Basic Experiences of the Chinese Communist Party’s Party Spirit Education

Party spirit is the concentrated expression of class character, the sum total of the stance, worldview, work style, and image that a Party member manifests in thought, work, and daily life. Party spirit education is the general term for all kinds of education that the Chinese Communist Party conducts among its Party cadres and members in order to consolidate its own nature as the vanguard of the Chinese working class and, at the same time, the vanguard of the Chinese people and the Chinese nation. The content of Party spirit education covers all aspects of the Party’s politics, ideology, organization, work style, discipline, and institutions; the target of education is all Party members, with the focus on leading cadres at all levels. The 2023 newly revised *Regulations on Cadre Education and Training Work* of the CPC Central Committee clearly states: “Party spirit education focuses on education in ideals and convictions, the Party’s purpose, revolutionary traditions, and clean governance and integrity. It highlights the study and education of the Party Constitution and Party regulations and discipline, strengthens political loyalty education, reinforces education in political discipline and political rules, strengthens education in the spirit of struggle and the cultivation of the ability to struggle, deeply carries out study and education in Party history, the history of New China, the history of reform and opening up, the history of socialist development, and the history of the development of the Chinese nation, persists in using the spiritual lineage of Chinese Communists with the great founding spirit of the Party as its source to educate cadres, strengthens education in forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation, carries out education in the core socialist values, education in fine traditional Chinese culture, education in traditional Chinese virtues, carries out education in political virtue and warning education, guides Party cadres to raise their ideological awareness, spiritual realm, and moral cultivation, to establish a correct view of power, view of political performance, and view of career, to achieve loyalty to the Party, personal integrity, and the courage to take responsibility, and to forever maintain the political本色 of Communists.”[1]1 The “four forms” (四种形态) refer to a graduated system of disciplinary measures within the CPC: the first form involves criticism and self-criticism; the second, light disciplinary action; the third, heavy disciplinary action or major post adjustments; the fourth, investigation and prosecution for serious violations. In December 2024, when presiding over the democratic life meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that “leading cadres must take tempering Party spirit and raising ideological awareness as a lifelong subject, learning, studying, and cultivating until old age. They must place political cultivation at the forefront of Party spirit cultivation, draw nourishment for Party spirit from the Party’s innovative theories, and make studying, observing, and implementing the Party Constitution, Party regulations, and Party discipline an important content of Party spirit cultivation.”[2]2 The Yan’an Rectification Movement (延安整风运动, 1942–1945) was a Party-wide campaign to study Marxism-Leninism, correct deviations in work style, and establish Mao Zedong Thought as the guiding ideology, serving as a model for subsequent centralized Party spirit education. This is both a requirement for cadre Party spirit education and an expression of the requirements for Party members.

党性是阶级性的集中体现，是党员在思想、工作、生活等方面表现出来的立场、世界观、作风、形象等的总和。党性教育，是中国共产党为巩固自身作为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性质而在党内面向党员干部开展的各种教育的总称。党性教育内容涉及党的政治、思想、组织、作风、纪律、制度等各个方面，教育对象是全体党员，重点是各级领导干部。中共中央2023年新修订的《干部教育培训工作条例》明确指出：“党性教育重点开展理想信念、党的宗旨、革命传统、党风廉政教育。突出党章和党规党纪学习教育，强化政治忠诚教育，加强政治纪律和政治规矩教育，加强斗争精神和斗争本领养成，深入开展党史、新中国史、改革开放史、社会主义发展史、中华民族发展史学习教育，坚持用以伟大建党精神为源头的中国共产党人精神谱系教育干部，加强铸牢中华民族共同体意识教育，开展社会主义核心价值观教育、中华优秀传统文化教育、中华民族传统美德教育，开展政德教育、警示教育，引导党员干部提高思想觉悟、精神境界、道德修养，树立正确的权力观、政绩观、事业观，做到对党忠诚、个人干净、敢于担当，永葆共产党人政治本色。”[1]2024年12月，习近平总书记在主持召开中央政治局民主生活会时强调，“领导干部要把锤炼党性、提高思想觉悟作为终身课题，活到老、学到老、修养到老。要把政治修养摆在党性修养的首位，从党的创新理论中汲取党性滋养，把学习遵守贯彻党章党规党纪作为党性修养的重要内容”[2]。这既是对干部党性教育的要求，也体现了对党员的要求。

Placing political cultivation at the forefront of Party spirit cultivation is an inevitable requirement for strengthening Party political construction and advancing the Party’s self-revolution in the New Era. Only by placing political cultivation at the forefront of Party spirit cultivation can other aspects of cultivation have guidance and attachment. Therefore, strengthening the political cultivation of Party members is the primary task and inherent meaning of Party spirit education. The Chinese Communist Party has always attached importance to strengthening Party spirit education, enriching educational content, innovating educational forms, strengthening institutional guarantees, and enhancing educational effectiveness. On the basis of adhering to political cultivation as the guide, it continuously improves members’ theoretical cultivation, work style cultivation, discipline cultivation, and moral cultivation, forming a situation that combines formal education with spare-time education, Party spirit education with other education, universal education with education for key targets, and regular education with centralized education. The Party’s ability to self-purify, self-improve, self-reform, and self-enhance has been continuously strengthened, and the fine tradition of Party spirit education has been further carried forward. However, due to the constant changes in the world situation, national conditions, and Party conditions, as well as the continuous growth of the Party membership, Party spirit education also faces new tests. The 2024 national discipline inspection and supervision organs’ supervision, inspection, and investigation and review situation, reported by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission in early 2025, shows that in 2024, national discipline inspection and supervision organs filed a total of 877,000 cases, including 73 cadres at the provincial/ministerial level or above, 4,348 cadres at the department/bureau level, 35,000 cadres at the county/department level, and 121,000 cadres at the township/section level; they filed cases against 104,000 current or former village Party branch secretaries and village committee directors. National discipline inspection and supervision organs used the “four forms”[n] to criticize, educate, and handle 2.148 million person-times. Among them, the first form was used to criticize, educate, and handle 1.248 million person-times, accounting for 58.1% of the total; the second form was used to handle 756,000 person-times, accounting for 35.2%; the third form was used to handle 72,000 person-times, accounting for 3.3%; the fourth form was used to handle 73,000 person-times, accounting for 3.4%.[3]3 The Zunyi Conference (January 1935) was a pivotal meeting of the Politburo during the Long March that ended the dominance of the “Left” military line and established Mao Zedong’s de facto leadership. These data indicate that the situation of the anti-corruption struggle is still very severe, and Party spirit education is also always on the way. Enhancing the effectiveness of Party spirit education requires us to review historical experience, grasp the laws of Party spirit education, learn from the past to understand the present, and draw new insights from history. Summarizing the experiences of the Chinese Communist Party’s Party spirit education over more than one hundred years, we can draw the following conclusions.

将政治修养摆在党性修养的首位是新时代加强党的政治建设、推进党的自我革命的必然要求，只有将政治修养摆在党性修养的首位，其他方面的修养才有统领和依附，因而强化党员政治修养是党性教育的首要任务和题中之义。中国共产党始终重视加强党性教育，丰富教育内容，创新教育形式，强化制度保障，提升教育效果，在坚持以政治修养为统领的基础上，不断提升党员理论修养、作风修养、纪律修养、道德修养，形成了正规教育与业余教育、党性教育与其他教育、普遍性教育与重点对象教育、经常性教育与集中性教育相结合的局面，党自我净化、自我完善、自我革新、自我提高的能力不断增强，党性教育的优良传统得到进一步发扬光大。但是，由于世情国情党情的不断变化、党员队伍的持续增长，党性教育也面临新的考验。中央纪委国家监委2025年初通报的2024年全国纪检监察机关监督检查、审查调查情况显示，2024年，全国纪检监察机关共立案87.7万件，其中立案省部级及以上干部73人、厅局级干部4348人、县处级干部3.5万人、乡科级干部12.1万人；立案现任或原任村党支部书记、村委会主任10.4万人。全国纪检监察机关运用“四种形态”批评教育和处理214.8万人次。其中，运用第一种形态批评教育和处理124.8万人次，占总人次的58.1%；运用第二种形态处理75.6万人次，占35.2%；运用第三种形态处理7.2万人次，占3.3%；运用第四种形态处理7.3万人次，占3.4%。[3]这些数据表明，反腐败斗争的形势还非常严峻，党性教育也永远在路上。增强党性教育的实效性，需要我们回顾历史经验，把握党性教育规律，鉴往知今、向史而新。总结中国共产党一百多年来党性教育的经验，我们可以得出如下结论。

I. Always Take Firm Ideals and Convictions as the Foundation of Party Spirit Education

一、始终把坚定理想信念作为党性教育的根本

Political clarity comes from theoretical firmness. To strengthen political cultivation, it is necessary not only to deeply study the Party’s innovative theories to consolidate the foundation, but also to rely on firm ideals and convictions to forge an unbreakable political resolve in Party cadres. Ideals and convictions are the spiritual calcium of Communists and also the foundation of Party spirit education. The Chinese Communist Party is an advanced political party of the Chinese working class with lofty ideals and glorious missions; the Party’s highest ideal and ultimate goal is the realization of communism. It is precisely because of having lofty ideals that generations of Chinese Communists can remain true to their original aspiration and founding mission, always striving unremittingly for the liberation of the proletariat and humanity, and for the realization of communism. Many have sacrificed their precious lives. According to incomplete statistics, from the founding of the Chinese Communist Party in 1921 to the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, over 3.7 million revolutionary martyrs whose names are known died nationwide. During the period of socialist revolution and construction, the new period of reform and opening up and socialist modernization, and the New Era of socialism with Chinese characteristics, there are still a large number of outstanding Communists who have not feared sacrifice for their ideals and convictions. On the new era’s Long March of poverty alleviation alone, more than 1,800 people sacrificed their lives on the front line of poverty alleviation, their lives frozen on the battlefield of poverty relief. It is precisely through generation after generation of Communists advancing wave upon wave that the Chinese Communist Party has written a century-long history of unremitting struggle and fearlessness of sacrifice for its ideals.

