Promoting the Integration of Rectifying Conduct, Enforcing Discipline, and Combating Corruption with a Systematic Approach

Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has adhered to a systematic approach, continuously deepening the understanding of the laws governing Party governance and self-governance. It has put forward important propositions such as "we must combine rectifying conduct, enforcing discipline, and combating corruption and address them together" and "uphold the integration of rectifying conduct, enforcing discipline, and combating corruption," providing scientific guidance and a course of action for advancing comprehensive and strict governance of the Party. On the new journey of the New Era, we must take the systematic approach as our guide, understand and grasp the internal rationale, core essence, and practical pathways of integrating rectifying conduct, enforcing discipline, and combating corruption, continuously deepen comprehensive and strict governance of the Party, and provide a strong political guarantee for Chinese-path modernization.

党的十八大以来，以习近平同志为核心的党中央坚持系统观念，不断深化管党治党的规律性认识，提出“必须把正风肃纪反腐结合起来一起抓”“坚持正风肃纪反腐相贯通”等重要命题，为推进全面从严治党提供了科学指引和行动指南。新时代新征程，我们必须以系统观念为指引，认识和把握正风肃纪反腐相贯通的内在理据、核心要义和实践路径，不断将全面从严治党引向深入，为中国式现代化提供坚强政治保障。

Systematically Considering the Internal Rationale for Integrating Rectifying Conduct, Enforcing Discipline, and Combating Corruption

系统思考正风肃纪反腐相贯通的内在理据

Promoting the integration of rectifying conduct, enforcing discipline, and combating corruption with a systematic approach first requires focusing on the prerequisite questions of how it is possible and why it is necessary. From the theoretical, historical, and practical dimensions, we must holistically understand the scientific nature, inevitability, and urgency of this integration.

以系统观念推动正风肃纪反腐相贯通，首先需要着眼于其何以可能、何以必要的前提性问题，从理论、历史和现实等多个维度，整体认识正风肃纪反腐相贯通的科学性、必然性和紧迫性。

An inherent requirement of the Marxist worldview and methodology. Marxist dialectical materialism emphasizes grasping the inherent laws of the development of things from the perspectives of universal connection, comprehensive system, and dynamic change, providing Marxist political parties with a foundational method of thinking and working for strengthening their own construction. From the perspective of the complex interrelations among problems of conduct, discipline, and corruption: first, although problems of conduct and corruption differ in their forms of manifestation and degree of harm, they are mutually superficial and internal, share the same root and origin, and coexist and breed each other. Second, problems of conduct and corruption have a direct causal relationship with discipline problems. In other words, strict discipline helps rectify Party conduct and eliminate corruption, while lax discipline leads to the spread of unhealthy tendencies and the proliferation of graft and corruption. Therefore, the construction of conduct, the construction of discipline, and the fight against corruption, as key links in the self-construction of a Marxist political party, are essentially organic components of a unity of opposites and cannot be viewed in isolation. Only by adopting a governance strategy of integration and coordination, combining rectifying conduct, enforcing discipline, and combating corruption and addressing them together, can we achieve an overall improvement in the effectiveness of Party governance and self-governance.

马克思主义世界观和方法论的内在要求。马克思主义唯物辩证法强调从普遍联系、全面系统、发展变化的视角把握事物发展的内在规律，为马克思主义政党加强自身建设提供了基础性思维方法和工作方法。从作风、纪律和腐败问题三者之间的复杂关联来看，首先，作风问题和腐败问题虽然表现形式、危害程度有所不同，但互为表里、同根同源、相伴相生。其次，风腐问题又与纪律问题有着直接的因果关系。换言之，严明纪律有助于端正党风、肃清腐败，纪律涣散则会导致歪风蔓延、贪腐丛生。因此，作风建设、纪律建设和反腐败斗争作为马克思主义政党自身建设的关键环节，本质上是矛盾统一体的有机组成部分，不能割裂开来看待。只有以贯通协同的治理方略，把正风肃纪反腐结合起来一起抓，才能实现管党治党效能的整体提升。

An important manifestation of the historical experience of the Communist Party of China in governing the Party. Advancing the integrated rectification of conduct, discipline enforcement, and anti-corruption with a systematic approach is an important historical experience and tradition of the CPC. As early as the period of the New Democratic Revolution, the Party attached importance to using strict discipline and rules to rectify conduct and punish corruption, continuously enhancing the cohesion and combat effectiveness of Party organizations. After the founding of New China, the Party strengthened its own construction through rectification campaigns and Party consolidation. In this process, it not only resolutely punished corrupt elements such as Liu Qingshan and Zhang Zishan [1]1 The “four tests” (四大考验) refer to the tests of governance, reform and opening up, the market economy, and the external environment. but also eliminated unhealthy practices within the Party, consolidating and strengthening the flesh-and-blood ties between the Party and the masses. After reform and opening up, facing prominent problems caused by the infiltration of commodity economy principles into the Party, the Party continuously intensified the fight against corruption, gradually forming a three-pronged work pattern centered on leading cadres' clean self-discipline, investigating and handling major cases, and correcting unhealthy practices in departments and industries. Since the New Era, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has insisted on simultaneously addressing Party spirit

