What Counts in Good Governance: The Communist Party of China’s Correct Understanding of Governance Performance

By Mr. Fan Erwei, Chargé d’affaires  of the Chinese Embassy in Liberia

To understand China today, one must first understand the Communist Party of China (CPC). Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the organization of study and education campaigns across the Party to address major and pressing issues in Party building has become an important institutional arrangement. Since February 2026, the CPC launched a Party-wide education campaign to establish and practice a correct understanding of governance performance, which has now largely concluded. This is an important decision made by the CPC Central Committee at the beginning of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan period. It is of great significance for guiding CPC members and officials to further uphold the fundamental commitment to act in the interests of the people, adhere to a practical and pragmatic work style, ensure sound decision-making and advancing development, and comprehensively advance the great cause of building a great country and advancing national rejuvenation through Chinese modernization. General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Xi Jinping has emphasized sustained endeavors for the long-term mission of establishing and practicing a correct understanding of governance performance in his instructions made recently on a Party-wide study and education campaign and stressed consolidating, expanding campaign on correct understanding of governance performance.

The view of governance performance is the fundamental viewpoint and overall perspective on political achievements, and it is the concrete embodiment of one’s worldview, outlook on life, and values in the conduct of governance. The correct understanding of political performance constitutes the virtue of governance, the way of engaging in politics, and the essence of administering affairs. General Secretary Xi Jinping has stressed that it is essential to establish a correct understanding of governance performance and properly address three fundamental questions: For whom should governance performance be pursued? What kind of governance performance should be pursued? And how should we deliver good results? Providing sound answers to these three questions is a basic requirement for CPC members and officials to stay true to their original aspiration and founding mission and faithfully fulfill their responsibilities. It is also an important reason why the CPC has been able to win the support of the people and continuously deliver achievements in development.

——For whom should governance performance be pursued? For the people. Since its founding, the CPC has remained committed to its abiding goals of making the happiness for the Chinese people and the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. In the new era, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has adhered to a people-centered development philosophy, united and led the whole Party and Chinese people of all ethnic groups has won the critical battle against poverty, and historically eradicated absolute poverty. China has built the largest education, social security, and healthcare system in the world, while people’s living standards have continued to rise. China’s economic, scientific and technological ability, and composite national strength all reached new heights. These substantial and tangible achievements in development have ultimately been reflected in the continued improvement of the people’s sense of fulfillment, happiness, and security.

China is currently at a crucial stage of comprehensively advancing the great cause of building a great country and achieving national rejuvenation through Chinese modernization, which places higher practical demands on establishing and practicing a correct understanding of governance performance. General Secretary Xi Jinping has stressed that “for CPC members, advancing the well-being of the people is the greatest political achievement,” and called on CPC members and officials to “consciously become selfless contributors devoted to delivering benefits to the people, and always place the people in the highest position in their hearts.” The CPC members will continue to ensure that development is for the people and by the people and that its fruits are shared by the people, delivering concrete benefits and doing practical things that truly matter to the people.

——What kind of governance performance should be pursued? Solid achievements that can stand up in practice, in the eyes of the people, and over the course of time. General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly stressed that we need to establish and practice a correct understanding of governance performance and strive to make solid achievements that stand up in practice, in the eyes of the people, and over the course of time. Genuine achievements must not only be visible and tangible, but also stand the test of time. Officials should embrace the spirit that “not claiming credit but always making sure to contribute the share to the success of the cause”, properly handle the relationship between the “visible” achievements and the “less visible” underlying efforts and avoid seeking quick gains or superficial efforts. Officials must avoid vying for undue visibility and refrain from undertaking wasteful vanity or prestige projects that burden the people. They must focus on work that lays a solid foundation and meets long-term needs. When governance efforts benefit the country and the people, meet the requirements of both their immediate and long-term interests, and both promote economic and social development and contribute to a stronger country and greater well-being for the people, they constitute the genuine governance performance that the CPC and the Chinese people need.

——How should we deliver good results? By proceeding from reality, acting in line with the way things should be done, and delivering results through solid and concrete work. Economic and social development follows its own underlying laws. Only by respecting and following these laws can we deliver results that truly stand the test of time; otherwise, what may appear to be achievements can ultimately turn into liabilities. General Secretary Xi has stressed that the view on governance performance is a fundamental issue and calls for efforts to proceed from reality, act in line with the way things should be done, and deliver results that can stand the test of practice and history, truly benefit the people, and earn public recognition through sound decision-making and solid work.

Acting in accordance with the objective laws is a fundamental prerequisite for establishing and practicing a correct understanding of governance performance. It requires us to seek truth from facts and take a realistic and pragmatic approach, and to properly balance our aspirations with actual conditions, our goals with our capabilities, and immediate needs with long-term interests. Solid and concrete work is the key to translating sound decisions into reality and delivering tangible results. Results are achieved through action. Only through genuine hard work can we deliver genuine results and results that truly matter. Whether we are promoting economic development, improving people’s well-being, addressing development challenges, or laying a solid foundation for the future, none of this can be achieved without down-to-earth efforts. Ultimately, establishing and practicing a correct understanding of governance performance means translating our responsibility to the people and to our cause into every concrete task, and delivering tangible results through solid and concrete work.

A correct understanding of governance performance reflects the CPC’s profound understanding of the objective laws of development and governance. It represents a consistent value pursued by the CPC and is deeply rooted in its endeavors over the past century. Today, China is advancing Chinese modernization through high-quality development, with a continued commitment to improving people’s well-being. African countries, including Liberia, are also exploring the path to modernization in light of their specific national conditions, making the improvement of people’s well-being and the delivery of benefits to their people the starting point and ultimate goal of development. How to translate development philosophy into tangible development outcomes, and development plans into concrete improvements that people can see and feel, is a common task facing both China and African countries. China and Africa share similar development aspirations and approaches, and have broad prospects for cooperation. Looking ahead, China and African countries can learn from and draw inspiration from one another in their respective modernization processes, strengthen exchanges on development philosophy and governance experience, and translate development approaches suited to their respective national conditions into concrete practices that advance economic and social development. We can work together to ensure that the fruits of development benefit our people more extensively and more equitably. Through the shared endeavor to advance modernization and build a better future, China and Africa can deliver more tangible results for our peoples and contribute to greater well-being for all.