Promoting the development of the western region is a century project – Record of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s inspection in Chongqing and hosting a symposium on promoting the development of the western region in the new era

April 22nd to 24th, Chongqing. A survey and a symposium jointly focused on promoting the development of the western region in the new era. Make plans from point to point, and make moves from point to point.

During this investigation, General Secretary Xi Jinping looked at Chongqing’s logistics parks with an eye toward opening up; looked at the display of scientific and technological innovation and industrial development results to plan for innovation; and went to communities and “city brains” to think about new ways to promote the modernization of urban governance. Opening up, innovation, urban governance and other fields have also undergone tremendous changes due to the national strategy of developing the western region.

This is the first time that General Secretary Xi Jinping has hosted a symposium on the theme of Western Development after the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. It is also the eighth special meeting on regional coordinated development after the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. Gobi desert, snowy plateau, majestic mountains, rolling rivers… For a long time, the General Secretary has devoted a lot of effort to the western region, which accounts for more than 70% of my country’s land area, and is full of deep feelings and hopes:

“Promoting the development of the western region is a century project. We must maintain strategic focus, continue to be down-to-earth, work hard, and work steadily to write a new chapter in the development of the western region in the Chinese-style modernization drive!”

an open road

“Further forming a new pattern of great protection, great opening up, and high-quality development”

Promoting development through opening up is the common long-cherished wish of the western region, which has a vast territory and different levels of development. When the spring breeze of reform and opening up more than 40 years ago blew green along the eastern and southern coasts, the western region was also eagerly anticipating more opportunities.

The pattern determines the thinking. In the autumn of 2013, the “One Belt, One Road” initiative was proposed, giving the western region new development potential.

Chongqing is a microcosm of the great opening-up of the western region.

From April 22 to 24, Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, President of the State, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, visited Chongqing. On the afternoon of the 22nd, Xi Jinping had a cordial exchange with truck drivers, train drivers, loaders and station managers at the Chongqing Railway Container Center Station in the Chongqing International Logistics Hub Park.Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Yue Yuewei

On the afternoon of the 22nd, at the first stop of the inspection, General Secretary Xi Jinping walked into the Chongqing International Logistics Hub Park.

In the park, there is the operation and dispatch center of Chongqing Dry Port of the New Western Land-Sea Corridor. The map on the big screen, with Chongqing as the coordinate point, draws the “main artery” connecting the world: to the west, the China-Europe train reaches Europe; to the north, the “Chongqing-Manchu-Russia” railway runs through the north and south; to the east, the golden waterway of the Yangtze River Connecting the central region and the Yangtze River Delta; to the south, the New Western Land-Sea Corridor crosses mountains and seas.

The New Western Land-Sea Corridor is a trade line that General Secretary Xi Jinping has paid attention to many times during his recent inspections. “What are the cost advantages of this channel? What are the benefits?” “What obstacles are there along the way?” At the scene, the general secretary asked in detail.

“It saves more than ten or even twenty days to travel from Chongqing to Qinzhou in Guangxi and then across the Strait of Malacca than along the golden waterway of the Yangtze River, passing through the eastern coast and then heading south.”

There is another set of data that is amazing. The relevant responsible comrades in Chongqing said: “The New Western Land-Sea Corridor covers 503 ports in 121 countries and regions. In 2023, the exports of the ‘New Three Samples’ will be 8.82 billion yuan, nearly double the year-on-year increase.”

For many years, the surging river has brought mountain products from all over the southwest down the river, and the cloth and cotton yarn from the southeast have been carried upstream along with the sonorous Sichuan River chants. Today, railways, highways, and air routes radiate in all directions, and Chongqing’s development is also considered from the perspective of China, Eurasia, and the world.

“Logistics is the ‘string’ of the real economy.” General Secretary Xi Jinping said with emotion, “The construction of the New Western Land-Sea Corridor is of great significance in promoting the formation of an opening-up pattern of ‘land and sea internal and external linkage, and east-west mutual assistance’. We must This landmark project is well constructed and well operated, driving high-level opening up in the western and inland regions and forming a cross-networking hub.”

In the park, Chongqing Railway Container Center Station has constant traffic day and night. It used to be an inconspicuous station, but now it is connected to the world thanks to China-Europe freight trains and the New Western Land-Sea Corridor. Railway tracks, trains, containers, domestic market and international market, Chinese economy and world economy are deeply integrated.

