Editor's note: Song Yuehong, a special commentator on current affairs for CGTN, is deputy director and research fellow at the Institute of Contemporary China Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily those of CGTN.

Xi Jinping Thought on Party Building constitutes an integral component of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, underpinned by solid practical foundations and profound theoretical origins.

Rooted in Marxist scientific theories and nourished by China's fine traditional culture, this thought has taken shape and advanced as the Party has pressed ahead with adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of our times. It maintains a consistent lineage with Mao Zedong Thought on Party Building forged during the New Democratic Revolution and the period of socialist revolution and construction, as well as Deng Xiaoping's theories on Party building developed in the new era of reform, opening up and socialist modernization, while advancing with the times. It represents the inheritance and development of the Party's innovative theoretical achievements concerning the laws governing Party building and Party leadership.

Centrally, it systematically addresses the core proposition of what kind of long-term ruling Marxist political party we should build and how to build it, through the "Fourteen Insistences" – a set of core principles for the Party including upholding that the CPC's leadership is the defining feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics, among others. Integrating history with reality and theory with practice, this thought fully applies the Party's commitment to the "Two Integrations" – integrating the basic tenets of Marxism with China's specific realities and traditional culture and a sure path for continuously opening new horizons in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of our times – and fully embodies its distinct theoretical character of advancing with the times, upholding fundamental principles while breaking new ground.

In upholding fundamental principles, Xi Jinping Thought on Party Building follows the laws governing human social development revealed by Marxism, abides by the laws of CPC governance as well as the rules of Party leadership and Party building. The fundamentals it upholds include the Party's nature, fundamental purpose and mission; preserving the Party's advanced nature and purity; upholding and improving Party leadership; and strengthening the Party's ideological, organizational and conduct building.

In Party building for the new era, only by upholding fundamental principles can we avoid losing our identity and direction, ensuring the Party never changes its nature, identity or character, keeping abreast of the times amid profound shifts in the global landscape, remaining the backbone of the Chinese people while responding to various domestic and international risks and tests, and standing as a firm core of leadership in advancing the cause of Chinese socialism.

In breaking new ground, Xi Jinping Thought on Party Building responds to China's new historical juncture, the shift in the principal conflicts facing Chinese society, and profound changes in the Party's, national and global landscapes. It takes a holistic approach to navigating the great changes unseen in a century across the world and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and advances Chinese modernization through further comprehensive deepening of reform. It also coordinates efforts to advance China's Five-sphere Integrated Plan and the Four-pronged Comprehensive Strategy, with the former referring to China's overall plan for building socialism with Chinese characteristics and promoting coordinated progress in the economic, political, cultural, social and eco-environmental fields, and the latter consisting of comprehensively building a modern socialist country, comprehensively expanding in-depth reform, comprehensively promoting law-based governance, and comprehensively enforcing strict Party discipline.

It articulates the general requirements for Party building in the new era while comprehensively advancing this great new project. Nurtured and formulated in the great practice of exercising full and strict self-governance over the Party in the new era, it puts forward a series of new ideas, viewpoints and strategies on Party leadership and Party building, forming a rigorous scientific theoretical system with rich connotations. In Party building for the new era, only through innovation can we grasp and lead the times, build a stronger, more vibrant Party, explore solutions to the unique challenges facing a large party, and consolidate the Party's foundation for long-term governance.

The core essence of Xi Jinping Thought on Party Building lies in its clear proposition that CPC leadership is the defining feature of Chinese socialism. The Party has made it clear that its leadership is comprehensive, systematic and holistic; safeguarding the Party's unity and solidarity is the lifeblood of the Party; and centralized, unified leadership by the Party Central Committee stands as the highest principle of Party leadership.

The Party has improved and refined the systems for exercising Party leadership, established sound institutions through which the Party exercises leadership over major work, and ensured the whole Party maintains complete alignment with the Party Central Committee on political stance, direction, principles and path. The Party has adopted the strategic guideline of exercising full and strict self-governance over itself, comprehensively advanced its political, ideological, organizational, conduct and discipline building, woven institutional building into all of these efforts, thoroughly combated corruption, fulfilled the political responsibility of governing the Party with strict standards, and used great self-reform to steer great social transformation.

The Party integrates ideological Party building with institutional Party governance, creatively promotes full and strict Party self-governance starting with conduct improvement, and leads the whole Party in unremitting efforts to address the "Four Malfeasances": going through the motions, excess bureaucracy, self-indulgence and extravagance. 

The Party's eight-point decision on improving Party and government conduct has reshaped the entire Party and transformed China. Adhering to the principle that Party discipline is stricter than state law and aligning disciplinary enforcement with law-based governance, the Party has formed a relatively complete system of intra-Party regulations and rigorously enforced institutions, markedly elevating the scientization, institutionalization and standardization of Party building.

Tempered through revolutionary self-reform, the Party has achieved greater unity in thought, solidarity in politics and coordination in action; a sound and upright intra-Party political ecosystem has steadily taken shape and flourished, enabling it to grow stronger in leading the people to advance Chinese modernization. The historic achievements and shifts in the cause of the Party and the country stem fundamentally from the firm leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core and the scientific guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.

Xi Jinping Thought on Party Building embodies firm ideals and convictions, a strong sense of historical initiative, a distinct problem-oriented approach, a profound sense of mission, deep affection for the people, and scientific thinking methods. It inherently contains the scientific nature, truthfulness, people-centeredness, practicality, openness and contemporaneity of the Marxist theory of Party building, and profoundly reveals the historical inevitability, distinct political character and profound theoretical awareness behind exercising full and strict self-governance over the Party in the new era.

Through innovative theoretical achievements on Party leadership and Party building, it expands and deepens the horizons of adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of our times, makes major original contributions to advancing the Marxist theory of Party building, and bears far-reaching practical and long-term guiding significance for strengthening the Party and the nation. Serving as the scientific guide for comprehensively advancing the great cause of building a strong country and national rejuvenation through Chinese modernization in the new era, Xi Jinping Thought on Party Building will continuously enrich and develop alongside the evolving practice of Party building in the new era, spanning the grand historical continuum of past, present and future.

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