Xi stresses role of county Party chiefs

County-level officials admonished to govern effectively to achieve political, social stability

China's top leader, Xi Jinping, reconnected with his past when he met on Monday with a group of officials who are now doing the job he once performed as a county-level Party chief in Zhengding county, Hebei province, from 1983 to 1985.

Xi met in Beijing with a group of 200 grassroots officials from across the country to share his views on the anti-graft campaign and his vision for China's future political development, Xinhua News Agency reported on Monday.

The face-to-face meeting of grassroots officials with the country's head was said to be unprecedented since China's reform and opening-up in 1978.

The officials were attending a training session at the Party School of the Central Committee of the CPC that opened on Nov 14 and runs through Thursday.

"If the counties and prefectures govern effectively, we will have stable political power," Xi told the officials, adding that they have the primary responsibility for maintaining political and social stability.

There are more than 2,800 county-or district-level Party officials nationwide who have direct charge of local political, economic and cultural affairs.

Xi said that county-level officials should perform their duties in service of the people, show strict self-discipline and move against corruption. "Power should be used for the public benefit, rather than abusing it for personal benefits or in the pursuit of pleasure," Xi said.

Since November 2012, when the new leadership assumed office, Xi has attached great importance to the governance of grassroots Party chiefs.

In 2013, he visited Shan-dong province and read a pair of couplets warning county-level Party officials to make clear the relationship between officials and the public.

In 2014, while conducting research in Lankao county in Henan province, he called on Party members to learn from the selfless dedication of Jiao Yulu, a former Party official in Lankao who died of liver cancer in 1964.

During the recent meeting, Xi announced a nationwide campaign to train grassroots Party officials in the latest political theories of the central leadership.

According to Pi Yijun, a professor of law at China University of Political Science and Law, the county-level Party officials are the link between the top leaders and residents, and officials "who take charge of local political, economic, cultural and social affairs will reinforce political stability and national security".

"In addition, the training measure will effectively curb lots of corruption," Pi said.