A Remarkable Document That Doesn't Seem Remarkable: Chen Liangyu — "Top Leaders" Should Regularly Report on Their Integrity

2006/9/27 12:41:38

This affair has been quite the sensation lately. People are saying all sorts of things. Let's just look at the real version — don't be a fool!

Had the Duke of Zhou died on the day rumors swirled, had Wang Mang died while still showing humility —

Then who would ever have known the truth or falsehood of their lives?

Chen Liangyu: "Top Leaders" Should Regularly Report on Their Integrity

The Shanghai Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government held a cadre meeting on strengthening Party conduct and clean governance yesterday afternoon (August 13, 2003) at the Shanghai Exhibition Center. Centered on deepening the study and implementation of the important thought of "Three Represents," with the special topic of upholding governance for the public good and administration for the people, and consciously serving as good servants of the people, the meeting provided Party conduct and clean governance education for cadres at all levels across the city. Chen Liangyu, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Secretary of the Shanghai Municipal Party Committee, emphasized at the meeting that in accordance with new situations and new requirements, the Party must persist in implementing the principle of the Party managing the Party and governing the Party strictly, continuously deepening the construction of Party conduct and clean governance and the fight against corruption, further improving Party and government conduct, and providing strong and powerful guarantees for achieving Shanghai's grand development goals.

Chen Liangyu pointed out that the Municipal Party Committee attaches great importance to the construction of Party conduct and clean governance, that all work has been solid and effective, that combating corruption at the source has been forceful, and that Shanghai's Party and government conduct is on the whole healthy and positive.

Chen Liangyu said that while affirming achievements, a clear head must be maintained, and existing problems and hidden dangers must be given high attention. Leading cadres at all levels must uphold the correct political direction, strictly observe Party political discipline, and be politically reliable. Being politically reliable means firmly establishing correct ideals and beliefs, always being loyal to the Party and the people, loyal to the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and unswervingly implementing the Party's lines, principles, and policies. At any time and under any circumstances, especially when facing complex international political and economic situations, unclear political direction and unsteady political conviction will not only lead to defeat in political struggles but will also make one unable to resist various sugar-coated bullets and lose one's integrity as a Communist. This is a major ideological and political issue that every leading cadre must resolve well.

Chen Liangyu emphasized that Party organizations and Party member cadres at all levels must further strengthen political discipline. Leading Party member cadres at all levels must resolutely implement the Party's basic theory, basic line, and basic program. They absolutely must not believe on stage while disbelieving off stage. They absolutely must not publicly express or spread among the masses statements that contradict the Party's lines, principles, policies, and various decisions. They absolutely must not listen to or spread political rumors. Discipline inspection and supervision departments at all levels must, in accordance with central requirements, inspect and supervise Party member cadres' compliance with political discipline. Those who listen to and spread rumors must receive criticism and education, and those who repeatedly refuse to correct their behavior and cause malicious impact must be given Party disciplinary sanctions. Propaganda departments and news organizations must place upholding the correct guidance of public opinion as their top priority, fully leverage the main channel role of public opinion, employ various propaganda methods, and proactively and promptly carry out positive reporting to set the record straight. At the same time, they must strictly observe political discipline and propaganda discipline, and absolutely not provide channels for the spread of erroneous views and statements.

Chen Liangyu emphasized that regarding the issues repeatedly emphasized by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection concerning the regulation of leading cadres' clean governance behavior, and in light of Shanghai's actual situation, the Municipal Party Committee is reiterating relevant disciplines and requiring all Party member cadres across the city to observe and implement them:

Leading cadres must not interfere with the normal conduct of major matters such as land transfer, project contracting, and enterprise restructuring. No one may use written instructions, telephone calls, or other explicit or implicit means to use personal will to interfere with these operations. The already established bidding system must be strictly implemented, and no one may create exceptions. For matters permitted by national regulations that do not yet meet the conditions for bidding, strict procedures must be followed for collective decision-making.

Leading cadres must not accept cash, securities, or payment vouchers from any unit or individual related to the exercise of their powers, under any name. When buying or renovating houses, buying cars, or when the cadre, spouse, or children go abroad, they must not accept any form of gift from such parties. In recommending and introducing projects, funds, and talent, they must strictly follow laws, regulations, and systems.

