CPCs Governing Concept

　　The chaotic Cultural Revolution (1966-76) caused stagnation of China's socialist development. The harmful repercussions included piles of wronged and misjudged cases, destroyed Party and government organizations, paralyzed economic construction and strained foreign relationships. At the turning point of the Party's development and the country's development, the CPC, led by Deng Xiaoping, decided to blaze a new trail by acknowledging its mistakes and confirming its achievements.

　　On August 18, 1980, Deng made an important speech on reforming the Party's organizational system at a conference of the Politburo of the CPC Central Committee. He pointed out the Party's mistakes had more to do with imperfect organizational schemes and structure than leaders' personal mistaken perceptions. Deng emphasized that the solution to all problems within the Party depended on the establishment of a functioning structure.

　　What are the latest developments of the Party's governing concepts since the 16th National Congress of the CPC in 2002?

　　After the Fourth Plenary Session of the 13th CPC Central Committee in 1989, the CPC's third-generation leadership took shape with Jiang Zemin at the core and created a series of new theories about the Party development in the new condition of building a socialist market economy in China. An important theory is "Three Represents," which explains what the CPC currently stands for. The CPC represents the development trends of advanced productive forces, the orientations of an advanced culture and the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of the people of China.

　　After the 16th National Congress of the CPC in 2002, it put forward new governing principles of "scientific and democratic rule and rule in accordance with law."

　　A decision at the Fourth Plenary Session of the 16th CPC Central Committee in 2004 said the Party must always exercise its governing power in a scientific, democratic and law-abiding manner, and constantly improve its leadership skills and ways of governance; the whole Party should fully act on the concept of "Three Represents," keep pace with the times and lead Chinese people of all ethnic groups to build a well-off society in an all-round way.

　　This was the first time in the Party's 55 years in power that it had put forward scientific, democratic and law-bidding governance as its goal in order to enhance the Party's ability to govern well.

　　What have been the notable characteristics of the Party's theories since the 16th National Congress of the CPC?

　　The most outstanding feature is innovation. Since the 16th National Congress of the CPC, the current leadership has put forward many innovative governance theories, which are the new fruit of Marxism's evolution in China. These new theories include a people-oriented approach, the concept of scientific development, a harmonious society, a new socialist countryside, an innovation-oriented country, a socialist concept of honor and disgrace, a harmonious world, and maintaining the Party's advanced nature as well as enhancing its governance capacity. These theories have profound guiding significance for the grand cause of building a socialist society with Chinese characteristics.