Xi Jinping revisits the 'cave-dwelling question' on breaking dynastic cycles, offering 'self-revolution' as the Party's second answer
天天学习｜“窑洞之问”今再答
A CCTV piece republished by NetEase recounts how Xi Jinping, at a key Party meeting in 2021, provided a new answer to the historic 'cave-dwelling question' — how the Communist Party of China can escape the historical cycle of rise and fall. The first answer, given by Mao Zedong in 1945, was 'let the people supervise the government.' Xi's second answer is 'self-revolution' (自我革命), meaning the Party must turn its blade inward to solve its own problems. The article frames this as a consistent, century-long commitment now embodied in 'full and rigorous governance of the Party' (全面从严治党).
The view from inside
The piece is structured as a historical narrative of continuity and deepening wisdom, moving from Mao to Xi. It treats the 'historical cycle rate' (历史周期率) as a universal law of governance and presents the Party's…
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