Huang Yibing: Delivering Benefits to the People Is the Greatest Achievement

General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out: "Communists must keep cabbage in mind that creating benefits for the people is the greatest political achievement" ^[1] and "should consciously be selfless contributors dedicated to creating benefits for the people, always placing the people in the highest position in their hearts." That creating benefits for the people is the greatest political achievement captures, from a political perspective, the core key to establishing and practicing a correct outlook on political achievements. Theoretically, it reveals the basic laws of governance for a Marxist party; practically, it establishes the fundamental standard for Party members and cadres to fulfill their duties. It points out the direction for the broad masses of Party members and cadres to create new accomplishments and demonstrate new actions on the New Journey ^[2], providing a fundamental guideline for establishing and practicing a correct outlook on political achievements.

Embodying the Core Essence of "Building the Party for the Public and Governing for the People"

General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "The issue of the outlook on political achievements is a fundamental one, concerning building the Party for the public and governing for the people" ^[3] and "creating benefits for the people is the essential requirement of building the Party for the public and governing for the people." Any outlook on political achievements is rooted in specific political stances and value pursuits. "Creating benefits for the people is the greatest political achievement" unifies building the Party for the public and governing for the people within the concrete practice of establishing and practicing a correct outlook on political achievements. This represents a creative transformation and sublimation of the Communist Party of China's (CPC) governance philosophy in the field of political achievements.

Building the Party for the public is the cornerstone for Communists to establish and practice a correct outlook on political achievements, fundamentally defining the nature of that outlook. From the day of its birth, a Marxist party has never served a minority or specific interest groups. The Communist Manifesto declared: "All previous historical movements were movements of minorities, or in the interest of minorities. The proletarian movement is the self-conscious, independent movement of the immense majority, in the interest of the immense majority." This fundamentally defines the essential difference between a proletarian party and all previous political parties. Aside from the interests of the broadest masses of the people, the Communist Party has no special interests of its own; it never represents the interests of any interest group, any power group, or any privileged stratum. This innate "selfless" gene of the Communist Party determines that "building the Party for the public" is an unshakeable essential attribute.

General Secretary Xi Jinping profoundly pointed out: "The fundamental yardstick for measuring the strength of Party spirit ^[4] is the two words 'public' and 'private'." On the surface, the issue of the outlook on political achievements is a question of "how to do things and what kind of things to accomplish," but at a deeper level, it is a question of "for whom one works, what kind of fame one seeks, and what kind of profit one pursues." General Secretary Xi Jinping particularly emphasized: "As Party cadres, we must serve the people heart and soul, strive sincerely for the cause of the Party and the people, and uphold selfless devotion, distinguish clearly between public and private, put the public before the private, and forget private interests for the sake of the public. If we no longer even speak of this, is our Party still the vanguard of the Chinese working class? Is it still the vanguard of the Chinese people and the Chinese nation?"

The positioning of the CPC as the "vanguard" ^[5] highly unifies the Party's class basis with its mass basis. As the "vanguard," the CPC must always represent the fundamental interests of the broadest masses of the people. The "public" (公, gōng) in "for the public" is, in essence, the fundamental interests of the broadest masses. And "working for the public" is precisely the political character inherent in the nature of the "vanguard." As embodied in the cultivation of Party spirit, "working for the public" requires that as a Communist and a Party cadre, only by being single-mindedly for the public and acting out of public concern can one have a correct outlook on right and wrong, on interests, on power, and on one’s career. Only then can one keep the masses in one's heart, act with integrity, use power cautiously, and be open and aboveboard. As embodied in the concrete practice of creating benefits for the people, it requires Party members and cadres to establish and practice a correct outlook on political achievements, always keeping the people's livelihood and safety in mind. They must resolve the practical problems the masses care about with their hearts, emotions, and strength—implementing tasks one by one, working year after year, striving to let the masses see changes and gain tangible benefits. In this way, the cultivation of Party spirit is truly reflected in the practical actions of doing things for the people, relieving their anxieties, and creating benefits for them.

Governing for the people demonstrates the value pursuit of the Communist outlook on political achievements. Serving the people heart and soul is the fundamental purpose ^[6] of the CPC and the fundamental starting point and ultimate goal of all Party actions. it determines that the sole purpose for Communists to create political achievements is to seek happiness for the people, and that the fundamental value orientation for establishing and practicing a correct outlook on political achievements is "governing for the people." That creating benefits for the people is the greatest political achievement is precisely the concentrated expression of this "purpose consciousness" regarding political achievements.

