Party Institute of CPC/Shanghai Administration Institute (SPI/SAI) held the opening ceremony of the 2023 fall semester. ZHANG Wei, Standing Committee member and head of the Organization Department of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee and president of SPI, attended the ceremony and made a speech. SUN Ganlin, deputy head of the Organization Department of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee and the Party secretary of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Social Work Committee, hosted the event. XU Jiangang, vice executive president of SPI, explained the general teaching arrangements.

　　According to Mr. ZHANG, Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era serves as a great banner that directs the new journey of the new era. “Thought is power.” We should take the opportunity of the thematic education campaign on studying and implementing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to further study and practice the Party’s new theories, continue to deepen, internalize, and transform our work, keep improving our ability to perform duties and responsibilities, better understand the brilliant rays of truth and great strength of practice of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era in our renewed efforts to boost Shanghai’s modernization, and constantly increase the motive force for working harder.

Mr. ZHANG said that it is necessary to take on responsibility of Shanghai’s modernization in line with the requirements for improving political ability, thinking ability and practical ability. First, on improving political ability, it is necessary to stay loyal to the Party, take our commitment to the “Two Affirmations” and “Two Upholds” as our political belief, political position, and political attitude, and keep it firmly in mind and reflect it in our practice; look at the bigger picture and focus on the major issues from an overall perspective, the most fundamental of which is to consider and plan the development of Shanghai in the context of the CPC Central Committee’s strategic positioning of the city’s development, of economic globalization, of the national development pattern, and of the state’s planning for the Yangtze River Delta; keep disciplined and reinforce Party consciousness. Second, on improving thinking ability, it is necessary to learn the approach towards thinking and work from Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, contemplate things with strategic thinking and a forward-looking vision, use systematic methods to get the problems solved, and adopt a scientific, predictable, proactive, and creative approach to our work. Third, on improving practical ability, it is necessary to have the right view of political achievements and address the major issues such as “for whom the political achievements are made, what kind of political achievements they are, and by which means the political achievements are made”; serve the people with our hearts and minds, ensure that work involving the people is done in a solid, deep, and detailed manner, and apply ourselves to solving the problems that concern them the most, dare to deal with the hard situation, confront things head-on and take on the responsibility, and unswervingly move toward the established goals.

Mr. ZHANG said that an improvement in the “three abilities” requires hard work of the cadres. They should keep learning the theories, understand the political stance, overall orientation, and practical position regarding what kind of Shanghai we want to build and how to build it, and grasp the strategic considerations, strategic intentions, and strategic designs in General Secretary Xi Jinping’s instructions and requirements; keep improving their professional quality and make themselves more knowledgeable and competent with a sense of urgency; stick with the pragmatic style and ensure that each and every task is implemented in place; strengthen self-cultivation and self-improvement and keep the bottom line of building a clean government.

In his explanation of the teaching arrangements, Mr. XU said that this semester would focus on the full implementation of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, the study and implementation of the guiding principles of the Party’s 20^th National Congress and General Secretary Xi Jinping’s speeches, and the latest arrangements made by the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee and the Shanghai Municipal Government on the city’s reform and development. SPI would stay committed to its original mission of cultivating talent and offering consultation suggestions for the Party, strengthen education on the Party theories and Party consciousness, as well as professional capabilities and training, and forge a team of high-caliber professional cadres who are loyal, upright, and responsible.

More than 500 people participated in the opening ceremony, including all students from the nine classes of the 136^th leading cadre training program, first-year graduate students of SPI, cadres at the middle level and above and faculty of SPI/SAI, and deputy executive presidents of the District Party Institutes (District Administration Institutes).