Sharpening the Blade Against the Red Wall: From Hong Kong to Handong

In mid-December 2009, a cold wind carrying snowflakes swept through the streets of the provincial capital, but the pines and cypresses in the provincial party committee compound remained upright. Zhou Jin, carrying two neatly bound proposals, entered the office of Zhang Ping, deputy secretary of the provincial party committee, accompanied by Zhang Li, the head of the municipal party committee's organization department.

"Secretary Zhang, I'm sorry to bother you." Zhou Jin stepped forward to shake hands and gently placed the plan on the desk. "This is the implementation plan for Party building leading development and the three-year action plan for cadre team building that we have formulated based on our research and actual situation in Yan'an City. I have come to you today specifically to ask for your instructions and report, and I would like to hear your guidance."

Deputy Secretary Zhang Ping, in his fifties, has been deeply involved in Party building for over twenty years and is known for his meticulousness and rigor. He picked up the plan, his gaze first falling on the signature, then looking up at Zhou Jin, his tone tinged with surprise: "Comrade Zhou Jin, I remember you've been fighting on the economic front all along, with Yancheng's economic growth rate leading the province for several consecutive years. I didn't expect that you would come up with such a solid plan for Party building and organizational work so soon after taking over as the Party Secretary."

As they spoke, Zhang Ping had already opened the proposal and was carefully reviewing it page by page. The office was quiet, with only the soft rustling of pages turning. Zhou Jin and Zhang Li sat opposite him, waiting patiently. Zhang Ping's brows sometimes relaxed, sometimes furrowed slightly, and occasionally he would jot down brief annotations in the margins.

More than half an hour later, Zhang Ping closed the plan, a smile of approval on his face: "Good! Very good! This plan shows that real effort has been put into it. There are no empty slogans, only concrete measures to address practical problems. It not only meets the requirements of the Central Committee and the Provincial Party Committee on Party building, but also closely integrates with the local conditions of Yancheng City. In particular, it deeply integrates Party building with economic development and grassroots governance. This approach is accurate and effective."

Pointing to the sections on "unified establishment of Party branches in non-public enterprise industrial parks" and "dual-dimensional cadre assessment system" in the plan, he continued, "Look, these measures are very targeted. Currently, in many places, Party building work is disconnected from the central tasks, and cadre assessments are either solely based on GDP or are merely superficial. Your plan precisely addresses these pain points. What's even more remarkable is that you, as an 'economic cadre,' have such a thorough understanding of the principles of Party building work and have been able to integrate elements of red education, taking into account the characteristics of Yancheng's old revolutionary base area. That's truly impressive!"

Zhou Jin quickly bowed, her tone humble: "Secretary Zhang, you flatter me. I am indeed a 'newcomer' to Party building work. The fact that these two plans have taken shape is entirely due to the valuable opinions raised by cadres and the masses during our grassroots research, as well as the guiding documents on Party building work issued by the Provincial Party Committee. You are a veteran expert in Party building work, and we will need to consult with you more and listen to your guidance to further refine the plans to make them more practical."

"You're too modest," Zhang Ping waved his hand, his tone earnest. "You have to have this kind of seriousness when you're doing your job. Party building is the foundation, and cadres are the backbone. As the province's leading economic city and a revolutionary base area, Yan'an City really needs such a strong institutional guarantee. I think the framework of the plan is very mature, and the specific measures are also feasible. It deserves recognition."

He picked up a pen and signed "Agreed to submit to the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee for discussion" on the proposal, adding, "I will fully support the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee in its study. Yancheng has a good foundation and a strong cadre team, making it fully capable of becoming a pilot city for Party building and organizational work reform, providing replicable and scalable experiences for the whole province."

After leaving Deputy Secretary Zhang Ping's office, Zhou Jin and Zhang Li rushed to the Provincial Party Committee Office and submitted the proposal and request documents according to procedure. A week later, the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee convened as scheduled to specifically study the two proposals submitted by Yancheng City.

