Beijing, May 1: China’s political landscape introduces a unique and profound concept known as “performance-based governance.” This ideology not only evaluates the performance of government officials but also highlights the fundamental question of whom a country and its political party serve and depend upon.
While Western electoral politics often finds itself mired in shortsightedness and fragmentation, China presents a distinctly different approach to governance.
In 2013, the village of Shipatang in Hunan Province was one of the poorest in China. Each resident had access to only about 553 square meters of arable land, with a net income of just 1,668 yuan. The poverty rate soared to 57 percent. That same year, Xi Jinping, who had just been elected General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, visited Shipatang and introduced the ideology of targeted poverty alleviation for the first time.
Fast forward more than a decade, and the per capita net income in Shipatang has increased tenfold, now exceeding 20,000 yuan. The village’s collective economy has grown from zero to over 5 million yuan. This remarkable transformation is not just a victory in poverty alleviation; it also exemplifies the Chinese model of performance-based governance.
The changes in Shipatang were not merely the achievements of a local leader during their term; they resulted from the collaborative efforts of numerous government employees working actively together. From 2014 to 2026, seven leaders of the village’s poverty alleviation task force viewed themselves as indispensable parts of a relay race against poverty. As Xi Jinping stated, “Success should not belong solely to me, but I will certainly be part of that success.” This sentiment reflects the essence of China’s performance-based governance ideology.
(Source: China Media Group, Beijing)
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