Xi Focus-Closeup: New journey ahead, a visit to reflect on 'Yan'an conduct'

BEIJING -- Yan'an, an old revolutionary base in Northwest China, welcomed a new lineup of the Party's top leadership led by Xi Jinping in October 2022, following the closing of a key Party meeting.

The guests included Xi, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, and other members of the newly-elected Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee. Just a couple of days after the conclusion of the 20th CPC National Congress, they were there to pay tribute to the sacred land of the Chinese revolution in Shaanxi Province.

At the Yan'an Revolutionary Memorial Hall, Xi's attention was drawn by an exhibition board on which 10 points of the Party's good conduct requirements at that time were listed, with "no corrupt officials" coming first.

Xi stressed that, back in the day in Yan'an, Comrade Mao Zedong and other revolutionaries of the older generation lived in cave-dwellings, relying on coarse grain for meals and wearing rough clothes.

From 1935 to 1948, the CPC Central Committee and revolutionaries of the older generation, including Mao, lived and struggled in Yan'an.

It was also during that time that a well-known "cave-dwelling conversation" occurred between Mao and acclaimed patriot and educationist Huang Yanpei.

When asked about how to escape the historical cycle of rise and fall, and how political power can maintain long-lasting governance, Mao offered the first answer to the question -- placing the government under the supervision of the people.

Now, about 70 years later, with the practice of full and rigorous Party self-governance since the 18th CPC National Congress, the century-old Party has found the second answer to the question -- which is to carry out self-reform, thereby ensuring that the Party will never change its nature, its conviction, or its character.

Over the past decade, the CPC has waged a battle against corruption on a scale unprecedented in history, and rolled out a raft of policies and measures to push forward self-reform.

Since 2012, over 500 officials registered at and supervised by the CPC Central Committee have been investigated, along with more than 25,000 officials at the department and bureau level, as well as over 182,000 at the county and division level.

An overwhelming victory has been achieved and the gains in the fight against corruption have been fully consolidated, Xi said in the report to the 20th CPC National Congress.

Noting that fighting corruption is the most thorough kind of self-reform, Xi said in the report that "we must keep sounding the bugle and never rest, not even for a minute, in our fight against corruption."

The CPC's anti-graft drive has won widespread support from the people. According to a survey by the National Bureau of Statistics, 97.4 percent of the Chinese people are satisfied with efforts to strengthen Party self-governance, improve conduct, build integrity and combat corruption over the past five years.

"All Party members should carry forward the glorious traditions and fine conduct of revolutionaries of the older generation and Chinese Communists, advance the Party's self-reform with courage, resolutely exercise full and rigorous self-governance of the Party, and always maintain our Party's advanced nature and integrity, enabling our Party to always remain the strong leadership core in the cause of building socialism with Chinese characteristics." Xi said, during the tour of pilgrimage in Yan'an.