Xi stresses leveraging national development strategies to advance Chinese modernization in Anhui

HEFEI -- President Xi Jinping has urged East China's Anhui province to apply the new development philosophy on all fronts and leverage its role in multiple national development strategies to write an Anhui chapter in 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 an inspection tour in the province from Thursday to Friday.

On Thursday afternoon, Xi inspected Tongcheng city, where he visited the Liuchi Alley, a historical cultural site known for a story from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). The story -- of an official and his neighbor both moving back their walls by a meter to resolve their disputes over property boundaries -- is an example of neighborhood comity and harmony.

At the site, Xi urged efforts to strengthen the protection of history and culture, develop advanced socialist culture, promote revolutionary culture and carry forward fine traditional Chinese culture.

He told local residents and tourists that the alley demonstrates the wisdom of ancient Chinese in resolving disputes. He called for efforts to leverage its educational function to carry forward the traditional Chinese virtues of comity and peace.

At his next stop, Xi visited the Hefei Binhu Science City, where he examined an array of major sci-tech innovations attained by the province and exchanged views with researchers and corporate executives.

Xi took a close look at high-tech products in the fields of intelligent connected vehicles, new-generation information technology, new energy, artificial intelligence, and health and life science.

Noting that sci-tech innovation is an essential path to Chinese modernization, Xi called for accelerated efforts to achieve greater self-reliance and strength in science and technology, and encouraged sci-tech researchers to be more innovative in helping build the country's strength in science and technology.

On Friday morning, Xi was briefed on the work of the CPC Anhui provincial committee and the provincial government, and made instructions for the province's future work.

He urged efforts to expedite sci-tech innovation, accelerate industrial transformation and upgrading, expand international exchanges and cooperation in science and technology, and establish mechanisms that support comprehensive innovation.

He stressed the importance of developing new quality productive forces in light of local conditions while accelerating the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries and fostering the growth of strategic emerging industries.

Xi emphasized the need to push for in-depth reform and pursue high-standard opening up, calling for fostering a world-class business environment that is market-oriented, law-based and internationalized.

He also called on Anhui to actively engage in advancing high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and redouble its efforts to attract and stabilize foreign investment.

Highlighting the need to focus on creating a new pattern of integrated urban-rural development, Xi said it is important to expand the coverage of such services as education, medical and elderly care, social security and public culture in rural areas.

Xi urged efforts to further promote the integrated development of culture and tourism, and build cultural tourism into a pillar industry.

While stressing the need to uphold Party leadership and consistently strengthen Party building, Xi also demanded all-out efforts on the economic work in the fourth quarter to achieve the economic and social development goals for the whole year.