Chapter 604

Before Li Jinran could be happy for three seconds, "but" arrived.

Before Li Jinran could be happy for three seconds, "but" arrived.

We need to keep the exclamation mark. So: Before Li Jinran could be happy for three seconds, "but" arrived!

Lu Fan continued: "But, cultivating cadres must be gradual. Fast‑growing timber is soft and cannot become top‑grade material; slow‑growing timber, though slow to mature, can serve as beams and pillars. Promoting him directly to the posts of municipal Party Committee standing committee member and vice mayor, while not violating organizational principles, is still somewhat rash."

Translation: Lu Fan continued: "But, cultivating cadres must be gradual. Fast-growing timber is sparse and hard to become top-grade; slow-growing timber takes long to mature but can serve as beams. Promoting him directly to a Municipal Party Committee standing committee member and vice mayor, while not violating organizational principles, is somewhat rash!"

We need to keep quotes and punctuation. Use English punctuation.

Yesterday I met with Secretary Jingchen and also spoke with Governor Linghao; the Provincial Party Committee intends to appoint him as vice mayor of Xinzhong City, while the Organization Department's Division One Section Chief Hu Tiankang will go to Luojun City to serve as a municipal Party Committee standing committee member and vice mayor—wouldn't that be more appropriate?

Translation: Yesterday, I met with Secretary Jingchen and also communicated with Governor Linghao; the Provincial Party Committee's intention is to place him in the position of vice mayor of Xinzhong City, while the Section Chief of Division One of the Organization Department, Hu Tiankang, will go to Luojun City to serve as a standing committee member of the Municipal Party Committee and vice mayor—wouldn't that be more appropriate?

The Section Chief of Division One of the Organization Department, Hu Tiankang, goes to Luojun City to serve as a standing committee member of the Municipal Party Committee and vice mayor.

Yesterday I met with Secretary Jingchen and also spoke with Governor Linghao; the Provincial Party Committee intends to appoint him as vice mayor of Xinzhong City, while the Organization Department's Division One Section Chief Hu Tiankang will go to Luojun City to serve as a municipal Party Committee standing committee member and vice mayor—wouldn't that be more appropriate?

Although Li Jinran was displeased, Lu Fan, the deputy provincial Party secretary and head of the Organization Department, could not directly contradict him, and instead replied courteously: "Secretary, we are focusing on Luojun's development, optimizing structure, selecting the strong and placing them in key positions, upholding the principle of picking the good from the good and the best from the best, fully considering the overall cadre allocation and actual needs, after repeated deliberation, our preliminary recommended candidates still hope the Provincial Party Committee and the Organization Department will give them special consideration and strong support."

Translation: Although Li Jinran was unhappy, Lu Fan is the Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and also heads the Organization Department, so he couldn't directly rebut; he responded tactfully: "Secretary, we are focusing on Luojun's development, optimizing structure, and selecting the best to strengthen our goals—adhering to selecting the good from the better and the best from the good, taking overall account of the team's composition and actual needs, after repeated deliberation we initially proposed these candidates; please have the Provincial Party Committee and the Organization Department give them key consideration and strong support."

We need to keep quotes.

Lu Fan frowned and said earnestly: "Raw jade needs fine carving, and talent needs tempering; pulling up seedlings doesn't help them grow, and haste makes waste. Careful carving and fine polishing, advancing step by step."

Translation: Lu Fan furrowed his brows and said earnestly: "Unpolished jade still needs fine carving, and talent still needs polishing; pulling up seedlings does not help them grow, and haste makes waste. Fine carving and gradual progress."

These days

Translation: Nowadays, some localities still make the mistake of "pulling up seedlings to help them grow" when cultivating young cadres, dreaming of instant promotion, only to be "removed completely," ruining their prospects and careers.

The growth of cadres follows a pattern; just as a sapling must take root before becoming a towering tree, there must be a period of laying a solid foundation. Only by taking each step firmly can one go further and more steadily. Without undergoing repeated trials and hard training, having shallow roots and empty knowledge, even if placed in an important post, one often lacks the virtue and ability to fulfill the role. Virtue not matching the position will inevitably bring disaster. The rapid "rocket‑style" promotion of young cadres—who rise quickly but fall hard—proves this point.