政治上的清醒来源于理论上的坚定。加强政治修养，不仅要深学党的创新理论以夯实根基，更要依托坚定的理想信念来铸就党员干部坚不可摧的政治定力。理想信念是共产党员的精神之钙，也是党性教育之本。中国共产党是有远大理想和光荣使命的中国工人阶级先进政党，党的最高理想和最终目标是实现共产主义。正是由于有了远大的理想，一代又一代的中国共产党人才能不忘初心、牢记使命，始终为无产阶级和人类解放、为实现共产主义不懈奋斗，许多人献出了宝贵的生命，据不完全统计，从1921年中国共产党创建至1949年中华人民共和国成立，全国牺牲的有名可查的革命烈士达370多万人。在社会主义革命和建设时期、改革开放和社会主义现代化建设新时期和中国特色社会主义新时代，仍然有大量优秀共产党员为了理想信念不惧牺牲，仅在脱贫攻坚这条新时代的长征路上，就有超过1800人牺牲在脱贫攻坚一线，将生命定格在了扶贫的战场。正是一代又一代共产党员前仆后继，书写了中国共产党为理想不懈奋斗、不怕牺牲的百年历史。

The Party spirit of Party members is not innate but is achieved through continuously strengthened education. “Ideals and convictions cannot arise out of thin air, nor can they be easily held fast to.”[4]4 The Seventh National Congress of the CPC (April–June 1945) formally adopted Mao Zedong Thought as the Party’s guiding ideology and elected Mao as chairman of the Central Committee.P505 Only by continuously strengthening theoretical armament, Party spirit education, and practical exercise, improving one’s theoretical level and practical ability, can one firm up ideals and convictions, avoid being eroded by various non-proletarian ideologies, and also play the vanguard and exemplary role of a Communist Party member. General Secretary Xi Jinping points out, “The Party spirit cultivation and moral level of cadres will not naturally improve with the increase in Party age or length of service, nor will they naturally improve with the promotion of positions; they must strengthen self-cultivation, self-restraint, and self-transformation.”[4]4 The Seventh National Congress of the CPC (April–June 1945) formally adopted Mao Zedong Thought as the Party’s guiding ideology and elected Mao as chairman of the Central Committee.P521 Therefore, our Party has always taken strengthening the education of ideals and convictions for Party cadres as its core, strengthened the theoretical armament of Marxism, carried out study and education on the theoretical innovation achievements of adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times, established and improved the Party spirit education system with Party schools (schools of administration) and cadre colleges as the main body, carried out centralized Party spirit education, and strictly enforced political life within the Party, creating effective methods for centralized Party spirit education represented by the Yan’an Rectification Movement[n]. It is precisely because of effective Party spirit education that our Party has been able to always firm up its ideals and convictions, find the correct direction and path, and unite and lead the people to achieve great victories in revolution, construction, and reform.

党员的党性不是与生俱来的，而是通过不断加强教育来实现的。“理想信念不可能凭空产生，也不可能轻而易举坚守。”[4]P505只有不断加强理论武装、党性教育和实践锻炼，提高自己的理论水平和实践能力，才能坚定理想信念，避免受到各种非无产阶级思想的侵蚀，也才能发挥共产党员的先锋模范作用。习近平总书记指出，“干部的党性修养、道德水平，不会随着党龄工龄的增长而自然提高，也不会随着职务的升迁而自然提高，必须强化自我修炼、自我约束、自我改造。”[4]P521因此，我们党始终以加强党员干部的理想信念教育为核心，加强马克思主义理论武装，开展马克思主义中国化时代化理论创新成果的学习教育，建立健全以党校（行政学院）、干部学院等为主体的党性教育体系，开展集中性的党性教育，严肃党内政治生活，创造了以延安整风为代表的集中开展党性教育的有效方式。正是由于进行了卓有成效的党性教育，我们党才能够始终坚定理想信念，找到正确的方向和道路，团结带领人民取得了革命、建设、改革的伟大胜利。

At present, China’s reform has entered a tough period and a deep-water zone, and development has entered a critical period. Various ideas and currents of thought are emerging in succession, impacting the ideals and convictions of Party cadres and members. Although the overwhelming majority of Party cadres and members actively devote themselves to the great cause of building a strong country and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, achieving outstanding results, there are also some Party cadres and members whose ideals and convictions are shaken, who lack confidence in whether communism can be realized, and who even believe in the “theory of remoteness” [3]3 The Zunyi Conference (January 1935) was a pivotal meeting of the Politburo during the Long March that ended the dominance of the “Left” military line and established Mao Zedong’s de facto leadership.; who are unwilling to take on responsibilities and act, who adhere to the principle that more work means more mistakes, less work means fewer mistakes, and no work means no mistakes, and who are officials who do nothing; who are seriously individualistic, considering only personal gains and losses in everything, becoming refined egoists; whose spirit of arduous struggle has declined, who pursue sensory stimulation, and who take instant gratification as their life goal. All these phenomena, in various forms, are too numerous to list, subjecting our Party’s education on ideals and convictions to a severe test. In response, our Party firmly inherits and promotes the Party’s fine traditions, guiding Party cadres and members to forge a solid foundation of ideals and convictions. In particular, it strengthens the arming of the Party’s innovative theories, using theoretical clarity to promote political firmness, and consolidating the

当前，我国改革进入攻坚期和深水区，发展进入关键期，各种观念、思潮层出不穷，对党员干部的理想信念形成冲击。虽然绝大多数党员干部积极投身强国建设、民族复兴伟业，作出突出业绩，但也有一些党员干部理想信念动摇，对共产主义能否实现缺乏信心，甚至信奉“渺茫论”；不愿担当作为，奉行多做多错、少做少错、不做不错，为官不为；个人主义思想严重，凡事只考虑个人得失，成为精致利己主义者；艰苦奋斗精神衰退，追求感官刺激，把及时行乐作为人生追求。凡此种种，不一而足，使我们党的理想信念教育面临严峻考验。对此，我们党坚定继承和弘扬党的优良传统，引导党员干部铸牢理想信念根基。特别是加强党的创新理论武装，以理论清醒促进政治坚定，用习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想凝心铸魂；加强党史学习教育，以庆祝中国共产党成立一百周年为契机，引导全党树立正确党史观，做到学史明理、学史增信、学史崇德、学史力行，从党的百年奋斗历史中感悟信仰伟力；创新理想教育的内容和形式，把注重感动一时和受用一生结合起来。正是通过卓有成效的党性教育，使广大党员干部党性不断增强，作风不断改进，政治判断力、政治领悟力、政治执行力不断提高，政治纪律和政治规矩意识进一步加强，全党日益思想统一、行动一致，为实现第二个百年奋斗目标奠定了坚实的政治基础，注入了强大的精神动力。

II. Always Firmly Upholding the Centralized and Unified Leadership of the Party Central Committee

二、始终坚定维护党中央的集中统一领导

The key to running China’s affairs well lies in the Party, the key lies in upholding the Party’s leadership, and the fundamental lies in safeguarding the authority and centralized, unified leadership of the Party Central Committee. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “Upholding and improving the Party’s leadership is the foundation and lifeline of the Party and the country, and the interests and happiness of the people of all ethnic groups in the country.”[5]5 “One center, two basic points” refers to the basic line of the primary stage of socialism: taking economic construction as the center, and upholding the Four Cardinal Principles and reform and opening up as the two basic points.P355 Forming a high degree of identification with and consciousness of upholding the Party’s leadership, especially the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee, is the primary task of Party spirit education. Our Party has always attached great importance to upholding the Party’s leadership during the various periods of revolution, construction, and reform, exploring the laws of Party leadership, perfecting the Party’s leadership system, improving the Party’s leadership capacity, strengthening education on Party leadership, and cultivating a positive and correct leadership style, making upholding the Party’s leadership a consensus and conscious action of the entire Party. The Party’s history proves that when our Party correctly understands Party leadership, forms a stable central leadership collective, and formulates correct lines, principles, and policies, the entire Party can unite and strive together, and the Party’s cause can develop relatively quickly; conversely, the Party’s organizations and the Party’s cause will inevitably encounter setbacks.

办好中国的事情，关键在党，关键在坚持党的领导，根本在于维护党中央权威和集中统一领导。习近平总书记指出：“坚持和完善党的领导，是党和国家的根本所在、命脉所在，是全国各族人民的利益所在、幸福所在。”[5]P355形成对坚持党的领导特别是党中央的集中统一领导的高度认同和自觉，是党性教育的首要任务。我们党在领导革命、建设、改革各个时期都始终高度重视坚持党的领导，探索党的领导规律，健全党的领导体制，提高党的领导能力，加强党的领导教育，培养积极正确的领导作风，使坚持党的领导成为全党的思想共识和自觉行动。党的历史证明，什么时间我们党正确认识党的领导，形成稳固的中央领导集体，制定正确的路线方针政策，全党就能够团结一致、共同奋斗，党的事业也就能够得到较快的发展；反之，党的组织和党的事业必然遇到挫折。

After experiencing various early “Left” and Right errors, Party leadership got on the right track starting from the Zunyi Conference [n3]. The reason the Zunyi Conference is recorded in history as a conference of great historic turning significance for our Party is that the meeting established the correct political and military lines, established Mao Zedong’s de facto leading core position in the Party Central Committee and the Red Army, rescued our Party from past erroneous lines, began to form the first generation of the central leadership collective with Comrade Mao Zedong as the core, and opened a new stage for the Chinese Communist Party to independently solve the practical problems of the Chinese revolution. By the Seventh National Congress of the Party [n4], Mao Zedong was formally established as the core of this leadership collective, Mao Zedong Thought was established as the guiding ideology of the entire Party, and under the strong leadership of the Party’s first generation of the leadership collective, the New Democratic Revolution advanced along the correct path, ultimately achieving nationwide victory. Afterwards, under the leadership of this collective, China also achieved great successes in the socialist revolution and construction. Since reform and opening up, our Party has realized the shift of the Party’s work focus, established the basic line of “one center, two basic points” [n5], made a series of major decisions, and under the correct leadership of the Party Central Committee, achieved great successes in reform and opening up and socialist modernization. Since the 18th National Congress of the Party [n6], the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as its core has formed a series of new important understandings on upholding and strengthening the Party’s leadership, put forward the major judgment of upholding and strengthening the Party’s overall leadership, proposed that the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party is the most essential feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics, is the greatest advantage of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics, the Party is the highest political leadership force, and the Party’s leadership is the highest political principle; the Party’s leadership is comprehensive, systematic, and holistic, and must be implemented comprehensively, systematically, and holistically; the primary task of upholding and strengthening the Party’s overall leadership is to safeguard the authority and centralized, unified leadership of the Party Central Committee; it is necessary to innovate and improve leadership methods, enhance the Party’s ability to set directions, plan overall situations, formulate policies, and promote reform; it is necessary to uphold and improve the Party’s leadership system, raise the Party’s level of scientific, democratic, and law-based governance, and so forth. Comprehensively implementing these requirements has become the most important criterion for measuring the Party spirit of Party members.

