Mass Line

One of the three basic aspects of the living soul of Mao Zedong Thought. The Constitution of the CPC stipulates: “The Party leads the masses in all practical work, the leadership can form its correct ideas only by adopting the method of ‘from the masses, to the masses’ and testing the correctness of these ideas in the practice of the masses.”

The mass line is a summary of the long-term historical experience of the CPC by its systematic application in all its activities of the Marxist-Leninist principle that the people are the makers of history. Mao Zedong often emphasized the idea of relying on the masses, believing in the inexhaustible creative power of the masses and identifying ourselves with them. In June 1943, he discussed the working methods from the masses to the masses in “Some Questions Concerning Methods of Leadership”.

In April 1945, in the political report of the Seventh National Congress of the CPC, “On Coalition Government”, he expounded that the style of close connection between the Party and the people is one of the three great policies of the Party.

Liu Shaoqi pointed out in his report on the “Revision of the Party Constitution” at the Seventh National Congress that the Party's mass line is the Party's fundamental political and organizational line. Since the new period of Reform and Opening-up, the CPC has repeatedly stressed that it must always represent the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of the Chinese people, adhere to the People’s Principles, adhere to the dominant position of the people, and carry out the mass line educational practice activities with the people-oriented, pragmatic and honest as the main content.

“From the masses, to the masses” answers the question of who the Party's work is for and who it depends on, is the Party's fundamental attitude towards the masses.

The Party regards serving the people whole-heartedly as its sole purpose, to proceed in all cases from the interests of the people and not from the interests of individuals or groups and understanding that all the words and deeds should conform with the highest interests and enjoy the support of the overwhelming majority of the people.

The Party regards the people as the source of all its strength and firmly believes that the creative power of the people is infinite, therefore, it trusts the people and unites with them, and should never for a moment divorce itself from the masses.

Mao Zedong pointed out: "This means concentrating the ideas of the masses (scattered and unsystematic opinions) and turning them into systematic ideas (after research, they will be transformed into centralized and systematic opinions), then going to the masses so that the ideas are persevered in and carried through and testing the correctness of these ideas in the practice of the masses. Then we should gather them from the masses and uphold the mass line. And this process goes on, over and over again, so that the understanding of the leadership becomes more correct, keener and richer each time.”

Adhering to the mass line in winning the new victory of socialism with Chinese characteristics means that it should be carried out in all activities of governing the country. We should insist that the people are the fundamental force determining our future and destiny; we should adhere to the fundamental purpose of serving the people wholeheartedly; we should maintain the flesh and blood ties between the party and the people; and we should really let the people judge our work.