The Fourth Plenum of the 14th CPC Central Committee

Huang Ju, mayor of Shanghai, was recently elected a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) at the Fourth Plenary Session of the 14th CPC Central Committee.

According to a decision made at the meeting which was held in Beijing from September 25 to 28, Wu Bangguo and Jiang Chunyun, both members of the politburo, were added to the Secretariat of the Party Central Committee.

A communique issued at the end of the meeting said that the plenary session concentrated on the issue of Party building and adopted "the decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China concerning some major issues on strengthening Party building."

The decision is made up of four parts: The situation and tasks facing Party building; persisting in and improving democratic centralism; strengthening and improving the building of the Party's grassroots organizations; and training and promoting leading officials of both political integrity and ability.

The session agreed that since the Third Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee, China has achieved world acknowledged success in all fields. These are inseparable from the tremendous achievements scored by the Party in its ideological, theoretical, political and organizational construction and in improving its work style.

Comrade Deng Xiaoping's theory of building socialism with Chinese characteristics has directed the orientation of building the Party in the new period.

At a time when drastic changes are taking place in the world and big changes are taking place in openingup and modernizing the country, the CPC shoulders a heavy historical responsibility.

It is necessary to conscientiously study and solve the new contradictions and problems that the Party faces and to work hard to build the Party into a Marxist political party which is armed with the theory of building socialism with Chinese characteristics. The Party must serve the people wholeheartedly and be fully consolidated ideologically, politically and organizationally. In addition, it must withstand the test of all hazards, and should always advance ahead of the times.

The session pointed out that it is necessary to continue to give priority to the Party's ideological work as planned, improve the Party's work style and deepen the struggle against corruption in a sustained way. It is also necessary to further carry forward the fine tradition of hard work and link the Party closely with the masses.

The plenary session stressed that democratic centralism is a fundamental organizational and leading system of the Party, which is scientific, rational and efficient. China is currently undergoing extensive and profound social changes and this requires the Party to do better in upholding and improving democratic centralism.

For this end, it is necessary to enhance education in the Party, among leading officials in particular, improve various concrete measures and upgrade the various guiding principles for inner Party political life.

It is also necessary to tighten and improve inner Party supervision and be strict in implementing Party discipline to ensure a healthy body for the Party and the successful accomplishment of all tasks, the communique pointed out.

With regards to training and promoting leading officials of both political integrity and ability, the session pointed out that this is a major issue of overall importance.

Efforts should be made to raise the quality of officials serving leading posts and building leading bodies at all levels into strong collectives, which have the ability to lead the modernization drive.

It is necessary to pay close attention to the discovery and use of talents, firmly grasp the training and selection of outstanding young cadres and work hard to nurture a big group of leading personnel who are able to shoulder the heavy responsibility in this and the next century.

The session also called for accelerating reform of important systems in selecting and promoting leading Party and government officials, expanding democracy, improving check-ups, promoting interflow, strengthening supervision, and gradually developing a mechanism which allows talented people to come out and which is full of vigor and vitality.

(NO. 41 OCTOBER 10, 1994)