党的领导在经历了早期“左”和右的各种错误之后，从遵义会议开始步入正轨。遵义会议之所以作为我们党具有伟大历史转折意义的会议载入史册，就是因为会议确立了正确的政治路线、军事路线，确立了毛泽东在党中央和红军事实上的领导核心地位，把我们党从过去的错误路线中解救出来，开始形成以毛泽东同志为核心的第一代中央领导集体，开启了中国共产党独立自主解决中国革命实际问题的新阶段。到党的七大，毛泽东被正式确立为这一领导集体的核心，毛泽东思想被确立为全党的指导思想，在党的第一代领导集体的坚强领导下，新民主主义革命沿着正确的道路前进，最终取得了全国胜利。之后，在这一集体的领导下，中国又取得了社会主义革命和建设的伟大成就。改革开放以来，我们党实现了全党工作重心的转移，确立“一个中心、两个基本点”的基本路线，作出一系列重大决策，在党中央的正确领导下取得了改革开放和社会主义现代化建设的伟大成就。党的十八大以来，以习近平同志为核心的党中央形成了对坚持和加强党的领导的一系列新的重要认识，作出坚持和加强党的全面领导的重大论断，提出中国共产党领导是中国特色社会主义最本质的特征，是中国特色社会主义制度的最大优势，党是最高政治领导力量，党的领导是最高政治原则；党的领导是全面的、系统的、整体的，必须全面、系统、整体加以落实；坚持和加强党的全面领导，首要任务是维护党中央权威和集中统一领导；要创新和改进领导方式，提高党把方向、谋大局、定政策、促改革能力；要坚持和完善党的领导制度体系，提高党科学执政、民主执政、依法执政水平等等，全面落实这些要求，成为衡量党员党性的最重要标准。

The most fundamental reason our Party has been able to lead and achieve victories in revolution, construction, and reform lies in the Party’s consistent upholding and strengthening of Party leadership, both by continuously deepening understanding and improving capacity in practice, and by strengthening the entire Party’s profound understanding and high identification with upholding Party leadership through Party spirit education, thereby enhancing the entire Party’s consciousness of upholding Party leadership. On the issue of Party leadership, our Party has always viewed Party leadership from a political height, making upholding Party leadership the primary condition for stressing politics; has always made safeguarding the authority and centralized, unified leadership of the Party Central Committee the primary task, especially in the New Era emphasizing the enhancement of the “Four Consciousnesses” [n7], the firming of the “Four Confidences” [n8], and the achievement of the “Two Upholds” [n9]; has always emphasized upholding the Party’s political leadership, continuously improving the ability to set directions, plan overall situations, formulate policies, and promote reform; has always upheld and improved and perfected the Party’s political discipline and political rules, issuing intra-Party regulations and systems such as the “Opinions of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Strengthening the Party’s Political Construction” and the “Regulations of the Chinese Communist Party on Disciplinary Action,” forming a clear political orientation and providing a strong institutional guarantee; has always focused on perfecting intra-Party political life, enhancing its political character, contemporary relevance, principled nature, and militant spirit; has always continuously carried out intra-Party centralized education, achieving the normalization of Party spirit education, and so forth. These valuable practices of firmly safeguarding the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee must always be firmly upheld and applied.

我们党能够领导取得革命、建设、改革的胜利，最根本的就在于党始终坚持和加强党的领导，既在实践中不断深化认识、提高能力，又通过党性教育强化全党对坚持党的领导的深刻理解、高度认同，增强了全党对坚持党的领导的自觉性。在党的领导问题上，我们党始终从政治高度看待党的领导，把坚持党的领导作为讲政治的首要条件；始终把维护党中央权威和集中统一领导作为首要任务，新时代尤其强调增强“四个意识”、坚定“四个自信”、做到“两个维护”；始终强调坚持党的政治领导，不断提高把方向、谋大局、定政策、促改革的能力；始终坚持和健全完善党的政治纪律和政治规矩，出台《中共中央关于加强党的政治建设的意见》《中国共产党纪律处分条例》等党内法规制度，形成鲜明政治导向，提供有力制度保障；始终注重健全党内政治生活，增强党内政治生活的政治性、时代性、原则性、战斗性；始终持续开展党内集中教育，实现党性教育的常态化等等。这些坚定维护党中央集中统一领导的宝贵做法，我们要始终坚定地坚持和运用。

Realistically speaking, regarding resolutely safeguarding the authority and centralized, unified leadership of the Party Central Committee, some Party cadres still have many ideological and political problems. Some are not good at integrating the Party’s line, principles, policies, and higher-level instructions with the actual conditions of their own locality or unit, resulting in slow development of their work; some simply assume responsibility upward but not downward, causing prominent formalism and bureaucracy and generating significant public dissatisfaction; others equate Party leadership with personal leadership, violating the principle of democratic centralism, and a tendency towards arbitrary decision-making and one-person rule has re-emerged. In response to this, we must strengthen Party spirit education from a political perspective, educate and guide Party cadres to correctly understand the necessity of upholding and strengthening the Party’s leadership, especially the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee, accurately grasp the scientific connotation of Party leadership, correctly apply the methods and means of Party leadership, cultivate a fine style of upholding and strengthening the Party’s leadership, continuously improve leadership capacity and governance level, and provide a strong political and organizational guarantee for the Party to lead the cause of socialist modernization.

现实地看，在坚决维护党中央权威和集中统一领导方面，一些党员干部还存在不少思想上政治上的问题，有的不善于把党的路线方针政策和上级指示与本地方本单位实际结合起来，致使事业发展缓慢；有的只是简单地对上负责不对下负责，造成形式主义、官僚主义突出，群众意见很大；还有的把党的领导等同于个人领导，违反民主集中制原则，个人专断作风有所抬头等等。对此，我们要从讲政治的高度加强党性教育，教育引导党员干部正确认识坚持和加强党的领导特别是党中央集中统一领导的必要性，准确把握党的领导的科学内涵，正确运用党的领导的方式方法，养成坚持和加强党的领导的优良作风，不断提高领导能力和执政水平，为党领导社会主义现代化建设事业提供坚强政治和组织保证。

III. Always Focusing on Tempering Party Spirit in Great Practice

三、始终注重在伟大实践中锤炼党性

The viewpoint of practice is the primary and fundamental viewpoint of Marxism, because practice is the basis of cognition, the sole criterion for testing truth, and the purpose and end-result of cognition. It is in this sense that Marxism is a theory of practice, guiding the actions of people in transforming the world. The liberation of the proletariat and of humanity is the most magnificent practice initiated under the guidance of Marxism. It is precisely under the guidance of Marxist theory that the Communist Party has led the most stirring proletarian liberation movement in human history, turning socialism from theory into reality, developing it from one country to many countries, and gradually emerging from the trough of the late 1980s and early 1990s. As the largest Marxist governing party in the contemporary world, the Chinese Communist Party has made its indelible contribution to the international communist movement.

实践的观点是马克思主义首要和基本的观点，因为实践是认识的基础，是检验真理的唯一标准，是认识的目的和归宿。正是从这样的意义上说，马克思主义是实践的理论，指引着人民改造世界的行动。无产阶级和人类解放是马克思主义指导开创的最为伟大的实践，正是在马克思主义理论指导下，共产党领导了人类历史上最为波澜壮阔的无产阶级解放运动，使社会主义从理论变成现实，从一国发展到多国，并逐步从20世纪80年代末90年代初的低谷中走出来。作为当代世界最大的马克思主义执政党，中国共产党在国际共产主义运动中作出了自己不可磨灭的贡献。

The Chinese Communist Party has always kept in mind the two great historical tasks of national independence and people’s liberation, on the one hand, and national prosperity and people’s well-being, on the other, taking the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation as its goal of struggle. After 28 years of arduous struggle, it established New China and embarked on a new journey of uniting and leading the people of all ethnic groups across the country to achieve national prosperity and people’s well-being. Through long-term unremitting efforts, the Party has led the people to achieve the First Centenary Goal [10]10 The First Centenary Goal refers to the goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects by the centenary of the CPC’s founding in 2021., and has embarked on a new journey toward the Second Centenary Goal [11]11 The Second Centenary Goal refers to the goal of building China into a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful by the centenary of the People’s Republic of China’s founding in 2049., ushering in a great leap from standing up and growing prosperous to becoming strong. China has successfully developed into the world’s largest manufacturing country and the world’s second-largest economy, with an unprecedented increase in comprehensive national power and extensive global influence. The Chinese nation has never been as close to the goal of great rejuvenation as it is today. The fundamental reason why the Chinese Communist Party has been able to achieve such historic accomplishments lies in the fact that, through the great practice of leading China’s revolution, construction, and reform, it has forged a Chinese Communist Party that stands at the forefront of the times. For over a hundred years, the Party has adhered to its nature and purpose, strengthened its ideals and convictions, held fast to its original aspiration and founding mission, and dared to engage in self-revolution. Through life-and-death struggles and arduous efforts, it has withstood various risks and tests, made tremendous sacrifices, tempered a distinct political character, formed a spiritual lineage of Chinese Communists originating from the great founding spirit of the Party [12]12 The great founding spirit of the Party (伟大建党精神) refers to the spiritual essence of the CPC formed at its founding in 1921, officially summarized as “upholding truth and ideals, staying true to the original aspiration and founding mission, daring to struggle and sacrifice, and being loyal to the Party and faithful to the people.”, maintained the Party’s advanced nature and purity, continuously improved its governing capacity and leadership level, led the Chinese people in blazing the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and brought the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation into an irreversible historical process. The Party’s leadership and governing position are increasingly consolidated. Likewise, the vast majority of Party members and cadres have been tempered and have continuously grown through great practice. Our Party, which had only a little over 50 members at its founding, has today become the world’s largest governing party, with over 100 million members, leading a large country of more than 1.4 billion people, and possessing significant international influence. The vast majority of Party members and cadres struggle on the front line of practice, uniting and leading the people of all ethnic groups across the country to dare to struggle and dare to win, creating miracles on earth. Their Party spirit has been tempered and sublimated, and they are worthy of the glorious title of Communist Party member.

中国共产党始终牢记民族独立、人民解放与国家富强、人民富裕两大历史任务，把实现中华民族伟大复兴作为自己的奋斗目标，经过28年的艰苦奋斗建立了新中国，踏上了团结带领全国各族人民实现国家富强、人民富裕的新征途。经过长期不懈努力，党领导人民实现第一个百年奋斗目标，开启实现第二个百年奋斗目标新征程，迎来了从站起来、富起来到强起来的伟大飞跃，中国成功发展成为世界第一制造业大国、世界第二大经济体，综合国力空前提升，拥有了广泛的世界影响力，中华民族从没有像现在这样接近实现伟大复兴的目标。中国共产党之所以能够取得今天这样的历史性成就，最根本的就在于在领导中国革命、建设、改革的伟大实践中，锻造了走在时代前列的中国共产党。一百多年来，党坚持性质宗旨，坚定理想信念，坚守初心使命，勇于自我革命，在生死斗争和艰苦奋斗中经受住各种风险考验、付出巨大牺牲，锤炼出鲜明政治品格，形成了以伟大建党精神为源头的中国共产党人精神谱系，保持了党的先进性和纯洁性，党的执政能力和领导水平不断提高，领导中国人民开创了中国特色社会主义道路，中华民族伟大复兴进入了不可逆转的历史进程，党的领导和执政地位日益巩固。同样，广大党员干部也在伟大实践中经受锻炼，不断成长，我们党从成立时只有50多名党员，今天已成为拥有1亿多名党员、领导着14亿多人口大国、具有重大国际影响力的世界第一大执政党，广大党员干部奋斗在实践第一线，团结带领全国各族人民敢于斗争、敢于胜利，创造了人间奇迹，党性得到锤炼和升华，他们无愧于共产党员的光荣称号。

