A Four-Dimensional Analysis of Xi Jinping’s Important Discourses on the Construction of Family Traditions for Party Members and Leading Cadres

The construction of family traditions for leading cadres is a vital component of the comprehensive and strict governance of the Party strategy. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, Xi Jinping has addressed the construction of family traditions for leading cadres on multiple important occasions, putting forward many new viewpoints and new theses. These discourses demonstrate the foresight of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core in governing and managing the Party, as well as its wisdom in national governance, providing fundamental guidance for Party members and cadres to strengthen the construction of family traditions. Clarifying their ideological connotations and theoretical implications is of great significance for advancing the cultivation of family traditions in the New Era, fostering a new trend of socialist cultural-ethical progress, and contributing to the stable development of the Party’s and the nation’s undertakings.

I. The Historical Dimension: High Regard for Inheriting Excellent Traditional Chinese Family Traditions and Red Family Traditions

“The foundation of the world lies in the state; the foundation of the state lies in the family.” [1]1 Chen Yun (1905–1995) was a senior leader of the Chinese Communist Party and a key architect of China’s early economic reforms. For over five thousand years, Chinese civilization has continued unbroken, and the family has always played an irreplaceable and crucial role. The family is the starting point for an individual’s moral shaping and character formation. The daily influence and teachings of close relatives have a profound impact on the formation of an individual’s worldview, outlook on life, and values. “The life-sustaining role of the family is irreplaceable, the social function of the family is irreplaceable, and the civilizational role of the family is irreplaceable.” [2]2 Gu Wenchang (1915–1981) was a county-level Party secretary in Fujian province, posthumously celebrated as a model of integrity and dedication to the people. Precisely because of the recognition of the family’s special status and educational function, our ancestors from ancient times valued family education and family traditions, thereby forming a unique culture of excellent family traditions and precepts, which has become an important civilizational marker of the Chinese nation.

Excellent traditional Chinese family traditions carry the precious experience and wisdom of ancient family education. Their educational thought mainly revolves around self-cultivation, regulating the family, and conducting oneself in society. “To regulate one’s family, one must first cultivate oneself.” [3]3 A classical Chinese saying from the Han dynasty scholar Ban Gu’s *Book of Han*, emphasizing the influence of leaders’ behavior on social customs. Ancient families placed great emphasis on cultivating the moral character of their children, with “self-cultivation and conduct” occupying a paramount position. Gao Panlong of the Ming Dynasty pointed out in his *Gaozi Yishu · Family Precepts*: “For us to stand upright between heaven and earth, only to consider becoming a true person is the first priority; all other matters are of no consequence.” [4]4 Jiao Yulu (1922–1964), Gu Wenchang (1915–1981), and Yang Shanzhou (1927–2010) are celebrated CPC cadres posthumously honored as models of selfless service and clean governance. This educational mindset, which advocates moral cultivation and the pursuit of moral perfection, shaped the Chinese nation’s family education tradition of esteeming virtue, doing good, cultivating oneself, and rectifying oneself, providing valuable reference for current family tradition construction. Xi Jinping emphasized: “The Chinese nation has always valued the family… ‘Rectify the family, and the world will be settled.’ In ancient times, those illustrious families with many virtuous descendants and outstanding achievements were all closely related to the inheritance of their good family traditions.” [5]5 A classical allusion from the Tang dynasty historian Wu Jing’s *Zhenguan Politician*, quoting Emperor Taizong of Tang on the value of historical and personal examples. This points to the contemporary value of traditional family traditions. Surveying ancient family traditions and precepts, incorruptibility, self-discipline, and uprightness are important educational contents. The renowned family precept *Zhengshi Guifan* [6]6 The 18th National Congress of the CPC, held in 2012, marked the beginning of a major anti-corruption campaign under Xi Jinping’s leadership. laid down strict rules: “If anyone is known for corruption, their name shall be erased from the genealogy during their lifetime, and after death, their memorial tablet shall not be allowed into the ancestral hall.” [7] This practice of integrating the bottom line of incorruptible and upright official conduct into family rules and clan covenants provides important inspiration for today’s Party members and leading cadres to build a solid family tradition defense line against corruption and degeneration.

