BEIJING: President Xi Jinping underlined on Wednesday the need for Jiangsu province, one of China’s economic powerhouses, to lead the integration of sci-tech and industrial innovation, the deepening of reform and high-level opening-up, and the nation’s common prosperity drive.
The president, who represents Jiangsu as a deputy to the 14th National People’s Congress, China’s top legislature, told his fellow deputies from the province that the nation’s economic powerhouses must take the lead as China strives to achieve its targets set out in the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25).
Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in Beijing when he took part in a deliberation with his fellow lawmakers during the third session of the 14th NPC.
He spoke after six deputies shared their insights on issues such as accelerating green and low-carbon transformation and advancing industrial and technological innovation.
He explained that sci-tech and industrial innovation is the fundamental pathway for the development of new quality productive forces — featuring high technology, high efficiency and high quality, and aligning with the country’s new development philosophy.
The president highlighted the need to advance education, science and talent development in tandem — both to generate more technological breakthroughs and to transform them into tangible productive forces.
In driving industrial innovation, the nation must anchor its efforts in the real economy, balancing the upgrade of traditional industries with the cultivation of strategic emerging sectors and future industries, he said, adding that the role of enterprises as key drivers of innovation must be bolstered to ensure a seamless connection between innovation and industry.
Jiangsu’s GDP grew 5.8 percent year-on-year to 13.7 trillion yuan ($1.89 trillion) in 2024, registering the greatest increase in GDP volume in the nation last year, according to the provincial government.
The province must take the lead in deepening reform and opening-up and keep removing obstacles and boosting momentum, Xi said.
He urged the province to promote urban-rural integration and regional coordination, optimize the layout of productive forces, and focus on driving high-quality development.–The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
