BEIJING -- A light bulb is not something most people would associate with governance.

Yet nearly four decades ago, while working in one of the poorest parts of East China's Fujian province as the Party chief of Ningde prefecture, Xi Jinping told local officials that ensuring access to everyday necessities for people living in remote areas, even items as basic as light bulbs and soap, was also a measure of good governance.

This remark highlighted a universal and profound question: should one evaluate an official's performance based on short-term economic gains, visible projects, formal accolades, or tangible improvements in people's well-being?

Xi answered with what he described as "a correct understanding of what it means to perform well," a guiding principle for officials that prioritizes people's well-being and values long-term, tangible results that may not be immediately visible, yet delivered through sound decision-making and concrete actions.

In late February, the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, with Xi at the core, initiated a Party-wide study campaign, prodding its members, particularly officials at the county and director level and above, to fix their mindset regarding governance performance so as to deliver results that "stand up in practice, in the eyes of the people, and over the course of time."

The campaign, which will run until July, aims to correct misguided views on governance that often breed vanity projects, hidden risks, heavy burdens on local communities, and public discontent.

It marks the latest effort by Xi, who is now general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, Chinese president, and chairman of the Central Military Commission, to strengthen the Party's self-governance, following last year's initiative on improving conduct.

"The ever-improving effectiveness of the Party's self-governance is the ultimate guarantee for economic and social development," Xi said.

That emphasis was reiterated during an inspection tour on Monday, when Xi stressed Party leadership and Party building in developing the Xiong'an New Area -- a fledgling modern city about 100 km south of Beijing -- into an innovation hub and a model of high-quality development. Xi urged Xiong'an officials to step up to their responsibilities, devote themselves to policy implementation and deliver good results.

Party theorists said the latest study campaign focuses on strengthening the Party's political development and its ranks of officials. As China has entered the opening year of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), the fulfillment of its development goals will largely depend on whether officials act with a proper understanding of governance achievement and a down-to-earth approach.

Eduardo Regalado, a researcher at Cuba's International Policy Research Center, said fostering a correct view on performance among officials has emerged as a key concept in the CPC's governance framework for the new era, and will help China transform its development model toward greater quality, efficiency, and equity.