Strict Governance with Force, Generous Encouragement with Warmth

Young cadres are the fresh force for the development of the cause of the Party and the state, and the successors to the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics

年轻干部是党和国家事业发展的生力军，是中国特色社会主义事业的接班人。习近平总书记指出：“实现中华民族伟大复兴，坚持和发展中国特色社会主义，关键在党，关键在人，归根到底在培养造就一代又一代可靠接班人。”二十届中央纪委五次全会公报强调“深刻把握实现‘十五五’时期目标任务对激励担当作为提出的更高要求，坚定不移促进党员干部在遵规守纪中干事创业”“强化标本兼治，用好一体推进不敢腐、不能腐、不想腐战略抓手”“着重查处‘关键少数’、年轻干部腐败”。促使年轻干部真学真懂真信真用习近平总书记关于党的建设、党的自我革命的重要思想，让廉洁从政要求入脑入心入行，防范年轻干部腐败，是深入推进党风廉政建设和反腐败斗争的一项重要内容，也是培养年轻干部的一项重要内容。党的二十届四中全会通过的《建议》强调，严管厚爱结合、激励约束并重，激发干部队伍内生动力和整体活力。培养年轻干部，必须深入学习贯彻习近平总书记相关重要论述和党中央决策部署，始终坚持“两手抓”，一手抓严管、一手抓厚爱，一手抓激励、一手抓约束，造就一批又一批对党忠诚、敢于担当、清正廉洁的年轻干部。

Young cadres have a strong sense of enterprise, abundant energy, active thinking, systematic knowledge structures, and the courage to innovate and break through rigid frameworks. They are willing to try using new concepts, new technologies, and new methods to solve problems, making them the vanguard in undertaking endeavors and the spearhead in tackling difficulties. However, it must also be recognized that, due to their limited experience in the world, when faced with external risks and the entrapment of temptations, some young cadres may, because of reasons such as unsteady ideals and convictions or insufficient tempering of Party spirit, lose the bottom line of resisting corruption and preventing degeneration, leading to serious consequences of violating discipline and law. Their understanding of the relationship between wanting to do things, being able to do things, accomplishing things, and avoiding incidents is not deep enough, making them prone to pessimism and a negative mindset due to setbacks in a single matter or at a single time, resulting in a decline in motivation and vitality. The growth of young cadres is not a “sprint” achieved overnight; it is more like a “marathon” that requires maintaining sufficient endurance and confidence. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasizes: “Cadre management is a science; one must dare to manage and be good at managing, implement precise policies, and reflect the strength of the organization. It is also an art; one must support, encourage, care for, and be tolerant, reflecting the warmth of the organization.” In cultivating young cadres, maintaining the strength of strict discipline and the warmth of generous encouragement—neither can be neglected. Strict discipline lacking warmth is not conducive to cultivating the struggle sentiment and developmental resilience of young cadres; generous encouragement lacking strength is not conducive to cultivating the political capability and sense of responsibility of young cadres. Grasping both aspects, and grasping them firmly, is the only way to truly lead young cadres to confidently and vigorously run the historical relay race.

年轻干部事业心强，精力充沛，思维活跃，知识结构系统，勇于创新，敢于打破条条框框，愿意尝试用新观念、新技术、新方法解决问题，是干事创业的先锋队、攻坚克难的排头兵。但也要看到，由于涉世未深，面对外部风险和诱惑围猎，有的年轻干部可能由于理想信念不坚定、党性锻炼不充分等原因失守拒腐防变的底线，酿成违纪违法的严重后果；对想干事、能干事、干成事、不出事的关系认识不够深入，容易因一时一事的挫折产生悲观情绪、消极心态，动力衰退、活力下降。年轻干部的成长不是一蹴而就的“短跑”，更像一场需要保持足够耐力与信心的“马拉松”。习近平总书记强调：“干部管理是一门科学，要敢抓善管、精准施策，体现组织的力度；也是一门艺术，要撑腰鼓劲、关爱宽容，体现组织的温度。”培养年轻干部，保持严管约束的力度和厚爱激励的温度，二者不可偏废。缺乏温度的严格约束，不利于培养年轻干部的奋斗情怀和发展韧劲；缺乏力度的厚爱激励，不利于培养年轻干部的政治能力和担当精神。两手抓而且两手都要硬，才能真正引领年轻干部信心百倍奋力跑好历史的接力赛。

Our Party has always attached great importance to the cultivation of young cadres and has accumulated valuable experience. Comrade Mao Zedong once pointed out: “In the great struggle of the Chinese people, many activists have emerged and are continuing to emerge. Our responsibility lies in organizing them, cultivating them, cherishing them, and being good at using them.” Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping, proceeding from the overall situation of building a strong country and achieving national rejuvenation, has made a series of important expositions on why young cadres should be cultivated, what kind of young cadres should be cultivated, and how to cultivate young cadres, pointing out the direction for progress and providing fundamental guidance for cultivating young cadres. Various regions and departments, through multiple precise cultivation models such as the “Blue-Green Project” and the “Seedling Cultivation Plan,” have delivered a large number of outstanding young cadres who have repeatedly made achievements in their positions to their respective regions and departments. At the new historical starting point, cultivating young cadres requires adhering to “grasping both aspects,” continuously stimulating their endogenous motivation and overall vitality.

