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Jiang's West Tour: Party Building, Western Development
Jiang's West Tour: Party Building, Western Development
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Chinese President and General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Jiang Zemin made an inspection tour from June 14-19 in Northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region and Gansu Province.
Jiang's tour aimed at inspecting the strengthening of CPC's Party building work in rural areas and the country's western development program.
During his tour, Jiang once again said, "We must closely follow the trend of development and progress in the world in this changing era, and always represents the development requirements of China's advanced social productive forces, the progressive course of China's advanced culture, and the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of the Chinese people."
He said outstanding issues within the CPC must be solved so as to ensure the party's leading position in ideology and vigor, and lead the people to a new level of building socialism with Chinese characteristics.
He said the significance of the western development should be viewed from the necessity of meeting the strategic goal of socialist modernization, safeguarding national unity and stability, and achieving step by step the goal of socialist prosperity and the revitalization of the Chinese people.
Party members and people across the country should understand the significance of developing western China to ensure success for the massive development program, he said.
Addressing a meeting on June 20 in Lanzhou, attended by leaders of five northwest provinces and autonomous regions, Jiang said the innovations China is pursuing in the structural, science and technology, and theoretical fields are aimed at constantly improving systems suitable for the development of the socialist market economy, making science and technology the driving force behind the country's development, and improving the party's basic theoretical work.
Jiang said it is a great decision made by the CPC Central Committee to step up the development of western China, following new changes in the international situation and the entry of China' s economy into a new period.
He said implementing the program and ensuring faster development in those regions will open new and broader scope for China's economic development in the 21st century. The western strategy is an important measure for maintaining the country's sustained, rapid and healthy development.
It is of great significance for the country's prosperity and durable stability, he added
He said the program should be carried out in an orderly, rapid and efficient way by using the experience China has accumulated during economic construction in the past, and abide by economic and scientific laws.
The central government must give special support to the program of western development, as it has great economic and political importance, he said.
Policies should be drawn up to offer the west support in the fields of finance, taxation, foreign investment and foreign trade, supply of professionals, science and technology, and education, he said.
He said it will take the sustained efforts of many generations to make fundamental changes to the west.
He said some key state-funded projects that will eventually have a significant impact on the regional development in the west should be carefully selected.
Investment projects should be chosen in line with the economic advantages in the western region so as to improve the economic returns, while special attention should be given to social and environmental benefits during development and construction, Jiang added.
He said efforts should also be made to achieve initial success in five to 10 years in promoting economic and social development, unity among various ethnic groups and environmental protection.
Jiang said measures should be taken to encourage rapid development in the east, while ways should be explored to establish a mutually benefiting cooperation mechanism between the eastern and western parts of the country.
He said the central part of China should step up its development, while the west should improve its economic exchanges and cooperation, and take full advantage of the western development program.
On the issue of the supply of professionals, Jiang described it as the key to the success of the western development program, calling for measures to allow professionals to give full play to their talents in the region, while efforts should be made to train and absorb professionals from both at home and abroad for current and future development.
He called on local authorities in the west to do their utmost to create better working and living conditions for professionals, and set up an income distribution mechanism that will help to retain and absorb professionals.
On the party's work concerning ethnic groups and religion, Jiang said unity among ethnic groups is an important guarantee for China's development and prosperity, and for people to live and work in peace and contentment. He called on the local authorities to do a better job of promoting unity among ethnic groups and managing religious affairs.
During the tour, Jiang visited rural areas, enterprises and schools, as well as farmers and people of ethnic groups in the region. He also presided over discussions in Lingwu, Yinchuan and Zhangye cities, and Lanzhou University.
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