President Xi Jinping made the comments on Thursday afternoon while participating in a deliberation with the Jiangsu delegation at the fourth session of the 14th National People’s Congress (NPC) in Beijing. As a major economic hub and a frontier of reform and opening up, Jiangsu was tasked with researching new situations and solving emerging problems to create experience for the rest of the nation.
Focus on Innovation and Technology
During the session, Xi Jinping emphasized that developing “new quality productive forces” is essential for promoting high-quality development and enhancing economic competitiveness. He noted that Jiangsu possesses a strong foundation and should strive to be at the forefront of this initiative.
The President called for the integrated advancement of education, technology, and talent. He outlined specific goals, including achieving breakthroughs in original innovation and key core technologies, and exploring new pathways to fuse innovation, industrial, capital, and talent chains. The strategy involves optimizing traditional industries, expanding emerging sectors, and planning for future industries while removing institutional barriers.
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Economic Resilience and Dual Circulation
Xi Jinping stressed that major economic provinces must maintain a stable foundation to effectively support the national economy. He urged Jiangsu to strengthen its economic resilience by focusing on both internal strength and external connectivity.
The directive requires the province to fully integrate into the national unified market to facilitate domestic circulation, while simultaneously expanding high-level opening up to access global markets. Xi also warned of the need to maintain “bottom-line thinking” to prevent and defuse various risks.
Livelihood and Governance
Addressing social issues, the president pointed out that Chinese-style modernization aims for common prosperity. He instructed local authorities to address practical concerns regarding high-quality employment, income growth for urban and rural residents, and the improvement of basic public services.
On the topic of governance, Xi Jinping stated that effective party management provides a strong guarantee for economic and social development. He called for strict party discipline and the eradication of corruption to build public trust.
Session Details
The atmosphere at the deliberation was described as lively. Six representatives, including Shi Zhijun, Zhang Xiaohong, and Olympic swimmer Zhang Yufei, spoke on topics ranging from new industrialization and technological innovation to agricultural seeds and sports spirit. Xi listened to the remarks and expressed his approval of the government work report.
Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, also attended the deliberation.
