The Two Major Historical Tasks of the Party Building

The two major historical tasks of Party building, namely constantly improving the Party’s leadership and governance and improving the Party’s capability of resisting corruption, guarding against degeneration and warding off risks, were proposed by the Party’s Third generation of collective central leadership with Comrade Jiang Zemin as the core. On July 1, 1991, Jiang Zemin pointed out in his speech at the CPC’s 70th Anniversary that we must strengthen Party self-discipline, establish and improve a system of resisting corruption and guarding against degeneration, take practical and effective measure to strengthen intra-Party supervision and supervision by the people, and fight relentlessly against all corruption and other misconducts. It is the preliminary proposal of the connotation of "resisting corruption and guarding against degeneration". On October 12, 1992, Jiang Zemin emphasized in the report of the 14th CPC National Congress that we must strengthen and improve Party building and strive to improve the Party's leadership and governance, so that the Party plays a better leading role in the great cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics. It is the preliminary proposal of the connotation of “improving the Party's governance and leadership”. On September 12, 1997, the report of the 15th CPC National Congress pointed out: “The whole Party must, in accordance with the general goal of the great new program, comprehensively strengthen Party building in terms of ideology, organization and style, continuously improve leadership and governance, constantly enhance the capability to resist corruption and guard against degeneration, and lead the people to complete new historic tasks with a new look and stronger combat effectiveness.” It is the preliminary proposal of the complete content of the two historic tasks of Party building.

On June 28, 1999, Jiang Zemin pointed out in his speech at the symposium to commemorate the CPC’s 78th Anniversary that the CPC Central Government decides to carry out the "three emphases" education on study, politics and healthy trends in the spirit of rectification among the Party and government leading bodies and leading cadres at or above the county level, and to solve the outstanding problems in Party spirit and Party style, which is necessary for maintaining the Party's advancement and purity, improving its leadership and governance, and enhancing its capability of resisting corruption, guarding against degeneration and warding off risks under the new historic conditions. For the first time, the “two historic tasks” of improving the leadership and governance and improving the capability of resisting corruption, guarding against degeneration and warding off risks was officially put forward. On November 8, 2002, "further solving the two historic tasks of improving the Party’s leadership and governance and improving the Party’s capability of resisting corruption, guarding against degeneration and warding off risks" was written into the report of the 16th CPC National Congress.

The two historic tasks of Party building are determined by the historic position and challenges faced by the Party. Since the Party came to power, especially the Reform and Opening-up, it has changed from a Party leading the people to struggle for seizing the national political power to a Party leading the people to master the national political power and in power for a long time, and from a Party leading the national construction under the conditions of external blockade and planned economy to a Party leading the national construction under the conditions of opening up to the outside world and developing the socialist market economy. These two major changes reflect the great achievements and progress made by the Party in the past 90 years. Both history and reality show that the construction and management of a Party in power is much more difficult than that before the governance. The situation faced by Party building under the conditions of opening up to the outside world and developing the socialist market economy is much more complicated than that faced by Party building under the conditions of closed, semi-closed and planned economy. To scientifically judge and comprehensively grasp the historic position of the Party, correctly understand and properly handle the new situations and new problems encountered by the Party in governance under the conditions of reform, opening up and developing the socialist market economy, we must further improve the Party's leadership and governance, and improve its capability of resisting corruption, guarding against degeneration and warding off risks.

These two historic tasks are new Party building tasks put forward by the Chinese Communists according to the needs of the development of the times and the Party's own situation and historic mission. They clearly define the basic goals and efforts for the Party to comprehensively strengthen self-building under the new historic conditions. As the situation is developing and changing, the historic tasks shouldered by the Party, the domestic and international environment and the situation of the Party itself are quite different from those of the past, which brings about unprecedented new tasks and requirements for Party building. In the new century and new stage, to solve different complicated contradictions and difficulties, withstand new tests and exercises, and continue to promote the great cause of socialism, the Party should further improve its leadership and governance, and improve its capability of resisting corruption, guarding against degeneration and warding off risks. Only by solving this problem can the Party obtain the heartfelt support of the people and lead the people to keep moving forward. Based on this, Xi Jinping emphasized that the theme of Party building in the new era of Reform and Opening-up is to strengthen and improve Party building with the spirit of reform and innovation, constantly improve the Party’s governance and leadership, enhance its capability of resisting corruption, guarding against degeneration and warding off risks, always maintain and develop the Party’s advancement, and make sure that the Party is always the core of uniting and leading the people in building socialism with Chinese characteristics.