Li Xiaohan: Integrate the Concept of "Pragmatism" Throughout the Entire Process of Establishing and Practicing a Correct View of Performance
General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out that we must educate and guide Party members and cadres, especially leading cadres, to "speak the truth, perform practical deeds, and seek practical results, and to promote work and solve problems in a down-to-earth manner." This important discourse points out a clear practical path for Party members and cadres to establish and practice a correct outlook on performance. Party members and cadres must permeate the entire process of considering issues and handling affairs with the word "substantiality" (shi), speaking the truth, performing practical deeds, seeking practical results, and achieving solid achievements in a steadfast manner to truly satisfy the masses.
Speaking the truth is a basic political character of Chinese Communists. So-called speaking the truth means being loyal to the Party, seeking truth from facts, ensuring that one's inner thoughts match one's outward appearance, facing problems head-on, and reporting situations based on facts. The century-long history of our Party profoundly demonstrates that speaking the truth is the best way to test and temper Party spirit [1]. Some Party members and cadres steer according to the wind [2] and are slick in their dealings; some cover up contradictions and gloss over difficulties to create a facade of peace; others say one thing to your face and another behind your back—all of these involve selfish calculations and distracting thoughts at work. Speaking the truth is an act of responsibility toward the Party, the people, and our cause; it is a manifestation of harboring no selfishness and seeking no private gain. To be loyal and honest to the Party, one must first be an honest person who speaks honest words and does honest things. Only by speaking the truth can one hold the bottom line and truly become the backbone for promoting the development of the Party and national undertakings, as well as a public servant who serves the people.
Performing practical deeds is an important requirement for practicing the fundamental purpose of serving the people wholeheartedly. In performing practical deeds for the people, one must resolutely put an end to engaging in "flowery shelves" [3], doing superficial work, or building "image projects" [4]. One must persist in starting with the prominent problems of greatest concern to the masses, accurately focusing on the urgent, difficult, and anxious problems they face, and resolutely discarding practices that are divorced from reality, ostentatious and wasteful, or that tire the people and drain resources. In reality, a small number of Party members and cadres have developed a skewed outlook on performance: some treat their endeavors as a springboard for promotion, being fond of greatness and craving success, or being eager for quick successes and instant benefits; others are keen on creating "highlight projects" [5] within the line of sight of the leadership, while remaining indifferent to the actual feelings of the masses. If Party members and cadres engage in their endeavors only for their personal future and individual fame, it will be difficult for them to settle down and focus on implementation. Only by establishing and practicing a correct outlook on performance and sincerely solving problems and seeking well-being for the masses can one truly achieve "acting upon what the people hope for," and ensure that practical deeds for the people are done solidly, well, and in a way that reaches the hearts of the masses.
Seeking practical results is the ultimate goal of all endeavors. "The Truth is not found in empty talk; learning seeks practical results." [6] To seek practical results means to ensure that all work conforms to objective laws and fits actual needs, pursuing substantive development, development without "water" [7], and development that unifies speed, quality, and efficiency, so that the broad masses receive tangible benefits and feel happiness. In the 1980s, when Comrade Xi Jinping was working in Zhengding, Hebei, and faced the phenomenon of a "high-yield but poor county," he clearly stated: "I would rather lose the crown of being a 'national high-yield county' than let the masses live a hard life." Comrade Xi Jinping sought truth from facts in reporting the situation to higher authorities and striving for policy support. The county's grain requisition quota was reduced by 28 million catties (jin), and the planting structure was adjusted, which led to a doubling of the local farmers' income. One should value actual achievements over hollow fame, and focus on the fundamental rather than the superficial. This is a vivid portrayal of speaking the truth, performing practical deeds, and seeking practical results.
Speaking the truth, performing practical deeds, and seeking practical results profoundly manifest the theoretical character of Marxism and centrally embody the Chinese Communists' ideological line of seeking truth from facts and their work style of being realistic and pragmatic. The three are dialectically unified, interconnected, and indispensable. They constitute both a scientific methodology for understanding and transforming the world and an important guideline for Party members and cadres in the New Era to practice their original aspiration and founding mission and to temper their sense of responsibility. Speaking the truth is the prerequisite; only by grasping the actual situation and facing problems without concealment can one find the crux of the matter and set the right direction. Performing practical deeds is the key; only by being down-to-earth, working hard, and being good at following through can one solve difficult problems and promote development. Seeking practical results is the objective; only by judging heroes by their actual achievements and testing quality by practical results can we win the trust and the hearts of the people.
General Secretary Xi Jinping profoundly pointed out: "Whether a cadre is seeking truth from facts can be seen from many aspects; the most fundamental is to see whether they speak the truth and the reality, and whether they perform practical deeds and seek practical results." The value of work lies in pragmatism, and undertakings succeed through hard work. Without action, there is not even a trace of Marxism. The broad mass of Party members and cadres must keep in mind that "empty talk harms the country, while hard work thrives the nation," [8] not indulging in illusions or pursuing false reputation, but fulfilling their duties with a realistic and pragmatic attitude and a style of true engagement. They must create achievements that can withstand the test of practice, the people, and history, continuously composing a new chapter for Chinese-path modernization.