A meeting marking the 90th anniversary of the Party School of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the opening ceremony of its 2023 spring semester was held on March 1 in Beijing.

President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, attended the ceremony and delivered an important speech. He stressed that the unchanged original aspirations of Party schools are to cultivate talents for the Party and provide suggestions and opinions to the Party. Party schools at all levels must stay true to their original aspirations and press ahead with great determination, making new contributions to building a modern socialist country in all respects and advancing national rejuvenation on all fronts.

Cai Qi and Ding Xuexiang, who are members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, attended the event.

The meeting began at 10 am. All present rose and sang the national anthem.

After warm applause, Xi made an important speech. He pointed out that it is the political stand Party schools must firmly take to contribute to the central task of economic development and serve the overall interests of the country, which is a prerequisite for the fulfillment of their original aspirations. Party schools must follow the banner, the will, and the missions of the Party, must identify and refine their role in the great new cause of the Party and the great new project of Party building, and always be ready to serve the overall interests of the Party and the country.

Party schools must follow the correct path in doing their work, such schools belong to the Party, which is a principle that must be adhered to, and they must uphold Party spirit. Party schools must be subordinated to and serve the political line of the Party consciously and abide by the political discipline and political rules of the Party. All Party schools must love the Party, speak for the Party, concern themselves about the Party's development and be dedicated to it. They should become more conscious of the need to maintain political integrity, think in big-picture terms, follow the leadership core, and keep in alignment with the central Party leadership, stay confident in the path, the theory, the system, and the culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics, firmly uphold Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and uphold the Central Committee's authority and its centralized, unified leadership, and closely follow the Party Central Committee in thinking, political stance, and action.

It is important for Party schools to identify the point where their work meets with the Party's central task, their strengths serve the need of the Party so that they can train whatever kind of officials needed by the Party, and try to put forward proposals and opinions for whatever major issues that the Party needs to solve.

Xi emphasized that cultivating talents for the Party is where the unique value of Party schools lies. As the "major battlefield" for providing education and training to officials, Party schools must play an active part in cultivating a contingent of backbone officials who are worthy of the great responsibility of realizing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. To do a good job in propagating principles, imparting professional knowledge, and resolving doubts in the new era, Party schools must propagate the truth of Marxism, impart knowledge for promoting reform, development and stability, and resolve doubts encountered in transforming the subjective world and the objective world.

Xi pointed out that theoretical attainment is the core of the comprehensive quality of leading officials. Being mature theoretically lays the foundation for being mature politically, and being sober-minded theoretically sustains a firm political stance. For leading officials, the better command of Marxism they have as a special ability, the stronger their political awareness will become, and so will their capacity for political judgment, thinking and implementation, and the more advantageous position they will maintain in observing situations, planning development and forestalling and defusing risks. Party schools should further strengthen education and training on Marxist theory, focus their efforts on using the latest achievements in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of our times to achieve unity in thinking, will and action, and strengthen cohesion and consciousness of the Party with the Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.

Xi stressed that Party schools are "melting pots" for leading officials to enhance their Party consciousness. Party schools at all levels should regard education on the Party consciousness as the main contents of their teaching, take further steps to launch education programs on ideals and convictions, the Party's purpose, the history of the Party, the People's Republic of China, reform and opening up and the development of socialism, revolutionary traditions, traditional virtues of the Chinese nation and how to strengthen the Party conduct and build integrity. They should regard the studying of and education on the Party Constitution, Party regulations and Party discipline as important contents of education on the Party consciousness, so as to guide and propel leading officials to constantly improve their ideological consciousness, mental outlook and ethical attainments, establish a correct outlook on authority, political achievements and careers, and maintain the political essence of Communists.

Xi pointed out that, to fulfill the duties and missions of the new era entrusted by the Party and the people, leading officials must comprehensively enhance their abilities in all aspects and strive to become highly proficient in their own jobs. Party schools at all levels should focus on the major decisions and arrangements made by the CPC Central Committee and the major strategic needs of the country, and organize and carry out practical and effective training on professional competence with an emphasis on improving leading officials' ability to pursue high-quality development, serve the people, and guard against and defuse risks. At the same time, efforts should be redoubled to build the fighting spirit and ability of leading officials, particularly their ability to prevent risks, meet difficulties head on, rise to challenges, and withstand pressure. Leading officials must continue to perfect their professionalism so as to be better qualified for leadership positions.

