In Tianjin ahead of Spring Festival, president carries on practice of inquiring about disaster-hit communities

President Xi Jinping greets the public at Tianjin’s Ancient Culture Street on Feb 1, 2024 during an inspection tour of the city ahead of Spring Festival. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

As the Chinese people prepared for family reunions during Spring Festival, the nation’s most important holiday, President Xi Jinping conveyed messages of good wishes, support, and confidence for the Lunar New Year.

The messages were extended to Chinese at home and abroad as Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made a two-day fact-finding trip to Tianjin starting on Feb 1, during which he surveyed a disaster-hit village, a bustling ancient street, and a museum.

The practice of visiting grassroots families ahead of Spring Festival, long upheld by the nation’s top leader, showcases a people-oriented development philosophy and the strong emphasis of the nation’s leadership on improving the people’s well-being, analysts noted.

READ MORE: Xi extends Spring Festival greetings to all Chinese

Xi has made it a regular practice to visit people from all walks of life before the holiday, a traditional occasion for family reunions, inquiring about their living conditions and showing his support for disadvantaged groups.

The first stop on Xi’s latest inspection tour was a village in Tianjin’s Xiqing district, where the farmland was hit by devastating floods in late July and early August.

Braving freezing temperatures, Xi visited the Diliufu village and spoke with vegetable farmers whose facilities were damaged last year, before sitting down for talks with a family of four generations living under one roof.

Expressing delight at the progress of the village’s post-disaster recovery, Xi told the villagers that the Party’s central leadership has “made a resolution to improve the livelihood of the people by striving to enhance the construction of water conservancy and flood control projects”.

He looked inside greenhouses to check the growth of vegetables, before asking farmers about the restoration of their facilities and efforts to resume production following the floods.

The president then sat down with the family of Du Honggang in their home, engaging with them in a candid conversation about how they coped with and recovered from the floods.

Xi underscored that the CPC Central Committee and local authorities always give priority to the people’s safety, and expressed hope that the villagers can rebuild their homes and work toward a better life.

The president said he has always paid close attention to the situation faced by people affected by various disasters over the past year.

The message from the president resonated strongly with the villagers of Diliufu.

Zhang Caiyun, a 64-year-old resident, said the president’s visit has “given the village a festive atmosphere before the arrival of Spring Festival”, which falls on Feb 10.

She said that for her, the visit was filled with touching moments, as Xi patiently inquired about the villagers’ daily lives.

“I didn’t expect that the general secretary would visit and that he would pay such particular attention to matters of our concern,” she said.

The fact that Xi assured the residents that the nation’s top leadership would scale up its investment in water management projects gave a lift to villagers like Zhang.

She said the flooding in August hit the village extremely hard, as farmers saw their rice paddies and greenhouses damaged. Part of the flooded farmlands has now been planted with wheat and vegetables, with a majority of the greenhouses already repaired.

Du Zixi, an entrepreneur who has invested in a tourism program in Diliufu, said the president not only conveyed warmth to the residents, but also extended confidence to businesses.

She said the flooding last year nearly washed away years’ worth of her company’s investment in the village.

As the president delivered assurances that more steps would be taken to improve water management projects for the public’s well-being, Du said her company will continue to invest in the village and create more jobs for local residents.

The visit marked the third time that Xi has visited the flood-hit households since September, as he highlighted the need to ensure that the families have a warm winter.

Xi also visited troops stationed in Tianjin on Feb 2 and commended their performance in supporting the city in its flood relief efforts. The president, who is also chairman of the Central Military Commission, said the troops’ contributions have been significant in protecting people’s lives and property.

During his visit, he extended festive greetings to service personnel of the People’s Liberation Army and the People’s Armed Police Force, civilian personnel posted in the military, and members of the militia and reserve forces, on behalf of the CPC Central Committee and the CMC.

At Tianjin’s Ancient Culture Street on Feb 1, Xi, who was enthusiastically greeted by crowds of people, visited shops offering local specialties and chatted with the shopkeepers, employees, and tourists.

The streets of this historical area of the city were full of a festive spirit, amid the sound of drums and lively dragon and lion dance performances.

Xi expressed his delight at the joyous atmosphere and strong festive spirit, noting that this Lunar New Year is the start of the Year of the Dragon, adding that in Chinese culture the dragon symbolizes bravery, vitality, and good fortune.

He pointed out that Chinese modernization cannot be separated from the inheritance and promotion of the nation’s outstanding traditional culture.

Tianjin should safeguard and make good use of its historical and cultural districts, allowing them to shine in its efforts to develop a modern metropolis, he said.

On Feb 2, Xi inspected a museum in Tianjin dedicated to the Pingjin Campaign, one of the three major campaigns won by the People’s Liberation Army during the War of Liberation (1946-49).

He highlighted the need to carry forward the revolutionary tradition, enhance the spirit of struggle, and have the courage to overcome all kinds of difficulties and obstacles on the road ahead.

While hearing reports from authorities in Tianjin, Xi called on the municipality to focus on economic growth and high-quality development.

Tianjin should amplify its strengths in scientific and educational resources and take the lead in developing new productive forces, he said.

Xi highlighted the need to further in-depth integration of the digital economy and the real economy to promote the high-end, smart and green transformation of the manufacturing sector.

The president encouraged the municipal authorities to review the implementation of reform measures already rolled out before planning new steps, so that reforms can be more targeted and effective.

He reiterated the need for the municipality to further explore its historical and cultural resources, beef up the protection of its cultural heritage, and develop cultural brands with distinctive features.

Xi added that the authorities in Tianjin should prioritize the public’s well-being, expand the supply of basic public services, and keep improving the people’s sense of gain.

Han Qiang, dean of the School of Marxism at Beijing Foreign Studies University, said that during the trip, the president rallied the public to have full confidence in the coming year.

“Strong confidence is the key to overcoming the difficulties facing the economy. It is also a must for the nation as it navigates through a complex global landscape to secure its second centenary goal,” he said. 

The second centenary goal is to turn China into a modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful by the time the People’s Republic of China celebrates its centenary in 2049.

ALSO READ: Xi extends New Year greetings to non-CPC members

Since he was first elected as general secretary of the CPC Central Committee in November 2012, Xi has made it a regular practice to visit families ahead of the Lunar New Year, especially rural households and groups with difficulties.

Families that have been affected by natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods are another priority for Xi when choosing the destinations for his trips ahead of the Lunar New Year.

Ma Liang, a professor of public administration at Renmin University of China, said Xi’s visits to disaster-hit families before Spring Festival showed the strong level of support from the top leadership when the families need it the most.

The latest trip to Tianjin again reflected the president’s high regard for the people and their well-being, he said.

“It also sent a message to Party and government officials that they must care for the people, make every effort to solve their livelihood issues, and truly put the people at the center during the most important holiday of the year,” Ma said.

Zhang Yu contributed to this story.

Contact the writers at xuwei@chinadaily.com.cn