Xingtang county in Hebei province has quietly transformed over the past decade, shedding a longstanding local pessimism encapsulated in the saying “Xingtang bu xing” (“Xingtang cannot do it”). Nestled along the eastern foothills of the Taihang Mountains, the county faced challenges typical to the region, including difficult terrain and limited resources. As a traditional agricultural area, Xingtang struggled to market its farm products effectively due to a lack of strong branding and sales infrastructure.

The county's fortunes began to shift with sustained efforts led by a team of officials dispatched by the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee. Over the past ten years, 13 officials, including Zou Guoyu, have worked to open markets, establish local brands, and enhance the county’s development capacity. These initiatives have gradually yielded results: local specialties such as Xingtang red dates have been chosen as state gifts, its honey products have found markets in Southeast Asia, and the county’s public brand has gained wider recognition.

This progress in Xingtang exemplifies the CPC’s governance philosophy emphasizing tenacity, continuity, and enduring results. Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, and especially in the current Party-wide education campaign, President Xi Jinping has underscored the importance of a governance approach that values long-term public benefit and sustained effort over short-term achievements.

President Xi’s emphasis on persistent work traces back to his experience as Party secretary of Ningde in Fujian province from 1988 to 1990, a period marked by severe poverty. His writings, compiled in *Up and Out of Poverty*, advocate for a steady approach likened to “dripping water piercing stone,” cautioning against expecting rapid solutions through isolated projects. Interviews documented in *Xi Jinping in Ningde* also highlight his warnings to officials against unrealistic expectations for quick prosperity.

This patient, layered approach became central to China's comprehensive campaign to eradicate absolute poverty. By 2021, China announced a complete victory over absolute poverty: nearly 99 million rural residents lifted out of poverty, and 832 impoverished counties, including Xingtang, removed from the national poverty list. Despite reaching this milestone, the central leadership regarded it as a step in a longer journey rather than an endpoint.

At the Central Rural Work Conference in December 2020, President Xi emphasized the importance of consolidating and expanding poverty alleviation achievements while integrating them into rural vitalization strategies. This approach aims to ensure a smooth transition between stages of development, maintaining momentum through continuous policy support and practical implementation.

Xi has repeatedly called for maintaining strategic resolve and patience to follow through on effective plans. He advocates for continuity across Party terms when policies are well-suited to evolving circumstances and public needs, reinforcing the CPC’s commitment to governance rooted in perseverance and lasting impact.