Xi Jinping leads China on new journey
Xi often went to companies, factories, shops and stalls to feel the pulse of economic activity. On a visit to a carmaker workshop, he got into a China-made sedan for first-hand experience. If China wants to upgrade from a big car-manufacturing country to a strong one, it needs to develop new-energy cars, he said, calling for making the NEV sector a new growth point.
But it was not just big companies that command Xi's attention. He also discussed with villagers the sales of their ham and liquor, walked into community workshops, visited livestreaming platforms, and dropped by roadside food stalls.
Under his leadership, China has consolidated its position as the world's second-largest economy. In the past decade, the share of China's GDP in the global economy grew from 11.3 percent to 18.5 percent. On average, the Chinese economy contributed more than 30 percent of global economic growth in recent years. It was the first major economy to register growth after the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc around the world.
In 2021, China's foreign trade exceeded 6 trillion U.S. dollars. Its trade with the United States grew by nearly 30 percent and amounted to 755.6 billion dollars. According to a 2022 survey by the American Chamber of Commerce in China, 66 percent of the respondents said their companies plan to increase investment in China this year. China remains among the top three global investment destinations for about 60 percent of the member companies.
Stressing a people-centered approach to development, Xi rolled out a slew of policies that bring tangible benefits to the people. China has established the world's largest social security system, with 1.04 billion people covered by basic old-age insurance and 95 percent of the population covered by basic medical insurance. Fiscal spending on education accounted for over 4 percent of GDP for 10 years in a row. China has also introduced the three-child policy, and rolled out measures to reduce homework and after-school tutoring burdens on students.
Xi has placed common prosperity on agenda. He said this is the essential requirement of socialism. Xi's common prosperity drive aims to narrow the rich-poor gap, address the regional and industrial disparity, and improve both the material and cultural-ethical life of the people, thus achieving balanced development and social equality. Zhejiang, where Xi once served as provincial Party chief, is designated as a pilot zone for advancing common prosperity. Statements on "gradually realizing the goal of common prosperity for all" were enshrined in the Party Constitution at the just-concluded 20th CPC National Congress.
In the past decade, China witnessed holistic and historic improvements in environmental protection. Xi declared at a virtual UN gathering that China will strive to peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060. He instructed imposing a 10-year fishing ban in the Yangtze River. Every river in China now also has a river chief, in charge of its ecological protection. Endangered species such as giant pandas, Tibetan antelopes and snow leopards have been brought back from the brink of extinction thanks to improved conservation efforts.
For some time, air pollution was bad in Beijing. Xi once said the first thing he did in the morning was to check Beijing's air quality. He led the nation to engage in an unprecedented fight against pollution, notably air, water and soil pollution. Years of tenacious efforts paid off. Air quality has significantly improved in Beijing, as elsewhere across the country. A report by the University of Chicago's Energy Policy Institute said the density of harmful particulates in the air in China fell 40 percent between 2013 and 2020. If sustained, this would add about two years to the average life expectancy of Chinese citizens, it said.
Xi places sci-tech innovation at the core of overall national development and issued the call to build greater scientific and technological strength.
He chaired group study sessions of the Party leadership and invited experts to brief him and his colleagues on artificial intelligence, big data, quantum technology and blockchains. He visited satellite launching sites, chip labs and high-speed train workshops to learn the latest sci-tech development. "You can't ask, buy, or beg for core technologies in key fields from other countries. They must be kept firmly in our own hands," Xi said.
China's ranking in the Global Innovation Index, released by the World Intellectual Property Organization, rose from 34th place in 2012 to 11th place in 2022. Between 2012 and 2021, China's research and development spending increased from 1 trillion yuan to 2.8 trillion yuan. It now ranks second in the world.