At the meeting, Zhou Jin gave a detailed report on the background, research basis, and core measures of the plan, focusing on how the plan addresses prominent issues such as the "hollowing out" of rural Party building and the seniority-based system for cadres, as well as how it draws on advanced experiences and adapts to the policy environment of 2009.

"Comrade Zhou Jin's report was very practical, and the plan was also very well-developed." After listening to the report, the provincial party secretary spoke first, "As an economic benchmark in the province, Yan'an should not only lead in economic development, but also in party building and cadre team building. This plan reflects the spirit of reform and innovation while maintaining a prudent and cautious attitude, and the pilot project approach is excellent."

The provincial Party committee member in charge of organizational work continued, "The 'Young Cadre Development Program' and the 'Cadre Promotion and Demotion Mechanism' in the plan address key and challenging issues in current cadre development. Yancheng's pioneering spirit is commendable. It is recommended that Yancheng be designated as a pilot city for Party building and organizational work reform in the province, and the Provincial Party Committee's Organization Department should provide follow-up guidance and promptly summarize experiences."

Other members of the Standing Committee also spoke, some suggesting that risk prevention and control should be emphasized during the pilot program, and that the relationship between reform and stability should be properly handled; others proposed strengthening supervision and inspection of the implementation of the plan to ensure that all measures are implemented effectively. Zhou Jin carefully recorded the opinions of each member of the Standing Committee, responded to everyone's concerns one by one, and stated that Yancheng City would formulate a detailed pilot implementation plan, promote it step by step, and make dynamic adjustments to ensure that the reform is stable and orderly.

After thorough discussion, the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee unanimously agreed to approve Yancheng City as a pilot city for the reform of Party building and organizational work in the province, and the two plans were officially launched for implementation. The Organization Department of the Provincial Party Committee took the lead in establishing a guidance group to follow up and guide the pilot work throughout the process and coordinate and resolve problems that arise during implementation in a timely manner.

As the meeting adjourned, Deputy Secretary Zhang Ping patted Zhou Jin on the shoulder: "Comrade Zhou Jin, the Provincial Party Committee has entrusted Yancheng City with the pilot project, which is both a sign of trust and a test. Go ahead and do your best, and report any difficulties you encounter in a timely manner. The Provincial Party Committee is your strong support."

"Please rest assured, Secretary Zhang, please rest assured, Provincial Party Committee!" Zhou Jin's gaze was firm. "Yancheng will certainly live up to the trust placed in us, solidly advance the pilot work, and strive to produce results that can withstand the test of practice, the people, and history."

That evening, Zhou Jin boarded a plane back to Yancheng with the provincial party committee's approval document. Outside the window, night was deepening, and the city lights and starlight in the fields mingled. He unfolded the minutes of the provincial party committee standing committee meeting, his fingertips tracing the words "pilot project approved," and a heavy sense of responsibility welled up in his heart.

Approval of the plan was only the first step. The subsequent implementation would inevitably encounter various obstacles and challenges: conflicts from vested interest groups, deviations in grassroots implementation, and the transition between old and new systems… But Zhou Jin did not back down in the slightest. He knew that this reform was not only related to the long-term development of Yan'an City, but also to the solidity of the Party's ruling foundation.

It was late at night when Zhou Jin returned to Yancheng, but the lights in the municipal party committee building were still bright. Instead of going home, Zhou Jin went straight to her office and dialed Zhang Li's number: "Minister Zhang, there will be an enlarged meeting of the municipal party committee standing committee at nine o'clock tomorrow morning to convey the spirit of the provincial party committee standing committee and deploy the pilot implementation work. Notify the relevant department heads to attend and prepare a detailed task breakdown plan."

"Received, Secretary Zhou. I'll take care of it right away!" Zhang Li's voice on the other end of the phone was equally energetic.

After hanging up the phone, Zhou Jin walked to the window and gazed at the tranquil night view of Yancheng. The snow had stopped, and the moonlight shone on the snow, reflecting a cool glow. He knew that a profound transformation concerning the Party building structure and the appearance of the cadre team in Yancheng was about to officially begin on this red land.