Correct Outlook on Political Achievement, Practiced in the Barracks | Looking Up at the Jiao Tong Tree, Bowing Down to Answer the Test
**Editor's Note:** In order to thoroughly implement the deployment and arrangements for comprehensively carrying out study and education on establishing and practicing a correct outlook on political achievement (正确政绩观) throughout the entire Party and the entire military, and to drive units at all levels to deeply grasp the core meaning of "for whom political achievements are built, what kind of political achievements to build, and what to rely on to build political achievements," the PLA Daily is today launching the column "Correct Outlook on Political Achievement, Practiced in the Barracks: Reporter's Record."
The column focuses on Chairman Xi's important statements on establishing and practicing a correct outlook on political achievement, and, in conjunction with the vivid explorations and fresh cases from units at all levels in rectifying their outlook on political achievement and advancing the comprehensive development of the force, analyzes typical practices, summarizes useful experience, and reflects genuine results. It aims to guide the broad ranks of officers and soldiers—especially leading cadres—to establish a correct view of power (权力观), outlook on political achievement (政绩观), and view of their undertaking (事业观), and to consolidate the strength to strive with full force to realize the centenary goal of army-building. We invite your attention.
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**Looking Up at the Jiao Tong Tree, Bowing Down to Answer the Test**
*■ PLA Daily Reporters Zhang Tiannan, Wang Zhenjiang, Gao Liang*
In Lankao in summer, the paulownia blossoms have quietly fallen, and new leaves are unfurling one after another.
More than 60 years ago, Jiao Yulu planted a paulownia sapling here, and with it planted the hope of "a thousand acres of clear blue" (千顷澄碧). Today, that paulownia stands straight and tall, its canopy spreading wide enough to require three people to encircle it, and the people call it with deep affection the "Jiao Tong" (焦桐—Jiao's Paulownia).
Five kilometers from the "Jiao Tong" stands the garrison of the Lankao Detachment of the People's Armed Police Kaifeng Contingent. Inside the garrison, a statue of Jiao Yulu stands quietly. Sunlight falls upon him—coat draped over his shoulders, hands on his hips, gaze fixed on the distance—his eyes resolute and warm. Behind him, a grove of paulownias flourishes, branches full and leaves dense, casting a deep shade.
After each new cohort of recruits joins the detachment, their first class is held beneath the "Jiao Tong" tree. Before each cohort of veterans retires, they bring the new recruits to adopt a paulownia. The veterans often say: "Secretary Jiao once shielded the people from wind and sand; we are stationed here to guard the peace—it is the same thing."
When the reporters arrived at the detachment for interviews, it was nearly noon. The garrison was quiet, with only the rustling of wind through paulownia leaves. Several soldiers who had just finished training sat beneath the paulownia trees and told the reporters stories about Jiao Yulu, as though speaking of an "old acquaintance."
"If the cadres don't lead, the water buffalo falls into the well." (干部不领，水牛掉井。) Jiao Yulu left more than 60 years ago, but these words are kept in the hearts of the detachment's cadres and soldiers.
When Jiao Yulu said these words, he was leading Lankao cadres to survey wind gaps and probe water routes. He knew that the masses possess boundless creativity, but without leadership that strength cannot be brought to bear—like a water buffalo that has fallen into a well, with strength but nowhere to use it. In the eyes of those who lead soldiers in the detachment, this principle means "watch me" and "follow me up."
That year, a serious criminal case occurred in the garrison area, and the suspect was putting up desperate resistance. When the arrest order was issued, the then-Detachment Commander Qu was running a high fever. His comrades urged him to rest, but he said with iron resolve: "The arrest mission is urgent—move out immediately!"
In the darkness of night, Detachment Commander Qu led his team into the residential compound where the suspect was hiding. After locking onto the target, he kicked open the door with one blow and charged in first. The suspect fought back desperately with a dagger; in the struggle, Detachment Commander Qu's right thumb was broken. Enduring the excruciating pain, he wrested away the dagger and pinned the suspect down.
Some called him a tough man, but Detachment Commander Qu said: "When the cadre charges forward, the soldiers follow. If I had fallen back, who would have gone forward?"
Wasn't it the same principle when Jiao Yulu, enduring liver pain, always worked at the front? When leaders take the lead, nothing is too difficult to handle. "Leading" means daring to be the first—which inevitably entails risk and challenge; "leading" means guiding through action, unafraid of bleeding and sweating.
During the study and education on establishing and practicing a correct outlook on political achievement, someone once asked: Now that technology is advanced and duty patrols have electronic eyes and intelligent sentries, do cadres still need to be at the front in everything?
