The Party leads everything
The Party leads everything is a political slogan used by the Chinese Communist Party to signify its absolute leadership over the People's Republic of China, Chinese social organizations, and various aspects of society.
History
A similar phrase was first used during the Second Sino-Japanese War. On 1 September 1942, the Politburo of the [Chinese Communist Party|Politburo of the CCP] passed the "Decision of the CCP Central Committee on Unifying the Party Leadership in the Anti-Japanese Base Areas and Adjusting the Relationship between Various Organizations", which stated: "The Party is the vanguard of the proletariat and the highest form of proletarian organization. It should lead all other organizations, such as the army, government and mass organizations."The phrase was used during the leadership of Chairman Mao Zedong. At the Seven Thousand Cadres Conference in 1962, Mao said "of the seven areas of industry, agriculture, commerce, education, military, government, and the Party, the Party leads everything. The Party must lead industry, agriculture, commerce, culture and education, the military, and the government".
In December 1973, Mao Zedong said at a Politburo meeting he chaired: "The Politburo is in charge of everything, including the Party, government, military, people, and education, as well as the east, west, south, north, and center." The term was downplayed under the leadership of Deng Xiaoping. At the 12th [National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party|12th Party National Congress] in 1982, the CCP constitution deleted the phrase and replaced it with "the party mainly leads politics, ideology, and the organization". The phrase was revived under the General secretaryship of [Xi Jinping|general secretaryship] of Xi Jinping. At the 19th Party National Congress in 2017, Xi said:
The phrase was incorporated to the CCP constitution during the congress. Under Xi Jinping's general secretaryship, an increasing share of laws passed by the National People's Congress explicitly affirmed the leadership of the CCP, with the share increasing from 4% in 2018 to nearly 70% in 2024.