Unwaveringly promoting high-quality development, uniting hearts and gathering strength to catch up and surpass in the new era—the Provincial Party Committee's Economic Work Conference was held in Xi'an. Liu Guozhong and Zhao Yide delivered speeches, while Han Yong attended.

On December 29, the Provincial Party Committee's Economic Work Conference was held in Xi'an. Photo by Zhang Chen

Liu Guozhong, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, and Zhao Yide, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Governor, delivered speeches. Han Yong, Chairman of the Provincial Political Consultative Conference, along with Standing Committee members Zhang Guangzhi, Liang Gui, Xu Xinrong, Wang Xiao, Wang Xingning, Zhuang Changxing, and Wang Hao, as well as Liu Xiaoyan, Vice Chairperson of the Provincial People's Congress Standing Committee, took their seats on the rostrum.

Liu Guozhong pointed out

This year has been an extraordinary one in Shaanxi’s development journey. Under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, the entire province has taken it as its overarching principle to strive vigorously for a new chapter of catching up and surpassing others in Shaanxi’s development during the new era. Despite facing economic downturn pressures and the adverse impacts brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve managed to stabilize the economy and keep it on track. As a result, the key objectives of the 13th Five-Year Plan have largely been achieved, bringing us closer than ever to全面建成小康社会—our goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. Looking ahead to this new journey, while we must remain clearly aware of the still-challenging and complex external environment, as well as the fiercely competitive domestic landscape driving rapid progress across the country, we also recognize that our province’s foundation for high-quality development remains fragile. Yet, what gives us greater confidence is the unwavering strength of the Party Central Committee’s leadership and the convergence of numerous favorable policy opportunities. With each passing day, Shaanxi’s momentum for catching up and surpassing others grows stronger. As long as we seize the moment, stay focused on practical action, and work diligently, we will undoubtedly consolidate and further expand upon the positive development trends we’re currently enjoying.

Liu Guozhong emphasized

Next year marks the beginning of the 14th Five-Year Plan period and is also a critical year for catching up and surpassing others in the new era. To ensure robust economic performance next year, our overarching goal is to adhere firmly to Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as our guiding principle. This means fully implementing the spirit of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, as well as the Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Plenary Sessions of the 19th Central Committee. We must earnestly carry out the important instructions from the Central Economic Work Conference and General Secretary Xi Jinping’s recent inspection tour of Shaanxi Province. We will uphold the general tone of pursuing progress while maintaining stability, ground ourselves in the new stage of development, embrace the new development philosophy, and foster a new development paradigm. Our focus will be on promoting high-quality development as the central theme, deepening supply-side structural reforms as the main driver, harnessing innovation and reform as the fundamental engines, and prioritizing the growing aspirations of the people for a better life. To achieve these objectives, we must adopt a systematic approach, consolidate and expand upon the gains made in both epidemic prevention and control and economic and social development. We must strike a better balance between growth and security, seamlessly integrating the "Five Requirements" and "Five Solid Foundations." Additionally, we will steadfastly advance the strategy of expanding domestic demand, strengthen our strategic support in science and technology, and further open up to the world at a higher level. Our ultimate aim is to keep economic activity within a reasonable range, ensuring a strong start to the 14th Five-Year Plan period. By doing so, we can energetically write a new chapter of catching up and surpassing others in Shaanxi during this new era, delivering outstanding achievements as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China.

Liu Guozhong emphasized

To embed innovation into every sector and link of industrial development, we must refine specialized modern agriculture to ensure food and critical agricultural product security; elevate the high-end energy and chemical industries; strengthen advanced manufacturing; and vigorously develop the service sector, particularly productive services, thereby building a modern industrial system uniquely tailored to Shaanxi's strengths. We need to boost investment and stimulate consumption by focusing on driving economic transformation, improving people's livelihoods, and enhancing infrastructure. At the same time, we should align with the evolving consumer demand trends, expanding high-quality supply to continuously unlock domestic growth potential. Furthermore, we must deepen reform and expand openness by effectively implementing key initiatives such as "delegation, regulation, and service" reforms, market-oriented reforms of production factors, state-owned asset and enterprise reforms, and rural reforms. We should also intensify our outreach to countries and regions along the Belt and Road, elevating both inter-provincial and intra-provincial levels of openness. Finally, we must comprehensively advance rural revitalization efforts, ensuring tangible results. This includes consolidating and expanding achievements from poverty alleviation, accelerating the integrated development of primary, secondary, and tertiary industries, bolstering county-level economies, and fostering new breakthroughs in the integrated development of urban and rural areas.

