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.

治大國如烹小鮮

“治大國若烹小鮮”出自《道德經》，意即“治理國家就像烹調美味的小菜一樣”。這里以烹飪比喻治國，強調“烹小鮮”不能隨意翻動，調料要恰到好處，火候要掌握得當，如同治理國家，必須要有審慎負責的態度。

2013年3月，習近平在接受金磚國家媒體聯合采訪時談到，這樣一個大國，這樣多的人民，這么復雜的國情，領導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“治大國如烹小鮮”的態度，絲毫不敢懈怠，絲毫不敢馬虎，必須夙夜在公、勤勉工作。