Takes on Xi's Inspections to Chongqing: Why China's Western Region Matters?
Takes on Xi's Inspections to Chongqing: Why China's Western Region Matters?
Chinese leader reiterates deepen reforms in western regions
Hi everyone! It’s been an extremely busy week for me. Yet I’ve managed to select one of the most important (maybe not most interesting) news in China. Please press the like button if you think that info is useful. I am planning to update some about how the Chinese side views the recent Blinken visit.
On Apr.22, Chinese President Xi paid an inspection tour to Chongqing, the largest direct-administered municipality in China. During his inspection, he held a symposium on boosting the development of China’s western region. This post contains some key takeaways from his symposium and some extra info.
Why Chongqing?
Chongqing, along with Beijing, Shanghai, and Tianjin, is one of the four direct-administered municipalities under the Central People's Government of China. As the only municipality situated in the western region, Chongqing covers an area roughly the size of Austria and serves as a center for finance, manufacturing, and transportation.
During his tour, Xi inspected the Chongqing International Logistics Hub Park, an inland bonded international logistics park that capitalizes on its strategic position as the originating station for both the China-Europe Railway Express and the Western Land-Sea New Corridor. The park, a vital component of Chongqing's Free Trade Zone, functions as a crucial railway logistics base and is one of the five major China-Europe Railway Express marshaling centers in China. This strategic location enables Chongqing to play a key role in connecting the western region to the Belt and Road Initiative.
What is a western region in China, and why do these provinces matter?
China's western regions are sprawling 6.87 million square kilometers and home to 382 million people.
The western regions consist of six provinces (Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, Shaanxi, Gansu, and Qinghai), five autonomous regions (Xizang, Ningxia, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, and Guangxi), and the municipality of Chongqing, covering over 70 percent of the country's land area and containing 27 percent of the total population.
At the same time, the western region borders 13 countries, including Mongolia, Russia, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Nepal, India, Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam. The land border line stretches over 18,000 kilometers, accounting for approximately 91% of China's total land borderline. The western region is crucial in China's geopolitical strategy, regional stability, and cross-border trade. It also serves as a gateway for China's Belt and Road Initiative, connecting China with Central Asia, South Asia, and Europe through various economic corridors and transportation networks.
How does the central government define these provinces' routes of development?
On April 23, Xi Jinping chaired a symposium on the "China Western Development" initiative, which was first proposed by former leader Jiang Zemin in 1999 to address regional imbalances. During the symposium, Xi outlined the development strategies for the provinces in the western region, taking into account their unique characteristics, resources, and strategic importance.
Xi emphasized the following key points in sequence:
Developing characteristic and advantageous industries: The government encourages each province to focus on its strengths and develop industries that leverage local resources and expertise.
Promoting scientific and technological innovation: The central government emphasizes the importance of fostering innovation, cultivating talents, and overcoming key core technologies to drive development in the region.
Ecological protection and high-quality development: Provinces are encouraged to prioritize ecological and environmental protection while pursuing high-quality economic development.
Increasing openness and integration: The Western Land-Sea New Corridor and the Belt and Road Initiative are seen as essential for improving the level of opening up and connecting the western region with other parts of China and the world.
Ensuring energy and resource security: The government aims to enhance security guarantee capacity in key areas such as energy and resources by accelerating the construction of a new energy system and developing important national energy bases.
Promoting urbanization and regional coordination: The central government encourages the development of urban clusters, provincial sub-central cities, and the interconnection of infrastructure and public services among cities to foster balanced regional growth.
Implementing rural revitalization: Provinces are tasked with advancing the rural revitalization strategy, assisting low-income populations and underdeveloped areas, and preventing large-scale return to poverty.
Maintaining ethnic unity and border stability: The government emphasizes the importance of promoting economic and social development in ethnic regions, implementing ethnic and religious policies, and advancing the action of enriching the people and strengthening the borders.