Decision of the Central Committee of the CPC on Several Major Issues Concerning Strengthening and Improving Party Construction under the New Circumstances

Adopted at the Fourth Plenary Session of the 17th Central Committee of the CPC on September 18, 2009. Included in Selection and Compilation of Important Documents since the 17th National Congress (Vol. 2 ).

On the basis of a comprehensive analysis of the new situation and tasks, the “Decision” pointed out that we should persistently adhere to the leadership of the CPC in adhering to the socialist path with Chinese characteristics, promoting socialist modernization and realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Party building is an important magic weapon for the continuous victory of the great cause led by the Party.

Accordingly, it puts forward clear requirements and concrete arrangements for strengthening and improving the Party's construction under the new situation. The full text consists of eight parts: strengthening and improving the importance and urgency of Party building under the new situation; summarizing and enriching the basic experience of developing the ruling Party building; building a Marxist learning Party to improve the ideological and political level of the whole Party; adhering to and improving democratic-centralism and actively developing democracy within the Party; deepening cadres' personnel.

Institutional reform should build a contingent of high-quality cadres who are good at promoting scientific development and social harmony; do a good job of laying a foundation at the grass-roots level and consolidating the organizational foundation of the Party in power; carry forward the Party's fine style of work and maintain flesh-and-blood ties between the Party and the people; accelerate the construction of a system for punishing and preventing corruption, and deepen the fight against corruption. The Decision scientifically summarizes the basic experience of strengthening self-construction as a Marxist ruling Party explored in the long-term ruling practice of the CPC with "persistence" on the six principles as follows:

Firstly, persist in putting ideological construction in the first place and improving level of Marxism within the whole Party. Secondly, persist on closely combining the great project of promoting the Party construction with the great cause of enhancing the Party leadership so as to ensure that the Party always remains the strong core of leadership in socialist construction.

Thirdly, we should persist on the construction of governing ability and advancement as the main line to ensure that the Party always keeps ahead of the times.

Fourthly, we should persist on the principle of establishing the Party for the public and governing for the people and maintain the flesh-and-blood ties between the Party and the people.

Fifthly, we should persist in reform and innovation to enhance the vitality of the Party. Sixthly, we should persist that the Party should govern the Party strictly and improve the level of governing the Party. The “Decision” for the first time put forward the important proposition and task of scientificization of Party building, that is, to constantly grasp and consciously apply the law of the construction of the ruling Marxist Party. To improve the scientific level of Party building, the key is to adhere to the guidance of scientific theories. To this end, the “Decision” puts forward the strategic task of building a Marxist learning Party and improving the ideological and political level of the whole Party. We should promote the Sinicization, modernization and popularization of Marxism; arm the whole Party with the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics; carry out the study and education of the Socialist core value system; and build a learning Party organization. The “Decision” meets the requirements of the development of the Party and the people's cause and the needs of the Party's construction under the new situation. It reflects the rich achievements in theoretical innovation, practical innovation, system innovation and work innovation of the Party's construction, and reflects the common will of the whole Party to strengthen its own construction. The Decision lays out a great new project to further promote the Party's construction with the spirit of reform and innovation, it embodies the soberness and consciousness of the CPC that will never fail the trust and expectation of the people and will always be in the forefront of the times. It is a programmatic document for strengthening and improving the Party's construction under the new situation.