"We should regard the people as our teachers, learn from the people with humility," President Xi Jinping gave this admonition to officials at the opening ceremony of a training program for younger officials at the Central Party School (National Academy of Governance) during its 2019 spring semester.

Xi emphasized that officials must shed airs and truly immerse themselves at the grassroots level. They should engage deeply with communities, conduct thorough investigations, and identify both problems and best practices through hands-on case studies. The aim is to understand the issues people face genuinely, reflect their concerns and learn from their experiences.

Looking back through history, learning from the people has been a fine tradition long upheld by the Communist Party of China (CPC).

Over the past century, the reason the CPC has been able to lead the Chinese revolution, construction and reform to continuous success lies in the support and backing of the people and in maintaining close ties with them.