WUHAN — President Xi Jinping called for achieving high-quality economic growth through developing the Yangtze River economic belt.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks on April 26 at a symposium on promoting the development of the Yangtze River economic belt in Wuhan, capital of Central China’s Hubei province.

President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, speaks at a symposium on promoting the development of the Yangtze River economic belt in Wuhan, capital of Central China’s Hubei province, April 26, 2018. [Photo/Xinhua]

He stressed the importance of enhancing reform and innovation, strategic coordination as well as planning and guiding in developing the economic belt.

“It is a major decision made by the CPC Central Committee and a major strategy concerning overall national development to promote the development of the Yangtze River economic belt,” Xi said.

He called for all-out efforts to protect the Yangtze River, saying there should be no large-scale development of the river.

“In developing the economic belt, the key lies in properly dealing with the relationship between pressing ahead on the whole and making breakthroughs in key areas, between ecological environment protection and economic development, between making an overall plan and making unremitting efforts, between getting rid of old growth engines and cultivating new engines, and between developing individually and developing in a coordinated way,” he said.

Before the symposium, Xi on April 24 inspected Hubei Xingfa Chemicals Group, China’s largest fine phosphoric chemicals maker and the largest relocated company in the Three Gorges Reservoir region.

“The Yangtze River is China’s mother river, and we must protect it, while enterprises are the major force in protecting and building the ecological environment of the river,” he said.

“We must move all polluting enterprises from along the Yangtze River with resolve ... to root out hidden dangers of pollution,” he stressed.

Xi called for putting restoration of the river’s ecological environment high on the agenda in developing the Yangtze River economic belt.

“When we say there should be no large-scale development, it does not mean we cannot develop it at all, but we should stay away from destructive development of the river, and we should follow a green development path which puts ecology first,” Xi said.

Also on April 24, Xi inspected the Three Gorges Project and the dam area’s neighboring ecological environment.

Calling the Three Gorges Project a crucial piece of high-end equipment for the nation and a major symbol of China’s development since the reform and opening-up, Xi stressed the importance of having the capability to make really important high-end equipment “using our own hands.”

“To get core and key technology, begging alms won’t work,” Xi said. “We must rely on our own hard work.”

On the morning of April 25, Xi inspected the ecological environment and development along the Yangtze River by ship.

Describing restoration of the river’s ecological environment “an arduous task that the new era has entrusted to us” and “the high expectations of the people,” Xi called for top priority to be given to stopping unplanned development and capping the total pollution discharge.

“We must not allow the ecological environment of the Yangtze River to continue deteriorating in the hands of our generation, and we must leave our descendants a clean and beautiful Yangtze River,” he said.

On the afternoon of April 26, Xi chaired a symposium on promoting the development of the Yangtze River economic belt.

“We must proceed from the long-term interests of the Chinese nation to put restoring the ecological environment of the Yangtze River at a dominant position, making all-out efforts to protect it, and forbidding large-scale development of the river,” he said.

The aim is to build the economic belt into a golden economic belt featuring more beautiful ecology, more smooth transport, more coordinated economy, more integrated market and more scientific mechanisms, he said.

Saying that difficulties and challenges remain in developing the Yangtze River economic belt, Xi made five suggestions to promote the development of the Yangtze River economic belt.

First, efforts should be made to properly deal with the relationship between pressing ahead on the whole and making breakthroughs in key areas, so as to protect and restore the ecological environment of the Yangtze River in all aspects.

Second, efforts should be made to properly deal with the relationship between ecological environment protection and economic development, and explore a new path which puts ecology first while pursuing green development.

Third, efforts should be made to properly deal with the relationship between making an overall plan and making unremitting efforts, and stick to a single blueprint until the end.

Fourth, efforts should be made to properly deal with the relationship between getting rid of old growth engines and cultivating new engines, and facilitate the establishment of a modern economic system for the Yangtze River economic belt.

Finally, efforts should be made to properly deal with the relationship between developing individually and developing in a coordinated way so as to make the economic belt an efficient economic entity.

Vice-Premier Han Zheng, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and also head of the leading group for promoting the development of the Yangtze River economic belt, addressed the symposium.

President Xi Jinping inspects the ecological environment and economic development concerning the Yangtze River in Yichang city, Central China’s Hubei province, April 24, 2018. As the world’s largest hydropower project, the Three Gorges project is a multi-functional water control system consisting of a dam stretching 2,309 meters long and 185 meters high, 32 hydropower turbo-generators, a five-tier ship lock and a shiplift. Xi inspected the ship lock, the shiplift and the power plants on the northern bank of the Yangtze River, and listened to reports about work on topics including construction, power generation, navigation and environmental protection.[Photo/Xinhua]

President Xi Jinping takes a ship to inspect the ecological environment of the Yangtze River in Jingzhou city, Central China’s Hubei province, April 25, 2018.[Photo/Xinhua]

President Xi Jinping inspects the Chenglingji Hydrological Station, a major flood monitoring spot of the Yangtze River, for the ecological environment protection and economic development along China’s longest river, in Yueyang city of Central China’s Hunan province, April 25, 2018. [Photo/Xinhua]

