The latest (2021/02) issue of Qiu Shi, the Party theoretical fortnightly journal issued on January 16, published an article on the recent new Regulations on United Front Work. It described the Regulations as intended to "further strengthen the party’s centralized and unified leadership over United Front Work" and said they "are guided by Xi Jinping’s Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, thoroughly implement General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important thoughts on strengthening and improving united front work, uphold and strengthen the party’s leadership over united front work, and persist in promoting the construction of a unified front work pattern". It asserted that the "Regulations" are "for building a modern socialist country and realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and achieving the ‘China Dream’". In six paragraphs it explained that "the "Regulations" once again emphasized that the united front is the political advantage and strategic policy of the Communist Party of China to unite people's hearts and gather strength. It is an important magic weapon for comprehensively building a modern socialist country and realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation". It said "the complexity of the internal structure of the united front, tasks of reform, development and stability, the number of contradictions, risks and challenges, and the exchange of diverse ideas and cultures is unprecedented" adding that "The more complex the situation, the more it is necessary to give play to the advantages and role of the united front" ... "to prevent and resolve possible obstacles and interrupt the great risks and challenges of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation". The second paragraph emphasised the purpose of amending the "Regulations" which is "to strengthen the party's centralized and unified leadership over the united front". It additionally stresses the need to "effectively strengthen the party's centralized and unified leadership over the united front work, with the party's banner, the party's direction as our direction, and the party's will as our will, to continuously enhance the party's political leadership and ideology, mass organization power, and social appeal, unite all forces around the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core, and continue to consolidate the united front". The third paragraph explained that United Front work "involves not only party departments such as organization, propaganda, united front work, and cyberspace affairs, but also government departments such as diplomacy, education, public security, and civil affairs, as well as people’s organizations such as labour unions, the Communist Youth League, the Women’s Federation, and the Federation of Literary and Art Circles" and they need to coordinate and recommend policies, laws and regulations concerning united front work and "for the establishment of a leading group for united front work of local party committees". The next paragraph pointed out that it is impossible to do united front work without a strong professional level and working ability and it is "only when United Front cadres truly master Marxism as a "housekeeping skill", use the party's scientific theory as a powerful spiritual weapon to understand and transform the world, and be a firm believer, can they further strengthen the "four "Awareness”, “four self-confidence", achieve "two maintenance"." Paragraph 5 said upholding the integrity means "to always adhere to the leadership of the Communist Party of China" and "to forge a sense of community of the Chinese nation, it is emphasized to adhere to the direction of sinicization of religion in China". The final sixth paragraph highlighted that all relevant parties must follow the decision and deployment of the Party Central Committee. Qiu Shi finally recommended that "implementation of the "Regulations" should be included in the assessment of party and government leaders and leading cadres, and included in the scope of political inspections and supervision and discipline accountability" to maintain the authority of party regulations.
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