Xi Jinping’s Theoretical Innovations and Practical Explorations on Investigation and Research During His Work in Fujian
林锋：习近平同志在福建工作期间关于调查研究的理论创见和实践探索
Investigation and research are a heirloom of the Communist Party of China and a basic skill for doing all work well. The Central Committee of the CPC’s “Work Plan on Vigorously Promoting Investigation and Research Throughout the Party” proposes that investigation and research must adhere to the “five musts”: adhering to the Party’s mass line, adhering to seeking truth from facts, adhering to a problem-oriented approach, adhering to tackling tough problems, and adhering to a systems perspective. [1] During his work in Fujian, Comrade Xi Jinping went down to the grassroots, went deep among the masses, and
Adhere to the Party’s mass line, and enhance emotional bonds by integrating into the lives of the common people and “staying grounded.” [1] At the opening ceremony of the training course for young and middle-aged cadres at the Central Party School (National Academy of Governance) in the spring semester of 2019, General Secretary Xi Jinping admonished leading cadres: “We must take the people as our teachers and learn from them, put aside our airs, get down to the grassroots, stay grounded, and understand the situation below, deeply conduct investigation and research, dissect sparrows, [2] discover models, truly uncover the problems faced by the people, reflect the opinions of the people, and summarize the experience created by the people.” Serving the people wholeheartedly is the fundamental purpose of the Communist Party of China. In 1988, Comrade Xi Jinping, who had just taken office as the Secretary of the Ningde Prefectural Party Committee, personally participated in the first “Prefectural and County Leaders Reception Day for Public Complaints” held in Xiapu County, engaging in dialogue with 102 visiting petitioners, handling 86 issues of various types, resolving 12 on the spot, and requiring the relevant departments to handle the rest within one month, transforming the people’s “petitioning” into cadres’ “going down to the grassroots,” and forming the major theoretical innovation of “receiving petitions and going down to the grassroots.” In 1990, Comrade Xi Jinping, then Secretary of the Fuzhou Municipal Party Committee, launched the “Four Ten Thousand Households” [3] action of “entering ten thousand households, knowing ten thousand households’ situations, resolving ten thousand households’ worries, and handling ten thousand households’ affairs,” expanding the breadth of Party members’ and cadres’ connections with the masses. Adhering to the Party’s mass line in investigation and research is a distinctive quality of Comrade Xi Jinping’s investigative work, and its essence is a profound answer to the questions “who am I, for whom, and how to act.”
Adhere to seeking truth from facts, and comprehend the work style through on-site investigations that “only seek facts.” [4] General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: “Adhering to proceeding from reality, the prerequisite is to go deep into reality and understand reality; only then can we achieve seeking truth from facts.” Investigation and research must not only follow superiors, not only follow books, but only seek facts, and through integrating theory with practice, make work ideas, measures, and plans conform to actual conditions, objective laws, and scientific spirit. Comrade Xi Jinping, who had just taken office as the Secretary of the Ningde Prefectural Party Committee, did not engage in the “three fires of a new official,” [5] nor did he immediately launch the “three major battles” of starting to build a new city, developing ports, and building railways. Instead, he tirelessly conducted investigation and research in 9 counties, 13 townships, 18 villages, 12 factories, power stations, and schools in eastern Fujian, and visited neighboring areas such as Wenzhou, Cangnan, and Yueqing in southern Zhejiang. After thorough and solid investigation and research, he formed the investigation report “How Can a Weak Bird Fly First – Random Thoughts on Investigating Nine Counties in Eastern Fujian,” and, combined with the actual situation of eastern Fujian as an old revolutionary base area, a minority area, a border area, an island area, and a poor area, put forward important theoretical innovations such as “a weak bird can hope to fly first” and “to alleviate poverty, one must first strengthen ambition.” Comrade Xi Jinping adhered to proceeding from reality in everything, conducted investigations and research down-to-earth, and sought development according to local conditions, setting an example for Party members and cadres to maintain a fact-seeking style of investigation.
