{Editor’s Note: In June 2006, Beijing released an eight-episode TV documentary series: Preparing For Danger In Times Of Safety – Historic Lessons Learned from the Demise of Soviet Communism. It was a research project conducted by the government think tank, the Chinese Academy of Social Science. Afterwards, the Chinese Communist Party instructed party members across the nation to watch the series and launch serious discussions. The script of the prelude of the documentary quotes Hu Jintao’s words, “There are multiple factors contributing to the disintegration of the Soviet Union, a very important one being Khrushchev throwing away Stalin’s knife and Gorbachev’s open betrayal of Marxism-Leninism.” The full text of the narratives has been translated. What follows is the second episode.}

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The education and training work for all the party members is a foundation project for the party’s development. It was an important strategy task proposed at the 17^th CCCPC. The plan was generated in order to complete this job earnestly, according to the “Constitution of the Communist Party of China” and the party’s internal rules.

1. Guiding Principles and Basic Requirements

1) Guiding Principles

With the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics soaring high, and under the guidance of the Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important thoughts of  “The Three Represents,” thoroughly implement the scientific development concept according to the requirements for strengthening the party’s advantage and its ability to rule. Adopt the need for building a study-style political party with the key focus being to study and implement the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the party’s structure. Regarding the party’s central task, implement the party members’ education and training on a large scale, improve the quality of the party members in every respect, provide a strong guarantee on political thinking and the organizations for building a harmonious socialist society, comprehensively construct an affluent society and speed up the advancement of socialism’s modernization.

2) Basic Requirements

a. Persistently take the enhancement of the party’s spirit as the first duty, and adopt the development of ideology/faith education and capability throughout. Persistently fortify all of the party members with the theory of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics, teach the party members how to relate the facts and to practice what they learn, unify the enhancement of the party spirit and improve the party’s capability, emphasize party spirit and conduct, be a role model, and maintain and develop communism’s sophistication throughout.

b. Consider human beings as the fundamental source, and improve the ability to implement effectiveness in education and training. Respect the party members’ leadership status, understand the party members’ demands, and thus educate them accordingly. Train them according to their functions, improve education and training during their service, confirm their service during education and training, and stimulate the party members to participate actively and enthusiastically in education training. Make sure the general party members are willing to study, and to study well. Utilize them well.

c. Maintain an overall plan in order to coordinate and achieve frequent education and concentrated training at the same time. Include all party members; find the key points; pay special attention to frequent education and concentrated training using flexible and diverse means; fulfill the party members’ education rights and their study duties.

d. Focus on reform and innovation, and explore and establish new work mechanisms for the large-scale education of party members. Create new training concepts. Improve existing training contents and methods. Integrate training resources, expand training channels, and lead the party members’ education towards the scientific-style, using a systematic and standardized direction.

2. Job Objectives and Key Tasks

1) Job Objectives

From 2009, with the foundation of strengthening periodic education, all the general party members that do not fall into the training scope for different levels of party committee cadres will be trained over the next five years. Through education and training, the general party member’s thoughts and faith will be firmer, and their party spirits will be further strengthened, while fostering their good manners and style. Their working abilities will be further enhanced, role models will become more clear, and the party’s creativity, cohesive force and battle efficiency will constantly be strengthened.

2) Important Tasks

With thorough activities on studying the practical scientific development concept, and with the implementation of the “Opinion on Strengthening Party Member’s Frequent Education” published by the General Office of CCCPC in 2006, according to party members’ true demands, considering their different fucntions, levels and posts, set the plan up scientifically, and steadily implement the party members’ education and training step by step.

The primary elements of the party members’ education and training are: always place education on the theory of socialism with Chinese characteristics in first place; educate the party members with the party’s constitution, the party’s fundamental theories, the party’s elementary knowledge, the party’s history, the party’s direction and policies, and the current situations. Provide education on laws and regulations, and the party’s spirit and discipline, and provide training in professional knowledge and technical skills.

Local villages and towns’ party committees, the residential party committees, and the school party organizations should carry out the education and training of party members from the countryside, the urban communities and all levels of schools. The education and training of the party members from the new economic organizations and the new social organizations should be implemented by upper level party organizations and should be done at least once annually with a minimum of 16 hours of study, and 24 hours of study for their keys members and instructors.

The education and training of party members from government organizations, state-owned businesses and financial institutions should be performed by their work places at least once annually with a minimum of 24 study hours, and 40 hours of study for their keys members

The education and training of party members from other kinds of units should be implemented by their upper level party organizations.

After completing their cadre training requirements, the different levels of party committee cadres that fall into the scope of cadre training should take leading roles participating in their workplace training.