Ten years ago, General Secretary Xi Jinping witnessed the strong transport capacity of the first China-Europe freight train “Yuxin Europe” in Duisburg, Germany. The train departs from this station in Chongqing, heading west and west again, crossing mountains, going through the Gobi Desert, and crossing borders, bringing the ancient Silk Road back to life.

In recent years, the “circle of friends” of the New Western Land-Sea Corridor has continued to expand. The western region borders 13 surrounding countries, with a border line of more than 18,000 kilometers. To the south, to the north, to the east, to the west, and not just to Chongqing? At the symposium, each province listed the report card of opening up: Shaanxi, the total import and export volume to Central Asian countries increased by 178% last year; “One Country”, the construction of the Pinglu Canal is in full swing. Once completed, it will become the most convenient water transportation channel in the southwest.

Truck drivers, train drivers, loading and unloading workers, and station managers all competed to tell the General Secretary:

“The main exported goods have changed from traditional products to ‘three new products'”;

“New energy vehicles and laptops made in Chongqing are selling well overseas”;

“The return empty box rate is low, and foreign products are going nationwide from here”;

…………

The essence of the construction of the New Western Land-Sea Corridor is smoothness, the key is coordination, and the core is innovation.

Opening up, for the western region, is not only a matter of twisting together and going global, but also a measuring stick for developing strength, and having to weather the storms in the international market.

With 39 of my country’s 41 industrial categories and all 31 manufacturing categories, Chongqing is a well-deserved manufacturing center. From the third-line construction in the early days of the founding of New China, to the industrial revitalization after the reform and opening up, to the improvement of quality and efficiency of high-quality development in the new era, they have jointly created the confidence for opening up.

General Secretary Xi Jinping walked into the Chongqing Science and Technology Innovation and Industrial Development Achievements Exhibition Hall.

The hydrogen-powered engine developed by a Sino-German joint venture, the technologically advanced nanometer grid, China’s largest ship turbocharger, China’s first “large-displacement miniaturized piston engine”, and the first hemodialysis machine with trinity technology… A wide range of innovations and creations convey the significance of new productivity to openness.

Hearing that the developed offshore wind turbines have a localization rate of 99%, General Secretary Xi Jinping was very emotional: “When I was working in Fujian, there was no offshore wind power in China. How long ago!”

“Chongqing’s manufacturing industry has its own structural characteristics and corresponding advantages. Having a wealth of money is not as good as having one skill. If you keep your focus, keep working, be steadfast, and work hard for a long time.”

A governance issue

“Guaranteeing and improving people’s livelihood in the development of the western region”

The car drove through the streets, and tall buildings lined up outside the car window.

Chongqing, the youngest municipality directly under the Central Government in China, integrates large cities, large rural areas, large mountainous areas, and large reservoir areas. With 82,400 square kilometers, 38 districts and counties, and a population of more than 30 million, the tasks of coordinated regional development and urban-rural integrated development are very heavy. In front of us is an examination question to explore the road to modernization in the western region.

The Minzhu Village community in Xiejiawan Street, Jiulongpo District, was once known far and wide as an “old and broken village” with poor housing, old pipe networks, excessive sewage, and lack of supporting facilities. On the evening of the 22nd, the General Secretary walked into the community.

Bluestone slabs, red brick houses, yellow jujube trees, a bright community living room, a fully functional party and mass service center, and a community canteen with fragrant food.

The rice bowl contains the hearts of the people. Seeing the General Secretary walk in, the elderly and children stood up excitedly, and applause, laughter, and greetings came one after another. The general secretary smiled and chatted with everyone about daily life.

“How much does a meal cost?”

“18 yuan for those under 60 years old and 15 yuan for those over 60 years old. There are more than 2,600 people over 60 years old in our community, accounting for 32%.”

“Where is the operator? Has it achieved profitability?”

“Third-party operation and community supervision have achieved a small profit.”

General Secretary Xi Jinping urged: “It must be sustainable.”

In front of the canteen, there used to be a drainage ditch, but later it became a stinking ditch. After management, it has become a small square for residents to relax. All these changes stem from the community’s renovation project launched in early 2022 and included in relevant pilot projects across the country.

Residents came to the small square one after another, and applause echoed throughout the buildings.

“Chinese-style modernization puts people’s livelihood first. All the work of the party and the government is to help the people live a happier life.” General Secretary Xi Jinping said sincerely, “One thing the Party Central Committee is very concerned about is to renovate old residential areas. Renovate the old and improve the service facilities. I hope that party committees and governments at all levels can invest more financial and material resources in solving people’s livelihood problems and do some practical things for people’s livelihood every year to continuously enhance the people’s sense of gain, happiness and security.”