Xi emphasized that Party schools, being an important front of the Party's ideological and theoretical work, bear the important responsibility of offering suggestions and opinions for the Party. Party schools should conduct well theoretical research and countermeasure research, which is a knowledge about exploring the laws and their practical application, and produce high-quality results in researching and interpreting the Party's innovative theories, promoting its theoretical innovations, and providing suggestions and opinions for the Party and the government. This is where the unique value of Party schools lies.

Xi pointed out that Party schools are an important frontier of the Party's ideological work and must be in the hands of those loyal to the Party and Marxism. Party schools should publicize the Party's views, refute all kinds of fallacies and heresies in a targeted manner, and be an active publicist of the Party's innovative theories, a firm defender of the guiding position of Marxism in the ideological field, and a reliable vanguard in guiding social trends of thought with the Party's ideology.

Xi emphasized that, to stick to their original aspiration, Party schools must always maintain strict management and quality teaching as their fundamentals, and abide by the strictest political, academic, teaching and management standards. Party schools should play the role of a "purifier" of unhealthy practices, a "melting pot" of Party consciousness training and a "weather vane" of strict governance of the Party in an all-round way. We should strengthen the education on the fine traditions and conduct of Party schools, enhance the education of political discipline and rules, and guide Party school teachers to devote themselves to studies, researches, and education. Party schools at all levels should dare to do their work and strictly manage students, so that they can feel the learning, simple, and clean atmosphere as soon as they enter Party schools. Party schools should regard quality as the fundamental to run schools, as the lifeline project in operation and management and adhere to high standards in education. They must prioritize the development of a talented workforce and vigorously implement the strategy of strengthening the schools with talents.

Lastly, Xi emphasized that upholding the Party's overall leadership in the work of Party schools is the fundamental experience of our Party in running Party schools, and also the fundamental guarantee for promoting the healthy development of Party schools. It is necessary to insist on running Party schools throughout the Party, which requires Party committees and governments at all levels, as well as relevant functional departments, to support the development of Party schools through practical actions.

When presiding over the event, Chen Xi, head of the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee and president of the Party School of the CPC Central Committee, said that General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech reviewed and summarized the historical achievements and glorious accomplishments of the Party School of the CPC Central Committee in the past 90 years, provided a comprehensive and profound exposition around upholding the school's original aspirations of "cultivating talents for the Party and providing suggestions and opinions to the Party," and should serve as a guiding document for the development of Party schools in the new era. Party schools at all levels should thoroughly study and implement the gist of General Secretary Xi's important speech, develop a thorough understanding of the decisive significance of establishing Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and the guiding role of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, boost their consciousness of the need to maintain political integrity, think in big-picture terms, follow the leadership core, and keep in alignment with the central Party leadership, and stay confident in the path, the theory, the system, and the culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and firmly uphold Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and uphold the Party Central Committee's authority and its centralized, unified leadership. Chen called on all members of Party schools to break new ground for the work of Party schools on the new journey, and to contribute their wisdom and strength to building a modern socialist country in all respects and advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts.

The meeting concluded with the grand melody of Internationale.

Li Ganjie, Li Shulei and Liu Jinguo were present.

Those who attended the ceremony also included leading officials from relevant central departments, leaders, faculty representatives and students of the Party School of the CPC Central Committee (National Academy of Governance), China Executive Leadership Academy Pudong (CELAP), China Executive Leadership Academy, Jinggangshan (CELAJ), and China Executive Leadership Academy, Yan'an (CELAY), and ex-leaders and representatives for retired officials of the Party School of the CPC Central Committee (National Academy of Governance).

The meeting was held as a teleconference, with branch venues set up at CELAP, CELAJ and CELAY.