3. Important Projects

1) Regarding the countryside party committee secretary training project, the focus should be on building up a countryside party leaders’ troop that embodies faithfulness, commitment, capability and good conduct, and truly carries out the countryside party committee secretaries’ training. Through the province-level demonstration training, the city-level focus training and the county-level broad training, the countryside party committee secretaries will be organized to participate in the above-county-level party school for the related concentrated training at least once every year for a minimum of 40 study hours. The new incumbent countryside party committee secretaries should be trained promptly.

2) Regarding the new party member training project, the focus should be on strengthening the party member’s consciousness so that they play exemplary roles, further joining their minds with that of the party, and truly carrying out the new party members training. Through concentrated learning, party education, discussion, seminars and theme activity, each new party member should participate in a concentrated training session within a year after they join the party, with a minimum of 24 hours of study. The higher level party organizations should be responsible for carrying out the training of their subordinates.

3) In the college-graduate “village official” party member training project, the focus should be on fostering socialism’s new-rural reconstruction leaders who are good at working with people, and on carrying out the college-graduate “village official” party member training. Adopt training methods like concentrated training in the county-level party school or above, and practice training at model villages, with training sessions run by the outstanding rural officials so they can pass on their experiences, and so on. Organize the college-graduate “village official” party members to be trained before taking their posts, and then once every year during their contracts with a minimum 40 study hours.

4) The party member entrepreneur and employment ability training project should focus on enhancement of the party members’ abilities to achieve well-off lives in the future, to lead others to achieve well-off lives as well, and to carry out the party member entrepreneur and employment ability training. The party member entrepreneur and employment ability training should be integrated into the new-farmer technology training project, the green certificate training project, the sunlight project on rural labor force shift training, the adult continuing education, the re-employment training project, and so on. All levels of party committees should coordinate closely with the departments of agriculture, science and technology, human resources and social security, pay special attention to the countryside party members’ practical technology training, especially the entrepreneur and employment ability training for the unsettled party members, with emphasis on the farmer party members, the unemployed party members and military retiree party members. Work hard to help them master at least one technical skill and enhance their entrepreneur and employment ability.

4.  Work Measures

1) Innovate ways and methods to inspire party members’ internal drive to participate in the education and training

Continue and improve the ways and means of educating and training the party members that have been used long-term and have proved effective. Adapt to the new situation and new tasks and actively explore more pragmatic, effective, flexible, and diversified ways and methods to educate and train the party members.

Actively organize party members to participate in the party’s educational activities. Adhere to the policy of positive education and self-education, emancipate minds, relate to the reality, and focus on solving our own outstanding problems, so that most party members are educated and the public will benefited in the long run.

Establish and enhance a rotational training system for the party members. Strengthen the research on party members’ training needs to develop targeted training programs, determine training content, and train the party members in batches and in rotation. Widely implement the spring and winter training programs for rural party members. Promote a menu option based training model and adopt special counseling sessions, case studies, seminars, knowledge contests, personal experiences, and so on, to enhance the attractiveness and appeal of educating and training party members.

Improve the party officials’ lecture system. Organize party officials at the county level or above and party officials at the grass-root level to give periodical lectures to party members and those who actively apply to join the party. Focus on the hot, challenging, and questionable issues that many party members are interested in; explain the profound theories in simple terms, to inspire the party members in their thinking and arm them with theory.

Widely establish the “Mobile classroom” program for party members. Organize party school-teachers and lecturers, party members who can be used as examples, experts, scientists, technicians and so on to go to the rural areas, communities, businesses, and schools to set up mobile schools and bring the lectures to people’s door steps; strive to achieve that there will be education classes wherever there are party members. The content of “Mobile classrooms” should be close to the party members’ practical needs, teaching the knowledge and technical skills that they want to learn the most and helping them to improve their understanding and enrich their fund of knowledge and capabilities.

Carry out a Party Day theme in education and training activities. Focus on the party members’ practical and work needs to determine a distinct Party Day theme, and organize the members to carry out study, training and exercise activities. Party cadres should take the lead in participating in the Party Day education and training activities.

2) Develop and integrate resources to build a vigorous educational and training environment for the party members
Develop and integrate educational and training resources. Improve their functions and enhance their services; convert the village- (community-) level facilities, party service centers (or stations) and modern remote education sites for village party officials into primary education sites for village, street, and community party members. Highlight the party’s innovative theoretical training and fully realize the important effects that the party schools at all levels have on the party members. Rely on colleges, universities, technical schools, research institutes, society training organizations, science and technology demonstration bases, and so on to conduct the party members’ skill training. Make full use of the patriotism education bases, caution education bases, anti-corruption education demonstration bases, and so on to train the party members on the party’s history, the party’s fine tradition and style, and the party’s discipline, etc. Provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities), cities (prefectures) and counties (county-level cities) should establish the party members’ education and training demonstration base if it is practical. Actively advance the party member education and training bases that are jointly established by the army and the people and by the police and the people.

