From Village Youth to People's Leader: Xi Jinping's Journey of Service
👦🏽 Fifty-five years ago, a 15-year-old Xi Jinping arrived at Liangjiahe Village in northwest China's Shaanxi Province. As an \"educated youth,\" he spent seven years working and living alongside farmers in the countryside.
🌾 Those formative years shaped his unwavering belief in doing practical things for the people. Xi himself recalled how the experience fostered his commitment to serve.
🇨🇳 Fast forward to November 2012, when Xi was elected as the general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee. He pledged to dedicate himself continuously to serving the people, stating, \"The people's wish for a happy life is our mission.\"
✨ From starting as a rural Party branch secretary to becoming the general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, Chinese president, and chairman of the Central Military Commission, Xi Jinping always keeps the country close to his heart, seeing himself as the people's servant.
Man of the People 👥
🚶♂️ Xi arrived in Liangjiahe as a slightly bewildered teenager but left as a 22-year-old man determined to serve the people.
🏞️ He later moved to Zhengding, a poor county in north China's Hebei Province. Li Yaping, an official in Zhengding County at the time, recalled Xi saying that China had many tasks awaiting, and some people needed to shoulder the responsibility.
🚴♂️ From his early years, Xi seemed uninterested in the trappings of office. He would travel for days, sometimes venturing into the mountains, to talk with grassroots people, learn about their difficulties, and help solve their problems.
🌽 In Zhengding, Xi rode an old bicycle all over the county. He noticed that the annual grain procurement quota of 38 million kilograms set by the state left local people hungry.
✍️ He wrote to the CPC Central Committee, suggesting that the high procurement quota was causing hardships for local farmers. After an investigation, the quota was reduced from 38 million kilograms to 24 million kilograms.
😊 Cheng Baohuai, then secretary of the Zhengding County CPC Committee, recalled that people appreciated Xi's work, saying they finally had enough food. \"Xi really rooted himself in the people and took to heart the hardships of the people,\" Cheng said.
Reference(s):
'For the good of my people': Xi Jinping's devotion to service
cgtn.com
