Something which is often forgotten about China in the global discussion is the way it is fundamentally organised; for the people. After all, it is the People’s Republic of China, the People’s Liberation Army, the Municipal People’s Government, etc.
The foundation of the Chinese Communist Party lies in the people, its blood lies in the people and its strength lies in the people. The people are therefore the greatest foundation for governing the country.
From 8 to 11 November last year was held in Beijing the sixth plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Committee. There, with the Communist Party’s centenary marked just months before, it was time for deep reflection on the historical experience of the Party’s centennial struggle, while a resolution was put forward recognising that one of the historical experiences of the previous 100 years is “upholding the people first”.
It was also then that a new piece of Chinese lexicon was officially born; “I Do Practical things for the Masses” (我为群众办实事). By the sound of it, and given the sheer numbers of the masses in question, that surely is only a good thing.
The concept had in fact been floating around since April of last year, but it took the plenary session to kick it up a notch. Following the session, all Party organisations nationwide were to encouraged to promote the study and education of Party history together with the implementation of the spirit of the plenary session.
Thus they should be able to effectively improve quality in efforts to do practical things for the masses. In a nutshell, this is where the ideological and the practical come together as one.
Ever since, Chinese official media outlets have been awash with articles led by the “I Do Practical…” headline.
The implication of course is that they be efforts led by an individual. But that does not have to be the case, especially in a place the size of China, where one person makes little difference in the overall scheme of things.
Take for example Sinopec, which the Fortune Global 500 says is the largest energy company in the world by revenue.
For them, a fulfillment of the ideology behind “practical things for the masses” meant Sinopec guided Party members, cadres and ordinary workers in enhancing their consciousness of commitments to development with environmental protection in mind.
On a practical level, Sinopec has promoted the construction of the entire hydrogen energy industry chain. Significant breakthroughs have been made in hydrogen refueling stations, hydrogen production technology and other fields, which today provide for an annual hydrogen production capacity of more than 3.9 million tons.
That’s fantastic. But wait a minute. These are not the efforts of one person; rather the actions of the world’s largest employer.
Does this mean that any large-scale undertaking which serves in the development of the Middle Kingdom as a whole could be described as doing practical things for the masses?
It certainly does, but the concept filters down all the way to grass-roots level.
“They braved the wind and snow and brought us cheap coal. It’s really ‘sending charcoal in the snow’!”. As part of a Chinese proverb, these were the words of one Yan Zhanquan, who lives in Xiyaozi village, a remote outpost in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, as he poured coal into the stove with a smile on his face.
He was one of many villagers who had benefited from county-level efforts to make a practical difference in their lives as the long cold nights began. Therefore, there was established a dedicated team responsible for the purchase and distribution of coal, while making sure it was affordable. And it worked too. On 15 November, the first batch of 100 tons of so-called “warm-hearted coal” arrived, making Yan a happy man.
Nearer to home, 81-year-old Zhu Yufu lives in Xinhe village under the administration of Xiejiaji district of Huainan City in our neighbouring Anhui Province. There, the District takes the cause of providing for the aged as an important livelihood initiative, seeking to help the elderly enjoy their old age.
As a result, the interior of Zhu’s home now resembles some of the top caring for the aged to be found in any of the world’s top performing societies. Bathchairs and armrests have been installed in the bathroom and anti-skid floor mats laid, while there is also now an additional bed for a nurse in the home.
In the manifestation of “practical things”, there also has emerged the catchphrase, “Focus on small details and solve big problems!” (紧盯小细节，解决大问题), by way of motivation for groups such as volunteers.
In our own Jiangsu over in Suzhou City, but still with the aged, a volunteer effort is bringing haircut services to retirees in the comfort of their own home, reported the Yangtze Evening News on 13 March.
In just one afternoon, the volunteers provided haircuts for more than 30 villagers. While they were waiting, the volunteers talked to the elderly about the trivialities of life, understood their needs and physical condition, and cleaned up the homes of those in need.
A retiree surnamed Li was full of praise for the initiative and the volunteers’ efforts. Lu said, “This kind of haircut activity is really a real service for the people. I’m in my 90s. Usually, I can only wait for my children to come back and take me for a haircut. Now I can get a haircut for free without going out. It’s really great”.
At its heart, the concept of “I do practical things for the masses” is an expression of the pragmatic in gathering the magnificent power of unity and struggle to lead hundreds of millions of people in creating a better future.
