Political Work

Bayi Sharp Commentary | Seek Counsel from the Troops, and Seek Accountability from the Troops

八一锐评丨既问计于兵，也问绩于兵

PLA Daily (解放军报) 10 May 2026

Summary

A PLA political commentary published under the 'Bayi Sharp Commentary' banner calls on Party member cadres to solicit feedback from rank-and-file officers and soldiers as the primary metric for evaluating political achievements, framing grassroots satisfaction as a corrective against superficial 'achievement projects' and 'image projects.' The piece is part of the PLA's ongoing study-and-education campaign on cultivating a 'correct view of political achievement' (正确政绩观), a Xi-directed initiative aimed at redirecting cadre incentives away from performative metrics toward measurable unit readiness and morale. The commentary signals continued institutional concern that careerism and formalism among mid-level officers remain a drag on grassroots combat effectiveness, a persistent theme in PLA political work that has intensified under Xi's broader military discipline campaign.

Translation

Seek Counsel from the Troops, and Seek Accountability from the Troops

■ Wang Yongwen

Chairman Xi has emphasized that whether performance is good or not must be judged by the actual feelings of the masses, and evaluated by the masses themselves. This profoundly reminds us that a cadre's achievements lie in practice, and a cadre's reputation lies among the troops. Since the military launched its study and education campaign on establishing and practicing a correct view of political achievement (正确政绩观), a certain unit has persisted in both seeking counsel from the troops and seeking accountability from the troops, submitting the question of whether political achievements are good or bad to officers and soldiers for judgment, and erecting a standard of verification for Party member cadres in creating political achievements.

The grassroots level is the foundation of all the military's work and combat effectiveness; the practical focus of establishing and practicing a correct view of political achievement must concentrate on the grassroots and reach directly to officers and soldiers. Officers and soldiers feel most directly the results of what Party member cadres have achieved; officers and soldiers understand most deeply whether those achievements are genuine. In reality, many Party member cadres take root at the grassroots level, keep the troops in their hearts, consciously devote themselves to the cause of strengthening the military in the new era, and win the hearts of officers and soldiers and earn a good reputation through solid, tangible achievements. By contrast, a small number of Party member cadres are keen on pursuing showy and impractical "achievement projects" (政绩工程) and "image projects" (形象工程), causing confusion and exhaustion at the grassroots level as units scramble to cope—the root cause being their detachment from the grassroots and from officers and soldiers.

"Governance flourishes when it follows the will of the people; governance collapses when it goes against the will of the people." Only when military Party member cadres are adept at listening to the voices of officers and soldiers, absorbing their opinions, treating grassroots satisfaction as an important reference for measuring the gains and losses of their work, and treating the sense of gain (获得感) among officers and soldiers as an important basis for evaluating the quality and effectiveness of their work—and only when they resolutely reject and correct such negative tendencies as seeking quick results and projecting a hollow work style—can they inspire the force, motivate officers and soldiers, and create solid achievements that can withstand the tests of practice, of officers and soldiers, and of history.

Original Chinese

既问计于兵，也问绩于兵 ■王永文习主席强调，业绩好不好，要看群众实际感受，由群众来评判。这深刻提醒我们，干部业绩在实践，干部声名在兵中。军队开展树立和践行正确政绩观学习教育以来，某部坚持既问计于兵，也问绩于兵，把政绩好坏交由官兵评判，为党员干部创造政绩立起检验标尺。基层是部队全部工作和战斗力的基础，树立和践行正确政绩观的实践落点必须聚焦基层、直达官兵。党员干部创造政绩的成效怎么样，官兵感受最直接；政绩实不实，官兵体会最深刻。现实中，很多党员干部扎根基层、心系官兵，自觉投身新时代强军事业，以实实在在的业绩赢得官兵心、获得好口碑。相反，少数党员干部热衷搞华而不实的“政绩工程”“形象工程”，导致基层忙乱、疲于应付，其症结就在于脱离基层、脱离官兵。 “政之所兴，在顺民心；政之所废，在逆民心。”军队党员干部只有善于倾听官兵呼声、吸纳官兵意见，把基层满意度作为衡量工作得失的重要参照，把官兵获得感作为评判工作质效的重要依据，坚决摒弃和纠治急功近利、作风虚浮等不良倾向，才能感召部队、带动官兵，创造经得起实践、官兵和历史检验的实绩。