Uphold and Strengthen the Party’s Overall Leadership

Xi Jinping’s important thought on Party building is an important component of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and the latest achievement in adapting Marxist Party-building theory to the Chinese context and the needs of the times. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, Xi Jinping, focusing on the major epochal question of what kind of long-term Marxist ruling party to build and how to build it, has put forward a series of new concepts, new ideas, and new strategies for governing, revitalizing, and strengthening the Party, forming Xi Jinping’s important thought on Party building. This has made major original contributions to enriching and developing Marxist Party-building theory and provided the fundamental guidance for advancing the great new project of Party building in the New Era. The National Conference on Organizational Work held in June 2023 summarized Xi Jinping’s important thought on Party building with the “Thirteen Upholds,” the first of which is “uphold and strengthen the Party’s overall leadership.” To deeply understand the theoretical logic and practical requirements of upholding and strengthening the Party’s overall leadership, to more consciously uphold and strengthen the Party’s overall leadership, to ensure the Party always remains the strong leading core of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and to ensure that building a strong country and national rejuvenation always advance along the correct course.

习近平总书记关于党的建设的重要思想是习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想的重要组成部分，是马克思主义建党学说中国化时代化的最新成果。党的十八大以来，习近平总书记围绕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的重大时代课题，提出一系列管党治党、兴党强党的新理念新思想新战略，形成了习近平总书记关于党的建设的重要思想，为丰富和发展马克思主义建党学说作出了重大原创性贡献，为推进新时代党的建设新的伟大工程提供了根本遵循。2023年6月召开的全国组织工作会议，用“十三个坚持”集中概括了习近平总书记关于党的建设的重要思想，其中第一条就是“坚持和加强党的全面领导”。深刻理解坚持和加强党的全面领导的理论逻辑和实践要求，更加自觉地坚持和加强党的全面领导，确保党始终成为中国特色社会主义事业的坚强领导核心，确保强国建设、民族复兴始终沿着正确的航向前进。

I

一

Upholding and strengthening the Party’s overall leadership is an inherent requirement for upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, a major thesis Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized is: the most essential feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the leadership of the CPC, the greatest strength of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics is the leadership of the CPC, the CPC is the highest political leadership force, and upholding the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee is the highest political principle. This major thesis represents the deepening and elevation of the understanding of the essence of socialism by Chinese Communists in the New Era, indicating that our Party’s understanding of the importance of its own leadership position has become deeper, and also indicating that our Party’s sense of responsibility in leading the entire people to carry out the great struggle with many new historical features and to realize the great dream of building a strong country and national rejuvenation has become more conscious.

坚持和加强党的全面领导，是坚持和发展中国特色社会主义的内在要求。党的十八大以来，习近平总书记反复强调的一个重大论断是：中国特色社会主义最本质的特征是中国共产党领导，中国特色社会主义制度的最大优势是中国共产党领导，中国共产党是最高政治领导力量，坚持党中央集中统一领导是最高政治原则。这一重大论断，是新时代中国共产党人对社会主义本质问题认识的深化与升华，表明了我们党对自身领导地位重要性的认识更为深刻，也表明了我们党对于带领全国人民进行具有许多新的历史特点的伟大斗争、实现强国建设和民族复兴的伟大梦想所具有的担当意识更为自觉。

The CPC is the leading core of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, occupying the position of exercising overall leadership and coordinating all parties. Whether it is the Party, government, military, civilian, or academic, east, west, south, north, or center, the Party leads everything and is the highest political leadership force. The CPC is the ruling party, and Party leadership is the fundamental guarantee for doing a good job in all Party and state work, the fundamental point for China’s political stability, economic development, ethnic unity, and social stability, and absolutely cannot be shaken in the slightest. As the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics continues to develop and Chinese-path modernization advances, and as the strategic overall situation of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the changes unseen in a century interact and interweave, the internal and external environment facing China’s reform and development is becoming increasingly complex. As Xi Jinping pointed out: “Facing the volatile international situation, the complex and sensitive surrounding environment, and the arduous and heavy tasks of reform, development, and stability, we must always maintain a high degree of vigilance. We must be highly alert to ‘black swan’ events, and also guard against ‘gray rhino’ events; we must have both the first move to prevent risks and the clever moves to respond to and resolve risk challenges; we must both fight a prepared battle to prevent and resist risks and fight a strategic offensive battle to turn danger into safety and turn crises into opportunities.” Factors such as the complex situation, heavy tasks, overlapping risks, and arduous mission place greater challenges and higher demands on the leadership capacity of the CPC, and also greatly strengthen and highlight the Party’s position and role in the entire cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics and in the entire construction of Chinese-path modernization. The Party’s ability to set direction, plan the overall situation, formulate policies, promote reform, expand opening up, prevent risks, and ensure security decisively determines whether socialism with Chinese characteristics can further overcome difficulties and whether its superiority can be continuously manifested, decisively determines whether Chinese-path modernization can be further effectively advanced and expanded, and decisively determines whether building a strong country and national rejuvenation can ultimately be realized. Without Party leadership, it would be impossible to uphold and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics well, and building a strong country and national rejuvenation would inevitably be utopian.

