Xi Jinping inspects Changchun, NE China's Jilin Province

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Chinese President Xi Jinping Thursday visited Changchun, the capital city of northeast China's Jilin Province, following his stop in Siping City.

Xi visited places including the Changshan Huayuan Community in the city's Tuanshan Sub-district, a training school for community cadres, the exhibition hall on the planning of the Changchun New Area and a research and development institute of Chinese automaker FAW Group.

He learnt about grassroots governance, the planning and development of the new area, and the reform and development of state-owned enterprises.

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Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits an urban planning exhibition center and learns about urban planning and development in Changchun, northeast China's Jilin Province, July 23, 2020. /Xinhua

Regional economic engine

In April 2016, the central government rolled out new measures to revitalize the northeast China region that was struggling with industry decline, falling investment and a daunting business environment. Reforms were carried out – a series of supportive policies were released, and a free trade zone was set up in Liaoning, to streamline administrations and improve the business environment.

During his trip to the region's Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning provinces in September 2018, Xi visited a high-tech industrial zone in Changchun City and learnt about industry upgrading and tech-innovation planning.

The Changchun New Area, upgraded to the country's 17th national new area by the State Council in 2016, is seen as an "engine" to boost the region's revitalization.

During a meeting with Chinese entrepreneurs in Beijing on July 21, Xi said China is formulating its 14th Five-Year Plan, which sets out key economic and political goals for 2021 to 2025. Analysts say Xi's trip to Jilin Province is part of his research for the five-year plan.

(Cover: Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, learns about the reform and development of state-owned enterprises at the research and development institute of automaker FAW Group in Changchun, northeast China's Jilin Province, July 23, 2020. /Xinhua)