A trademark of Xi Jinping’s governing style is his determination to combat corruption with an iron fist, regardless of the status of the perpetrator. As early as 1988 in Ningde, Fujian Province, Xi led a successful drive to end illegal land occupation.

　　習近平從嚴治黨、鐵腕反腐的治國方略，使他近年在海內外都獲得了非常高的評價。回溯習近平根植人民、情系群眾、致力反腐的“初心”之源，還要從他1988年開始擔任福建寧德地委書記說起。

　　Xi Jinping was the Party chief of the CPC Ningde Prefectural Committee from 1988 to 1990, despite being the youngest member on the committee.

　　1988年6月，34歲的習近平赴任寧德地委書記，成為當時寧德地委班子中最年輕的一個。

　　Shortly after taking office, Xi spent a month in villages, companies, schools and government departments to conduct surveys. People told him that some officials illegally used public land to build their own houses. Xi was determined to stop the illegal land occupation. He led a team on the first steps of an anti-corruption drive in Ningde.

　　1988年的冬天，當時寧德地區的干部隊伍受陳舊觀念的影響，紛紛占地建房。在廣泛深入調查研究的基礎上，習近平決心把查處干部違法違紀占地建房問題作為懲治腐敗的突破口在全區全面展開。

　　Xi commented on this when interviewed in 2003:

　　在2003年11月接受《東方時空》的采訪時，他這樣談到當年的經歷：

　　“我就問當時的一個紀委副書記

　　Xi Jinping: I asked an official of the discipline commission

　　我說你覺得老百姓意見大不大

　　“Do you think ordinary people are happy with the situation?

　　群眾意見大不大

　　Are the masses happy with it?”

　　大

　　He said of course not.

　　是不是當前影響積極性最大的問題

　　I asked: “Isn't it harming people's productivity?”

　　是

　　He said, “yes.”

　　我們將近三百萬人該得罪 還是這兩三千人該得罪

　　Then I asked if we should upset about three million people or thousands of officials who violated the Party's discipline.

　　他說那當然是寧肯得罪這兩三千人

　　He said, of course we would rather offend the two or three thousand officials.

　　我說那咱們就干 要干就干成 義無反顧 開弓沒有回頭箭

　　I replied, we shall do this, and strive for it without turning back.”