Practice is the touchstone of Party spirit. Comrade Deng Xiaoping, in the early period of reform and opening up, warned the entire Party: “All things in the world are accomplished through doing; without doing, there is not a shred of Marxism.” [6]6 The 18th National Congress of the CPC (November 2012) marked the beginning of the New Era under Xi Jinping’s leadership.P1688 General Secretary Xi Jinping, in his important speech at the 2023 Spring Festival Reception, also pointed out: “We have created a glorious past through hard work, and we must create an even brighter future through hard work.” [7]7 The Four Consciousnesses: consciousness of the need to maintain political integrity, think in terms of the big picture, follow the leadership core, and keep in alignment with the central Party leadership. “Whether one dares to take responsibility and show commitment best reveals a cadre’s Party spirit and work style.” [4]4 The Seventh National Congress of the CPC (April–June 1945) formally adopted Mao Zedong Thought as the Party’s guiding ideology and elected Mao as chairman of the Central Committee.P522 Whether a person is a true Communist Party member depends on whether they can actively devote themselves to great practice, being visible in ordinary times, stepping forward at critical moments, and rising to the occasion at times of crisis. Our Party has always focused on tempering the Party spirit of its members through great practice. During the period of the democratic revolution, the ability to charge into battle and sacrifice one’s life for the cause of the Party and the people was the most important criterion for measuring whether a member was loyal to the Party, inspiring the vast majority of members to throw themselves into the torrent of the Great Revolution, the battlefield of the Agrarian Revolution, the front line of the War of Resistance Against Japan, and the decisive battles of the War of Liberation. The vast majority of members were also tempered in the great revolutionary wars. After the founding of New China, the fiery practice of socialist revolution and construction tempered outstanding Communist Party members such as Wang Jinxi, Lei Feng, Wang Jie, and Jiao Yulu, who became models of the era. Since reform and opening up, and especially since socialism with Chinese characteristics entered the New Era, batch after batch of Communist Party members have bravely stood at the forefront of reform, dared to blaze new trails and innovate, becoming leaders in various fields, making outstanding contributions to the cause of reform and development, and becoming exemplars of Communist Party members. On December 18, 2018, at the conference celebrating the 40th anniversary of reform and opening up, the Party Central Committee and the State Council conferred the title of “Pioneer of Reform” on 100 comrades, including Yu Min. They made outstanding contributions to promoting reform and opening up, played a prominent exemplary and leading role, and are outstanding representatives of Party members and the people.

实践是党性的试金石。邓小平同志在改革开放初期曾告诫全党：“世界上的事情都是干出来的，不干，半点马克思主义都没有。”[6]P1688习近平总书记在2023年春节团拜会上的重要讲话中也指出：“我们靠实干创造了辉煌的过去，还要靠实干开创更加美好的未来。”[7]“能否敢于负责、勇于担当，最能看出一个干部的党性和作风。”[4]P522一个人是不是真正的共产党员，就看他是不是能够积极投身伟大实践，做到平常时候看得出来，关键时刻站得出来，危难关头豁得出来。我们党始终注重在伟大实践中锤炼党员党性，民主革命时期以能不能为党和人民事业冲锋陷阵、舍生忘死作为衡量党员是不是对党忠诚的最重要标准，激励广大党员投身大革命的洪流、土地革命的战场、抗日战争的前线、解放战争的决战，广大党员也在伟大的革命战争中经受了锻炼。新中国成立后，社会主义革命和建设的火热实践淬炼了一批如王进喜、雷锋、王杰、焦裕禄那样的优秀共产党员，成为时代的楷模。改革开放以来，特别是中国特色社会主义进入新时代，一批又一批共产党员勇立改革潮头，敢于开拓创新，成为各行各业的佼佼者，为改革发展事业作出突出贡献，成为共产党员的典范。2018年12月18日，在庆祝改革开放40周年大会上，党中央、国务院授予于敏等100名同志改革先锋称号，他们为推动改革开放作出了杰出贡献，发挥了突出的示范引领作用，是党员和人民群众的优秀代表。

Focusing on tempering and examining Party members and cultivating cadres through practice, stimulating the enthusiasm for undertaking endeavors and starting businesses, and bringing into play the exemplary and vanguard role of Party members—these are precisely the important successful experiences of our Party in carrying out Party spirit education, and they are also the driving force behind the flourishing development of the Party’s cause. At present, the great practice of achieving the Second Centenary Goal is in full swing. The entire Party should more actively guide Party members and cadres to devote themselves to great practice, to make contributions and temper their Party spirit in further comprehensively deepening reform, and in comprehensively advancing the building of a strong country and the great cause of national rejuvenation through Chinese-path modernization.

注重在实践中锻炼和考察党员，培养干部，激发干事创业的热情，发挥党员的先锋模范作用，正是我们党开展党性教育的重要成功经验，也是党的事业蓬勃发展的动力所在。当前，实现第二个百年奋斗目标的伟大实践正如火如荼地进行，全党要更加积极地引导党员干部投身伟大实践，在进一步全面深化改革、以中国式现代化全面推进强国建设、民族复兴伟业中建功立业、锤炼党性。

IV. Always Focus on Bringing into Full Play the Enthusiasm, Initiative, and Creativity of the Entire Party and Ensuring Party Unity and Solidarity

四、始终注重发挥全党的积极性主动性创造性、保证党的团结统一

Unity is strength. The Party’s cause is a great cause; it can only be realized by mobilizing the enthusiasm of the entire Party and uniting and leading the people of all ethnic groups across the country in common struggle. Therefore, Party unity is the life of the Party. Maintaining Party unity and solidarity is the concentrated embodiment of a Communist Party member’s Party spirit, while undermining Party unity is essentially helping the enemy. The Party’s strength lies in its organization. Our Party is a large party organized according to the principle of democratic centralism, with a strict organizational system, strict organizational discipline, and strong combat effectiveness. This is our Party’s organizational advantage. By giving full play to this advantage, our Party can be invincible. To give full play to the Party’s advantages, it is necessary to focus on mobilizing the enthusiasm, initiative, and creativity of the entire Party, consolidating Party unity and solidarity, and achieving a high degree of unity in the Party’s thought, will, and action. This is the concentrated embodiment of Party spirit and an important task of Party spirit education. The fundamental reason why the Chinese Communist Party has been able to achieve great historic accomplishments is that the Party has always regarded Party unity and solidarity as the life of the Party, ensured Party unity, solidarity, and coordinated action with a high degree of consciousness and strict discipline, and also given full play to the enthusiasm, initiative, and creativity of the entire Party, using Party unity to drive the realization of unity between the Party and the people and the great unity of the entire nation. Many political parties in the world have seen their strength weakened, lost power, or even disappeared due to internal splits. A fundamental reason is the difficulty in achieving unity and solidarity within the Party. It is precisely for this reason that General Secretary Xi Jinping raised the historical issue of the “unique challenges facing a large party” [13]13 The “unique challenges facing a large party” (大党独有难题) is a concept raised by Xi Jinping, referring to the distinctive governance difficulties encountered by a long-governing, mass party like the CPC, including maintaining unity of thought, will, and action., and listed how to always unify thought, unify will, and unify action as one of the most important among these challenges.

团结就是力量，党的事业是伟大的事业，必须调动全党的积极性并团结带领全国各族人民共同奋斗才能实现。因此，党的团结是党的生命，维护党的团结统一是共产党员党性的集中体现，而破坏党的团结实质上就是在帮助敌人。党的力量在于组织，我们党是一个按照民主集中制原则组织起来的有着严密组织体系、严格组织纪律和强大战斗力的大党，这是我们党的组织优势，发挥好这一优势，我们党就能够无往而不胜。把党的优势发挥好，必须注重调动全党的积极性主动性创造性，巩固党的团结统一，实现全党思想、意志、行动的高度一致。这是党性的集中体现，也是党性教育的重要任务。中国共产党能够取得伟大历史性成就，归根结底就在于党始终把党的团结统一视为党的生命，用高度的自觉和严格的纪律保证了党的团结统一、步调一致，也充分发挥了全党的积极性主动性创造性，以党的团结带动实现了党同人民的团结、全民族的大团结。世界上有很多政党因发生分裂导致力量削弱、下台甚至消失，一个根本原因就是党内难以实现团结统一。也正因为如此，习近平总书记提出“大党独有难题”这一历史课题，并把如何始终统一思想、统一意志、统一行动作为其中最重要的难题之一。

The Communist Party of China has effectively resolved the difficult problem of maintaining the unity and solidarity of the entire Party and mobilizing the Party’s enthusiasm, initiative, and creativity through Party spirit education. Our Party has repeatedly faced ideological differences, line struggles, and organizational splits, but by strengthening the Party spirit of its members it has overcome all kinds of difficulties and obstacles and ensured the Party’s unity and solidarity. The practices involved are not without innovative significance: persistently combining the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and with the best of traditional Chinese culture, adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times, and arming the entire Party and educating the people with the Party’s theoretical innovations; ensuring the entire Party’s unity of action by formulating correct lines, principles, and policies; forming historical resolutions on major Party historical issues to unify the entire Party’s thinking with a correct view of Party history; convening the Party’s National Congress and plenary sessions of the Central Committee to give play to the role of the National Congress and the Central Committee it produces as the Party’s highest leading organs, thereby guaranteeing the Party’s unity and solidarity politically, ideologically, and organizationally; taking political leadership as the foundation, strengthening the Party’s leadership systems and mechanisms, and reinforcing the institutional and systemic guarantees for the Party’s unity and solidarity; perfecting the system of intra-Party regulations, improving Party discipline, strengthening discipline building, and guaranteeing the Party’s unity and solidarity through discipline; promoting the unification of the entire Party’s thinking through centralized study and education; giving play to the role of Party schools (schools of administration), cadre colleges, and other main bodies of Party spirit education, and using the unification of cadres’ thinking to drive the unification of the entire Party’s thinking, and so on. On this basis, with Party spirit education as the core, our Party has formed a distinctive, clearly prioritized, organically linked, and mutually reinforcing education and training system for Party cadres with Chinese characteristics. Within this system, in the area of cadre Party spirit education, it is emphasized that political training should be more solid and effective, Party spirit stronger, work style more rigorous, political judgment, political comprehension, and political execution capacity continuously improved, awareness of political discipline and political rules further strengthened, and conscious alignment with the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core in political stance, political direction, political principle, and political path maintained.[14]14 This passage draws on the language of the “Two Upholds” (两个维护), i.e., upholding General Secretary Xi Jinping’s core position in the Party Central Committee and the Party as a whole, and upholding the authority and centralized, unified leadership of the Party Central Committee. This system provides a powerful guarantee for the core position of Party spirit education.

