Insights into Xi's thoughts on governance for the new era

Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era will lead socialism with Chinese characteristics as it enters a new era, opens a new chapter for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and draws a new picture scroll for China's strengthened integration with the world. According to the arrangement of the 19th CPC National Congress and the keynote speech delivered to the opening of the Boao Forum for Asia, a China that has entered the new era will continue to make unremitting efforts in the following aspects:

Pursuing higher-quality development

China's economy has shifted from the stage of high-speed growth to that of higher-quality development, which marks an epoch-making historic change. In 2017, China's economic growth reached 6.9 percent, higher than expected, with its total economic output exceeding 82 trillion yuan ($13 trillion). Such an outshining economic performance has caused some international organizations to rate China as the world's "best-performing major economy of the year". This is an achievement that is good-looking not only on the surface but also in substance, one that shows the Chinese economy has taken an important step toward higher-quality development. Adhering to the new development concepts and continuously pursuing good and steady progress will be the main theme of China's economic development. China's economy will continuously act as a major stabilizer and ballast of the world economy.

Promoting more energetic innovation

China takes innovation as the driving force for its development. As a strategic supporter for the construction of a modern economic system, China adheres to the development of an innovation-driven and energetic growth model. China has achieved a series of innovative developments in recent years, from manned spaceflight and deep-sea exploration to quantum communications and large aircraft. "Internet Plus" has extensively been applied to all walks of life and the "innovative economy" represented by high-speed trains, Alipay, sharing bikes and e-shopping is leading the trend of the times. In less than 10 years, the number of patents granted to Chinese companies in the US has increased tenfold. The innovation-driven model is reshaping China's economic landscape, which will not only inject a powerful impetus into China's development, but also help explore new ways for the world economy to pick up steam.

Promoting more in-depth reforms

Over the past five years, the Chinese government has rolled out more than 1,200 reform measures, and a number of new and bigger reform tasks were once again deployed at the 19th Party Congress. The program worked out by the authorities not long ago on reforming Party and government institutions is aimed at promoting the modernization of China's national governance, with a view to continuously improving its governance system and mechanism through scientific installation of institutions so that the market can play a decisive role in resources distribution, the government can better play its role and people's ever-growing desire for better lives can be satisfied. This year marks the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening-up and China believes the best way to celebrate the milestone initiative is to make new progresses on the road of reform and opening-up and carry out reforms to the end in the spirit of "cutting a path through the mountain and building a bridge across the river".

Advancing higher-level opening-up

China adheres to the basic State policy of opening-up, and will open wider to the outside world for domestic economic construction, further expand market access, and create a more attractive investment environment. It will strengthen intellectual property rights protection, and take initiatives to expand imports so as to share opportunities and interests with other countries and realize win-win cooperation with them in the process of expanding China's opening-up. China will continue to vigorously advance the Belt and Road Initiative, pursue synergy with other countries' development strategies, and uphold the "consultation, co-building and sharing "principles, to work hand in hand with the rest of the world to weave a new historical picture scroll for common development. In his speech delivered to the opening of the Boao Forum for Asia, President Xi clearly told the world that the door of China's opening-up will not close, but will only open wider. China's opening-up is sure to achieve all-new scenarios.

Golden era of China-UK ties

China and the United Kingdom are both influential countries in the world. President Xi Jinping's successful state visit to the UK in 2015 ushered in the prelude for a "golden era" of China-UK relations and promoted in-depth development of bilateral ties in various fields. During his meeting with visiting UK Prime Minister Theresa May in February, President Xi pointed out that China and the UK should follow the tide of the times, and, based on their respective development stages and cooperation demands, endow the "golden era" of China-UK relations with new historical connotations. We believe that as long as our two sides work together, the future of the "golden era" of China-UK relations is worth looking forward to, and the "golden fruits" of bilateral ties that benefit the peoples of the two countries and even the world are worth looking forward to.

A good book is like a good friend, as a British proverb puts it. I have worked in the field of books publishing for many years, and I also view good books as good friends. I have made many good friends in the publishing field because of good books. Facts prove that people need and also look forward to good books at any time. I believe that Xi Jinping: The Governance of China is a good book all can look forward to.

The author is minister of State Council Information Office. The article is an excerpt from the speech he delivered at the launch of the multilingual versions of the second volume of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China in London on Wednesday.