Opinion | Chinese President: 'Sichuan must break new ground in high-quality development'
By Augustus K. Yeung
INTROUDCTION
President Xi earnestly hopes to inspire the youth of Sichuan to capitalize on the ongoing world sports event in Chengdu, to seize this opportunity, and to build a beautiful western China "with Sichuan characteristics". His message is well-received.
But, why Xi was busy visiting historical and cultural relics?
The leader who had earlier opened the ceremony was now on an inspection tour. Among his jaw-dropping destinations are the "Shudao" (Sichuan's way) and the Sanxingdui Ruins.
Shudao has a fascinating tale to tell. It features a dangerous road built on the treacherous mountainous terrain – as a characteristic of the province. It is so life-threatening that it has earned the proverbial saying, "Shudo is treacherously steep; it is far more dangerous and steeper than going up to heaven."
In Sichuan, foreigners will find and learn many more traditional idiomatic sayings to their delight. They may also be surprised to find the difference between the U.S. and the Chinese political system. Unlike that in the U.S., the Chinese system is built around Beijing, the capital as the "center", while the provinces such as Sichuan and Guangdong are the "periphery" – answerable to the central government – as the late Singaporean leader Lee Kuan Yew so astutely observed.
This is why during this inspection tour of Sichuan, Xi Jinping was receiving briefs from the provincial leader and dishing out advice inspiringly.
President Xi has called for breaking new ground in China's high-quality development during an inspection tour of Sichuan province…
Xi urged the province to write a new chapter in advancing Chinese modernization, saying that it is imperative to apply the new development philosophy, forge a new pattern of development and promote common prosperity across the board and throughout economic and social development.
During the Sichuan tour, he visited Guangyuan and Deyang cities from Tuesday to Thursday last week.
On Tuesday afternoon, he went to Guangyuan and visited the site of a section of an ancient road system known as "Shudao". Xi walked along the ancient road, taking a close look at the ancient cypress forest that has been well preserved.
On Wednesday afternoon, he visited the newly built Sanxingdui Museum in Deyang, Sanxingdui Ruins, the remnants of an ancient capital, representing the ancient Shu civilization.
After touring the exhibition halls, he pledged more state support for the preservation and repair of cultural relics, describing the work as a long-term task.
On Thursday morning, Xi was briefed by the Sichuan provincial Party committee and government about their work, and acknowledged their efforts in various respects.
He urged Sichuan to make more progress in sci-tech innovation, the building of a modern industrial system, rural revitalization and the consolidation of ecological shields along the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and the Yellow River.
He asked the province to resolve problems concerning a number of core technologies in key fields and to become an innovation hub in Sichuan, western China.
"Relying on its unique advantages in manufacturing, Sichuan should actively contribute to the safety of the country's industrial and supply chains and dock itself with the new industrial layout in China's eastern coastal areas in a high-quality manner," Xi said.
Xi called on the province to build a modernized industrial system – with Sichuan characteristics and strengths
He urged Sichuan to put rural revitalization in a prominent position and further take on the responsibilities of stabilizing the production and ensuring the supply of major agricultural products such as grain, agricultural and oilseed crops.
Xi stressed that Sichuan should enhance ecological conservation, move faster to build a national park-based nature reserve system, and actively advocate eco-friendly and low-carbon ways of work and life.
He urged Sichuan to keep skies blue, water clear, and lands pollution-free by higher standards, improve the compensation system for ecological conservation, and elevate the modernization of ecological environment governance.
Xi pointed out that as Sichuan is a place with frequent natural disasters, it is necessary to strengthen the building of emergency response forces.
"July and August mark the time the Yangtze River basin enters its main flood season," Xi said, calling for efforts to make preparations for flood control and disaster relief and minimize casualties and property losses to the greatest extent.
Xi also urged Sichuan to comprehensively check the hidden dangers of workplace safety, and resolutely prevent and contain the occurrence of major workplace safety accidents.
On Saturday, Xi visited Hanzhong in Shaanxi province on his way back to Beijing. "I was in Hanzhong in 2008 after the devastating Wenchuan earthquake to oversee the relief work. Hanzhong has always been in my heart over the years," Xi told local residents who gathered around him. Xi was delighted to see huge change of the city since then.
In Hanzhong, Xi also visited a wetland park, where he stressed responsibility and significance of protecting the wetland resources in the area along the Hanjiang River and its tributaries.
He anxiously urged efforts to improve the overall protection and systematic restoration of the wetland ecosystem. (Source: Xinhua)
CONCLUSION
U.S special presidential envoy on climate John Kerry's trip to Beijing may have exposed the limits of his country's climate diplomacy. But China is quietly engaging in provincial level mega projects that attempt to cope with the deteriorating climate and greening the nation.
For example, in this article foreign visitors should be pleasantly surprised to find that the Chinese president has highlighted areas to improve greening some areas, building safety measures against earthquakes and even balancing work and life for the residents of Chengdu, the capital and Sichuan province.
The Chinese leader expects that through this world-wide university sports event, Western visitors will get to understand China better, appreciate its people more and build stronger bilateral ties, actualizing the essence of Xi's principle of "people-to-people" connectivity.
The Chinese president, too, deeply believes that natural wealth and business savvy would help Chengdu, Sichuan shine – just as China's coastal provinces have done.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of DotDotNews.
Read more articles by Augustus K. Yeung:
Opinion | Chengdu, Chinese city of youth, bracing for World University Games
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