中国共产党靠党性教育有效解决了全党保持团结统一、调动全党的积极性主动性创造性这一难题。我们党也曾多次面临思想上的分歧、路线上的斗争、组织上的分裂，但是我们党靠增强党员党性破解了各种艰难险阻，保证了党的团结统一。其中的做法不乏创新意义：坚持把马克思主义基本原理同中国具体实际相结合、同中华优秀传统文化相结合，推进马克思主义中国化时代化，并以党的理论创新成果武装全党、教育人民；通过制定正确的路线方针政策，确保全党的步调一致；就党的重大历史问题形成历史决议，以正确党史观统一全党思想；通过召开党的全国代表大会及中央全会，发挥党的全国代表大会和它所产生的中央委员会的全党最高领导机关作用，从政治上、思想上、组织上保证党的团结统一；以政治领导为根本，通过健全党的领导的体制机制，强化党的团结统一的体制、制度保证；健全党内法规制度，完善党的纪律，加强纪律建设，从纪律上保证党的团结统一；通过集中学习教育，促进全党的思想统一；发挥党校（行政学院）、干部学院等党性教育主体的作用，以干部思想统一带动全党思想统一等等。在此基础上，我们党以党性教育为核心，构成了特色鲜明、主次分明、有机联系、相互促进的中国特色党员干部教育培训体系，其中，在干部党性教育方面，强调政治训练更加扎实有效，党性更加坚强，作风更加过硬，政治判断力、政治领悟力、政治执行力不断提高，政治纪律和政治规矩意识进一步增强，自觉在政治立场、政治方向、政治原则、政治道路上同以习近平同志为核心的党中央保持高度一致。[8]这一体系为党性教育的核心地位提供了有力保障。

It is precisely because the entire Party has firm ideals and convictions, confidence in victory, and the courage to fear no difficulty and dare to sacrifice that it can think with one mind and exert strength in one direction. Under the correct leadership of the Party Central Committee and Party organizations at all levels, giving full play to the enthusiasm, initiative, and creativity of the vast number of Party cadres and members, we can overcome all kinds of difficulties and win a series of victories. Our Party has reached the present through unity, and it will surely win the future through unity. As General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized in his report to the 20th National Congress of the CPC: “Unity and struggle are the only path for the Chinese people to create historical great achievements.”[15]15 Xi Jinping, *Hold High the Great Banner of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics and Strive in Unity to Build a Modern Socialist Country in All Respects* — Report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, Beijing: People’s Publishing House, 2022, p. 70.P70 The unity of the entire Party, the unity of the Party and the people, and the great unity of the entire Party, the entire military, and the people of all ethnic groups in the country are our greatest source of confidence in achieving our goals.

正是由于全党有坚定的理想信念，有必胜的信心，有不怕困难、敢于牺牲的勇气，才能够心往一处想、劲往一处使，在党中央及各级党组织的正确领导下，充分发挥广大党员干部的积极性主动性创造性，我们才能克服各种困难，取得一系列胜利。我们党靠团结走到现在，也必将靠团结赢得未来。正如习近平总书记在党的二十大报告中所强调的：“团结奋斗是中国人民创造历史伟业的必由之路”[9]P70，全党的团结，党同人民的团结，全党全国各族人民的大团结，是我们实现奋斗目标的最大底气。

V. Always Base Ourselves on Reality and Persist in Applying Scientific Methods

五、始终立足实际坚持运用科学的方法

Party spirit education is essentially a process of persuading and educating people. Whether it can truly convince people through reason, and whether it masters and is adept at applying scientific methods, is of crucial importance. Methods solve the problem of the bridge and the boat for crossing the river; correct methods yield twice the result with half the effort, while wrong methods yield half the result with twice the effort, or even go in the opposite direction. The most fundamental method of Party spirit education is to seek truth from facts and conduct targeted persuasion and education—that is, to present facts and reason, to convince people through reason, move people through emotion, and inspire people through virtue. This is a scientific method and also a clear manifestation of Party spirit. General Secretary Xi Jinping points out: “Persisting in proceeding from reality and seeking truth from facts is not just a matter of thought method; it is also a matter of the strength of Party spirit. Judging from the actual situation of the current cadre contingent, the most urgent issue in persisting in seeking truth from facts is the issue of Party spirit. … Whether a cadre seeks truth from facts can be seen from many aspects; the most fundamental thing is to see whether he speaks the truth and honest words, and whether he does practical work and seeks practical results.”[16]16 Xi Jinping, “Seeking Truth from Facts Is the Most Fundamental Thing We Must Always Adhere To,” in *Xi Jinping: Excerpts from Important Discourses on the Education and Training of Leading Cadres*, Beijing: Party Building Readings Publishing House, Central Party School Publishing House, 2021, p. 19.

党性教育本质上是一个说服人、教育人的过程，能否真正做到以理服人，是否掌握并善于运用科学的方法至关重要。方法解决的是过河的桥和船的问题，方法正确事半功倍，方法错误则事倍功半，甚至南辕北辙。党性教育最根本的方法是实事求是有针对性地进行说服教育，就是摆事实、讲道理，以理服人、以情动人、以德感人。这是科学的方法，也是鲜明的党性。习近平总书记指出：“坚持从实际出发、实事求是，不只是思想方法问题，也是党性强不强问题。从当前干部队伍实际看，坚持实事求是最需要解决的是党性问题。……干部是不是实事求是可以从很多方面来看，最根本的要看是不是讲真话、讲实话，是不是干实事、求实效。”[10]

Our Party has always focused on upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground in the methods of Party spirit education, constantly reflecting on the experience and lessons of Party spirit education in light of new situations and tasks, and innovating the methods and approaches of Party spirit education. On the issue of the methods and approaches of Party spirit education, our Party has also made mistakes of one-sidedness, simplification, and extremism. During the period of the democratic revolution, there was the mistake of treating others’ differing opinions as line struggles, which led to the expansion of struggle. During the period of socialist revolution and construction, mistakes such as the expansion of the anti-rightist struggle caused a large number of unjust, false, and wrong cases, seriously damaging the Party’s unity and the Party’s cause. In response, our Party made a profound reflection and summarized the formula of “unity—criticism—unity,” that is, “proceeding from the desire for unity, through criticism or struggle, to achieve a new unity on a new basis.” It put forward the basic policy of “learning from past mistakes to avoid future ones and curing the sickness to save the patient.” “Unity—criticism—unity” and “learning from past mistakes to avoid future ones and curing the sickness to save the patient” are concrete applications and vivid manifestations of dialectical materialism, and also effective approaches to Party spirit education. Summing up our Party’s history, the scientific and effective methods of Party spirit education we have formed are too numerous to list, such as: using a scientific worldview and methodology to guide the upholding of fundamental principles and breaking new ground in Party spirit education methods; persisting in seeking truth from facts, emphasizing investigation and research, clarifying the actual ideological state of Party members, and making Party spirit education targeted; carrying out criticism and self-criticism to achieve the goal of recognizing mistakes and uniting comrades; treating Party spirit education as a basic function of Party organizations and giving play to the role of Party organizations at all levels; taking ideological and political work as the lifeline of all work, and through carrying out in-depth and meticulous ideological and political work, further organizing, propagating, educating, and serving the masses; and actively conducting ideological struggle against various erroneous ideas to raise ideological awareness, and so on.

我们党始终注重党性教育方法的守正与创新，不断根据党性教育的新形势新任务反思党性教育的经验教训，创新党性教育方式方法。在党性教育的方式方法问题上，我们党也曾犯过片面化、简单化、极端化的错误，在民主革命时期曾经出现过把别人的不同意见视为路线斗争的错误，造成了斗争扩大化。在社会主义革命和建设时期，由于反右斗争扩大化等错误造成了大量的冤假错案，严重破坏了党的团结和党的事业。对此，我们党作出深刻反思，概括出了“团结—批评—团结”的公式，就是“从团结的愿望出发，经过批评或者斗争，在新的基础上达到新的团结。”提出了“惩前毖后、治病救人”的基本方针。“团结—批评—团结”和“惩前毖后、治病救人”，是唯物辩证法的具体运用和生动体现，也是党性教育的有效途径。总结我们党的历史，我们形成的科学有效的党性教育方法可谓不胜枚举，如以科学的世界观和方法论指导党性教育方法的守正创新；坚持实事求是，注重调查研究，弄清党员思想实际，使党性教育有的放矢；开展批评与自我批评，达到认识错误、团结同志的目的；把党性教育作为党组织的基本职能，发挥各级党组织作用；把思想政治工作作为一切工作的生命线，通过开展深入细致的思想政治工作，进一步组织群众、宣传群众、教育群众、服务群众；对各种错误思想开展积极的思想斗争，以提高思想觉悟等等。

Today, the situation and tasks facing Party spirit education have undergone many new changes. In particular, the development of the market economy has greatly strengthened the concept of interests among Party cadres and members, while the spirit of collectivism, hard struggle, and the core socialist values have been affected to a certain extent; networking, informatization, and intellectualization have made Party cadres and members susceptible to interference from various trends of thought, resulting in an endless stream of various ideological perplexities; and profound changes in the world situation are also reflected in the ideological understanding of Party cadres and members. How to make good use of effective methods of centralized study and education while simultaneously insisting on combining the self-study of Party cadres and members with practical training is increasingly important for enhancing the effectiveness of Party spirit education. At present, centralized study and education is increasingly becoming an important method of Party spirit education. Since entering the New Era, our Party has organized centralized study and education within the Party many times, playing an important role in strengthening the Party spirit of Party cadres and members and promoting the Party’s unity and solidarity. In February 2025, the General Office of the Central Committee of the CPC issued the “National Plan for the Education and Training of Party Members (2024–2028),” which sets clear requirements for enriching the methods and approaches of Party member education and training, requiring the earnest implementation of the study of the theoretical study center groups of Party committees (Party groups), the “three meetings and one lesson,”[17]17 “Three meetings and one lesson” (三会一课) refers to the regular holding of branch committee meetings, general membership meetings, and Party group meetings, and the giving of Party lessons. and Party theme days; regularly holding special lectures, report meetings, etc.; strictly implementing the systems of democratic life meetings and organizational life meetings, democratic evaluation of Party members, and heart-to-heart talks; standardizing off-the-job training, flexibly using methods such as case discussions, interactive exchanges, and on-site experiences; and focusing on improving basic training, using methods such as centralized video training, to continuously enhance effectiveness.[18]18 General Office of the Central Committee of the CPC, “National Plan for the Education and Training of Party Members (2024–2028),” *People’s Daily*, February 28, 2025. In October 2023, the Central Committee of the CPC issued the “National Plan for the Education and Training of Cadres (2023–2027),” which also emphasizes improving methods and approaches, “encouraging innovation in the methods and approaches of cadre education and training”[8]8 The Four Confidences: confidence in the path, theory, system, and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics. to make training methods more targeted and effective, and points out a series of specific methods that cadre education and training should strengthen. Both training work plans have important guiding significance for carrying out Party spirit education. The requirements for innovating methods and approaches in them are both a summary of past successful experiences and provide basic guidance for future work.

