The Sixth Plenum of the 15th CPC Central Committee

The Sixth Plenum of the 15th CPC Central Committee, held in Beijing September 24-26, stressed the importance to build a clean ruling Party.

The plenum was presided over by the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee. Jiang Zemin, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, delivered an important speech at the plenum.

The plenum spoke highly of the speech delivered by Jiang at the gathering that marked the 80th founding anniversary of the CPC.

The plenum passed the Decision of the CPC Central Committee on Strengthening and Improving the Building of the Party Style.

The plenum pointed out that China has entered a new development period, in which it will, in a comprehensive way, build a better-off society and hasten socialist modernization. To realize its goals of uniting and leading Chinese people of all ethnic groups to further promote modernization, fulfill reunification of the motherland, safeguard world peace and push forward common development, the Party should represent the development trend of China's advanced productive forces, the orientation of China's advanced culture, and the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of the Chinese people.

It is also imperative for the Party to promote new projects related to Party building, focusing on the two basic historical tasks of improving the Party's leadership and governance, and improving the Party's ability to resist corruption, guard against degeneration and withstand risks.

The building of Party style is an important component of Party building. The plenum agreed that the Party has long attached great importance to the improvement of Party style, and has developed and adhered to a number of fine styles over long years of revolution and construction, such as integrating theory with practice, maintaining close ties with the masses, and practicing criticism and self-criticism.

The plenum emphasized that in the new phase of development, the guiding ideology and overall demand for strengthening and improving the CPC's style building should be: to bring the Party style building to a new level by carrying forward its good traditions, enhancing ideological education, accelerating system building and tackling outstanding issues.

The building of the Party's style is a long, arduous and urgent task, which must combine general requirements with step-by-step goals. Now, and in the near future, efforts must be centered on key issues in the Party's styles of thinking, study, work and leadership, as well as lifestyles of cadres. The main tasks will include adhering to the following principles:

Emancipating the mind and seeking truth from facts to prevent old ways of doing things;

Integrating theory with practice and fighting against bookishness;

Maintaining close links with the masses to prevent formalism and bureaucracy;

Practicing democratic centralism to prevent dogmatism and laziness;

Enforcing disciplines of the Party to prevent liberalism;

Promoting justice and honesty to prevent the abuse of power;

Working hard work and fighting against hedonism; and

Promoting officials according to their ability to prevent malpractice in official promotions.

The plenum emphasized the need to appoint Party cadres on their merits, to provide an organizational guarantee for improving the work style of the Party.

The plenum made it clear that improving the Party's work style should serve the overall interests and be carried out in a comprehensive way and in strict accordance with Party rules, to achieve both temporary and permanent solutions.

The plenum passed a resolution deciding that the 16th CPC National Congress be held in Beijing in the latter half of 2002.

High-ranking Party officials expelled. The CPC Central Committee expelled Li Jiating, former governor of Yunnan Province, and Shi Zhaobin, former deputy secretary of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee, from the Party for accepting bribes, and other forms of illegal behavior.

The CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection investigated Li's case and found that he accepted bribes totaling 1.19 million yuan from nine individuals, and arranged illegal gains for other people by abusing his position. It also found that Li's son accepted bribes totaling 20.49 million yuan.

In addition, the commission accused Li of having adulterous relations with a married woman, and procuring an illegal income of some 30 million yuan for her.

In another investigation, the commission found that Shi Zhaobin accepted bribes worth 697,700 yuan from four individuals.

Shi is held responsible for rampant smuggling activities in Xiamen, especially the well-known case involving Lai Changxing, and is also held responsible for the corruption case involving some leading Party officials in Xiamen.

(No. 41 OCTOBER 11, 2001)