Red family traditions, as an important component of the spiritual pedigree of Chinese Communists, absorb the excellent cultural genes of traditional family traditions, continue the red bloodline, centrally embody the advanced nature of the Party, and, through the family practices of the older generation of revolutionaries, have forged a unique foundation for cultivating good family traditions of Communists in the New Era. Mao Zedong took the lead in adhering to the family tradition principle of “loving relatives but not bending rules for them”; Zhou Enlai set family rules for his relatives covering ten aspects of prohibition regarding food, housing, and transportation; Yang Shanzhou’s incorruptible family model of not allowing family members to hitch a “free ride” [8] — these deeds are true portrayals of red family traditions. These excellent deeds both interpret the “truth, goodness, and beauty” of the family, reflecting the value choice of prioritizing the interests of the Party, the state, and the people, and also provide profound cultural nourishment for cultivating excellent family traditions among Party members and cadres in the New Era.

Xi Jinping pointed out: “Leading cadres at all levels, especially senior cadres, should inherit and promote the excellent traditional Chinese culture, inherit and promote the red family traditions of the revolutionary predecessors, learn from comrades such as Jiao Yulu, Gu Wenchang, and Yang Shanzhou, set an example in family tradition construction, and implement self-cultivation and family regulation.” [9] This indicates the Party Central Committee’s high regard for the construction of family traditions among leading cadres and also highlights the contemporary value of inheriting excellent traditional family traditions and red family traditions. For the vast number of Party members and cadres, actively absorbing their spiritual nutrients and integrating them into family construction is not only a historical mission to adhere to the creative transformation of traditional virtues but also a necessary measure to consolidate Party conduct and political integrity and purify social customs.

II. The Realistic Dimension: Interpreting the Value Implications of Family Traditions in National Governance

Family traditions originate in the family sphere, but their influence extends far beyond the family gate. The family traditions of Party members and cadres reflect the incorruptible foundation of the family, manifest the image of the Party’s conduct, and mirror the epitome of social values. Therefore, taking the lead in grasping the construction of family traditions is not a personal private matter, but an inevitable requirement for strict governance of the Party and for leading social customs.

(A) Deteriorated Family Traditions Are Often an Important Cause of Leading Cadres’ Violations of Discipline and Law

The essence of family traditions is family education, which subtly influences the moral standards, value pursuits, and behavioral conduct of family members. Xi Jinping once pointed out: “Deteriorated family traditions are often an important cause of leading cadres committing serious violations of discipline and law.” [10] In other words, the purity or impurity of family traditions concerns the developmental direction of leading cadres’ families. As the saying goes, “Once a single thought is indulged, a hundred evils will take advantage of the breach.” [11] Looking at the numerous corruption cases investigated in recent years, the loss of family tradition defenses has become one of the important inducements for leading cadres to go astray. Liu Tienan, former deputy director of the National Development and Reform Commission, and his son are a typical case of “kinship corruption.” [12] The prominent feature of this case is “the son collects the money, the father handles the affairs.” The vast majority of bribes Liu Tienan was accused of accepting were received through his son, Liu Decheng.

Many cases show that those with deteriorated family traditions are prone to placing personal demands above Party discipline and state laws, turning the family into a field for the privatization of public power, ultimately triggering corruption. “A family that accumulates good deeds will have abundant blessings; a family that accumulates evil deeds will have abundant calamities.” [13] Good family traditions are precisely an important line of defense against corruption. Leading cadres should adhere to incorruptible family management, educate and supervise relatives and those around them to follow the right path, making the family a “whetstone” for tempering conduct rather than a “hotbed” for conveying interests. Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized: “From

(2) The family traditions of leading cadres are an important manifestation of their work style

The construction of family traditions for leading cadres appears on the surface to concern the propriety of a single household, but in reality it is the extension and test of public power within the private sphere. The influence of power on the private domain of the family cannot be completely insulated; family traditions should therefore serve as an important window for examining the Party spirit of leading cadres. When society and the organization scrutinize the conduct of cadres, this scrutiny naturally includes their performance within the family. Family traditions and family education are not trivial private matters; they embody the public responsibility and political commitment of leading cadres.