今天，党性教育面临的形势任务发生了许多新的变化，特别是市场经济的发展使党员干部的利益观念极大增强，而集体主义、艰苦奋斗精神及社会主义核心价值观受到一定影响；网络化、信息化、智能化使党员干部易于受到各种思潮的干扰，致使各种思想困惑层出不穷；世界形势的深刻变化也会在党员干部的思想认识上反映出来。如何运用好有效的集中学习教育方法，同时又坚持将党员干部的自学与实践锻炼等相结合，对于提升党性教育的实效愈加重要。当前，集中学习教育日益成为党性教育的重要方式，进入新时代以来，我们党先后多次组织开展党内集中学习教育，对于增强党员干部的党性、促进党的团结统一发挥了重要作用。2025年2月，中共中央办公厅印发《全国党员教育培训工作规划（2024—2028年）》，其中对于丰富党员教育培训方式方法提出明确要求，要求认真开展党委（党组）理论学习中心组学习、“三会一课”、主题党日，定期举办专题讲座、报告会等，严格落实民主生活会和组织生活会、民主评议党员、谈心谈话等制度；规范脱产培训，灵活运用案例讨论、互动交流、现场体验等方法；注重完善基本培训，运用视频集中培训等方式，不断增强实效性。[11]2023年10月，中共中央印发的《全国干部教育培训规划（2023—2027年）》也强调要改进方式方法，“鼓励加强干部教育培训方式方法创新”[8]，使培训方法更具针对性和有效性，并指出干部教育培训要加强的一系列具体方法。两个培训工作规划对于开展党性教育都具有重要指导意义，其中对创新方式方法的要求既是对过去成功经验的总结，也为今后工作提供了基本遵循。

VI. Always Focus on Perfecting Institutional Guarantees

六、始终注重健全制度保障

Nothing can be accomplished without norms or standards. [19]19 “Nothing can be accomplished without norms or standards” (没有规矩，不成方圆) is a Chinese idiom meaning that rules and standards are necessary for any undertaking. Institutional issues are more fundamental, overarching, stable and long-term in nature. Party spirit education must strengthen institutional safeguards and follow an institutionalized path. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out that comprehensive and strict governance of the Party “requires focusing on the ‘key minority’ of leading cadres, closely combining ideological Party building with institutional governance of the Party, tightening the institutional cage in all respects, and governing the Party, managing power and supervising officials more through institutions.” [12]12 The great founding spirit of the Party (伟大建党精神) refers to the spiritual essence of the CPC formed at its founding in 1921, officially summarized as “upholding truth and ideals, staying true to the original aspiration and founding mission, daring to struggle and sacrifice, and being loyal to the Party and faithful to the people.” As an important component of Party building, Party spirit education must carry institutional construction through from beginning to end. Looking back at the century-long history of Party spirit education, our Party has always attached great importance to the institutional construction of Party spirit education, ensuring the implementation and development of Party spirit education through complete institutions, forming a clear line of thought that emphasizes institutional construction and strengthens institutional safeguards, and accumulating important experience.

没有规矩，不成方圆。制度问题更具有根本性、全局性、稳定性和长期性。党性教育必须强化制度保障，走制度化的道路。习近平总书记指出，全面从严治党“关键是要抓住领导干部这个‘关键少数’，坚持思想建党和制度治党紧密结合，全方位扎紧制度笼子，更多用制度治党、管权、治吏。”[12]党性教育作为党的建设的重要组成部分，必须把制度建设贯穿始终。从党性教育的百余年历程来看，我们党一直高度重视党性教育制度建设，以完善的制度保证党性教育的落实和工作的开展，形成了注重制度建设、加强制度保障的清晰思路，也积累了重要经验。

During the period of the New Democratic Revolution, our Party provided a fundamental guarantee for strengthening Party spirit education by formulating and revising the Party Constitution; put forward the concept of “intra-Party regulations,” enhancing the Party-wide awareness of institutions; and formulated a series of specific institutions for strengthening Party leadership, Party organization, Party building and intra-Party supervision, laying an institutional foundation for maintaining the Party’s advanced nature and giving play to the Party’s core leadership role. After the founding of New China, intra-Party institutional construction was further advanced to meet the needs of Party building under the conditions of governance. Since reform and opening up, the Party’s institutional construction has been put on the right track, and the entire Party has entered a new period of institutional governance of the Party. As socialism with Chinese characteristics entered a New Era, the Party’s institutional construction has also entered a new stage of systematizing intra-Party regulations. Our Party has adhered to governing the Party by regulations, forming a relatively complete system of intra-Party regulations, and the scientific, systematic and standardized level of managing and governing the Party has been significantly improved. As an important field of Party building, institutional construction has always run through Party spirit education. In May 2019, the CPC Central Committee issued the Regulations on the Education and Management of CPC Members; in 2023, it revised the Regulations on the Education and Training of Cadres; and on the basis of revising the Regulations on the Work of CPC Party Schools, it issued the Regulations on the Work of CPC Party Schools (Academies of Governance) in October 2019. The introduction of these basic and backbone intra-Party regulations on Party spirit education has provided fundamental guidance and institutional safeguards for further strengthening the Party spirit education of Party members and cadres. The acceleration of the institutionalization of Party spirit education is an inevitable result of institutional governance of the Party, a scientific summary of the laws of Party spirit education, and reflects the organic unity of ideological Party building and institutional governance of the Party.

新民主主义革命时期，我们党通过制定和修改党章，为加强党性教育提供了根本保障；提出“党内法规”概念，增强了全党的制度意识；制定一系列加强党的领导、党的组织、党的建设、党内监督的具体制度，为保持党的先进性和发挥党的领导核心作用奠定了制度基础。新中国成立后，适应执政条件下党的建设需要，党内制度建设又有所推进。改革开放以来，党的制度建设步入正轨，全党进入制度治党新时期。随着中国特色社会主义进入新时代，党的制度建设也步入党内法规体系化建设新阶段，我们党坚持依规治党，形成比较完善的党内法规体系，管党治党的科学化、体系化、规范化水平有了显著提高。党性教育作为党的建设的重要领域，制度建设始终贯穿其中，中共中央于2019年5月印发《中国共产党党员教育管理工作条例》，2023年修订《干部教育培训工作条例》，在修订《中国共产党党校工作条例》的基础上，2019年10月印发《中国共产党党校（行政学院）工作条例》，这些党性教育基础主干党内法规的出台，为进一步加强党员干部党性教育提供了基本遵循和制度保障。党性教育制度化的加快是制度治党的必然结果，是对党性教育规律的科学总结，体现了思想建党与制度治党的有机统一。

It is particularly noteworthy that Party spirit education in the New Era adheres to systematic thinking and has made historic progress in overall planning and systematic advancement. Our Party has successively issued three “Five-Year Plans for National Party Member Education and Training” and three “National Plans for Cadre Education and Training,” namely the 2014–2018 National Plan for Party Member Education and Training, the 2019–2023 National Plan for Party Member Education and Training, the National Plan for Party Member Education and Training (2024–2028), and the 2013–2017 National Plan for Cadre Education and Training, the 2018–2022 National Plan for Cadre Education and Training, and the National Plan for Cadre Education and Training (2023–2027). Among them, the Party member education and training plan emphasizes taking the study and implementation of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as the primary political task, focusing on strengthening faith, enhancing Party spirit and improving quality, adhering to ideological Party building, theoretical Party strengthening and strict Party governance, adhering to centering on the central task and serving the overall situation, adhering to classified guidance and demand-based teaching, adhering to linking theory with practice and inheriting while innovating, adhering to simplicity and practicality, and continuously enhancing pertinence and effectiveness, guiding Party members to strengthen the Four Consciousnesses, [20]20 The Four Consciousnesses (四个意识) refer to the consciousness of the need to maintain political integrity, think in terms of the big picture, follow the leadership core, and keep in alignment with the central Party leadership. consolidate the Four Confidences, [21]21 The Four Confidences (四个自信) refer to confidence in the path, theory, system and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics. and achieve the Two Upholds, [22]22 The Two Upholds (两个维护) refer to upholding General Secretary Xi Jinping’s core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole, and upholding the Party Central Committee’s authority and its centralized, unified leadership. and striving to build a Party membership that is politically qualified, disciplined, morally sound and effective in playing its role. [13]13 The “unique challenges facing a large party” (大党独有难题) is a concept raised by Xi Jinping, referring to the distinctive governance difficulties encountered by a long-governing, mass party like the CPC, including maintaining unity of thought, will, and action. P203 The cadre education and training plan focuses on taking the in-depth study and implementation of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as the main theme and main line, requiring unremitting efforts to consolidate the soul and strengthen the foundation with the Party’s innovative theories; insisting on running political training through the entire cycle of cadre growth, educating and guiding cadres to establish a correct view of power, outlook on political performance and view of career, and improving cadres’ political judgment, political understanding and political execution; focusing on implementing the major strategic deployments made by the 20th National Congress of the CPC, [23]23 The 20th National Congress of the CPC was held in October 2022. carrying out competency training by level, field and topic to improve cadres’ ability to promote high-quality development, serve the masses and prevent and defuse risks; vigorously promoting the Marxist style of study that integrates theory with practice, strictly opposing formalism, running schools frugally and standardly, and striving to create an atmosphere of learning, simplicity and clarity, etc. [12]12 The great founding spirit of the Party (伟大建党精神) refers to the spiritual essence of the CPC formed at its founding in 1921, officially summarized as “upholding truth and ideals, staying true to the original aspiration and founding mission, daring to struggle and sacrifice, and being loyal to the Party and faithful to the people.” These five-year plans follow one another and are organically connected, focusing on Party spirit education, reflecting the overall idea of integrated advancement of Party member education and cadre education, and have played an important guiding and promoting role in the development of Party spirit education across the entire Party.

特别值得关注的是，新时代党性教育坚持系统思维，在统筹规划、系统推进方面取得历史性进展。我们党先后出台三个“全国党员教育培训五年规划”和“全国干部教育培训五年规划”，分别是《2014—2018年全国党员教育培训工作规划》《2019—2023年全国党员教育培训工作规划》《全国党员教育培训工作规划（2024—2028年）》和《2013—2017年全国干部教育培训规划》《2018—2022年全国干部教育培训规划》《全国干部教育培训规划（2023—2027年）》。其中，党员教育培训规划强调把学习贯彻习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想作为首要政治任务，以坚定信仰、增强党性、提高素质为重点，坚持思想建党、理论强党、从严治党，坚持围绕中心、服务大局，坚持分类指导、按需施教，坚持联系实际、继承创新，坚持简便易行、务实管用，不断增强针对性和有效性，引导党员增强“四个意识”、坚定“四个自信”、做到“两个维护”，努力建设政治合格、执行纪律合格、品德合格、发挥作用合格的党员队伍。[13]P203干部教育培训规划注重把深入学习贯彻习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想作为主题主线，要求坚持不懈用党的创新理论凝心铸魂、强基固本；坚持把政治训练贯穿干部成长全周期，教育引导干部树立正确的权力观、政绩观、事业观，提高干部政治判断力、政治领悟力、政治执行力；围绕贯彻落实党的二十大作出的重大战略部署，分层级分领域分专题开展履职能力培训，提高干部推动高质量发展本领、服务群众本领、防范化解风险本领；大力弘扬理论联系实际的马克思主义学风，力戒形式主义，勤俭规范办学，努力营造学习之风、朴素之风、清朗之风等等。[12]这些五年规划前后相继、有机衔接，以党性教育为重点，体现了党员教育和干部教育一体化推进的总体思路，对于全党党性教育的开展发挥了重要指导和推动作用。

VII. Always Focusing on Solving the Era’s Issues in Carrying Out Party Spirit Education

七、始终注重围绕解决时代课题开展党性教育

Problems are the herald of the times, and solving problems is the fundamental path to promoting the development of the times. Similarly, directly confronting major problems of an overall nature in Party spirit education is an important way to deeply carry out Party spirit education, reflecting a scientific worldview and methodology. For a long time, Chinese Communists have adhered to the theoretical armament of Marxism, been adept at discovering problems, dared to face problems directly, calmly analyzed problems, and scientifically solved problems, seeking methods, opportunities and breakthroughs from problems, which has not only promoted the resolution of problems but also driven the flexible application and innovative development of Marxism in China, and tempered and enhanced the entire Party’s ability to master and apply Marxism.

