The people are the foundation of a state.
This idea comes from The Book of History. As the people are the foundation of a state, the state will have peace only when the people all lead a happy, stable life. This people-centered philosophy reminds the rulers to value the people, exercise benevolent governance, and take the people's wellbeing as the priority.
As the ruling Party, the CPC believes that "The country is its people, and the people are the country," therefore it always serves the people whole-heartedly and relies on them to make progress.
Xi Jinping has on more than one occasion elaborated on the political dictum that "The people are the foundation of a state, and the state will have peace when the foundation is solid." This reflects his people-centered philosophy on governance and his commitment to exercising power for the people.
He cited "The people are the foundation of a state" as the first of the many quotations from ancient classics to share with the teachers and students at a seminar in Peking University in May 2014.
民惟邦本
“民惟邦本”出自《尚书》，指民众是国家的根本或基础，只有百姓安居乐业、生活稳定，国家才能安定。“民惟邦本”的民本思想警示统治者要重视人民的力量，因而治理的关键在于实行仁政德治，以民生优先。中国共产党作为执政党，始终坚持“江山就是人民，人民就是江山”的鲜明立场，始终践行“全心全意为人民服务”的根本宗旨，始终依靠人民推动历史前进。
中共十八大以来，习近平在系列重要讲话中多次引用“民惟邦本，本固邦宁”的政治格言，充分表达了他一贯坚持的“以民为本，执政为民”的治国理念。2014年5月，习近平在北京大学师生座谈会上的讲话中将“民惟邦本”列为中华文化核心理念的第一条。