Xi's tour in Hunan: A case of developing new quality productive forces

Editor's note: Deng Quheng, a special commentator on current affairs for CGTN, is the Director of the Development Economics Research Office, Institute of Economics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. The article reflects the author's views, and not necessarily those of CGTN.

Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasized that the development of new quality productive forces must follow objective laws, adapt measures to local conditions, and selectively promote the development of new industries, new models, and new drivers of growth based on the resource endowments, industrial foundations, and scientific research conditions of different regions to form a system that is in line with national development. The development path of new quality productive forces is in line with its own strategic requirements and its own reality.

President Xi's first local inspection after the national Two Sessions focused on new productivity and provided specific guidance for Hunan Province to cultivate and develop new quality productive forces based on its reality. It also provided fundamental guidance and actions for all localities and departments to accelerate the development of new quality productive forces according to local conditions.

During his inspection in Hunan, President Xi pointed out that "scientific and technological innovation is the core element for developing new quality productive forces." and "it is imperative to work harder on promoting industrial innovation through technological innovation." Hunan is an important national advanced manufacturing highland, a scientific and technological innovation highland with core competitiveness, and an inland reform and opening-up highland. It has unique advantages in accelerating the cultivation and development of new productive forces.

As a "major manufacturing province," Hunan is guided by technological innovation and supported by advanced manufacturing, and is now vigorously cultivating new productive forces. Hunan has four advanced manufacturing cluster "national teams" including construction machinery, rail transit equipment, small and medium-sized aircraft engines, and new generation autonomous safety computing systems.

In 2023, Hunan's advanced manufacturing industry accounted for more than 50 percent of its manufacturing industry for the first time, becoming an important source of new quality productive forces.

Enterprises are the mainstay of innovation, as well as market players and an important force in economic and social development. When President Xi inspected BASF Shanshan Battery Materials Co., Ltd., he pointed out that "the key to enterprises' consistent growth and success lies in scientific and technological innovation and high-quality development, and private enterprises and joint ventures have great potentials to tap in this regard."

At present, corporate innovation has become an important source of scientific and technological innovation in our country. We must adhere to the two "unwavering principles," support the development and growth of the private economy and private enterprises, and stimulate the endogenous motivation and innovative vitality of various business entities.

BASF Shanshan Battery Materials Co., Ltd. is a Sino-German joint venture. Foreign investment is an important force in participating in Chinese-style modernization and promoting the common prosperity and development of both the Chinese and  world economy. It is necessary to expand high-level opening-up to the outside world; promote mutual benefit and win-win results; cultivate new advantages in international economic cooperation and competition; make greater efforts to attract and utilize foreign investment; create a market-oriented, legal and first-class international business environment; and consolidate the confidence of foreign investment in the development of China.

To develop new quality productive forces, we need to create a new workforce. When President Xi inspected Hunan First Normal University, Xi stressed the role of schools in fostering virtue among students and guiding them to serve the country." Among the elements of productivity, people are the most important basic core component of productivity. In the new era and new journey, to develop new productive forces, we must acknowledge that talent is the primary resource to create a new workforce. 

These talents include strategic talents who can create new productive forces and applied talents who can master new means of production proficiently, which will provide strong talent support to develop new quality productive forces." In accordance with the requirements for developing new productive forces, we must streamline the virtuous cycle of education, technology, and talent, and improve the working mechanism for talent training, introduction, utilization, and reasonable flow."

Agriculture is the basic industry for the development of the national economy and society. To strengthen a country, we must first strengthen agriculture. Only by strengthening agriculture can the country be strong. During an inspection in Hunan, President Xi emphasized that "China has over 1.4 billion people, the country must ensure its own food security." 

Hunan is one of the 13 major grain-producing provinces in the country. Its rice-cultivated area and total output rank first in the country. It is an important guarantor of food security entrusted with the task of stabilizing the production and supply of important agricultural products. It is necessary to steadily improve agricultural science and technology innovation capabilities; use innovation to drive the development of new technologies such as agricultural science and technology, agricultural  statistics, and agricultural digitalization; accelerate the research of key core technologies in the seed industry and agricultural machinery; and further enhance the level of agricultural industrialization.

We must firmly adhere to the red line of cultivated land protection, resolutely curb the misuse of cultivated land,  increase investment in the construction and management of high-standard farmland,  ensure that the quantity and quality of cultivated land are guaranteed, promote appropriate scale management,  further improve the yield and quality of grain, and promote the modernization of agriculture with Chinese characteristics.

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