Optimize and integrate the teaching resources for party member education and training. Following the requirements of sufficient quantity, reasonable structure, superior quality, and the combination of both full-time and part-time trainers, optimize and integrate the instructor team. Provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities), cities (prefectures), and counties (county-level cities) should set up an open pool of instructors for party members’ education and training and hire people from party schools, universities, and colleges, party officials, model party members, scientists, technical experts, rural local talent, successful business achievers, and so on as instructors. Encourage the establishment of a volunteer instructor team. Improve the instructor selection system, explore the implementation of joint teacher hiring and dynamic management mechanisms, and gradually achieve resource sharing of the high-quality instructors.

Strengthen the development efforts of the party members’ education and training materials. The Central Organization Department will work in conjunction with other relevant departments to develop and edit simple reading materials on the party’s basic information and the party’s history. The local party committees at various levels may compile and develop supplemental education and training materials that are practical, specific, concise, and efficient. The grass-root level party organizations can recommend books and reading materials based on the diversified and individual party member’s learning needs. Fully utilize the books, newspapers, and periodicals to educate and train the party members and promote the establishment of “party member bookstores” in rural areas and communities.

3) Actively use the modern information distribution methods to bring the party members’ education and training to the modern level

Continue to strengthen modern remote education for village party officials and electronic education for rural party members. By the end of 2010, achieve full coverage of all villages for the modern distance education for village party officials. Actively promote the modern remote education network into the party and government organizations, neighborhoods and communities, businesses, and colleges. Emphasize the usage, and strive to expand the scope, audience, contents, methods, and functions of modern remote education services for village party officials and the electronic education services for party members, and continuously improve the education’s quality and effectiveness.

Fully utilize television, the Internet and other mass media to conduct the education and training of party members. Create education programs on China Central Television (CCTV) and local television stations. Integrate the party members’ education training and Internet resources and establish a national party member education website. For local businesses or organizations that have websites, the party organization needs to set up a party member education section. Advocate the establishment of online party schools and explore the use of online learning, “red” text messages [Editor’s Note: an excerpt from an important party leader’s speech or writing], mobile paper and other ways to carry out party members’ education and training.

Actively develop education and training information resources. Provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities), cities (prefectures) and counties (county-level cities) should establish a sufficient, content-rich, user-friendly information resource library for the party members’ education and training. They should strengthen the development and use of educational films, distance learning courseware, and other modern education resources to meet the needs of education and training of party members.

5.  Organization and leadership

Party committees (party groups) at all levels should attach great importance to the party members’ education and training, include it as part of the party-building responsibilities, include it as an important agenda item, and conscientiously strengthen leadership. Improve the joint conference system on the party members’ education and training between the central and local party committees at all levels. Under the unified leadership of party committees, the party’s organization department should take the lead, the discipline inspection departments, propaganda departments, party schools, and so on will participate in being responsible for the arrangements, supervision, and inspection of the party members’ education and training. A joint meeting should be held at least once a year to resolve any education and training work difficulties and issues. Party committees at all levels, discipline inspection departments, propaganda departments, and party schools should establish and improve the party member education and training organizations, ensure there is sufficient staff, and supply the needed work force. The grass roots party committees can, based on their actual need, provide for full time and/or part time employees to be responsible for organizing and managing the party members’ education and training.

Properly resolve the funding for party members’ education and training. The membership fees retained by the party committees (party groups) at all levels should be mainly used for the party members’ education and training. Budgeting offices at all levels need to allocate funds for the party members’ education and training in the training budget plan. The state owned enterprises should allocate sufficient party members’ education and training fees from their employee training budget. Public institutions should properly plan party members’ education and training expense through the specified channels. The party members’ education and training expenses at all levels should support the grass roots party organizations in villages, streets, communities and places that have difficulties. The membership fees managed by the Central Organization Department on behalf of the Central Committee should be applied more towards the party members’ education and training in the old revolutionary base regions, ethnic group minority regions, borderlands, and impoverished regions, and especially those areas subject to severe natural disasters.

Carefully supervise and inspect the party members’ education and training. Establish an education and training record system. The organization that undertakes the education and training tasks should establish a student management system and student study status file system, and provide timely feedback of the party member’s training status to his associated party organization. Party organizations at all levels should conscientiously supervise and inspect the party members’ education and training, gather experiences, identify issues and improve our work.

All localities and departments should follow this work plan and take into consideration their own reality to develop a detailed advisory and annual work plan for implementation.

Under the guiding principle of the work plan, the General Political Department of the PLA will design and implement the party members’ education and training work for the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and the People’s Armed Police Force.

Endnote:
[1] Xinhua, July 26, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2009-07/26/content_11775323.htm