Xinhua reported that, on December 26 and 27, 2019, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Politburo held a specific Democratic Life Meeting (民主生活會) on the topic of “Don’t forget our original intention and keep our mission in mind.” Each of the 25 Politburo members took turns giving their individual reports to compare and inspect (their actions and thoughts) as required.
(Editor’s Note: A Democratic Life Meeting is a periodic gathering of cadres of the CCP who engage in criticism and self-criticism. It is one of the means by which the party forces each member to report his thoughts and receive criticism from the leader or other party members.)
At the meeting, each Politburo member spoke about seven areas. The first was maintaining a firm belief (in the CCP). The second was improving the “four consciousnesses” (consciousness of the need to maintain political integrity, to think in big-picture terms, to follow the leadership core, and to maintain alignment (with the top leader)), fostering the “four confidences” (confidence in the path, theory, system, and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics), and carrying out the “two upholds” (upholding Xi’s position as the core of the party and upholding the CCP Central Committee’s authority and its centralized, unified leadership). The third was reporting on one’s own work performance; fourth was fulfilling the original goal of “serving the people;” fifth was supporting the authority of the (communist) system; sixth was executing power cleanly without corruption; and seventh was offering consideration and suggestions about the party’s and the nation’s work.
Xi Jinping hosted the meeting and gave a key speech. In his speech, Xi pointed out that some party members and cadres deliberately do not perform, perform slowly, or fake the performance their job duties. Xi also asked the Politburo members to conduct self-discipline, stay clean, and “control their relatives, friends, and the staff members around them.”
Source: Xinhua, December 27, 2019
http://www.xinhuanet.com/politics/leaders/2019-12/27/c_1125397179.htm