Always Maintain a High Degree of Political Acuity

Political acuity is a comprehensive manifestation of political stance and political insight, and an important prerequisite for improving leading cadres’ political judgment, political comprehension, and political execution. At the thematic democratic life meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee on studying and implementing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, General Secretary Xi Jinping made a profound exposition on political acuity, putting forward the important requirement that “we must always maintain a high degree of political acuity, be vigilant in times of peace, and prepare for danger.” [1]1 “Be vigilant in times of peace, and prepare for danger” (居安思危，未雨绸缪) is a Chinese idiom meaning to be mindful of potential dangers even in times of safety and to make preparations before trouble arises. On the new journey, facing complex and ever-changing international and domestic situations, we must always maintain a high degree of political acuity, strive to grasp the overall strategic situation, take the strategic initiative, enhance the foresight and proactivity of all work, continuously improve the ability to see the signs of the times and discern the slightest details, and constantly strengthen the capability to accurately identify the times and trends, dangers and opportunities, advantages and disadvantages.

政治敏锐性是政治站位、政治洞察的综合体现，是提高领导干部政治判断力、政治领悟力、政治执行力的重要前提。在中央政治局学习贯彻习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想主题教育专题民主生活会上，习近平总书记围绕政治敏锐性作出深刻阐述，提出“必须始终保持高度的政治敏锐性，做到居安思危、未雨绸缪”的重要要求。新征程上，面对错综复杂的国际国内形势，我们要始终保持高度的政治敏锐性，努力把握战略全局、掌握战略主动、增强各项工作的预见性和前瞻性，不断提高见微知著、明察秋毫的能力，不断增强准确识别时与势、危与机、利与弊的本领。

Master Marxism, this “telescope and microscope.” The depth of one’s mastery of Marxist theory determines the degree of political sensitivity, the breadth of one’s thinking perspective, and the height of one’s ideological realm. Comrade Mao Zedong pointed out: “Our eyesight is insufficient; we should rely on telescopes and microscopes. The Marxist method is the telescope and microscope in politics and military affairs.” [2]2 This quotation is from Mao Zedong’s 1936 essay “Problems of Strategy in China’s Revolutionary War.” Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is the Marxism of contemporary China and the Marxism of the twenty-first century, opening up a new realm of adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times. To truly master the fundamental skills of Marxism, one must deeply study and thoroughly understand the scientific system, core essence, and practical requirements of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, grasp the worldview and methodology of this important thought, adhere to and apply the standpoints, viewpoints, and methods that run through it, ensure political firmness through theoretical clarity, and truly forge a pair of “political discerning eyes.”

掌握马克思主义这个“望远镜和显微镜”。掌握马克思主义理论的深度，决定着政治敏感的程度、思维视野的广度、思想境界的高度。毛泽东同志指出：“我们的眼力不够，应该借助于望远镜和显微镜。马克思主义的方法就是政治上军事上的望远镜和显微镜。”习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想是当代中国马克思主义、二十一世纪马克思主义，开辟了马克思主义中国化时代化新境界。真正把马克思主义看家本领学到手，就要学深悟透习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想的科学体系、核心要义、实践要求，把握好这一重要思想的世界观和方法论，坚持好、运用好贯穿其中的立场观点方法，以理论上的清醒确保政治上的坚定，真正练就一双“政治慧眼”。

Adhere to taking the Party’s political construction as the guide, and think, make decisions, and handle affairs from a political perspective at all times and in all matters. Political progressiveness is a distinctive feature that distinguishes a Marxist political party from other political parties. Taking a clear stand on politics is the fundamental requirement for our Party as a Marxist political party. To always maintain a high degree of political acuity requires us to analyze problems from a political perspective to see their essence, and to solve problems from a political perspective to grasp the fundamentals. Facing the complex and changing domestic and international situations, and the arduous and heavy tasks of reform, development, and maintaining stability, the vast majority of Party members and cadres should be adept at analyzing the development and trends of the situation from a political perspective, seeing the essence through phenomena. We must adhere to taking the Party’s political construction as the guide, raise our political stance, deeply understand the decisive significance of the Two Establishments, [3]3 The Two Establishments (两个确立) refer to establishing Xi Jinping’s core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole, and establishing the guiding role of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. enhance the Four Consciousnesses, [4]4 The Four Consciousnesses (四个意识) are 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. strengthen the Four Confidences, [5]5 The Four Confidences (四个自信) are confidence in the path, theory, system, and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics. and achieve the Two Upholds. [6]6 The Two Upholds (两个维护) are 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. When planning major strategies, formulating major policies, and deploying major tasks, we must align with the correct political direction, implement political requirements, consciously benchmark against the Party’s basic theory, basic line, and basic strategy, benchmark against the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee, promptly correct deviations, and resolutely respond to what the Party Central Committee advocates, resolutely implement what the Party Central Committee decides, and resolutely prohibit what the Party Central Committee forbids. On major issues of principle concerning the future and destiny of socialism with Chinese characteristics, we must stand firm, take a clear stand, and not be ambiguous in the slightest, so as to ensure that all undertakings always advance in the correct political direction.

