Doctrine Political Work

A Series of Discussions on Establishing and Practicing the Correct Outlook on Political Achievement | Willingly Serving as "Tree Planters" on the Road to a Strong Military

树立和践行正确政绩观系列谈丨甘当强军路上的“栽树人”

PLA Daily (解放军报) 27 May 2026

Summary

A PLA political education commentary published under the byline Han Wei calls on military Party member cadres to prioritize 长期性 foundational work — talent cultivation, new-quality combat capability (新质战斗力) generation, and grassroots (基层) building — over short-term visible results, framing the 15th Five-Year Plan period as a critical phase for advancing toward the 2035 defense modernization goal. The article explicitly distinguishes 潜绩 ('latent achievements,' foundational but invisible) from 显绩 ('manifest achievements,' visible results), invoking Xi Jinping's own essay on the distinction to argue against careerism that optimizes for personal advancement. This is standard political work content directed at officer-level cadres; its value is as a record of how the institution frames the tension between career incentives and long-term institutional investment — a persistent structural problem the PLA has not resolved.

Translation

Willingly Serving as "Tree Planters" on the Road to a Strong Military

— A Series of Discussions on Establishing and Practicing the Correct Outlook on Political Achievement

■ Han Wei

It takes ten years to grow a tree, a hundred years to cultivate a person. Chairman Xi has profoundly observed: "Those who came before planted the trees; those who come after enjoy the shade. Our generation must use our own efforts to bring blessings to our descendants." This important statement points the way for Party member cadres to practice the correct outlook on political achievement (政绩观). Only by willingly serving as "tree planters" on the road to a strong military, doing more foundational work, and creating more political achievements (政绩) for the strong-military cause, can military Party member cadres consolidate the cornerstone of that cause and advance it forward.

Those who wish to enjoy the shade must first plant the trees. Because trees require time to grow, those who plant them may invest tremendous effort yet never live to enjoy the shade — and yet they remain without regret or complaint. This is the admirable quality of the tree planter. The strong-military cause of the new era is a process of continuous, successive struggle. Some achievements can manifest quickly, but work such as talent cultivation, the generation of new-quality combat capabilities (新质战斗力), and grassroots-level (基层) building demands day-after-day continuity, sustained effort, and long-term perseverance. To continually open up new vistas for the strong-military cause requires a great many "tree planters" who carry forward the spirit of "planting trees" — contributing quietly, toiling diligently, exerting the effort that brings "achievement" without seeking the glory of "achievement."

Some divide cadres into three types: the first is the tree-planting type, who calculates long-term accounts, plans for long-term matters, and performs long-term work, leaving behind enduring political achievements; the second is the vegetable-growing type, whose eyes are fixed only on their own small plot, planting one crop and harvesting one crop, content with short-term results; the third is the flower-arranging type, adept at putting on a surface show and performing empty flourishes. Jiao Yulu planted paulownia trees and effectively controlled the "three scourges" of Lankao; the local people, in order to commemorate him, affectionately called the paulownia trees he personally planted "Jiao Paulownias." Zhang Lianyin retired and returned to his hometown, leading the people in windbreak and sand-control efforts, transforming barren mountains into a sea of forest, and earning the people's praise as the "Greening General." … Looking across the history of our Party and our military, many outstanding Party member cadres have chosen to be tree-planting-type cadres, persisting in doing things that benefit the present and bring blessings to the long term, seeking no private gain and working only for the public good, achieving political accomplishments that benefit posterity, establishing their reputation in the hearts of the people, and setting the benchmark for practicing the correct outlook on political achievement.

During the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, our military must, building on the achievement of the centenary goal of army-building (建军一百年奋斗目标), forge ahead toward the goal of basically realizing the modernization of national defense and the military. The standards for high-quality development are higher, the requirements stricter, and the tasks heavier, making it all the more necessary to establish and practice the correct outlook on political achievement. If every Party member cadre willingly serves as a "tree planter" on the road to a strong military, and every one settles down to do well the work that manages fundamentals, benefits the long term, and builds lasting strength, then the strong-military cause can be passed on baton by baton, the road to a strong military will grow ever broader, and the goal of a strong military can be realized on schedule.