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Party members and cadres, especially leading cadres, must clearly recognize that the power in their hands and the positions they hold are bestowed by the Party and the people and are to be used for the Party and the people; they can only be used to seek benefits for the people. Leading cadres at all levels must establish a correct outlook on power, political achievements, and career—not coveting vanity, not engaging in useless work, and not seeking empty fame, but truly achieving 'benefiting the local area during one's term of office'." Party spirit and people-centeredness are highly unified and inseparable. Party spirit is contained within people-centeredness; there is no Party spirit divorced from people-centeredness, nor is there people-centeredness divorced from Party spirit. Party spirit is the concentrated expression and sublimation of people-centeredness. To uphold Party spirit, the core is to uphold, maintain, and develop the fundamental interests of the broadest masses. At the same time, the Party comes from the people and is rooted in the people. People-centeredness is the distinctive character of a Marxist party. Upholding people-centeredness requires that all the Party’s work must take the fundamental interests of the broadest masses as its starting point and ultimate goal.

General Secretary Xi Jinping profoundly pointed out: "We talk about our 'purpose' a lot, but in the final analysis, it is the phrase 'serving the people'." The standpoint of Communists is the standpoint of the people. In reality, a small number of Party members and cadres have a displaced outlook on political achievements, showing great enthusiasm for "image projects" ^[7] that waste money and labor or "prestige projects" ^[8] that are divorced from reality. On the surface, these are issues of work methods, but in essence, they are a displacement of standpoint and purpose, and a lack of the principles of Party spirit. This indicates that to strengthen the consciousness of the purpose of serving the people, one must experience its true meaning through personal practice; it is not enough to treat it merely as a slogan or to circulate it only in documents. "The CPC governs in China precisely to create benefits for the people." "All the work of the Party is for the sake of the common people's interests; making the common people happy is the Party's cause." Only by always prioritizing the cause of the Party and the interests of the people can the creation of political achievements truly remain rooted in the people, rely on the people, and serve the people, making the creation of benefits for the people a governable practice that can be operated, implemented, and verified.

Demonstrating the Materialist Conception of History that "The People are the Creators of History"

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "The people are the creators of history; the people are the true heroes." This profoundly reveals the subject status of the masses in historical development. That creating benefits for the people is the greatest political achievement is precisely a manifestation of high respect for and conscious practice of the people's status as the subjects of history.

The historical materialist conception of history holds that in the process of human historical development, the masses are the creators of social material wealth, the creators of social spiritual wealth, and the decisive force for social transformation. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "The magnificent history of the Chinese nation's development was written by the Chinese people! The broad and profound Chinese civilization was created by the Chinese people! The enduring spirit of the Chinese nation was nurtured by the Chinese people! The great leap of the Chinese nation from standing up and becoming prosperous to becoming strong was achieved through the struggle of the Chinese people!" The great cause of building socialism with Chinese characteristics is deeply rooted in the vivid practice of hundreds of millions of people. This magnificent cause is, fundamentally, the practice of the broad masses themselves. The experience created by the masses in practice reflects the objective laws of the development of things and represents the direction of social progress. When planning development, the masses understand the actual situation best; when promoting reform, the greatest supporting force is also the masses. The grassroots is the largest classroom, and the masses are the best teachers. Life is the most profound, and the masses have the most wisdom.

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "A guiding ideology for the Communist Party in doing things is to respect the pioneering spirit of the masses; the masses are the true heroes." One cannot "build a car behind closed doors" ^[9] when creating political achievements; one must persist in "seeking the people's views on governance, their needs, and their wisdom" to draw from the wisdom of the masses. Creating political achievements is not a "one-man show" for Party members and cadres, but a "grand chorus" for all the people. We must fully mobilize the enthusiasm, initiative, and creativity of the masses, turning the Party's correct propositions into the conscious actions of the masses, and gathering the majestic strength to create great historical undertakings. In a country like ours with more than 1.4 billion people, if everyone contributes their strength, it can converge into a force that moves mountains and seas; if everyone accomplishes one thing and does one job well, the cause of the Party and the state can move one step forward.

