Chinese president Xi Jinping feted as a man for the people and a man of the people

By Gerald Mbanda 

Published: April 09,2025

President Xi Jinping is a leader who does not sit in office to read reports of the living conditions of the people in the countryside. He is a pragmatic leader who takes his time to visit and talk to the people in upcountry to know how they live and what can be done to improve their conditions of living. 

In March when president Xi visited the Zhaoxing Dong Village in Guizhou province, he sat with the villagers around a fire pit to discuss rural revitalization. First of all, it is an act of humility to see a leader of a vast country like China, going to a rural area and sit down with the villagers and take part in discussing issues affecting their daily lives. In such discussions president Xi puts himself in the shoes of the ordinary people with the ultimate goal of coming up with a solution that will enable to uplift their living standards of the people.

At Zhaoxing Dong village fire pit discussion, president Xi told the people to work and manage their life productively and live better lives with their children. “I hope that you will continue your efforts to manage your work and life well, nurture your children well and live an even better life.” President Xi gives encouragement to the people for their hard work which motivates them to work even much harder. Before he left the Zhaoxing Dong village, the president observed that, “the Dong people are sincere, hardworking, cultured and wise. Keep pushing to revitalize this place as Chinese modernization moves ahead. May your lives get even more prosperous.” These are words of encouragement from the president to the people whichcannot be taken for granted. 

I found out that such interactions with people in rural areas is not a rare occurrence but it’s a routine derived from president Xi Jinping’s  people centered governance philosophy.  When I read Xi Jinping’sbook, The Governance of China volume III, I was fascinated to find a picture taken in 2018, almost similar to a recent one taken in March 2025. Again Xi was sitting on a fire pit with villagers in Sanhe Village, Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, and the topic of discussion was on targeted measures on eliminating poverty. Being a hands on practical leader, president Xi wanted to hear from the horse’s mouth on what can be done to eliminate poverty in their village. The following day, presided over a seminar on targeted poverty elimination in the provincial capital, Chengdu, when he was well equipped with the views of the people. 

In the same book, I discovered President Xi Jinping’scommitment to serve the Chinese people in what looks like a contractual vow dated March 22, 2019. With the title, “Never Fail the People”, Xi commits that, “Running such a huge country is a grave responsibility, and it brings arduous work. I will fully commit to the people and never fail them. I am ready to put aside my own interests and devote my all to China’s development. A weight lifter can lift a 50-kg barbell at the beginning. But through proper training he may achieve as much as 250 kg. I believe that through my work, though the concerted effort of more than 1.3 billion Chinese, we can definitely take on the weighty responsibility and build our country well. In this I am fully confident; the Chinese people are fully confident.” There is no better way to demonstrate that President Xi is a man of the people and for the people, than in the above statement. Xi’s governance philosophy clearly demonstrates that the people are the greatest strength in governance. 

President Xi has been very close to the rural people long before he even became the president of China. There is a picture that interested me most, in his book, “Up and Out of Poverty,” when he was holding a hoe on his shoulder, leading a line of local officials of the Ningde Prefecture to participate in a volunteer project. The photo was taken on December 2, 1989. In the same book, there are other pictures where the young Xi, was talking to villagers of ethnic minority in Jiuxianvillage, Jiudu Township, Ningde Prefecture and sharing with them a meal. He took time also to listen to people of different backgrounds including county leaders, retired officials, farmers, etc. 

It is evident that from his youthful age, president Xi Jinping has been very close to the people in villages listening to their challenges and together finding solutions to make their life better. Xi believes in the theory of “water droplets drilling through rock” and “letting the weak hatchling be the first to fly” to encourage people to be fearless pioneers and thoroughly do away with formalism and false appearances. He wants officials at all levels to keep the people in their hearts. 

Overcoming absolute poverty was Xi’s dream at first, but encouraged the people to work hard in order to be self-reliant. During the sixth plenary session of the 13^thCPC Central Committee, president Xi observed that thought history, “no one has come to rule China without the support of the people.” He further observed that, “we have no reason to depart from the people, only when we trust the people, rely on them, and care about them, will we gin their understanding and support and will our cause win out in the end. Today, China is winning on all fronts and steadily moving towards realizing the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation. 

As president Xi Jinping said in 2015, “the Chinese dream is as much the dream of every Chinese as it is the dream of the whole nation. It is not an illusion, nor is it an empty slogan.” Everything in China is working well because president Xi Jinping gets involved in all processes of planning and implementation and has placed the people at the Centre of his governance philosophy.  Xi is feted as a man for the people and a man of the people.

The author is a researcher and publisher focusing on China and Africa development and Cooperation.