Press conference on guiding principles from fifth plenary session of 20th CPC Central Committee

Lianhe Zaobao:

While continuing to strengthen discipline and combat corruption, how will the CPC Central Committee prevent officials from being afraid or unwilling to take action out of concern about being held accountable, and further establish mechanisms to encourage them to take responsibility and deliver results? Thank you.

Wang Gang:

I'd like to invite Mr. Huang to answer this question.

Huang Jianfa:

Thank you for your question. This issue has attracted considerable attention. Party officials are the backbone of the Party and the country's cause. Advancing our great cause requires officials to take responsibility and deliver results. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, we have adhered to the standards for competent officials in the new era, strictly managed officials, clarified their duties and powers, and established red lines and bottom lines, guiding them to pursue reform and innovation and perform their duties with initiative while observing rules and discipline. This has strongly contributed to historic achievements and transformations in the cause of the Party and the country. This fully demonstrates that exercising full and rigorous Party self-governance and encouraging officials to take responsibility and act are inherently consistent. Strictness is not to stifle officials; rather, it is meant to create a clean and upright political environment within the Party and foster favorable conditions for taking the initiative and getting things done by clarifying the direction, establishing rules, promoting healthy practices, and strengthening resistance to corruption and moral decline. In our work, we have come to deeply appreciate that strict management is a form of profound care. For officials, strict management is not only a restraint but also a safeguard; it means being genuinely responsible for them. Severely punishing officials who have become corrupt and degenerate also serves to motivate and protect good officials. In reality, some Party members and officials fail to act or act slowly for a complex range of reasons. Some lack drive and are unwilling to act, some fear getting into trouble and dare not act, and others lack the ability to deliver. These problems must be taken very seriously and effectively resolved.

On encouraging officials to take on responsibility and be enterprising in their work, the resolution adopted at the plenary session has made major deployments. First, we must follow sound guidelines in appointing officials, as this is the greatest encouragement for them. In selecting and appointing officials, we must make clear that a sense of responsibility is valued, and ensure that officials who are loyal to the Party, consistent in word and deed, conscientious in fulfilling their responsibilities, outstanding in performance, and honest and upright are selected and appointed. The correct orientation in appointing officials will in turn guide officials to take the initiative and get things done. Second, we must improve the system for assessing the performance of officials. We must improve the assessment of officials' performance in promoting high-quality development, refine working mechanisms for effectively preventing and correcting deviations from the correct view of performance, deepen efforts to rectify inaction and improper conduct, and effectively resolve the problem whereby those who work and those who do not, those who deliver more and those who deliver less, and those who perform well and those who perform poorly are treated alike. We must make full use of the motivating role of exemplary models, enabling officials to identify their shortcomings through comparison and giving them a clear direction for making progress. Third, we must implement all policies on caring for officials, especially those at the primary level, help them resolve practical difficulties and care about their physical and mental well-being, so that officials can work with peace of mind, live with a sense of security, and pursue their careers contentedly. Fourth, we must improve mechanisms for motivating and protecting officials who take on responsibility and take the initiative to act. Officials shoulder responsibility for the cause, and the Party organization stands behind its officials. This is our clear stance and explicit commitment. The resolution stresses the need to seriously investigate and deal with false accusations and framing, and to promptly clarify the facts and restore the reputations of those wrongfully accused. The aim is to truly empower those who shoulder responsibility, back those who fulfill their duties and shield those who get things done, thereby fostering a sound environment in which officials are willing, unafraid and able to take on responsibility. Effectively implementing these deployments will surely encourage officials to shoulder their responsibilities and fulfill their duties through concrete action, forging ahead on the new journey with wholehearted enthusiasm and making contributions in the new era. Thank you.