中国共产党是中国特色社会主义事业的领导核心，处在总揽全局、协调各方的地位。党政军民学，东西南北中，党是领导一切的，是最高的政治领导力量。中国共产党是执政党，党的领导是做好党和国家各项工作的根本保证，是我国政治稳定、经济发展、民族团结、社会稳定的根本点，绝对不能有丝毫动摇。随着中国特色社会主义事业的不断发展、中国式现代化的向前推进，随着中华民族伟大复兴的战略全局与世界百年未有之大变局相互影响、相互交错，中国改革发展所面临的内外部环境日益错综复杂。正如习近平总书记指出的：“面对波谲云诡的国际形势、复杂敏感的周边环境、艰巨繁重的改革发展稳定任务，我们必须始终保持高度警惕，既要高度警惕‘黑天鹅’事件，也要防范‘灰犀牛’事件；既要有防范风险的先手，也要有应对和化解风险挑战的高招；既要打好防范和抵御风险的有准备之战，也要打好化险为夷、转危为机的战略主动战。”复杂的形势、繁重的任务、叠加的风险、艰巨的使命等因素，对中国共产党的领导能力提出了更大的挑战、提出了更高的要求，也大大强化与凸显了中国共产党在整个中国特色社会主义事业、在整个中国式现代化建设中的地位与作用。党把握方向、谋划大局、制定政策、促进改革、扩大开放、防范风险、保证安全的能力如何，决定性地关系到中国特色社会主义能否进一步攻坚克难、优越性能否持续体现，决定性地关系到中国式现代化能否进一步有效推进与拓展，决定性地关系到强国建设、民族复兴能够最终实现。没有党的领导，就不能坚持和发展好中国特色社会主义，强国建设、民族复兴也必然是空想。

II

二

The report of the 20th National Congress of the CPC points out: “Party leadership is comprehensive, systematic, and holistic; it must be implemented comprehensively, systematically, and holistically.” To uphold and strengthen the Party’s overall leadership, it is necessary to comprehensively, systematically, and holistically implement Party leadership in the process of advancing the great cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

党的二十大报告指出：“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，就要在推进中国特色社会主义伟大事业过程中全面、系统、整体地落实党的领导。

The so-called comprehensive means fully exerting the Party’s leading core role of exercising overall leadership and coordinating all parties. As Xi Jinping pointed out: “Upholding and strengthening the Party’s overall leadership concerns the future and destiny of the Party and the country; all our undertakings are built on this foundation and rooted in this most essential feature and greatest strength. Mistakes on this issue are often catastrophic and subversive.” Of course, leading everything does not mean taking over everything, but rather “exercising overall leadership without taking over, coordinating without substituting,” and at the same time, Party leadership must also be exercised within the framework of the Constitution and laws, following the principle of law-based governance. Specifically, the Party’s overall leadership refers, first, to comprehensive leadership objects. Under Party leadership, the people’s congresses, governments, political consultative conferences, supervisory organs, adjudicatory organs, procuratorial organs, the military, various democratic parties and non-party personages, enterprises and institutions, mass organizations, grassroots mass autonomous organizations, social organizations, etc., each assume their own responsibilities while also cooperating with each other. Second, it refers to comprehensive leadership content. Party leadership must be reflected in economic construction, political construction, cultural construction, social construction, ecological civilization construction, and national defense and the military, national reunification, diplomatic work, Party building, and other aspects. Third, it refers to comprehensive leadership process. Party leadership runs through the entire process and all links of governing the Party and governing the country. Fourth, it refers to comprehensive leadership methods. The Party implements its leadership over the state and society by formulating major policies, proposing legislative suggestions, recommending important cadres, conducting ideological propaganda, and leveraging the role of Party organizations and Party members.