When the reporters visited the detachment's operations duty room, every corner of the jurisdiction was clearly visible on the large screen. But Detachment Political Instructor Wang told the reporters: "No matter how advanced technology becomes, it cannot replace cadres standing in front of soldiers as an example; no matter how sophisticated the equipment, it cannot convey the warmth of cadres fighting shoulder to shoulder with soldiers. 'If the cadres don't lead, the water buffalo falls into the well'—this principle never goes out of date."
When Jiao Yulu rolled up his trouser legs and leaned on a wooden staff, braving wind and rain to wade through mud, survey wind gaps, conduct on-the-ground investigations, and visit the poor and suffering—today in the Lankao Detachment, it is the cadres who stand at the head of the line on the training ground; it is the cadres who are the first to charge forward when a mission arises; it is the cadres who call out "follow me" in moments of danger.
Over the years, the detachment has been awarded a collective first-class merit citation once, second-class merit citations six times, and third-class merit citations seventeen times; it has been rated an "Advanced Detachment in Grassroots Development" by the contingent for 26 consecutive years; and its detachment Party branch has been commended by the Central Military Commission as an "Advanced Grassroots Party Organization of the Entire Military." In the honors room, plaques and trophies are displayed in quiet rows. "All of this was achieved step by step by the detachment's cadres leading us," one soldier said with pride.
"Revolutionaries must be heroes in the face of difficulty." (革命者要在困难面前逞英雄。) These words of Jiao Yulu are likewise carved into the bones of the detachment's officers and soldiers. During the interview, Political Instructor Wang recounted a past event.
That year, the contingent organized a record-breaking military skills competition. Squad Leader Huang Ke signed up for the individual all-around event—high in points, high in difficulty; everyone knew it was a "tough bone to gnaw."
More than a month before the competition, he began training every morning at 5 a.m. Where others ran 5 kilometers, he ran 8; where others carried 10 kilograms, he added to 15. A single combatives move he would drill until his muscles trembled, then grit his teeth and do another set.
On the day of the competition, Huang Ke ranked near the top in the first four events. In the final event—combatives sparring—he accidentally sprained his ankle. The coach asked if he could continue; he gritted his teeth and said: "I can!" In the end, enduring piercing pain, he limped through the competition and took second place overall.
Afterward, someone asked how he could push so hard while injured. Huang Ke said: "Secretary Jiao kept working even when his liver pain was so bad he couldn't straighten up—what is this compared to that? A soldier cannot be a deserter in the face of difficulty."
During the study and education on establishing and practicing a correct outlook on political achievement, some raised doubts: Now that we emphasize training with science and technology, with simulation equipment and data analysis all in place, is it still necessary to train this hard?
The reporters saw on the detachment's training schedule that, in addition to standard events, there were extreme physical conditioning and adversarial training sessions. Detachment Commander Li explained: "Equipment has improved and conditions have gotten better, but the spirit (精气神) of 'being heroes in the face of difficulty' must not be lost. In his day, Secretary Jiao rejected the mentality of waiting, relying, and demanding, and went deep into the front lines to explore and summarize methods for combating desertification; today, we cannot let the possession of advanced equipment cause us to lose the fighting spirit (血性) to press forward in the face of adversity."
Over the past five years, in military skills competitions organized by higher authorities, the detachment has taken first place in individual events 41 times, and more than 230 personnel have received commendations from higher authorities. As the reporters leafed through the record books, behind each name lay a story full of sweat and fighting spirit.
Jiao Yulu often said that Communist Party members should appear before the masses at the moment when the masses are in their greatest difficulty. These words have long since transformed into the conscious action of the detachment's officers and soldiers.
That winter, a factory near the detachment's garrison suddenly caught fire. Thick smoke billowed and flames shot into the sky. Squad Leader Wang Jintao was the first to spot the fire through video surveillance and report it, and the detachment immediately deployed. Inside the fire scene, waves of heat scorched the skin and visibility was nearly zero. Wang Jintao bent low, calling out and searching through the thick smoke again and again. When the rescue was over, his arms had been burned by the high temperature and his face was blackened by smoke. Afterward, someone asked if it hurt. He said: "At the time, there was only one thought in my mind—save people!"
Apprehending criminals, neutralizing dangerous situations, rescuing the masses… Over the years, the detachment's officers and soldiers have performed their duties wholeheartedly with the people in their hearts, and the local people affectionately call them "Guardians of Tong Township" (桐乡卫士).
The reporters followed the detachment's officers and soldiers to Zhangzhuang Village in Lankao County. This was once the county's largest wind gap, and also the place where Jiao Yulu found the method for combating desertification. Since 2014, the detachment has formed a "kinship" (亲戚) relationship with Zhangzhuang Village. Officers and soldiers frequently enter the village with shovels and pickaxes in hand, helping villagers build greenhouses, repair roads, and plant saplings. Today, rustic-decorated shops open their doors to welcome customers, shelves are filled with a wide variety of local products, and beneath the Jiao Tong trees there is a scene of abundant harvest (好"丰"景).
