The Person Who Should Most Firmly Establish the Correct View of Political Achievements is Xi Jinping

Xiong'an New Area has become China’s largest unfinished construction project. (Internet photo)

[People News] I recently came across a rather amusing news item. On February 23, the official media of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) reported that the General Office of the Central Committee of the CCP had issued a notice titled 'Regarding the Launch of Learning and Education to Establish and Practice the Correct View of Political Achievements Throughout the Party' (hereinafter referred to as 'the Notice'). This educational initiative will focus on leadership teams and leading cadres at the county level and above, particularly the 'top leaders', and is set to commence after the Spring Festival holiday in 2026, with a planned conclusion by the end of July.

According to the 'Notice', this educational effort aims to implement Xi's significant discourse on establishing and practising the correct view of political achievements. It seeks to 'further strengthen the concept of the Party serving the public and benefiting the people' and to 'educate and guide Party organizations and Party members and cadres at all levels to adhere to seeking truth from facts, being pragmatic, achieving political results for the people, and effectively preventing and correcting deviations in the view of political achievements', among other objectives.

In essence, all CCP officials at the county level and above will undergo a form of brainwashing education on how to serve the people. However, the issue is that after years of brainwashing education that claims to be 'for the people', CCP officials have only become greedier and more corrupt, with an ever-decreasing number of officials willing to take real action for the common people. In the vast dye vat of the CCP, officials have long mastered the art of duality; they can proclaim slogans like 'serving the people' and 'urgent for the people's needs', while in reality, they exploit their power for personal gain, viewing the so-called 'people' merely as different types of leeks.

Given past experiences, the outcome of this so-called 'establishing the correct view of political achievements' brainwashing education is unlikely to differ significantly.

Data indicates that the "establishment and practice of a correct view of political achievements" was officially proposed during the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) held in July 2024. This suggests that the CPC is acutely aware of the issues faced by officials at various levels. On January 20, 2026, Xi Jinping reiterated the concept of the "correct view of political achievements" in a speech at a special seminar for major leaders at the provincial and ministerial levels, focusing on the spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee. He stated the need to "base actions on practical realities, follow established rules, consciously achieve results for the people, and produce outcomes through diligent work." He stressed the importance of "maintaining a high-pressure stance against corruption, without pause or retreat, and comprehensively promoting a situation where officials dare not be corrupt, cannot be corrupt, and do not want to be corrupt." 

This indicates that one of the aims of the CPC's current education on the "view of political achievements" is to prevent corruption among officials, although this is not explicitly stated. This may also serve as a warning to the entire party to pledge loyalty to Xi, especially following his crackdown on Zhang Youxia, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission, and Liu Zhenli, Chief of Staff of the Military Commission, as a form of indoctrination. 

So, what is considered an incorrect view of political achievements? According to CPC media, some localities operate detached from reality, incur costs recklessly, and blindly accumulate debt for construction projects; some create grand displays and expand their operations, engaging in "image projects" and "facade projects"; others falsify statistics, exaggerate reports, and engage in "digital achievements" and "false achievements"; and so forth. These issues are all manifestations of a misalignment in the view of political achievements, a distortion of power perception, and a lack of accountability. 

While these statements may not be explicitly stated, it is likely that many officials at all levels of the CPC who will undergo this "view of political achievements" education are acutely aware that the one who truly needs this education is Xi Jinping himself.

Xi Jinping has been in power for over a decade, focusing on ambitious projects and spending vast amounts of money on various 'image projects' and 'face projects.' He has not only failed to act based on practical realities and established norms to benefit the people, but has also wasted resources, resulting in widespread public discontent, with many projects already falling into disrepair.

A prime example is Xiong'an in Hebei. In 2017, Xi Jinping personally outlined plans to position Xiong'an, which is at a geographical disadvantage, as a means to alleviate Beijing's functions, with a planned population of 5 million and an investment exceeding 1.5 trillion yuan. However, years later, the grand vision for Xiong'an has devolved into a 'ghost city.' By 2025, the vacancy rate in the Xiong'an Rongdong area is expected to exceed 70%, with the population falling short of the planned one-tenth, and residents are complaining about inadequate infrastructure and a 'boring' lifestyle.

In light of this, Xi is understandably reluctant to acknowledge the situation. After regaining some power by ousting Zhang and Liu, he has increased investments in Xiong'an. Recently, the Communist Party approved the 'Modern Capital Urban Circle Spatial Coordination Plan (2023-2035),' officially incorporating Baoding in Hebei into the commuting, functional, and industrial coordination circles of the capital urban area, thus forming the southern core of the 'Beijing-Tianjin-Xiong'an Innovation Triangle' alongside the Xiong'an New Area. This indicates more investment and increased coercion.

Beyond the ghost city of Xiong'an, the 'Belt and Road Initiative' proposed by Xi in 2013 has seen investments exceeding 1 trillion dollars, yet over 60% of the projects are losing money, leading to international criticism of 'debt diplomacy' and dissatisfaction among the domestic populace. Additionally, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, which once attracted nations from around the world, has now become a target of ridicule from those same nations…

If Xi Jinping truly possesses a correct perspective on political achievements, he should refrain from seeking grandiose successes and instead abandon all the extravagant projects that waste money. Instead, he should channel substantial funds into improving people's livelihoods, such as providing free healthcare, pensions, and education for all Chinese citizens, as well as reducing housing prices, among other initiatives.

Regrettably, Xi has yet to demonstrate such a correct perspective on political achievements, which raises the question of how he can expect officials at various levels to adopt a similar viewpoint. In plain terms, this recent initiative to educate on political achievements is merely a performance of loyalty from subordinates to Xi; if you take it at face value, you are falling for the Communist Party of China's ploy.

(First published by the People News) △