所谓全面，是指要充分发挥党总揽全局、协调各方的领导核心作用。正如习近平总书记指出的：“坚持和加强党的全面领导，关系党和国家前途命运，我们的全部事业都建立在这个基础之上，都根植于这个最本质特征和最大优势。在这个问题上犯错误往往是灾难性、颠覆性的。”当然，领导一切并不是包揽一切，而是“总揽不包揽、协调不取代”，同时党的领导也必须在宪法法律范围内进行，遵循法治原则。具体而言，党的全面领导，一是指领导对象全面。在党的领导下，人大、政府、政协、监察机关、审判机关、检察机关、军队、各民主党派和无党派人士、企事业单位、群团组织、基层群众性自治组织、社会组织等既各负其责，又相互配合；二是指领导内容全面。党的领导必须体现到经济建设、政治建设、文化建设、社会建设、生态文明建设和国防军队、祖国统一、外交工作、党的建设等各方面；三是指领导过程全面。党的领导贯穿在管党治党、治国理政的全过程、各环节；四是指领导方式全面。党通过制定大政方针，提出立法建议，推荐重要干部，进行思想宣传，发挥党组织和党员的作用等，实施党对国家和社会的领导。

The so-called systematic means strengthening institutional construction from all links, levels, aspects, and fields, and building a system of Party leadership institutions that is complete, scientifically standardized, and effectively operational. The system of Party leadership institutions is a systematic integration of the Party’s various specific leadership institutions, systematizing, standardizing, and legalizing Party leadership, which is conducive to improving the Party’s level of scientific governance, democratic governance, and law-based governance. The report of the 20th National Congress of the CPC emphasizes the necessity of adhering to the systems concept as one of the standpoints, viewpoints, and methods running through Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, which corresponds precisely in theory and practice.

所谓系统，是指要从各环节各层级各方面各领域加强制度建设，构建系统完备、科学规范、运行有效的党的领导制度体系。党的领导制度体系是对党的各项具体领导制度的系统集成，将党的领导制度系统化、规范化、法治化，有利于提高党的科学执政、民主执政、依法执政水平。党的二十大报告将必须坚持系统观念作为贯穿习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想的立场观点方法之一加以强调，在理论与实践上恰恰与之相对应。

The so-called holistic means that from the Party’s central organizations to local organizations to grassroots organizations, all should play their due roles in accordance with the provisions of the Party Constitution, and the exercise of leadership functions should be complete. At the same time, on the basis of strengthening the Party’s overall leadership, deepen the reform of Party and state institutions, holistically advance the reform of central and local institutions at all levels, improve the Party leadership system, the government governance system, the armed forces system, and the mass organization work system, coordinate and fully leverage the functions of various types of institutions, and form the best overall effectiveness in governing the country.

所谓整体，是指从党的中央组织到地方组织再到基层组织，都要按照党章的规定发挥应有作用，领导功能的发挥要完整。同时，在加强党的全面领导的基础上深化党和国家机构改革，整体性推进中央和地方各级各类机构改革，健全党的领导体系、政府治理体系、武装力量体系、群团工作体系，协调并充分发挥各类机构职能作用，形成治国理政的最佳整体效能。

Party leadership must be upheld and strengthened, and must be implemented comprehensively, systematically, and holistically. The primary and key point of upholding, strengthening, and implementing is to uphold the authority and centralized, unified leadership of the Party Central Committee. Upholding Party leadership is first of all upholding the authority and centralized, unified leadership of the Party Central Committee; this is the highest principle of Party leadership, and it must not be ambiguous or shaken at any time or under any circumstances. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, we have strengthened the authority and centralized, unified leadership of the Party Central Committee from all aspects, emphasizing that the entire Party must deeply understand the decisive significance of the Two Establishments, strengthen the Four Consciousnesses, firm up the Four Confidences, and achieve the Two Upholds. All Party organizations and all Party members, especially senior cadres, must align themselves with the Party Central Committee, align themselves with the Party’s theories, lines, policies, and principles, and align themselves with the Party Central Committee’s decisions and deployments, so as to resolutely respond to what the Party Central Committee advocates, resolutely implement what the Party Central Committee decides, and resolutely refrain from what the Party Central Committee prohibits.