To willingly serve as a "tree planter" on the road to a strong military, what is most valuable is maintaining the conscious commitment to pursuing "latent achievements" (潜绩). "Latent achievements" are the roots; "manifest achievements" (显绩) are the flowers. Chairman Xi once noted in the article "'Latent Achievements' and 'Manifest Achievements'" that "the work of those who come later is always built upon the foundation laid by those who came before; if everyone refuses to be a paving stone and willingly contributes in obscurity, 'manifest achievements' will have nothing to stand on." This admonishes Party member cadres to settle their minds, grasp routine and foundational work firmly and concretely, work hard with heads down and sustain their effort over time, continuously raise the level of combat effectiveness, and propel the military's high-quality development to a new level.

Governance is most valuable when it is consistent; administration must have regularity. On the march toward a strong military, so long as Party member cadres cultivate the disposition of "success need not come on my watch, but success will surely have my contribution" (功成不必在我，功成必定有我), persist in accumulating small victories into great ones, look ahead to plan for the long term while also acting in the present based on actual conditions, think more about the cause and less about themselves, shoulder more heavy responsibilities and deflect less onto others, they will surely be able to create real achievements that can withstand the tests of practice, the people, and history, and write a new chapter in building and strengthening the military.

Original Chinese

甘当强军路上的“栽树人” ——树立和践行正确政绩观系列谈 ■韩伟十年树木，百年树人。习主席深刻指出：“前人栽树，后人乘凉，我们这一代人就是要用自己的努力造福子孙后代。”这一重要讲话，为党员干部践行正确政绩观指明了方向。军队党员干部只有甘当强军路上的“栽树人”，多做基础性工作，多为强军创造政绩，才能夯实强军基石，推进强军事业。欲乘凉者，必先栽树。由于树木生长需要一个过程，对栽树人来说，可能付出了很大的心血，却不一定能享受到树荫，但他们依然无怨无悔。这就是栽树人的可贵之处。新时代强军事业是一个接续奋斗的过程，有些成就可以很快显现出来，但诸如人才培养、新质战斗力生成、基层建设等工作却要求日日为继、绵绵用力、久久为功。不断开创强军事业新局面，需要有大量“栽树人”，赓续“栽树”精神，默默奉献、勤奋耕耘，出“功成”之力、不求“功成”之誉。有人把干部分为三类：第一类是栽树型，算长远账、谋长远事、做长远功，留下恒久的政绩；第二类是种菜型，眼睛只盯着自己的一亩三分地，种一茬收一茬，满足于短期效应；第三类是插花型，善于做表面文章，耍花拳绣腿。焦裕禄种植泡桐，有效治理了兰考的“三害”，当地群众为了纪念他，亲切地将他亲手栽种的泡桐称为“焦桐”；张连印退休回乡，带领群众防风治沙，把荒山变成林海，被人们誉为“绿化将军”……纵观我党我军历史，很多优秀党员干部选择做栽树型干部，坚持做利当前、惠长远的事，不谋私、只为公，取得泽被后世的政绩，把口碑立在群众心间，立起了践行正确政绩观的标杆。 “十五五”时期，我军要在实现建军一百年奋斗目标的基础上，朝着基本实现国防和军队现代化的目标砥砺前行，对高质量发展的标准更高、要求更严、任务更重，更加需要树立和践行正确政绩观。党员干部人人都甘当强军路上的“栽树人”，都沉下心来抓好管根本、利长远、增后劲的工作，强军事业就能一棒一棒传下去，强军之路就会越走越宽广，强军目标就能如期实现。甘当强军路上的“栽树人”，贵在保持做“潜绩”的自觉。“潜绩”是根，“显绩”是花。习主席曾在《“潜绩”与“显绩”》一文中指出，“后人的工作总是建立在前人基础之上的，如果大家都不去做铺路石，甘于默默无闻地奉献，‘显绩’就无从谈起”。这告诫党员干部一定要潜下心来，把经常性基础性工作抓紧抓实，埋头苦干、持久用力，不断提升战斗力水平，推动部队高质量发展迈上新台阶。政贵有恒，治须有常。强军征程上，党员干部只要涵养“功成不必在我，功成必定有我”的境界，坚持积小胜为大胜，既着眼未来谋划长远，又结合实际干在当下，多想事业少想自己，多担重任少些推诿，就一定能创造出经得起实践、人民、历史检验的实绩，书写强军兴军崭新篇章。