Chinese leader stresses focus of developing high-quality economy

BEIJING. — Chinese President Xi Jinping said yesterday the focus of high-quality economic development should be placed on transforming and upgrading industries. Efforts should be made to strengthen and improve the real economy, President Xi said as he joined a panel discussion with the deputies from Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region at the first session of the 13th National People’s Congress, China’s national legislature.

The Chinese economy has transitioned from a phase of rapid growth to a stage of high-quality development, said President Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, warning that old ways of thinking might lead China almost nowhere and miss precious opportunities.

Local governments should build on their strengths and tap their potential to develop more emerging, high-end, high-value-added and capital-and-technology-intensive industries, putting in place a multi-dimension and multi-pillar modern industrial mix, President Xi pointed out.

He also called on the region to develop modern equipment manufacturing, modern services and other emerging sectors like new material, bio-medicine, electronics and information, energy conservation, and environmental protection to lend fresh growth momentum.

The region should enhance infrastructure development and make full use of its geographical position for better resource allocation and production layout, President Xi said.

Efforts should focus on issues like industrial development, employment, infrastructure, public services, and healthcare. The medical security system should be improved to address poverty caused by illness, he said.

The president said the poverty alleviation fight should be complemented with China’s rural vitalization strategy to improve living conditions of farmers and herdsmen.

President Xi said actions should be taken against corruption and undesirable practices in poverty relief work, while demanding strict punishment for embezzlement of poverty relief funds, and elimination of practices like formalities for formalities’ sake, bureaucratism, and falsification. – Xinhua