Revelations from Wang Ji's Advanced Deeds | Choose What Is Urgently Needed and Hold Fast; Choose What Is Long-Term and Cultivate Deeply
Choose What Is Urgently Needed and Hold Fast; Choose What Is Long-Term and Cultivate Deeply
— Interpreting the Pursuit of Political Achievement (政绩追求) of "Model of the Era" Wang Ji
■ Yu Jinhu, Niu Jianguang
What does the character "guan" (观) in "political achievement outlook" (政绩观) mean? The Shuowen Jiezi states: "Guan means to examine carefully." Some annotators interpret it as deep scrutiny, discernment, and selection. An artificial intelligence program answers that the "guan" here refers to an overall view of and value-based choices regarding political achievements.
One ancient, one modern — two interpretations converge on the word "choice." Reflected in Wang Ji, this means answering a series of real-world multiple-choice questions — "lie flat or charge forward," "popular or unpopular" — in order to answer the mandatory questions every Party member and cadre must face: "For whom are political achievements built," "what kind of political achievements should be built," and "on what basis should political achievements be built."
Choice implies trade-offs and reflects one's pursuits. Wang Ji was admitted to university before the age of 14 and was promoted to full professor at 33. He clearly had many options, yet he chose to pursue research in high-assurance software technology (高可信软件技术): boldly venturing into "uncharted territory," willingly enduring the cold bench (坐冷板凳), conducting research that the nation needs and that supports warfighting.
In every trade-off, Wang Ji was guided by an internal scale: the three characters "high-assurance" (高可信) may seem "cold" to others, but they are "right" for the nation — fighter aircraft, missiles, naval vessels, and other national defense and military-industrial systems all depend on high-assurance software. This may not be a research "hot topic," but it is absolutely a vital pressure point (命门) in defense security that researchers must hold fast.
On the scales of political achievement pursuit, if the "weight" of research accomplishments is placed on the individual side, it brings at most personal merit; but if placed on the side of the Party's and nation's needs and national defense and military construction, it brings great achievements for the cause and victories on the battlefield.
Moved by her father's selfless dedication, Wang Ji's daughter painted a picture for him titled "Staircase," with a note in the lower right corner that the staircase "symbolizes Father's self-respect and ideals." Wang Ji treasures this painting deeply. The child's innocent words struck at his true inner feelings: the "self-respect and ideals" of a military scientific researcher are simple — to work and build for the nation, and to concentrate strength and overcome difficulties for the sake of war.
Chairman Xi has repeatedly emphasized that "in undertaking work and building achievements, one must establish a correct political achievement outlook." High-assurance software belongs to foundational core technology: its fault-tolerance standards are stringent, its research breakthroughs are extremely difficult, and it rarely produces visible results — for a long time, few researchers have cultivated it deeply. If scientific researchers gravitate toward the easy and avoid the difficult, chasing "short, flat, and fast" (短平快) projects, it will inevitably cause the absence of foundational platform technologies and bury security risks in the development of equipment construction. The confidence of the cause of strengthening the military cannot be separated from the foundational support that consolidates the base and covers the bottom. Wang Ji's perseverance is precisely a pragmatic act of filling gaps in the system and laying a solid foundation for military strengthening — holding fast to a critical position in national defense research.
A correct political achievement outlook stems from a correct value system. Only by placing the cause of the Party, the nation, and the people above all else can one achieve the resolute determination to charge forward without hesitation, always and forever. High-level amputation could not defeat him; years of dialysis could not crush him. Wang Ji has been "nailed" (钉) to a single specialized field for decades, presiding over and participating in more than 30 major research projects, winning a First Prize of the Military Science and Technology Progress Award and a Second Prize of the National Science and Technology Progress Award, and supporting — through one research achievement after another — the takeoff and landing of combat aircraft, the roar of missiles, and the long voyages of naval vessels.
Credit for success need not go to oneself, yet credit for success must come from oneself (功成不必在我、功成必定有我). As the leader of a research team, Wang Ji actively guides everyone to correct their pursuit of political achievements: be "silent" like high-assurance software — quietly standing guard in ordinary times, willing to serve as an invisible guardian, yet capable of bearing a weight of a thousand jun (千钧之重) when danger arrives, and thereby manifesting glory.
"Pursue substance and results will endure; chase reputation and achievements will be shallow (征实则效存，徇名则功浅)." Facts have proven that all deviations and misalignments in the pursuit of political achievements originate from a single character: "self" (私). Communists serve the great public good, uphold great righteousness, and seek the greater self (大我). Only by holding the cause higher, taking responsibility more seriously, and placing less weight on personal honor, status, and interests can one draw clear lines and maintain proper standards on what should and should not be done — and only then can one's political achievement outlook remain impartial and well-calibrated.
Wang Ji's life choices serve as a clear mirror, reflecting the most precious spiritual character of national defense research: not chasing trends, not clinging to visible achievements — choosing what is urgently needed and holding fast, choosing what is long-term and cultivating deeply. Scientific and technological workers of the new era should, like Wang Ji, identify where their knowledge can be put to use, make down-to-earth efforts, find at the intersection of national need and personal strength a direction worth pursuing over the long term, and shoulder the historical responsibility entrusted by the Party and the people.