Reducing the burden on the grassroots is related to people’s livelihood and well-being, and serves as a mirror to the party’s style. At the community Party and Mass Service Center, the General Secretary saw a report.

“The ‘Yu Kuai Zheng’ APP has a city-wide smart reporting application. In the past, we had to fill in a lot of reports, and some of the information was almost the same. We always filled it in repeatedly. In the past, we had to submit hundreds of forms a year, but now we only need to Submit 12 forms.”

Five years ago, in April, I was also in Chongqing. The general secretary also talked about combating formalism and bureaucracy at that time: “Let grassroots cadres be freed from red tape, meetings, and welcomes.” That year was the “Year of Burden Reduction at the Grassroots” designated by the Party Central Committee.

Reduce burdens and empower people, improve governance and improve efficiency. Five years of tough work will show resilience and tangible results. This time, General Secretary Xi Jinping profoundly pointed out, “To reduce the burden on the grassroots, we must clarify the rights and responsibilities. We cannot leave everything to the grassroots. What tasks should be undertaken by the grassroots must be clarified.”

To reduce the burden, what is removed is the shackles of formalism, and what is added is the spirit of hard work and responsibility. At the municipal party committee and municipal government report meeting held on the third day of the inspection, the general secretary also talked about reducing the burden on the grassroots:

“When I went to Jiulongpo the day before yesterday, I asked the secretary of the community party committee whether the burden is heavy now. She said that in the past, we filled in a lot of reports and carried out work through the reports. That doesn’t work. The form cannot be greater than the content, and the appearance is greater than the actual effect. There should be less formalism and real attention. The more we work hard, the less conflicts we will have and the more we will achieve. We must persist in this matter.”

On the morning of the 23rd, Chongqing Digital City Operation and Governance Center. General Secretary Xi Jinping inspected Chongqing’s “urban brain”.

Data that used to be scattered everywhere is aggregated and empowered. Urban physical indicators such as water, electricity, gas, telecommunications, bridges, tunnels, rails, and pipe networks are clear at a glance. Chongqing is exploring the overall reconstruction of the megacity governance system.

Relevant comrades told about a landslide warning case last year, and connected via video with firefighters from the Beibei detachment who had just dealt with a fire.

General Secretary Xi Jinping has thought a lot: “The modernization of the governance system and governance capabilities is what China-style modernization should mean. I am very concerned about this issue.” “Urban governance involves all aspects, and the first thing is to have a sense of responsibility that ‘always be at ease’ , make good plans, precise control, and rapid response to effectively handle various situations to ensure the safe and orderly operation of the city.”

Deeply impressed by the “urban brain”, the General Secretary raised the topic of urban governance several times during subsequent inspections: “In the information age, we must accelerate the pace of smart city construction, build an intelligent center for urban operation and governance, and establish and improve a large comprehensive integration ‘Urban comprehensive governance systems and mechanisms make urban governance smarter, more efficient and more precise.”

a strategic map

“Strive to write a new chapter in the development of the western region in the Chinese-style modernization drive”

Coordinating regional coordinated development has always been a major issue. As a key step in the long road to national rejuvenation, it has been placed in an unprecedentedly prominent position in the overall structure of state governance.

Looking into the reasons, as General Secretary Xi Jinping said, “Regional integration is the general trend.” Follow the trend and follow the trend. With the deepening of the research and the precise layout, a strategic map will appear on the paper.

After the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the General Secretary hosted successive symposiums around the theme of coordinated regional development. From the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region to the Yangtze River Delta, from the revitalization of the Northeast to the rise of the central region, from the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt to the development of the western region, regional coordinated development strategies are connected over a land area of ​​more than 9.6 million square kilometers.

At the symposium, General Secretary Xi Jinping “let’s first take a look at the history we have traveled.”

In 1999, “Western Development” appeared for the first time in the documents of the Party Central Committee. Since then, this strategy has integrated the characteristics of the times and continued to profoundly shape the magnificent western region.

Twenty years later, in 2019, the Party Central Committee and the State Council once again issued the “Guiding Opinions on Promoting the Development of the Western Region in the New Era and Forming a New Pattern.” The 10,000-word long article defines a new pattern of “great protection, great opening up, and high-quality development.”

