EXPLANATION OF THE REVISIONS TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF CHINA BY THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF CHINA

The Seventeenth Central Committee of the Communist Party of China decided at its Seventh Plenary Session to revise the Party Constitution and submit the revised version and an explanation of the revisions to the Eighteenth National Congress for deliberation. The explanation is as follows:

I. Basic Considerations for Revising the Party Constitution

The Constitution of the Party is its general charter that fully embodies its theories, line, principles and policies, establishes its major systems, and provides important guidance for promoting its cause and Party building. The current Party Constitution was revised and adopted at the Party’s Twelfth National Congress in 1982. Over the past 30 years, the basic content of the Party Constitution has remained unchanged, and the Party Constitution has played an important role in guiding the Party’s functions. The Constitution of the Party was revised to varying degrees at its thirteenth through seventeenth congresses in recognition of its innovations in theory and the progress in its practice.

Since its Seventeenth Congress, the Party has followed the guidance of Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important thought of Three Represents, and thoroughly applied the Scientific Outlook on Development. In accordance with the decisions made at that congress, the Party, relying firmly on the people of all ethnic groups in China, has promoted all-around socialist economic, political, cultural, social, and ecological progress. It has fulfilled the goals of the Eleventh Five-Year Plan, made good progress in implementing the Twelfth Five-Year Plan, achieved progress in all fields of work, and made new and significant achievements in advancing the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Focusing on the central work of strengthening its governance capacity and advanced nature in its new practice, the Party has steadily advanced the great new undertaking of strengthening itself, made significant achievements in studying and applying the Scientific Outlook on Development, and achieved notable progress in encouraging primary Party organizations and Party members to excel in their work and building learning Party organizations. The Party has also made remarkable fresh progress in promoting intra-Party democracy, strengthening education and training of cadres, deepening reform of the cadre and personnel system, enhancing its organizational system in an innovative way, strengthening primary Party organizations, and establishing a sound system for preventing and combating corruption. Party organizations in many localities and government departments as well as some Party members and cadres proposed making revisions to the Constitution of the Party at its Eighteenth National Congress in recognition of its innovations in theory and the progress in its practice and in response to new developments and tasks, so as to meet the need to improve its work and strengthen Party building. The Central Committee decided to make revisions to the Party Constitution as called for at the Eighteenth Party Congress so that the Party Constitution will embody the Party’s innovations in theory and the progress in its practice over recent years as well as the major theories and propositions presented in the political report to the Eighteenth Party Congress. This will enable the whole Party to better study, observe, apply and uphold the Party Constitution, and further promote the Party’s cause and Party building.

The following principles were observed in making revisions to the Party Constitution: We should follow the guidance of Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the important thought of Three Represents and the Scientific Outlook on Development and incorporate into the Party Constitution the important theories and strategic thinking affirmed in the political report to the Eighteenth Party Congress. We should encourage intra-Party democracy and pool the wisdom of the whole Party, keep the overall framework of the Party Constitution unchanged and revise only those parts that must be revised in accordance with the consensus reached within the Party. And we should ensure that the revised Party Constitution fully embodies the latest achievements in adapting Marxism to China’s conditions, the major strategic thinking developed by the Party Central Committee since the Seventeenth Party Congress and the new experience the Party has gained in its work and Party building so as to meet the new requirements created by new developments and tasks for the Party’s work and Party building.

Overall, the current Constitution of the Party has functioned well in guiding its work and Party building; therefore, only appropriate revisions have been made to the Party Constitution. The revisions made are those widely proposed by Party organizations at all levels and Party members and proved in practice to be mature. Proposed revisions that are not mature are excluded, and marginal cases are also excluded in principle. In making revisions to the Party Constitution, intra-Party democracy was fully practiced, opinions were solicited from all sides, and full consideration was given to proposals and suggestions made by Party organizations and members in localities and government departments. Although some of their suggestions are not included in the revisions to the Party Constitution, the main idea of these suggestions is included in the political report to the Eighteenth Party Congress. Other suggestions and comments are yet to be further studied and explored in practice, and some specific proposals will find their place in the Party’s rules and regulations.