Xinhua, Changsha, March 20 — Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, presided over a symposium on advancing the rise of the central region in the new era and delivered an important speech in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, on the afternoon of March 20. He stressed that the central region is an important production base for grain, energy and raw materials, a modern equipment manufacturing and high-tech industrial base, and a comprehensive transportation hub in China, holding a pivotal position nationally. He called for consistent implementation of the CPC Central Committee's policies and measures to promote the rise of the central region, forming a joint force for high-quality development, and striving to write a new chapter in the rise of the central region in the process of Chinese modernization.

Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Chinese Premier Li Qiang, 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 Cai Qi, and Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council Ding Xuexiang attended the symposium.

At the symposium, Zheng Shanjie, head of the National Development and Reform Commission, and the party secretaries of six provinces—Tang Dengjie of Shanxi, Han Jun of Anhui, Yin Hong of Jiangxi, Lou Yangsheng of Henan, Wang Meng Hui of Hubei, and Shen Xiaoming of Hunan—delivered speeches successively, reporting on work progress and offering suggestions for advancing the rise of the central region.

After listening to everyone's speeches, Xi Jinping delivered an important address. He noted that since the last symposium on promoting the rise of the central region five years ago, the regional economy in central China has remained generally stable, with continuously strengthened momentum for innovation-driven development, significantly improved industrial foundations, new strides in reform and opening up, comprehensive progress in social sectors, sustained improvement in people's living standards, and accelerated green and low-carbon transition. The development of the central region has reached a higher starting point. At the same time, it must be recognized that promoting the rise of the central region still faces numerous difficulties and challenges, which must be thoroughly studied and addressed.

Xi Jinping stressed the need to leverage scientific and technological innovation to lead industrial innovation and actively cultivate and develop new quality productive forces. Building on the foundation of the real economy, efforts should be made to expand and strengthen advanced manufacturing, actively promote new industrialization, upgrade and transform traditional industries, foster and grow emerging industries, and lay the groundwork for future industries ahead of time, so as to accelerate the establishment of a modern industrial system supported by advanced manufacturing. Greater emphasis should be placed on the deep integration of scientific and technological innovation with industrial innovation, enhancing major technological breakthroughs and strengthening the technical support capacity for industrial innovation and development. The role of enterprises as the main players in innovation should be reinforced by building innovation consortia featuring close cooperation between upstream and downstream partners, promoting integrated innovation involving enterprises, universities and research institutes, and accelerating the translation of scientific and technological achievements into real productive forces. Major technological transformation and upgrading projects in manufacturing, along with large-scale equipment renewal initiatives, should be implemented to advance high-end, smart and green development in the manufacturing sector and breathe new life into traditional industries.

Xi Jinping pointed out that efforts should be made to enhance the linkage of this strategy with other major development strategies, so as to better integrate into and support the new development paradigm. We should strengthen in-depth coordination with the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and better integrate the strategy with the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt as well as ecological conservation and high-quality development in the Yellow River basin. We should step up efforts to undertake orderly industrial relocation and improve industrial distribution. We should improve the modern transport infrastructure system and reinforce the central region's role as a major thoroughfare. We should establish and improve inter-provincial cooperation mechanisms within the region to promote coordinated regional development. We should vigorously promote the development of urban clusters in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and the Central Plains, and enhance coordination between metropolitan areas to better drive development in surrounding regions.

Xi Jinping stressed the need to coordinate and advance deeper reforms and higher-standard opening up, and continue to build a more competitive inland open highland. Efforts should be made to deepen market-oriented reforms on production factors, improve the basic systems of the market economy, comprehensively rectify and correct local protectionism, promote the rational cross-regional flow and optimal allocation of various productive forces, and better participate in building a unified national market. Steady progress should be made in expanding institutional opening up, deepening integration into the Belt and Road Initiative, actively connecting with the New Eurasian Land Bridge and the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, building pilot free trade zones to high standards, creating more high-level platforms for opening up and cooperation, and playing a greater role in connecting domestic and international circulations. Efforts should be made to build a market-oriented, law-based and internationalized business environment, and enhance the appeal to domestic and international resources and factors. Adherence to the "two unwaverings" must be upheld, supporting state-owned enterprises in becoming stronger, better and larger, and further optimizing the development environment for private enterprises.

