On "Upholding Party Leadership" and "the Essential Feature of Socialism"
By Hao Guisheng. Utopia (Wuyou zhi Xiang), July 7, 2026. Translated by Vero Publishing.
Lead: In 1971 Chairman Mao pointed out that "whether the ideological and political line is correct or not decides everything." He said: "If the Party's line is correct, we will have everything. If we have no people, we can get people; if we have no guns, we can get guns; if we have no political power, we can get political power. If the line is incorrect, even what we have can be lost. The line is the key link; once it is grasped, everything falls into place." This statement enriches, develops and deepens his earlier dictum that "the force at the core leading our cause forward is the Chinese Communist Party, and the theoretical basis guiding our thinking is Marxism-Leninism." Khrushchev did not abolish "the leadership of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union," but the result is known to all.
Also on "Upholding Party Leadership" and "the Essential Feature of Socialism": A Reply to Comrade Zhang Yuan of the Central Party School
Comrade Zhang Yuan, director of the Teaching and Research Office for Socialism with Chinese Characteristics in the Department of Scientific Socialism at the Party School of the CPC Central Committee, published a piece titled "How to Understand Upholding Party Leadership as the Most Essential Feature of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics" in the "Study Q&A" column of Qiushi Online on July 4, 2026 (hereafter "Zhang's article"; see the appendix). Having read it, I hold a different view, and I offer the following for discussion with Comrade Zhang Yuan.
I. Is the Most Essential Feature of Socialism Public Ownership of the Means of Production, or Upholding the Leadership of the Communist Party?
The central thesis of Zhang's article is that "the leadership of the Communist Party of China is the most essential feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics." Note that the article says upholding Party leadership is the most essential feature. This raises two questions: first, what are the essential features of scientific socialism? Second, what is its most essential feature?
As everyone knows, scientific socialism stands in fundamental opposition to capitalism, and also to every variety of feudal socialism, bourgeois and petty-bourgeois socialism, and utopian socialism. The socialism we speak of is scientific socialism, and the Communist Manifesto makes it perfectly clear. Scientific socialism is an economic and political system. As an economic system it must be defined first of all, from the standpoint of historical materialism, in terms of the relations of production: that is, public ownership of the means of production, which is the essential feature of socialism. Those who define "the essence of socialism" as "liberating and developing the productive forces" do not understand the basic principles of historical materialism at all. Historical materialism also holds that the economic base determines the superstructure. Socialism as a political system is determined by its economic base of public ownership, and its essential features are three: first, the dictatorship of the proletariat (which includes the people being masters of the country); second, the leadership of the Communist Party; third, the dominant position of Marxist culture. Not one of these three can be dispensed with.
Which of these four, then, is the most essential feature of scientific socialism? In my view, it can only be public ownership of the means of production. Historical materialism holds that the economic base determines the superstructure, including the political and the ideological superstructure. One must therefore never define "the most essential" feature of socialism purely in terms of the political system, apart from public ownership of the means of production. Socialism as a superstructure has three essential features, and one must likewise never set aside the dictatorship of the proletariat and the dominant position of Marxist culture and elevate "upholding the leadership of the Communist Party" alone into the most essential feature of the socialist superstructure. This is by no means an innovation in the essence of scientific socialism. It is a typical idealist view of history that defines the essence of socialism from the standpoint of a political party, apart from the relations of production.
II. Can One Infer from the Great Importance of Party Leadership to the Socialist Cause That It Is Socialism's Most Essential Feature?
Zhang's article gives several reasons for holding that "Party leadership is the most essential feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics." First, when Marx and Engels founded scientific socialism, they stressed that only by building an advanced party representing its class interests could the proletariat fulfill its historic mission of class emancipation and human emancipation. Second, in leading the Russian revolution and Soviet socialist practice, Lenin regarded the Marxist party as "the sole guarantee of the victory of socialism." The core logic of the Marxist classics is clear: without the strong leadership of a proletarian party, the working class cannot be effectively organized, and the historic mission of transforming the old world and building a new society cannot be accomplished. Third, the founding of the Communist Party of China "profoundly changed the direction and course of the Chinese nation's development in modern times." Fourth, the article cites three important statements by Chairman Mao: "Without the efforts of the Chinese Communist Party, without the Chinese Communists as the mainstay of the Chinese people, China can never achieve independence and liberation, or industrialization and the modernization of her agriculture"; "the force at the core leading our cause forward is the Chinese Communist Party"; and "of the seven sectors, industry, agriculture, commerce, culture and education, the army, the government and the Party, it is the Party that exercises leadership over all." Fifth, after reform and opening up, Deng Xiaoping stressed that "in a country as large as China, it is inconceivable that unity of thinking and action could be achieved among several hundred million people to build socialism without a party whose members have a spirit of sacrifice and a high level of political consciousness and discipline, a party that genuinely represents and unites the masses, and without the unified leadership of such a party." Zhang concludes: "Comparing the fundamental change in China's face before and after the founding of the Communist Party of China, and looking back at the earth-shaking changes since the founding of New China, it is not hard to see that the most fundamental reason why the Chinese people and nation have been able to reverse their historical fate in modern times and achieve such great accomplishments today is the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China."