Liu Guozhong emphasized

To prioritize boosting residents' incomes and improving people's livelihoods, we must implement targeted policies focused on increasing wage-based, business-related, asset-based, and transfer payments. This approach will help expand employment opportunities, driving steady income growth. We should act to the best of our ability, within our means, and proceed step by step in delivering practical measures that directly benefit the public. We must also continuously strengthen ecological conservation and pollution prevention, firmly acting as guardians of the Qinling Mountains' natural environment while enhancing ecological protection along the Yellow River basin. This includes waging decisive battles to safeguard clean air, clear water, and healthy soil. Moreover, we need to enhance cultural influence and competitiveness by vigorously developing cultural undertakings and industries, reinforcing efforts to protect cultural heritage, and deepening the integration of culture and tourism. Ultimately, we aim to successfully host the 14th National Games with brilliance and completeness. Finally, we must firmly uphold the bottom line of safe development, resolutely safeguarding political security, economic stability, and the safety of people's lives. At the same time, we must rigorously enforce the responsibility system for workplace safety and maintain regular, effective COVID-19 prevention and control measures.

Liu Guozhong requests

We must comprehensively strengthen the Party's leadership over economic work, consistently prioritizing economic development as the central task for the entire province. This includes fully integrating the implementation of new development concepts and pursuing high-quality growth across all areas of economic and social development—ensuring that "upholding the Two Upholds" is firmly put into practice in concrete economic initiatives throughout the province. To excel in economic work, we must become seasoned professionals: adept at understanding policies to seize opportunities, skilled in project management and execution, well-versed in market dynamics to stay ahead, and proficient in financial strategies to effectively leverage capital. Above all, we must adopt a robust and disciplined approach to economic work—moving swiftly yet thoughtfully, tackling challenges with unwavering determination, paying meticulous attention to every detail, and maintaining integrity in all our actions. Only then can we drive meaningful progress, ushering in a new era of追赶超越 (catching up and surpassing others) characterized by fresh momentum and tangible achievements.

Zhao Yide emphasized while outlining next year's economic tasks.

To effectively manage the timing, intensity, and impact of policy implementation, ensuring that the economy operates within a reasonable range; strengthen strategic support from science and technology, and optimize the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem; vigorously advance reform and opening-up initiatives to continuously boost development vitality and endogenous momentum; consolidate and expand achievements in poverty alleviation, while comprehensively promoting rural revitalization; focus on "one mountain, one river, and one plain" to drive sustained improvements in ecological and environmental quality; earnestly deliver practical measures that enhance people's livelihoods and elevate their quality of life; simultaneously advance development and security, proactively preventing and resolving risks across all sectors—while making breakthroughs in key areas such as establishing innovative mechanisms at Western Innovation Hubs, accelerating major infrastructure projects centered on transportation, advancing the construction of the Xi'an-based China-Europe Railway Express assembly hub, strengthening ecological protection frameworks in the Qinling Mountains and Yellow River Basin, and leveraging digital technologies to unlock new growth potential. All these efforts must be carried out with high-quality, high-standard preparation to ensure the successful and splendid hosting of the 14th National Games. Additionally, it is crucial to firmly address critical year-end and early-year tasks, including epidemic prevention and control, maintaining stable supplies during the dual holidays, safeguarding people's livelihoods, ensuring safe production, and enhancing social governance. Meanwhile, local governments and departments must earnestly reinforce their political sense of responsibility toward economic work—fully understanding their duties, taking ownership of their responsibilities, and translating commitments into concrete actions. By coordinating priorities, acting decisively, and adopting innovative approaches, we can ensure that our efforts lead to tangible results, turning ambitious goals into tangible development outcomes. This will enable us to take the first meaningful step toward building a new development paradigm and usher in a fresh, dynamic era of progress.

The meeting was held via teleconference. Current provincial-level leaders, heads of various provincial departments, people's organizations, and key officials from selected provincial enterprises and universities attended the meeting at the main venue. Meanwhile, leading officials from municipal (district) Party committees and governments, as well as prominent private-sector entrepreneurs, joined the meeting at the sub-venues. At the sub-venues were also the chairpersons of municipal People's Congress Standing Committees, vice chairpersons of municipal Political Consultative Conferences, deputy secretaries of municipal Party committees, vice mayors of municipal governments, and top officials from county (city, district) Party committees and governments.