Chinese President Xi Jinping has consistently emphasized the significance of the people, unwaveringly adhering to the principle of "putting the people at the center" in his governance approach.
The concept of people-centered governance has long been a central tenet of Chinese culture. The original aspiration and founding mission of Chinese Communists is to seek happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation.
Over the past 76 years since the founding of the People's Republic of China, the Communist Party of China (CPC) has led the people to score splendid accomplishments through a spirit of self-reliance and continuous efforts, Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, said at a reception held in Beijing on Tuesday to celebrate the 76th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.
Addressing another reception commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War on Sept 3, he noted that the people are the creators of history, and the pursuit of a happy life is a universal aspiration of people from all countries.
"At all times, our hearts must be with the people, our work must be for the people, and we must do our best to improve the well-being of all the people," he said.
Serving the people wholeheartedly has been the fundamental purpose of the century-old CPC, and Xi himself has always given first consideration to the people.
Not long after 2025 started, Xi went to Huludao, one of the hardest-hit cities during last year's summer floods in the northeastern Liaoning Province, as he began this year's inspection tours around the country.
Xi went into the home of Wang Baowei in Zhujiagou Village where he checked the structure and quality of the house, which was rebuilt after the disaster.
Reiterating the principle that people should always come first, Xi said helping those affected by disasters is what the Party and government should do.
When asked about his expectations, Wang said he hopes his family will work towards a better life.
"Your hope is our hope as well," Xi said, urging everyone to work together to build a better future.
The people's well-being has always been Xi's first and foremost concern.
During his inspections across the country, he always makes it a point to meet with locals to learn about their actual conditions, listen to their opinions, and inquire about their well-being.
"We must always be of the same mind with the people and share the same destiny with them, and we must work together with them and diligently for the public good so as to live up to the expectations of both history and the people," Xi once said in 2012.
To Xi, everything that is seemingly insignificant becomes an affair of national priority as long as it concerns the people's well-being.
"We need to spend considerable time in China's rural areas and factories, meeting with our folks there to learn about what they feel and how they live their life," he said.
"In advancing people-centered development, we must put the people first and focus on addressing issues that concern our people the most," Xi said.
Under Xi's leadership, the Party has made it a major task to ensure and improve the people's livelihood through development.
During the 14th Five-year Plan period (2021-2025), Xi has led the CPC Central Committee in providing top-level design and coordinated planning, and local governments across the country have rolled out a series of reforms targeting the pressing concerns of the people in such areas as employment, healthcare, childcare, and elderly care.
The country has established the world's largest education system, social security system, and healthcare system, with the coverage rates of basic old-age insurance, and basic medical insurance, as well as the completion rate of nine-year compulsory education all exceeding 95 percent.
More than 12 million new urban jobs have been created each year since the start of the 14th Five-Year Plan period. And the country's average life expectancy has risen to 79 years.
In formulating the country's 15th Five-Year Plan for 2026-2030, Xi has called on Party committees and governments at all levels to learn more about what the people's needs, hear their voices and gather their ideas extensively to meet their aspirations for a better life.
"The Communist Party of China is the party of the people, and serves the people. It is our joy to see our people's life get better and more well-off, our children enjoy good education, and our elderly have guaranteed healthcare," Xi said when visiting Nangou Village during an inspection tour to Yan'an City in northwestern province of Shaanxi in October 2022.
People-centered development at core of Xi's governance philosophy
