Adopted during the working conference on party building on the 15th
Seventh domain-specific “Xi Jinping Thought”
Emphasizes unified Party leadership and fight against corruption
Chinese President Xi Jinping raises his hand to greet newly elected Politburo members during the 20th Party Congress at the Great Hall of the People, October 23, 2022./AP Yonhap News
The Communist Party of China officially adopted the “Xi Jinping Thought on Party Building”, which emphasizes building a party under strict discipline and responsibility, and called on party members to study and put it into practice.
According to Xinhua, on the 17th, the leadership of the Communist Party of China held a national symposium on party construction work in Beijing on the 15th and formalized “Xi Jinping Thought on Party Construction” as new concepts, ideas and strategies for current key tasks.
“Xi Jinping Thought on Party Building” is the seventh field-specific component of “Xi Jinping Thought”, following those on economy, diplomacy, building a strong army (military affairs), ecological civilization, rule of law and culture.
The Chinese Communist Party calls Xi Jinping’s political theory “Xi Jinping Thought” and strives to systematize it. “Xi Jinping Thought” was codified into the Party Constitution after the 19th National Congress in 2017. Aside from “Xi Jinping Thought”, the only party ideological systems named after former Chinese leaders are “Mao Zedong Thought” and “Deng Xiaoping Theory”.
Xinhua said, “‘Xi Jinping Thought on Party Building’ is a fundamental guide for strengthening the building of the Communist Party of China in the new era,” and added, “Party members and cadres should be encouraged to read the original texts, study them, and gain a deep understanding of their fundamental principles.” »
“Xi Jinping Thought on Party Building” is structured around “14 principles”. It emphasizes the concentration of power within the Party, strict discipline among party members and the fight against corruption, priorities put forward since Xi took office. With more than 100 million party members in 2024, the plan is interpreted as working to strengthen a strong Xi-centered leadership system.
Xinhua said: “As the size of the Party grows, its membership composition and Party landscape have undergone major changes, and party building is facing more serious and complex problems than ever before. »
He continued: “As Western political parties encounter many difficulties, populism rises and far-right ideas spread, parties in various countries are in urgent need of new theoretical directions,” adding: “‘Xi Jinping Thought on Party Construction’ breaks conventional assumptions about Western party systems and presents a Chinese perspective that will contribute to the development of world political civilization in the era of globalization and the progress of human political civilization.” »
The timing of the symposium draws attention because it takes place before the 21st Party Congress next year, when the leadership will be reshuffled and the question of a fourth term for Xi will be decided. Lianhe Zaobao analyzed that “Xi Jinping Thought on Party Building” has become a new standard for personnel control. Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post reported that due to the usual age limit below which those over 70 resign, more than two-thirds of Central Committee members will be replaced at next year’s congress, and major reshuffles are also expected in the Politburo and its Standing Committee.
It was the first time since 2012, just after the 18th Party Congress, that a symposium on party building work was organized. Cai Qi, the fifth member of the Politburo Standing Committee who simultaneously serves as chairman of the Central Party School, and head of the Central Organization Department Shi Taifeng were present.
The 15th, the day of the conference, was Xi Jinping’s birthday. Chinese state media reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko sent birthday greetings to Xi. Although China has, since the beginning of reform and opening-up, eschewed the personality cult of individual leaders and emphasized party rule, resulting in state media having the habit of not broadcasting information on the leader’s personal birthday, that convention has been broken this time.