Family traditions reflect the Party’s conduct, and moral integrity concerns the image of the political party. The family traditions of leading cadres are an important manifestation of the Party’s work style and should align with the Party’s fundamental purpose and fine traditions. Since its founding, the Communist Party of China has regarded work style construction as a fundamental issue bearing on the Party’s vitality; its core is maintaining a flesh-and-blood bond with the masses and faithfully implementing the fundamental purpose of serving the people wholeheartedly. Family traditions are precisely the true projection of this sense of purpose within the family, the basic unit of society. Leading cadres with an exemplary work style often foster an atmosphere within their families that clearly distinguishes public from private and upholds integrity and self-cultivation. From Chen Yun’s [1]1 Chen Yun (1905–1995) was a senior leader of the Chinese Communist Party and a key architect of China’s early economic reforms. “strictly abide by the rules, no privileges” to Gu Wenchang’s [2]2 Gu Wenchang (1915–1981) was a county-level Party secretary in Fujian province, posthumously celebrated as a model of integrity and dedication to the people. “uphold integrity in managing the family, serve the people with dedication,” the red family traditions of the older generation of revolutionaries are models of integrating the Party’s ideals, convictions, and strict discipline into family life; they are the concrete embodiment of the Party’s fine work style at the family level. Therefore, when leading cadres take the lead in establishing good family traditions, this not only protects themselves and their families but also safeguards the Party’s work style and image. Only by cultivating an exemplary work style through pure family traditions can the Party consolidate the hearts of both Party members and the people, enhance its leadership level and long-term governance capacity, and forever preserve its advanced nature and purity.

(3) The family traditions of leading cadres bear on the overall social atmosphere and the construction of family civility

When family traditions are upright, folk customs are pure; when folk customs are pure, the state is secure. Family traditions are not only transmitted among family members but also exert influence through the interaction between the family and society. The healthy moral qualities and values nurtured in an individual by good family traditions become a “mobile carrier” of family education as that individual enters society, influencing social customs and folkways. If every family has good family traditions and advocates the mainstream values of society, the cultivation of civilized practices in the New Era will have a solid mass foundation. “All families should promote fine family traditions, and support a good social atmosphere with the good family traditions of thousands upon thousands of families. Leading cadres at all levels, in particular, should take the lead in managing family traditions.” [1]1 Chen Yun (1905–1995) was a senior leader of the Chinese Communist Party and a key architect of China’s early economic reforms. Leading cadres, as the “key minority,” [2]2 Gu Wenchang (1915–1981) was a county-level Party secretary in Fujian province, posthumously celebrated as a model of integrity and dedication to the people. have the construction of their family traditions not only as an inherent requirement for self-cultivation and family regulation but also as a “weather vane” for the construction of social and family civilization. As the saying goes, “The wind forms above, and customs transform below.” The ruling status and advanced nature of the Communist Party of China determine that the construction of family traditions for Party members and leading cadres is a behavioral example from top to bottom, affecting the Party’s prestige and image among the masses, and having a demonstrative function for the shaping of family civilization and the cultivation of social customs. Xi Jinping pointed out: “Take the construction of family traditions as an important part of the construction of the work style of leading cadres, create a social atmosphere of respecting virtue and goodness and emulating the worthy, and promote a marked improvement in social atmosphere.” [3]3 A classical Chinese saying from the Han dynasty scholar Ban Gu’s *Book of Han*, emphasizing the influence of leaders’ behavior on social customs. Leading cadres should use good family traditions to drive social customs and folkways upward and toward goodness. For example, the incorruptible family traditions of comrades such as Jiao Yulu and Gu Wenchang [4]4 Jiao Yulu (1922–1964), Gu Wenchang (1915–1981), and Yang Shanzhou (1927–2010) are celebrated CPC cadres posthumously honored as models of selfless service and clean governance. provide behavioral references for social families, guiding people to transmit family virtues and pursue civilized lifestyles. Conversely, the corruption of leading cadres’ family traditions not only erodes social public order and good customs but may also deplete the credibility of the Party and government, weakening social cohesion and centripetal force. Therefore, the construction of family traditions for leading cadres is a public matter and a proper matter concerning the effectiveness of social atmosphere and family civilization construction. Every Communist should cultivate good family traditions with political consciousness, becoming builders and guardians of fine family traditions.

