System for Requesting Instructions from and Submitting Reports to Higher Authorities

In February 2019, the CPC Central Committee issued the Regulations of the CPC on Requesting Instructions from and Submitting Reports to Higher Authorities Regarding Major Issues. It pointed out that requesting instructions and submitting reports are part of the Party's rigorous political, organizational and work discipline and an effective mechanism for practicing democratic centralism, which plays a key role in upholding the centralized, unified leadership of the Central Committee.

According to these rules, lower-level Party organizations request instructions from and submit reports to Party organizations at higher levels regarding major issues, and Party members and leading officials ask relevant Party organizations for instructions and submit reports to the latter. "Major issues" are matters that are beyond the functions and powers of the said Party organizations, Party members, and leading officials, or those within their functions and powers but with extensive influence or with a bearing on the overall situation.

This usually happens as the said Party organizations are implementing the decisions and plans made by the CPC Central Committee and other higher-level Party organizations, leading the local economic and social development, and performing their duties of full and rigorous Party self-governance, or as the Party members are fulfilling their obligations and exercising their rights, or as the leading officials are exercising powers and undertaking responsibilities.

重大事項請示報告制度

2019年2月，中共中央印發了《中國共產黨重大事項請示報告條例》，并發出通知指出，重大事項請示報告制度是中國共產黨的一項重要政治紀律、組織紀律、工作紀律，是執行民主集中制的有效工作機制，在維護黨中央集中統一領導方面發揮了重要作用。

重大事項請示報告，就是下級黨組織向上級黨組織，以及黨員、領導干部向黨組織請示報告重大事項相關活動。重大事項，即超出黨組織和黨員、領導干部自身職權范圍，或者雖在自身職權范圍內但關乎全局、影響廣泛的重要事情和重要情況，包括黨組織貫徹執行黨中央決策部署和上級黨組織決定、領導經濟社會發展事務、落實全面從嚴治黨責任，黨員履行義務、行使權利，領導干部行使權力、擔負責任的重要事情和重要情況。