On the afternoon of the 20th, Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, President of the State, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, presided over a symposium in Changsha City, Hunan Province, on promoting the rise of the central region in the new era and delivered an important speech. He emphasized that the central region is an important grain production base, energy and raw material base, modern equipment manufacturing and high-tech industry base, and comprehensive transportation hub in China, holding a pivotal position nationwide. It is essential to consistently implement the series of policies and measures promoted by the Party Central Committee to advance the rise of the central region, form a joint force to promote high-quality development, and strive to write a new chapter in the rise of the central region in the construction of Chinese-style modernization.

　　Li Qiang, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Premier of the State Council; Cai Qi, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee; and Ding Xuexiang, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council, attended the symposium.

　　At the symposium, Zheng Shanjie, Director of the National Development and Reform Commission; Tang Dengjie, Secretary of the Shanxi Provincial Party Committee; Han Jun, Secretary of the Anhui Provincial Party Committee; Yin Hong, Secretary of the Jiangxi Provincial Party Committee; Lou Yangsheng, Secretary of the Henan Provincial Party Committee; Wang Menghui, Secretary of the Hubei Provincial Party Committee; and Shen Xiaoming, Secretary of the Hunan Provincial Party Committee, spoke in turn, reporting on work related to promoting the rise of the central region and offering opinions and suggestions.

　　After listening to the speeches, Xi Jinping delivered an important speech. He pointed out that in the five years since the last symposium on promoting the rise of the central region, the regional economy has remained generally stable, innovation-driven development momentum has continuously strengthened, the industrial foundation has significantly improved, reform and opening-up have taken new steps, social undertakings have developed comprehensively, people's living standards have steadily risen, and the pace of green and low-carbon transformation has accelerated. The development of the central region has reached a higher starting point. At the same time, it is necessary to recognize that promoting the rise of the central region still faces many difficulties and challenges that must be earnestly studied and resolved.

　　Xi Jinping emphasized the need to lead industrial innovation with scientific and technological innovation and actively cultivate and develop new quality productive forces. Based on the foundation of the real economy, efforts should be made to expand and strengthen advanced manufacturing, actively promote new industrialization, transform and upgrade traditional industries, cultivate and grow emerging industries, plan ahead for the construction of future industries, and accelerate the establishment of a modern industrial system supported by advanced manufacturing. Greater attention should be paid to the deep integration of scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation, strengthening major scientific and technological breakthroughs, and enhancing the technical support capacity for industrial innovation and development. The leading role of enterprises in innovation should be reinforced, building close upstream and downstream cooperative innovation alliances, promoting the integration of production, education, and research, and accelerating the transformation of scientific and technological achievements into real productive forces. The implementation of major technological transformation and large-scale equipment renewal projects in manufacturing should be deepened, promoting the high-end, intelligent, and green development of manufacturing, revitalizing traditional industries with new vitality.

　　Xi Jinping pointed out the need to strengthen coordination with other major development strategies and better integrate into and support the new development pattern. Deepen integration with the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and strengthen coordinated development with the Yangtze River Economic Belt and ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin. Orderly undertake industrial gradient transfer and optimize industrial layout. Strengthen the construction of a modern transportation infrastructure system and reinforce the major corridor pattern of the central region. Establish and improve inter-provincial cooperation mechanisms within the region to enhance regional coordinated development. Vigorously promote the development of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River urban agglomeration and the Central Plains urban agglomeration, strengthen coordination and linkage among metropolitan areas, and better radiate and drive the development of surrounding areas.

　　Xi Jinping emphasized the need to coordinate deep reforms and high-level opening-up, continuously building a more competitive inland open highland. Deepen market-oriented reforms of production factors, improve the basic system of the market economy, comprehensively rectify local protectionism, promote the reasonable flow and optimal allocation of various productive factors across regions, and better participate in the construction of a unified national market. Steadily expand institutional opening-up, deeply integrate into the jointly built "Belt and Road," actively connect with the New Eurasian Land Bridge and the new western land-sea corridor, build high-standard pilot free trade zones, create more high-level platforms for foreign cooperation and opening-up, and play a greater role in connecting domestic and international dual circulation. Strengthen the construction of a market-oriented, law-based, and internationalized business environment, enhancing attractiveness to domestic and foreign factors and resources. Adhere to the "two unwavering principles," support state-owned enterprises to become stronger, better, and bigger, and further optimize the development environment for private enterprises.