III. The Dimension of Content: The Core Essence of Xi Jinping’s Important Discourse on the Construction of Family Traditions for Party Member Leading Cadres

Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, Xi Jinping has attached great importance to the construction of family traditions from the height of the long-term development of the Party’s and the state’s cause, and has formed a systematic and profound important discourse on the construction of family traditions for leading cadres, providing a fundamental guideline for leading cadres in the New Era to cultivate themselves and regulate their families, and to build a solid family defense line against corruption and change.

(I) Shaping the Political Character of Loyalty to the Party and Firm Convictions

Loyalty to the Party and firm convictions are the primary political qualities of Communists and the soul of the construction of family traditions for leading cadres. Xi Jinping emphasized: “Party member leading cadres should incorporate loyalty to the Party into family, tutoring, and family tradition construction, guiding relatives and children to resolutely listen to the Party and follow the Party.” [5]5 A classical allusion from the Tang dynasty historian Wu Jing’s *Zhenguan Politician*, quoting Emperor Taizong of Tang on the value of historical and personal examples. Leading cadres, as the backbone of the family, have their political stance and value position that serve as a model for family members. In reality, the root cause of problems for some leading cadres is often the weak political awareness and unstable purpose consciousness within the family, leading to spiritual degeneration, the collapse of defenses, and ultimately self-destruction. Based on this, leading cadres must incorporate loyalty to the Party into family, tutoring, and family tradition construction, clearly take a political stand, set an example by their own conduct, and build a “family fortress” that resists risks and temptations and upholds political principles.

Loyalty originates from faith; faith and conviction are the ideological foundation of loyalty. “Firm ideals and convictions are closely linked to loyalty to the Party. Only with firm ideals and convictions can one be loyal to the Party; loyalty to the Party is the best interpretation of firm ideals and convictions.” [6]6 The 18th National Congress of the CPC, held in 2012, marked the beginning of a major anti-corruption campaign under Xi Jinping’s leadership. Firm ideals and convictions mean an unwavering commitment to the Marxist faith and to the convictions of communism and socialism with Chinese characteristics. Party members and cadres internalizing sincere convictions as the core value of the family can shape the intergenerational transmission of Party identity. Conversely, if leading cadres lack spiritual “calcium” [7] and their ideals and convictions waver, they easily fall into the abyss of violating discipline and law, triggering a chain reaction of political deterioration, economic greed, moral decay, and lifestyle corruption. “The wavering of ideals and convictions is the most dangerous wavering; the landslide of ideals and convictions is the most dangerous landslide. The decline of a political party often begins with the loss or lack of ideals and convictions.” [8] For this reason, leading cadres must often blow the “wind of conviction” and often sound the “bell of discipline” in family education, so that family members solve the “master switch” [9] problem of worldview, outlook on life, and values, and share the same heart, same virtue, and same direction with the Party.

(II) Adhering to the Principles of Strict Management and Deep Care, and Clear Distinction Between Public and Private in Family Tutoring

Strict management and deep care, along with clear distinction between public and private, as basic principles to be adhered to in the construction of family traditions for leading cadres, embody the dialectical unity of governing the Party and governing the family. The report of the 20th National Congress of the CPC emphasized: “Adhere to the combination of strict management and deep care, strengthen comprehensive management and regular supervision of cadres, implement the ‘three distinctions,’ [10] and encourage cadres to dare to take responsibility and actively act.” [11] Strict management and deep care are dialectically unified in family education, embodying the inherent requirement of combining responsibility with care, and conveying a mature and rational orientation for family governance. Strict management is the external manifestation of deep care; strict family constraints can promptly correct the ideological deviations of relatives and resolve risks, which is the most genuine and fundamental care for family members. Xi Jinping’s statement to his relatives and

Being cautious in small matters emphasizes maintaining vigilance over minor issues, small details, and petty gains, preventing small problems from evolving into major errors. Xi Jinping stressed: “Minor issues and small details are

