VIII. Responsibilities of Party Organizations and Party Members in the Building of a Socialist Society With an Advanced Culture and Ideology

The working class is the leading class in our country. As its vanguard, the Chinese Communist Party is the force at the core leading the effort to modernize China. In the building of a socialist society that is culturally and ideologically advanced, Party organizations at all levels and their members are duty-bound first, to try to raise their own ideological level and, in particular, to improve the work style of the Party; and second, to work hard and set a good example, thus helping to mobilize the people and advance the society-wide effort to build socialist culture and ideology.

Improvement of the work style of the Party is crucial to its very survival. Now that the Party is in power, the question of paramount importance is whether its members will wholeheartedly serve the people or behave like bureaucrats and overlords, riding roughshod over the people and abusing power for personal gain. Since the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee, we have brought order to all fields and begun Party-wide consolidation. We have achieved a great deal in restoring and developing the Party's fine traditions of integrating theory with practice, maintaining close contact with the people and conducting self-criticism. However, we must recognize that throughout the long process of reform, opening to the rest of the world and modernization, we shall have to continue resolutely the struggle to stamp out malpractices. Ideological education and efficient systems and institutions are very important for the cultivation of a desirable work style in the Party. We must therefore take vigorous measures to reform the Party's organizational and work systems, strictly enforce its rules and institute effective systems of internal and popular supervision to monitor the work of leading cadres at all levels.

Party members, particularly those in leading positions, should always set an example for the masses by working diligently and being eager to learn and make progress, by renouncing empty talk in favour of practical work, by devoting themselves to the reform programme and daring to innovate, by safeguarding the people's interests and leading them towards prosperity through honest labour, by observing the law and discipline, opposing malpractices of any kind and fighting against crime. In a word, they should make themselves models in the nation's effort to build a socialist society that is advanced both materially and culturally and ideologically. Party organizations should meet regularly to evaluate their members' performance in these respects and discuss ways to improve it. They should commend the advanced members and encourage those who lag behind.

A new problem facing the whole Party under the new circumstances is how to ensure that efforts are made to build a society that is advanced both materially and culturally and ideologically. All Party organizations, from the central level to the grass roots, must devote more time and energy to leading the work of building socialist culture and ideology. They should explore effective methods, study policies and organize and co-ordinate the efforts of all quarters. It won't do just to go through the motions: what is needed is solid work.

Ideological and political work is a guarantee of success in our economic and other undertakings. Now we must adapt such work to the requirements of the new period by exploring new possibilities. All cadres, whatever their trade or profession, should help solve problems directly related to the people. Leading cadres should regularly go among the workers, peasants and intellectuals and ask their views on how to straighten out the ideological and practical questions that are of most concern to them. We must build a contingent of well-trained ideological and political workers. We should care for them and help solve the problems they encounter in their work, while urging them to constantly enhance their political consciousness and their skills. We should encourage them to serve the people enthusiastically through efficient work so as to win popular trust and be able to play their role to the full.

The present resolution is designed to clarify certain questions and to formulate the guiding principles for building, in new historical conditions, a socialist society with an advanced culture and ideology. Party organizations in all departments, localities and institutions should apply these principles in light of their own specific conditions and work out concrete measures to be taken accordingly. For its part, the Central Committee will strengthen its guidance of the whole work.

The Chinese People's Liberation Army, an invulnerable Great Wall in the defence of our motherland and a major force in construction, is an army with a high degree of political awareness, fine ethics and a strict sence of organization and discipline. It exerts a great moral influence on the whole nation. The army should continue to raise its ideological level and take an active part in the nationwide endeavour to build a socialist society that is culturally and ideologically advanced. For this purpose, the Military Commission of the Central Committee should draw up specific plans in accordance with the principles set forth in this resolution and with the conditions obtaining in the army.

The Central Committee calls on all Party organizations and all Party comrades to study and discuss the present resolution, so that they will have a better understanding of it and reach agreement in their thinking. By so doing, we will be able to work more effectively in our great undertakings: The building of a socialist society that is advanced culturally and ideologically as well as materially, and the carrying out of all-round reform.

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[注释1]

Keeping to the socialist road, upholding the people's democratic dictatorship, upholding the leadership of the Communist Party, and upholding Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought.

(NO. 40 OCTOBER 6, 1986)