Xi Jinping chairs symposium on boosting development of China’s western region in the new era

Published: April 24,2024

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, chairs a symposium on boosting the development of China’s western region in the new era in southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality, April 23, 2024. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday stressed further efforts to usher in a new stage in the development of China’s western region featuring well-coordinated environmental conservation, greater openness and high-quality development.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks while chairing a symposium on boosting the development of China’s western region in the new era.

Promoting development through opening up

Xi emphasized the need to promote large-scale development through large-scale opening up and upgrade the opening up of the western region both domestically and internationally.

He called for promoting the construction of new land and sea corridors in the western region and deeply integrating the region into the joint building of the Belt and Road.

He urged efforts to promote the high-quality development of pilot free trade zones and actively integrate the region into the construction of a unified national market.

It is necessary to focus on the development of characteristic advantageous industries, develop new industries according to local conditions, and accelerate the transformation and upgrading of industries in the western region, he said.

He urged efforts to strengthen the deep integration of scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation, actively cultivate high-level scientific and technological innovation talents, and make breakthroughs in a number of key core technologies.

It is important to accelerate the technological transformation of traditional industries, promote the upgrading of equipment in key industries, as well as traditional advantaged industries, and increase the efficiency of comprehensive utilization of resources, he said.

He called for building tourism and other service industries into regional pillar industries, developing new quality productive forces according to local conditions and exploring the development of modern manufacturing, strategic emerging industries, and future industries.

Xi said it is necessary to accelerate the major projects to protect and restore key ecosystems, strengthen the protection of ecological resources, enhance the capacity of forest and grassland fire prevention and extinguishing, and deepen the prevention and treatment of pollution in key areas and fields.

He called for promoting energy-saving and carbon-reducing transformation of traditional industries and the orderly promotion of the clean and efficient use of coal.

It is necessary to adhere to the integration of development and security and enhance the ability to ensure security in key areas, such as energy resources, he added.

He urged efforts to strengthen the planning and control of mineral resources, scale intensive development and utilization, and accelerate the building of national mineral resources mining and processing bases.

It is necessary to innovate the mechanism of cross-regional industrial collaboration, promote the construction of the Chengdu-Chongqing twin-city economic circle, actively cultivate urban agglomeration, develop provincial sub-centers, and promote inter-city infrastructure connectivity and public service sharing, said Xi.

Xi emphasized the need to deeply implement the rural revitalization strategy, establish a regular supporting mechanism to help low-income populations and underdeveloped areas, and resolutely prevent large-scale return to poverty.

He also stressed the need to increase rural employment and rural incomes, promote the urbanization process according to local conditions and safeguard national food security through the construction of high-standard farmland.

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