-- By People's Daily Commentator

The CPC Central Committee has earlier issued "Some Opinions" calling for improved political ideological work throughout the CPC and among the people in China. Through a scientific summary of experiences from political ideological work, pointing out the direction for improved political ideological work, with concrete demands and measures worked out, the "Opinions" form a programmatic document for doing a good job of political ideological work during the new period in China. All departments at various levels throughout China should make a conscientious study and carry out in depth the "Opinions" so as to make new breakthroughs in strengthening and improving political ideological work.

Political ideological work is a work to win and mobilize people to do creative work. The key to successful work and winning new advances lies in good political ideological work of the Party. Under the present circumstances as today, the stress should be on efforts for making most of the Party's basic theories and guidelines centering on economic construction to carry out nationwide education among the broad masses of the people and an education on patriotism, collectivism, socialism. When doing painstaking work for great undertakings during the new period, people should be let to know the great trans-century goals set by the 15th CPC National Congress and mammoth achievements that we have made to guarantee success of reform and opening up and socialist modernization construction in China.

Doing a good job of political ideological work constitutes the strong point to our work. Our task is to mobilize and organize to the maximum the broad masses of the people in work. It is the magic weapon of us to surmount difficulties and win victories. This is due to the fact that our country is a socialist one with a common interest share by the whole people. All things done in the country, including our social system, are at the service of the people. What is more, we have got truth in our hands showing the direction of social development. This is where our strength lies and the focus of our political ideological work. At a time as is now, we must make it our political task to timely acquaint the broad masses of the people with their interests, our path taken and measures going to be adopted for realizing their interests. We must let them know the truth and situations in China and abroad and our heavy tasks going to be undertaken for reform and opening up and new advances made along with difficulties we are facing in China and abroad.

To revitalize the Chinese nation and fight for the fundamental interests of the nation involves a long historical process of arduous struggle. During this process, especially in the course of historical changes arising from reform and opening up, profound social changes have taken place in the country. There has been brought into being many a varied forms of economies and interests having been developed and diverse lifestyles to be led by people. Things have undergone great changes in deed. For doing a good job of political ideological work we have to coordinate various forms of social interests and handle well immediate and long-term, local and overall, individual and collective relations. This calls not only for carrying forward the fine tradition of our political ideological work but also for new ways that have to be found. Things are especially so as we are now facing a multifarious world and a global economy being developed and added difficulties raised for our political ideological work!

Our country is at a great turning point of history. Every step forward can in no way dispense with the help of political ideological work. Things are especially true in this country, with an economy and culture comparatively underdeveloped. When should powerful political ideological work be excluded socialist modernization construction would go nowhere, not to say joining in heated international competition. But being a socialist country we have accumulated rich experiences in doing political ideological work to place us at an advantageous point working towards the end of building up the country. When we should insist on the Party's basic theories, basic guidelines and basic policies, and a concerted made by the whole Party and the people, we will surely make new breakthroughs and achieve unprecedented successes through our political ideological work.

Our Party's history especially our practice since launching of reform and opening up shows that powerful political work brings successful work and new advancements of construction. Problems would otherwise occur from weak political ideological work. All our past success achieved especially the achievements that have been made since reform and opening up all are inseparable from our political ideological work. For years, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Jiang Zemin at the core has attached great importance to doing a good job of political ideological work throughout the CPC and people of the country. For this it has put out a whole series of important documents, worked out a series of policies and measures, thereby winning considerable success to that end. But in some areas and departments, things are still found in a deplorable state. No satisfactory work has been done to that end and things like this should be put a thorough stop to.

History leaves us the arduous task to build up China. To advance the country's modernization construction and strive for a raise of the quality of the Chinese nation to make the country fully powerful and invincible in the coming few decades in the 21st century we need to place greater emphasis on doing a good job of political ideological work. This is the duty put to us at the conjunction of two millennia.