River's revival a case study in good governance

Response to public needs

Following the river's environmental recovery, a commercial zone has emerged along its banks, offering communities a place to eat, unwind and enjoy leisure activities. Since last year, the area has seen a fresh wave of revitalization, drawing in young entrepreneurs and cultural-creative hubs, including artisan coffee roasters, bicycle culture studios and even a freshwater museum.

According to Yang, the transformation has responded to public needs at every turn — first for environmental restoration, then for community amenities, and now for jobs and economic vitality.

"At every stage, one conviction has never wavered: The people's genuine acclaim is the real yardstick of achievement," he said, emphasizing that, since the purpose of governance is to serve the people, their assessment and responses are what ultimately count.

The campaign, running through July, urges all Party members to embrace a correct understanding of governance performance. It calls for pragmatic, law-based decision-making, and for concrete outcomes that stand the test of practice and history — outcomes that genuinely serve the people and earn their recognition through solid, well-grounded work.

The initiative also requires solid efforts to address prominent problems, the establishment of sound systems and rules and the improvement of accountability mechanisms, so that institutions can effectively play their role in guiding and motivating the performance of officials.

"When governance is no longer anchored in serving the people, and public reputation ceases to be its yardstick, it will inevitably deviate from the proper track," said Yang.

In June, the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, China's top anti-corruption body, disclosed details of five notable cases in which officials were held accountable for incorrectly implementing governance performance.