问题是时代的先声，破解问题是推动时代发展的根本路径。同样，直面党性教育中带有全局性的重大问题，是深入开展党性教育的重要途径，体现了科学的世界观和方法论。长期以来，中国共产党人坚持马克思主义理论武装，善于发现问题，敢于直面问题，冷静分析问题，科学解决问题，从问题中找办法、寻先机、求突破，既促进了问题的解决，又推动了马克思主义在中国的灵活运用和创新发展，锻炼和提升了全党掌握和运用马克思主义的能力和水平。

Solving major issues of the era is an important task in carrying out Party spirit education. If consensus cannot be reached on several major issues of the Party, ideological confusion and organizational splits will occur, and Party spirit will lose its foundation. As early as the period of the democratic revolution, serious disagreements emerged within the Party over the nature and path of the Chinese revolution, leading to a series of “Left” and Right opportunist errors that caused severe losses to the Chinese revolution. Correctly understanding the nature and path of the Chinese revolution became the concentrated embodiment of the Party spirit of Chinese Communists. The Chinese Communists, with Comrade Mao Zedong as their chief representative, adhered to proceeding from the actual conditions of the Chinese revolution and successfully explored a correct path of encircling the cities from the countryside and seizing political power by armed force, ultimately enabling the Chinese revolution to achieve victory. The reflection on and resolution of the fundamental questions of the Chinese revolution fully demonstrated the advanced nature of the Communist Party of China. Similarly, during the period of socialist revolution and construction, we also faced the problem of how to break away from blindly copying the Soviet model and find a path of socialist revolution and construction suited to China’s actual conditions. To this end, Mao Zedong raised the epochal issue of the “Second Integration” of Marxism with China’s reality and, through works such as *On the Ten Major Relationships* and *On the Correct Handling of Contradictions Among the People*, initially answered this question. Since reform and opening up, the Communist Party of China has successively faced a series of epochal issues such as what socialism is and how to build socialism; what kind of Party to build and how to build it; and what kind of development to achieve and how to achieve it. With a high sense of historical responsibility and the mission of the times, Chinese Communists have adhered to integrating Marxism with China’s reality, conducted in-depth theoretical and practical exploration, and created theoretical innovation achievements such as Deng Xiaoping Theory, the important thought of the Three Represents, and the Scientific Outlook on Development, promoting new leaps in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times. The Party spirit of the Communist Party of China has been further strengthened. As socialism with Chinese characteristics entered a New Era, General Secretary Xi Jinping has engaged in profound reflection and scientific judgment on a series of major theoretical and practical issues concerning the development of the Party and the country in the New Era. Regarding major epochal issues such as what kind of socialism with Chinese characteristics to uphold and develop and how to uphold and develop it in the New Era, what kind of strong modern socialist country to build and how to build it, and what kind of long-term governing Marxist party to build and how to build it, he has put forward a series of original new concepts, new ideas, and new strategies for governance, establishing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. This thought, as the essence of the times of Chinese culture and the Chinese spirit, and as the Marxism of contemporary China and the Marxism of the 21st century, has achieved a new leap in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context. It is precisely in continuously answering the questions of the times, of history, and of the people that our Party has resolved a series of major strategic issues concerning Party governance, national governance, and comprehensive development, promoted the integration of theory and practice, advanced the Party’s theoretical innovation and career development, and further demonstrated the nature of the Communist Party of China as the vanguard of the Chinese working class, as well as the vanguard of the Chinese people and the Chinese nation. This has enabled the cause of the Party and the country to achieve historic accomplishments and undergo historic transformations, demonstrated the strong vitality of socialism with Chinese characteristics, unprecedentedly united and inspired the Party, the military, and the people, and provided more complete institutional guarantees, a more solid material foundation, and a more proactive spiritual force for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

解决重大时代课题是开展党性教育的重要任务，如果在党的若干重大问题上不能达成一致，就会出现思想混乱、组织分裂，党性也就失去了依托。早在民主革命时期，围绕中国革命的性质和道路问题，党内出现了严重的分歧，导致出现了一系列“左”右倾机会主义错误，给中国革命造成了严重的损失，正确认识中国革命的性质和道路，成为中国共产党人党性的集中体现。以毛泽东同志为主要代表的中国共产党人，坚持从中国革命实际出发，成功探索出一条农村包围城市、武装夺取政权的正确道路，使中国革命最终取得了胜利。对中国革命根本问题的思考和解决，充分体现了中国共产党的先进性。同样，在社会主义革命和建设时期，我们也面临着如何从照抄照搬苏联模式中走出来，找到一条符合中国实际的社会主义革命和建设道路问题，为此毛泽东提出了把马克思主义和中国实际“第二次结合”的时代课题，并通过《论十大关系》《关于正确处理人民内部矛盾的问题》等论著，初步回答了这一问题。改革开放以来，中国共产党先后面临什么是社会主义、如何建设社会主义；建设什么样的党、怎样建设党；实现什么样的发展、怎样实现发展等一系列时代课题，中国共产党人以高度的历史责任感和时代担当，坚持马克思主义和中国实际相结合，进行深入的理论和实践探索，创立了邓小平理论、“三个代表”重要思想、科学发展观等理论创新成果，推动马克思主义不断实现中国化时代化的新飞跃，中国共产党的党性得到进一步增强。中国特色社会主义进入新时代，习近平总书记对关系新时代党和国家事业发展的一系列重大理论和实践问题进行了深邃思考和科学判断，就新时代坚持和发展什么样的中国特色社会主义、怎样坚持和发展中国特色社会主义，建设什么样的社会主义现代化强国、怎样建设社会主义现代化强国，建设什么样的长期执政的马克思主义政党、怎样建设长期执政的马克思主义政党等重大时代课题，提出一系列原创性的治国理政新理念新思想新战略，创立了习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想。这一思想作为中华文化和中国精神的时代精华，作为当代中国马克思主义、21世纪马克思主义，实现了马克思主义中国化新的飞跃。正是在不断回答时代之问、历史之问、人民之问中，我们党解决了一系列管党治党、治国理政、全面发展的重大战略问题，促进了理论和实际的结合，推进了党的理论创新和事业发展，进一步彰显出中国共产党作为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性质，使党和国家事业取得历史性成就、发生历史性变革，彰显了中国特色社会主义的强大生机活力，空前凝聚振奋了党心军心民心，为实现中华民族伟大复兴提供了更为完善的制度保证、更为坚实的物质基础、更为主动的精神力量。

At present, in Party spirit education, our Party increasingly emphasizes not only forming scientific understanding and achieving ideological unity on fundamental issues but also unifying thought on major issues and specific decisions; not only unifying thought through a correct view of Party history from a historical dimension but also unifying thought on major decisions, important meetings, and significant events; not only unifying thought across the entire Party as a whole but also unifying thought within specific Party organizations. Thus, through ideological unity, we achieve a high degree of unity in the will and actions of the entire Party, reaching the goal of tempering Party spirit. This is precisely the fundamental reason why our Party has continuously developed and grown stronger despite hardships and twists, and it is also our Party’s enormous advantage.

当前，我们党在党性教育中愈加注重既在根本问题上形成科学认识、实现思想统一，也在重大问题、具体决策上统一思想，既在历史维度上以正确党史观统一思想，也在重大决策、重要会议、重要事件上统一思想，既从全党的整体上统一思想，也在具体党组织中统一思想，进而以思想统一实现全党意志和行动的高度一致，达到锤炼党性的目的，这正是我们党历经艰难曲折而不断发展壮大的根本所在，也是我们党的巨大优势所在。

8. Always Focus on the Role of Educational Subjects Such as Party Schools (Schools of Administration) and Cadre Academies

八、始终注重发挥党校（行政学院）、干部学院等教育主体的作用

Party spirit education is carried out by Party organizations at all levels under the leadership of the Party Central Committee, among which educational subjects such as Party schools (schools of administration) and cadre academies have played an irreplaceable role. From the very beginning of its founding, our Party has emphasized using Party schools as an important platform for Party spirit education. As early as the period of the Great Revolution, our Party established the two earliest Party schools—the Anyuan Party School and the Beijing Party School—offering courses related to Party building. In their teaching, instructors placed great emphasis on “instilling the basic principles of communism” into the students, cultivating a group of backbone cadres for the Party to lead the worker and peasant movements. During the period of the Central Soviet Area, to meet the needs of the revolutionary war and Soviet construction, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China founded the Marxist Communist School, which became the predecessor of the Central Party School of the CPC. The school mainly offered courses such as the History of the Communist Party of China and the History of the Chinese Soviet Movement, mostly taught by Party leaders. The school cultivated a group of communists with firm beliefs for the Party. During the Yan’an period, the Party established cadre education institutions such as the Central Party School of the CPC and the Chinese People’s Anti-Japanese Military and Political University to strengthen Marxist-Leninist education for Party cadres. Among these, offering Party spirit education courses was an important task for these institutions, mainly involving the study of the basic theories of Marxism-Leninism and the Party’s line, principles, and policies. In addition, these schools often invited central leaders and responsible comrades from relevant departments to give reports. For example, Chen Yun gave a report titled *How to Be a Communist Party Member* at the Anti-Japanese Military and Political University, and Liu Shaoqi also gave a report titled *On the Cultivation of Communist Party Members* at the Marxist-Leninist Academy. These reports, as classic documents of Party spirit education, played an important role in enhancing the Party spirit of Party members.

党性教育是在党中央的领导下由党的各级组织开展的，其中党校（行政学院）、干部学院等教育主体发挥了无可替代的作用。我们党从建党之初就注重以党校作为党性教育的重要平台，早在大革命时期，我们党就成立了两所最早的党校——安源党校、北京党校，开设党的建设相关课程，教员在教学中非常注重向学员“灌输共产主义的基本原理”，为党培养了一批领导工农运动的骨干。中央苏区时期，为了适应革命战争和苏维埃建设的需要，中共中央创办了马克思共产主义学校，成为中共中央党校的前身，学校主要开设中国共产党历史和中国苏维埃运动史等课程，并且多由党的领导人主讲，学校为党培养了一批信仰坚定的共产主义战士。延安时期，党创办了中共中央党校、中国人民抗日军政大学等干部教育机构，以加强对党的干部的马列主义教育。其中，开设党性教育课程是这些机构的重要任务，主要是学习马列主义基本理论和党的路线、方针、政策。此外，这些学校还经常邀请中央领导和有关方面负责同志作报告，如陈云曾在抗大作《怎样做一个共产党员》的报告，刘少奇也曾在马列学院作《论共产党员的修养》的报告，这些报告作为党性教育的经典文献，对于增强党员党性起到了重要作用。

