Stricter discipline for the Communist Party of China (CPC) does not mean superiority over state laws, but stricter governance of the officialdom makes a more favorable environment for overall work.
When inspecting central China's Henan Province at the end of last week, Wang Qishan, head of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), said the Party should be run strictly and "enforcement of Party discipline should be put before the enforcement of law."
It is the first time that China's top leaders mentioned putting discipline before law in enforcement, however, the idea is in line with the Party's emphasis of discipline of laws when restraining its members.
Since the 18th National Congress of CPC in 2012, the Party has repeatedly stressed Party discipline is stricter than state laws. Some people question whether that means Party discipline is superior to state law.
It's a misunderstanding, as all people are equal before the law, and Party discipline, which never conflicts with laws, requires officials and Party members to act in a more positive way.
The Party views its members as the vanguard of the working class and the Chinese people, so that they should receive stricter discipline over state laws as a matter of course, while laws are the bottom line for all individuals.
Practice shows that although many officials' conduct was not illegal, they were often closely related to potential graft and corruption may develop if those acts are not contained.
For instance, China's central authority in 2012 initiated a thrifty policy and in 2013 a mass-line campaign was launched to curb undesirable workstyles, including extravagance.
Extravagant banquets, excessive spending on public vehicles and official travel tours do not violate laws. However, many cases have showed extravagant lifestyles are a hotbed for corruption, while many immoral deeds, despite legal, seriously undermined the Party's image and distance it from the people.
Wang said in Henan that strictly governing the Party can safeguard the other three missions for building China's future, or the "Four Comprehensives" - comprehensively building a moderately prosperous society, comprehensively deepening reform, comprehensively advancing the rule of law, and comprehensively strictly governing the Party
Chinese President Xi Jinping in December first put forward the "Four Comprehensives" and later they became the overall framework for the current leadership's work.
As the ruling Party leading the country toward prosperity with reforms, CPC's role is vital in doing so. Comprehensively strictly governing the Party involves not only ant-graft work, but also capacity building.
Only by governing the Party with stricter discipline, can the authority improve its capacity in all work, eradicate all obstacles, vested interests on the road of reforms, take the lead to abide by laws and prevent officials from interfering judicial work.
