LONG-TERM PERSPECTIVE

Since the outset of his tenure as a public servant, Xi has stressed that serving the country's long-term interests, instead of seeking personal recognition or immediate acclaim, is what matters.

This approach reflects a particular understanding of governance -- one that treats development not as a sprint within a single term of office. Xi has warned against the temptation to chase quick wins or "instant results" through short-term, high-impact projects, likening such practices to exhausting resources for fleeting gains.

Few areas illustrate the need for such long-term thinking more clearly than cultural heritage preservation and environmental protection, where the benefits often take years, even decades, to fully emerge.

When working as the acting governor of Fujian between 1999 and 2000, Xi chose to halt a mining project in the city of Sanming, after the site was found to contain fossils and artifacts that shed light on early human activity in that region. It was later recognized as one of the most significant archaeological discoveries in southern China.

This approach was again spotlighted years later while Xi was working in neighboring Zhejiang province. During a local inspection tour, officials guided him to an industrial park they were eager to showcase. But when Xi learned that many of the factories there were little more than outdated industries relocated from more developed neighboring regions, his face darkened.

"What is there to see here?" he asked. "Leverage your own strengths and protect the green mountains and clear waters here -- that should be your greatest governance achievement."

The message was unmistakable: chasing quick economic numbers at the cost of long-term ecological health was not the kind of achievement that counted.

About a decade later, the same calculus, namely prioritizing long-term ecological security over short-term expansion, shaped Xi's policy toward the Yangtze River, China's longest river and a vital economic artery.

In 2016, at a high-level meeting focused on the Yangtze River Economic Belt, Xi opened with a blunt message to local officials: "You may be disappointed today -- this is not a discussion about development, but about protection."

He made clear that environmental recovery should be placed at the top of the agenda, highlighting a comprehensive assessment of development not only based on speed, but also on sustainability and long-term benefits.

The implications of this emphasis on the health of the environment extended far beyond the river itself. It confirmed that strategic foresight, conscientious planning and thorough execution should be the defining features of China's development model.

The study campaign on governance mindset, meanwhile, was launched right before the rollout of the 15th Five-Year Plan, the penultimate one in China's drive to basically achieve modernization by 2035.

Since the 1950s, these plans have served as both metronomes and navigators of China's development, guiding the country's transformation from scarcity to the world's second-largest economy.

"The scientific formulation and sustained implementation of five-year plans is important governance experience of our Party and a key political advantage of socialism with Chinese characteristics," said Xi, who led the mammoth effort behind the drafting of the country's three most recent five-year plans.

This planning system places a premium on foresight. Hou Yongzhi, a researcher with the Development Research Center of the State Council, said the 109 major projects outlined in the 15th Five-Year Plan span multiple key areas of Chinese modernization, with a considerable share focused on cultivating new industries and emerging sectors.

Designed to lay foundations for the future, these projects will provide strong support for China's economic growth and people's well-being, Hou noted.

Alexander Davey, analyst at Berlin-based Mercator Institute for China Studies, said in an interview with German magazine Der Spiegel that China's five-year plans act as a compass for Party cadres and government officials. For them, the plans signal how they should work and what they need to achieve.

Emphasis on long-term planning also helps explain why Xi has repeatedly urged officials to value not only visible achievements, but also the less visible work that lays the groundwork for future development.

"The rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is a relay race, in which the baton must be passed on from one generation to another, with each generation striving to run its own leg well," Xi said.