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 the work to promote 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 generally remained 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 comprehensively developed, 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 there are still many difficulties and challenges in promoting the rise of the central region, which must be earnestly studied and resolved.

　　Xi Jinping emphasized that technological innovation should lead industrial innovation, actively cultivating and developing 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 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 a closely cooperative innovation consortium upstream and downstream, promoting 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 that coordination with other major development strategies should be strengthened to better integrate into and support the new development pattern. Deep integration with the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area should be enhanced, as well as integration and linkage with the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt and the ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin. The orderly undertaking of industrial gradient transfer and optimization of industrial layout should be promoted. The construction of a modern transportation infrastructure system should be strengthened, reinforcing the central region's major corridor pattern. A sound inter-provincial cooperation mechanism within the region should be established and improved to enhance regional coordinated development. The development of the urban agglomerations in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and the Central Plains should be vigorously promoted, strengthening coordination and linkage among metropolitan areas to better radiate and drive the development of surrounding areas.

　　Xi Jinping emphasized that deep-level reform and high-level opening-up should be promoted in a coordinated manner to continuously build a more competitive inland open highland. Market-oriented reform of factors should be deepened, the basic system of the market economy improved, local protectionist behaviors comprehensively rectified, and the rational flow and optimal allocation of various productive factors across regions promoted to better participate in the construction of a unified national market. Institutional opening-up should be steadily expanded, deeply integrating into the jointly built "Belt and Road" initiative, proactively connecting with the New Eurasian Land Bridge and the Western Land-Sea New Corridor, building high-standard pilot free trade zones, creating more high-level platforms for foreign openness and cooperation, and playing a greater role in connecting domestic and international dual circulation. The construction of a market-oriented, law-based, and internationalized business environment should be strengthened to enhance attractiveness to domestic and foreign factors and resources. The principle of "two unwavering commitments" should be adhered to, supporting state-owned enterprises to become stronger, better, and bigger, and further optimizing the development environment for private enterprises.

　　Xi Jinping pointed out that ecological environment protection and green, low-carbon development should be promoted in coordination to accelerate the construction of a beautiful central region. The battle against pollution should be continuously and deeply fought, strengthening the ecological environment system governance, comprehensive governance, and coordinated governance of major rivers and important lakes, and accelerating the filling of gaps in urban domestic sewage collection and treatment facilities. The green and low-carbon transformation of industrial, energy, and transportation structures should be promoted, accelerating the cultivation and growth of green and low-carbon industries, and strengthening resource conservation, intensive, and circular utilization. The horizontal ecological protection compensation mechanism for river basins and the ecological product value realization mechanism should be improved, promoting industrial ecologicalization and ecological industrialization.

　　Xi Jinping emphasized that integrated urban-rural development should be adhered to, and comprehensive rural revitalization should be solidly promoted. New-type urbanization construction should be advanced with counties as important carriers, promoting balanced allocation of public resources and free flow of production factors between urban and rural areas, and extending urban infrastructure and public services to rural areas. Rural infrastructure should be further improved, rural environment governance strengthened, moderate-scale agricultural operations promoted, and integration of primary, secondary, and tertiary industries encouraged. Rural reform should be further deepened, and support systems for strengthening agriculture, benefiting farmers, and enriching the people improved to fully stimulate the vitality of agricultural and rural development. County economies should be vigorously developed to form new growth points. Great importance should be attached to the revitalization and development of old revolutionary base areas and underdeveloped counties (cities, districts), filling gaps in public services, developing and growing characteristic industries, and enhancing endogenous development momentum. A sound monitoring and assistance mechanism to prevent poverty relapse should be established to prevent large-scale poverty recurrence. Rural cultural revitalization should be vigorously promoted, and customs and habits improved. A grassroots governance system combining party organization leadership, autonomy, rule of law, and moral governance should be improved, adhering to and developing the new era "Fengqiao Experience," normalizing the crackdown on gang crime and evil forces, and creating a positive and healthy social ecology.

　　Xi Jinping pointed out that high-quality development and high-level security should be promoted mutually to strive to enhance the security guarantee capacity for grain, energy, and resources. The construction of grain production functional areas, important agricultural product production protection zones, and characteristic agricultural product advantage zones should be advanced with high quality, building a number of green agricultural product production, processing, and supply bases to ensure stable and secure supply of grain and other important agricultural products. The development and utilization level of coal, rare earths, and other resources should be further improved, enhancing the bottom-line guarantee capacity of coal and other fossil energy, accelerating the construction of a new energy system, and focusing on multi-energy complementarity and deep integration of traditional 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 research 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 comprehend, and thoroughly implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech, positioning and considering the central region within the overall national map and supporting the construction of the new development pattern, striving 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, playing advantages and releasing potential in new-type urbanization and green, low-carbon development, promoting strengthened cooperation and overall linkage within the region, and enhancing 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 focusing on the requirements of high-quality development, and continuously achieve new results in promoting the rise of the central region. The deep integration of scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation should be strengthened, and new quality productive forces should be accelerated according to local conditions. Efforts should be made to greatly enhance the security guarantee capacity for grain, energy, and resources, achieving a virtuous interaction between high-quality development and high-level security. The construction of a unified national market and high-level opening-up cooperation should be deepened, continuously enhancing endogenous development momentum and vitality. Persistent efforts should be made to protect the ecological environment, laying a solid green foundation for 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.