Translation: Cadre growth follows a pattern; from sapling to towering tree, there must be a period of taking root. Only by making each step solid can one go further and steadier. Without undergoing countless trials and hard tempering, with shallow foundations and empty knowledge, even if placed in an important post, one often lacks both virtue and ability to cope. Virtue mismatched with position will surely bring disaster. The fact that young cadres promoted in a "rocket‑style" fashion rise quickly but fall hard proves this point!

You have your own considerations, but the Provincial Party Committee is looking at the overall situation when arranging the leadership teams of all cities and counties; differences are inevitable, but I think we need to strengthen our ideological understanding, raise our political stance, establish a holistic perspective, and implement the Provincial Party Committee's intentions.

Translation: You have your considerations, but the Provincial Party Committee is looking at the overall allocation of teams across all cities and counties; disagreements are inevitable, but I think we need to strengthen our understanding, raise our political stance, establish a holistic perspective, and implement the Provincial Party Committee's intent.

Hearing the determination in Lu Fan's words, Li Jingran realized his recommendation might come to nothing, but since the speaker is a Provincial Party Committee leader, it would be inappropriate to openly oppose him, and causing a rift with the Organization Department would not be good. So he said, "Secretary, Luojun City fully supports and will resolutely follow the Provincial Party Committee's decision…"

Translation: Sensing the firmness in Lu Fan's words, Li Jinran realized his recommendation might go "down the drain," but since the person is a Provincial Party Committee leader, it's not advisable to openly oppose him, and causing a rift with the Organization Department wouldn't be good either; thus he said: "Secretary, Luojun City fully supports and will resolutely follow the Provincial Party Committee's decision..."

On the morning of October 15, Lu Fan again reported the personnel adjustment plan to Secretary Wang Jingchen, and they initially reached an agreement.

Translation: On the morning of October 15, Lu Fan again reported the personnel adjustment plan to Secretary Wang Jingchen, and they initially reached a consensus.

At 4 p. m., Secretary Wang Jingchen convened a meeting of the Provincial Party Committee's five‑person group to discuss personnel matters.

Translation: At 4 p. m., Secretary Wang Jingchen convened a meeting of the Provincial Party Committee's Five‑Person Group to discuss personnel matters.

The five‑person group is not a formal decision‑making body; it is an informal gathering of the main leadership members held before the Standing Committee meeting, primarily aimed at unifying thinking and eliminating differences of opinion.

Translation: The Five‑Person Group is not a formal decision‑making body; it is a pre‑standing‑committee meeting of the main team members to unify thinking and eliminate differences of opinion.

For cadre appointments and removals, the five‑person group conducts a limited study, decides on candidates for promotion, reaches a consensus of thought, and then submits the matter to the Standing Committee for further study. The advantage is that, in cadre promotion and appointment, the leadership team can unify its thinking and act in unison. When there are disagreements over appointments, they usually postpone discussion to another day rather than bring the issue to the Standing Committee.

Translation: For cadre personnel appointments, the Five‑Person Group conducts a small‑scale study, determines promotion candidates, reaches ideological consensus, and then submits the matter to the standing committee for review. The advantage is that during cadre appointments, the leadership can unify thinking and act in unison. When there are disagreements over appointments, they usually postpone further discussion to another day rather than submitting it to the standing committee.

To a certain extent, the will of the five‑person group guides the decisions of other Standing Committee members, acting as the leading goose for local development.

Translation: To a certain extent, the will of the Five‑Person Group guides the other standing committee members' decisions; it is the leading goose of local development.

At the meeting, Lu Fan reported the current vacancies and put forward preliminary candidates.

Translation: At the meeting, Lu Fan reported the vacancy situation and put forward preliminary candidates.

Since the matter was able to be discussed at the meeting, everyone understood the situation; after Liu Linghao, Zhao Lingyun, and Wang Jingchen each expressed their views, the personnel plan was unanimously approved.

Translation: Being able to discuss it at the meeting, everyone understood implicitly; after Liu Linghao, Zhao Lingyun, and Wang Jingchen each voiced their opinions, the personnel plan was unanimously approved.

On October 18, the Provincial Party Committee's Organization Department dispatched six inspection teams to conduct organizational inspections and talks with the personnel slated for adjustment.

Translation: On October 18, the Provincial Party Committee's Organization Department dispatched six inspection teams to conduct organizational inspections and talks with the personnel slated for adjustment.

After finishing the inspection talks, Hu Tiankang, head of the First Division of the Provincial Party Committee's Organization Department, immediately went to Lu Fan's office to express his gratitude.

Translation: After finishing the inspection talks, Organization Department Division One Section Chief Hu Tiankang immediately went to Lu Fan's office to express his gratitude.

