Xi: Balance pandemic, economy
Instructions issued during tour of Zhejiang address disease prevention work, fulfillment of development goals
President Xi Jinping instructed government officials on Wednesday to take more measures to coordinate disease prevention and the resumption of economic production in an effort to fulfill this year’s development goals.
Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remark at a conference on the conclusion of his four-day inspection tour of Zhejiang province.
He urged officials to fully implement the decisions and measures set out by the CPC Central Committee and coordinate disease prevention and economic development work.
Xi said that after a period of hard work, the situation in China is moving steadily in a positive direction, but the virus is still spreading fast overseas, posing increasing threats to the country.
He instructed officials to remain alert to prevent importation of the virus or any domestic recurrence.
Special attention must be paid to asymptomatic infection, Xi said, adding that prevention and treatment measures must be continued in a strict, substantial and detailed manner.
Preventing importation of the virus should be the most important concern currently and for a relatively long period of disease prevention work, Xi said, adding that a solid defense without any gaps is needed.
He said the spread of the virus overseas has severely impacted international economic and trade activities, bringing new challenges to China’s economy. It also has created the need for scientific development and industrial upgrading in China.
Xi instructed officials to analyze the situation and respond proactively to needs created by the current crisis.
The resumption of economic production should be accelerated in an orderly manner on the premise of intensifying disease prevention and control, and the problems of production resumption should be resolved, Xi said.
He instructed officials to take targeted measures to keep the international supply chain unblocked and ensure the normal operation of all kinds of international economic and trade activities.
Xi stressed the importance of the new type of infrastructure construction including the building of 5G networks and data centers. The development of strategic new industries in areas such as digital economy, life and health and new materials should speed up, thus developing new driving forces for economic growth, he said.
He stressed that the country’s disease prevention and control system should be improved and the public health emergency administration system improved.
Xi told the officials to further implement the strategy of rural development, build beautiful rural villages and townships, promote the flow of capital, technology and talent to rural areas and speed up the modernization of those areas.
He said the officials need to pay attention to agricultural production and livestock husbandry to guarantee the supply of food and vegetables at stable prices.
Xi highlighted the importance of practicing the development philosophy of “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets”, saying that green development should become a special characteristic of Zhejiang.
Xi said the battle against this pandemic is a practical test of the governing capacity of Party authorities at all levels. Party organizations at all levels should strengthen Party building, make more effort to serve the people and tackle formalism and bureaucracy, he said.
During the trip, which started on Sunday, Xi traveled to seaport, industrial park, rural village and wetland park areas in Ningbo, Huzhou and Hangzhou to inspect prevention and control work on the novel coronavirus disease as well as the economic and social development.
While inspecting the Chuanshan port area of Ningbo-Zhoushan Port on Sunday, Xi said that the seaport’s fast resumption of work has great significance for the restoration of the country’s logistics chain and the global industrial chain.
He instructed port workers to make further efforts to respond to the restrictive measures taken by other countries on cargo transportation and promote the smooth operation of imports and exports.
In his talks with private company workers at an industrial park on Sunday, Xi said that the country’s small and medium-size enterprises will definitely overcome the difficulties with the support of the Party and the government as well as society.
On Monday, while visiting the village of Yucun in Huzhou’s Anji county, where he first put forward the development theory of “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets” 15 years ago, Xi said the development theory has now become the consensus and practice of the whole Party and society.
At the social mediation center of Anji county, Xi recognized the county’s practices and said people’s problems should be resolved at an early stage to ensure social stability.
While visiting Hangzhou Xixi National Westland Park on Tuesday, Xi said that environmental protection should be prioritized in the wetlands, and the development of tourism should not destroy the environment.
On Tuesday, Xi also visited Hangzhou City Brain Operation Command Center, where he learned how the “city brain” is used to promote the modernization of city governance systems and capacity. In 2016, the Hangzhou government announced its “city brain” plan, which uses more data to build an intelligent city. The “city brain” system covers 11 areas, including police, traffic, tourism and health.