The Fifth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), held in Beijing from October 26 to 29, has placed sustained efforts to advance full and rigorous Party self-governance at the center of its agenda, outlining a systematic plan to strengthen the Party's long-term governing capacity.

Why is the CPC emphasizing the issue at this particular juncture, and what does the latest decision mean for the Party's future development?

A long-term commitment to self-reform

The session reviewed the CPC's more than 100-year history and highlighted the importance of Party self-governance in its continued development.

It also recognized the major achievements made in advancing full and rigorous Party self-governance in the new era, noting that the efforts have addressed the problem of lax and weak self-supervision and self-governance at its root.

During an interview with China Media Group (CMG), Hong Xianghua, a professor at the Party School of the CPC Central Committee, said the latest arrangements demonstrate the CPC Central Committee's strong sense of historical initiative and its determination to carry forward the Party's self-reform.

He noted that the CPC has consistently attached importance to strengthening its own development throughout its history. In this process, the Party has identified two answers to the question of how to escape the historical cycle of rise and fall: the people's oversight over government and the Party's self-reform, Hong said.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee has incorporated full and rigorous Party self-governance into the Four-Pronged Comprehensive Strategy, Hong pointed out, adding that measures such as the eight-point decision on improving work conduct have been introduced, alongside stronger discipline enforcement and coordinated efforts to combat corruption.

These efforts have helped fundamentally reverse the previous situation of lax and weak Party self-governance, according to Hong.

Why perseverance matters amid new challenges

The plenary session also underscored that profound changes in global, national and Party conditions have made the tasks of safeguarding China's sovereignty, security and development interests, promoting reform and development, and maintaining social harmony and stability increasingly demanding.

Zhuang Deshui, deputy head of Peking University's Research Center of Public Policy, told CMG that the challenges facing the Party today make it essential to treat full and rigorous Party self-governance as a long-term strategy and an enduring task.

With the mission of advancing Chinese modernization, building a strong country and achieving national rejuvenation, the Party must move beyond conventional approaches to self-governance, he said.

Ai Silin, dean of the Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era Research Institute at Tsinghua University, noted that as circumstances become more complex and tasks more demanding, any relaxation in Party self-governance could mean setbacks.

Talking with CMG, Ai noted that the Party has continued to move forward by upholding truth, correcting mistakes and addressing its own problems.

The significance of these efforts, Ai said, can also be felt by ordinary people through changes in Party and government conduct and the ongoing efforts to address undesirable work practices.

A systematic roadmap for the next stage

Looking ahead, the plenary session outlined seven guiding principles for advancing full and rigorous Party self-governance: serving the Party's missions and tasks; taking strengthening the Party politically as the overarching principle; exercising rigorous governance across the board; adopting a problem-oriented approach; upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground; adhering to a top-down approach; and running the Party according to regulations.

The session also laid out systematic arrangements covering Party spirit, democratic centralism, officials' selection and management, organizational development, conduct and discipline, anti-corruption efforts, and institutional development.

Hong said the seven principles both summarize the experience gained since the 18th CPC National Congress and provide guidance for future efforts.

Ai noted that the principles reflect the worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, including the emphasis on serving the Party's missions and tasks, addressing problems and upholding fundamental principles while breaking new ground.

The session further stressed that strict management of officials is key to full and rigorous Party self-governance. It called for building a contingent of high-caliber officials capable of shouldering the mission of national rejuvenation.

Zhuang pointed out that the principle of "adhering to a top-down approach" summarizes and refines the valuable experience gained in implementing the eight-point decision on improving work conduct. He noted that the success of the eight-point decision lies in the CPC Central Committee taking the lead by example to advance Party conduct. Furthermore, he emphasized that running the Party according to regulations serves as a vital guarantee for continuously promoting full and rigorous Party self-governance, ensuring that the results of these ongoing efforts are ultimately secured by the power of institutions.

The communique also called for coordinated efforts to ensure that officials do not have the audacity, opportunity or desire to commit corruption, combining severe punishment, targeted remedy and effective prevention.

Zhuang said the approach represents an important development in the CPC's theoretical, institutional and practical innovations in Party conduct and integrity building. He added that strengthening checks and oversight over the exercise of power is essential to ensuring that the granting, exercise and supervision of power are all governed by clear rules.