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File photo of Robin Li, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Baidu. 

In an internal letter to the staff of Baidu, Robin Li, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the company, underscored the principle of "users first," which he stressed should be abided by even at the cost of profits.

According to inside information, Li’s letter pointed out that, in pursuit of the short-term goals of the KPI (key performance indicator), Baidu has allowed its company values to be distorted. Moreover, Li emphasized that without users’ support, which is contingent on those values, Baidu could only last 30 days before going into bankruptcy. 

Li even compared making reforms at Baidu to "cutting one's own wrist," but insisted that the company was resolved to do so no matter what. 

Li said that Baidu’s top priority is to examine all the existing business models for its products. Baidu should make a "one-vote veto" policy that properly values user experience. A separate division would oversee the implementation of this policy, and any operation that goes against the policy would be cancelled immediately. 

Li also wrote in his letter that Baidu should improve its response to user feedback and listen to users’ opinions to ensure that their suggestions are considered when it comes to product designs and updates. He suggested making user evaluations the main determinant of Baidu rankings for services and products found in search results. 

Li believes Baidu should improve the existing safeguards for Baidu users. To do this, Baidu will designate 1 billion yuan to protecting the rights and interests of its users.