General Secretary Xi Jinping Hosts Symposium on Promoting Rise of Central Region in New Era
On March 20, General Secretary Xi Jinping convened a symposium in Changsha City, Hunan Province, to discuss and deliver a significant speech on promoting the rise of the central region in the new era. This marks the second time since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China that Xi Jinping has hosted such a symposium, with the previous one taking place in Nanchang, Jiangxi in 2019.
The timing of this symposium coincides with the 20th anniversary of the strategy to promote the rise of the central region and comes at a crucial juncture as 2024 approaches, which is a pivotal year for achieving the goals of the 14th Five-Year Plan. Xi Jinping’s strategic arrangements for advancing the central region’s development hold great significance for the country’s overall progress.
The central region comprises six provinces – Shanxi, Anhui, Jiangxi, Henan, Hubei, and Hunan – and serves as a crucial link between the east and west, and the north and south. It boasts abundant resources, significant market potential, and a rich cultural heritage. With its economic output consistently surpassing 21% of the national total, and its population accounting for nearly a quarter of the country, the central region plays a pivotal role in supporting China’s development map.
During the symposium, Xi Jinping emphasized the central region’s vital importance, stressing the need for the Party Central Committee to implement strategies that promote its rise. He highlighted the region’s integral role in the country and articulated specific measures to ensure its continued growth and development.
Xi Jinping outlined several key initiatives to bolster the central region’s progress, including fostering new productive forces through technological innovation, advancing deep reforms and high-level opening up, and enhancing security measures for food, energy, and resources. He also underscored the importance of green development and ecological protection in driving high-quality growth.
Furthermore, Xi Jinping emphasized the central region’s alignment with other major development strategies, such as the coordinated development of Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei, and integration with key economic zones like the Yangtze River Delta and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. By leveraging internal cooperation and urbanization opportunities within the region, the central provinces can enhance their competitiveness and contribute to the country’s new development pattern.
In conclusion, General Secretary Xi Jinping’s symposium underscores the Chinese government’s commitment to ensuring the sustained rise of the central region in the new era. The coordinated efforts outlined in his speech will not only benefit the central provinces but also contribute to China’s overall economic growth and modernization.
This news article was jointly produced by the Xinhua News Agency and its Hunan Branch, under the direction of key producers, writers, and coordinators.