In the governance of family relations, it is necessary to strictly delineate the boundary between public and private. On the one hand, leading cadres themselves must set an example through their actions, proactively clarifying the “red line” of conduct to their family members, explaining intra-Party regulations and state discipline, and expressing a firm stance of “not passing notes, not opening loopholes, not accepting improper gifts, and not involving themselves in improper matters,” while publicly committing to accept supervision from their families. On the other hand, they must strictly distinguish between public power and the private sphere, explicitly requiring that relatives not use the cadre’s positional influence to seek personal gain or interfere in government decision-making, thereby avoiding situations such as “pulling strings,” “using backdoor channels,” or “exchanging favors.” At the same time, management departments should organize a regular mechanism of clean governance home visits, deeply understanding the family environment, ideological dynamics, and social interactions of leading cadres, and promptly correcting nascent or trending problems in family relations. They must strictly implement the system for reporting personal matters, ensuring that leading cadres truthfully report the employment, business operations, and study abroad status of their spouses and children, and seriously handling cases of concealment or omission, thereby forming a combined force of internal self-discipline and external supervision.

(III) Establishing a Social Baseline of Esteeming Integrity and Advocating Cleanliness

The construction of family traditions for leading cadres is not only a manifestation of personal moral cultivation but also exerts a significant guiding and shaping function on social atmosphere. To transform the value concept of esteeming integrity and advocating cleanliness into behavioral norms commonly followed by society, it is necessary to insist on the coordinated exertion of typical leadership and warning education, providing strong support for the delineation and implementation of the social baseline.

Use typical leadership to establish models of clean governance. “When superiors set an example, subordinates follow; when the people’s hearts are settled, customs are formed.” [3]3 A classical Chinese saying from the Han dynasty scholar Ban Gu’s *Book of Han*, emphasizing the influence of leaders’ behavior on social customs. The influence of models originates from people’s identification and emulation. The noble family traditions and family education stories of Communists are not only vivid carriers of value orientation but also realistic benchmarks for moral practice. To fully leverage the exemplary and leading role of advanced models, it is necessary not only to vigorously publicize the family stories of older-generation revolutionaries such as Jiao Yulu, Gu Wenchang, and Yang Shanzhou, [4]4 Jiao Yulu (1922–1964), Gu Wenchang (1915–1981), and Yang Shanzhou (1927–2010) are celebrated CPC cadres posthumously honored as models of selfless service and clean governance. but also to deeply showcase the images of clean and upright cadres in contemporary fields such as those rooted in border areas and engaged in grassroots poverty alleviation. Their excellent family traditions and family education stories should be compiled into a resource library for clean culture construction, serving as vivid materials for the education of Party members and cadres, guiding cadres to learn, contemplate, practice, and introspect, thereby realizing the value transformation from “knowing” to “doing.” At the same time, through activities such as “Family Story Gatherings” and “Clean Family Tradition Itinerant Lectures,” and by taking opportunities to enter government organs, communities, and campuses, using various forms such as on-site storytelling and media broadcasts, these typical deeds can be deeply rooted in people’s hearts, promoting the spread of clean family traditions from Party member families to society, from individuals to groups, and from moral guidance to social customs.

Use negative warnings to fortify the ideological defense line. “Using history as a mirror, one can know the rise and fall; using people as a mirror, one can understand gains and losses.” [5]5 A classical allusion from the Tang dynasty historian Wu Jing’s *Zhenguan Politician*, quoting Emperor Taizong of Tang on the value of historical and personal examples. Cultivating good family traditions requires not only positive guidance to set benchmarks but also reliance on negative cases to sound the alarm. Warning education should be deepened by systematically reviewing typical cases of family tradition corruption investigated and punished since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, [6]6 The 18th National Congress of the CPC, held in 2012, marked the beginning of a major anti-corruption campaign under Xi Jinping’s leadership. analyzing the root causes of common problems, and achieving “precise drip irrigation.” At the same time, it is necessary to adhere to educational methods that advance with the times and adapt to new circumstances, effectively realizing the governance effect of “investigating one case, warning a group, and educating a whole area.” Furthermore, a joint prevention and linkage mechanism should be improved. Communication and collaboration among discipline inspection and supervision, organizational and personnel departments, and petition departments should be smoothed, an information-sharing mechanism established, nascent problems promptly discovered and corrected, and the authority of family tradition discipline maintained through serious enforcement and accountability. This will make leading cadres deeply realize that the construction of family traditions is a major matter concerning the political ecosystem and social atmosphere, thereby promoting the formation of a social custom that esteems virtue and goodness and upholds integrity and clean governance.

Author’s Bio: Chen Yi, Professor at the School of Marxism, Fuzhou University.