Governing a large state is like cooking a small fish: It must be handled with great care. 

This adage comes from the Classic of the Way and Virtue. Just as cooking a small fish requires careful heat control, right seasoning, and a minimal amount of stirring, governing a large state is a delicate balancing act that must be performed with great care.

Responding to a joint interview by the press of the BRICS countries in March 2013, Xi Jinping said: In such a big, populous and complicated country as ours, we leaders must learn what the people think and what they want. We must act conscientiously and with the utmost care "as if we were treading on thin ice, or standing on the edge of an abyss." We must cultivate the attitude that "Governing a big country is as delicate as frying a small fish," never slacken our efforts or be negligent in our work, but always devote ourselves to work and the public interest.

治大國(guó)如烹小鮮

“治大國(guó)若烹小鮮”出自《道德經(jīng)》，意即“治理國(guó)家就像烹調(diào)美味的小菜一樣”。這里以烹飪比喻治國(guó)，強(qiáng)調(diào)“烹小鮮”不能隨意翻動(dòng)，調(diào)料要恰到好處，火候要掌握得當(dāng)，如同治理國(guó)家，必須要有審慎負(fù)責(zé)的態(tài)度。

2013年3月，習(xí)近平在接受金磚國(guó)家媒體聯(lián)合采訪時(shí)談到，這樣一個(gè)大國(guó)，這樣多的人民，這么復(fù)雜的國(guó)情，領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者要深入了解人民所思所盼，要有“如履薄冰，如臨深淵”的自覺，要有“治大國(guó)如烹小鮮”的態(tài)度，絲毫不敢懈怠，絲毫不敢馬虎，必須夙夜在公、勤勉工作。