Military Cultivation | A Clear Distinction Between Public and Private Reveals Party Character

● Public and private are a mirror, capable of reflecting the strength or weakness of one's Party character; public and private are a ruler, capable of measuring the height or depth of one's political consciousness; public and private are a scale, capable of weighing the breadth or narrowness of one's character.

"Let the smoky affairs of the past all be forgotten; with no selfishness at the bottom of one's heart, heaven and earth are wide." These parting words that Comrade Tao Zhu wrote for his wife Zeng Zhi are both an expression of a life lived through storms and hardships, and a vivid portrait of the revolutionary forebears' selflessness and dedication to public duty (无私无我、克己奉公).

In 1951, Tao Zhu returned to his hometown of Qiyang in Hunan Province after more than twenty years away. The local government had specially prepared a welcoming banquet in his honor, which he flatly refused. He found his elder brother, who worked at the county's No. 1 Middle School, and ate at the school's staff canteen. During the meal, noticing that his brother had added several extra dishes, Tao Zhu immediately asked: "Did you pay for these dishes out of your own pocket, or are they being reimbursed with public funds?" Upon learning that his brother had paid out of his own pocket and had not drawn on public resources, he relaxed and said with a smile: "Good, that's good! In our revolutionary work, in building socialism, the very first principle is to maintain a clear distinction between public and private (公私分明), without the slightest carelessness."

This self-discipline was not a momentary act for Tao Zhu but a conscious standard of conduct woven into his daily life. When villagers and relatives asked Tao Zhu to arrange jobs for nephews in the clan, he flatly refused, stating plainly that a Communist must never engage in the corrupt old practice of "one man attains the Tao, and his chickens and dogs ascend to heaven (一人得道，鸡犬升天)"; when the Ministry of Foreign Trade sent fashionable pastries under the pretext of having him sample them, he firmly demanded they all be returned; every time he went out on investigative research, he would first "set down three rules (约法三章)": no welcoming or send-off delegations, no hosting of banquets, no gifts... A simple meal, a small matter, a written agreement — these reflect the lofty character of the older generation of revolutionaries in maintaining a clear distinction between public and private. Such moving stories of self-discipline and dedication to public duty (克己奉公、严于律己) are found everywhere throughout our Party's more than one hundred years of struggle.

During the Agrarian Revolutionary War period, due to the Nationalist Party's tight economic blockade, the Soviet areas suffered severe shortages of supplies, and salt in particular was extremely scarce. Zhang Qide, then serving as Finance Minister of the Fujian-Zhejiang-Jiangxi Soviet, held the power to allocate salt, yet consciously drank plain broth and ate unsalted food. On one occasion, his child, unable to bear it any longer, went to take some salt himself, and was sharply stopped by Zhang Qide: "This gleaming white salt is the capital of the revolution. We must never use our authority for personal gain (以权谋私) — not a single grain of public salt!"

"The two pockets of public and private must be kept separate" — this was a phrase that Comrade Huang Kaiqun often had on his lips. Once, when he went to inspect the poultry farm at a military supply depot, the caretaker invited him to take a few eggs, and he repeatedly waved his hand in refusal: "Letting me eat one extra egg at public expense would be more uncomfortable than taking medicine."

To hold high office without harboring private motives, to wield great power without seeking personal gain — this was the lofty character and spiritual bearing of the revolutionary forebears.

Power is granted by the people and must be used for the people — this is the core principle of the Marxist view of power (马克思主义权力观). In his early years, a Western journalist asked Comrade Mao Zedong: "In what you do, who gave you the authority?" He answered solemnly: "The people gave it. If not the people, then who else could have given it?" The power in the hands of Party member cadres is granted by the Party and the people; it is absolutely not a tool for seeking personal gain, and can only be used to "faithfully serve them."

Comrade Zhou Enlai was devoted to public duty throughout his life: when he used an official vehicle for a haircut or used public tea to entertain guests, he insisted on paying out of his own pocket each time, and he specifically established "ten family rules (十条家规)" to constrain his relatives. Comrade Chen Yun strictly upheld the boundary between public and private; although his wife commuted along the same route as he did, he firmly refused to allow her to ride in his official vehicle, and she continued to commute by bicycle. Comrade Gu Wenchang adhered to the principle that "leaders must first wash their own hands clean and stand their own backs straight," and Comrade Yang Shanzhou stated plainly: "I do have power in my hands, but it belongs to the Party and the people; it can only be used honestly for public affairs and cannot be used for private matters." As Comrade Deng Xiaoping said, once one has become a Communist, "one cannot be an official, cannot have selfish and impure motives, cannot have any other choice."

Public and private are a mirror, capable of reflecting the strength or weakness of one's Party character; public and private are a ruler, capable of measuring the height or depth of one's political consciousness; public and private are a scale, capable of weighing the breadth or narrowness of one's character. Looking at the present, some fallen officials have deviated from their original aspirations, violated rules and overstepped boundaries, and degenerated — the root cause in every case lies in the inflation of private desires and the machinations of selfish motives. Some fail to distinguish public from private, conflating selfish interests and desires with legitimate personal interests; some put private before public, prioritizing personal gain when individual interests conflict with collective or public interests; some damage the public to enrich themselves, sacrificing collective interests in exchange for personal benefit; some exploit public office for private gain (假公济私), using the name of work to pursue private ends, wearing the cloak of public affairs to satisfy personal desires; and still others handle public matters through private channels, conducting business not by the rules but by personal connections and degrees of intimacy — ultimately ruining their own careers, staining the Party's image, and harming the Party's cause.

Public funds belong to the public — not a single fen or li may be spent improperly; public power serves the people — not the slightest bit may be used for private purposes. Not long ago, at the opening ceremony of the training course for senior military cadres of the entire armed forces, Chairman Xi emphasized that our Party is a Marxist political party that always represents the fundamental interests of the broadest masses of the people, has no special interests of its own whatsoever, and that all thoughts and actions of seeking personal gain and engaging in corruption are completely incompatible with the Party's nature and purpose. As military Party member cadres, we must firmly remember Chairman Xi's earnest teachings, take the revolutionary forebears as a mirror, take the lead in restoring and carrying forward the fine traditions of our Party and our military, firmly establish correct views on power, on political performance, and on our cause (权力观、政绩观、事业观), never forget the foundation of being a person in how we conduct ourselves, never shift from the heart of a public servant in governance, and never seek personal gain in the exercise of power. We must regard using power for personal gain and engaging in corruption and graft as a profound disgrace, strictly observe the code of conduct of being wholly devoted to the public (大公无私), maintaining a clear distinction between public and private (公私分明), putting public before private (先公后私), and being so devoted to the public as to forget the private (公而忘私); maintain reverence and strictly observe discipline; serve as officials with integrity, work with solid dedication, and conduct ourselves with uprightness, so that a new wholesome atmosphere (新风正气) may become ever more abundant throughout the armed forces.