President Xi Jinping inspects the ecological environment and economic development concerning the Yangtze River in Yichang city, Central China’s Hubei province, April 24, 2018. [Photo/Xinhua]

President Xi Jinping inspects the Three Gorges Dam, which lies on the Yangtze River in Yichang city, Central China’s Hubei province, April 24, 2018. As the world’s largest hydropower project, the Three Gorges project is a multi-functional water control system consisting of a dam stretching 2,309 meters long and 185 meters high, 32 hydropower turbo-generators, a five-tier ship lock and a shiplift. Xi inspected the ship lock, the shiplift and the power plants on the northern bank of the Yangtze River, and listened to reports about work on topics including construction, power generation, navigation and environmental protection. [Photo/Xinhua]

President Xi Jinping inspects the ecological environment and economic development concerning the Yangtze River in Yichang city, Central China’s Hubei province, April 24, 2018. As the world’s largest hydropower project, the Three Gorges project is a multi-functional water control system consisting of a dam stretching 2,309 meters long and 185 meters high, 32 hydropower turbo-generators, a five-tier ship lock and a shiplift. Xi inspected the ship lock, the shiplift and the power plants on the northern bank of the Yangtze River, and listened to reports about work on topics including construction, power generation, navigation and environmental protection. [Photo/Xinhua]

President Xi Jinping inspects the Three Gorges Dam, which lies on the Yangtze River near Yichang city, Central China’s Hubei province, April 24, 2018. As the world’s largest hydropower project, the Three Gorges project is a multi-functional water control system consisting of a dam stretching 2,309 meters long and 185 meters high, 32 hydropower turbo-generators, a five-tier ship lock and a shiplift. Xi inspected the ship lock, the shiplift and the power plants on the northern bank of the Yangtze River, and listened to reports about work on topics including construction, power generation, navigation and environmental protection. [Photo/Xinhua]

President Xi Jinping visits the power plant central control room during an inspection to the Three Gorges Dam, which lies on the Yangtze River in Yichang city, Central China’s Hubei province, April 24, 2018. As the world’s largest hydropower project, the Three Gorges project is a multi-functional water control system consisting of a dam stretching 2,309 meters long and 185 meters high, 32 hydropower turbo-generators, a five-tier ship lock and a shiplift. Xi inspected the ship lock, the shiplift and the power plants on the northern bank of the Yangtze River, and listened to reports about work on topics including construction, power generation, navigation and environmental protection. [Photo/Xinhua]

President Xi Jinping meets with staff members of a power plant during an inspection to the Three Gorges Dam, which lies on the Yangtze River in Yichang city, Central China’s Hubei province, April 24, 2018. As the world’s largest hydropower project, the Three Gorges project is a multi-functional water control system consisting of a dam stretching 2,309 meters long and 185 meters high, 32 hydropower turbo-generators, a five-tier ship lock and a shiplift. Xi inspected the ship lock, the shiplift and the power plants on the northern bank of the Yangtze River, and listened to reports about work on topics including construction, power generation, navigation and environmental protection. [Photo/Xinhua]

President Xi Jinping speaks at a power plant during an inspection to the Three Gorges Dam, which lies on the Yangtze River in Yichang city, Central China’s Hubei province, April 24, 2018. As the world’s largest hydropower project, the Three Gorges project is a multi-functional water control system consisting of a dam stretching 2,309 meters long and 185 meters high, 32 hydropower turbo-generators, a five-tier ship lock and a shiplift. Xi inspected the ship lock, the shiplift and the power plants on the northern bank of the Yangtze River, and listened to reports about work on topics including construction, power generation, navigation and environmental protection. [Photo/Xinhua]

President Xi Jinping takes a ship to inspect the ecological environment of the Yangtze River in Jingzhou city, Central China’s Hubei province, April 25, 2018.[Photo/Xinhua]

President Xi Jinping inspects the Hualong Wharf on the Yangtze River for the ecological environment protection and economic development along China’s longest river, in Yueyang city, Central China’s Hunan province, April 25, 2018. [Photo/Xinhua]

President Xi Jinping visits a patrol and monitoring station to inspect the ecological environment protection of the East Dongting Lake State Nature Reserve in Yueyang city, Central China’s Hunan province, April 25, 2018.[Photo/Xinhua]

President Xi Jinping inspects the Chenglingji Hydrological Station, a major flood monitoring spot of the Yangtze River, for the ecological environment protection and economic development along China’s longest river, in Yueyang city of Central China’s Hunan province, April 25, 2018.[Photo/Xinhua]

President Xi Jinping inspects the Chenglingji Hydrological Station, a major flood monitoring spot of the Yangtze River, for the ecological environment protection and economic development along China’s longest river, in Yueyang city of Central China’s Hunan province, April 25, 2018.[Photo/Xinhua]

President Xi Jinping inspects the Chenglingji Hydrological Station, a major flood monitoring spot of the Yangtze River, for the ecological environment protection and economic development along China’s longest river, in Yueyang city of Central China’s Hunan province, April 25, 2018.[Photo/Xinhua]