Old Wang at the Chengguan Township nursing home once witnessed Jiao Yulu leading cadres and the masses in combating the "three harms" (三害—wind, sand, and waterlogging), and he will never forget that "Secretary Jiao was someone who, even if he had only one steamed bun, would share it with us." Over the years, the detachment has established a co-development relationship with the nursing home, visiting the elderly every weekend or holiday to clean, tidy beds, cut hair, and chat. "In his day, Secretary Jiao treated the people as family; now you are as close to me as my own sons!" Old Wang said, clasping the hands of the officers and soldiers.
During the study and education on establishing and practicing a correct outlook on political achievement, someone once asked: The detachment's primary mission is duty and training—won't helping and supporting the masses divert energy?
Political Instructor Wang told the reporters that they organize everyone to study Jiao Yulu's deeds, continuously correcting deviations and purifying thinking. Officers and soldiers have come to deeply understand that training soldiers and loving the people not only do not conflict—they complement each other. When Jiao Yulu combated the "three harms" in his day, wasn't it precisely to let the people live a good life? The foundation of the people's military is the people; supporting the masses is not a "sideline" but a "duty." Duty and training are to protect the people; supporting the masses is to serve the people.
"Heart for heart, measure for measure." (人心换人心，八两换半斤。) Because they have always kept the people in their hearts, creating real achievements for the people through dedication and commitment, and guarding the people's happiness with wholehearted sincerity, the detachment has been rated an "Advanced Unit in Supporting the Government and Loving the People" (拥政爱民先进单位) by the garrison area for 25 consecutive years.
In those days, when heavy snow blocked the doors, Jiao Yulu endured severe liver pain to go from village to village visiting the poor and suffering. Facing an elderly person bedridden with illness who asked "who are you," he spoke from the depths of his heart: "I am your son…" These words have always been kept in the hearts of the people of Lankao. "Whatever political achievements there may be, only those recognized by the masses are good political achievements. Being close to and loving the people is not about giving money or goods—it is about us treating the masses as family, so that the masses treat us as family in return." Detachment Commander Li said.
Before the interview concluded, the reporters came once more to stand beneath the paulownia trees in the garrison. A gentle breeze passed through, the paulownia leaves rustled, and scenes of the profound bond between the military and the people (鱼水情深) surfaced one after another before their eyes: the person rescued from the fire who afterward clutched Wang Jintao's hand and wept; the elderly woman at the flood-control front line who wiped sweat from the soldiers' brows, her eyes full of tenderness; the children who spontaneously stood at attention and saluted as the military vehicles withdrew, a sight that moved people to tears…
The Jiao Tong tree speaks no words, yet a path forms beneath it of its own accord. (焦桐无语，下自成蹊。) The tree Jiao Yulu planted in those days has now become a forest; the spirit he left behind has also taken root in the hearts of officers and soldiers.
*Illustration: Fang Han*
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**The Jiao Tong Tree as Mirror: Solid Work and Steadfast Action**
*■ Tian Zhe*
The Jiao Tong tree, rooted in sandy soil, blooms full in spring, casts dense shade in summer, sheds its leaves in silence in autumn, and retains its upright character through winter. Comrade Jiao Yulu worked in Lankao for 475 days, fulfilling his mission with his life and tempering his original aspiration (初心) through solid work, setting the benchmark for serving the Party for the public and governing for the people.
Chairman Xi has emphasized: "The Jiao Yulu Spirit (焦裕禄精神)—of being close to and loving the people, of arduous struggle, of seeking truth from facts, of pressing forward in the face of adversity, and of selfless dedication—was, is, and will remain a precious spiritual treasure of our Party, and will never become outdated." Over the years, the officers and soldiers of the PAP Lankao Detachment have transformed Jiao Yulu's original aspiration of "sharing the Party's worries and adding luster to the Party" and his sentiment of "keeping all the people in his heart while leaving no room for himself" into the image of those who bravely stand at the head of the line on the training ground, the charge of those who bravely advance in the opposite direction at critical moments, and the actions of those who are close to and love the people with wholehearted dedication. Each weighty honor and each commendation from the masses is their powerful answer to the questions of "for whom political achievements are built, what kind of political achievements to build, and what to rely on to build political achievements."
In the study and education on establishing and practicing a correct outlook on political achievement, all Party member cadres should hold up the Jiao Yulu Spirit as a mirror, a ruler, and a benchmark—frequently reflecting on their original aspiration, measuring their sense of responsibility, and correcting their direction—always maintaining the drive to get things done, the tenacity to carry out work, and the closeness to the masses. In doing so, the achievements we produce will stand the test of time, and the "trunk" of our striving will, like the Jiao Tong tree, take deep root and grow with full branches and dense leaves.