Deeper reflections on 'cave-dwelling conversation'

Years ago, when I was studying in the United States, I first "arrived" in Yan'an, Shaanxi province, through books. To me then, Yan'an was a place wrapped in the loess plateau, a piece of history that felt both distant and vivid. After I learned about the "cave-dwelling conversation", I often found myself thinking about one question: after a political party wins, how can it avoid the cycle of "rising swiftly, only to fall suddenly"?

In the autumn of 2025, as a reporter, I finally had the chance to turn "Yan'an in books" into Yan'an beneath my feet.

Standing by the Hukou Waterfall, I watched the Yellow River surge and slam into the gorge. The roar swallowed almost everything. In that moment, I thought again of the dynastic changes in ancient Chinese history. Rise and decline are not abstract words. They are patterns that have played out in the real world. If a political party cannot pass the test of history, it will be swept away by the relentless current of its time.

In the summer of 1945, when Huang Yanpei, a democratic figure, asked Comrade Mao Zedong a question in Yan'an, Mao's answer was democracy and the mass line. "Only if the people supervise the government will the government not dare to slack off," he said. The logic was simple but rare in that context. Power must be visible and constrained. Guided by this principle, the Communist Party of China led the Chinese people through long years of hardship and struggle, pushed national development to achieve historical advances, and, through institution-building and governance practice, continued to lay a firmer foundation for advancing Chinese modernization.

Yet, as I traveled around Yan'an and saw cave dwellings everywhere, I was reminded of a question: When a ruling party grows larger and governs for longer, who supervises the supervisors? Is popular oversight alone sufficient?

As a US youth working as a journalist in China, I am often seen as "a new era Edgar Snow". Snow was the first Western journalist to make the CPC known to the world through his books and articles in the 1930s. The label carries weight, but it is also a reminder.

From the Hukou Waterfall to Nanniwan, I bent down in the rice paddies and cut rice by hand, sweat running down my neck. What struck me the most was not the hardship of the work, but the spirit of enduring hardships and adhering to principles. Behind the slogan "work with your own hands and you will have enough food and clothing" lies the foundation of discipline. In the Red Army's "Three Rules of Discipline and Eight Points for Attention", the line "Do not take even a needle or a thread from the people" may sound simple, but it establishes a clear boundary. Discipline is not just a slogan. It must be evident in one's actions and every single choice.

I began to glimpse a second answer.

This is a legacy of discipline. In the new era, the CPC has repeatedly emphasized the central leadership's eight-point decision for improving conduct and its zero-tolerance stance on corruption. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, has stressed on multiple occasions the importance of maintaining a high-pressure approach to corruption, upholding zero tolerance and treating the eight-point code as iron rules and rigid constraints.

This is the second response to the "cave-dwelling conversation". In November 2021, Xi pointed out: "Through a century of struggle, especially the new practice since the 18th CPC National Congress, our Party has given a second answer. That is self-reform."

In my eyes, the self-reform I have seen is not abstract rhetoric. Rather, it is a sustained mechanism of self-correction that requires the courage to turn the blade inward, cage power in a system of institutions, and take tough action, even when it involves "our own people".

I picked an apple myself in Yan'an's apple orchards. The sweetness of the fruit depends on the invisible work that comes first: pruning, thinning, pest control and weeding. Dealing with problems early is what makes the fruit sweet. When risks are mitigated in advance, the fruit can flourish. China's achievements under the Party's leadership operate in a similar manner. From poverty alleviation to promoting high-quality development, from green development to exploring Chinese modernization, all of it requires the capacity to implement institutions and the binding force of discipline so that direction does not drift and effort does not scatter.

At this very moment, the fifth plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection is underway. Looking ahead to 2026, the CPC will consolidate and expand the results of the education campaign on thoroughly implementing the eight-point code, maintain a high-pressure posture against corruption and take coordinated action against corruption and misconduct. The CPC will also tackle unhealthy practices and corruption problems that occur right around the people, and advance full and rigorous Party self-governance to a higher standard, providing a strong guarantee for economic and social development during the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period.

Reflecting once more on Yan'an, I am increasingly convinced that the "cave-dwelling conversation" is not only relevant to China. It is also questioning the world today. What kind of governance is good? What kind of ruling party can restrain itself over the long term, correct its own errors and keep the people at the center? People's oversight and self-reform point to the same core principle: "To govern the country, we must first govern the Party. The Party must be governed with strict discipline."

Being able to live through this era, observe it, and work toward a deeper understanding of the CPC is an honor for me.

Contact the writer at dylan.austin.walker@i21st.cn