Adhere to a problem-oriented approach, and enhance effectiveness by “acting immediately” on problems while carrying them along. [6] General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: “We must not only ‘physically enter’ the grassroots, but also ‘mentally arrive’ at the grassroots, listen to the truth, observe the real situation, truly study problems and study real problems, and not engage in showy investigations, potted-plant-style investigations, or dragonfly-skimming-the-water-style investigations.” [7] Adhering to a problem-oriented approach is a distinctive feature of Marxism; investigation and research must take problems as the starting point for studying and formulating policies and as the breakthrough point for opening up the situation. When Comrade Xi Jinping worked in Fuzhou, he required cadres in the Municipal Party Committee Policy Research Office not to sit in the office and “make decisions by patting their heads,” [8] avoiding empty work that goes from policy research to policy research. They had to sink to the grassroots frontline, truly clarify the situation, identify problems accurately, and propose practical countermeasures, and report the investigation situation in the form of “one matter, one report” in *Fuzhou Investigation* for decision-making reference. To solve problems promptly and promote development to increase efficiency and speed, Comrade Xi Jinping also innovatively proposed the work style of “grasp firmly and act immediately, handle matters as soon as they arise.” [9] Every era has its own problems. On the new journey, we must scientifically recognize, accurately grasp, and correctly solve the major theoretical and practical problems facing China’s development and our Party’s governance, find answers from problems, and expand paths from investigation.
Adhere to overcoming difficulties, and demonstrate responsibility by “breaking through difficult problems” in urgent, difficult, anxious, and expectant matters. [10] General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: “We must vigorously promote the practice of investigation and research, go more often to the grassroots frontline in the areas under our charge, and go more often to places with many difficulties, where the masses’ opinions are concentrated, and where work cannot be opened up, to observe the real situation, dissect sparrows, comprehensively grasp the situation, and have a clear picture in mind.” Having the courage and skill to overcome difficulties is a necessary quality and ability for Party members and cadres to start undertakings and achieve results; it demonstrates political loyalty, shows ability and quality, tests combat skills, and reflects responsibility and action. When Comrade Xi Jinping worked in Ningde, he used a machete to cut through thorns and re
