China’s ruling Communist Party has introduced a new component of President Xi Jinping’s political ideology that emphasizes stringent party discipline and unified leadership. The concept, termed “Xi Jinping Thought on Party Building,” was formally unveiled during a national conference on party building held on Monday.

The meeting was chaired by Cai Qi, the party’s top ideology official and the fifth-ranking member of the Politburo Standing Committee, China’s highest decision-making body. Attendees included senior officials responsible for discipline, personnel, and other key party functions. State media described the addition as a “milestone” in both Marxist theory on party building and the history of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

Since the 18th National Party Congress in 2012, President Xi has been developing this framework to address the challenge of maintaining a “Marxist party with long-term governance.” According to official reports, “Xi Jinping Thought on Party Building” sets forth 14 core principles, including upholding centralized and unified leadership by the party’s Central Committee, enforcing rigorous party self-governance, and fostering an organizational system that maintains cohesion across all levels.

A major emphasis of the doctrine is combating corruption within the party. It calls for coordinated efforts to prevent officials from engaging in corrupt behavior by eliminating opportunities, incentives, and the boldness to do so.

This doctrinal expansion comes roughly a year before the CCP’s 20th National Congress, expected in autumn 2027, which is anticipated to see significant leadership changes. Due to age-related retirement norms, more than two-thirds of the Central Committee seats are expected to be renewed, with possible reshuffles in the Politburo and its Standing Committee.

State-run media framed the new doctrine as elucidating the reasons behind the effectiveness of the CCP, Marxism, and socialism with Chinese characteristics. The doctrine advocates for enhanced coordination within party operations, the refinement of institutional mechanisms, and the scientific application of laws and regulations.

Analyst Xie Maosong, a senior researcher at Tsinghua University’s National Institute of Strategic Studies, described Xi’s party building thought as long-term, strict, and rule-based. He noted its release ahead of the party’s 105th anniversary on July 1 positions it as the guiding principle for the CCP’s governance for decades, addressing theoretical development, discipline, organizational structure, and cadre management. Xie highlighted that many of these ideas draw on lessons learned over past decades.

Xi Jinping’s ideological contributions have extended into several policy domains. His military thought was incorporated into the CCP’s theoretical canon at the 19th National Congress in 2017, underscoring absolute party control over the armed forces. In 2018, “Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy” was established, emphasizing party leadership in foreign affairs, the promotion of a “community with a shared future for mankind,” and principles of peaceful development based on mutual respect and benefit.