Xi Jinping working together with locals during an investigation tour in 1989 when he was secretary of Ningde Prefectural Party Committee, Fujian Province. [Photo/china.org.cn]

China's top leader Xi Jinping opened his heart to 206 county-level Party chiefs and advised them as a caring elder to go all out to achieve the new standards for officials before they return to their posts this weekend after two months of intensive studies.

"Your job as county-level Party secretary is not easy at all," Xi said, sharing his feelings with the county leaders in Beijing on Jan 12 with his easy-going manner. "The official rank is not high, but the responsibilities are, so is the pressure," Xi said. But the officials have to "keep deep at heart the Party, the people, the responsibilities and self-admonition".

Simplified in Chinese as "four must haves for new officials", the requirements are highlighted as the new criteria that Party officials should achieve in clean governance.

The first group of participants at the two-month study program were enamored by Xi's understanding and personal touch. Xi recounted his days, especially the hardships he faced, as Party secretary of Zhengding county in Hebei province from 1983 to 1985.

At the center of local power, county chiefs face many temptations and risk falling prey to human weaknesses that often make them objects of misunderstanding and complaints. They have the power to promote hundreds of local officials, decide the fortunes of businesses and affect the fate of up to a million people each, which makes them "the subject of entrapment" by interest groups, Xi warned.

Subordinates curry their favor, businesspeople tend to use them as gold mines, villagers could come up to them to get their grievances redressed and farmers would approach them to get their produce sold and for other kinds of help.

These problems are the reason why Xi is emphasizing that Party chiefs at the county and other levels undergo special training to effectively implement the strategic formula for market-oriented governance according to the rule of law.

Xi cited the Party's role model Jiao Yulu and his personal experience in Zhengding to impress upon the county chiefs the importance of their functions.