Seniority Order Archives - understand-culture

The Squad Leader

On March 13, 1949, Mao Zedong set out the working methods of Party committees. The first heading reads: “The Party committee secretary must be good at being a ‘squad leader.'” A committee of ten or twenty people, Mao wrote, “is like a squad in the army, and the secretary is like the ‘squad leader.'”

The same text sets a limit to the image. “Of course, the relation between the secretary and the members is that the minority obeys the majority. This is different from the relation between a squad leader and his soldiers.”

Collective Study Sessions

On the afternoon of July 30, 2026, the Politburo held its 27th collective study session, on advancing the high-quality modernization of national defense and the armed forces. Sun Zheng, of the Strategic Planning Office of the Central Military Commission, gave the lecture and made proposals for the work.

Xinhua reported what Xi Jinping “emphasized while presiding over the study.” It added: “After listening to the lecture and the discussion, Xi Jinping gave an important speech.”

Requests and Reports

The Communist Party’s Regulations on Requesting Instructions and Reporting on Major Matters took effect on January 31, 2019. They define two ways of speaking to a higher level. A qingshi (请示), a request for instructions, is when “a lower Party organization asks a higher Party organization, or a Party member or leading cadre asks the Party organization, for instructions or approval on a major matter.”

A baogao (报告), a report, is when the lower level submits “important matters and important situations” to the higher one. Both definitions run in one direction, from below to above.

Speaking at Court

The tenth book of the Analects describes how Confucius behaved at court. “Speaking with the lower grandees, he was frank and at ease. Speaking with the upper grandees, he was gentle but upright. When the ruler was present, he was full of reverent care.” (朝，與下大夫言，侃侃如也；與上大夫言，誾誾如也。君在，踧踖如也。)

Seats on the Rostrum

In January 2022, the people’s court of the Evenk Autonomous Banner published a guide to seating on the rostrum on its official account. With an odd number of leaders, “the main leader takes the C position, in the center.” The No. 2 leader sits at the No. 1 leader’s left hand, and the No. 3 leader at his right.

With an even number, the No. 1 and No. 2 leaders share the middle. “Of course, the No. 2 leader still sits at the No. 1 leader’s left hand.”

The Vocabulary of Meetings

定调子 To fix the key. Originally, to set the pitch of a piece of music. Figuratively, to fix the basic direction of an activity or a piece of work before it begins.

表态 To show one’s attitude. To state one’s opinion or position in public.

汇报 To report. To gather material and report it to a superior, or to the masses, as in 汇报工作, to report on one’s work.

Seats at the Table

At a formal Chinese banquet, every seat has a rank. The seats facing the door are the seats of honor. A 2015 article on Xinhua’s website places the guests around the host’s seat, the zhupei (主陪): “To the right of the host is the seat of the chief guest, to the left the seat of the second guest, and opposite is the seat of the deputy host.”

An etiquette guide published by the Shanghai government adds a rule for drinking. To show respect, a guest keeps the rim of the glass below the host’s.

The Top Leader Speaks Last

In 2013 and 2014, several provinces, among them Yunnan, Henan and Anhui, wrote a “speak last” rule (末位表态) into their decision procedures. Yunnan did so in June 2013, and Henan in May 2014. When a leading group discusses a decision, the other members state their views first. The top leader states a view last.

A 2014 report on the rules gave the reason: “The other members of the group speak first, and the top leader speaks last. This will help to avoid a ‘hall of one voice.'”

Three Errors in Attendance

In the Analects, Confucius says: “In attending on a gentleman, there are three errors. To speak before it is one’s turn to speak is called rashness. Not to speak when it is one’s turn is called concealment. To speak without first watching his expression is called blindness.” (侍于君子有三愆：言未及之而言谓之躁，言及之而不言谓之隐，未见颜色而言谓之瞽。)

Speaking Before a Teacher

The opening chapter of the Book of Rites, Quli, sets out how the young speak in front of elders and teachers. “When an elder has not raised a matter, do not cut in with talk.” (长者不及，毋儳言) “Sitting with a teacher, when the teacher asks a question, answer only when he has finished.”

Meeting a teacher on the road, a student hurries forward and stands straight. “If the teacher speaks to him, he answers. If the teacher does not speak to him, he hurries away.” In front of a friend of his father, he does not answer unless he is asked.