“Four Tests” and “Four Dangers”

In the new period of Reform and Opening-up, the Party faces four tests such as the test of governance, the test of Reform and Opening-up, the test of the market economy, and the the test of external environment, and confronted with the four dangers of slacking off mentally, being incompetent, alienating the masses and being dispirited and corrupt. The “four tests” and “four dangers” are the product of the new complex situation and severe challenges faced by the Party, and are the important national conditions and Party conditions for upholding that the Party must supervise its own conduct and run itself with strict discipline. Recognition of the “four tests” and “four dangers” reflects the Party's sense of urgency to face reality and the maturity and confidence in directly undertaking historic mission,

The “four tests” and “four dangers” are the warnings issued by Hu Jintao to the whole Party in his speech at the CPC’s 90th Anniversary on July 1, 2011. In November 2012, the report of the 18th CPC National Congress pointed out that under the new circumstances, the tests the Party faces in governance, Reform and Opening-up, the market economy, and the external environment are protracted, complicated, and serious; the dangers of lacking in drive, incompetence, isolation from the people, inaction, and corruption are more pointedly confronting the whole Party. Mao Zedong made a profound analysis on the tests the Party would face at the 2nd Plenary Session of the 7th CPC Central Committee held on the eve of the founding of New China, and pointed out: with victory, certain moods may grow within the Party, including arrogance, the airs of a self-styled hero, inertia and unwillingness to make progress, love of pleasure and distaste for continued hard living. He once again reminded the whole Party to be alert to the erosion of bourgeois sugar-coated bullets, to remain modest, prudent and free from arrogance and rashness in work style, and to preserve the style of plain living and hard work. He also compared the Party's governance over the country to “racing to the capital for the imperial examination” and proposed that “we all hope to get a good grade, and we will never be Li Zicheng”. It is a profound warning to the test of governance, and dangers of lacking in drive, isolation from the people, inaction, and corruption. After the founding of New China, the 1st generation of collective central leadership with Comrade Mao Zedong as the core repeatedly stressed that we must keep close ties between the Party and the people and must not be privileged class. A series of measures were taken to maintain the advancement of the Party and enhance its combat effectiveness. After the Reform and Opening-up in 1978, many Party officials were involved in economic crimes while the economy was invigorating.

Deng Xiaoping reminded the whole Party: “If we do not pay serious attention and resolutely stop this trend, the Party and country will inevitably face the problem of ‘face change’. It is not an alarmist. If social conduct is deteriorating, what's the use of achieving economic development? Worse, deteriorating social conduct will in turn lead to a qualitative change in the economy, eventually producing a society in which embezzlement, theft and bribery run rampant.” The report of the 13th CPC National Congress in 1987 pointed out: “The Party is in a governing status and must stand the test of governance; the Party is leading the Reform and Opening-up and must stand the test of Reform and Opening-up. It is the most important task that must be completed in Party building in the new period.” It is a clear proposal of the “two tests” of governance and Reform and Opening-up.

The “Decision of the CPC Central Committee on Strengthening Ties between the Party and the People” adopted at the 6th Plenary Session of the 13th CPC Central Committee in 1990 pointed out that: after the Party came into power, “if the power cannot be used correctly, and if the decadent ideas of the bourgeoisie and other exploiting classes cannot be consciously resisted, the danger of isolation from the people will grow. All comrades in the Party must always be alert to this danger, stand the test of governance and Reform and Opening-up, and strive to maintain and develop close ties between the Party and the masses”. “The test of governance and Reform and Opening-up” and “the danger of isolation from the people” are mentioned here.

On July 1, 1991, Jiang Zemin pointed out in his speech at the CPC’s 70th Anniversary that under the new historic conditions, we not only need to continuously stand the test of governance, but also face the test of Reform and Opening-up and developing commodity economy, and the test of opposing peaceful evolution. The “test of developing commodity economy” mentioned here is the later “test of the market economy”. The “Decision of the CPC Central Committee on Strengthening and Improving Some Major Issues in Party Building under New Circumstances” adopted by the 4th Plenary Session of the 17th CPC Central Committee in 2009 pointed out that the test of governance, Reform and Opening-up, market economy and external environment faced by the Party is long-term, complex and severe. It is more arduous and urgent than ever to uphold that the Party must supervise its own conduct and run itself with strict discipline. It is the official proposal of the “four tests”.

On July 1, 2011, Hu Jintao proposed the “four tests” in his speech at the CPC’s 90th Anniversary, and further pointed out that “the whole Party is confronted with increasingly grave dangers of lacking in drive, isolation from the people, inaction, and corruption”. At this point, the “four tests” and “four dangers” were put forward completely. Strong sense of urgency is the valuable experience of the Party in governing and rejuvenating the country, and is also the consistent consciousness of the Chinese Communists. In 2014, Xi Jinping pointed out that under the conditions of Reform and Opening-up and developing the socialist market economy, the danger of isolation from the people has greatly increased compared with the past. In his speech at the CPC’s 95th Anniversary, Xi Jinping once again quoted Mao Zedong's words said when the CPC Central Committee set off from its base in Xibaipo to Beijing: “ ‘Today we race to the capital for the imperial examination’. As the past 60 years have proven, the Party has achieved an outstanding result in its historic test. However, this test is by no means over, and it is continuing right now.”

We must fully understand that the "four tests" are long-term and complex, that the "four dangers" are intensive and severe, and that the enhancement of capabilities of self-purification, self-improvement, self-innovation and self-enhancement is important and urgent. We must also adhere to the bottom line thinking and be prepared for danger in times of peace.