党的领导必须坚持和加强，必须全面、系统、整体加以落实，而坚持、加强和落实的首要和关键就是坚持党中央权威和集中统一领导。坚持党的领导，首先是坚持党中央权威和集中统一领导，这是党的领导的最高原则，任何时候任何情况下都不能含糊、不能动摇。党的十八大以来，我们从各个方面加强党中央权威和集中统一领导，强调全党必须深刻领悟“两个确立”的决定性意义、增强“四个意识”、坚定“四个自信”、做到“两个维护”，党的各级组织、全体党员特别是高级干部都要向党中央看齐，向党的理论和路线方针政策看齐，向党中央决策部署看齐，做到党中央提倡的坚决响应、党中央决定的坚决执行、党中央禁止的坚决不做。

III

三

Upholding and strengthening the Party’s overall leadership inherently requires that we must uphold the principle that the Party must supervise itself and govern itself strictly and comprehensively, and further advance the Party’s self-revolution. Under the conditions of the Party’s long-term governance, in order to effectively respond to the “four tests”[4]4 The “four tests” refer to the tests of governance, reform and opening up, the market economy, and the external environment. and practically resolve the “four dangers,”[5]5 The “four dangers” refer to the dangers of mental slackness, lack of capacity,脱离群众 (estrangement from the masses), and passive corruption. and to solve the unique challenges of a large party, it is necessary to continuously advance comprehensive and strict governance of the Party and further the Party’s self-revolution.

坚持和加强党的全面领导，内在要求必须坚持党要管党、全面从严治党、深入推进党的自我革命。在党长期执政条件下，要想有效应对“四大考验”、切实化解“四种危险”，解决大党独有难题，就必须持续推进全面从严治党，深入推进党的自我革命。

At the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection,[6]6 The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection was held in January 2024, focusing on advancing comprehensive and strict governance of the Party and deepening the anti-corruption campaign. General Secretary Xi Jinping, proceeding from the overall situation of the development of the Party and the state, put forward the practical requirements of the “nine withs,”[7]7 The “nine withs” (九个以) are a set of practical requirements for self-revolution proposed by Xi Jinping, including “with the guidance of the Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era,” “with the focus on the Party’s long-term governance,” and others. profoundly elucidating the driving role of the Party’s own construction in social transformation, and clearly proposing the goal of leading the great social revolution through the Party’s self-revolution. Leading the great social revolution through the Party’s self-revolution fully demonstrates the original aspiration and founding mission, historical consciousness, and political responsibility of the Chinese Communists. The courage to engage in self-revolution is a distinctive marker that distinguishes our Party from other political parties; it is the successful secret for the Party to break out of the historical cycle of rise and fall[8]8 The “historical cycle of rise and fall” (历史周期率) refers to the pattern in Chinese dynastic history where a ruling house rises, flourishes, and then declines and falls. Mao Zedong famously discussed this with Huang Yanpei in 1945. and to become more vibrant after a century of vicissitudes. The Party’s self-revolution is the necessary prerequisite and important guarantee for the social revolution led by the Party; the social revolution led by the Party is the value pursuit and goal orientation of the Party’s self-revolution. Looking back at the Party’s century-long history, the key reason why our Party has been able to endure hardships and yet remain vigorous and in its prime is that it has always insisted on the Party supervising itself and governing itself strictly and comprehensively without relaxation, carrying out a thorough self-revolution while promoting social revolution, and using the Party’s self-revolution to drive the great social revolution led by the Party and the people. Comprehensive and strict governance of the Party is the great practice of the Party’s self-revolution in the New Era, and it is also a distinctive feature of the Party’s governance of the country in the New Era. The Party has become stronger and more powerful through revolutionary forging, radiating new and strong vitality, providing a solid political guarantee for the development of the Party and the state’s undertakings. The great social revolution forges and accomplishes the great Party; the great self-revolution guarantees and promotes the great cause. This is the precious experience of the Party in continuously moving from victory to new victory over the past century, and it is also an important guideline for the Party to grasp the laws of historical development and strive on the new journey.

在二十届中央纪委三次全会上，习近平总书记从党和国家事业发展全局出发，提出“九个以”的实践要求，深刻阐明政党自身建设之于社会变革的带动作用，鲜明提出以党的自我革命引领伟大社会革命的目标遵循。以党的自我革命引领伟大社会革命，充分展现了中国共产党人的初心使命、历史自觉和政治担当。勇于自我革命是我们党区别于其他政党的显著标志，是党跳出治乱兴衰历史周期率、历经百年沧桑更加充满活力的成功秘诀。党的自我革命是党领导的社会革命的必要前提和重要保障，党领导的社会革命是党的自我革命的价值追求和目标指向。回望百年党史，我们党之所以能饱经磨难而生生不息、风华正茂，关键在于始终坚持党要管党、全面从严治党不放松，在推动社会革命的同时进行彻底的自我革命，以党的自我革命来推动党领导人民进行的伟大社会革命。全面从严治党，是新时代党的自我革命的伟大实践，也是新时代党治国理政的一个鲜明特征。党在革命性锻造中更加坚强有力，焕发出新的强大生机活力，为党和国家事业发展提供了坚强政治保证。伟大社会革命锻造和成就伟大的党，伟大自我革命保障和推动伟大的事业，这是党百年来不断从胜利走向新的胜利的宝贵经验，也是党把握历史发展规律、奋斗新征程的重要遵循。

