Editor's Note:

July 1, 2025, marks the 104th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of China (CPC). Looking back on more than a century of striving, it is under the Party's strong leadership that the Chinese people have continuously turned the "impossible" into the "possible." The historic transformation of the Chinese nation - from standing up, to growing prosperous and becoming strong - has been fundamentally driven by the leadership of the CPC.

The book series of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China contains multiple important speeches on upholding and strengthening the Party's leadership. In the article "Maximize the Institutional Strength of CPC Leadership" included in Volume III of the book series, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, emphasized that governing a large country with more than 1.3 billion people, the Party must improve its leadership systems and mechanisms, give full play to the great strength of leadership by the Party, and shoulder the major responsibilities of carrying out our great struggle, developing our great project, advancing our great cause, and realizing our great dream. Only in this way can we ensure national reunification, uniform laws and policies and consistent market management, achieve economic development, clean political administration, cultural prosperity, social justice and healthy ecosystems, and smoothly advance the causes of Chinese socialism in the new era.

In Volume IV, Xi further stressed in the article titled "Speech at the Ceremony Marking the Centenary of the Communist Party of China" that the leadership of the Party is the defining feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics and constitutes the greatest strength of this system. It is the foundation and lifeblood of the Party and the country, and the crux upon which the interests and wellbeing of all Chinese people depend.

Looking ahead, only by upholding and strengthening the Party's overall leadership can we fully build a great modern socialist country in all respects as scheduled and achieve the grand goal of national rejuvenation.

In the seventh installment of the special series "Decoding the Book of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China," the Global Times, along with People's Daily Overseas Edition, focuses on the theme: "Upholding CPC's overall leadership is China's greatest political advantage." We continue to invite Chinese and foreign scholars, translators of Xi's works, practitioners with firsthand experience, and international readers to explore the CPC's institutional strengths and real-world results in theoretical innovation, political development, organizational structure and its people-centered approach - and to collectively answer the question of our times: "Why is the CPC successful?"

This is the sixth story of the "Practitioner's Insights" column, in which, the Global Times visited the Henan Jiao Yulu Executive Leadership Academy in Lankao county, Central China's Henan Province, a Party spirit education institute named after the late grassroots Party official Jiao Yulu (1922-64).

There, the academy's teachers, students, and directors shared their practices and insights on what it takes to carry forward the spirit of Jiao as a means to pass on and elevate the "spiritual lineage of the CPC" among Party members. They emphasized the importance of nurturing Party members at the grassroots level, and showcased the advantages of the CPC leadership system from the perspective of cultivating its members.

Together with many Party spirit education institutions across the country, the academy contributes its practical efforts to nurturing CPC members who are committed to "bringing benefits to the people, serving them, addressing their concerns, protecting their rights and interests, and accepting their supervision."

A statue of Jiao Yulu at Henan Jiao Yulu Executive Leadership Academy in Lankao county, Central China's Henan Province. Photo: Huang Lanlan/GT

Center stage, a spotlight slowly descends, illuminating the figure of "Jiao Yulu." Portrayed by Niu Haozhe, a young teacher, "Jiao" stands in faded, worn clothing, his deep gaze fixed on the audience below. 

"Who are you?... It's 2025? What will that look like? Will everyone be able to eat steamed buns made from fine flour? ... That's good! But why have you still come to me? I am just an ordinary member of the Communist Party of China; an ordinary public servant..."

This scene unfolds during an immersive Party spirit education course titled "Jiao Yulu" at the Henan Jiao Yulu Executive Leadership Academy. As the course progresses, the touching stories of Jiao are vividly brought to life. 

On stage, actors deliver heartfelt performances that recount Jiao's relentless dedication to leading the people of Lankao county, sowing hope in the barren land despite being severely ill himself. Below, hundreds of Party members from across the country respond tearfully and applaud enthusiastically, engaging in a spiritual dialogue that transcends time.

Jiao, former Party secretary of Lankao, is remembered by Chinese people as a devoted public servant and an exemplary Party official at the grassroots level. The spirit of Jiao, which involves loving people, working hard, selflessness, empiricism, and resilience, embodies the fundamental principle of the CPC's commitment to serving the people wholeheartedly at the grassroots.