The country is the people, and the people are the country. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "The future and destiny of any political party ultimately depend on 'the support of the heart' ^[10]." The number of Party members in our Party is still a minority when placed among the people. The grand developmental goals of our Party absolutely cannot be realized without the support of the people. If we consider ourselves brilliant and become detached from the people, or place ourselves above the people, we will inevitably be abandoned by them. This is true for any political party; it is an iron law of historical development, and there are no exceptions in ancient or modern times, in China or abroad. Any outlook on political achievements that violates the fundamental will of the people is, in essence, a denial that the masses are the creators of history and an exaggeration of the role of individuals as the decisive force dominating history. This idealist "heroic conception of history," when expressed in terms of political achievements, most prominently manifests as placing personal gains and interests above the well-being of the people.

General Secretary Xi Jinping profoundly pointed out: "The people are the masters of the country, and cadres are the public servants of the people. 'Public servant' (公仆, gōngpú) means, first, working for the public (公, gōng) and having no selfishness; second, acting as a servant (仆, pú) and having no bureaucratic airs. It is a matter of course that public servants are responsible to the people. This relationship cannot be inverted. Any Party member or cadre has only the responsibility and obligation to serve the people, and no right to 'act as an official or a lord' ^[11]." Behind the relationship between public servants and masters is the issue of "the support of the heart." If the relationship between servant and master is twisted, the outlook on political achievements will deviate, the hearts of the people will be alienated, and the foundation will be shaken. If the relationship between servant and master is sound, the outlook on political achievements will be pure, the Party and the masses will be of one mind, and they can be as united as a single piece of steel. The materialist outlook on political achievements and the idealist outlook are two fundamentally opposite views. Whether one seeks truth from facts or makes subjective assumptions; whether one puts the people first or engages in individual heroism; whether one focuses on long-term practical work or seeks quick success and instant benefits—these are the watersheds that distinguish whether an outlook on political achievements is correct. To establish and practice a correct outlook on political achievements, one must adhere to a materialist view, respect the subject status of the masses, "sit squarely on the side of the common people," and apply one's mind steadily toward creating benefits for the people.

Guiding the Practical Direction of "Letting the Common People Lead Better Lives"

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "The people’s aspiration for a better life is our goal" and "Our goal is grand, and also very simple; in the final analysis, it is to let the common people lead better lives." "Letting the common people lead better lives" is a grand goal that needs to be realized step-by-step through solid and effective political achievements. Creating benefits for the people is the greatest political achievement; we must urge Party members and cadres to internalize this goal in their hearts and externalize it in their actions, pursuing and practicing it with unswerving determination.

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "The people-centered development philosophy is not an abstract or cryptic concept; it cannot remain merely as a slogan or stop at the level of thought, but must be reflected in every aspect of economic and social development." Whether it is economic growth, social progress, or national prosperity, the ultimate goal is to serve people and realize their happiness and well-being. If the fruits of development can be transformed into an improvement in the quality of people's lives—into a real sense of gain, happiness, and security—then such development is meaningful, and such political achievements have value. It can be said that the process of creating political achievements is a process of continuously transforming the fruits of development into the quality of people's lives and improving people's well-being.

General Secretary Xi Jinping has provided a profound explanation of what constitutes true "political achievement," pointing out that "the CPC regards doing things for the people and creating benefits for the people as the most important political achievement, and regards how many good and practical things have been done for the common people as the important standard for testing political achievements." He emphasized: "What constitutes a 'good and practical thing' must be weighed based on the vital needs of the masses; one cannot make subjective assumptions or be simplistic or one-sided." He added: "Doing practical things is not simply about helping with money or goods, putting on a show, or 'cultivating a few potted plants' ^[12]. It is necessary both to base actions on the present to solve the specific 'urgent, difficult, and anxious' problems of the masses, and to look to the long term to improve the systems and mechanisms for solving people’s livelihood issues, so as to enhance the people’s sense of gain, happiness, and security." Wherever there is a need among the people, good and practical things can be done, and political achievements can be created.

