Ahead of this year's Spring Festival, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited a community dining hall in a residential complex for seniors in Beijing. He inquired about the local services designed to make daily life easier for people, as well as the care provided to older residents.

During the visit, he also spoke with delivery personnel who were taking a break in the dining hall. He asked them about their work and their daily lives. Xi Jinping emphasized that party committees and governments at all levels must care for them and provide them with better services that help them in their lives, work, and education.

The year 2026 marks the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China. Xi Jinping has previously stated that the people are the foundation of a nation, and the nation is built by the people. He also stressed that the survival of a political party depends on the support of the people. According to him, if a party has the trust and support of the people, it can overcome any obstacles.

The philosophy of people-centered governance is closely linked to the influence of his father, Xi Zhongxun. He once told his son that, regardless of one's job, one must serve the people conscientiously, think of their interests with all one's heart, maintain close ties with them, and always remain close to them.

The documentary "Serving the People," produced by China Media Group, echoes Xi Zhongxun's belief: "We must stand firmly on the side of the people with all our hearts and with integrity." Xi Zhongxun, who himself came from the people, considered serving the people faithfully to be his greatest responsibility and dedicated his entire life to them with unwavering sincerity, according to the documentary.

This long-standing emphasis on serving the people has gradually translated into tangible improvements in living standards. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012, nearly 100 million people have been lifted out of poverty. China has built a moderately prosperous society in all respects and has created the world's largest systems for education, social security, healthcare, and affordable housing.

Access to education at all levels has reached or surpassed the average for countries with middle and high incomes. Basic health insurance remains accessible to more than 95 percent of the population, the average life expectancy has exceeded 79 years, and the group of people with middle incomes now exceeds 400 million.

The emphasis on the principle of "people first" is evident even as China enters the first year of its 15th five-year plan for the period 2026-2030. More than a third of the national economic and social development plan is dedicated to the living needs of the people. It includes employment, income, education, healthcare, elderly care, and childcare, areas that directly and immediately affect people's lives.

Zhang Linshan, a researcher at the Academy of Macroeconomic Research of the Chinese National Commission for Development and Reform, said that the 15th five-year plan sends a clear signal: China remains committed to a people-centered approach. According to him, high-quality development focuses on improving living standards and ensuring that the benefits of development are shared more widely and equitably by all people.

Zhang Linshan added that this approach reflects a transformation in China's development. It is no longer just a question of whether the economy is growing, but whether it is growing in a higher quality way. The goal is for economic growth and the improvement of people's lives to advance together, creating a positive cycle and strengthening people's sense of security and confidence in the future.

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Putting people first: A guiding principle in China
Chinese President Xi Jinping once pointed out that with people