Xi Jinping stresses party discipline to maintain CPC leadership role
Xi Jinping chaired a symposium with non-CPC figures, calling for sustained strict party governance to ensure the CPC remains the core leader of socialism with Chinese characteristics. He urged party self-discipline, public oversight, and cooperation with democratic parties and non-party figures.
President Xi Jinping chaired a symposium in late August with non-Communist Party figures to seek their opinions on a draft decision by the CPC Central Committee concerning persistently advancing comprehensive strict party governance, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
Xi stressed that to govern the country well, the party must first be governed well, and to make the country strong, the party must first be strengthened. He said the longer a party remains in power, the more it experiences peace and the more complex the environment, the stronger its sense of urgency must be. Xi called for persistently advancing comprehensive strict party governance to ensure the CPC always serves as the strong leading core of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics.
Xi noted that soliciting opinions is an important embodiment of whole-process people's democracy, especially socialist consultative democracy. He said solving problems within the party must first rely on the CPC's own strength, continuously achieving the party's self-purification, self-improvement, self-renewal and self-enhancement. It must also rely on the people's support, actively accept public supervision and humbly listen to criticism from the masses.
Xi emphasised the need to adhere to systematic thinking, thoroughly study and implement the party-building thought of the new era, maintain a strict tone, integrate party spirit, party conduct and party discipline, and link rectifying conduct, discipline and anti-corruption efforts. He said the management of people, affairs and power must be organically combined, and leading cadres must be held to the highest standards.
Xi expressed hope that democratic parties, the Federation of Industry and Commerce, and non-party figures would actively offer advice and play a democratic oversight role, acting as the CPC's "good advisors, good helpers and good colleagues."
Representatives of various democratic parties' central committees, the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, and non-party figures spoke at the symposium, expressing full agreement with the draft decision. Politburo Standing Committee members Wang Huning, Cai Qi and Li Xi attended the symposium.