I consider all five of these grounds correct. From them one can logically infer the extremely important role of upholding Party leadership in revolution and socialist construction. But one can by no means logically infer from them that "upholding Party leadership" is the "most essential feature" of scientific socialism. Take especially the article's quotation of Chairman Mao's words, "the force at the core leading our cause forward is the Chinese Communist Party." As is well known, these words come from Mao's opening address to the First Session of the First National People's Congress in 1954. What Mao actually said was two sentences: "The force at the core leading our cause forward is the Chinese Communist Party. The theoretical basis guiding our thinking is Marxism-Leninism." These are two distinct but inwardly connected sentences forming one indivisible meaning. To speak of Party leadership one must stress the guiding ideology; to speak of the guiding ideology one must stress Party leadership. Zhang's article quotes only the first sentence, says not a word about the second, and raises the first to a supreme height above the guiding ideology. This is wrong.
Everything is a unity of content and form. Marxist guidance, with class struggle at its core, is the soul and essence of "upholding Party leadership." To reduce "upholding Party leadership" to the Party's organizational form, rather than its soul and essence, as Zhang's article does when it speaks only of leadership in organizational form, is not a Marxist view. Lenin did say that the proletarian party is "the sole guarantee of the victory of socialism," but Lenin never spoke abstractly of the role of "Party leadership" apart from the guiding position of Marxism. The greatest error of Zhang's article is that, consciously or not, it separates "Party leadership" from "the guiding position of Marxism," and abstractly inflates "Party leadership," detached from its concrete soul and essence, into the most essential feature of "socialism." This line of reasoning is entirely wrong.
III. Is the Most Valuable Experience of the Party's Century "Upholding Party Leadership," or "Whether the Ideological and Political Line Is Correct"?
The conclusion that "Party leadership" is the most essential feature of "scientific socialism" is not only wrong; it bears on a whole series of basic questions of Marxism, and on how we understand the historical experience of the Communist Party of China and the experience of socialist modernization. Precisely because some people regard "Party leadership" as the most essential feature of "scientific socialism," they in effect infinitely exalt the absolute role of the organizational form of "Party leadership" in the Party's century of struggle and in socialist modernization. Thus, among the ten historical experiences summing up the Party's century of struggle and achievement, the first, most fundamental and most important is "upholding Party leadership."[1] The reason is that they have not put the core content, soul and essence of "Party leadership" first.
"Upholding Party leadership" is indeed one of the most successful experiences of the Chinese revolution and construction; Chairman Mao's statements on this are legion. But in his most important statement of 1971, Chairman Mao pointed out that the chief and most successful experience behind our Party's achievements and successes is that "whether the ideological and political line is correct or not decides everything." He said: "Whether the ideological and political line is correct or not decides everything. If the Party's line is correct, we will have everything. If we have no people, we can get people; if we have no guns, we can get guns; if we have no political power, we can get political power. If the line is incorrect, even what we have can be lost. The line is the key link; once it is grasped, everything falls into place." This statement in effect enriches, develops and deepens his dictum that "the force at the core leading our cause forward is the Chinese Communist Party, and the theoretical basis guiding our thinking is Marxism-Leninism." That is, the decisive role of "the ideological and political line formed by integrating Marxism-Leninism, as the guide, with the practice of Chinese revolution and construction" ranks above the role of "Party leadership" by itself. If "upholding Party leadership" is one of the extremely successful experiences of the Chinese revolution and construction, it can only rank second among them. If it ranked first, then not only this experience but all the others, cut off from a "correct ideological and political line," would cease to be experiences at all.
