding from reality and acting in accordance with laws, consciously deliver political performance for the people and through practical work, ensure that all decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee are implemented, demonstrate new responsibilities and new actions on the new journey of comprehensively advancing Chinese-path modernization, and contribute wisdom and strength to realizing the goals and tasks of economic and social development during the period of the 15th Five-Year Plan.

增强全体党员干部的政治责任感和历史使命感。“十五五”时期经济社会发展的蓝图已经绘就，能否变成现实，党员干部是决定性因素之一。实现“十五五”时期经济社会发展目标任务，要求各级党组织、党员干部增强政治责任感和历史使命感，以功成不必在我、功成必定有我的精神状态，树牢造福人民的政绩观，坚持从实际出发、按规律办事，自觉为人民出政绩、以实干出政绩，确保党中央各项决策部署落到实处，在全面推进中国式现代化的新征程上展现新担当新作为，为实现“十五五”时期经济社会发展的目标任务贡献智慧和力量。

(The author is a distinguished researcher at the South China Normal University Base of the Guangdong Provincial

（作者系广东省习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想研究中心华南师范大学基地特约研究员）