Xi envisions Chongqing as int'l logistics hub, stresses development

ChinesePresidentXiJinpinghasurgedChongqing,thestartpointofatranscontinentalrailwaytoEurope,tobuilditselfintoaninternationallogisticshubinthehinterlandsandaleadinginlandopeneconomy.

Ximadetheremarksduringhisfirstinspectiontourof2016insouthwestChina'sChongqingMunicipalityfromMondaytoWednesday.

AtGuoyuanPort,amoderntransportationhubstillunderconstruction,XisaidtheBeltandRoadInitiativehasprovidedabiggerplatformforChongqingto"goglobal"whiledevelopmentoftheYangtzeRiverEconomicBeltwillhelpChongqingbetterintegratewithcentralandeasternregions.

XialsovisitedtheChongqingbranchofBOE,wherehepraisedthecompany'ssuperiortechnologyandbrandingandurgedittostepupresearchanddevelopment.

Stressingcoordinatedurban-ruraldevelopment,thepresidentsaidChongqinghasfacedanarduoustaskinthismatterasthecitycoversalargeareacrisscrossedbyriversandmountains,urbanandruralareas,whichareunbalancedindevelopment.

Hecalledforsimultaneousdevelopmentofmodernindustrialization,computers,urbanizationandagriculturalmodernizationtointegrateurban-ruraldevelopment.

XialsourgedChongqingtoprotecttheThreeGorgesReservoirandtheYangtzeRiverthatrunsthroughthecity,sayingthesearecrucialtothelong-termdevelopmentofChongqingaswellasthewholenation.

ThecityshouldbetterprotecttheenvironmentintheupperreachesoftheYangtze,Xisaid.

Stressingtheneedforallpeopletosharethefruitsofthecountry'sreformanddevelopment,Xiurged"precision"inpovertyrelief,withmeasurestailoredtodifferentlocalsituationsandgroups.

Hecalledongovernmentsnotonlytoholdaccountablethoseresponsibleforpublicsafetyaccidents,butalsotodrawoutthecommonproblemshidingbehindtheaccidents.

"GovernmenteffortstomaintainpublicsafetyandstabilityarelinkedtothehappinessofthousandsofChinesehouseholds...Ifaccidentshappenorrisksaredetectedinoneplace,thewholenationshoulddrawlessonsfromit,"saidXi.

XiexpressedappreciationforthesocialandeconomicachievementsmadebyChongqinginrecentyears.

Xisaidhehopedthemunicipalitywillplayapivotalroleinthestrategytodevelopthenation'swesternparts,inadditiontointegratingitsgrowthintotheBeltandRoadInitiativeandtheconstructionoftheeconomicbeltalongtheYangtzeRiver.

Inaddition,Xiurgedofficialstoworkinearnest,havecouragetotellthetruthandneverabusepowerinexchangeforpersonalgains.

LeadingcadresatalllevelsconstitutethebackboneoftheCommunistPartyofChina's(CPC)governanceforceandshouldtaketheleadinimplementingthe"threestrictsandthreeearnests"requirement,thepresidentsaid.

The"threestrictsandthreeearnests"isaseriesofrequirementsforofficialstoimprovetheirlifestylesandwork,urgingthemtobestrictinmorals,useofpowerandself-discipline,aswellashonestintheirworkandbehavior.

"Idealsandbeliefshouldnotberegardedasslogansthatofficialsjustpaylipserviceto...Instead,theyshouldbeconvertedintostrengththatencouragesofficialstotakeaction,"Xisaid.

Rigidimplementationofdisciplineandrulesnotonlyrequiresasetofthorough,effectiveregulations,butalsoaprocessofobeyingthemhundredpercent,hesaid.

Therightexerciseofpowercanbeachievedthroughactingbylaw,Xisaid,urgingofficialstoalwaysbearinmindtheprincipleofactinginaccordancewiththelawandneverabusepowerinexchangeforpersonalgains.

Theyearof2016isavitalperiodfordeepeningreforms,thepresidentsaid,callingonlocalauthoritiesinChongqingtofulfilreformtasksassignedbythecentralauthority,aswellasexploreinnovation.

"Thepriority,path,orderandmethodsofreformsshouldbeworkedouttomakesurethereformspreciselysatisfythedemandoflocaldevelopmentaswellaspeople'sexpectation,"Xiadded.

Newconceptforeconomicdevelopment

Xiemphasizedthenewconceptofinnovation,coordination,greendevelopment,openingupandsharingintheprocessofbuildinga"moderatelyprosperoussocietyinallrespects"by2020.

XihailedthesenewconceptsasasolutiontofalteringglobalrecoveryandaresponsetoChina'seconomy,whichhasentereda"newnormal"statefeaturingslowergrowth.

Xisaidtheconceptmustbecarriedoutfirmlyandswifteffortsshouldbemadetoadjustthethinkingandpracticewhichwasnotinlinewithit.

Hestressedthefivepartsofthenewconceptshouldbeimplementedasawholesincetheywereinseparableinnature.

Thoughfactorshamperingeconomicdevelopmentlieinboththedemandsideandthesupplyside,thesupplysideisprincipal,saidXi,urgingmoreworktoadvancesupply-sidestructuralreform.

Supply-sidereformisthelatestbuzzwordamongChineseleadersandeconomistsasthecountrymovestoaddressissueslikeexcesscapacity,housingoverhang,andunprofitable"zombie"state-ownedenterprises.

Xidemandedmoreeffortstophaseoutexcesscapacityandrestructureindustries,inadditiontoloweringthecompanies'costsanddevelopingemergingindustriesaswellasservicesectors.

Thepresidentsaidthesupplysystemshouldbeimprovedtocaterforconsumersbetter.