On December 27, 2025, H.E. Zhang Zuo, Chinese Ambassador to Malta, published a signed article titled "The Eight-Point Decision Has Profoundly Changed China and Contributed to the World" on the Malta Independent. The full text is as follows:

The "eight-point decision" refers to the eight-point decision on Improving Party and Government Conduct and Building Closer Ties with the People, which was issued at a meeting of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee on December 4, 2012. It covers eight key areas, including doing better research and analysis and truly understanding actual conditions when doing grassroots-level studies, streamlining meetings and improving the way meetings are conducted, making documents and briefing papers more concise and improving writing styles, standardizing procedures for working visits abroad, improving security guard work and continuing to observe the principle of doing what improves relations with the people, improving news report, having strict rules on the publication of articles and promoting frugality and the strict observance of rules on incorruptibility in government. Having brought about a historic transformation in China, the eight-point decision has become a defining feature of the Party's governance in the new era, offering Chinese wisdom for governance of global political parties.

A "golden calling card" for state governance

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has fully implemented the eight-point decision with immense courage, determination, and perseverance, persistently tackling the Four Malfeasances of pointless formalities, bureaucratism, hedonism, and extravagance. From a political perspective, it has acted as a small but strategic entry point to catalyze a profound shift in the comprehensive and strict governance of the Party, making the Party's leadership significantly stronger. Economically, it has helped to purify the relationship between government officials and businessmen, improved the business environment, and provided strong impetus for high-quality development. Socially, it has responded to the expectations of the Party and the people by addressing numerous pressing issues of strong public concern, consolidating the social foundation for the Party's long-term governance. Culturally, the renewed Party and government conduct has led to positive transformations in social norms and public morality, thus galvanizing strong spiritual momentum for advancing Chinese modernization. In terms of national governance, it has promoted the modernization of China's national governance system and capacity.

A vivid reflection of the principle of putting the people first

As a party that has its origin in the people and has grown in strength with the support of the people, the CPC has always cared deeply about the people. Serving the people wholeheartedly is the fundamental purpose of the CPC. Xi Jinping has proposed a people-centered philosophy of development, emphasizing that "this country is its people; the people are the country." Fighting to establish and develop the country means winning the hearts of the people. Guided by this philosophy, the CPC has led the people of all ethnic groups in the country to achieve a complete victory in the battle against poverty, eliminating absolute poverty historically.

The eight-point decision focuses on the core of the Party conduct, namely the relationship between the Party and the people. Each point corresponds to an issue of public concern. It dismantles the unhealthy trend that the people have always resented the most, while generating a healthy trend that the people support the most. Thanks to the implementation of the eight-point decision, the conduct of the Party, government, and society has significantly improved, winning widespread recognition of the Chinese people.

A global model for political party governance

The eight-point decision outlines the requirement for the members of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, and its spirit also serves as a long-standing requirement and institutional constraint for each of the over 100 million CPC members. From the leadership down to ordinary Party members, all have committed to setting an example through both words and actions. The philosophy of self-discipline embodied in the eight-point decision is not exclusive to any specific political system but represents a universal requirement for modern, efficient, and clean governance.

Problem-oriented and focused on improving conduct, the eight-point decision strictly tackles the Four Malfeasances of pointless formalities, bureaucratism, hedonism, and extravagance, reflecting the CPC's courage in advancing its self-reform and unwaveringly promoting full and strict self-governance. This practice has not only injected strong momentum into the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics but also offered valuable insights for political parties worldwide, especially in developing countries, seeking to strengthen party building and improve governance models. It has received positive comments from an increasing number of global political parties and dignitaries. The challenge of the Four Malfeasances is not unique to China. The eight-point decision contributes Chinese solutions and wisdom to global party governance.

An inspiration for clean governance

The governance wisdom of the eight-point decision constitutes an important component of humanity's political civilization. As the largest political party in the world, the CPC is equally capable of leading the people to spearhead a great social revolution and engaging in significant self-reform, continuously injecting impetus into global efforts for clean governance and anti-corruption. Looking to the future, this governance wisdom, which originates in China but belongs to the world, is expected to play an increasingly important role in promoting the reforms of the global system of clean governance. In today's world, multiple challenges and crises are intertwined, demanding cooperative responses from different countries and political parties.

The CPC stands ready to deepen exchanges with political parties and organizations worldwide to expand the convergence of ideas and interests, leverage the strength of a new type of party-to-party relations for the building of a new type of international relations and expand global partnerships by fostering stronger partners with world political parties. Together, we can make big strides on the path toward the goal of building a community with a shared future for humanity.