On Dongshan Island in East China's Fujian province, a long-observed custom continues on festive occasions: residents first pay tribute to "Gu Gong" before honoring their ancestors.

The man respectfully known as "Gu Gong" was Gu Wenchang, who served as Party chief of Dongshan county in the 1950s. More than half a century later, he continues to be deeply revered by local residents.

During an inspection tour of Fujian in October 2024, President Xi Jinping visited the Gu Wenchang Memorial Hall. He said that to evaluate the performance of officials, the key was to find whether they had a good reputation among the people or not.

He added that "gold and silver awards are no match for the people's acclaim", urging officials to follow Gu's example and establish a correct understanding of performance and achievements.

Gu is remembered not for grand slogans, but for lasting transformation. When he began working in Dongshan in 1950, the island was ravaged by frequent and severe sandstorms that buried villages and farmland, stripping forest cover to just about 0.12 percent of the total area.

Determined to reverse the devastation, Gu led residents in years of persistent afforestation efforts despite repeated setbacks. By the early 1960s, a vast coastal shelterbelt had taken shape, raising forest coverage to above 96 percent and turning the once-barren island into a green barrier that continues to benefit generations.

Xi has frequently cited Gu's story. He once noted that Gu earned enduring respect because he did not pursue eye-catching "visible achievements", but devoted himself quietly to long-term service. Such "hidden contributions", Xi said, are in fact the greatest "visible achievements".

Experts said Gu's legacy reflects a longstanding principle of the Communist Party of China: governance performance is meaningful only when it delivers tangible benefits to the people, respects objective laws and withstands the test of time.

In this sense, a correct view of governance performance defines not only what officials should pursue, but also how they should pursue it — and ultimately how their work should be judged.

The concept of a correct view of governance performance is a recurring and prominent theme in Xi's approach to governance. It has been emphasized across a wide range of policy areas — from economic development and ecological conservation to urban planning, Party building and cadre management.

During a deliberation with deputies at the third session of the 13th National People's Congress in 2020, Xi said the Party regards serving the people and improving their well-being as the primary measure of officials' performance, and sees the number of tangible, practical good deeds accomplished for the people as a key criterion for evaluating their work.

In an instruction made to a study session for young and middle-aged officials held by the Party School of the CPC Central Committee (National Academy of Governance) in 2024, Xi called on young officials to strengthen their capacities for working with the people, and put their hearts and souls into addressing the pressing concerns of the people, and to constantly increase people's sense of fulfillment, happiness and security.

In late February this year, the CPC launched a Party-wide education campaign to promote a sound understanding of governance performance, which will run till July.

Ahmed Mostafa, director and founder of the Asia Center for Studies and Translation in Egypt, said the CPC bases its governing legitimacy on tangible improvements in living standards.

Speaking at an event hosted by the Global Times, he noted that the Party's people-centered approach has driven measurable socio-economic transformation — from large-scale poverty alleviation to expanded social security coverage and sustained economic growth.

Respecting objective laws

A correct understanding of governance performance is also grounded in seeking truth from facts and opposing formalism.

At the Central Urban Work Conference in 2025, Xi stressed the need for a realistic and pragmatic approach and for resolutely combating formalism and bureaucracy. At the Central Economic Work Conference later that year, he called for pursuing achievements through solid work, acting in accordance with objective laws and improving differentiated evaluation systems.

From targeted poverty alleviation to region-specific development of new quality productive forces, and from ecological conservation to the concept that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets", respect for economic, social and environmental laws has remained central.

Yang Kangkang, an associate researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said whether officials at all levels uphold correct values directly affects the effective implementation of the Party's decisions on further deepening reform. Acting with pragmatism and initiative, he said, is essential to advancing reform and promoting Chinese modernization.

"A sound understanding of governance performance requires officials to resist the temptation of short-term visibility and focus instead on substantive, long-term results that can withstand both practical scrutiny and public evaluation," he said.

Correct view of power

The concept is closely connected to a correct understanding of power. Xi has repeatedly emphasized that officials must exercise power for the people fairly, in accordance with the law and with integrity.

Addressing the fourth plenary session of the 20th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection in 2025, Xi called for sustained and resolute efforts to combat corruption and urged Party members and officials to reject privilege and privileged practices, while fostering a proper view of power, governance performance and career development.

Zhang Yong, a professor at the Party School of the Hebei Provincial Committee of the CPC, said a correct view of governance performance serves as an ideological safeguard against corruption and moral decline.

"When officials prioritize delivering real results for the people rather than pursuing personal advancement, they are more likely to exercise power properly and maintain integrity," Zhang said. "By contrast, a distorted pursuit of short-term gains or personal credit can breed formalism, poor decision-making and corruption, ultimately harming development and public interests."

Sujit Kumar Datta, a professor of international relations at the University of Chittagong in Bangladesh, told the Global Times that China's rise to become the world's second-largest economy is no coincidence, and that the CPC's approach to governance performance helps explain this trajectory.

He described the Party as disciplined and action-oriented, committed to national rejuvenation and consistent in emphasizing that leadership is "not a privilege, but a responsibility."

zhaojia@chinadaily.com.cn