　　Xi Jinping pointed out the need to coordinate ecological environment protection and green low-carbon development, accelerating the construction of a beautiful central region. Continue to intensify the battle against pollution, strengthen ecological system governance, comprehensive governance, and coordinated governance of major rivers and important lakes, and accelerate the improvement of urban domestic sewage collection and treatment facilities. Promote green and low-carbon transformation of industrial, energy, and transportation structures, accelerate the cultivation and growth of green and low-carbon industries, and strengthen resource conservation, intensive use, and recycling. Improve the horizontal ecological protection compensation mechanism for river basins and the mechanism for realizing the value of ecological products, promoting industrial ecologicalization and ecological industrialization.

　　Xi Jinping emphasized the need to adhere to integrated urban-rural development and solidly promote comprehensive rural revitalization. Promote new urbanization construction with counties as important carriers, promote balanced allocation of public resources and free flow of production factors between urban and rural areas, and extend urban infrastructure and public services to rural areas. Further improve rural infrastructure, strengthen rural environment improvement, promote moderately scaled agricultural operations, and promote the integrated development of primary, secondary, and tertiary industries. Further deepen rural reform, improve support systems for strengthening agriculture, benefiting farmers, and enriching the people, and fully stimulate the vitality of agricultural and rural development. Vigorously develop county economies to form new growth points. Attach great importance to the revitalization and development of old revolutionary base areas and underdeveloped counties (cities, districts), fill gaps in public services, develop and strengthen characteristic industries, and enhance endogenous development momentum. Improve monitoring and assistance mechanisms to prevent poverty relapse and avoid large-scale return to poverty. Vigorously promote rural cultural revitalization and advance changes in customs and habits. Improve the grassroots governance system led by Party organizations combining autonomy, rule of law, and moral governance, adhere to and develop the new era "Fengqiao Experience," normalize the crackdown on gang crime and evil forces, and create a positive and healthy social ecology.

　　Xi Jinping pointed out the need to adhere to the mutual promotion of high-quality development and high-level security, striving to enhance the security guarantee capacity for grain, energy, and resources. Promote the construction of grain production function zones, important agricultural product production protection zones, and characteristic agricultural product advantage zones with high quality, build a number of green agricultural product production, processing, and supply bases, and ensure stable and secure supply of grain and other important agricultural products. Further improve the development and utilization level of coal, rare earth, and other resources, enhance the bottom-line guarantee capacity of coal and other fossil energy, accelerate the construction of a new energy system, and focus on the complementary and deep integration of traditional energy and new energy.

　　Finally, Xi Jinping emphasized that the Central Leading Group for Regional Coordinated Development should strengthen overall coordination and supervision guidance, relevant central departments should increase support efforts, and propose policy measures to promote the rise of the central region in the new era. Local party committees and governments should shoulder the main responsibility, resolutely implement the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee, and promote the implementation of key work tasks and major reform matters. Efforts should be made to consolidate and expand the achievements of thematic education, focus on building a loyal, clean, responsible, high-quality, and professional cadre team, establish and improve assessment and incentive systems, and encourage cadres to boldly pioneer and take responsibility.

　　In his speech, Li Qiang stated that it is necessary to earnestly study and understand, and thoroughly implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech, position the central region within the national map and in supporting the construction of the new development pattern, and strive to transform location and resource advantages into development advantages. The central region should actively connect with other regional development strategies, actively introduce industrial innovation resources from the eastern region, enhance its radiation and driving role to the western region, and improve the level of opening-up. Efforts should be made to strengthen advantages and make up for shortcomings, play advantages and release potential in new urbanization and green low-carbon development, promote strengthened internal regional cooperation and overall linkage, and enhance the overall strength and competitiveness of the central region.

　　In his speech, Ding Xuexiang stated that it is necessary to deeply study and implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party and General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech, closely focus on the requirements of high-quality development, and continuously achieve new results in promoting the rise of the central region. Strengthen the deep integration of scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation, accelerate the development of new quality productive forces according to local conditions. Vigorously enhance the security guarantee capacity for grain, energy, and resources, achieving a virtuous interaction between high-quality development and high-level security. Deepen the construction of a unified national market and high-level opening-up cooperation, continuously enhance endogenous development momentum and vitality. Persistently focus on ecological environment protection, deeply cultivate the green foundation of high-quality development.

　　Li Ganjie, He Lifeng, Wu Zhenglong, and Mu Hong attended the symposium. Responsible comrades from relevant departments of the central and state organs, relevant localities, and relevant enterprises also participated in the symposium.