BEIJING — The Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee on Sept 9 convened a meeting to deliberate on documents to be submitted for discussion at the upcoming seventh plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Committee, which is slated to be held on Oct 9.
These documents included a draft report by the 19th CPC Central Committee to the 20th CPC National Congress, which will open on Oct 16, a draft amendment to the Party Constitution, and a draft work report by the 19th CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) to the 20th CPC National Congress.
Also reviewed at the meeting were a report on the implementation of the eight-point decision on improving Party and government conduct by the Political Bureau of the 19th CPC Central Committee, and a report on the work of rectifying the practice of pointless formalities and reducing burdens on those working at the grassroots since the 19th CPC National Congress in 2017.
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, presided over the meeting.
The meeting heard a feedback report on the draft report by the 19th CPC Central Committee to the 20th CPC National Congress, which is about opinions solicited from some Party members and non-Party figures, and a feedback report on the draft amendment to the Party Constitution, which is about opinions collected from some Party members, and a feedback report on the draft work report by the 19th CPC CCDI to the 20th CPC National Congress.
It was decided at the meeting that the three documents will be submitted to the seventh plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Committee for discussion after being revised based on the deliberation results at this meeting.
It was reckoned at the meeting that localities, departments and sectors, delegates to the 19th CPC National Congress, and newly-elected delegates to the 20th CPC National Congress have put forward many valuable opinions and suggestions about the draft report by the 19th CPC Central Committee to the 20th CPC National Congress and the draft amendment to the Party Constitution in the process of soliciting opinions.
It is imperative to give play to the role of democracy and collective wisdom, conduct a careful deliberation on the opinions and suggestions collected from all parties, and absorb them as much as possible, on the basis of which great efforts will be made to draw up a report to the 20th CPC National Congress that responds to the common aspirations of the whole Party and the Chinese people of all ethnic groups, accords with adhering to and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, and squares with the goals and missions of the Party and the State on the new journey in the new era, and work out an amendment to the Party Constitution that facilitates the innovative development of Party theories and practices and meets the need of advancing the great new project of Party building in the new era.
It was stressed at the meeting that the 20th CPC National Congress is a convention of great significance to be held at a crucial moment, as the whole Party and the entire nation embark on a new journey toward the Second Centenary Goal of building a modern socialist country in all respects. It is of tremendous importance in inspiring and mobilizing all Party members and the Chinese people of all ethnic groups to uphold and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics, build a modern socialist country in all respects, and fully advance the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. We need to rationally examine the prevailing trend of the development of today's China and the world beyond, and thoroughly review the practices and experiences of the Party leading the people in advancing reform and opening-up and socialist modernization. Based on the conditions in the new era, we need to focus on the new situations and tasks we are facing in our reform and development, adhere to our goal of meeting the people's aspirations for a better life, and make plans and arrangements for the cause of the Party and the country from a strategic and overall perspective. Under the firm leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, efforts should be made to unite the whole Party and the Chinese people of all ethnic groups and lead them in building on past achievements and working with an indomitable spirit to overcome difficulties, continuously breaking new ground for developing socialism with Chinese characteristics.
The Party Constitution is the general charter of the CPC, and it plays a fundamental role in regulating and guiding the efforts to uphold the Party's overall leadership, advance the Party's full and rigorous self-governance and strengthen Party building, according to the meeting. Making amendments to the Party Constitution by the CPC at its 20th National Congress in line with new circumstances and missions will help the whole Party better study, abide by, implement and safeguard this fundamental document. It will also help advance the great cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the great new project of Party building. The major theoretical proposition and strategic thoughts validated by the report to the 20th CPC National Congress will be written into the Party Constitution so that the latest achievements of adapting Marxism to China's context and new circumstances will be fully epitomized and so will the new ideas, new thinking and new strategies of governance developed by the CPC Central Committee since the Party's 19th National Congress in 2017. The amended Party Constitution will also clarify the new requirements for upholding and strengthening Party's leadership and advancing the Party's full and rigorous self-governance under new circumstances, so as to better navigate the great social revolution with vigorous self-reform, according to the meeting.
It was noted at the meeting that the draft work report to be delivered to the 20th CPC National Congress by the 19th CPC CCDI fully demonstrates what, under the firm leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, the CCDI and National Commission of Supervision, as well as discipline inspection and supervision departments at all levels, have achieved, their practice and reflection on their work. With the major target of the Party and the State as the focus, they have played well their role of supervision, ensuring enforcement of the law as well as the Party's disciplines and implementation of the Party's policies, improving and refining the work of both the Party and government. We must fully understand and implement Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, carry out the CPC Central Committee's strategic plans for the self-reform of the Party, uphold the authority of the CPC Central Committee and its centralized, unified leadership, exercise full and strict governance over the Party, push forward the great project of the Party building in the new era, and make further progress in improving Party conduct, upholding the integrity and combating corruption. It was agreed at the meeting that the seventh plenary session of the 19th CPC CCDI will be convened on Oct 7, 2022.
It was noted at the meeting that, since the 19th CPC National Congress in 2017, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has made new decisions and raised new requirements for constantly improving Party conduct and enforcing Party discipline, made revisions to the measures of the eight-point decision in this regard, and always puts promoting good Party conducts high on its agenda. Through persistent efforts, some longstanding misconducts have been curbed and deep-rooted malfeasances addressed, which leads to significant improvements in Party conduct, the working practices of government officials, social morality, and individual virtues.
Under the personal instruction and direction of General Secretary Xi Jinping, the CPC Central Committee has combined solving prominent problems of formalities for formalities' sake with easing burdens on those working at the grassroots and made it a vital part of Party conduct building, which has been advanced in a coordinated and integrated manner. On the part of a central mechanism under the CPC Central Committee in this regard, forceful measures have been taken to prompt all regions and all departments to ceaselessly address outstanding problems of pointless formalities and bureaucratism and relieve burdens on those working at the grassroots level. As a result, problems existing within the Party have so far been curbed and tackled to some extent, enabling grassroots officials and Party members to focus their time and energy on policy implementation. Easing the burdens at the grassroots level through battling perfunctory practices has become regular work of Party conduct building for all regions and all departments, as well as an effective way to deepen full and rigorous Party self-governance.
It was stressed at the meeting that improving Party conduct is and will always be an undertaking in progress. The eight-point decision must be adhered to on a long-term basis. It is necessary to have an accurate understanding of the law and characteristics as well as the work requirements under the new situation for the fight against "the four malfeasances" — formalities for formalities' sake, bureaucratism, hedonism, and extravagance. It is imperative to seize the momentum and make unremitting efforts to carry on the work regularly, permanently, strictly, concretely, deeply, and delicately, so as to develop new habits, make achievements, and cultivate new traditions. We should work arduously to maintain the intensity of efforts in rectifying prominent problems all the time. Various measures should be urged to be implemented to reduce the burden on those working at the grassroots so that a long-term mechanism will be gradually established in this regard. The synergy of such regular and long-term rectification will better benefit the majority of grassroots officials and the people.
Other issues were also discussed at the meeting.
