Personnel Political Work

August 1st Sharp Commentary | Work Hard to Keep the 'Upwind Position' Pure

八一锐评丨在纯净“上风口”上下功夫

PLA Daily (解放军报) 14 June 2026

Summary

The CMC issued new measures on the education, management, and supervision of senior military cadres, and this August 1st Sharp Commentary column uses the occasion to press leading cadres to model political and ethical discipline—framing their conduct as the 'upwind position' that determines the health of the entire unit ecosystem. The article documents the PLA's persistent institutional problem of top-down corruption and atmosphere degradation, for which the prescribed remedy remains the same: personal rectitude by senior officers reinforced by tightened Party supervision structures. The piece fits the recurring pattern of CMC-level policy directives being translated into political education content for the officer corps, and its value is as a record of how the institution frames senior-cadre accountability to a broad military audience in the current discipline campaign.

Translation

Work Hard to Keep the 'Upwind Position' Pure

■ Ma Jiong

Not long ago, the Central Military Commission issued the "Several Measures on Strengthening the Education, Management, and Supervision of Senior Military Cadres." Implementing these measures requires leading cadres to genuinely shoulder the heavy responsibility of purifying thought (纯净思想), purifying the ranks (纯洁队伍), and rectifying the ecosystem (纯正生态), and to serve as models and examples at the 'upwind position' of compliance with rules and discipline.

When the source is clear, the stream is clear; when the source is turbid, the stream is turbid. In the domain of the ecological environment, the upwind position is located in the upstream area of airflow. By virtue of wind direction, the upwind position typically enjoys a superior environment, continuously delivering clean air and improving conditions downstream. Once a source of pollution exists at the upwind position, pollutants spread with great ease, posing a threat to the overall environment. Leading cadres occupy the 'upwind position' of the political ecosystem; the state of their conduct and image directly affects the overall atmosphere. Practice has proven that when the atmosphere of a unit is pure and upright, it is invariably inseparable from leading cadres taking the lead and setting an example; when the atmosphere of a unit is unhealthy, it often stems from leading cadres whose conduct has gone astray. Only when leading cadres lead by example and those at the top set the standard for those below can a political ecosystem of clean winds and upright spirit be cultivated, continuously driving the improvement of conduct and work style.

Trends form at the top and customs are transformed below. Party organizations at all levels must shoulder the primary responsibility for comprehensively and strictly governing the Party and comprehensively and strictly governing the military (全面从严治党、全面从严治军), work hard to keep the 'upwind position' pure, build an all-around system of education, management, and supervision, and continuously foster a clear and pronounced posture of ever-stricter standards the further back one goes and ever-stricter standards the higher up one goes. Leading cadres should also constantly cultivate the virtue of governance (为政之德), constantly reflect on the harms of greed and desire, and constantly hold in their hearts a spirit of self-discipline—through the concrete actions of being upright in themselves, firm in themselves, and clean in themselves, becoming practitioners and exemplary leaders of clean winds and upright spirit.

Original Chinese

在纯净“上风口”上下功夫 ■马駉前不久，中央军委印发《关于加强军队高级干部教育管理监督的若干措施》。贯彻落实这些措施，要求领导干部切实扛起纯净思想、纯洁队伍、纯正生态的重任，在遵规守纪的“上风口”当模范、作表率。源清则流清，源浊则流浊。在生态环境领域中，上风口位于空气流动的上游区域。受风向作用，上风口通常环境优良，会不断输送洁净空气，改善下游环境。上风口一旦存在污染源，则极易导致污染物扩散，对整体环境造成威胁。领导干部处在政治生态的“上风口”，其作风形象如何，直接影响整体风气。实践证明，一个单位风气纯正，必然离不开领导干部率先垂范；一个单位风气不正，往往源于领导干部行为失范。只有领导干部以身作则、以上率下，才能营造风清气正的政治生态，不断推动作风建设向上向好。风成于上，俗化于下。各级党组织要担起全面从严治党、全面从严治军主体责任，在纯净“上风口”上下功夫，构建全方位的教育管理监督体系，持续营造越往后越严、越往上越严的鲜明态势。领导干部也应常修为政之德，常思贪欲之害，常怀律己之心，以自身正、自身硬、自身廉的实际行动，做清风正气的身体力行者、示范引领者。