Xi calls on Zhejiang to write new chapter in advancing Chinese modernization

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, stressed the importance of fully and faithfully implementing the new development philosophy on all fronts, on his recent inspection tour in Zhejiang Province. He called on Zhejiang to center around creating a new development paradigm to promote high-quality development. The province should focus on building a demonstration zone for common prosperity and turning itself into a key example showcasing the strengths of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era. He also urged Zhejiang to be steadfast in pursuing its strategy for development, continuously push forward the “Double-Eight” strategy in a down-to-earth manner, always work hard, take the lead and stand at the forefront, and strive toward writing a new chapter in advancing Chinese modernization.

From Sept. 20 to 21, accompanied by Yi Lianhong, secretary of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee, and Wang Hao, the provincial governor, Xi visited cities including Jinhua and Shaoxing, where he inspected places including a village, a trade market, an exhibition hall and a culture park.

On the morning of Sept. 20, Xi arrived at Lizu Village, Houzhai Sub-district of Yiwu City in Jinhua. In recent years, Lizu has achieved solid progress in improving its living environment, attracting various entrepreneurial entities to enter. Lizu has become a popular destination for rural tourism and has been rated as a national village of civility. Xi learned about the development and changes of Lizu by visiting the village’s Party and villager service center, the “common prosperity market” and tie-dyeing shops. He was delighted to learn that the annual per capita income of the village had reached 52,000 yuan (about $7,250). He described the solid progress the village has made in promoting common prosperity as a microcosm of the remarkable achievements Zhejiang has made in its Green Rural Revival Program, which was initiated in June 2003 by Xi, then secretary of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee, with a plan to renovate about 10,000 incorporated villages in five years and transform about 1,000 central villages among them into examples of moderate prosperity in all respects. He urged the villagers to make continuous efforts to make greater achievements in promoting rural revitalization. Rural revitalization provides a platform for young people to show their talents, and more young people should play an active role in this regard. Upon his departure, Xi was surrounded by the villagers, who bid him a warm farewell. He told the crowd that rural revitalization has unlimited potential and there is much to be done. He encouraged villagers to work hard together for a future of common prosperity.

Xi then visited Yiwu International Trade Market. He learned about the running of the trade market and the operation of the Yiwu-Xinjiang-Europe cargo train in real time through an electronic screen, entered the market to communicate with representatives of merchants and self-employed business people, and asked about the market situation in detail.

He stressed that Yiwu’s small commodities have grown into a big market and created a big industry, and it is so great for Yiwu to have made such achievements. Everyone is a participant, a builder and a contributor. The trade market should make new achievements and greater contributions to expanding domestic and international markets, and smoothening domestic and international economic flows.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of Comrade Mao Zedong’s instruction to study and popularize the Fengqiao Experience. On the afternoon of Sept. 20, Xi came to Fengqiao Town in Zhuji City, the birthplace of the Fengqiao Experience, and visited Fengqiao Experience Exhibition Hall to learn about the vivid practices of the Fengqiao Experience in the new era. Xi pointed out that the Fengqiao Experience in the new era should be well practiced and developed. The internal disputes among the people should be handled correctly by adhering to the Party’s mass line and staying close to the people, so that problems can be solved in their initial stage.

Xi then came to the Zhedong Canal Culture Park in Shaoxing. He observed the watercourse of the ancient canal and its surrounding historical and cultural relics on foot. On learning the history of Zhedong Canal and how the locals have preserved and utilized its water resources, he stressed that the Grand Canal is the longest artificial canal in the world and an invaluable cultural heritage. The Grand Canal culture is an integral part of the fine traditional Chinese culture. He stressed that the local government should spare no effort in its preservation, utilization and carrying forward its traditions to let the ancient Grand Canal take on a new look in the new era.

On the afternoon of Sept. 21, Xi was briefed on the work of the province by the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee and Zhejiang provincial government. He affirmed Zhejiang’s achievement on all fronts, and put forward new requirements for the province.

Xi pointed out that Zhejiang should act as a front runner in cultivating new strengths in development by leveraging its technological innovation. He required the province to give prominence to strengthening its innovation capacity in science and technology. The province should integrate its innovative strengths in this regard and advantaged resources to speed up making breakthroughs in cutting-edge technologies, Xi said. The principal role of enterprises as technological innovation entities should be strengthened. The deep integration of innovation chain, industrial chain, capital chain and pool of talent should be promoted, and the transformation of scientific and technological achievement into productivity should be accelerated. Xi said that the real economy should be the foundation for building a modern industrial system. It is important to guide and support traditional industries in making faster application of advanced and applicable technologies, and promote the growth of high-end, smart and green manufacturing industries. Zhejiang should strengthen its national digital economy innovation and development pilot zone and create a number of strategic emerging industry clusters and digital industry clusters that have international competitiveness. More efforts should be made to strengthen basic research capabilities in science and technology, and promote the reform of the scientific and technological system, in order to turn Zhejiang into a pacesetter of technology innovation. A global vision is needed in building the industrial and supply chains, and their resilience and security should be steadily improved. Firm steps should be taken in pursuing green transformation of the development mode for the establishment of a sound, green, low-carbon, and circular economy.

