Keywords to Understand China
Keywords are one of the best ways to understand a country. In China, with the rapid development in different areas, the keywords keep changing. Chinafrica presents a selection of prevailing keywords to help readers understand China better.
The Campaign to Educate Party Members About the Mass Line
The CPC made a strategic decision at its 18th National Congress to launch a campaign to educate Party members about the mass line. The campaign started in June 2013 and was basically concluded in October 2014. It was mainly about serving the people, being pragmatic and incorruptible, and was carried out throughout the Party from the top down in two phases. This campaign gave Party members and officials a deeper understanding of the Marxist perspective on working with the people; it made effective inroads against the “Four Malfeasances,” and revived and encouraged the Party’s great traditions of criticism and self-criticism. It refined institutional systems by focusing on changing work practices, led to breakthroughs in critical issues directly affecting the interests of the people, and further strengthened the foundation of the Party’s governance.
Special Education Program of the Three Guidelines for Ethical Behavior and Three Basic Rules of Conduct
The Three Guidelines for Ethical Behavior and Three Basic Rules of Conduct were expectations of leading officials at all levels set by xi. They call upon officials to be strict in self-cultivation, when exercising authority, and to be self-disciplined, and act in good faith when performing official duties, taking initiatives, and interacting with others. On April 19, 2015, the General Office of the CPC Central Committee issued the Program for Educating Leading Officials at County Level and Above on the Three Guidelines for Ethical Behavior and Three Basic Rules of Conduct, and made plans for implementation within the year. The guideline for self-cultivation means enhancing Party members’ awareness of the Party’s expectations, firmly supporting their ideals and beliefs, raising their ethical standards, pursuing noble values, self-consciously avoiding vulgarity, and consciously resisting unhealthy practices and negative influences.
The guideline for the exercise of authority means exercising governance according to rules and institutional procedures, maintaining authority within the confines of an institution, and never seeking special privileges or using authority for personal gain.
The guideline for self-discipline means upholding and diligently abiding by Party discipline and state laws. Rule of conduct when performing official duties means basing plans on reality, so that ideas, policies and programs are appropriate to actual conditions, inaccordance with objective laws. Rule of conduct when taking initiatives means being firmly grounded, taking real action, daring to be held accountable, confronting problems directly, being adept at solving them, and striving to produce results that are workable, acceptable to the people and can stand the test of time. Rule of conduct when interacting with others means being an honest person who speaks and acts honestly.
Eliminating the “Four Malfeasances”
During a work conference in June 2013 on the campaign to educate Party members about the mass line, xi pointed out that there were numerous instances of the Party losing connection with the people. These were manifested in the “Four Malfeasances:” going through the motions, bureaucracy, self-indulgence and extravagance. They are a major cause of damage to relations between the Party and the people. Their elimination must start with those issues of greatest concern and greatest urgency to the people. Efforts should focus on the inappropriate conduct of Party members which directly affects the people; the impact of improvements should reach all the way to the grassroots, and work should be done to let the people truly feel the benefits, and make them satisfied with the results.