"三讲" 教育  "Three Emphasis" Education

A campaign by the Communist Party of China (CPC) to remind Party officials to pay more attention to theoretical study, improve their political awareness¹, and be honest and upright.

Jiang Zemin, then CPC general secretary, pointed² out in November 1995 that Party officials should improve their self-education in the three aspects. And a national campaign was soon started among all Party officials. A conference was held in December 2000 which hailed the campaign as a success. CPC General Secretary Hu Jintao said the move had boosted the individual capabilities³ of Party members and the internal governance of the Party as well.

党务公开 Open Management of Party Affairs

An institutional arrangement for branches of the Communist Party of China (CPC) at all levels to improve transparency.

According to this principle, Party branches are obliged to make their processes for making decisions and carrying out activities as well as their achievements known to other Party members according to the characteristics of the issues. And if the issues are closely related to the interests of the public, the Party branches should also publicize their work to all. Formally included in the CPC Constitution in 2007, this principle was part of the CPC's effort to promote democracy within the Party, protect the democratic rights of Party members and enhance the internal supervision⁴ of the Party.

爱国统一战线 Patriotic⁵ United Front

A political union of all socialist⁶ laborers⁷, patriots⁸ supporting socialism and patriots supporting the unification of China.

First raised as the "ethnic⁹ united front" in 1935 by the Communist Party of China (CPC), it was meant to join the powers of all social groups regardless of their class, wealth and political positions to fight against the Japanese aggressors during the World War II.

Despite changes in the specific concept and target of the union under different historical conditions, this union has remained a key strategy of the CPC to mobilize all social sectors¹⁰ to achieve the contemporary goals it sets for the country.

Part of institutional arrangements for the country to consolidate¹¹ and develop the people's dictatorship, this union was embodied¹² in the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, whose members include people from the CPC, the eight non-communist parties and other social groups.

南巡讲话 South Tour Speeches

A series of speeches delivered by the late leader Deng Xiaoping, the chief architect of China's reform and opening-up, during his inspection¹³ tour of southern Wuchang, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, and Shanghai in early 1992. Targeted at domestic misgivings¹⁴ and confusion among some scholars and even officials about the country's reform and development, Deng put forward some new viewpoints on a series of crucial issues, such as the core of Marxism, the essence of socialism, market economy, and how to emancipate¹⁵ and develop productivity. The significant speeches outlined an unequivocal path for the country's further reform and opening-up and have greatly driven its political, economic, and social development.

实事求是 To Seek Truth from Facts

A term stressing that facts or practices are the single standard by which to judge whether a theory is valid¹⁶. It is one of the core ideas of the Communist Party of China about socialism with Chinese characteristics. Repeatedly stressed by different generations of leaders, this term was formally raised by Deng Xiaoping in the late 1970s. It was to mobilize the country to look for means of development in economic and political terms feasible and suitable for China rather than those based on political ideology¹⁷. It is still part of the principles for the CPC stipulated¹⁸ in its constitution. It is also a popular term extensively used in different aspects of social life.