Speaking at the symposium, the general secretary concluded: “As a national strategy, the development of the western region is consistent. It has not wavered, let alone weakened, but has been continuously strengthened and improved. We are still continuing to promote this work. Work hard for a long time, strive for self-improvement, and strive for perfection.”

This time, the symposium further locked in the new pattern and once again consolidated the “one blueprint to the end”: “We must consistently implement the Party Central Committee’s policies and measures to promote the development of the western region, and further form a large-scale protection, large-scale openness, and high-level development.” We will establish a new pattern of quality development, enhance the overall strength and sustainable development capabilities of the region, and strive to write a new chapter in the development of the western region in the Chinese-style modernization drive.”

“Playing a decisive role in the overall situation of national reform, development and stability” is the strategic position of the western region. Paying attention to and caring for the western region is both a mission and a sentiment.

“Our party came from here.” On the red fertile soil of the west, he visited revolutionary memorial sites again and again to appreciate the inexhaustible source of strength.

The General Secretary has always been concerned about the west, where there are “many old revolutionary bases, ethnic minority areas, border areas, and poverty-stricken areas.” After the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, “we visited the western region more than 30 times, and each time we put forward some targeted requirements.”

In promoting the development of the western region in the new era, General Secretary Xi Jinping took stock of the heavy achievements over the years and deeply analyzed the shortcomings and difficulties that need to be resolved: “Look at our family background and sort out our strengths and weaknesses.”

Go into the mountains and ask the woodcutter, and when you meet the water, ask the fishermen. How to plan the layout of the new pattern? At the symposium, the General Secretary clearly put forward six “persistences.”

Anchor new quality productivity and “adhere to the development of characteristic and advantageous industries as the main direction”;

Highlight large-scale protection and “persist in supporting high-quality development with high-level protection”;

Focus on the great opening-up and “persist in promoting great development through great opening-up”;

Improve security capabilities and “adhere to coordinating development and security”;

Focusing on people’s livelihood, “persist in promoting the organic integration of new urbanization and comprehensive rural revitalization”;

Looking at national unity and border stability, “persist in building a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation.”

After the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era has been continuously formed, enriched and expanded in practice. The ideas and concepts contained in these six “persistences” are integrated into Xi Jinping’s Economic Thought, Xi Jinping’s Ecological Civilization Thought, and the overall national security concept. They are full of vitality in the western region, adapting measures to local conditions and the times.

The constant travels far, and the methodology contained in it is consistent.

There is dialectical thinking under the perspective of “one picture”.

Speaking of “accelerating the technological transformation of traditional industries,” General Secretary Xi Jinping profoundly pointed out: “Traditional industries cannot be said to be backward industries. There are also new productive forces and high technologies in traditional industries.”

When talking about the development of coal and other energy industries, the General Secretary compared “wowotou” and “fine noodles”: “Eat a full stomach first and then eat well. We must be realistic and seek truth from facts. We must neither slow down the pace of green and low-carbon development nor slow down the pace of green and low-carbon development.” “We can’t be too idealistic. We must first ensure energy supply.”

There are innovative thinking in the “integration” process.

The General Secretary is very concerned about the construction of the Chengdu-Chongqing twin-city economic circle. This fertile soil accounts for 1.9% of the country’s total, and produces more than 6% of the regional GDP. How to sing “A Tale of Two Cities” in the western part of the country in the new era? General Secretary Xi Jinping hopes that Sichuan and Chongqing will “cooperate closely and continuously improve the level of development.”

The further we go, the clearer the road becomes; the further we go, the more confident and firm we become.

The party’s leadership is the key to victory.

“We should pay close attention to the study and education of party discipline.” General Secretary Xi Jinping sounded the alarm. “When a frog is boiled in warm water, the lessons learned from the past must not be forgotten. Everyone should review it carefully. There must be a ‘tightening spell’ in the mind. Anti-corruption is always on the road, and there is no sense of awe. You will get lost.”

The tenacity of self-revolution reflects the rock-like original intention. Only by gathering the sun can you create a flame, and by clenching your fingers can you make a fist. The magnificent development of the western region was created by the people under the leadership of the party.

“Create a team of high-quality professional cadres that are loyal, clean and responsible.” The general secretary urged, “Care for grassroots cadres, especially cadres in areas with difficult conditions, and encourage cadres to forge ahead, boldly explore, and take on their responsibilities.” “Strengthen the role of young cadres in the western region.” Cultivate exercise”.

The west is a vast world with great potential.