Chen Yun’s motto was “not only superiors, not only books, only reality” (不唯上、不唯书、只唯实). He paired it with a method: “exchange, compare, repeat” (交换、比较、反复). Exchange views to see a question more completely. Compare different plans to reach the right conclusion. Consider again and again before making the final decision.
On January 24, 1990, he wrote the words on a scroll for Li Zemin, then party secretary of Zhejiang.