中国共产党管党治党历史经验的重要体现。以系统观念一体推进正风肃纪反腐是中国共产党重要的历史经验和传统。早在新民主主义革命时期，党就重视以严明纪律规矩整饬作风、惩治腐败，不断增强党组织的凝聚力和战斗力。新中国成立后，党以整风整党的方式加强自身建设，在这一过程中不仅坚决惩治了刘青山、张子善等贪污腐败分子，还革除了党内的不良作风，巩固和加强了党同人民群众的血肉联系。改革开放后，面对商品经济原则向党内渗透而引发的突出问题，党不断加大反腐败斗争力度，逐步形成了以领导干部廉洁自律、查处大案要案、纠正部门和行业不正之风为主要内容的三项工作格局。新时代以来，以习近平同志为核心的党中央坚持党性党风党纪一起抓，以严的基调强化正风肃纪反腐，取得显著成效。历史和实践证明，坚持正风肃纪反腐相贯通是管党治党的有力抓手，是确保党不变质、不变色、不变味的长期课题。

An inevitable choice for responding to the complex situation of comprehensive and strict governance of the Party in the New Era. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the changes unseen in a century have accelerated, the domestic and international environments are undergoing extensive and profound changes, and the “four tests”[n] and “four dangers”[n] faced by the Party will persist for a long time. Based on a profound insight into the world situation, national conditions, and Party conditions, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, “Although historic achievements have been made in the construction of clean governance and the fight against corruption, the situation remains severe and complex.” The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection added the term “overall war” for the first time in the characterization of the fight against corruption, proposing the general requirement of “resolutely waging the protracted, arduous, and overall war against corruption,” profoundly revealing the systemic characteristics of the current fight against corruption. The interweaving of misconduct and corruption is a prominent issue that must be addressed in the current construction of clean governance and the fight against corruption. To solve the problem of misconduct leading to corruption, misconduct turning into corruption, and the integration of misconduct and corruption, it is necessary to adhere to a systemic approach, jointly rectify misconduct, disciplinary violations, and corruption problems, and inject strong momentum into advancing the building of a strong country and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through new achievements in the construction of conduct, discipline enforcement, and the fight against corruption.

应对新时代全面从严治党复杂形势的必然选择。党的十八大以来，世界百年变局加速演进，国内外环境正在发生广泛而深刻的变化，党所面临的“四大考验”“四种危险”仍将长期存在。基于对世情国情党情的深刻洞察，习近平总书记指出，“尽管党风廉政建设和反腐败斗争取得了历史性成就，但形势依然严峻复杂”。二十届中央纪委四次全会首次在反腐败斗争定性中增加“总体战”一词，提出“坚决打好反腐败斗争攻坚战持久战总体战”总要求，深刻揭示出当前反腐败斗争的系统性特征。风腐交织是现阶段党风廉政建设和反腐败斗争要着力解决的突出问题。要破解由风及腐、由风变腐、风腐一体的难题，就必须坚持系统观念，一体纠治不正之风、违纪行为和腐败问题，以作风建设、纪律建设和反腐败斗争新成效为推进强国建设、民族复兴伟业注入强大动能。

Systematically Grasping the Core Essence of Integrating Rectifying Conduct, Enforcing Discipline, and Combating Corruption

系统把握正风肃纪反腐相贯通的核心要义

To promote the integration of rectifying conduct, enforcing discipline, and combating corruption with a systemic approach, one must observe things developmentally rather than statically, comprehensively rather than one-sidedly, systematically rather than fragmentarily, and in universal connection rather than in isolation, grasping the three focal points of holism, synergy, and dynamism.

以系统观念推动正风肃纪反腐相贯通，要坚持发展地而不是静止地、全面地而不是片面地、系统地而不是零散地、普遍联系地而不是单一孤立地观察事物，把握好整体性、协同性和动态性三个着力点。

Based on Holism. One who does not plan for the whole is insufficient to plan for a part. Adhering to the integration of rectifying conduct, enforcing discipline, and combating corruption must proceed from a holistic and overall perspective. On the one hand, it is necessary to avoid separating and isolating rectifying conduct, enforcing discipline, and combating corruption, but instead treat them as an organic whole, understand the consistency and interconnection of the three in terms of governance subjects, objects, and functions, and coordinate the planning of their overall goals, directions, and tasks. On the other hand, it is necessary to stand at the political height of coordinately advancing the Four-Pronged Comprehensive Strategy, grasp the practical requirements of using the great self-revolution to lead the great social revolution, clarify the theme and main line of rectifying conduct, enforcing discipline, and combating corruption in the orientation of the New Era, promote the great new project of Party building in the New Era to develop in depth, and continuously improve the Party’s governance capacity and leadership level.

