Hunan urged to stay committed to reform, innovation

President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a battery materials joint venture and learns about local endeavor to accelerate the development of new quality productive forces and promote high-standard opening up, in Changsha, Central China's Hunan province, March 18, 2024. Xi inspected Changsha, capital city of Central China's Hunan province, on Monday. [Photo/Xinhua]

Inspection: Province called on to expand opening-up

President Xi Jinping has reiterated the need to leverage science and technology to drive industrial innovation and enhance independent innovation capabilities in key fields.

During an inspection tour of Hunan province from Monday to Thursday, Xi, who is general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, also emphasized the need to take a problem-solving approach to deepen comprehensive reforms in order to address key issues hindering high-quality development.

The inspection tour, the first one that Xi conducted following the annual sessions of China's top legislative and political advisory bodies, which concluded on March 11, took him to a university and a Sino-German joint venture in Changsha, the provincial capital, as well as a historical and cultural street and a village in Changde.

Xi heard work reports on Thursday from senior officials of the CPC Hunan Provincial Committee and the provincial government. He urged the province to stay committed to reform and innovation, and follow a realistic and pragmatic approach in writing its own chapter in advancing Chinese modernization.

Technological innovation is the core element for developing new quality productive forces, Xi said, and efforts should be made to proactively involve top-notch research and development institutions from home and abroad in enhancing independent innovation capabilities in key fields.

It is essential to strengthen the position of enterprises in technological innovation, promote the deep integration of innovation, industrial, funding and talent chains, and expedite the transformation of scientific and technological achievements into real productivity, he noted.

Xi underlined the need for Hunan to focus on advantageous industries, actively tackle major challenges arising from the technology and equipment sector, and further enhance advanced manufacturing.

Xi called for promoting the high-end, intelligent and green transformation of industries, and building national-level industrial clusters.

The president urged deepening comprehensive reforms to address key issues hindering the construction of a new development paradigm and impeding high-quality development. Efforts should be focused on solving problems and difficulties in the development environment and people's livelihood as well as prominent issues that go against social fairness and justice, he said.

It is crucial to effectively prevent and defuse major risks, and continuously boost the momentum and vitality of economic and social development, he added.

Xi also called for Hunan to better participate in the construction of a unified national market, and fully integrate into the development strategy of China's central region and the Yangtze River Economic Belt.

Hunan should deeply engage in the joint construction of the Belt and Road, steadily expand institutional opening-up in terms of rules, management and standards, build high-standard free trade pilot zones, and focus on creating a pioneering zone for in-depth economic and trade cooperation between China and Africa, he said.

During the inspection tour, Xi also highlighted Hunan's significant role in ensuring the nation's food security, and called on the province to comprehensively promote rural vitalization.

On Wednesday morning, he also met with senior military officers stationed in Changsha.