Sharpening the Blade Against the Red Wall: From Hong Kong to Handong

The release of the government work report at the Yancheng Municipal People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (NPC and CPPCC) caused a sensation in Shaanxi Province and even across the country. This impressive report not only helped Yancheng shed its label as an "economically backward old revolutionary base area," but also made Zhou Jin, the 35-year-old mayor, the focus of discussion among officials at all levels.

At the Shaanxi Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee meeting, Secretary Qin Zhenbang specially distributed the work report of Yancheng City to each member of the Standing Committee, his tone full of praise: "In two years, Yancheng City's GDP has grown at an average annual rate of 18.3%, the proportion of high-tech industries exceeds the national average, and the growth rate of farmers' income leads the western region. Such achievements are unique among the old revolutionary base areas in the country! Comrade Zhou Jin has proven himself through hard work and set an example for other cities in the province!" Governor Wang Jianjun continued: "What is most commendable is that Yancheng City did not rely on resource consumption to drive growth, but on technological empowerment and industrial upgrading. Models such as apple deep processing and the digitization of red tourism can be promoted throughout the province. Now other cities in the province are inquiring about Yancheng City's experience, and many mayors have requested to lead delegations to Yancheng City for study and inspection."

Within the cadre circle, the initial doubts about Zhou Jin's "parachute appointment" have long since vanished, replaced by heartfelt admiration. "Back then, we thought 33 was too young to be the mayor of Yancheng, but now we know he's truly capable!" "A PhD in finance really makes a difference; he understands capital operations and can also immerse himself in industry development. There are so few cadres like him!" "Look at Yancheng's business environment reforms—the approval time has been reduced from 27 days to 5 days. We need to learn from their decisiveness!" Even the Northwest cadre circle, which previously harbored reservations about "outsiders," now looks at Zhou Jin with new respect: "Although Mayor Zhou is from Beijing, he has never put on airs. He reports everything to Secretary Li, doesn't form cliques in personnel matters, and only promotes cadres with proven achievements. Such a vision is truly admirable!"

Secretary Li Xiangming sat in his office, repeatedly reviewing Yancheng City's work report, a satisfied smile on his face. Two years ago, when Zhou Jin was parachuted in by the central government, he had high expectations for this young cadre, but also some concerns—worried that Zhou was too impetuous and didn't understand grassroots work, and concerned that the two wouldn't cooperate effectively. However, after two years together, Zhou Jin's performance completely dispelled his concerns. Despite having access to national pilot policies and resources, Zhou Jin always maintained a humble and low-key attitude, always consulting and reporting to him before making any decisions, never acting on his own. While he delegated considerable authority to the government, Zhou Jin never overstepped his bounds, always adhering to the principle of "the municipal party committee making decisions, the government implementing them," and the two formed a tacit cooperation of "the secretary setting the direction, the mayor ensuring implementation."

In terms of personnel, Zhou Jin was even more conscientious. In two years, Yancheng promoted only six cadres, all of whom were pragmatic and had outstanding achievements in project implementation and people's livelihood protection. Three of them were local cadres who had been working at the grassroots level for many years. Zhou Jin never recommended any of his own people, nor did he form cliques. He strictly adhered to the principle of "managing people with systems and appointing people based on performance" in cadre selection, earning the sincere respect of all cadres in the city. "It's my good fortune to work with a cadre like Zhou Jin, and it's also Yancheng's good fortune," Li Xiangming remarked. He knew that Yancheng's achievements today were inseparable from Zhou Jin's vision and pragmatic spirit, and even more so from the excellent atmosphere of mutual respect and tacit cooperation between the two. He was already considering compiling and reporting Yancheng's development experience to pave the way for Zhou Jin's future—such talent deserves to shoulder greater responsibilities.

The transformation of Yancheng has also attracted the attention of national media. The front page of the *Huaguo Daily* published a commentary titled "The 'Yancheng Code' for the Revitalization of Old Revolutionary Base Areas," which pointed out that "Yancheng has forged a new path for high-quality development in old revolutionary base areas by empowering traditional industries with technology, activating red resources with digital technology, and improving people's well-being through practical work, providing replicable and scalable experiences for the transformation of old revolutionary base areas nationwide." The *Huaguo Daily* also published a special report, detailing the transformation of the apple industry from "land price" to "brand price," and the innovative practice of digital transformation of red cultural tourism, calling it "a model of the integration of technology and tradition."

CCTV's "News Broadcast" dedicated three minutes to reporting on the grand occasion of the "Two Sessions" in Yancheng City, focusing the camera on the calligraphy scroll that read "Rooted in the Old Revolutionary Base Area, Working Hard to Revitalize the Nation," and telling the story of Zhou Jin leading the cadres and masses of Yancheng City to work hard to revitalize the city. After the program aired, Yancheng City became a benchmark for old revolutionary base areas across the country, and delegations from many places came to visit and learn from it.

Online, topics such as "Yancheng Speed" and "Model for Old Revolutionary Base Areas" continue to gain momentum. Netizens left comments such as, "So even old revolutionary base areas can be this hardcore! Thumbs up for Mayor Zhou!" and "Hopefully more old revolutionary base areas can learn from Yancheng's experience and improve the lives of their people!"

At this moment, Zhou Jin was sitting in his office, looking at the calligraphy on the wall, without a trace of pride or complacency. He knew that Yan City's achievements were just the beginning; there was still a long way to go in terms of deepening the pilot program for building a strong nation in science and technology, continuously strengthening industrial upgrading, and constantly improving people's well-being.

Qin Gang pushed open the door and handed over a document: "Mayor, the Provincial Party Committee has notified us that next month they will organize a delegation of leaders from all prefectures and cities in the province to come to Yancheng for a study tour. They asked us to prepare materials to share our experiences. In addition, more than ten central media outlets want to interview you."

Zhou Jin nodded, her tone calm: "The materials will be prepared under the leadership of the Development and Reform Commission, with a focus on practical work and innovation; please decline the interviews. The achievements are the result of the joint efforts of all the people in the city, not just my personal accomplishment."

He got up and walked to the window, gazing at the lush apple orchards and revolutionary sites in the distance. His resolve deepened: to take root in the old revolutionary base areas and work diligently to revitalize the nation—this was not only the entrustment of his former leader, but also his lifelong pursuit. The story of Yancheng continues; the revitalization of the old revolutionary base areas holds great promise for the future.