Adhere to a systematic approach, and achieve leapfrog development by “planning for the overall situation” with a long-term perspective. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: “After an investigation, one must engage
原文
调查研究是中国共产党的传家宝，是做好各项工作的基本功。中共中央《关于在全党大兴调查研究的工作方案》中提出调查研究必须坚持党的群众路线、必须坚持实事求是、必须坚持问题导向、必须坚持攻坚克难、必须坚持系统观念的“五个必须坚持”。习近平同志在福建工作期间，扑下身子，深入群众，走进田间地头、车间码头、市场社区等地，在实践中探索出了“四下基层”、“四个万家”等重要理论创见。今天，重温这段历史，对于新时代党员干部做到“五个必须坚持”，提高调查研究能力具有重要的启示意义。
坚持党的群众路线，在融入百姓“接地气”中增进感情。习近平总书记在2019年春季学期中央党校（国家行政学院）中青年干部培训班开班式上告诫领导干部：“要拜人民为师、向人民学习，放下架子、扑下身子，接地气、通下情，深入开展调查研究，解剖麻雀，发现典型，真正把群众面临的问题发现出来，把群众的意见反映上来，把群众创造的经验总结出来。”全心全意为人民服务是中国共产党的根本宗旨。1988年，刚就任宁德地委书记的习近平同志亲自参加了霞浦县首次举办的“地、县领导接待群众来访日”活动，与102名来访群众对话，受理各类问题86件，当场答复解决12件，其余的要求相关部门在一个月内处理完毕，变群众“上访”为干部“下坊”，并形成了“信访接待下基层”的重大理论创见。1990年，时任福州市委书记的习近平同志，开展了“进万家门、知万家情、解万家忧、办万家事”的“四个万家”行动，拓展了党员干部联系群众的广度。调查研究必须坚持党的群众路线，是习近平同志调查研究的鲜明品格，其实质是对“我是谁、为了谁、怎么办”的深入回答。
坚持实事求是，在现场调研“只唯实”中感悟作风。习近平总书记强调：“坚持从实际出发，前提是深入实际、了解实际，只有这样才能做到实事求是。”调查研究必须不唯上、不唯书、只唯实，通过理论联系实际，使工作思路、举措、方案符合实际情况、符合客观规律、符合科学精神。刚就任宁德地委书记的习近平同志，不搞“新官上任三把火”，不是马上打响开动建新城、开发港口、修铁路“三大战役”，而是马不停蹄地到闽东9个县、13个乡镇、18个村、12家工厂电站和学校进行调查研究，参观了毗邻的浙南温州、苍南、乐清等地，通过深入扎实的调查研究之后，形成了《弱鸟如何先飞——闽东九县调查随感》的调查报告，同时结合闽东老、少、边、岛、穷的现实态势，提出了“弱鸟可望先飞”“扶贫先要扶志”等重要的理论创见。习近平同志坚持一切从实际出发，脚踏实地搞调研，因地制宜谋发展，为党员干部保持实事求是的调研之风树立了榜样。
坚持问题导向，在带着问题“马上办”中提升成效。习近平总书记强调：“既要‘身入’基层，更要‘心到’基层，听真话、察真情，真研究问题、研究真问题，不能搞作秀式调研、盆景式调研、蜻蜓点水式调研。”坚持问题导向是马克思主义的鲜明特点，调查研究要把问题作为研究制定政策的起点，作为打开局面的突破口。习近平同志在福州工作的时候，要求市委政研室的干部们不能坐在办公室“拍脑袋决策”，避免从政策研究到政策研究的务虚工作，必须沉到基层一线，真正把情况摸清、把问题找准、把对策提实，并把调研情况以“一事一报”反映在《福州调研》供决策参考。为了及时解决问题，促进发展提速增效，习近平同志还创新提出了“真抓实干，马上就办”的工作作风。每个时代总有属于它自己的问题，在新的征程上，我们要科学地认识、准确地把握、正确地解决我国发展和我们党执政面临的重大理论和实践问题，从问题中找答案，从调研中拓路径。
坚持攻坚克难，在急难愁盼“破难题”中彰显担当。习近平总书记强调：“要大兴调查研究之风，多到分管领域的基层一线去，多到困难多、群众意见集中、工作打不开局面的地方去，体察实情、解剖麻雀，全面掌握情况，做到心中有数。”勇于善于攻坚克难，是党员干部干事创业必需的能力品质，彰显的是政治忠诚，展现的是能力素质，考验的是斗争本领，体现的是担当作为。习近平同志在宁德工作时，一路用柴刀砍掉荆棘苇杆，冒着酷暑、沿着山路“三进下党乡”，就地召开办公会，依据调研情况制定发展计划。在面对宁德一些干部违法占地乱建房子问题，习近平同志以“宁愿得罪占地盖房的3000多名干部，决不得罪270万闽东人民”的斗争精神，坚决查处了违法乱纪行为。越是伟大的事业，越是充满挑战，越需要知重负重、攻坚克难。在新的征程上，我们必须以攻坚克难的改革勇气和永不懈怠的责任担当，把调查研究成果转化为推进工作、战胜困难的实际成效。
坚持系统观念，在立足长远“谋全局”中跨越发展。习近平总书记强调：“调查结束后一定要进行深入细致的思考，进行一番交换、比较、反复的工作，把零散的认识系统化，把粗浅的认识深刻化，直至找到事物的本质规律，找到解决问题的正确办法。”系统观念是马克思主义哲学重要的认识论和方法论，这要求我们必须普遍联系地而不是孤立地、系统地而不是零散地进行调查研究。时任厦门副市长的习近平同志立足于当前，着眼于长远，对厦门充分调研后，组织专家学者编制了《1985年—2000年厦门经济社会发展战略》，为厦门的快速发展积蓄了强大的势能。后来任福州市委书记时，习近平同志专门指导成立了北上、南下两个调研组，对福州未来3年、8年、20年的发展作出了系统规划，形成了《福州市20年经济社会发展战略设想》，这一伟大的“3820”战略为福州的永续发展注入了持久的动力。在新的征程上，党和国家各项事业发展面临着战略机遇与风险挑战并存的复杂环境，党员干部必须坚持系统观念，对各项事业进行前瞻性思考、全局性谋划、战略性布局、整体性推进，实现质量、结构、规模、速度、效益和安全有机统一的发展。
（作者系福建农林大学马克思主义学院副教授）