“Four Consciousnesses”
On January 29, 2016, the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee publicly spelled out for the first time the “Four Consciousnesses”: maintaining political integrity, thinking in big-picture terms, following the leadership core, and keeping in alignment.
Addressing the meeting in commemoration of the CPC’s 95th anniversary, Xi Jinping urged the whole Party to enhance their “Four Consciousnesses,” and stay loyal to the Party, share the Party’s concerns, and fulfill their obligations to the Party.
The code of conduct for intra-party political life, adopted at the sixth plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, also demanded all Party members to have these “Four Consciousnesses,” and closely follow the Central Committee in terms of their thinking, political orientation and actions.
The consciousness of the need to maintain political integrity means that Party members always study, analyze and solve problems from a political angle, as taking a clear political stand is the feature and strength of the CPC as a Marxist party. Party members must be firm in political belief and stance, follow a correct political orientation, observe political principles, be sober-headed politically, maintain political resolve, and have keen political insight and discernment. They must conduct intra-party political activities in earnest, and abide by political discipline and rules. They must follow a correct political orientation when devising policies, making plans and proceeding with their work, giving an eye to political influence when handling problems. The Party will use political integrity as a norm when admitting new members and selecting officials, offer political guidance to various organizations, and make good political planning for attracting the best minds across the land.
The consciousness of the need to think in big-picture terms means that Party members always keep in mind the overall situation, put overall interests first, and firmly protect overall interests. This is the correct approach to balancing the relationships between central and local governments, between overall and regional conditions, and between long-term and immediate interests. Party members must always think and act with the big picture in mind, and ensure the decisions and plans made by the central leadership are carried out without fail.
The consciousness of the need to follow the leadership core means that Party members always agree with, unite around, subordinate to, and safeguard the leadership core. The whole Party must uphold the centralized, unified leadership of the Central Committee, rally around the Central Committee with Xi Jinping at its core, safeguard its authority, align themselves with the Central Committee in thinking, politics and actions, fulfill the tasks assigned by the Central Committee, and ensure that the CPC remains always a powerful leadership core in developing socialism with Chinese characteristics.
The consciousness of the need to keep in alignment means that Party members always follow the Central Committee, follow the Party’s theory, line, principles and policies, and follow the decisions and plans made by the Central Committee. They must respond to what the Central Committee champions, implement what it decides, and refrain from things it prohibits. These are political requirements and political discipline. Party organizations and Party members should check themselves against these requirements, and make timely corrections if necessary.
The “Four Consciousnesses” are basic standards for assessing the political integrity of Party members. They bear great significance to safeguarding Xi Jinping’s core role, the Central Committee’s authority, the Party’s unity and centralized, unified leadership, and to the prosperity and enduring stability of the Party and the country.
The CPC’s leadership is the greatest strength of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and the key to strengthening it is to maintain the centralized and unified leadership of the Party’s Central Committee. The only way for the Party to become stronger and more united, and for it to always be the strong core leader of Chinese socialism, is for Party members to maintain political integrity, think in terms of the big picture, follow the leadership core, and keep in alignment, and for them to always be aware of staying in close unison in both thoughts and deeds with the Central Committee.
“四个意识”
2016年1月29日，中央政治局会议首次公开提出增强政治意识、大局意识、核心意识、看齐意识这“四个意识”。习近平总书记在庆祝中国共产党成立95周年大会上的讲话强调，全党同志要增强政治意识、大局意识、核心意识、看齐意识，切实做到对党忠诚、为党分忧、为党担责、为党尽责。中共十八届六中全会通过的《关于新形势下党内政治生活的若干准则》强调，全党必须牢固树立政治意识、大局意识、核心意识、看齐意识，自觉在思想上政治上行动上同党中央保持高度一致。
政治意识要求从政治上看待、分析和处理问题。中国共产党作为马克思主义政党，讲政治是突出的特点和优势。政治意识表现为坚定政治信仰，坚持正确的政治方向，坚持政治原则，站稳政治立场，保持政治清醒和政治定力，增强政治敏锐性和政治鉴别力；严肃党内政治生活，严守政治纪律和政治规矩，研究制定政策要把握政治方向，谋划推进工作要贯彻政治要求，解决矛盾问题要注意政治影响，发展党员、选人用人要突出政治标准，对各类组织要加强政治领导、政治引领，对各类人才要加强政治吸纳。
大局意识要求自觉从大局看问题，把工作放到大局中去思考、定位、摆布，做到正确认识大局、自觉服从大局、坚决维护大局。增强大局意识，就是要正确处理中央与地方、局部与全局、当前与长远的关系，自觉从党和国家大局出发想问题、办事情、抓落实，坚决贯彻落实中央决策部署，确保中央政令畅通。
核心意识要求在思想上认同核心、在政治上围绕核心、在组织上服从核心、在行动上维护核心。增强核心意识，就是要始终坚持、切实加强党的领导特别是党中央的集中统一领导，更加紧密地团结在以习近平同志为核心的党中央周围，更加坚定地维护党中央权威，更加自觉地在思想上政治上行动上同党中央保持高度一致，更加扎实地把党中央部署的各项任务落到实处，确保党始终成为中国特色社会主义事业的坚强领导核心。
看齐意识要求向党中央看齐，向党的理论和路线方针政策看齐，向党中央决策部署看齐，做到党中央提倡的坚决响应、党中央决定的坚决执行、党中央禁止的坚决不做。这“三个看齐”“三个坚决”是政治要求，也是政治纪律，各级党组织和广大党员、干部要树立高度自觉的看齐意识，经常和党中央要求“对表”，看看有没有“慢半拍”的问题，有没有“时差”的问题，有没有“看不齐”的问题，主动进行调整、纠正、校准。
“四个意识”是一个意蕴深刻、相互联系的有机整体，集中体现了根本的政治方向、政治立场、政治要求，是检验党员、干部政治素养的基本标准。增强“四个意识”、自觉维护习近平总书记的核心地位，对于维护党中央权威、维护党的团结和集中统一领导，对全党全军全国各族人民更好凝聚力量抓住机遇、战胜挑战，对全党团结一心、不忘初心、继续前进，对保证党和国家兴旺发达、长治久安，具有十分重大的意义。
党的领导是中国特色社会主义制度的最大优势，加强党的领导的关键是坚持中央集中统一领导。只有增强政治意识、大局意识、核心意识、看齐意识，自觉在思想上政治上行动上同中央保持高度一致，才能使党更加团结统一、坚强有力，始终成为中国特色社会主义事业的坚强领导核心。