I.  The main reason and the great significance of building a learning-oriented Marxist political Party
 
First, building a learning-oriented Marxist political Party is the essential requirement to maintain the CCP’s vanguard nature in theory and practice. … The vanguard nature in both theory and practice is the most distinctive nature that differentiates a Marxist political Party from all other political parties. The CCP should always adhere to Marxism as the fundamental guiding ideology, as the spiritual symbol that keeps our Party unified and moving forward, and as the powerful ideological weapon that transforms the objective and subjective world. In order to maintain and develop the Party’s vanguard nature in theory, we must focus on learning and be good at learning. This is because Marxism was generated based on critique and absorbing all existing human knowledge. It has been enriched and has developed with the times, with practice and with science. It is by far the most advanced theoretical system developed by human beings. … We must always lead China’s development progress, work hard to master and apply all scientific ideas, new knowledge, and new experiences, and strive to become a learning-oriented political Party.

Second, building a learning-oriented Marxist political Party is an inevitable requirement to inherit and carry forward the Party’s fine traditions and political advantages in the new historic conditions. Such a requirement has a sufficient historical basis. The Communist Party of China has always attached importance to learning and been good at learning. The Party history of leading the Chinese revolution, development and reform is a creative learning history. … In the past 88 years, our Party has always had a strong vitality. The cause of the Party’s leadership has been able to continue to achieve new success. The fundamental reason is that we have the advanced theoretical guidance of Marxism, and we continue to enrich and improve ourselves with advanced culture and knowledge.

Third, building a learning-oriented Marxist political Party is a new requirement of our Party’s development under the new situation and tasks. It has a sufficient practical basis. … At present, China is in a period of working on the hard parts of reform, a key period of development, a period when conflicts become prominent. China’s development presents a new series of features. The ruling party is facing tests on its governance ability, on reform and opening up and on the market economy. The tests from the external environment are long-term, complex and serious. When facing profound changes in world conditions, national conditions, and the Party situation, and when facing the enormity, complexity and onerous nature of reform, opening up and socialist modernization, our Party must pay more attention to learning, be good at learning, never be complacent and stagnant, and continuously improve our governance and leadership level, in order to ensure the party’s vanguard nature in the profoundly changing historical process. This way our Party can become the backbone of the Chinese people when facing a variety of risks and tests at home and abroad, and a strong core leadership in the historical process of developing socialism with Chinese characteristics.

II. The basic requirements of building a learning-oriented Marxist political Party

The learning-oriented Marxist political Party we want to build should be one that holds high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, adheres to developing Sinicization of Marxism, and uses Marxism as its guide.

First, it is necessary to implement and embody the requirements of arming ourselves with scientific theory. … The fundamental basis for building a learning-oriented Marxist political party must always be ideological and theoretical development. Our goal should be enhancing all party members’ Marxist theory level. We should organize party members and officials to do in-depth study and practice Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, in particular Deng Xiaoping Theory, the important thought of "Three Represents," the scientific outlook on development, and other major strategic thinking. We must fully implement and embody the requirements for arming the whole Party with scientific theory.

Second, it is necessary to embody a global vision. … We should be soberly aware that China is facing pressure from developed countries with their long-term economic and technological superiority. Competition in comprehensive national strength is more intense in the international arena. For socialism with Chinese characteristics to win the advantages over capitalism in comparison, we must firmly grasp the initiative to accelerate the development of our country. We must boldly absorb and learn from all civilization’s achievements created by human society, and absorb and learn from all advanced management methods, reflecting modern social productive rules from all countries including the developed capitalist countries in the world.

Third, it is necessary to implement and embody the requirement of being good at grasping the rules. … In order to build a learning-oriented Marxist party, we must focus on major issues such as what is Marxism and how to deal with Marxism, what is socialism and how to build socialism, what kind of party we want to build and how to build such a party, and what kind of development we want to realize and how to develop. We must focus on long-term governance of our party in a complex environment. We must scientifically summarize successful and failed governance experiences by various political parties in power in the world, especially the practice of other Marxist ruling parties. We must scientifically summarizing our Party’s valuable experience from the past 60 years in power, recognize the law of development from these experiences and apply them in our practice, so that the Party’s theories and work conform to the times, follow the law of development, and display great creativity.

Fourth, it is necessary to implement and embody the requirement of having innovative aspirations. … With the profound changes in China’s economic system, social structure, interest groups patterns and mainstream thoughts and ideas, we have to face a large number of new issues to solve, new challenges to deal with, and new risks to resolve.
 