Leading cadres must not use their power to seek private gain for their spouses, children, or staff around them. Leading cadres must make it explicitly clear that spouses, children, and staff around them must not carry out activities under the leader's banner. No organization may grant any privileges to activities carried out under a leader's banner. Whoever violates the rules bears the responsibility.

Chen Liangyu emphasized that leading cadres at all levels must continuously strengthen the reform of their subjective world, strive to implement "governing for the public good and administering for the people" in their own thoughts and actions, properly handle the relationship between being an official and being a person, between organization and individual, enhance their consciousness of actively accepting supervision from both inside and outside the Party, continuously improve their own cultivation, and truly become servants of the people with high moral character and good official ethics.

Chen Liangyu emphasized that the "top leaders" of Party and government teams at all levels must be models in observing the various regulations of the Central Committee and the Municipal Party Committee on clean self-discipline, and consciously accept supervision from superiors, peers, subordinates, and the masses. They must regularly report on their clean governance practices at democratic life meetings and plenary sessions of the Party committee, including information on the employment and education of their spouses and children. Questions reflected in letters and visits from the masses must be truthfully explained to the organization. At least once every six months, they must go to the grassroots level to directly hear the opinions of the masses regarding themselves, their team's work, and their clean governance practices. Reported problems and opinions must be promptly rectified, and the rectification status must be publicly disclosed within a certain scope. Chen Liangyu reiterated that he himself would first consciously accept the supervision of the broad masses of Party members and people, ensuring that the power in his hands would never be used to benefit family members and relatives. If anyone conducts business in the name of his family or relatives, they must refuse to see them or handle the matter, and immediately report it.

(Source: Morning News, August 14, 2003)

__Chen Liangyu Emphasizes Earnestly Safeguarding Party Members' Rights and Advancing Inner-Party Democracy

Jiefang Daily (Reporter Dong Qiang): Yesterday morning, the Municipal Party Committee held a standing committee study session, specially studying the "Regulations on Safeguarding the Rights of Members of the Communist Party of China." Comrade Chen Liangyu chaired the meeting and spoke, emphasizing that the "Regulations on Safeguarding Party Members' Rights" is an extremely important inner-Party regulation regarding the safeguarding of Party members' rights. Party organizations at all levels across the city and the broad masses of Communist Party members must earnestly study, widely publicize, and strictly observe it. In accordance with the requirements of the Regulations, they must earnestly carry out all work related to safeguarding Party members' rights, continuously advance inner-Party democracy, further improve the Party's governing capacity, fully mobilize the enthusiasm, initiative, and creativity of Party members, and enhance the Party's creativity, cohesion, and combat effectiveness, providing strong political guarantees for Shanghai's reform, opening up, and development.

Source: Jiefang Daily, November 6, 2004)

__Shanghai Municipal Party Secretary Chen Liangyu Emphasizes Joint Party-Government Effort to Implement Anti-Corruption and Clean Governance

The national televised and teleconferenced meeting on implementing the Party conduct and clean governance responsibility system was held yesterday afternoon. Chen Liangyu, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Secretary of the Shanghai Municipal Party Committee, spoke at the Shanghai venue, emphasizing that guided by Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important thought of "Three Represents," and in earnest implementation of the spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 16th CPC Central Committee, standing at the height of strengthening the Party's governing capacity, in accordance with central requirements, the Party must continuously improve and earnestly implement the Party conduct and clean governance responsibility system, strive to form the combined force of the whole Party working on Party conduct, and further open new prospects for Shanghai's Party conduct and clean governance and anti-corruption work.

Chen Liangyu pointed out that implementing the Party conduct and clean governance responsibility system is a major measure to ensure, from an institutional perspective, that the whole Party works on Party conduct and clean governance construction. Party committees and governments at all levels across the city must persist in joint Party-government effort, strengthen work synergy, and in accordance with the requirements of the responsibility system, assume full leadership responsibility for Party conduct and clean governance construction and anti-corruption work.