Xi Focus: Getting off to a good start

BEIJING - In 2021, the Communist Party of China (CPC) has marked its centenary and the nation began to implement the 14th Five-Year Plan, getting off to a good start to fully build a modern socialist country.

Under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Xi Jinping at the core, China has witnessed steady and sound economic growth since the beginning of the year. New progress has been made in the country's high-quality development, and the Chinese people enjoy a stable social environment.

Good start

In early January, President Xi, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, addressed a study session at the Party School of the CPC Central Committee.

He called on the over 190 provincial and ministerial-level officials at attendance to strive for a good start in fully building a modern socialist country.

About two weeks later, chairing a group study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, Xi reiterated the need to ensure sound economic and social development this year, as the "first step" of the 14th Five-Year Plan is crucial.

According to Xi, during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China should work to fulfill commitments in various areas, including the promotion of high-quality development, satisfying people's expectations for a high-quality life, and achieving sci-tech self-reliance at a higher level. The country has also begun to fast-track vitalizing the countryside.

Xi demanded a steady pace to achieve progress. And progress does come about across the board, from economic growth to environmental protection, rule of law, and national defense.

High-quality development

Stressing the key task of fostering the new development paradigm and advancing high-quality development, Xi urged more efforts to achieve innovative, coordinated, green, open and inclusive development.

On top of the list of tasks in the 14th Five-Year Plan is strengthening scientific and technological innovation. This year, Xi has inspected several sci-tech companies, where he repeatedly highlighted the importance of self-reliance and self-strengthening in high-level sci-tech innovation.

Hefty investments are already pouring in to power innovation and growth. In the first half of the year, China's economy expanded 12.7 percent year on year, while investment into high-tech industries surged 23.5 percent year on year.

Green is a hallmark of high-quality development. On his inspections across the country so far this year, Xi has underscored the importance of eco-environment protection in each trip.

Progress has also been made on other fronts. The country has expanded its opening-up with concrete measures, with a guideline to support high-level reform and opening-up of the Pudong New Area in Shanghai and a negative list for cross-border trade in services in its southern island province of Hainan, among others.