立足整体性。不谋全局者，不足以谋一域。坚持正风肃纪反腐相贯通，必须从整体性、全局性视角出发。一方面，要避免将正风肃纪反腐割裂、孤立开来，而是要将其作为一个有机整体，理解正风肃纪反腐三者在治理主体、对象、功能上的一致性和关联性，统筹谋划其总体目标、方向和任务。另一方面，要站在协调推进“四个全面”战略布局的政治高度，把握以伟大自我革命引领伟大社会革命的实践要求，明确正风肃纪反腐在新时代方位下的主题主线，推动新时代党的建设新的伟大工程向纵深发展，不断提高党的执政能力和领导水平。

Enhancing Synergy. The integration of rectifying conduct, enforcing discipline, and combating corruption does not mean “grabbing eyebrows and beards all at once,” but rather making the three promote and complement each other. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized “using fine conduct as a guide, strict discipline as a guarantee, and punishing corruption and eliminating evil to clear obstacles,” profoundly clarifying the functional positioning and internal relationship of the three. Among them, rectifying conduct plays a guiding role, providing a clear orientation for enforcing discipline and combating corruption by correcting the “four forms of misconduct”[n] and fostering new conduct; enforcing discipline plays a guaranteeing role, setting rigid boundaries for rectifying conduct and combating corruption by strengthening the authority and execution of institutions; combating corruption plays a clearing role, providing practical support for rectifying conduct and enforcing discipline by breaking down solidified interest barriers and cutting off chains of power rent-seeking. Only by enhancing the synergy of rectifying conduct, enforcing discipline, and combating corruption, forming a closed-loop governance system that is differentiated and focused yet interconnected and internally coupled, can the Party’s self-revolution be advanced link by link and layer by layer.

增强协同性。正风肃纪反腐相贯通并不意味着“眉毛胡子一把抓”，而是要使三者相互促进、相辅相成。习近平总书记强调“以优良作风作引领，以严明纪律强保障，以反腐惩恶清障碍”，深刻阐明了正风肃纪反腐三者的功能定位和内在关联。其中，正风发挥引领作用，通过纠“四风”树新风，为肃纪和反腐提供鲜明导向；肃纪发挥保障作用，通过强化制度的权威性和执行力，为纠风和反腐划定刚性边界；反腐发挥清障作用，通过破除利益固化藩篱、斩断权力寻租链条，为正风和肃纪提供实践支撑。只有增强正风肃纪反腐的协同性，形成有差异、有侧重但相互衔接、内在耦合的闭环治理体系，才能推动党的自我革命环环相扣、层层递进。

Focusing on Dynamism. The strategic judgment that comprehensive and strict governance of the Party is always on the way determines that rectifying conduct, enforcing discipline, and combating corruption must follow the laws of dynamic governance. On the one hand, it is necessary to grasp the dynamic laws of the interweaving and evolution of misconduct, disciplinary violations, and corruption problems, improve the mechanism for simultaneous investigation and treatment, and resolutely curb the breeding and spread of misconduct and corruption. On the other hand, it is also necessary to recognize the arduousness and complexity of rectifying conduct, enforcing discipline, and combating corruption. Therefore, it is necessary to accurately identify the stage-specific characteristics of the construction of clean governance and the fight against corruption, analyze and solve prominent problems within the specific context of the times, and also dynamically adjust and make long-term arrangements with a developmental perspective, promoting greater results in comprehensive and strict governance of the Party in the unity of stage-specificity and long-term nature.

聚焦动态性。全面从严治党永远在路上的战略判断，决定了正风肃纪反腐必须遵循动态治理规律。一方面，要把握不正之风、违纪行为和腐败问题之间交织演化的动态规律，健全同查同治机制，坚决遏制风腐滋生蔓延。另一方面，还要认识到正风肃纪反腐具有艰巨性和复杂性。因此，既要精准识别党风廉政建设和反腐败斗争的阶段性特征，将突出问题置于特定的时代背景中加以分析和解决，也要以发展的眼光动态调适、长远布局，在阶段性和长期性的统一中推动全面从严治党取得更大成效。

Systematically Planning the Practical Path for Integrating Rectifying Conduct, Enforcing Discipline, and Combating Corruption

系统谋划正风肃纪反腐相贯通的实践路径

Promoting the integration of rectifying conduct, enforcing discipline, and combating corruption is a systemic project. It requires taking the consolidation of responsibility as a prerequisite, strengthening supervision as the key, improving institutions as the guarantee, and deepening education as the foundation, promoting the integration and synergy of various elements, resources, and forces, and releasing comprehensive effectiveness.