Xi emphasized that Zhejiang should take the lead in promoting common prosperity. Its endeavors should be focused on narrowing the gap between urban and rural areas and among regions, as well as income disparities so that the institutions and mechanisms for integrated urban-rural development will be further optimized. Employment must be prioritized to create more jobs in the process of restructuring and upgrading traditional industries and developing emerging industries, providing jobs to key groups. The province is urged to deepen the reform of its income distribution system and improve its multi-tiered social security. It is imperative for the province to advance rural revitalization. Work should be done to develop rural industries with local characteristics, and push forward the Green Rural Revival Program. The initiative of building a safe Zhejiang and efforts to strengthen the rule of law should be advanced, and more exemplary models should be created when it comes to modernizing the community-level governance and the capability in this regard.

Xi noted that Zhejiang should write a new chapter in advancing reform and opening up. The reform in key areas should facilitate the efforts to innovate institutions and mechanisms in all fields in a comprehensive manner. It is imperative to make plans for reform with not only a view to serving the country but also a global vision, and steadily expand institutional opening up with regard to rules, regulations, management, and standards. New methods and channels for making use of foreign investment and expanding foreign trade should be explored by allowing full play to the role of platforms for opening up. Xi stressed the need to adapt to the way the international economic and trade rules are being restructured, and play a pioneering role in the opening up of the service sector, digital development and environmental protection. The principle must be upheld to unswervingly consolidate and develop the public economy, and unswervingly encourage, support and guide the development of the non-public sector. The non-public sector’s status and functions in the country’s economic and social development have not changed, neither have the principle and policies to unswervingly encourage, support and guide its development, and nor the principle and policies to provide a sound environment and more opportunities to it. Private enterprises should be encouraged and supported to actively take part in the global industrial division of labor and allocation of resources to boost their core competitiveness.

Xi stressed that Zhejiang should actively explore ways to develop a modern Chinese civilization. It is imperative to shoulder the new cultural mission in the new era, carry forward the fine historical traditions and intensify efforts to protect cultural heritage to advance the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional culture. We should stay firmly rooted in Chinese culture, actively develop new culture that reflects the needs and characteristics of the times, and develop a modern pattern of Chinese civilization. Xi called on the province to carry forward the great founding spirit of the Party, widely cultivate and practice the core socialist values, and develop an advanced socialist culture. The province should develop cultural undertakings and industries, continuously promote the standardization of and equal access to public cultural services in urban and rural areas, boost civic morality and encourage people to read books. Opportunities including the Hangzhou Asian Games and Asian Para Games as well as the World Internet Conference should be leveraged to facilitate cultural exchanges and transmission so as to continuously upgrade the appeal of Chinese culture and the influence of Chinese civilization.

Xi pointed out the imperative to uphold and strengthen the overall leadership of the Party, and enhance and improve Party building. It is essential to have a correct understanding of what it means to perform well, ensure sound and fact-based decision-making, make long-term plans, and lay a solid foundation. It is important to do work in a down-to-earth manner for effective results so as to prevent pointless formalities and bureaucratism. The training of officials and the tempering of them through practice should be strengthened. The mechanism must be improved to motivate and protect those officials who are active in performing their duties so as to stimulate the enthusiasm of officials to do their work well. It is imperative to establish a cordial but clean relationship between government and business. Party organizations at all levels must strengthen the leadership, organization and guidance of the second round of theoretical study program. By taking hold of the characteristics of those at different levels and in different fields, the Party organizations should differentiate their guidance, and make rectifications through up and down levels to let the people see what has really been achieved.

On his way back to Beijing, Xi made an inspection tour of Zaozhuang accompanied by Lin Wu, secretary of the CPC Shandong Provincial Committee, and Zhou Naixiang, governor of the province, on the afternoon of Sept. 24. The city boasts one of the largest concentrated areas of pomegranate cultivation in China, featuring a wide array of varieties and a fully developed industrial chain. Xi visited a bank of pomegranate seed resources in Yicheng District, where he observed different pomegranate seedlings and learned about the history of pomegranate planting there, the collection and preservation of pomegranate seed resources, and the development of the related industry. He then came to a pomegranate plantation to ask residents about the harvest of pomegranates and local people’s income from the sales of such fruit. Xi was pleased to learn that the local efforts to develop deep processing and pot cultivation of pomegranates had effectively boosted farmers’ incomes. He pointed out that with people’s living standard improving, the demand for high-quality specialty products is also growing, bringing about a promising future for the pomegranate industry. It is necessary to create good brands, improve quality, extend the industrial chain, improve the industry’s market competitiveness as well as comprehensive benefits, and lead more villagers to get rich together. He wishes the villagers a prosperous life.

Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, accompanied Xi on the inspection tour.

Li Ganjie, He Lifeng, Wang Xiaohong and leading officials of the relevant central Party and government departments were on the inspection tour. Leading officials of the fifth Central Steering Group for theoretical study program attended the briefing.