The solid and practical problem-solving ideology is seen as a common thread in Chinese political philosophy and a cornerstone of the DNA of the Communist Party of China. Jiao Jie and Nathan Williams report.
Editor's note: Potside Chats is the Edgar Snow Newsroom's video column, which aims to explore everything about China via table talk, with three China Daily journalists sharing their understanding and experiences. In the latest episode, they delve into the topic of diaocha yanjiu, or "investigation and research", which represents the CPC's commitment to governance.
A guide at the Xunwu Research Memorial Hall in Xunwu, Jiangxi province, explains a painting to China Daily reporter Stephanie Stone. CHINA DAILY
In 1930, Chairman Mao Zedong visited Xunwu county in Ganzhou, Jiangxi province. During his visit, he conducted meticulous research in the town to understand the economic situation in rural areas and small cities at that time, and later wrote the well-known 80,000 word-plus piece "Report from Xunwu."
The founding father of the People's Republic of China completed his survey based on the real situation by analyzing different sectors in Xunwu, including transportation, commerce and handicrafts.
That approach has become a significant part of China's governance, emphasizing the importance of thorough investigation and research before making decisions or formulating policies. Today, evidence-based decision-making remains the cornerstone of Chinese political philosophy, guiding the country's development and progress.
While Mao was conducting his research in Xunwu, it is said that he had an interesting conversation about tofu with his comrades.
"Of all the villagers doing business in Xunwu, which group is the largest?" Mao asked. His comrades answered "tofu makers."
"Which tofu in Xunwu is well-made and sells best?" Mao then asked.
The others failed to answer the question this time. However, Mao could not only name the village with the best tofu, but also the most successful families dealing in the food.
"Mao believed that assessing the quality of tofu in the town could provide insight into prosperity, living conditions, productivity and areas where socioeconomic improvements could be made," China Daily reporter Stephanie Stone said.
Mao's granular approach, focusing on collecting detailed and specific information before making a decision or drafting a policy, was later adopted as a commendable practice and tradition for Chinese officials.
A guide at the memorial hall shows a painting featuring Chairman Mao Zedong holding a discussion. CHINA DAILY
Education campaign
The Communist Party of China is now carrying out a Partywide thematic education campaign about studying and implementing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.
The campaign is targeting 98 million Party members, and extensive fact-finding activities are encouraged to help officials at all levels come up with concrete solutions.
This will enable them to better serve the Party and contribute to the construction of a modern socialist country in all aspects, and advance the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts.
The coverage of these activities prompted China Daily journalists to delve into this intriguing topic.
In the latest episode of Potside Chats, an Edgar Snow Newsroom video column that aims to explore everything about China over table talk, three China Daily journalists share their understanding of diaocha yanjiu, or "investigation and research", based on their own down-to-earth coverage experiences.
Stone traveled to Xunwu — where Mao first put forward his famous maxim,"No investigation, no right to speak" — to learn more about the Xunwu Research Memorial Hall.
Built in 1917 and converted into a memorial hall in 1968, it is a two-story building with a unique design based on the building style of the Hakka ethnic group.
Hou Aiping, director of the Xunwu Research Memorial Hall, told Stone that when Mao conducted his investigation in Xunwu, he organized town hall meetings, with local people representing different strata of society. The meetings could last more than 10 days, including investigations into specific topics, comprehensive investigations and a concluding investigation.
"During the concluding investigation, Chairman Mao brought together more than 50 people, even a few delinquents, to address any lingering questions," Hou said.
"He would sort out the confusion and seek input from everyone until they arrived at plausible answers. This is why Comrade Mao Zedong said that these investigative meetings were the simplest, most practical and most reliable method."
Hou also quoted Mao's words, "I gained significant benefits from this approach (investigation and research), surpassing what one might learn in any university."
Walking in the hall, Stone noticed an exhibit on the wall that said: "Research is like being pregnant for 10 months. Solving problems is like giving birth in a day. So, research is about solving problems" — a quote from Mao's famous article "The Opposition to Dogmatic Idealism", which he wrote in Xunwu in 1930.
That sentiment forms the basis of China's commitment to evidence-based governance and informed decision-making — a crucial first step in establishing a solid foundation for the Party.
Its implications still cast an overarching influence on CPC officials today.
"No investigation, no right to speak," Mao Zedong's famous maxim is immortalized in the yard of the Xunwu Research Memorial Hall. XU JINXING/FOR CHINA DAILY
Informed decisions
"A leader needs to make informed decisions," said Cao Shuqiang, a researcher of CPC history in Jiangxi's Huichang county. "Without the proper knowledge, their decisions would be detached from reality. That's why it's crucial to conduct detailed investigations and research, and gain a clear understanding of the circumstances before making decisions — to ensure that the decisions are targeted and accurate."
China Daily reporter Nathan Williams said that one of China's decisive moves at a crucial juncture in its transformative era — reform and opening-up — was also made with the same ideology. He recapped this watershed moment in the history of the CPC, based on his reporting experiences in South China's Guangdong province.
"In 1980, a groundbreaking development unfolded on China's southern coast with the establishment of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone. This marked a significant milestone in the country's economic transformation, propelled by visionary leadership, bold experimentation and a commitment to market-oriented reforms," Williams said.
Deng Xiaoping, the architect of the reform and opening-up policy, granted the zone unprecedented autonomy to implement market-oriented practices and pilot economic experiments.
"Later, reform and opening-up shifted toward the mature practice of evidence-based decision-making based on local experiments that were measured in every sense of the word, metrically and gradually," China Daily reporter Erik Nilsson said. "This gave rise to the saying 'Crossing the river by feeling for stones'."
After spending 18 years exploring China and witnessing the development of this vast country, Nilsson has become a seasoned observer of CPC policies."If a trial implemented following research and investigation worked in one place, it would, after tweaking, be moderately and incrementally adopted on a greater scale in more places, sometimes nationally. This also recalibrated ideas about practical results in relation to ideology," Nilsson said.
Having shared their own journeys into this topic, the journalists found that this solid and practical problem-solving ideology is a common thread in Chinese political philosophy and a cornerstone of the CPC's DNA.
Mao's desk in Xunwu, where he wrote "Report from Xunwu" and "The Opposition to Dogmatic Idealism." CHINA DAILY
First milestone reached
China has achieved the first of its "Two Centenary Goals" — victory over extreme poverty, attained on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Party. It has now embarked on its journey to realize the second: Building a modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced and harmonious by 2050.
"Both goals, which are meant to define the country's legacy for the 21st century, are absolutely reliant on research and investigation and, subsequently, experimentation followed by adoption," Nilsson said.
He believes that Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era stands as an essential prerequisite for advancing the country's endeavors toward the second goal.
"This has relied on evidence-based decision-making since reform and opening-up, but with enhanced sophistication and precision following the adoption of targeted poverty alleviation, proposed by President Xi, which also required a unified understanding and determination," he said.
After delving into the topic, the journalists discovered that the common thread connecting different times in history lies in their association with the CPC leadership and their roles in shaping China's political and socioeconomic development.
While representing different eras and responding to distinct challenges, these ideological systems reflect the party's commitment to evidence-based governance and its efforts to navigate the complexities of a changing world.
A sculpture in the memorial hall features Mao conducting investigative studies with farmers in Jiangxi. CHINA DAILY
