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

On the third day after Zhou Jin officially assumed his new post as a member of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee and Secretary of the Yancheng Municipal Party Committee, the atmosphere in the meeting room of the Municipal Party Committee Standing Committee was solemn yet warm. All the members of the Municipal Party Committee Standing Committee were present on both sides of the long conference table, each with a smile on their face—Yancheng's current development momentum was inseparable from Zhou Jin's years of dedicated work, and his promotion to Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee was a popular and well-deserved honor.

At 2:00 PM sharp, Zhou Jin entered the conference room on time. He was dressed in a navy blue suit, walked steadily, and had a gentle smile on his face. His gaze swept over each of the standing committee members present, and he nodded slightly in greeting.

"Comrades, good afternoon." Zhou Jin walked to the head seat and sat down, his voice steady and powerful. "Today is the first meeting of the Standing Committee of the Municipal Party Committee since I took over as the Party Secretary. There are no particularly important topics. It's mainly about meeting with everyone, having a chat, and building consensus."

As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Ming, Deputy Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee, stood up first and led the applause: "First of all, on behalf of the Municipal Party Committee, I warmly congratulate Secretary Zhou on his official appointment! I believe that under Secretary Zhou's leadership, all aspects of Yan'an's work will surely reach new heights!"

The other standing committee members stood up and echoed, and applause erupted.

"You're too kind, everyone." Zhou Jin gestured for everyone to sit down, her smile humble. "Yan City has achieved what it has today because our team worked together with one heart and one mind. The credit belongs to everyone here, to all the cadres and people of the city. Although my position has changed, my original intention to serve the people of Yan City remains the same, and I will continue to rely on your support in the future."

He then changed the subject, his tone becoming serious: "Today at the meeting, I mainly want to emphasize three points. First, we must uphold our political stance and resolutely implement the decisions and plans of the Provincial Party Committee. Yan'an is the leading economic city in the province and also a revolutionary base area. Every task we undertake must align with the requirements of the Provincial Party Committee and serve the overall development of the province. The Provincial Party Committee has asked us to be a benchmark, and we must shoulder this responsibility, not only developing well ourselves but also driving the surrounding cities to progress together."

"Secondly, we must maintain the stability of the leadership team and unite our efforts to achieve our goals." Zhou Jin's gaze fell on each member of the Standing Committee. "Personnel adjustments are normal work arrangements, and their core purpose is to better promote development. I hope everyone can put aside distractions, perform their duties, and work together towards a common goal. Especially in key areas such as project advancement and ensuring people's livelihood, we must not allow any gaps in our work due to personnel changes, and we must ensure a smooth transition in all aspects of our work."

"Third, we must maintain the good momentum of economic development." He opened the documents on the table, his tone resolute. "In recent years, Yancheng's economic growth rate, industrial structure, and improvement in people's livelihoods have all yielded tangible results. But we cannot be complacent. We must be soberly aware that the apple deep processing industrial chain can be extended, the brand of red tourism can be further enhanced, and the scale of high-tech industries can be expanded. Going forward, we must seek progress on the basis of stability, and seek innovation in the process of progress."

The meeting room was completely silent. The Standing Committee members listened attentively, nodding in agreement from time to time.

Zhou Jin took a sip of tea and continued, "Also, there's something else I'd like to share with everyone. Before I took office, I traveled to most of the districts and counties of Yancheng, but that was all as mayor overseeing project implementation. Now that I've changed roles, I want to immerse myself in the local life and spend a month visiting various districts, counties, townships, businesses, and farmers' homes to conduct thorough research. I want to listen to the thoughts of grassroots cadres, see the real needs of the people, and understand the shortcomings and potential for development in Yancheng."

He looked up at Liu Ming and Executive Vice Mayor Wang Hao, his tone earnest: "During my inspection, the daily work of the Municipal Party Committee will be fully handled by Deputy Secretary Liu; and the various tasks of the Municipal Government will be led by Executive Vice Mayor Wang. If there are any major issues, please communicate and consult in a timely manner to ensure that the work of the Municipal Party Committee and the Municipal Government is not affected."

Liu Ming immediately stood up, his tone firm: "Secretary Zhou, rest assured! During your inspection tour, I will definitely lead the team well, hold the line, and ensure that all the municipal party committee's plans are implemented effectively. I will not let you be distracted!"

Wang Hao quickly followed up with a statement: "I will closely monitor key projects and livelihood initiatives from the municipal government, and coordinate solutions to any problems as soon as possible to ensure that Yan'an's economic development continues at its pace and without slowing down!"

Other members of the Standing Committee also spoke up. Zhang Li, Minister of the Organization Department of the Municipal Party Committee, said, "The Organization Department will fully cooperate with the research work, while also focusing on building a strong cadre team to provide talent support for the development of Yancheng!"

Zhao Gang, Secretary of the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection, stated: "The Commission will closely monitor conduct and strictly investigate inaction and slow action to safeguard the development of the city!"

Wang Li, the head of the city's publicity department, said with a smile, "We will promptly publicize and report on Secretary Zhou's research activities so that everyone in the city knows that the first thing the new secretary did upon taking office was to go to the grassroots level to listen to the people's voices!"

Hearing everyone's statements, Zhou Jin smiled with satisfaction. He stood up, his gaze sweeping across the room, and said firmly, "Comrades, there are no shortcuts to the development of Yancheng; it depends on hard work. I believe that as long as our leadership team is united and our cadres have a solid work ethic, Yancheng's future will definitely be brighter!"

"We firmly support Secretary Zhou's decision!"

"Go all out and get things done!"

The Standing Committee members responded in unison, their loud voices echoing throughout the meeting room.

After the meeting, the Standing Committee members didn't leave immediately. They all went to Zhou Jin's side to offer their congratulations again. Liu Ming patted Zhou Jin on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Secretary Zhou, your first Standing Committee meeting set the tone and reassured everyone. Brilliant!"

Zhou Jin smiled and waved her hand: "It's all what I should do. I'll have to rely on everyone more in the future."

The setting sun streamed through the windows, casting its light on the conference room floor and illuminating the energetic faces of the Standing Committee members. Looking at this scene, Zhou Jin's resolve strengthened—as long as the leadership team remained intact and their enthusiasm undiminished, Yan City's path to development would undoubtedly become wider and wider.