Zhao Heyi: Leading the Great Cause of National Rejuvenation with a Correct View of Political Achievements
The outlook on performance (政绩观) centrally reflects the value orientation and fundamental pursuits of leading cadres in the discharge of their official duties; it is a comprehensive manifestation of one's worldview, outlook on power, and outlook on career within the practice of undertaking endeavors. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping has consistently placed the establishment and practice of a correct outlook on performance at a prominent position in the governance of the country, producing a series of systematic and profound important expositions. These important discourses provide the fundamental follow-up and guide to action for correctly understanding performance, scientifically creating performance, and comprehensively evaluating performance in the New Era.
The Ideological Foundation and Contemporary Significance of a Correct Outlook on Performance
The Chinese Communist Party's outlook on performance has always taken "serving the people" as its fundamental value goal, possessing deep ideological and theoretical foundations, a distinct Party-nature (党性) [1] position, and contemporary connotations that advance with the times.
First, it originates from the people's position in the Marxist historical materialist view of history. A correct outlook on performance must be built upon a high degree of trust in the power of the people and full respect for the people's principal status. It requires that the right to judge and inspect performance be ultimately handed over to the people, taking the realization, maintenance, and development of the fundamental interests of the broadest masses of the people as the starting point and end goal. Any so-called "performance" that is detached from the needs of the masses, violates the will of the masses, or damages the interests of the masses—no matter how its form is packaged—is ultimately water without a source, unable to withstand the test of practice, the people, and history.
Second, it is rooted in the original aspiration and founding mission formed through the CPC’s more than one hundred years of struggle. Seeking happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation is the consistent original aspiration and founding mission of the CPC. Reviewing the century-long history of the Party, whether it is the selfless dedication of Jiao Yulu [2], who "was tied to the life and death of the common people in the dunes both in life and death," the persistence over the long term shown by Gu Wenchang [3] who swore "if I do not conquer the wind and sand, let the wind and sand bury me," or the youthful dedication of Huang Wenxiu [4] on the front lines of the battle against poverty—their common characteristic lies in carrying forward the spirit of "success does not have to be mine, but I must contribute to success." They created genuine performance that withstands the passage of time and remains engraved in the memory of the people. Conversely, once the outlook on performance shifts toward personal fame and wealth or the pursuit of "image projects" and "vanity projects" [5], it essentially constitutes a betrayal of the Party's original aspiration and founding mission.
Third, it aligns with the internal requirements of the new journey of Chinese-path modernization. The correct outlook on performance in the New Era is no longer limited to single economic growth indicators. Instead, it places greater emphasis on the comprehensive results of improving people's livelihoods, ecological protection, cultural prosperity, social governance, and security. It looks not only at "conspicuous performance" (显绩) but also at "potential performance" (潜绩) [6]; it focuses not only on current results but also on sustainable development and long-term momentum. Emphasizing the establishment and practice of a correct outlook on performance is precisely intended to guide cadres to unify their thoughts and actions with the strategic deployments of high-quality development and Chinese-path modernization.
Manifestations and Hazards of an Erroneous Outlook on Performance
Establishing and practicing a correct outlook on performance has distinct and urgent practical relevance. Practice shows that once the outlook on performance deviates from the correct direction, it not only weakens development quality and governance efficacy but also tends to accumulate structural and systemic risks. Only by facing problems squarely and digging deep into their roots can we correct behavioral orientations, strengthen the foundation, and consolidate the base of governance.
In terms of practical manifestations, an erroneous outlook on performance is characterized by diversity and concealment. First is "favoring the superior over the practical" (唯上不唯实): the work orientation revolves around the leadership's focus, with a zeal for creating "visible performance" while ignoring the actual conditions at the grassroots and the well-being of the masses; formalism and superficial work remain persistent despite repeated bans. Second is prioritizing "conspicuous" over "potential" results, favoring quick-fix "conspicuous performance" while under-investing in areas that lay the foundation for long-term benefits, such as technological innovation, talent cultivation, and ecological restoration. Third is craving "bigness" and seeking "speed," blindly expanding and launching projects regardless of resource and environmental carrying capacity or financial constraints, leaving behind high debt and "half-finished" projects. Fourth is "performance through data," falsifying statistical indicators and engaging in "digital performance" or "watered-down growth" [7], deceiving superiors and subordinates alike and interfering with macro-decision-making.