This lesson of Chairman Mao's sums up the positive and negative experience of the Chinese revolution and of Soviet socialism. In the course of the Chinese revolution, after the Autumn Harvest Uprising Chairman Mao set up Party branches at company level, and later, at the Gutian Conference, established the line of building the army politically and the Party ideologically.[2] This was in effect "Party leadership under the guidance of a correct ideological and political line." But under the serious influence of the dogmatism of Bo Gu, Li De and others, Chairman Mao was stripped of power. Although the base areas still had Party leadership in organizational form, the result was the loss of the base areas and the disastrous defeat at the Xiang River.[3] Only after the Zunyi Conference was a correct ideological and political line for the Chinese revolution truly established. When Khrushchev attacked Stalin and pursued a revisionist line, he did not abolish "the leadership of the Communist Party"; he pursued a line revising Marxism-Leninism under the banner of the Communist Party. From then on, the "leadership of the Communist Party" in the Soviet Union was no longer "upholding Party leadership" in the true sense, guided by Marxism.
These are my views on the relationship between "upholding Party leadership" and the essential feature of "socialism with Chinese characteristics." I welcome criticism and correction from Comrade Zhang Yuan and from other Communist Party members and red netizens!
July 7, 2026
Appendix: How to Understand Upholding Party Leadership as the Most Essential Feature of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics
By Zhang Yuan, Director of the Teaching and Research Office for Socialism with Chinese Characteristics, Department of Scientific Socialism, Party School of the CPC Central Committee (National Academy of Governance). Qiushi Online, "Study Q&A," July 4, 2026.
On the occasion of the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee has formally set out Xi Jinping's thought on Party building, marking a new height in our Party's understanding of the laws of building a Marxist governing party. Among the "fourteen commitments" of Xi Jinping's thought on Party building, the first is that "upholding Party leadership is the most essential feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics." Socialism with Chinese characteristics is the unity of the basic principles of scientific socialism and distinct Chinese characteristics. Without the Communist Party of China there would be no socialist China and no socialism with Chinese characteristics. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out: "Socialism with Chinese characteristics has many features and characteristics, but its most essential feature is upholding the leadership of the Communist Party of China." This profoundly reveals the essential connection between the leadership of the Communist Party of China and socialism with Chinese characteristics, and enriches and develops the Marxist doctrine of party building.
When Marx and Engels founded scientific socialism, they stressed that only by building an advanced party representing its class interests could the proletariat fulfill its historic mission of class emancipation and human emancipation. In leading the Russian revolution and Soviet socialist practice, Lenin regarded the Marxist party as "the sole guarantee of the victory of socialism." The core logic of the Marxist classics is clear: without the strong leadership of a proletarian party, the working class cannot be effectively organized, and the historic mission of transforming the old world and building a new society cannot be accomplished.
The founding of the Communist Party of China was an epoch-making event that profoundly changed the direction and course of the Chinese nation's development in modern times. Comrade Mao Zedong stressed: "Without the efforts of the Chinese Communist Party, without the Chinese Communists as the mainstay of the Chinese people, China can never achieve independence and liberation, or industrialization and the modernization of her agriculture." After the founding of New China, Comrade Mao Zedong further pointed out that "the force at the core leading our cause forward is the Chinese Communist Party," and that "of the seven sectors, industry, agriculture, commerce, culture and education, the army, the government and the Party, it is the Party that exercises leadership over all." After reform and opening up, Comrade Deng Xiaoping stressed that "in a country as large as China, it is inconceivable that unity of thinking and action could be achieved among several hundred million people to build socialism without a party whose members have a spirit of sacrifice and a high level of political consciousness and discipline, a party that genuinely represents and unites the masses, and without the unified leadership of such a party." Comparing the fundamental change in China's face before and after the founding of the Communist Party of China, and looking back at the earth-shaking changes since the founding of New China, it is not hard to see that the most fundamental reason why the Chinese people and nation have been able to reverse their historical fate in modern times and achieve such great accomplishments today is the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China.
In the new era, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has raised the understanding of the importance of Party leadership to a new height. Addressing the vague understanding of and weak action on upholding Party leadership that once existed within the Party, and the weakening, hollowing out and dilution of Party leadership in practice, General Secretary Xi Jinping stated clearly that "the Party exercises leadership over all areas of endeavor in every part of the country, Party, government, military, civilian and academic, east, west, south, north and center," and that "upholding and improving Party leadership is the root and lifeblood of the Party and the country, and the key to the interests and well-being of the people of all ethnic groups." He made the major judgment that "the most essential feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the leadership of the Communist Party of China, and the greatest strength of the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the leadership of the Communist Party of China," stressing that "all our undertakings are built on this foundation and rooted in this most essential feature and greatest strength." Among the "ten affirmations," the "fourteen commitments" and the "thirteen areas of achievement" that form the main content of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, Party leadership comes first in each. Party leadership also comes first among the ten historical experiences of the Party's century of struggle and the five major principles that must be firmly grasped in building a modern socialist country in all respects. This shows that upholding Party leadership occupies a commanding and leading position in the Party's entire system of scientific theory. To depart from the fundamental requirement of Party leadership is to depart from the direction and soul of socialism with Chinese characteristics.
