Xi Jinping stresses sound governance, high-quality development in border areas

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, has stressed the importance of enhancing governance and promoting high-quality development in the country's border areas.

Modernizing the governance system and capacity in these areas is an integral part of Chinese modernization, Xi said while presiding over a group study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on Monday.

It is essential to uphold the Party's overall leadership in all aspects and throughout the entire governance process in border areas, Xi emphasized, stressing the need to integrate governance in these areas into the development of various domains.

"No border area shall be left behind in advancing Chinese modernization," he said.

Xi also highlighted the country's commitment to supporting border areas in leveraging their unique advantages to achieve high-quality development as they integrate into the new development pattern and the unified national market.

He urged border areas to enhance their development momentum and vitality through reform and opening up, making use of their coastal and frontier locations to become leaders in opening up.

Xi underscored the need for integrated urban-rural development and ensuring the well-being of the people in the process of development in border areas.

Advancing the building of a community for the Chinese nation should be the focus of work related to border areas with large ethnic minority populations, Xi said.

Xi also emphasized the necessity of promoting standard spoken and written Chinese and the use of unified, state-compiled textbooks.

It is essential to prioritize national security and social stability as the bottom-line requirement for governance in border areas, Xi added, urging efforts to improve the effectiveness of social governance in these regions.

Xi called for accelerating the development of an independent Chinese knowledge system for borderland studies and deepening research into key theoretical and practical issues related to governance in border areas.