Xi Jinping pointed out that efforts should be made to promote ecological and environmental protection as well as green and low-carbon development in a coordinated way, so as to build a beautiful central region at a faster pace. He called for continued efforts to fight pollution, improve the systematic, comprehensive and coordinated management of the ecological environment of major rivers and lakes, and accelerate the building of facilities for the collection and treatment of household sewage in urban areas. He also urged promoting green and low-carbon transition in the industrial, energy and transport structures, stepping up efforts to foster and expand green and low-carbon industries, and strengthening economical, intensive and circular utilization of resources. It is important to improve the horizontal eco-compensation mechanism for river basins and the mechanism for realizing the value of ecological products, and advance the greening of industries and the industrial development of ecology.

Xi Jinping stressed the need to uphold integrated urban-rural development and make solid progress in advancing rural revitalization across the board. We should advance a new type of urbanization with counties serving as important hubs, promote the balanced allocation of public resources and free flow of factors of production between urban and rural areas, and extend urban infrastructure and public services to rural areas. We should further improve rural infrastructure, strengthen the improvement of rural living environments, advance appropriately scaled agricultural operations, and boost the integrated development of the primary, secondary, and tertiary industries. We should deepen rural reform, refine the policy system for supporting agriculture, benefiting farmers, and enriching rural areas, and fully stimulate the vitality of agricultural and rural development. We should make vigorous efforts to develop the county economy to create new growth areas. We should attach great importance to the revitalization and development of old revolutionary base areas and less developed counties (cities and districts), improve the level of public services, expand distinctive industries, and strengthen internal drivers of development. We should improve the dynamic monitoring and assistance mechanism to prevent people from falling back into poverty and guard against large-scale relapse into poverty. We should take strong action to revitalize rural culture and promote the practice of civility and new social norms. We should improve the primary-level governance system that combines self-governance, rule of law, and rule of virtue under the leadership of Party organizations, uphold and develop the Fengqiao model for promoting community-level governance in the new era, make regular efforts to combat organized crime and root out local criminal gangs, and foster a positive and healthy social environment.

Xi Jinping pointed out that we should promote high-quality development and high-level security in a mutually reinforcing manner, and strive to enhance the safeguarding capacity for food, energy, and resource security. We should vigorously advance the development of functional zones for grain production, protected areas for the production of important agricultural products, and advantageous zones for distinctive agricultural products, build a number of green agricultural product production, processing, and supply bases, and ensure stable and safe supplies of grain and other important agricultural products. We should further improve the development and utilization of resources such as coal and rare earths, strengthen the foundational safeguarding capacity of fossil energy like coal, accelerate the construction of a new energy system, and promote the complementary and integrated development of traditional and new energy sources.

Xi Jinping stressed that the Central Regional Coordinated Development Leading Group should strengthen overall coordination, supervision, and guidance, while relevant central authorities must ramp up support and study policy measures to promote the rise of the central region in the new era. Local Party committees and governments should shoulder primary responsibility, resolutely implement the decisions and plans of the Party Central Committee, and ensure key tasks and major reforms are carried out effectively. Efforts should be made to consolidate and expand the achievements of the thematic education campaign, build a high-caliber, professional team of loyal, clean, and responsible officials, establish sound evaluation and incentive mechanisms, and encourage officials to break new ground and fulfill their duties with boldness and commitment.

Li Qiang stated in his speech that it is essential to thoroughly study, comprehend, and implement the important remarks of General Secretary Xi Jinping, positioning the central region within the broader national landscape and the framework of supporting the new development paradigm to transform its geographical and resource advantages into developmental strengths. The central region should proactively align with other regional development strategies, actively attract industrial and innovation resources from the eastern regions, strengthen its radiating and driving effect on the western regions, and enhance its level of openness to the outside world. Efforts should focus on refining strengths and addressing weaknesses, leveraging advantages in areas such as new urbanization and green, low-carbon development to unleash potential, foster intra-regional cooperation and coordinated action, and elevate the overall strength and competitiveness of the central region.

Ding Xuexiang said in his speech that it is imperative to thoroughly study and implement the guiding principles from the Party’s 20th National Congress and the important remarks by General Secretary Xi Jinping, fully act on the requirements for high-quality development, and achieve new outcomes in promoting the rise of the central region. Greater efforts should be made to promote the deep integration of technological and industrial innovation and boost the development of new quality productive forces in light of actual conditions. The capacity to ensure the security of grain, energy and resources should be vigorously enhanced to achieve a positive interplay between high-quality development and greater security. We should deepen the efforts to build a unified national market and high-standard opening up and cooperation to sustain and expand the internal impetus and vitality for development. We should make persistent efforts in ecological conservation to add more green to high-quality development.