Upholding Party leadership is not only a major theoretical question of principle but also a major practical question bearing on the future and destiny of the Party and the country. Since the Eighteenth Party Congress, facing the arduous task of poverty alleviation, why has China been able to meet the poverty-reduction target of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development ten years early, creating a great miracle in the history of human poverty reduction? Facing the severe challenge of a deteriorating environment and frequent smog, why have we been able to produce a record in which, over ten years, average PM2.5 concentrations in key cities nationwide fell by more than 50 percent and days of heavy pollution fell by more than 90 percent, making China the country with the fastest improvement in air quality in the world? As reform entered a critical stage and deep waters, why have we been able, with the courage to turn the blade inward, to chew through hard bones and wade through dangerous shoals, releasing a steady stream of institutional dividends for China's development? Facing a once-in-a-century pandemic, geopolitical conflict and economic volatility, why has the great ship of China always been able to sail steadily through every storm? Behind all these seemingly "impossible" miracles lies one common answer: the key to running China's affairs well lies in the Party. It is like a great chorus: to sound the strong notes of the times and sing a harmonious movement, there must be a skilled conductor; without a conductor, with everyone singing their own tune, there is bound to be chaos. The simplest feeling of ordinary people is this: with the Party there is someone to rely on; while the Party is there, so is our backbone; the leadership of the Party is the Chinese people's most reliable anchor when storms strike.
The most fundamental aspect of upholding Party leadership is upholding the authority and the centralized, unified leadership of the Party Central Committee. Since the Eighteenth Party Congress, the fundamental reason why the cause of the Party and the country has achieved historic successes and undergone historic changes is the helmsmanship of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core and the scientific guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. The great changes of the new era have fully proved that the "Two Establishes"[4] are the greatest certainty, the greatest confidence and the greatest guarantee for overcoming every difficulty and meeting every uncertainty. At the same time, we must see that Party leadership is comprehensive, systematic and integral, and must be implemented comprehensively, systematically and integrally. In recent years we have upheld and strengthened the Party's overall leadership, carried it through every field, aspect and link of Party governance and state administration, deepened the reform of Party and state institutions, improved the system of Party leadership and tightened the Party's organizational system. The authority and centralized, unified leadership of the Party Central Committee have been strongly ensured, and the whole Party has become more united in thought, more unified in politics and more coordinated in action.
General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out that "to uphold Party leadership, we must constantly improve Party leadership." A very important part of this is to strengthen the Party's ability and resolve to set the direction, plan the overall picture, make policy and promote reform, ensuring that the Party always oversees the overall situation and coordinates all quarters. This requires Party committees at all levels to concentrate on major questions of overall and strategic importance, overseeing without taking over and coordinating without supplanting. We must innovate the Party's methods of leadership and governance, improve and implement democratic centralism, adhere to scientific, democratic and law-based decision-making, and constantly raise the Party's governing capacity and level of leadership.
At present, the basic realization of socialist modernization has entered a critical period of consolidating foundations and making all-round efforts. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out that "Party leadership bears directly on the fundamental direction, the future and the ultimate success or failure of Chinese modernization." The more complex and changeable the situation and the more arduous the tasks, the more we must uphold, apply and develop this greatest strength of Party leadership, and constantly strengthen the Party's capacity for political leadership, ideological guidance, mass organization and social appeal, ensuring that the Party always remains the strong leadership core of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics.
(Original content; please credit Qiushi Online when reposting.)
Translator's Notes
1. The ten historical experiences. Set out in the 2021 Resolution on the Major Achievements and Historical Experience of the Party over the Past Century, the third historical resolution, where "upholding the Party's leadership" is listed first.
2. Party branches at company level and the Gutian Conference. After the 1927 Autumn Harvest Uprising, Mao reorganized his troops at Sanwan, placing a Party branch in every company. The Gutian Conference of December 1929 established the principle of building the Party ideologically and the army politically, under the Party's absolute leadership.
3. Bo Gu, Li De and the Xiang River. Bo Gu (Qin Bangxian) led the Party Central Committee in 1932–1935, with the Comintern adviser Otto Braun (Li De) directing military affairs. Their strategy led to the loss of the Central Soviet Area and to heavy losses at the Xiang River in late 1934, at the start of the Long March. The Zunyi Conference of January 1935 restored Mao to leadership in military affairs.
4. The "Two Establishes" (两个确立). The formula, adopted in 2021, that establishes Xi Jinping as the core of the Party Central Committee and of the whole Party, and establishes the guiding role of Xi Jinping Thought.