BEIJING, June 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — For Chinese President Xi Jinping, words and deeds of his father Xi Zhongxun (1913-2002) embodying the principle of “being a public servant of the people” are a great family heirloom that runs deep in his outlook on life, work, and philosophy.

In the exhibition hall of the premises of the former prefectural Party committee of Suide of northwest China’s Shaanxi Province, one line of words is particularly striking: “sit upright on the side of the people,” which was said by Xi Zhongxun who was once also the Party chief of Suide County.

“My father required us to live a simple life. Our clothes were not only all patched up, but also were hand-me-downs from elder brothers and sisters. Elder brothers handed down their clothes to younger sisters, and then the younger sisters handed them down to younger brothers. We were not allowed to leave a grain of rice on the plate. My family has strict revolutionary traditions,” said President Xi.

Xi Zhongxun taught his children through words and deeds, and required them to remain true to their original aspirations. He was “from the people” and had the people in his heart, practicing the mass line throughout his life.

Xi Zhongxun’s words and deeds had a profound impact on Xi Jinping. From a small village to the Party Central Committee, and from village Party secretary to the general secretary of the Party, Xi Jinping has always cared about the people and the country, devoted himself to the people and regarded the people’s aspiration for a better life as his ultimate goal.

“His requirement is to work well, study well, and handle everything well. For us, it’s a motto that we must pass on to future generations. When Xi Zhongxun joined the revolution, he did not regard himself as a cadre, but as an ordinary person, doing mass work village by village, household by household,” said Qi Xin, mother of Xi Jinping.

“He had always believed that I should be a part of the people, and should never separate from them. My grandfather was a farmer, my father joined the revolution as a farmer, and I myself worked as a farmer for seven years. The concerns of the people are what I have always cared about. Things of the people are the most important things,” said President Xi.

“From the people, for the people, benefit the people.” These words and deeds of Xi’s father are the relay, inheritance, and promotion of the revolutionary spirit of the two generations of Chinese communists. They convey the deep love between father and son, and the commitment to being a public servant for the people.