III. The important focal points for building a learning-oriented Marxist political party

First, we must persistently advance the Sinicization, modernization and popularization of Marxism. The Sinicization of Marxism means to combine the basic principles of Marxism with China’s specific reality, to study in depth and solve the practical problems in different historical periods of the Chinese revolution, development and reform, and to sum up China’s unique experience in forming Marxism with Chinese style and characteristics. The modernization of Marxism means to combine Marxism and contemporary features for it to keep up with the pace of the times, constantly absorb the contents of a new era, and to scientifically solve the topics of the times. The popularization of Marxism means to explain Marxist theory in simple plain language and in a way loved by the people, and to have the broad masses of Party members and people find it more understandable and acceptable. Among the Sinicization, modernization and popularization of Marxism, the core is the Sinicization of Marxism.

Second, we must be persistent in arming the whole Party with the socialist theoretical system with Chinese characteristics. The socialist theoretical system with Chinese characteristics is a scientific theory system that includes Deng Xiaoping Theory, the important thought of the "Three Represents," and the scientific outlook on development. … In today’s China, adhering to the socialist theoretical system with Chinese characteristics is to really adhere to Marxism. In order to build a learning-oriented Marxist political Party, a strategic task is to organize and promote the Party members and cadres to strengthen systematic study of the socialist theoretical system with Chinese characteristics. We must ensure that our members truly study, understand, believe and use the theory. … The scientific outlook on development is the most up-to-date development in the socialist theoretical system with Chinese characteristics. It is an important guideline for China’s economic and social development. According to the arrangement made at the 17th National Congress of the CPC Central Committee, starting from September 2008, we must spend a year and a half or so to implement the in-depth study and practice of the scientific outlook on development from the top to the bottom of our Party members in three steps. This is an important measure to arm the whole Party with the socialist theoretical system with Chinese characteristics.

Third, we must continue the study and education of the socialist core value system. … The socialist core value system is the essence of socialist ideology. Its basic elements include the guiding ideology of Marxism, the common ideal of socialism with Chinese characteristics, patriotism as the core national spirit, the spirit of the times with reform and innovation as the core, and the socialist value with the "Eight Honors and Disgraces" as the main contents. … The Decision of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 17th CPC Central Committee and Comrade Hu Jintao’s important speech at the plenary session pointed out that among the main existing problems in the Party, ideals and beliefs have the top priority. Therefore, we must treat the education of ideals and beliefs as the top of all top priorities for the study and education of the socialist core value system. … We must guide party members and cadres to enhance their political sensitivity and discernment, build a strong mental defense, and consciously draw a clear line between the "four major black and white border-lines," that is:

One: Marxism vs. anti-Marxism,
Two: the basic economic system dominated by socialism state-ownership supplemented with diverse forms of ownership vs. private ownership or simple state-ownership,
Three: socialist democracy with Chinese characteristics vs. Western capitalism democracy,
Four: socialist ideological culture vs. feudalist or capitalist decadent ideas and cultural.

Fourth, we must build a learning-oriented Party. Our Party organization is the solid foundation for smooth progress and effective implementation of all our Party’s works. Our Party is a whole body consisting of the Central Committee to all levels of local grass-roots organizations. In order to build a learning-oriented Marxist political Party, we must take building learning-oriented all level Party organizations as basic engineering and an organizational guarantee. We must do a good job at this.

IV. Provide strong support for building a learning-oriented Marxist political party
 
First, we must strengthen the organization, guidance, and services for learning. The Party must manage the Party itself strictly. … This requires all levels of Party committees to promote the development of a learning-oriented Marxist political party and party organization as an important task.

Second, the Party leaders at all levels must be good exemplary role models.

Third, we must establish and improve a long-term mechanism to promote and ensure learning. … We must further strengthen and improve the central group study system for Party committees (groups). … We should establish and perfect a normalized and diversified study and training system for Party members and cadres. … We should focus on strengthening the study system development for attendance, archives, reporting and supervision. … We must enhance the study assessment and utilization of examination results. … We must use the study evaluation results as an important basis for leadership assessment, leading cadres’ selection and appointment.

Fourth, in building a learning-oriented Marxist political party, various types of Party cadres training organizations, including the Party school, must further play important roles. … As an important frontier in training senior leadership cadres for the Party, the Central Party School must do its best to fulfill its duties and responsibilities in the process of building a learning-oriented political Party, and further lead the process of building a learning-oriented society.