In the article "Maximize the Institutional Strength of CPC Leadership" in the third volume of the book Xi Jinping: The Governance of China, Xi notes that, "we must implement the Party's principle of the mass line, improve the system through which the people are the masters of the country, and improve the systems and mechanisms for bringing benefits to the people, serving them, addressing their concerns, protecting their rights and interests, and accepting their supervision, so as to provide a stronger guarantee for the people to manage both state affairs and social, economic and cultural affairs."

The principles of "bringing benefits to the people, serving them, addressing their concerns, protecting their rights and interests, and accepting their supervision," are not only a true reflection of the outstanding grassroots Party official Jiao, but also represent the lifelong pursuit of numerous Party members.

During an inspection tour of Lankao in 2014, Xi urged Party members and cadres to use Jiao's spirit as a mirror to examine their problems and shortcomings. Inspired by this directive, various Party spirit education institutions across the country, including the Henan Jiao Yulu Executive Leadership Academy, have actively organized activities to learn the "spiritual lineage of the CPC" from exemplary Party members like Jiao. 

From the classrooms in Lankao, to the Party spirit education platforms nationwide, the phrase "for the people" serves as a spiritual bond, tightly linking CPC leadership with its principle of the mass line, creating a "compass" for countless Party members as they move forward.

From classroom to the fields

Niu, who portrayed Jiao in the immersive course "Jiao Yulu," is just 23 years old. 

As a teacher at the academy, Niu's connection to Jiao began with the stories told by his grandparents. In those stories passed down through generations, Jiao, Lankao's Party chief in the 1960s, guided local people to harness the "three hazards (namely sandstorm, salinization and waterlogging) in the then impoverished region of Lankao. Even while suffering from serious illness, Jiao remained dedicated to his work and cared deeply for the residents there, leaving a lasting impression on Niu.

"Every time I stand at the podium, I feel a tremendous responsibility," Niu told the Global Times at the academy. "I want the students to see a real and vibrant Jiao, and to deeply understand his spirit."

In the article "Maximize the Institutional Strength of CPC Leadership," Xi emphasizes that, "Strengthening leadership by the Party in all respects is entirely consistent with our people-centered philosophy." "We must implement the Party's principle of the mass line, improve the system through which the people are the masters of the country, and improve the systems and mechanisms for bringing benefits to the people, serving them, addressing their concerns, protecting their rights and interests, and accepting their supervision, so as to provide a stronger guarantee for the people to manage both state affairs and social, economic and cultural affairs." The important remarks provide clear guidance for the teachers engaged in Party spirit education, as many front-line teachers shared with the Global Times that, the remarks offer a concrete direction in their teaching practices, helping students further understand how they, as Party members, can better serve the public.

How can the Party members be educated to always keep "bringing benefits to the people, serving them, addressing their concerns, protecting their rights and interests, and accepting their supervision" at the forefront of their minds and translate these principles into practical work? Teachers at the academy said they draw inspiration from Jiao's spirit, integrating Xi's directive into their course design and daily teaching practices.

Niu, for instance, apart from embodying Jiao's spirit on stage, often takes his students to the banks of the Yellow River in suburban Lankao for field research, and to visit various villages to engage with the local community. Following this Gen Z teacher, the Party members learn methods of "dredging silt to cover sandy soil" at the riverside, experiencing the hardships faced by Jiao and people in Lankao in combating desertification and salinity. They also bring their notebooks into the fields, and have face-to-face conversations with villagers to listen to their needs and aspirations.

One person inspires many

Jiao stands as a beacon for numerous Party members, and is also a role model for Xi.

In July 1990, then serving as secretary of the CPC Fuzhou Municipal Committee, Xi penned a heartfelt poem dedicated to Jiao. In April 2009, during his inspection trip to Lankao, Xi took the time to plant a paulownia sapling, near a paulownia tree that Jiao had planted himself decades before. In March 2014, during another visit to Lankao, Xi urged Party members and cadres to use Jiao's spirit as a mirror to examine their problems and shortcomings. Over the years, Xi has frequently mentioned Jiao, encouraging Party members to earnestly study and promote his spirit.