Entering the New Era, the principal contradiction in Chinese society has undergone a profound transformation. The people's aspiration for a better life presents new characteristics that are diversified, multi-layered, and multi-faceted. Not only are there higher requirements for material and cultural life, but there is also a growing demand for democracy, rule of law, fairness, justice, security, and the environment. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized:

“Understanding economic development merely as an increase or decrease in quantity or as simple repetition is a metaphysical view of development.” “In the New Era, to grasp development, we must unswervingly implement the new development philosophy of innovation, coordination, green development, openness, and sharing, and promote high-quality development.” Grasping the characteristics and requirements of high-quality development, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “High-quality development is not just an economic requirement, but a general requirement for all aspects of economic and social development; it is not a requirement only for economically developed regions, but a requirement that must be implemented in the development of all regions; it is not a requirement for a single moment or a single matter, but a requirement that must be adhered to over the long term.”

The outlook on performance ^[13] and the outlook on development are closely linked: the outlook on development guides the outlook on performance, and the outlook on performance puts the outlook on development into practice. The core of this lies in what kind of outlook on performance is established: is it an outlook that pursues “one-dimensional” development or “systemic and comprehensive” development? Is it the pursuit of “regional development” or “integrated progress across all domains”? Is it the pursuit of “short-term behavior” or “sustainable development”? Gaining insight into the intrinsic connection between development and performance, General Secretary Xi Jinping clearly pointed out: “High-quality development is the primary task of building a modern socialist country in all respects, and adhering to high-quality development must become an important component of the outlook on performance of leading officials.” The statement that “adhering to high-quality development must become an important component of the outlook on performance of leading officials” contains an outlook on performance that highly unifies development goals with development paths. People's happiness is the goal of high-quality development, and high-quality development is the path to achieving people's happiness. Deeply grasping the new requirements posed by high-quality development for establishing and practicing a correct outlook on performance, General Secretary Xi Jinping explicitly pointed out: “It is necessary to establish a correct outlook on performance; handle the relationships between stability and progress, establishing [the new] and breaking [the old] ^[14], the substance and the appearance ^[15], the symptoms and the root causes, and the near-term and the long-term; adhere to bottom-line thinking; strengthen risk awareness; and consciously integrate the new development philosophy throughout the entire process of economic and social development.” He emphasized that “performance is reflected both in grasping development and in improving people's livelihoods and maintaining stability; it is reflected both in 'obvious achievements' ^[16] that yield immediate results and in 'latent achievements' ^[17] that lay foundations, increase future stamina, and benefit the long term; it is reflected both in solving current contradictions and in solving problems left over from history.”

The question of “what is development for” is a “compulsory question” for establishing and practicing a correct outlook on performance. A correct outlook on performance is the bridge connecting goals and paths, ensuring that Party members and officials always take meeting the people's needs for a better life as the fundamental purpose when promoting development, and persist in taking the correct path consistent with high-quality development. To require that “adhering to high-quality development must become an important component of the outlook on performance of leading officials” is to require always keeping the fundamental interests of the broadest possible majority of the people in mind, unswervingly improving people's well-being, and closely combining high-quality development with meeting the people's needs for a better life. This promotes the organic integration and mutual reinforcement of prioritizing ecology, promoting high-quality development, and creating high-quality lives.

Aligning with the Intrinsic Requirements of “Following the Party's Mass Line Well in the New Era”

General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: “It is necessary to firmly establish an outlook on performance focused on creating benefits for the people, and take the lead in following the Party's mass line well in the New Era.” The mass line is the Party's lifeline and fundamental working line. Creating benefits for the people is the greatest performance; it guides Party members and officials to draw wisdom and strength for creating performance by following the mass line well. An outlook on performance that persists in following the mass line is the outlook on performance with the greatest vitality.

