Highlighting what they need to do is the new normal for local leaders

A NOTEWORTHY CHANGE at this year's two sessions is that more and more local officials, especially those coming from the better-off provinces, have taken the opportunity to highlight in which fields they can further improve the places under their administration rather than bragging about their achievements as before. Beijing News comments:

Lou Qinjian, Party secretary of Jiangsu province, has admitted that the second-largest provincial economy still lacks higher-end industries. Ma Xingrui, the governor of Guangdong province, has said that the province, which is the largest provincial economy, has fallen behind in the development of high-speed railways. And Liu Jiayi, the Party secretary of Shandong province, has said the province, the third-largest provincial economy, has been left behind by many provinces in the upgrading of its industries and restructuring of its economy.

This trend represents the officials' responses to the people's concerns, and shows the local governors' sober awareness of the shortcomings of their work.