Xi calls on Zhejiang to write new chapter in advancing Chinese modernization

HANGZHOU, Zhejiang/ZAOZHUANG, Shandong -- President Xi Jinping has urged east China's Zhejiang Province to strive toward writing a new chapter in advancing Chinese modernization.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks during his inspection of Zhejiang from Sept. 20 to 21.

Xi called on the province to focus on building a demonstration zone for common prosperity and turning itself into a key example showcasing the strengths of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era.

During his trip, Xi visited cities including Jinhua and Shaoxing, where he inspected places including the countryside, a trade market, an exhibition hall and a culture park.

On his way back to Beijing, Xi also visited Zaozhuang City in east China's Shandong Province.

On the morning of Sept. 20, Xi inspected Lizu Village in Jinhua. There, he was delighted to learn that the annual per capita income of the village had reached 52,000 yuan (about 7,250 U.S. dollars).

Lizu Village has achieved solid progress in promoting common prosperity, Xi noted, expressing hopes that the village will make further efforts and achieve more results in advancing rural revitalization.

"There is much to be explored and plenty of things to be done in advancing rural revitalization," Xi told villagers who were sending him off when he was about to leave Lizu, urging them to strive to create a better future of common prosperity.

Later, Xi visited the Yiwu International Trade Market in Jinhua, where he learned about the operation of the market and the China-Europe freight trains. Xi urged the trade market to contribute more to expanding markets at home and abroad as well as to smoothening domestic and international economic flows.

On the afternoon of Sept. 20, Xi visited the town of Fengqiao in Zhuji, which is known since the 1960s for the "Fengqiao model" that promotes community-level social governance. After learning about how this social governance model has been practiced in the new era, Xi emphasized the importance of appropriately handling disputes among the people and resolving problems at the community level.

Xi later visited a canal culture park located in Shaoxing. He stressed that the Grand Canal is the world's longest artificial waterway, and the culture related to the canal is an important part of the fine traditional Chinese culture and demands proper protection, inheritance and utilization.

On Sept. 21, Xi was briefed about the work of the CPC provincial committee and the provincial government of Zhejiang. He acknowledged the achievements that Zhejiang has made in various fields and made further instructions for the province.

Zhejiang should take the lead in building new strengths for development through sci-tech innovation, Xi said, stressing the need for higher priority to enhancing sci-tech innovation capacity.

He also demanded breakthroughs in frontier science and technology at a faster pace.

Xi called for treating the real economy as the foundation for building a modern industrial system, guiding and supporting traditional industries to accelerate the application of advanced and readily applicable technologies, and promoting high-end, intelligent, and eco-friendly development of the manufacturing sector.

It is necessary to develop the industrial and supply chains from a global perspective and constantly make China's industrial and supply chains more resilient and secure, he said.

Xi called on Zhejiang to take a leading and exemplary role in promoting common prosperity. He emphasized that efforts should be concentrated on narrowing the gap between urban and rural areas, as well as addressing disparities in regional development and income.

He urged efforts to advance rural revitalization across the board and vigorously foster rural industries with distinctive local features. He also asked the province to explore more experience in modernizing the system and capacity for governance at the primary level.

Xi asked Zhejiang to deepen reform and expand its opening-up initiatives further, focusing on key areas for reform and promoting comprehensive institutional innovations across all sectors. He emphasized the importance of steadily expanding institutional opening up with regard to rules, regulations, management, and standards.

He called for innovative efforts to utilize foreign investment and expand foreign trade. He also underlined measures to encourage and support private businesses to involve themselves in the global industrial division of labor and resource allocation and enhance their core competitiveness.

Xi asked Zhejiang to explore building modern Chinese civilization.

He called for making use of various platforms, such as the Hangzhou Asian Games, the Asian Para Games and the World Internet Conference, to bolster cultural exchanges and communication, and boost the allure of Chinese culture and Chinese civilization.

Xi also stressed upholding and strengthening the Party's overall leadership and strengthening and improving Party building.

On his way back to Beijing, he inspected Zaozhuang on Sunday afternoon. The city boasts one of the largest concentrated areas of pomegranate cultivation in China, featuring a wide array of varieties and a fully developed industrial chain.

When visiting a pomegranate orchard, Xi said that with people's lives improving, the demand for high-quality specialty products is also growing, bringing about a promising future for the pomegranate industry.

Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, accompanied Xi on the inspection tour.