In terms of ideological roots, an erroneous outlook on performance is the product of multiple overlapping factors. Primarily, it is the weakening of Party-nature cultivation and the fading of the consciousness of the Party’s purpose, whereby power is alienated into a tool for seeking personal fame and wealth, and an official position is viewed as a "springboard" for career advancement—causing the "small self" of the individual to swell while the "great self" of the nation is absent. Next is a methodological deviation: departing from the ideological line of seeking truth from facts, lacking systemic thinking and strategic resolve, and falling into the trap of eagerness for quick success and short-termism. Finally, the orientation of evaluation and appraisal is imbalanced; in certain periods, the indicator system was singular and rigid, excessively linked to cadre promotions, which objectively reinforced "GDP worship" and short-sighted behavior. Coupled with insufficient supervision and accountability, and lax punishment for performance fraud and decision-making errors, this encouraged a "luck-based" mentality.
In terms of deep-seated hazards, an erroneous outlook on performance acts like a "chronic disease" eroding the organism, causing continuous damage to the Party's governance foundation. It directly infringes upon the interests of the masses, alienates the relationship between the Party and the masses, and overdraws the government's credibility. It distorts development paths, overdraws future potential, and leads to structural imbalances and risk accumulation, running counter to the requirements of high-quality development. It pollutes the political ecosystem and breeds a soil for corruption. Practice has repeatedly proven that once a systemic deviation occurs in the outlook on performance, the losses caused are often long-term and global in scope.
Constructing a Cultivation and Guarantee System for a Correct Outlook on Performance
To establish and practice a correct outlook on performance, we must adhere to systemic concepts and combine governance at the source with institutional remedies. The cultivation of a correct outlook on performance is not a single measure; it requires the integration of Party-nature tempering, practical orientation, and institutional guarantees. We must build a long-term mechanism where educational guidance, appraisal and evaluation, the orientation of personnel selection, and supervision and accountability are interconnected and work in synergy to achieve both systemic governance and the treatment of both symptoms and root causes.
Strengthen Party-nature education to fortify the ideological foundation. We must make education on the correct outlook on performance a vital part of cadre education and training, integrating it with the normalization and long-term effectiveness of Party history study and education. Through in-depth study of the Party's innovative theories—especially General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important discourses on the outlook on performance—we must guide cadres to profoundly grasp the fundamental questions: "For whom is performance established, what kind of performance should be established, and by what means is it established?" We must focus on using both positive and negative typical cases to carry out warning education, ensuring cadres are alerted, understand the bottom line, and maintain a sense of awe.
Refine the "baton" of appraisal and evaluation to establish a clear orientation toward practical work and actual results. The appraisal and evaluation system is a crucial institutional tool for guiding cadre behavior. We must resolutely break the path dependency of "GDP-only and growth-rate-only" and establish a scientific appraisal system that reflects the requirements of high-quality development. We must place greater emphasis on the feelings of the masses, increasing the weight of public satisfaction in assessments to guide cadres to truly dedicate their energy to practical efforts, practical measures, and practical results.
Improve supervision and accountability mechanisms to form a powerful deterrent. Supervision must confront tough issues head-on, and accountability must be precise and serious. We must strengthen top-down organizational supervision, improve institutional arrangements such as disciplinary inspections (巡视巡察), supervision, and auditing, and smooth out bottom-up channels for democratic supervision to effectively guarantee the people's right to know, participate, express, and supervise. We must strictly implement mechanisms for lifelong accountability for major decisions and retrospective investigations of responsibility. Party regulations must be strictly enforced, and acts of fraud or deception regarding performance must be handled severely in accordance with regulations, disciplines, and laws, using rigid constraints to drive the internalizing of a correct outlook on performance as a conscious practice for cadres.
An outlook on performance is a mirror that centrally reflects the Party-nature cultivation, consciousness of purpose, and sense of responsibility of Party members and cadres. In the process of advancing Chinese-path modernization, establishing and practicing a correct outlook on performance is by no means a seasonal requirement or a measure of expediency; it is a fundamental and strategic proposition concerning the quality of development, the rise and fall of our cause, and the winning or losing of public support. The broad ranks of cadres must eternally maintain the value pursuits of loyalty to the Party, sincerity toward the people, initiative in their careers, and awe of laws and discipline. They must consciously integrate their individual struggles into the contemporary torrent of national rejuvenation, continuously gathering the majestic force to comprehensively advance the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, stabilizing the Party's governance foundation, and promoting the steady and long-term progress of Chinese-path modernization.