A sign on the streets of Yantai City, Shandong, reads "The Party leads everything, including the Party, government, military, people, and education, in the east, west, north, south, and center."
The Party leads everything (Chinese:党领导一切; pinyin:Dǎng lǐngdǎo yīqiè) is a political slogan used by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to signify its absolute leadership over the People's Republic of China (PRC), Chinese social organizations, and various aspects of society.
A similar phrase was first used during the Second Sino-Japanese War.[1] On 1 September 1942, the 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."[2]
The phrase was used during the leadership of ChairmanMao 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".[3][4]
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 Party National Congress in 1982, the CCP constitution deleted the phrase and replaced it with "the party mainly leads politics, ideology, and the organization".[5] The phrase was revived under the general secretaryship of Xi Jinping. At the 19th Party National Congress in 2017, Xi said:[6]
[Party, government, military, civilian, and academic, north, south, east, west, and center, the Party leads everything.]
—Xi Jinping
The phrase was incorporated to the CCP constitution during the 2017 party congress.[1][7] 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.[8]
12"人大闭幕：习近平演讲强调"党领导一切""[NPC closing: Xi Jinping's speech emphasizes "the party leads everything"]. BBC News (in Simplified Chinese). 20 March 2018. Archived from the original on 2024-11-27. Retrieved 2025-03-30.
↑Luo, Pinghan. "延安时期加强党的全面领导的历史经验"[The historical experience of strengthening the Party's overall leadership during the Yan'an period]. People's Daily Online (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 2024-08-19. Retrieved 2024-08-19.
↑""党领导一切"是怎么来的？又是如何实现制度化和体系化的？"[How did the principle of "the Party leads everything" come about? And how was it institutionalized and systematized?]. Shanghai Observer (in Chinese). Retrieved 2025-03-30.
↑""党政军民学，东西南北中，党是领导一切的"，55年前毛泽东最初是怎么说的？"["The Party, the government, the military, the people, and the academic institutions—east, west, north, south, and center—the Party leads everything." How did Mao Zedong originally phrase this 55 years ago?]. Jiefang Daily (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 2025-03-22. Retrieved 2025-03-30.
↑""党领导一切"政治原则写入党章_新闻"[The political principle of "the Party leads everything" has been written into the Party Constitution]. news.qq.com (in Chinese (China)). Archived from the original on 2017-10-24. Retrieved 2017-10-24.
