Revitalization steps stressed

Core leadership reviews measures on high-quality development of northeast

A key meeting of the Communist Party of China reviewed on Friday a set of policy measures to facilitate new breakthroughs in the revitalization of northeastern China in the new era, highlighting the need to shore up the role of the region as a strategic pillar.

The meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee deliberated on the guideline on the revitalization of China's northeastern region, comprising of Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces and part of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, presided over the meeting.

According to an official summary of the meeting, participants called for steps to propel industrial innovation through sci-tech innovation, upgrade traditional manufacturing sectors and nurture strategic emerging sectors and future industries to build up momentum for the region's development.

The meeting was held over one month after Xi made a fact-finding trip to Heilongjiang, where he also presided over a meeting with officials from the four provincial regions and the central government on revitalizing the northeastern region.

Participants in Friday's meeting said that the northeastern region, with its abundant resources, a strong industrial base, unique geographical advantages and tremendous development potential, holds an important strategic position in the overall development of China.

The rollout of a host of support policies will help to firm up confidence, fully leverage the region's comparative advantages and chart a new path for the region's high-quality development and sustainable revitalization.

They highlighted the need to develop modern agriculture, increase the comprehensive food production capacity, and bolster efforts to ensure the security of grain production and supply.

China's push to revitalize the northeast, a region that has long relied on heavy industry, energy resources and raw materials for economic growth and been confronted with population outflows, was launched 20 years ago.

According to the National Development and Reform Commission, Jilin, Liaoning and Heilongjiang provinces accounted for over 20 percent of total grain production in China in recent years, with their marketable grain taking up 25 percent of the national total.

Ecological protection was emphasized at the meeting, which highlighted the need to uphold the concept that greater coverage of greenery means greater strengths in development and protecting forests equals protecting wealth.

The meeting stressed the importance of making proactive efforts to develop forest-related sectors and ice and snow economies and to strengthen the ecological security barrier in the northern region.

It is important to develop clean energy sources such as wind, solar and nuclear power, step up the planning and construction of infrastructure in border areas and promote prosperity and stability in those areas, the summary said.

The meeting stressed vigorous steps to develop basic education, increase support for higher education institutions in the northeast, and enhance the overall quality of the population to support the revitalization of the region with high-quality human resources.

The meeting also stressed the importance of building Party organizations and leadership teams at all levels in the northeastern region, enhancing efforts to promote clean governance, and further optimizing the political environment, the summary said.