Lu Fan said earnestly: "For young cadres to make a difference at the grassroots level is an important way to realize personal value, serve society, and promote local development. Shouldering responsibility brings growth; fulfilling responsibility brings progress. They should actively go to the front lines at the grassroots, always maintain an energetic and uplifting spirit, share sweat and work with the masses, hear sincere words, learn true knowledge, grasp profound truths, measure the land with their footsteps, and ensure each step of their growth is steadier and more solid."

Translation: Lu Fan said earnestly: "For young cadres to make a difference at the grassroots is an important way to realize personal value, serve society, and promote local development. Shouldering responsibility brings growth; fulfilling it brings progress. They should actively go to the grassroots front lines, always maintain an energetic and uplifting spirit, share sweat and endeavors with the masses, hear sincere words, learn true knowledge, comprehend the ultimate truth, measure the earth with their steps, and let each step of their growth be steadier and more solid."

Hu Tiankang replied with tears of gratitude: "Please rest assured, Secretary, I will surely overcome difficulties and forge ahead, fulfill my duties conscientiously, and never disappoint your trust and expectations; I will never let you down."

Translation: Hu Tiankang replied with tears of gratitude: "Please rest assured, Secretary; I will surely overcome obstacles, forge ahead, be dutiful and wholeheartedly responsible, never disappoint your trust and expectations, and never let you down!"

After Hu Tiankang left, Zheng Jiang from the Evaluation Office hurried in behind him, looking somewhat excited, and said, "Secretary, thank you so much for your patronage! I never imagined you would send me to the Provincial Development and Reform Commission…" He was indeed a bit dazed, because he had neither lobbied nor given gifts, yet he had been inspected without anyone noticing.

Translation: After Hu Tiankang left, Zheng Jiangjin of the Evaluation Office followed him in, his expression slightly excited, and said: "Secretary, thank you so much for your patronage! I never imagined you would send me to the Provincial Development and Reform Commission..." He really was a bit dazed, because he had neither run nor given gifts, yet he had been inspected without a sound.

Lu Fan interrupted: "Evaluation work is closely tied to economic indicators and development; going to the Development and Reform Commission is a good professional fit. Once there, you should continue to strengthen your studies, raise your political stance, consider and arrange work from a provincial perspective, and truly achieve learning well, organizing well, planning well, and implementing well in economic policy."

Translation: Lu Fan interrupted: "Evaluation work is closely tied to economic indicators and development; going to the Development and Reform Commission is a good professional match. Once there, you must continue to strengthen your studies, raise your political stance, consider and arrange work from the height of the whole province, and ensure that economic‑work policies are studied well, organized well, planned well, and implemented well."

Shoulder the responsibility—take on the work tasks. You must be conscientious and responsible in your work, with a rigorous attitude, quickly adapt to the job, find your proper role, and demonstrate new initiatives and achieve new results in your new position. Moreover, to forge strong iron you must first be strong yourself: you should work to a higher standard, discipline your words and deeds more strictly, lead by example, practice integrity and self‑discipline, consciously maintain a sense of awe and self‑restraint, and always remain clean and honest.

Translation: Shoulder the responsibility—take on the work tasks. You must be conscientious and responsible in your work, with a rigorous attitude, quickly adapt to the job, find your proper role, and demonstrate new achievements in your new post. Moreover, to forge iron you must be strong yourself; you should work to a higher standard, bind your words and deeds with stricter discipline, lead by example, practice self‑discipline and integrity, consciously maintain a sense of awe and restraint, and always uphold integrity and cleanliness.

"Please rest assured, Secretary, I will certainly not embarrass you or the Organization Department."

Translation: "Please rest assured, Secretary; I will certainly not let you or the Organization Department down!"

On October 26, the Provincial Party Committee held a Standing Committee meeting, with Lu Fan responsible for presenting three agenda items: the "Regulations on Rectifying Formalism to Reduce Burdens on the Grassroots in Huayuan Province" (discussion draft), the "Plan for Standardizing the Clearance of Non‑staff Employment in Huayuan Province," and the "Cadre Adjustment Plan." These were the main items of today's meeting, attracting close attention from grassroots cadres and non‑staff personnel.

