What should officials be rewarded for-new landmarks, or quieter improvements people feel every day? In China today, this question is being redefined from the highest level.
In late February, the CPC Central Committee initiated a Party-wide study campaign with a single core focus: to rethink what political achievement or correct understanding of governance really means.
Running through July, the campaign aims to correct misconceptions in governance that often breed vanity projects, hidden risks, heavy burdens on local communities, and public discontent.
A few years ago, I came across several stories about Xi Jinping's early career in the 1980s, when he was working at the grassroots level too.
Looking back, I begin to see that this understanding of political achievement did not emerge overnight. It was planted much earlier.
From 1982 to 1985, Xi served first as deputy secretary and then as Party secretary of Zhengding County (正定) in Hebei Province of northern China. He worked closely with local residents and now call the place his second hometown. The young Xi never chased superficial "achievement," he cut the state grain procurement quotas that had earned the area a reputation as a "high-yield county," after learning that some farmers didn't have enough to eat. His conclusion was clear: no achievement is meaningful if it comes at the expense of people's well-being.
The photo in the top left shows him distributing questionnaires in the county town, inviting the public to share their feedback on the previous year's work, what they were satisfied and what they felt unhappy with.
Zhengding is an ancient city with over 2,000 years of history, home to numerous historic buildings dating back hundreds, even nearly a thousand years. At the time, however, many of them were in poor condition.
China then did not yet have the level of awareness or commitment to heritage preservation that it has today. At the time, the prevailing mindset was simple: tear down the old, build something new.
But in Zhengding, Xi chose the opposite.
He wrote articles to promote the historical value of these buildings, while actively securing funding for their restoration. In doing so, these cultural treasures were not only preserved, but also gradually transformed into valuable tourism resources.
Tourism has since become one of Zhengding's key economic pillars. I have visited the county three times, two for leisure, and one for business. It's always full of visitors (top right). In 2024, the county hosted 57.9 million visitors. By 2025, its tourism revenue had exceeded 30 billion yuan (about 4.36 billion USD).
In China, there is a well-known household skincare brand called Dabao (大宝). Its founder, Wu Baoxin (武宝信), was originally an engineer at the Shijiazhuang Machine Tool Accessories Factory. In his spare time, he devoted himself to invention and innovation, and some of his skincare products had already become popular nationwide. However, his supervisors believed he was neglecting his primary duties, undoubtedly limiting his potential.
After learning that Zhengding County placed great importance on talent, Wu sent word through an intermediary expressing his willingness to work there. His fate changed.
In early 1983, when the weather was still bitterly cold, Xi learned of Wu's interest and was unwilling to delay even for a moment. He immediately set out with the county magistrate and deputy magistrate to look for Wu at his residential compound in the city of Shijiazhuang, dozens of kilometers away.
Back in the 1980s, there were no phones. No exact address.
Xi searched several buildings and asked many residents, but no one knew where Wu was. So after this unsuccessful search, Xi did something unusual.
He stood beneath the apartment blocks, and called out Wu Baoxin's name, loudly, again and again.
Eventually, Wu heard, and they met.
Wu later recalled that when they shook hands, Xi's hands were icy cold-he had clearly been searching outside for a long time. The two talked from 10 pm until dawn. Wu agreed on the spot to accept Xi's invitation, bringing his self-developed cosmetics project to Zhengding. Within a year, the project generated more than 300,000 yuan in profit for the county, a remarkable sum at a time when a monthly salary of 300 yuan was already considered substantial in China.
In 1985, after Xi took up a post in Fujian Province in eastern China, Wu moved to Beijing, where he went on to establish a brand that became widely known across the country.
This stories illustrates that true political achievements are not only about what has been built, but also about who and what have been retained; not only about projects completed, but also about people empowered and developed.
From June 1988 to June 1990, Xi served as Party secretary of Ningde Prefecture (宁德) in Fujian. Fujian consists of nine prefecture-level cities, and Ningde was the poorest among them, stably ranking last in the province in terms of economic performance, year after year. In line with his senior's expectation that he would help transform the region, Xi left the prosperous city of Xiamen (厦门) to take up this challenging post. This in itself meant a tougher task, a weaker foundation, and slower results.
According to his colleagues in Ningde, after assuming office, Xi spent a full month in the sweltering summer visiting every county. He also traveled to nearby Wenzhou (温州) in Zhejiang Province to find out why its economy had developed so much more rapidly.
Only after conducting thorough research, Xi presented a development plan for Ningde. Recognizing that geographic isolation was constraining growth, he prioritized improving the investment environment by initiating the construction of bridges and roads. He promoted the development of the hydropower station, port, and water supply facility tailored to local strengths.
In one township of Ningde, bamboo steamers had been produced since 1097 AD, a cultural heritage spanning more than 900 years. However, production remained on a very small scale. Xi believed this time-honored craft should be expanded into a larger industry. To achieve this, the first priority was ensuring a stable supply of raw materials-bamboo, the main material used for the steamers. This led to efforts in afforestation and bamboo cultivation. Soon, the raw material shortage was resolved, production expanded significantly, and the bamboo steamers are now sold worldwide.
Today, Ningde is one of the country's main tea-producing regions. However, at the time, tea was grown only sporadically. The region's climate is also well suited for fruit cultivation, and Xi guided local farmers to plant tea, peaches, tangerines, citrus fruits, and grapes. Ningde's tea and a wide variety of fruits has moved on to enjoy a strong national reputation.
In 2023, I traveled to Ningde on a business trip. By then, it had long shed its poverty and developed into a thriving city, with clusters of high-rises and a pleasant green environment (bottom left). It is also one of China's most important production bases for electric vehicle batteries.
Xi told local officials that ensuring access to everyday necessities for people living in remote areas, even items as basic as light bulbs and soap, was also a measure of good governance.
From conversations with local residents, I learned that they hold deep affection for Xi, believing that he brought real, tangible improvements to their lives. The apartment where he lived during his time there has been preserved to honor him. On the evening before I left Ningde, I made time to visit it. The exterior and interior of the building have been renovated, and all the apartments have new windows-except for the one Xi once lived in, carefully kept by locals (bottom right).
Good governance is not a photo op, not looking impressive in the short term, but delivering lasting value, and improving the lives of ordinary people.
It is an ancient city that becomes a top tourist destination, a job that lets talent stay, a bridge that shortens a mountain road, and a supply chain that keeps a craft alive.
And it generates changes that people still remember decades later.
source: https://xcancel.com/ZhaiXiang5/status/2040427032375349488#m
[Emphasis mine]
