Refers to major policy objectives as defined by Beijing at the 19th Party Congress in October 2017: preventing and defusing financial risks, alleviating poverty, and controlling pollution. While the wording of each aim has shifted since the announcement and the overall depiction has moved from ‘battles’ to ‘sieges’ (indicating the obstacles encountered and the urgency of the tasks), provincial and local officials continue to be evaluated by how strenuously these goals are pursued.