The masses are at the forefront of practice; they are the most sensitive to changes in practice, feel them most deeply, and are the wisest. By going among the masses, many problems that seem inexplicable can be readily solved and answers can be found. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “All our working practices must follow the mass line well.” Following the mass line well and establishing and practicing a correct outlook on performance have an intrinsic, inseparable, and close connection. Whether we can effectively respond to various realistic challenges faced by our Party in practicing the mass line in the New Era depends to a large extent on whether we can truly establish and practice a correct outlook on performance. General Secretary Xi Jinping profoundly pointed out: “Facts show that economic development and improvement in people's living standards do not mean that the Party's connection with the people will automatically become closer or necessarily remain close; sometimes, it actually becomes alienated.” This important discourse by General Secretary Xi Jinping is an extremely profound, dialectical, and scientific judgment filled with a sense of potential crisis. This judgment serves as an alarm for Party members and officials to prevent them from losing their way in the face of achievements; it warns Party members and officials to remain modest, prudent, and free from arrogance and rashness in times of victory and prosperity, and to maintain clarity and humility when faced with flowers and applause. Addressing problems in Party-mass relations, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out incisively: “In my view, the main issue is that some Party members and officials have a weakened sense of purpose, their feelings for the masses have changed, and problems with their work style have become prominent. If the mass viewpoint is dropped, the mass standpoint is misaligned, and the mass line is deviated from, you will no longer exist in the eyes of the masses.” This profoundly enlightens us that if the outlook on performance is correct, the mass line will continuously nourish the flesh-and-blood ties between the Party and the people; if the outlook on performance is incorrect, the mass line will be cut off, eventually leading to the prevalence of formalism and bureaucratism.

Adapting to the profound changes in social structure, interest patterns, and ideological concepts in the New Era, and answering new questions in practicing the mass line, General Secretary Xi Jinping clearly proposed: “Establish and practice a correct outlook on performance, and follow the Party's mass line well in the New Era.” Following the Party's mass line well in the New Era is not only an innovative development of the Party's mass line but also a systemic transformation of ideological concepts, working methods, practical means, and institutional mechanisms for practicing the mass line in the New Era. Regarding taking the lead in following the Party's mass line well in the New Era and firmly establishing an outlook on performance focused on creating benefits for the people, General Secretary Xi Jinping put forward clear requirements: “Rectify the persistent ailments of formalism and bureaucratism, effectively reduce burdens on the grassroots, and promote the implementation of work through the transformation of work style”; “Be conscious of being selfless contributors dedicated to creating benefits for the people, always put the people in the highest position in your heart, establish and practice a correct outlook on performance, follow the Party's mass line well in the New Era, improve the ability to do mass work, and use your heart, emotion, and strength to solve the urgent, difficult, and anxious problems ^[18] of the masses, constantly enhancing the people's sense of gain, happiness, and security.” By following the Party's mass line well in the New Era, with a sense of responsibility of “always being concerned” and an execution power of “implementing everything to the letter,” and by continuously improving the ability to serve the people, a correct outlook on performance will become the distinctive hallmark of Communists in the New Era.

Ensuring the Solid Advancement of “Promoting Common Prosperity for All the People”

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “Chinese-path modernization is the modernization of common prosperity for all the people.” “In planning economic and social development for the 15th Five-Year Plan period, we must not forget our original aspiration, take creating benefits for the people as the fundamental value orientation, persist in ensuring and improving livelihoods during development, and steadily promote common prosperity.” Creating benefits for the people is the greatest performance, and within this, the greatest “benefit” is common prosperity. Realizing common prosperity requires the powerful ideological impetus and scientific methodological guidance provided by a correct outlook on performance.

Common prosperity is the shared aspiration of the Chinese people. In the early stages of reform and opening up, the main task of “creating benefits for the people” was to solve the problem of food and clothing, letting the people “eat their fill and dress warmly.” With the comprehensive building of a moderately prosperous society ^[19], the people's needs have shifted from “having or not” to “good or not”; they yearn for a fair and just social environment, rich and colorful public culture, harmonious interpersonal relationships, and a dignified and decent lifestyle. The “greatest performance” means striving more for the interests of the people's livelihoods and resolving more of their anxieties, making continuous progress in ensuring that children have childcare, students have education, workers have earnings, the sick have healthcare, the elderly have care, residents have housing, and the vulnerable have support. This is about continuously promoting social fairness and justice, and continuously promoting the well-rounded development of individuals and the common prosperity of all people. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “To test the effectiveness of all our work, we must ultimately see whether the people have truly received tangible benefits, whether their lives have truly been improved, and whether their rights and interests have truly been protected.” To establish and practice a correct outlook on performance is to take the promotion of common prosperity for all the people as the fundamental criterion for measuring the effectiveness of work, making the people's sense of gain, happiness, and security more substantial, better protected, and more sustainable, and moving continuously toward the realization of common prosperity for all the people.

