Central Committee Launches Party-Wide Study Campaign

The Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee General Office recently issued a notice approving a nationwide Party-wide study and education campaign focused on establishing and practicing the correct view of political performance (正确政绩观). Announced on February 23, 2026, this initiative targets county-level and above leading Party committees and cadres, with particular emphasis on 'number one' leaders. The campaign underscores the Party's commitment to aligning cadre performance with long-term national goals, ensuring pragmatic governance amid preparations for China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030).

This move comes at a pivotal moment, as China transitions into its '15th Five-Year Plan' era, emphasizing high-quality development, new productive forces, and Chinese-style modernization. By correcting deviations in performance views—such as short-termism, formalism, and image engineering—the CPC aims to foster cadres who prioritize people's welfare and withstand scrutiny from practice, the masses, and history.

Xi Jinping's Key Expositions and Strategic Context

President Xi Jinping has repeatedly stressed the importance of the correct view of political performance. In his January 20, 2026, speech at the provincial- and ministerial-level seminar on studying the 20th CPC Central Committee's Fourth Plenary Session, Xi urged cadres to 'persist in proceeding from reality and following laws, consciously achieving performance for the people through solid work.' This builds on earlier directives, linking the campaign to comprehensive strict Party governance, Central Eight Regulations implementation, and anti-corruption drives.

The correct view of political performance (CVPP) refers to a fundamental outlook where cadres reject 'visible achievements' (显绩) at the expense of 'latent achievements' (潜绩), avoid 'leaving burdens for successors,' and focus on sustainable benefits for the public. Xi has defined it as solving 'for whom performance is created, what kind of performance, and how to create it,' rooted in Party nature and serving the people. In higher education, this translates to resisting enrollment-driven expansions or superficial rankings pursuits, prioritizing talent cultivation for national rejuvenation.

Nationally, the campaign integrates with ongoing rectifications from central inspections and ecological protection audits, ensuring no formalism creeps in.

Campaign Objectives and Core Requirements

The campaign's primary goals are to guide Party members in seeking truth from facts, being pragmatic, and producing people-centered results. It demands resolute execution of central policies, full implementation of new development philosophy, and acceleration of high-quality development.

• Learning Focus: Xi's expositions, 15th FYP outline, sector-specific instructions.
• Problem Rectification: Self-examination on Party loyalty, root-cause analysis, immediate fixes (边查边改).
• Institutionalization: Revise incompatible mechanisms, establish long-term safeguards.
• Open Education: Public solicitation of opinions, mass supervision, outcome evaluation.

Timeline: Post-Spring Festival 2026 start, completion by July 31, 2026. No batches or phases—concise, practical approach tailored to localities, departments, and sectors.

Swift Response from Universities Nationwide

Higher education institutions, integral to CPC Party building, have rapidly mobilized. Universities host extensive Party organizations among faculty, administrators, and students, making them key fronts for CVPP implementation.

In Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, the municipal education work plan for 2026 explicitly calls for deepening CVPP study via the Suzhou Universities Marxist College Alliance, blending online-offline 'big ideological-political' courses. Similarly, vocational colleges like Jiangsu Suzhou Vocational College organized a three-day training for mid-level and above cadres from January 26-28, 2026, featuring lectures, site visits, and discussions on Xi's discourses.

Case Studies: Training Initiatives in Leading Universities

South China University of Technology (SCUT) exemplified proactive response with a January 2026 specialized training for over 40 secondary Party secretaries and department heads at Fujian Guyu Wenchang Cadre Academy. Sessions covered Xi's Fujian practices, university high-level development, AI applications, 15th FYP planning, and talent reforms, combined with on-site teaching at memorial parks and model unit sharing. The goal: Forge cadres loyal, clean, capable to propel SCUT into global top-100 ranks.

Tsinghua University held summer 2025 training for top cadres, emphasizing CVPP amid reforms. Xinjiang Vocational University trained young cadres in December 2025 on discipline and CVPP. These pre-campaign efforts signal universities' readiness, with post-notice expansions expected.

For more on academic leadership roles, see higher ed executive jobs.

Training Formats and Methodologies in Higher Ed

University programs blend theoretical study, experiential learning, and practical application:

• Specialized seminars with expert lectures on Xi Thought.
• On-site visits to revolutionary sites for party spirit tempering.
• Group discussions on campus-specific CVPP applications, e.g., sustainable research vs. flashy projects.
• Integration with daily management, like performance evaluations linking CVPP.

Provincial education conferences, such as Liaoning and Jilin 2026 meetings, mandate CVPP in cadre training to ensure 'real effects' in education quality. This step-by-step approach—study, check, rectify, institutionalize—mirrors national guidelines.

Read career advice on thriving in China's academia: higher ed career advice.

Impacts on University Governance and Talent Cultivation

In higher education, CVPP counters past issues like excessive infrastructure for rankings or ignoring long-term faculty development. It promotes 'latent achievements' such as ethical research ecosystems, interdisciplinary innovation, and student-centered reforms aligning with national strategies like 'Double First-Class' construction.

Stakeholders note enhanced governance: Cadres now prioritize faculty retention amid brain drain risks, sustainable funding, and ideological-political education integration. Statistics from prior campaigns show 20-30% rise in rectified 'performance deviations' in education sectors.

External link: Official CPC Notice

Stakeholder Perspectives and Challenges

University leaders praise the campaign for clarifying 'true vs. false performance,' with SCUT cadres vowing transformation into action. Faculty appreciate reduced administrative burdens, allowing focus on teaching/research. Students benefit indirectly via improved campus environments.

Challenges include measuring 'latent' outcomes and resisting local pressures. Solutions: Robust evaluations, public feedback, and cross-university alliances.

Alignment with 15th Five-Year Plan and High-Quality Development

The campaign bolsters '15th FYP' goals: Innovation-driven growth, green development, common prosperity. Universities must cultivate talents embodying CVPP, contributing to new quality productive forces in AI, biotech, etc.

External link: People's Daily Coverage

Explore opportunities: China higher ed jobs, professor jobs.

Photo by Lan Lin on Unsplash

Future Outlook and Actionable Insights

By July 2026, expect institutionalized CVPP in university charters, evaluations. Long-term: Stronger Party leadership in 'world-class universities,' ethical academia.

Actionable for academics: Engage in trainings, align research with national needs, pursue sustainable careers. Check higher ed jobs, rate my professor, career advice, university jobs.

This campaign positions Chinese higher education as a vanguard in Party modernization, ensuring cadres deliver enduring value.