After the founding of New China, in order to meet the need for large-scale training and education of cadres, our Party established Party schools at all levels. Although they were once suspended during the Cultural Revolution, they were quickly restored after the smashing of the Gang of Four. The Central Advanced Party School was re-established in October 1977 and named the Central Party School of the CPC. Represented by the Central Party School, Party schools at all levels did a great deal of work in promoting the re-establishment of the ideological line of seeking truth from facts and in bringing order out of chaos in the Party’s guiding ideology, playing an important role in building a contingent of cadres that was revolutionary, younger, more educated and more professional. Since reform and opening up, Party schools at all levels have adhered to the principle that Party schools should be run by the Party and governed strictly, gradually moving onto a standardized track, and have made important contributions to the Party’s theoretical innovation, Party spirit education and cadre training. On the basis of the implementation of the Interim Regulations on the Work of Party Schools of the CPC, in October 2008 the Central Committee promulgated the formal Regulations on the Work of Party Schools of the CPC, positioning the core functions of Party schools as “three positions and one crucible” — that is, positions for training and rotating leading cadres, for cultivating a theoretical contingent, and for studying, researching and propagating Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the important thought of the Three Represents, the Scientific Outlook on Development and other major strategic thoughts, and a crucible for cadres to strengthen their Party spirit exercise — thereby promoting the further standardization, institutionalization and law-based governance of Party school work. On December 9, 2015, the Central Committee issued the Opinions of the Central Committee of the CPC on Strengthening and Improving Party School Work under the New Situation, clarifying the fundamental principle that Party schools should be run by the Party, and stipulating that “Marxist theoretical education and Party spirit education are the main courses of Party schools, the most important tasks of Party school teaching, and the teaching content that must be emphasized. These two types of courses shall account for no less than 70% of the total class hours in the teaching arrangements of the Central Party School, provincial (autonomous region, municipality directly under the central government) Party committees’ Party schools, and municipal (prefecture) Party committees’ Party schools.” [14]14 This passage draws on the language of the “Two Upholds” (两个维护), i.e., upholding General Secretary Xi Jinping’s core position in the Party Central Committee and the Party as a whole, and upholding the authority and centralized, unified leadership of the Party Central Committee. Among them, Party spirit education courses shall account for no less than 20% of the total class hours. The main tasks of Party spirit education courses are to deeply carry out education in ideals and convictions, education in the Party’s purpose, deeply carry out education in Party history and national history, education in revolutionary traditions, deeply carry out education in moral conduct, education in the rule-of-law mindset, and education in anti-corruption and integrity, guiding students to enhance their political cultivation, moral cultivation, legal and disciplinary cultivation, and work style cultivation, to take the lead in practicing the core socialist values, to inherit the red genes, and to maintain the political essence of Communists. In March 2018, after the integration of responsibilities between the Central Party School and the National School of Administration, a new Central Party School (National School of Administration) was established, operating as one institution with two nameplates. As a directly affiliated institution of the Party Central Committee, its functions are positioned as “one school, one position, one institution, one think tank.” On September 24, 2019, the Political Bureau of the Central Committee reviewed and approved, and on October 25, 2019, the Central Committee issued the Regulations on the Work of Party Schools (Schools of Administration) of the CPC. On July 10, 2025, the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee revised these regulations, and they were issued on August 3, 2025. The formulation and implementation of the Regulations are of great significance for strengthening the Party’s leadership over the work of Party schools (schools of administration), fully leveraging the main channel role of Party schools at all levels in cadre training, ideological guidance, theoretical construction, and decision-making consultation, and cultivating and forging a high-quality and professional cadre contingent that is loyal, clean, and responsible.

新中国成立后，适应大规模培养教育干部的需要，我们党建立了各级党校，虽然“文化大革命”期间一度停办，但粉碎“四人帮”后迅速恢复，中央高级党校在1977年10月复校，定名为中共中央党校。以中央党校为代表，各级党校在推动实事求是思想路线的重新确立和党在指导思想上的拨乱反正方面做了大量的工作，为干部队伍的革命化、年轻化、知识化、专业化建设发挥了重要作用。改革开放以来，各级党校坚持党校姓党、从严治校，逐步走上正规化道路，为党的理论创新、党性教育和干部培养等作出了重要贡献。在《中国共产党党校工作暂行条例》施行的基础上，2008年10月，中央颁布正式的《中国共产党党校工作条例》，把党校核心功能定位为“三个阵地一个熔炉”，即培训轮训领导干部、培养理论队伍、学习、研究和宣传马克思列宁主义、毛泽东思想、邓小平理论、“三个代表”重要思想、科学发展观等重大战略思想的阵地，干部加强党性锻炼的熔炉，促进了党校工作的进一步规范化、制度化、法治化。2015年12月9日，中央印发《中共中央关于加强和改进新形势下党校工作的意见》，明确党校姓党的根本原则，规定“马克思主义理论教育和党性教育是党校的主课，是党校教学最重要的任务，是必须重点抓好的教学内容。这两类课，在中央党校、省（自治区、直辖市）委党校、市（地）委党校教学安排中不低于总课时的70%。”[14]其中党性教育课不低于总课时的20%。党性教育课的主要任务是深入开展理想信念教育、党的宗旨教育，深入开展党史国史教育、革命传统教育，深入开展道德品行教育、法治思维教育、反腐倡廉教育，引导学员提升政治修养、道德修养、法纪修养、作风修养，带头践行社会主义核心价值观，传承红色基因，保持共产党人的政治本色。2018年3月，中央党校和国家行政学院进行职责整合后，组建新的中央党校（国家行政学院），实行一个机构两块牌子，作为党中央直属事业单位，其职能定位为“一个学校、一个阵地、一个机构、一个智库”。2019年9月24日中共中央政治局会议审议批准、2019年10月25日中共中央发布《中国共产党党校（行政学院）工作条例》，2025年7月10日中共中央政治局常委会会议修订了这一条例，并于2025年8月3日发布。《条例》的制定和实施，对于加强党对党校（行政学院）工作的领导，充分发挥各级党校（行政学院）干部培训、思想引领、理论建设、决策咨询主渠道作用，培养造就忠诚干净担当的高素质专业化干部队伍，具有重要意义。

In September 2025, General Secretary Xi Jinping made important instructions on the work of Party schools (schools of administration), fully affirming the new progress and new achievements made by Party schools at all levels since the 18th National Congress of the CPC in thoroughly implementing the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee, earnestly fulfilling their duties and responsibilities, and continuously improving the quality of teaching and scientific research. At the same time, he emphasized that on the new journey, Party schools (schools of administration) at all levels must adhere to the guidance

2025年9月，习近平总书记对党校（行政学院）工作作出重要指示，对党的十八大以来各级党校（行政学院）深入贯彻落实党中央决策部署，认真履职尽责，不断提高教学科研质量取得的新进展新成效给予充分肯定。同时强调，新征程上，各级党校（行政学院）要坚持以习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想为指导，坚持党校姓党，牢记党校初心，更好为党育才、为党献策。要深化教学改革，突出党的理论教育、党性教育和履职能力培训，增强教育培训的针对性实效性。要加强党的创新理论体系化学理化研究阐释，发挥好智库作用。要坚持从严治校、质量立校，加强干部和教师队伍建设，加强对学员的管理监督，着力提高办学治校水平。各级党委要加强组织领导，整合资源力量，强化支持保障，推动新时代党校（行政学院）事业高质量发展。[15]习近平总书记的重要指示，在肯定党校整体工作的同时，也是对党校党性教育主体地位作用的充分肯定。

In addition to the role of Party schools (schools of administration) at all levels as the main channel for Party spirit education among Party cadres, the role of other cadre academies (schools) is also irreplaceable. For instance, the three national-level cadre education and training institutions — the China Executive Leadership Academy Pudong, the China Executive Leadership Academy Jinggangshan, and the China Executive Leadership Academy Yan’an — have carried out diverse forms of Party spirit education for Party cadres nationwide, and their classroom teaching and practical teaching combined with red resources are highly distinctive. Furthermore, many local Party organizations have also established a number of local-level cadre training academies, such as the Yimeng Cadre Academy, the Zhejiang Red Boat Cadre Academy, and the Henan Dabie Mountains Cadre Academy. Although some are independently established and others are subordinate independent institutions under local Party schools, they have all become important fronts for Party spirit education. In addition, some industry-specific cadre academies, when training Party cadres within their own industries, also often make carrying out Party spirit education and tempering an important component.

除了各级党校（行政学院）在党员干部党性教育中发挥主渠道作用，其他干部学院（学校）等的作用也不可替代，如中国浦东干部学院、中国井冈山干部学院、中国延安干部学院三所国家级干部教育培训机构，面向全国党员干部开展了形式多样的党性教育，他们结合红色资源开展的课堂教学和实践教学非常富有特色。此外，许多地方党组织也建立了一批地方性干部培训学院，如沂蒙干部学院、浙江红船干部学院、河南大别山干部学院等，尽管有的是独立设置，有的作为地方党校的下设独立机构，但均成为党性教育的重要阵地。此外，一些行业性的干部学院，在培训本行业党员干部中，也往往把开展党性教育和锻炼作为重要内容。

It is precisely because each cadre education subject has fully played the role of a front for Party spirit education that our Party’s education and training system for Party cadres has been further improved, the work structure has become more complete, the role of education and training has become more prominent, the ideals, beliefs, and political stance of the vast number of Party members have become more steadfast, their original aspiration and founding mission have become more solid, their discipline and work style have become more rigorous, and the Party’s creativity, cohesion, and combat effectiveness have been continuously enhanced.

正是由于各干部教育主体充分发挥了党性教育阵地的作用，使得我们党的党员干部教育培训体系进一步健全，工作格局更加完善，教育培训作用更加凸显，广大党员理想信念和政治立场更加坚定，初心使命更加牢固，纪律作风更加严实，党的创造力、凝聚力、战斗力不断增强。

As an important magic weapon for the CPC to maintain its advanced nature and purity, Party spirit education has played a significant role in the Party’s more than one hundred years of struggle. In the New Era, we must continue to uphold and inherit the fine traditions and valuable experiences of Party spirit education, further expand educational content, innovate educational forms, enrich educational methods, and enhance educational effectiveness. In particular, we must closely link with the reality of Party spirit education, focus on the real problems of Party spirit among cadres, and effectively change the problems of superficiality, formalization, and event-orientedness existing in Party spirit education. In solving ideological and cognitive problems, Party spirit education should not only move cadres for a moment but also benefit them for a lifetime, consolidate the multi-subject, multi-channel, and multi-form linkage pattern of Party spirit education, and build an effective, long-term mechanism, so that the fine tradition of Party spirit education in our Party is further carried forward and its effectiveness is continuously improved.

党性教育作为中国共产党保持先进性和纯洁性的重要法宝，在中国共产党一百多年的奋斗历程中发挥了重要作用。新时代我们要继续坚持和继承党性教育的优良传统和宝贵经验，进一步拓展教育内容、创新教育形式、丰富教育方法、提升教育实效，尤其要紧密联系党性教育实际，聚焦党员干部党性现实问题，切实改变党性教育存在的表面化、形式化、活动化问题，使党性教育在解决思想认识问题中既要让党员干部感动一阵子，更要受用一辈子，巩固党性教育多主体、多渠道、多形式联动格局，构建有效、长效机制，使我们党的党性教育优良传统得到进一步发扬光大，成效得到持续提升。

About the authors: Han Qiang, Dean of the School of Marxism at Beijing Foreign Studies University, second-level professor, doctoral supervisor, leading talent in philosophy and social sciences in Beijing, and specially appointed expert of the Party Building Think Tank of the Beijing Party Building Research Association; Ma Jingming, 2023-level master’s student at the School of Marxism, Beijing Union University.

作者简介：韩强，北京外国语大学马克思主义学院院长、二级教授、博士生导师，北京市哲学社会科学领军人才，北京市党建研究会党建智库特聘专家；马景明，北京联合大学马克思主义学院2023级硕士研究生。