我们党历来高度重视对年轻干部的培养，积累了宝贵的经验。毛泽东同志曾指出：“在中国人民的伟大的斗争中，已经涌出并正在继续涌出很多的积极分子，我们的责任，就在于组织他们，培养他们，爱护他们，并善于使用他们。”党的十八大以来，习近平总书记从强国建设、民族复兴的全局出发，围绕为什么要培养年轻干部、培养什么样的年轻干部、如何培养年轻干部作出一系列重要论述，为培养年轻干部指明了前进方向、提供了根本遵循。各地区各部门通过“青蓝工程”、“墩苗育苗”计划等多种精准化培养模式，为本地区本部门输送了一大批在岗位上屡屡建功立业的优秀年轻干部。在新的历史起点上，培养年轻干部，需要坚持“两手抓”，不断激发其内生动力和整体活力。

Firm ideals and convictions, along with reverence for Party discipline and national law, are the foundation for young cadres to establish themselves and fulfill their mission. For young cadres to take over the baton well, the most important thing is to take over the baton of striving for the lofty ideal of communism and the common ideal of socialism with Chinese characteristics. It is necessary to persistently strengthen the education of young cadres on ideals and convictions, enabling them to deeply understand and always remember the Party’s original aspiration and founding mission, internalizing this into firm political consciousness, ideological consciousness, and action consciousness. At the same time, education on Party discipline and national law for young cadres must be strengthened, making them strictly demand of themselves, be extremely cautious with the power in their hands, and truly ensure that power is used for the people, feelings are tied to the people, and benefits are sought for the people. General Secretary Xi Jinping points out: “Good cadres are selected, but even more so, they are managed. Strict discipline is generous encouragement; it is truly being responsible for cadres.” One of the important ways for Party organizations at all levels to be responsible for young cadres is to clarify the boundaries of their words and actions through Party discipline and national law. On the one hand, urge young cadres to carry out regular study of intra-Party regulations and national laws, using the strict discipline of laws and regulations to protect the careers and lives of young cadres; on the other hand, weave a tight net of rules for Party discipline and national law, refine the specific requirements of political discipline and political rules, and create a clean and upright environment for the healthy growth of young cadres.

坚定的理想信念和对党纪国法的敬畏，是年轻干部的安身立命之本。年轻干部接好班，最重要的是接好为共产主义远大理想和中国特色社会主义共同理想而奋斗的班。要持之以恒加强对年轻干部的理想信念教育，让年轻干部深刻理解并始终牢记党的初心使命，使之内化为坚定的政治自觉、思想自觉和行动自觉。同时，必须加强对年轻干部的党纪国法教育，使之严格要求自己，对手中的权力慎之又慎，真正做到权为民所用、情为民所系、利为民所谋。习近平总书记指出：“好干部是选出来的，更是管出来的。严管就是厚爱，是对干部真正负责。”各级党组织对年轻干部负责的重要方式之一，就是以党纪国法明确其言行边界。一方面，督促年轻干部开展常态化的党内法规和国家法律学习，以纪律法律的严管守护年轻干部的事业和生活；另一方面，织密党纪国法的规则之网，细化政治纪律、政治规矩的具体要求，为年轻干部健康成长创造风清气正的良好环境。

While strict discipline has strength, generous encouragement has warmth, which can inspire young cadres to bravely take steps and dare to make bold attempts in their work, releasing the overall vitality of young cadres. It is necessary to adhere to the correct orientation for selecting and employing cadres, place political standards first, emphasize practical work and rely on actual performance, form a benign mechanism where the capable are promoted, the excellent are rewarded, the mediocre are demoted, and the inferior are dismissed, and guide young cadres to make positive progress while abiding by rules and discipline. Continuously improve the incentive and protection mechanisms for taking responsibility and making achievements, refine and implement the “Three Distinctions,” [1]1 The “Three Distinctions” (三个区分开来) refers to a policy framework that distinguishes between mistakes made in the course of reform and innovation for the public good and violations committed for personal gain, between experimental errors and deliberate violations of discipline, and between unclear boundaries in policy implementation and intentional misconduct. objectively and fairly treat the mistakes and errors of young cadres in their endeavors, clearly distinguish whether the purpose is “for the public” or “for private gain,” and differentiate whether the attitude is “intentional” or “negligent,” thus eliminating the worries of young cadres. When young cadres engage in reform and innovation, they may encounter false accusations and untrue reports. Party organizations should promptly investigate, quickly clarify, and seriously punish, unequivocally supporting and encouraging young cadres who take responsibility and make achievements. Improve care and concern mechanisms, care for and show concern for young cadres politically, ideologically, in daily life, and psychologically, enabling them to feel the warmth and strength of the organization, and fully stimulate the initiative, enthusiasm, and creativity of young cadres.

严管约束有力度的同时，厚爱激励有温度，能鼓舞年轻干部在工作中勇于迈开步伐、敢于大胆尝试，释放年轻干部的整体活力。要坚持正确的用人导向，把政治标准放在首位，重实干、凭实绩，形成能者上、优者奖、庸者下、劣者汰的良性机制，引导年轻干部在遵规守纪中积极进取。不断完善担当作为激励和保护机制，细化落实“三个区分开来”，客观公正地对待年轻干部在干事创业中的失误错误，明辨目的是“为公”还是“为私”，分清态度是“故意”还是“过失”，打消年轻干部的后顾之忧。年轻干部改革创新，可能会遭遇诬告陷害、不实检举，党组织应及时调查、迅速澄清、严肃查处，旗帜鲜明为担当作为的年轻干部撑腰鼓劲。健全关怀关爱机制，从政治上、思想上、生活上、心理上关心关爱年轻干部，让他们感受到组织的温暖和力量，充分激发年轻干部的积极性、主动性和创造性。

(The author is the Executive Dean of the Institute for Discipline Inspection and Supervision at Southeast University)

（作者为东南大学纪检监察研究院执行院长）

Online Editor: Huihui

网络编辑：慧慧