Editor's Note: 'Setting the Rules Straight: How the World's Largest Party Governs Itself' is a 12-episode video series offering an in-depth examination of how a century-old governing party, Communist Party of China or CPC, confronts its internal challenges and seeks to renew itself.

The series invites viewers to look beyond short-term political cycles and consider a fundamental question: What does it take to sustain effective governance over generations?

The first episode explores how giants can fall before they sense their weakening, even while institutions function and past achievements still impress. Beneath that surface stability, the capacity to recognize and correct problems may already be eroding.

Why do powerful institutions fall from within? History shows that even the mightiest institutions are not immune to decline. In our 12-part series, Setting the Rules Straight, we explore how the CPC governs itself and pursues self-reform. First up: Can a party avoid the historical cycle of rise and fall by having the courage to look within? Nov. 14-16. Follow along!

Even giants can fall, sometimes before they realize they are weakening. Institutions may still be functioning, officials may still be at their posts, and past achievements may still command admiration. Yet beneath the surface, an organization's ability to recognize and correct problems may already be eroding.

History offers a sobering example. The Soviet Union was once a global superpower, led by a Communist Party that had ruled for nearly seven decades. However, layers of bureaucracy, entrenched interests and weak feedback mechanisms made it increasingly difficult for the system to respond to problems. In 1991, the Soviet Union dissolved.

For the Communist Party of China, the lesson is worth remembering. Founded in 1921, the CPC now has more than 101 million members and a history spanning 105 years. But can a giant simply assume it will never fall? Size is not a guarantee of strength. Longevity is not a substitute for vigilance.

That is why self-reform matters. In late October, the fifth plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC adopted a resolution on persevering with full and rigorous Party self-governance.

The resolution calls for sustained efforts to ensure officials do not have the audacity, opportunity or desire to commit corruption. It also stresses stronger oversight and clearer accountability.

In explaining the resolution, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, returned to a fundamental question: How can a political party escape the historical cycle of rise and fall? He said, Comrade Mao Zedong offered the first answer to this question: The people's oversight over government. And since the Party's 18th National Congress, we have found the second one: The Party's self-reform.

Ultimately, the strength of a Party is not measured by whether it has problems, but by whether it has the courage to face them, the discipline to hold people accountable and the determination to fix these problems. Self-reform is not a one-off campaign. It is an ongoing process. Staying strong means having the courage to change constantly for the better.