General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: “Common prosperity itself is an important goal of socialist modernization. We cannot wait until we have realized modernization to solve the problem of common prosperity; rather, we must always take meeting the people's new expectations for a better life as the starting point and end point of development, and continuously and gradually solve this problem in the process of realizing modernization.” Facing the new expectations of the people for a better life, there must not be the slightest complacency or slackening; we must make persistent efforts to ensure that the fruits of development benefit all the people more and more fairly, moving steadily toward the direction of common prosperity. In the process of solidly promoting common prosperity, laxity and fear in the outlook on performance are major obstacles. To establish and practice a correct outlook on performance requires Party members and officials to start from the present and from small things, transforming every measure to narrow the income gap and every implementation of a policy benefiting the people into practical actions toward the goal of common prosperity. It requires officials to dare to enter “deep-water zones,” dare to “gnaw on hard bones,” dare to cross “dangerous shoals,” and dare to face new contradictions and challenges ^[20]. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “We have already formed a complete set of ideological concepts, institutional arrangements, and policy measures to promote common prosperity for all the people. While promoting high-quality development and making the 'cake' bigger and better, we must further divide the 'cake' well, focusing on solving livelihood issues such as employment, distribution, education, medical care, housing, elderly care, and childcare.” Establishing and practicing a correct outlook on performance and promoting common prosperity for all the people requires unifying “fairness” and “efficiency,” considering the enlargement of the “cake” and the division of the “cake” in an integrated manner, and striving to overcome the one-sided outlook on performance that “sees things but not people,” the short-sighted outlook on performance that “seeks quick success and instant benefits,” and the “lying flat” ^[21] outlook on performance that “lacks responsibility.” General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: “Realizing common prosperity is a long-term task; we must persist over the long term, 'clinging to the green mountains and never letting go' ^[22], and continuously achieve new progress.” Historical patience and strategic resolve are essential requirements for establishing and practicing a correct outlook on performance. By maintaining historical patience, respecting that the masses are the creators of history, and acknowledging that social development has its own inherent laws, one can consciously avoid acting recklessly or chaotically. By maintaining strategic resolve and firmly believing that common prosperity is the essential requirement of socialism, one can remain unafraid of any risks and unconfused by any interference, unswervingly moving toward the goal of the struggle.

Anchoring the Value Compass of “Creating Achievements that Can Stand the Test of Practice, the People, and History”

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “The people are both the creators and the witnesses of history; they are both the 'characters' in the play and the 'playwrights' of history.” He emphasized the need to “guide Party members and officials to establish and practice a correct outlook on performance, and strive to create achievements that can stand the test of practice, the people, and history.” The people are not only the creators of history and the subjects of practice but also the value destination of historical development. Creating benefits for the people is the greatest performance; this is the inevitable result of transforming the “principal position of the people” from a view of history into a view of values and practice, and it is the final landing point for measuring the outlook on performance.

Trophies and awards are not as good as the reputation among the masses; it is only truly good when the masses say it is good. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “The governing level and governing effectiveness of our Party are not determined by ourselves; they must and can only be judged by the people. The people are the highest adjudicators and final judges of our Party's work.” What standard to use and what to measure is essentially a question of to whom one is responsible and whom one satisfies. Our Party is a party that represents the fundamental interests of the broadest possible majority of the people; the success or failure of all work must inevitably be tested by the masses. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: “Satisfying the masses is the value orientation and fundamental criterion for our Party to do all work well; the opinions of the masses are the best yardstick.” We must persist in taking the realization, protection, and development of the fundamental interests of the broadest possible majority of the people as the starting point and end point of all work, prioritize the interests of the masses, keep the expectations of the masses in mind, sincerely listen to the voices of the masses, truly reflect the wishes of the masses, and genuinely concern ourselves with the hardships of the masses. Those who, in order to cater to superiors and please leaders, are keen on building projects within the leader's “visual range”—unafraid of dissatisfying the masses but afraid of not being noticed by the leaders—demonstrate impure motives for their actions. The “three-slap” phenomenon—making decisions by slapping one's head (impulsively), making promises by slapping one's chest (over-confidently), and leaving by slapping one's thighs (when things go wrong)—must be resolutely prevented and corrected ^[23]. Taking whether the people support, approve, are happy with, and agree to something as the fundamental criterion for measuring the gains and losses of all work is to hand over the right of evaluation to the masses, ensuring that the eyes and actions of Party members and officials focus on the urgent, difficult, and anxious problems of the masses, and ensuring that the creation of performance always revolves around the people's needs.

