1. Creating well-being for the people is an essential requirement of Marxist parties.
Marxism is the theory of the people. Upholding the people's standpoint is the fundamental political stance of Marxist parties, and working for the well-being of the people is their essential requirement. Historical materialism holds that history is not created by a few heroic individuals but by real, living people engaged in the production of material goods. The masses are the main force in social history, the true driving force behind historical development, and the fundamental power determining the future and fate of the Party and the state. Only by deeply rooting themselves in the people and continuously serving their interests can Marxist parties win the support and endorsement of the masses, seize and consolidate power, and overcome all risks and challenges on the path forward. As a Marxist party, the Communist Party of China originates from the people, is rooted in the people, and serves the people; all its work aims to ensure the happiness of the people. Comrade Mao Zedong profoundly stated: "The Communist Party is a party that seeks the interests of the nation and the people... Its members should stand among the masses, never above them." He called on party members to establish and practice the purpose of wholeheartedly serving the people, always placing "the interests of the masses first," and effectively addressing the vital concerns of the broad masses. General Secretary Xi Jinping also emphasized: "The highest interest and core value of us Communists is to wholeheartedly serve the people and sincerely seek their interests." At all times, we must prioritize the people's interests. Party cadres must regard the number of good deeds and practical matters done for ordinary citizens as a key standard for evaluating performance. They must consciously view issues, make decisions, and pursue development from the people's standpoint, avoiding any detachment from the masses in thought, behavior, work, or daily life. To realize, safeguard, and advance the fundamental interests of the broadest masses, we must strive to protect and improve livelihoods through development and continuously fulfill the people's aspirations for a better life.
II. To benefit the people, we must address their urgent difficulties, pressing needs, and immediate concerns.
"The essence of good governance lies in securing the well-being of the people, and securing their well-being depends on understanding their hardships. If serving the people remains merely slogans and documents without concrete action, if legitimate public concerns are ignored and pressing issues go unresolved, it will inevitably breed public dissatisfaction, gradually erode trust in the Party, and even create an invisible wall separating the Party from the people. This would ultimately damage party-mass relations and threaten the Party's foundation among the masses. Comrade Mao Zedong placed great importance on resolving 'the practical living problems of the masses,' emphasizing that 'issues concerning the vital interests and daily lives of the broad masses must never be neglected or underestimated.' Only by addressing real-world challenges in production and daily life can we win the genuine love and support of the people. General Secretary Xi Jinping has stated that 'ensuring a happy life for the people is the top priority' and urged us to 'do more practical work in strengthening basic, inclusive, and safety-net livelihood initiatives and solving urgent, difficult, anxious, and pressing problems faced by the masses.' We must continuously enhance the people's sense of gain, happiness, and security. Clearly, serving the people is never about empty rhetoric. It requires focusing on the most concerned, direct, and realistic interests of the people—addressing their urgent needs, thinking as they do, sharing their worries, and relieving their burdens. We must 'apply heart, emotion, and effort to solve practical problems related to employment, education, social security, healthcare, housing, elderly care, food safety, and public security' that concern the masses. Only then can the people perceive tangible changes, receive real benefits, and truly have their worries alleviated."
III. Serve the People Better Through Hard Work and Practical Action
Achievements are earned through action. Real results come only from real work. Since the founding of New China, we have transformed from a nation with nothing but poverty and ruin into the world's second-largest economy and the largest manufacturing power. These accomplishments were not achieved by empty slogans, but by the Party leading the people to work steadily and diligently, step by step. As Comrade Mao Zedong stated: "If you do not start something, don't do it at all; if you do, see it through to the end until victory is secured." If efforts are not sustained or remain superficial—mere showmanship or going through the motions—all prior progress will be lost, yielding no results. General Secretary Xi Jinping once vividly illustrated this with the metaphor of "hammering nails": "Doing work is like hammering nails. A single blow rarely suffices; you must keep striking, one hammer after another, until the nail is firmly driven in. Secure one nail before moving to the next, persistently driving them down, and great results will inevitably follow." Party members and cadres must serve the people with sincerity, never cutting corners. They should conduct thorough analysis and repeated deliberation, adhere to scientific decision-making, act based on reality, and follow objective laws. Through genuine effort, they can turn planned visions into reality and transform the public's "worries" into tangible improvements in people's livelihoods, creating achievements that stand the test of history, the people, and practice. Of course, serving the people requires more than enthusiasm alone; it demands the strong capability to "want to act, be able to act, and know how to act." Therefore, party members and cadres must strengthen their learning, deeply study the Party's innovative theories, enhance their professional expertise, and overcome challenges related to "competence anxiety."
The concept of political achievements is the "master switch" for Party members and officials in their public service, planning, and entrepreneurship; it serves as a key benchmark for evaluating their dedication to duty and commitment to development. Our Party originates from the people, exists for the people, and thrives because of the people—the masses are our foundation. Without the people, we lose our source of strength and achieve nothing. Party members and officials must always prioritize benefiting the people as their core value, deliver tangible results for them, address their needs, concerns, and aspirations, continuously protect and improve livelihoods through development, and closely unite the masses around the Party. This will fully mobilize their enthusiasm, initiative, and creativity in building socialism with Chinese characteristics, unleash their boundless potential, and gather the powerful force needed to build a modern socialist country.
(The author is a teacher at the School of Marxism, Tianjin Chengjian University. This paper represents a phase in the key project TJYGZ20 of the Tianjin Higher Education Institutions Graduate Education Reform Research Plan.)