Translation: On October 26, the Provincial Party Committee convened its standing committee meeting, with Lu Fan responsible for reporting three agenda items: the "Draft Regulations on Rectifying Formalism to Reduce Burdens at the Grassroots in Huayuan Province," the "Huayuan Province Plan for Standardizing the Cleanup of Non‑Staff Personnel Employment," and the "Cadre Adjustment Plan"—the main focus of today's meeting, drawing close attention from grassroots cadres and non‑staff personnel.

The fourth agenda item, Lu Fan reported on "grassroots burden reduction," saying: "Grassroots cadres endure pressure from both superior governments and local residents, placing them in a vulnerable position; they must undertake tasks layered on by upper‑level departments, sometimes even having to sign responsibility statements that become a 'death warrant,' leaving them exhausted preparing materials, attending meetings, and accompanying inspections, causing work to become merely formal and superficial. The main problems are as follows:"

Translation: The fourth agenda item, Lu Fan reported on "grassroots burden reduction," saying: "Grassroots cadres bear bidirectional pressure from higher‑level governments and the local populace, placing them in a vulnerable position; they must undertake tasks piled on by superior departments, even having to sign 'responsibility statements' that become 'death warrants,' leaving them exhausted preparing materials, attending meetings, and accompanying inspections, causing work to become merely formal and superficial, with the following ten major problems:"

1) "Either in a meeting or on the way to one"—grassroots cadres not only have to attend various meetings at different levels and departments, but also need to sit in meetings unrelated to their work, just for the sake of meeting. Before a meeting they must prepare materials and speeches; after the meeting they must organize minutes, which seriously encroaches on their working time.

Translation: 1. "Either in a meeting or on the way to one"—grassroots cadres must attend various meetings of different levels and departments, and even sit in meetings unrelated to their work, just for the sake of meeting. Beforehand they must prepare meeting and speech materials; afterward they must collate meeting records, severely eating into their working time.

2) Superior‑assigned and temporary tasks are numerous; sometimes a notice is issued at noon and results are demanded by afternoon, and frequently, just before quitting time, they are asked for materials, data, summaries, etc. —purely unrealistic and fanciful.

Translation: 2. Superior‑assigned and ad‑hoc tasks are numerous; sometimes a notice is issued at noon with results demanded by afternoon, and they often demand materials, data, or summaries just before quitting time—purely unrealistic and fanciful.

3) Heavy reception duties. On one hand, the many types and high frequency of inspections and evaluations consume large amounts of time as cadres accompany inspection, supervision, and evaluation teams; on the other hand, grassroots cadres must also cope with various research groups, providing all kinds of materials, assisting in interviews, and taking on much extra work.

Translation: 3. Reception duties are heavy. On one hand, the many inspection and evaluation items, occurring frequently, consume large amounts of time as cadres accompany inspection, supervision, and assessment teams; on the other hand, grassroots cadres must also cope with various research teams, providing all kinds of materials, assisting in interviews, and bearing much extra work.

4) Worries about promotion and reputation. Grassroots affairs are complicated, workloads are heavy, and pay is low, leaving little room for advancement; they must also constantly monitor performance indicators to avoid blame from superiors, which puts grassroots cadres in a state of "unwilling to act" and "afraid to act," causing most of them to want to leave townships.

Translation: 4. Worry over promotion and concern for reputation. Grassroots affairs are cumbersome, workloads large, pay low, advancement opportunities narrow, and they must closely watch evaluation indicators to avoid blame from superiors, leaving many cadres in a state of "unwilling to act" and "afraid to act," with most wishing to leave townships.

5) Inaccurate role positioning and unclear duties. Due to insufficient staff, limited finances, and restricted staffing at grassroots governments, cadres often hold multiple positions and juggle many jobs, causing role confusion. Furthermore, some grassroots cadres prematurely adopt a retirement lifestyle, "going through the motions" and "just getting by," doing work without effort. Colleagues shift blame and wrangle, departments pass the buck, and work is carried out based on experience and subjective guesswork, seriously undermining administrative efficiency and effectiveness.

Translation: 5. Inaccurate role positioning and unclear duties. Grassroots governments lack manpower and finances, leading to cadres holding multiple posts and juggling several jobs, causing role confusion. Moreover, some grassroots cadres prematurely enjoy a retired lifestyle, "dragging their feet" and "just getting by," doing work without effort. Colleagues shift blame and wrangle, departments kick the ball back and forth, relying on experience and subjective guesses to carry out work, severely hindering administrative efficiency and work outcomes.

「……

Translation: "…… (the ellipsis indicates continuation). We'll keep as "……"

The problems Lu Fan mentioned provoked reflection among the attendees; some were already familiar, and when summed up they indeed felt the situation was quite serious.

