PROCEED FROM REALITY

The latest campaign on fostering a good governance culture underlines the need to proceed from reality and respect objective laws.

This call aims to address problems such as some localities slavishly replicating others' successes, which reflects an over-reliance on a single model and a lack of pragmatic, well-conceived decision-making.

At last year's Central Economic Work Conference, Xi criticized certain localities for blindly chasing trends irrespective of local conditions, either by jumping on the bandwagon of developing the chip industry or being eager to follow suit with the "new trio" projects -- electric vehicles, lithium batteries and photovoltaics.

Xi has on many occasions stressed the importance of grounding solutions in local conditions, which is also a hallmark of his governance approach.

He has often likened policy-making to finding the right key for each lock -- an idea that rejects one-size-fits-all solutions and emphasizes tailoring policies to different conditions.

Whether discussing urban development or energy policy, Xi has cautioned against ideas detached from reality. Under his leadership, China has made solid progress in green transition and set ambitious goals to peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060.

Yet these commitments do not mean pursuing an unrealistic sweeping shutdown of traditional energy projects such as coal.

In 2024, during a visit to Chongqing Municipality in southwest China, Xi emphasized that while green development must advance, ensuring a stable energy supply is vital.

"Fill the belly first, then eat well," he said, cautioning against an overly idealistic approach.

Xi has also warned against misguided views on achievements that lead to "inflated statistics," sham project launches or "invoice-driven" GDP -- a phenomenon where local authorities use rebates to attract shell companies and engineer a false boom.

This practice is now listed as a key rectification task for 2026.

Xue Jiping, chairman of an optical fiber manufacturer, noted that curbing such abuses has given law-abiding firms a true sense of security, boosting their confidence in expanding investments.

The fight against fabrication echoes Xi's longstanding insistence on integrity. In 2017, after Liaoning Province in northeast China reported negative growth following a crackdown on falsified economic data, Xi affirmed the value of such honesty.

He said while the real figures might not appear impressive, they were "truly good-looking" because they were authentic, pledging the central authorities' unwavering support for those exposing real conditions rather than promoting fake prosperity.

On March 12, China's national legislature approved a GDP growth target of 4.5-5 percent for 2026, while promising to "strive for better in practice."

The same pragmatism is reflected in the 15th Five-Year Plan, approved by lawmakers on the same day. It says GDP growth will be kept within a reasonable range, with annual targets set in light of circumstances. Other targets set in the blueprint also demonstrate a down-to-earth approach.

"These arrangements reflect a clear value orientation: development cannot rely on flashy gestures or grandstanding. Officials must roll up their sleeves and focus on real results," said Yu Shaoxiang, a research fellow at the National Academy of Chinese Modernization under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

"As we embark on the 15th Five-Year Plan period, we must clear away the mire and purify the air," Xi said, urging officials to adopt a truth-seeking and pragmatic approach when drafting national and local plans.

"All plans must be grounded in reality, pursuing solid growth without inflated figures, and promoting high-quality, sustainable development. Those who act rashly, escalate targets layer by layer or launch projects indiscriminately will be held accountable," he said.