As a main platform for promoting the spirit of Jiao, the Henan Jiao Yulu Executive Leadership Academy was established in August 2013. "As practitioners dedicated to inheriting and promoting the 'spiritual lineage of the CPC,' we adhere to Jiao's spirit in our educational approach, fully leveraging the magnetic effect of the Party spirit education, and craft a grand blueprint for the Party member education that starts with 'one person' and gradually inspires 'many,'" Wen Baisong, deputy secretary of the Party committee and executive vice president of the academy, told the Global Times.

To date, the academy has trained over 400,000 Party members at various levels. Of them, a director from a county-level agricultural department in central China shared with the Global Times that, the week-long training he had received at the academy was immensely beneficial. "The teachers possess rich experience and wisdom, and Jiao's attitude of actively learning from the masses is something we should emulate," he said.

The director recalled that after returning to his post following the training, during a field trip to investigate a local high-standard farmland construction project, he found that the crops in some high-standard farmland areas were not growing well. Observing the flourishing fields of local farmers nearby, he actively sought advice from local veteran farmers, inviting them to share their expertise with the project's technical staff, while also welcoming public input and oversight on the management of high-standard farmland. As a consequence, the effectiveness of high-standard farmland construction was significantly improved. Moreover, it enhanced the production conditions for local farmers and increased their incomes.

Reflecting on the heartfelt gratitude expressed by the local farmers as they held his hands, this 45-year-old grassroots Party official felt a surge of warmth. "Such sincere feedback from the people brought me immense comfort, and strengthened my resolve to practice the principles of 'bringing benefits to the people, serving them, addressing their concerns, protecting their rights and interests, and accepting their supervision,'" he said.

Eternal spirits passed down 

The spirit of Jiao occupies a significant place in the "spiritual lineage of the CPC." Across China, there are many Party spirit education institutions like the academy. Each of them focuses on different aspects of the "spiritual lineage," yet all converge on the education and training of Party members in the new era.

These great spirits, emerging from various periods and regions, shine like guiding stars, collectively forming the dazzling galaxy-like "spiritual lineage of the CPC" that has been built over more than a century. History flows endlessly, and the spirits are passed down through generations.

"The reason our Party can cultivate such outstanding members is rooted in its advanced nature," Wen said. "The CPC has created a century of glory through trials and tribulations, and the secret to its success lies in the noble moral character of its members." 

He emphasized that, adhering to the principle of "putting the people at the center" is precisely where the strength of the CPC leadership lies. The CPC continually demonstrates through action that the institutional strength of its leadership is not an abstract concept, but is reflected in every detail of "bringing benefits to the people."

At the Henan Jiao Yulu Executive Leadership Academy, teacher Li Xiaoyu often shares with her students that the spirit of Jiao is and will always be an invaluable spiritual treasure of the Party. She tells them that the "three hazards" that once plagued the people of Lankao are now a thing of the past, and the entire China has undergone remarkable transformations.

"Yet, the spirit of Jiao, along with the broader 'spiritual lineage of the CPC,' remains a beacon that keeps illuminating and inspiring countless Party members as they continue on the path of serving the people."

As night fell, the immersive Party spirit education course "Jiao Yulu" unfolded at the campus of the academy. Niu, who portrayed Jiao, gazed at the audience, engaging in a heartfelt dialogue that transcends time.

"Who are you?" "We are Party members from various places in 2025." "It's 2025? What will that look like? Will everyone be able to eat steamed buns made from fine flour?... That's good! But why have you still come to me? I am just an ordinary Party member; an ordinary public servant." "But your spirit has influenced countless future generations of Party members."

At this point in the dialogue, he paused slightly, his eyes moist, yet his voice carried strength. "This spirit is the original aspiration of every Party member... I have been gone for decades, but as long as Party members are there, the spirit you speak of will surely be passed down through generations."