Compilation of the Central Eight Regulations Learning Content
Chapter One: The Central Eight Regulations
On December 4, 2012, the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China held a meeting to review and approve the Eight Regulations on improving work style and closely connecting with the masses. The main content is as follows:
(1) Improve investigation and research. When conducting grassroots research, it is essential to deeply understand the real situation, summarize experiences, study problems, solve difficulties, and guide work. Learn from the masses and practice, hold more discussions with the masses, have more heart-to-heart talks with cadres, engage in more discussions, analyze typical cases, and go to places where difficulties and contradictions are concentrated and where public opinion is strong. Avoid superficiality and formalism; travel lightly, reduce accompanying personnel, simplify receptions, do not post slogans or banners, do not arrange for the masses to welcome or send off, do not lay out welcome carpets, do not place flowers and plants, and do not arrange banquets.
(2) Streamline meetings and activities, effectively improve meeting styles, and strictly control various national meetings and major activities held in the name of the Central Committee. Do not hold meetings that broadly deploy work and set requirements. Without the approval of the Central Committee, do not attend various ribbon-cutting, groundbreaking activities, celebrations, commemorative meetings, award ceremonies, expos, seminars, and various forums; improve meeting effectiveness by holding short meetings and making brief speeches, and avoid empty talk and clichés.
(3) Streamline documents and bulletins, effectively improve writing styles. Documents and bulletins that lack substantive content and can be issued or not should not be issued.
(4) Standardize outbound visits. Arrange outbound visits reasonably based on the overall needs of diplomatic work, strictly control accompanying personnel, and strictly follow regulations regarding transportation. Generally, do not arrange representatives from state-owned enterprises, overseas Chinese, or international students to welcome or send off at the airport.
(5) Improve security work. Adhere to the principle of facilitating contact with the masses, reduce traffic control, and generally do not block roads or clear venues.
(6) Improve news reporting. Members of the Political Bureau attending meetings and activities should decide whether to report based on work needs, news value, and social effects, further compressing the quantity, word count, and duration of reports.
(7) Strictly control the publication of manuscripts. Except for those arranged by the Central Committee, individuals should not publicly publish works or speeches, send congratulatory letters or telegrams, or write inscriptions.
(8) Practice frugality and strictly adhere to regulations regarding integrity in governance, strictly implement regulations regarding housing, vehicle allocation, and other work and living benefits.
Chapter Two: Documents and Content of the Spirit of the Central Eight Regulations
Document No. 8 from the Organization Department of the Central Committee, 2013
In order to further strengthen the management of trainees and effectively improve the academic style of cadre education and training, in accordance with the “Eight Regulations on Improving Work Style and Closely Connecting with the Masses” by the 18th Central Political Bureau and the spirit of the implementation rules from the General Office of the Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council, combined with the actual work of cadre education and training, the following regulations are made.
1. Regardless of the level of cadres participating in training, they are all ordinary trainees. They must correct their learning attitudes, establish a trainee consciousness, strictly abide by the various regulations on learning, training, and integrity, and focus their energy mainly on learning, completing training tasks earnestly. The cadre management departments and cadre education and training institutions should put forward specific requirements for the participating cadres.
2. During their study period, cadres must stay in trainee dormitories and eat in trainee cafeterias. Trainees must not treat each other with public funds, and classes or groups must not hold meals under the guise of collective activities. Trainees must not participate in any form of banquets or entertainment activities that may affect the impartial execution of public duties. Those who violate the regulations will be expelled from the training.
3. When organizing trainees for field teaching, on-site investigations, and research activities, police cars are not allowed to lead the way, no banquets are accepted, and only self-service or simple meals are allowed. No souvenirs or local specialties should be accepted, and no tourism or entertainment activities unrelated to learning should be arranged. Those who violate the regulations will be held accountable for the relevant leaders and team leaders of the training institution.
4. Trainees are not allowed to accept or give gifts, cash, negotiable securities, or payment vouchers, nor receive various courtesy visits under the guise of visiting. Trainees are not allowed to travel together under the pretext of study exchanges, counterpart visits, cross-examinations, or collective research. Those who violate the regulations will be warned, criticized, or expelled from the training depending on the severity of the situation. For those who accept or give valuable gifts, cash, negotiable securities, or payment vouchers, the relevant situation will be reported to the cadre management department and the unit for handling according to regulations.
5. During the training period, trainees will not undertake work, meetings, or overseas (border) investigation tasks from their units. If special circumstances require leave, strict leave procedures must be followed. If the cumulative leave time exceeds 1/7 of the total study hours, they will be expelled. Those who leave school without approval will be ordered to withdraw.
6. Trainees must write their own speeches, learning experiences, research reports, and papers, and are not allowed to have others write for them, nor to plagiarize others’ research results. Secretaries and other staff are not allowed to “accompany study.” Those who violate the regulations will have their grades canceled, be criticized publicly, or be expelled depending on the severity of the situation.
7. During the training period, trainees are not allowed to leave public vehicles on campus or borrow vehicles from other units and individuals for “accompanying study.” Those who violate the regulations will be criticized publicly.
8. During their time on campus and after graduation, trainees are not allowed to form “small circles” in the name of classmates, establish any form of associations or alumni organizations, or appoint conveners or contacts to carry out organized activities. They are not allowed to use classmate relationships to provide convenience or seek personal gain in cadre appointments, personnel arrangements, and children’s schooling, employment, and business. Those who violate the regulations will be expelled, and participants will be criticized publicly; for those who have graduated, relevant departments will investigate and deal with them seriously.
9. The cadre education and training management departments and training institutions must practice frugality and run schools diligently, and are not allowed to hold training classes in high-end hotels or scenic spots, exceed standards for accommodation and meals, distribute high-end consumer goods and souvenirs, and strictly prohibit using training as a pretext for public-funded tourism. Those who violate the regulations will be held accountable for the leaders of the organizing unit.
All levels of organizational personnel departments, cadre education and training institutions, and the units where cadres are located must attach great importance to this, and according to their responsibilities and cadre management authority, manage at different levels and be responsible for different tasks, effectively managing trainee work. Organizational personnel departments should record the main performance of trainees during their time on campus in their personal files, as an important basis for cadre assessment, appointment, and promotion. For key training classes, special personnel should be assigned to follow up. Cadre education and training institutions should improve rules and regulations, strictly enforce school rules and discipline, arrange teaching tightly, and require trainees strictly, educating and guiding teachers, class teachers, and organizers to provide good service and management for trainees. Units where cadres are located should support and encourage cadres to participate in training, not arrange work, and not send people to visit, creating conditions for cadres to focus on learning.
All regions and departments should study and propose specific measures to implement these regulations based on actual conditions and ensure effective implementation. The Central Organization Department will check the implementation of these regulations in due course.
The regulations display the “red lines” for cadres during the education and training process in eight aspects: study, outbound activities, accommodation, transportation, leave, interactions, and relationships, with each aspect further detailed into multiple items, forming 25 “no’s.”
Content of the 25 “no’s”:
Cadre learning: Secretaries are prohibited from “accompanying study.” No one is allowed to write speeches, learning experiences, research reports, and papers for others; no one is allowed to plagiarize others’ research results; secretaries and other staff are not allowed to “accompany study.” Those who violate the regulations will have their grades canceled, be criticized publicly, or be expelled depending on the severity of the situation.