To govern the country well, we must first govern the Party well. Only when the Party is strong can the country be strong. The report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) first proposed the major topic of improving the system for exercising full and rigorous Party self-governance. In an important speech at the 15th group study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on June 30, 2023, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, reviewed and summarized the achievements made in improving the system for exercising full and rigorous Party self-governance since the new era, made a profound analysis of the new situation and tasks we face, and elaborated on the thinking and measures for improving the system for exercising full and rigorous Party self-governance. This fully demonstrates the strong commitment of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core to exercising full and rigorous Party self-governance in the spirit of reform and with strict discipline and to using the Party’s self-reform to drive social reform.

The report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) first introduced the major proposition of "improving the system for exercising full and rigorous Party self-governance." The photo shows the successful conclusion of the 20th CPC National Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on October 22, 2022.

党领导的社会革命迈上新征程，党的自我革命必须展现新气象，全面从严治党更要有新的认识、新的作为。在新时代全面从严治党取得历史性开创性成就的坚实基础上，我们党鲜明提出健全全面从严治党体系，具有深远的战略考量。

An urgent need to address risks and challenges at home and abroad and advance Chinese modernization. The Party’s 20th National Congress clearly set forth the central task of the Party on the new journey of the new era and issued a mobilization order for us to strive in unity to build China into a modern socialist country in all respects and to advance the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts. Advancing Chinese modernization is a pioneering undertaking, one that has never been attempted before in history, and it will inevitably encounter all kinds of difficulties, challenges, and even grave trials of perilous winds and stormy seas.

Looking around the world, changes of historical significance across the world, our times, and history are unfolding in ways like never before. In particular, the once-in-a-century transformations in the world are accelerating, regional conflicts and turbulence occur frequently, and external attempts to suppress and contain China may escalate at any time. Looking at home, China’s sustained economic recovery faces multiple challenges, and deep-rooted problems abound. “Black swan” and “gray rhino” events may occur at any time.

To ensure that the ship of Chinese modernization sails ahead through wind and waves with steady and sustained progress, the key lies in the Party, and the crucial task is to build the Party well and make it strong. This requires improving the system for exercising full and rigorous Party self-governance, refining the Party's leadership and governance systems, and fully leveraging the Party's role in exercising overall leadership and coordinating all efforts. It is essential to ensure that the Party remains the strong leading core in the historic process of upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics, uniting and leading the people to open up new horizons for our cause through tenacious struggle.

A strategic move to address the unique challenges of a major party and build a stronger and more robust Marxist party. As the world's largest Marxist party, governing a major country with a population of over a billion over the long term, our party possesses immense strengths in accomplishing great tasks and building monumental achievements, yet it also faces distinctive challenges in party and state governance.

From the perspective of risks and challenges we face, prominent issues within the Party such as ideological impurity, organizational impurity, and lack of integrity in conduct have yet to be fundamentally resolved. The fight against corruption remains severe and complex, and the "four tests" and "four dangers" will persist for a long time. We must remain vigilant to prevent the Party from becoming senile and plagued by ailments. In terms of size, by the end of the year, there were [number] Party organizations and [number] Party members nationwide. Strengthening every organization and managing every member well to maintain the Party's unity and coherence is an extremely challenging task.

We must view the full and rigorous governance of the Party from the perspective of the Party’s long-term governance, enduring peace and stability of the country, and the wellbeing of the people. We must take it as a long-term strategy and an everlasting task of the Party. We must improve the system for full and rigorous Party governance as an effective way to address the major challenges unique to a large Party like ours—the “six how-tos”—and constantly work to see that the Party purifies, improves, renews, and excels itself.

The intrinsic requirement for a comprehensive, systematic, and coordinated approach to governing the Party with strict discipline. Advancing Party building as a great project, while consistently adhering to the principle and policy of the Party exercising self-governance and enforcing strict discipline, is a pioneering initiative of our Party and a crucial instrument for establishing and rejuvenating both the Party and the country.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has incorporated full and rigorous Party self-governance into the Four-Pronged Comprehensive Strategy, making it a defining feature of Party building in the new era. The CPC has exercised strict self-governance over every aspect of Party affairs, including the following: ensuring that Party members have a firm grasp of theory, exercising rigorous oversight, enforcing strict Party discipline, tightening Party officials’ management, improving Party conduct, and combating corruption. As a result, the previous lax and weak governance over Party affairs has been rectified.

The Party building in the new era is a systematic project that takes the Party's political building as the guide and requires coordinated and comprehensive efforts in all aspects of Party building, which must be advanced with systematic thinking and scientific methods. Only by exercising full and rigorous Party self-governance in a holistic rather than partial, systematic rather than fragmented, persistent rather than temporary, and high-standard rather than generalized manner can we establish a comprehensive system for full and rigorous Party self-governance that encompasses all necessary elements, is fully functional, scientifically standardized, and operates efficiently. This will ensure that all aspects of full and rigorous Party self-governance better reflect the characteristics of the times, grasp the underlying principles, and demonstrate creativity.