Endnote:
[1] Study Times, November 16, 2009
http://www.studytimes.com.cn/WebPage/ny1.aspx?act=0&id=3058&bid=1

 “The Press Spokesperson System Moves Forward,” by Liao Wang, June 8, 2009 [1]

"By strengthening and improving the spokesperson system, correct, effective and timely implementation of the agenda-setting through the media has become a breakthrough point for strengthening the government’s ability to govern," according to Li Xiguang, a Professor, and head of the Government Spokesperson Research Group at Tsinghua University. In his view, under the traditional propaganda system, when it comes to reporting unexpected incidents, important meetings or other important news events, the government controls what the media does or does not report by giving orders. When the government establishes a press spokesperson, it is to influence the media by providing the media with a lot of planned information. The press spokesperson system provides information to the media using proactive ways to subtly influence and guide the media and public opinion at home and abroad. The effect is more effective and clever than simple control.
…

An expert who was interviewed expressed the belief that China must keep up the results achieved by the press spokesperson system, and continue to explore the model suited to China’s conditions. Except for the information that should not be publicized according to the law, as much as possible of all other information should be made public.

In the Internet age, e-mail, MSN, QQ (forum), personal blogs and other means of communication have come out one after another. It is very difficult to suppress the dissemination of information. Since it is difficult to change people’s first impression, the government should be the first to publicize its authoritative voice.
…

In addition, in this increasingly diverse era in China, various domestic and foreign interest groups all hope to use and even take advantage of the media. For example, when certain types of emergency incidents occur, even though some problems could originally have been quickly resolved, under some people’s instigation, they become the "media events" or group events that arouse public indignation.

The interviewed expert believed that appointing a Zhongnanhai spokesperson and authorizing him as the sole authoritative spokesperson for the central government could more comprehensively and accurately transmit the policy and the stance of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council. Zhongnanhai must become the first definer of important news, especially for the major emergency events, and should be the first to issue the government’s voice.

Li Xiguang said that the Zhongnanhai spokesperson must, first of all, be the mouthpiece and spokesperson of the Party Central Committee and the State Council. He must clearly express the position and view of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council. At the same time, he must possess the ability of sharp observation and concise expression like the journalists, and he must be the starting point of the transmission chain for all the important information and news from the CPC Central Committee and the State Council.

Yin Yungong also indicated that, at present, China has established the press spokesperson system with three levels, but it still lacks the spokesperson at the highest level. Although there is the State Council Information Office, its main service targets are the central ministries and provinces. (China) should learn from the successful practices in other countries, particularly the White House spokesperson in the United States and consider the establishment of a Zhongnanhai spokesperson at a proper time. It will once again push forward the reform of China’s press spokesperson system.

Li Xiguang: Why Do We Need a Zhongnanhai Spokesperson? The International Herald Tribune, June 11, 2009 [2]

From the central government’s perspective, the establishment of a press spokesperson in Zhongnanhai can avoid having the media pursue the other departments and staff for an interview. For the government, too many (news) sources generated internally are troublesome and have "inconsistencies," which will inevitably lead to questions from the media. Appointing a Zhongnanhai spokesperson and authorizing him as the sole authorized spokesperson for the central government can transmit the policy and the stance of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council more comprehensively and accurately, thus avoiding unnecessary controversy.
…

Zhongnanhai should be the First Definer of the News

The International Herald Tribune: You have raised the point of view of "ruling the news." What is the relationship with the proposal of establishing a Zhongnanhai spokesperson?

Li Xiguang: The main contents of "ruling the news" are: establishing various levels of a government spokesperson system, in particular, and setting up the spokesperson system for the President and the Premier, so as to improve the Party and the government’s agenda-setting ability. The highest decision-making meeting in the U.S. government is the meeting held by the President of the United States at the White House every day. This meeting is not focused on anything else but what today’s news should be. It is through the White House’s highest level press-planning meeting that a single voice and a universal keyword are formed. Thus it ensures that the agendas of the American people, the U.S. media, even the world’s people, other countries’ media and other countries’ government’s concerns all have the same agenda that was planned by the White House. The agenda setting and the right of selecting news are tightly controlled in hand.

The government often can become the first definer of the news, especially in emergency incidents, but the prerequisite is that the government must take the initiative and issue the government’s voice first. The messages from the government all have a natural authority and are what the people most want to know. As long as the initiative is taken, the government is able to take the opportunity to guide public opinion. If it loses the opportunity, the government will have to pay a high price to re-lead or re-shape public opinion. Therefore, Zhongnanhai has to be the first news definer.

Endnotes:
[1] Liao Wang, June 8, 2009
http://news.sohu.com/20090608/n264389481.shtml
[2] International Herald Tribune, June 11, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/herald/2009-06/11/content_11524969.htm