A correct outlook on performance is reflected in the value concept of creating benefits for the people, and it is also reflected in the specific practice of undertaking state affairs. Only by establishing and practicing a correct outlook on performance can one create results that can stand the test of practice and history, truly benefit the people, and receive public recognition. Whether an outlook on performance is correct cannot be judged solely by—

We must look not only at "what is said," but more importantly at "what is done," and ultimately at "how well it is done." In this process, the core role of the test of practice lies in distinguishing the true from the false. A correct outlook on performance requires us to persist in proceeding from reality, acting according to objective laws, respecting objective facts and the needs of the masses, and abandoning any superficial or floating style ^[24]. Achievements that truly benefit the people are not the products of "head-patting" decision-making ^[25], nor are they results found only in paper articles or piled-up statistics; rather, they are the fruits of solid work and real accomplishments rooted in practice, based on reality, and in accordance with objective laws. Persisting in proceeding from reality means that when considering problems, handling affairs, and making decisions, we must ground ourselves in objectively existing facts, rather than subjective imagination or textbook dogmas. Persisting in acting according to laws requires that, on the basis of understanding reality, we act in accordance with the inherent, essential, and inevitable connections within things, rather than acting blindly or recklessly. In establishing and practicing a correct outlook on performance, the final assessment depends on whether one's thinking and actions have become detached from the national conditions or the realities of one's own region or department. So long as work is scientific, realistic, and in line with the wishes of the people, and as long as one generation after another continues the work ^[26], the results achieved will be real successes.

The laws of historical development are essentially consistent with the fundamental interests of the masses; therefore, an outlook on performance that can withstand the test of history must necessarily be one that conforms to the interests of the people. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out: "History and the people have both entrusted us with heavy responsibilities and will test our actions," and "The new journey is an expedition full of glory and dreams; there are no shortcuts, only solid work." General Secretary Xi Jinping requires Party members and officials to possess the spiritual realm of "success does not have to happen during my term" ^[27] and the historical responsibility of "I must contribute to the final success," maintaining historical patience, carrying forward the "spirit of the nail" ^[28], and painting a single blueprint to the end. "Success does not have to happen during my term" is a philosophy of building a career with a broad mind; it is actually about the relationship between the "macro-self" and the "micro-self," and the relationship between long-term, fundamental interests and personal ambitions or interests. "Success does not have to happen during my term" does not mean passivity, slackness, or inaction. Instead, it means firmly establishing and practicing a correct outlook on performance, doing both the practical things that the common subjects can see, touch, and benefit from, and the good work that paves the way, lays the foundation, and benefits the long term for future generations. It means performing both "conspicuous feats" and "latent feats" ^[29], disregarding personal fame and title, and pursuing the good reputation of the masses and the true evaluation that comes after historical precipitation. "I must contribute to the final success," meanwhile, is a mission, a responsibility, and a commitment to persist over the long term, exhausting one’s effort for the sake of "success" without seeking the "reputation" of success. It manifests as a noble sentiment of sacrificing the "micro-self" to accomplish the "macro-self." General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized many times that "success does not have to happen during my term, but I must contribute to the final success" precisely to require Party members and officials to establish and practice a correct outlook on performance, using a spiritual realm of "selflessness" to break free from the shackles of fame and wealth, and throwing themselves into the great cause with the historical responsibility of "presence."

There are constants in governing a state, and benefiting the people is the fundamental ^[30]. Benefiting the people is the greatest political achievement that Communists must always keep in mind. By deeply studying and implementing General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important expositions on establishing and practicing a correct outlook on performance, and by profoundly grasping the spiritual pursuit of "working for the public good" ^[31], the value orientation of benefiting the people, the paths and methods of scientific decision-making, and the work style of seeking truth and doing solid work, we can ensure that every Party member and official takes the establishment and practice of a correct outlook on performance as a compulsory subject. We will surely be able to create excellent achievements that can withstand the test of practice, the people, and history, allowing the fruitful results of Chinese-path modernization to be continuously transformed into a happy life for hundreds of millions of people.