Translation: The problems Lu Fan raised provoked contemplation among the attendees; some were familiar to everyone, and taken together they indeed felt very serious.

Lu Fan continued: "To reduce the burden on grassroots levels, we must first alleviate the 'bottlenecks' that hinder entrepreneurial drive, thereby releasing that energy. By streamlining work procedures, optimizing evaluation methods, and similar measures, we can free grassroots cadres from trivial tasks, giving them more time and energy to focus on their core duties."

Translation: Lu Fan continued: "To reduce the burden on grassroots cadres, we must first ease the 'bottlenecks' that hinder entrepreneurial drive, thereby releasing that energy. By streamlining work flows and optimizing evaluation methods, etc., we can free cadres from trivial tasks so they have more time and energy for their core duties.

We need to establish long‑term incentive policies, such as performance‑based pay and promotions, so that grassroots cadres receive tangible rewards when they achieve results, thereby stimulating work enthusiasm and improving efficiency.

Translation: We need to establish long‑term incentive policies, such as performance‑based wages and position promotions, so that when cadres achieve results they receive tangible rewards, thereby boosting work enthusiasm and effectiveness.

Grassroots burden reduction must also target the 'weak points' that hinder livelihood‑improvement initiatives. We need to strengthen problem screening, truly identify the roots of formalism, and by abolishing 'institutional walls,' introducing fault‑tolerance mechanisms, reducing surprise inspections, and strictly enforcing the 'four no‑two direct' approach, we can free grassroots cadres from the fear of being held accountable.

Translation: Reducing the grassroots burden also means easing the 'weak points' that hinder livelihood‑improvement measures. We must strengthen problem screening, truly locate the root of formalism, and by abolishing 'institutional walls,' introducing fault‑tolerance mechanisms, cutting surprise inspections, and strictly enforcing the 'four no‑two direct' approach, we can free cadres from the fear of being held accountable.

Grassroots burden reduction requires a substantial, layer‑by‑layer streamlining of documents and meetings, ensuring that documents issued to county‑level and below, as well as the number of meetings held, are cut by 30% to 50%. We should promote a 'short, practical, innovative' writing style, avoid pompous and empty verbosity, and limit policy documents to no more than ten pages when printed.

Translation: Grassroots burden reduction requires a layer‑by‑layer major cutback in documents and meetings, ensuring that documents issued to county‑level and below and the number of meetings held drop by 30%–50%. We should promote a 'short‑practical‑new' writing style, avoid pompous emptiness, and limit policy documents to no more than ten pages.

Hold fewer meetings, keep them short, and make them effective. Superior meetings should only go down one level, not be layered repeatedly. It is strictly forbidden to arbitrarily raise meeting standards or expand their scale; without approval, one may not require the principal leaders of Party committees and governments or department heads to attend, thereby reducing the need for accompaniment.

Translation: Hold fewer meetings, keep them short, and hold only effective ones. Superior meetings should go only to the next level, not be layered. It is forbidden to arbitrarily raise meeting standards or expand scale; without approval, one may not demand that party and government leaders and department heads attend, thereby reducing attendance as mere companions.

To improve meeting effectiveness, we must avoid merely reading from documents, making empty statements, or deliberately passing along information without overnight consideration; we must firmly prevent discussing the same issue without reaching a decision and holding repeated meetings. The Provincial Party Committee Organization Department and the Provincial Discipline Inspection Commission will conduct both open and undercover inspections, launching a special campaign across the province to treat the 'sea of meetings and mountains of documents' problem.

Translation: To improve meeting effectiveness, avoid merely reading from scripts, avoid vague statements, and avoid deliberately transmitting information without overnight consideration; firmly prevent matters from being discussed but not decided, leading to repeated meetings. The Provincial Party Committee's Organization Department and Provincial Discipline Inspection Committee will conduct covert inspections and launch a special campaign to treat the "sea of meetings and mountains of documents" across the province.

「……

Translation: "…… (continuation). We'll keep as "……"

On this issue, Lu Fan spoke for a full half hour, denouncing the problems, putting forward 18 provisions to reduce burdens at the grassroots level, and proposed forming a working group composed of the Provincial Party Committee Organization Department, the Provincial Discipline Inspection Committee, the Provincial Party Committee Supervision Office, and the Provincial Government Supervision Office, to be fully responsible for grassroots burden reduction work.