Q: Why is emphasis being placed on consolidating the Party's work style at the present time?

A: The Communist Party of China is a ruling party. As Vice-Chairman of the CPC Central Committee Chen Yun pointed out, the style of work of a ruling party is a matter of life-and-death importance.

During the revolutionary war years, everyone who joined the Communist Party was willing to bear hardships, take risks and, if necessary, sacrifice his or her life. Things have changed since the revolution succeeded. The people showed gratitude to us and the bourgeoisie came forward to flatter us. It is very easy for people within our Party to become arrogant and begin to seek pleasure. Some opportunists and careerists may have wormed their way into the Party, taking advantage of the Party's position to line their pockets. The 10 chaotic years of the "cultural revolution" clearly proved that a ruling party would become divorced from the masses if it does not maintain its good style of work and does not follow the principle of democratic centralism. Conspirators and careerists will be active and the Party may face the danger of changing its character and political colour.

After years of efforts, the Party's style of work has begun to take a turn for the better. But this does not mean that a fundamental change has taken place. For instance, an extremely small number of Party cadres doubt the line of the Party Central Committee, with some publicly singing different tunes. A number of Party members have grown individualistic. An extremely small number of them, corrupted by capitalist ideas, have become criminals. Some Party organizations have forfeited their role as fighting bastions.

Since the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Party Central Committee, the Party has been following a correct line. Its implementation, however, calls for a good Party style of work. Therefore, we urgently need to improve the Party's work style and work for a fundamental turn for the better in this respect.

Q: How will Party members be educated in the future?

A: According to our experience in building up our Party over the past decades, the Party's power does not depend upon the number of members, but the quality of the Party members. We have always emphasized the importance of ideological building to the Party's development. Half of our present members joined the Party after 1966 when the "cultural revolution" began. When Lin Biao and the gang of four were holding sway, inner-Party life was extremely abnormal. These comrades had no chance to receive Party education. They lack the experience of strict Party life. Many of them do not fully understand the basic knowledge of the Party, its rules, discipline, fine traditions and style of work. In the meantime, some of those who joined the Party much earlier have become lax and are not strict with themselves.

At present, our Party is leading the people of all nationalities in building socialist ethics and material civilization. The new historical task has set new and higher demands for all Communist Party members. Therefore. strengthening the education of the Party members to raise their political quality becomes a very important task of our Party. In accordance with historical experience and the task confronting us, we will continue to organize the Party members to study Resolution on Certain Questions in the History of Our Party Since the Founding of the People's Republic of China, Guiding Principles for Inner-Party Political Life and other documents. Education will be carried out in the following fields.

1. Education in the basic theory of Marxism-Leninism and the four fundamental principles-keeping to the socialist road, the people's democratic dictatorship, Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought, and the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party. We should educate Party members to firmly believe in Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought and have confidence that the cause of our Party will be victorious.

2. Education in the great communist ideal. We should educate Party members to foster a world outlook of struggling for communism throughout their life, to link this great ideal with their jobs, to heighten their revolutionary spirit, and to contribute their all to the Party's cause.

3. Education in the proletarian Party spirit and basic knowledge of the Party. We should educate members strictly to conduct themselves according to the standards of a Party member, to display exemplary, backbone and linking-the-Party-with-the-masses roles in various fields of work and to strive to be qualified Communist Party members.

4. Education in opposing the ideological corruption of capitalist ideas. It is imperative to help Party members develop a sober understanding of class struggle under the new historical conditions, maintain sharp vigilance and conscientiously resist the corrosion of capitalist ideas and way of life.

Our Party will convene its 12th National Congress this autumn. The reports and resolutions passed at the congress will be the major contents in the education of the Party members for a fairly long period to come.