Editor's note: More than a decade on, the Communist Party of China's eight-point rules remain a defining force in Chinese governance. In this series, CGTN presents in-depth analyses on their significance, exploring why the Party has sustained its leadership for over 70 years and how these rules have reshaped both the Party and the nation.

Why can a political party govern a country for over 70 years, maintain unity and continue gaining public support? One perspective for decoding the governance of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in the new era is its approach to Party conduct.

On December 4, 2012, less than a month after the 18th CPC National Congress, Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, presided over a meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee, which adopted the eight-point rules on improving work style and maintaining close ties with the people.

The rules addressed key issues: improving investigation and research, streamlining meetings and activities, simplifying documents and briefings, regulating visits, minimizing security protocols such as traffic controls and road or venue closures, improving news reporting, strictly regulating the publication of documents, and practicing thrift.

Although just over 600 words, the rules established strict standards for Party conduct, and profoundly changed both the Party and the country after over a decade of implementation. The rules also gained mass support from the Chinese people. According to a 2024 survey by the National Bureau of Statistics, 94.9 percent of respondents are satisfied with the achievements of the eight-point rules.

Strengthening Party cohesion and integrity

Politically, the eight-point rules curbed corruption and reinforced Party purity and vitality. They served as a lever for advancing the broader campaign of strict Party governance, enhancing cohesion and combat capacity, and making the CPC leadership stronger and more effective.

After the 18th CPC National Congress, the Party faced long-standing problems of formalism, bureaucratism, hedonism, and extravagance - collectively known as the "Four Malfeasances". Xi stressed strict management of officials, and called for merit-based selection and appointment. Under the rules, cadres engaged in extravagance or forming cliques were removed, while those willing to take responsibility and deliver results were promoted. By doing this, the CPC aims to build a clean and capable team of officials.

"If we fail to strictly govern the Party and correct prominent issues that the people strongly oppose, our Party will eventually lose its governing qualification and inevitably be discarded by history," Xi noted at a meeting in 2013.

From the start of the eight-point rules, Xi has been setting a personal example. On December 29, 2012, during an inspection tour in Fuping, north China's Hebei Province, Xi and other officials dined at a budget hotel, ordering four dishes and one soup without alcohol. "Ten people at one table, and they finished everything," recalled Jia Chunhong, then head of the hotel's catering department.

The central government has also maintained a zero-tolerance attitude toward corruption while addressing its root causes. In 2024 alone, disciplinary and supervisory agencies investigated 596,000 cases of misconduct and corruption, imposed disciplinary measures on 462,000 individuals, and transferred 15,000 cases to prosecutors. Notably, corruption oversight has extended to the grassroots: between January and September 2024, investigations were launched into 89,000 township-level officials and 77,000 current or former village-level leaders.

After more than a decade of consistent efforts, a healthier political ecosystem has taken shape, and the CPC's long-term governing capacity has been significantly enhanced.

Improving business environment

Economically, the eight-point rules transformed the use of public funds, reshaped government-business relations, and improved the business environment, providing strong momentum for China's high-quality development.

Since 2012, China has begun to promote frugality campaigns nationwide. In 2013, the national "Clean Your Plate" initiative was launched and soon gained traction, encouraging smaller portions and reducing food waste. The campaign not only cut restaurant costs but also lowered public spending on waste disposal, boosting efficiency and fostering a culture of green and low-carbon development.

Strict controls on official consumption, such as curbing lavish banquets, misuse of public vehicles, and taxpayer-funded travel, reduced government spending and forced many high-end restaurants and service providers to shift to the consumer market.

Beijing Yan, once a top-tier hotel catering mainly to officials, saw its government-related business fall from 90 percent of revenue to zero one year after the implementation of the rules. It has since reinvented itself as a venue for weddings, birthday parties, and social gatherings, and has now transformed into a successful high-end brand in the restaurant industry. "Today, more than 60 percent of our revenue comes from private events," said general manager Yang Xiulong, adding that the current customer structure is more sustainable. 

Savings in government expenditure also freed up more funds for education, healthcare, and technology development. Meanwhile, clearer boundaries between officials and entrepreneurs reduced the need for "gifts and banquets" to get business done, lowering operating costs and enabling firms to focus on competitiveness.

Over the past decade, the eight-point rules dismantled the unhealthy practices of extravagant official consumption and transactional relationships, purifying the business environment and promoting fairer competition, which further strengthened the foundations for China's high-quality development.

Read more: The eight-point rules: A cornerstone for CPC's self-reform and clean governance