A Party text of 1978 told members: “Within the Party, everyone addresses each other as comrade. Do not use official titles.” (党内一律互称同志，不要叫官衔。) In 2016, the Several Norms on Political Life Within the Party repeated the rule: “Within the Party, everyone is called comrade.”
A 2018 article on the Party’s official website still listed addressing people by their official post as a habit to be avoided. The rule had been written down twice, 38 years apart.