Relying on fieldwork conducted in two provinces, this article provides a systemic study of China's Government Work Reports (GWRs), examining their function, format, how they are formulated and implemented, their content and their research values. Whilst the existing literature mostly focuses on central government reports, this research integrates GWRs from all administrative levels. I argue that over time, the GWRs have developed into a highly institutionalized nationwide system with two important aspects – local elites’ autonomy in setting work agendas, and their compliance with central government policy priorities. Additionally, my study shows that by using quantifiable targets and celebrating achievements framed in concrete statistics, the GWRs help to sustain the legitimacy of the party-state. Finally, my study finds GWRs to be a versatile scholarly resource that can be used for various research interests and methods.

基于对两个省的实地考察和调研, 本文系统地研究了中国政府工作报告——包括它的功能、格式、如何被制作完成和实施、内容及其研究价值。现有的相关文献多是侧重于中央政府工作报告, 而本文的研究则涵盖了从中央到地方的所有层级。本文的主要观点是: 随着时间的推移, 政府工作报告已经发展为一个全国性的、高度制度化的体系, 而且这个体系呈现出两个突出特征——地方政府精英对规划本地政府工作重心的自主性, 和对中央政府大政方针保持的高度一致性。此外, 本研究发现, 政府工作报告通过坚实的数据量化本年度准备完成的工作目标和上年度的成就, 以此来巩固政府的执政合法性。最后, 研究显示, 政府工作报告中详实多样的各种数据和内容对从不同领域和利用各种方法研究中国的学者都提供了海量的资源。