推动正风肃纪反腐相贯通是一项系统性工程，需要以压实责任为前提，以强化监督为关键，以健全制度为保障，以深化教育为基础，推动各方面要素、资源和力量贯通协同、系统集成，释放综合效能。

Promote the integration of responsibilities and consolidate the main forces. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out: “Comprehensive and strict governance of the Party is the common responsibility of the entire Party; it is necessary to establish and improve the responsibility system by layers and categories, and to promote Party organizations at all levels and the vast number of Party members and cadres to know, assume, and fulfill their responsibilities by clarifying and consolidating responsibilities.” [n4] Party committees (leading Party members’ groups) at all levels must fulfill their main responsibilities, adhere to placing the Party’s leadership throughout the entire process and all aspects of improving conduct, strictly enforcing discipline, and punishing corruption, and incorporate the integrated promotion of rectifying conduct, enforcing discipline, and combating corruption into the overall layout of comprehensive and strict governance of the Party and professional work. Discipline inspection commissions at all levels must fulfill their supervisory responsibilities, and apply the concept of integrating rectifying conduct, enforcing discipline, and combating corruption throughout all links such as supervision and inspection, review and investigation, and supervision and rectification. All functional departments must fulfill their regulatory responsibilities, highlight areas where power is concentrated, capital is dense, and resources are abundant, and deeply investigate and rectify industry chaos, unhealthy tendencies, and corruption problems. All Party members and cadres must earnestly assume their responsibilities, enhance their awareness of clean and honest self-discipline, and resolutely struggle against all factors that weaken the Party’s advanced nature and damage the Party’s purity.

推动责任贯通，整合主体力量。习近平总书记指出：“全面从严治党是全党的共同责任，必须分层分类建立健全责任体系，以明确责任、压实责任推动各级党组织和广大党员、干部知责、担责、履责。”各级党委（党组）要履行好主体责任，坚持把党的领导贯穿到改进作风、严明纪律、惩治腐败的全方位、全过程，将一体推进正风肃纪反腐纳入全面从严治党和业务工作的整体布局中。各级纪委要履行好监督责任，把正风肃纪反腐相贯通的理念贯穿于监督检查、审查调查、督促整改等各环节。各职能部门要履行好监管责任，突出权力集中、资金密集、资源富集领域，深入纠查行业乱象、不正之风和腐败问题。全体党员干部要切实担当尽责，增强廉洁自律意识，坚决同各种弱化党的先进性、损害党的纯洁性的因素作斗争。

Promote the integration of institutions and foster long-term and normal effectiveness. Institutions have overall and stable characteristics and are a powerful guarantee for deepening the treatment of both symptoms and root causes, systematic governance, and promoting the normalization and long-term effectiveness of the construction of a clean and honest Party and the fight against corruption. On the one hand, it is necessary to improve the institutional system, especially to solidify effective experiences in rectifying conduct, enforcing discipline, and combating corruption in institutional forms, to improve institutions and plug loopholes in response to problems in work procedures, systems, and mechanisms behind the interweaving of conduct and corruption, to eradicate the soil and conditions for breeding corruption, to prevent conduct problems from evolving into corruption problems, and to enhance the effectiveness of promoting reform and governance through cases. On the other hand, it is necessary to strengthen the implementation of institutions, make good use of the “two rulers” of discipline and law, [n5] integrate the enforcement of discipline and law, adhere to the principle that everyone is equal before the system and that there are no exceptions in the implementation of the system, and ensure with rigid binding force that institutional advantages are transformed into governance effectiveness.

推动制度贯通，促进常态长效。制度具有全局性和稳定性，是深化标本兼治、系统施治，推进党风廉政建设和反腐败斗争常态化长效化的有力保障。一方面，要完善制度体系，特别是要以制度形式固化正风肃纪反腐的有效经验，针对风腐交织背后的工作程序、体制机制等问题完善制度、堵塞漏洞，铲除腐败滋生的土壤和条件，阻遏作风问题向腐败问题演化，增强以案促改促治实效。另一方面，要强化制度执行，用好纪法“两把尺子”，把执纪执法贯通起来，坚持制度面前人人平等、执行制度没有例外，以刚性约束力确保制度优势向治理效能转化。

(The authors are, respectively, a postdoctoral fellow and lecturer at the School of Discipline Inspection and Supervision, Renmin University of China; and a professor at the School of Discipline Inspection and Supervision, Renmin University of China.)

（作者系中国人民大学纪检监察学院师资博士后、讲师；中国人民大学纪检监察学院教授）

Online editor: Huihui

网络编辑：慧慧