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Upholding Party leadership and rigorous Party self-supervision and self-governance provides fundamental backing for us to carry out a great struggle with many new contemporary characteristics, to advance the great cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and to realize the great dream of national rejuvenation. These are furthermore the essential requirements for our Party to keep in step with the times and maintain its advanced nature and purity.

As proven through the practice of uniting and leading the people in revolution, development, and reform, when the Party itself is strong, the Party and the people are unstoppable in their endeavors. The 19th CPC National Congress summed up the fresh experiences that we have gained in upholding Party leadership and strengthening Party building, and put forward explicit overall requirements for Party building in the new era. Instead of being hollow, abstract, and didactic, these general requirements are based on the practical requirements for strengthening Party building and ensuring full and strict governance over the Party; for resolving prominent conflicts and problems within the Party; for maintaining the Party's advanced nature and purity and enhancing its capacity to innovate, to unite, and to fight; for preserving the Party's mission and character and sustaining its intimate ties with the people; and for upholding the Party's governing position, improving its governing abilities, and bolstering the foundations of its governance.

Pushing against the current requires extra exertion, as slackening for even a moment will cause severe setbacks. We must have a thorough understanding of the new requirements that socialism with Chinese characteristics for the new era has placed on our Party's self-improvement, focus on making our Party better able to assume its missions, bring together and apply successful experiences, tackle prominent problems head on, and unremittingly advance the development of full and strict governance over the Party.

On our journey in the new era, all Party members must act in line with the era's general requirements for Party building, uphold and strengthen overall Party leadership, and ensure that the Party exercises effective self-supervision and practices strict self-governance in every respect. To make this routine practice and produce positive results, we must be perseverant and tenacious as we put forth effort that is constant and lasting, strict and pragmatic, and thorough and meticulous. As long as it remains strict on itself, there is no doubt that our Party will possess unyielding determination and indomitable strength, will maintain its intimate bond with the people, and will navigate the ship bearing the great dream of the Chinese people to cleave the waves and sail toward radiant new horizons.

(Source: Extract from Xi Jinping's speech at the First Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee, October 25, 2017.)

This episode is presented by Pan Deng.