坚持以党的政治建设为统领，时时处处从政治上想问题、作决策、办事情。政治上的先进性，是马克思主义政党区别于其他政党的一个显著特征。旗帜鲜明讲政治是我们党作为马克思主义政党的根本要求。始终保持高度的政治敏锐性，要求我们从政治上分析问题进而看清本质，从政治上解决问题进而抓住根本。面对复杂多变的国内外形势，面对艰巨繁重的改革发展稳定任务，广大党员干部要善于从政治上分析形势的发展变化和趋势，透过现象看本质。我们要坚持以党的政治建设为统领，提高政治站位，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”。在谋划重大战略、制定重大政策、部署重大任务时，要把准政治方向、落实政治要求，自觉同党的基本理论、基本路线、基本方略对标对表，同党中央决策部署对标对表，及时校准偏差，做到党中央提倡的坚决响应，党中央决定的坚决照办，党中央禁止的坚决杜绝，在事关中国特色社会主义前途命运的大是大非问题上，必须立场坚定、旗帜鲜明，不能有丝毫含糊，这样才能确保各项事业始终沿着正确政治方向前进。

Adhere to bottom-line thinking, enhance awareness of potential dangers, and effectively prevent and resolve various risks and challenges on the road ahead. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “When handling and resolving contradictions and problems, we must focus on preventing and resolving political risks, keep our eyes open, see things early, act quickly, promptly eliminate various political hazards, attach great importance to and promptly block the channels for the transformation of risks in different fields, and prevent non-political risks from turning into political risks.” To always maintain a high degree of political acuity requires a strong sense of vigilance and risk awareness, with particular attention to preventing and resolving political risks. On the new journey, to forge a high degree of political acuity that sees the signs of the times and discerns the slightest details, we must adhere to bottom-line thinking, enhance awareness of potential dangers, maintain a high degree of vigilance against sensitive factors and budding tendencies that easily induce political problems, especially major emergencies, and against various erroneous trends of thought, vague understandings, and unhealthy phenomena in the ideological field, keeping our eyes open, seeing things early, and acting quickly. We must effectively improve our ability to grasp the direction, grasp the general trend, and grasp the overall situation, as well as our ability to distinguish political right from wrong, maintain political resolve, control the political situation, and prevent political risks, consciously thinking and working within the overall framework of the Party and the state’s work.

坚持底线思维、增强忧患意识，有效防范和化解前进道路上各种风险挑战。习近平总书记指出：“处理解决矛盾和问题时，要注重防范和化解政治风险，眼睛亮、见事早、行动快，及时消除各种政治隐患，高度重视并及时阻断不同领域风险的转化通道，防止非政治性风险转化为政治风险。”始终保持高度的政治敏锐性需要具备强烈的忧患意识、风险意识，尤其要注重防范和化解政治风险。新征程上，锤炼见微知著、明察秋毫的高度政治敏锐性，就要坚持底线思维、增强忧患意识，对容易诱发政治问题特别是重大突发事件的敏感因素、苗头性倾向性问题，对意识形态领域各种错误思潮、模糊认识、不良现象保持高度警惕，做到眼睛亮、见事早、行动快。要切实提高把握方向、把握大势、把握全局的能力和辨别政治是非、保持政治定力、驾驭政治局面、防范政治风险的能力，自觉在党和国家工作大局下想问题、做工作。

Online editor: Zhang Jian

网络编辑：张剑