The courage to engage in self-revolution, to dare to uphold truth and correct errors, ensures that under the strong leadership of the Party, China’s revolution, construction, and reform have always advanced in the correct direction. From the August 7th Meeting,[9]9 The August 7th Meeting (1927) was an emergency meeting of the CPC that corrected Chen Duxiu’s right-leaning errors and decided on the policy of armed resistance against the Kuomintang. the Gutian Congress,[10]10 The Gutian Congress (1929) was a meeting of the Red Army that emphasized Party leadership over the military and addressed issues of ideological and organizational building. to the Zunyi Meeting,[11]11 The Zunyi Meeting (1935) was a pivotal conference during the Long March that established Mao Zedong’s leadership within the Party. from the Yan’an Rectification Movement[12]12 The Yan’an Rectification Movement (1942–1944) was a Party-wide campaign to correct ideological deviations and promote Marxist-Leninist orthodoxy. to the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee,[13]13 The Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee (1978) marked the beginning of reform and opening up, shifting the Party’s focus to economic development. and then to comprehensive and strict governance of the Party in the New Era, the Party has continuously grown and strengthened through self-revolution, while uniting and leading the people in great struggles, creating the great achievements of the New Democratic Revolution, the great achievements of socialist revolution and construction, the great achievements of reform and opening up and socialist modernization, and the great achievements of socialism with Chinese characteristics for a New Era. The struggle journey of the Chinese Communist Party is both a magnificent history of social revolution and a history of self-revolution that purifies the turbid and promotes the clear. It is precisely because it dares to face problems and has the courage for self-revolution that our Party, after enduring vicissitudes, remains in its prime and, after weathering storms, remains endlessly vital. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has incorporated comprehensive and strict governance of the Party into the Four-Pronged Comprehensive Strategy, unswervingly advanced the construction of clean governance and the fight against corruption, persistently rectified work styles and enforced discipline, integrated the promotion of not daring to corrupt, not being able to corrupt, and not wanting to corrupt, curbed many unhealthy tendencies that had not been curbed for years, resolved many stubborn and chronic problems that had long remained unsolved, eliminated serious hidden dangers within the Party, the state, and the military, fundamentally reversed the lax and soft situation in Party supervision and governance, and explored a successful path for breaking out of the historical cycle of rise and fall through the Party’s self-revolution. Through self-revolution, the Chinese Communist Party has effectively achieved that “to forge iron, one must be strong oneself,”[14]14 “To forge iron, one must be strong oneself” (打铁必须自身硬) is a Chinese idiom used by Xi Jinping to emphasize that the Party must first strengthen thereby providing a solid political guarantee for realizing the Party’s original aspiration and founding mission and for advancing the construction of a strong country and the rejuvenation of the nation.

勇于自我革命，敢于坚持真理、修正错误，在党的坚强领导下中国革命、建设、改革始终沿着正确的方向前行。从八七会议、古田会议到遵义会议，从延安整风运动到十一届三中全会，再到新时代全面从严治党，党在自我革命中不断发展壮大，同时团结带领人民进行伟大斗争，创造了新民主主义革命的伟大成就、社会主义革命和建设的伟大成就、改革开放和社会主义现代化建设的伟大成就、新时代中国特色社会主义的伟大成就。中国共产党的奋斗征程，既是一部波澜壮阔的社会革命史，也是一部激浊扬清的自我革命史。正是敢于直面问题、勇于自我革命，才使我们党历经沧桑依然风华正茂、饱经风霜依然生生不息。党的十八大以来，以习近平同志为核心的党中央把全面从严治党纳入“四个全面”战略布局，坚定不移推进党风廉政建设和反腐败斗争，持之以恒正风肃纪，一体推进不敢腐、不能腐、不想腐，刹住了一些多年未刹住的歪风邪气，解决了许多长期没有解决的顽瘴痼疾，清除了党、国家、军队内部存在的严重隐患，管党治党宽松软状况得到根本扭转，探索出依靠党的自我革命跳出历史周期率的成功路径。通过自我革命，中国共产党切实做到了“打铁必须自身硬”，从而为实现党的初心与使命、为推进强国建设和民族复兴提供了坚强的政治保障。

Online editor: Ma Jingren

网络编辑：马京仁