(Huang Jingwen/Xinhua)
On the afternoon of March 5, President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, took part in a deliberation with his fellow deputies from the delegation of Jiangsu Province, at the first session of the 14th National People's Congress.
In his speech, Xi called for efforts to concentrate on the primary task of high-quality development and hoped the coastal province could continue to be at the forefront of this endeavor, making new and greater contributions to the overall development of the country.
Jiangsu's GDP growth has ranked first in the country for three consecutive years, and the province took second place in terms of both the total retail sales of consumer goods and foreign trade. Meanwhile, Jiangsu's manufacturing value-added output accounted for 37.3% of its GDP, the highest in the country, as the province has one of the most extensive manufacturing categories and a full-fledged industrial chain in China.
In the course of deliberations, deputies to the national legislature mentioned achievements, raised suggestions, and exchanged ideas about development.
Wu Qingwen, mayor of Suzhou City, said the per capita GDP in Suzhou reached $27,600 in 2022, the industrial output value from enterprises above the designated size ranked second in the country, and the disposable income of residents also stood at the forefront across the country.
Jiangsu Industrial Technology Research Institute is a major player in the province's S&T system reform. Liu Qing, president of the institute, said the institute has established strategic cooperation with nearly 150 famous universities and institutions around the world, as well as more than 240 leading enterprises. It has helped transfer about 7,000 technical achievements and incubated more than 1,200 enterprises.
Wei Qiao, director of Yongxing Agricultural Mechanization Cooperative in Zhenjiang City, shared how she and her husband left the city life behind and returned to the countryside in support of modern farming.
"It's not easy to have a career in agriculture because the investment can be big, the results are slow, and the work is quite hard. I have been thinking how to encourage more young people to work in agriculture," said Wei.
In the talks, President Xi recognized the young people's commitment to modern agriculture.
In May 2021, President Xi answered a letter from students of Xin'an Elementary School in Huai'an City, which has a revolutionary history. In this meeting, Zhang Dadong, principal of the school, reported the educational progress and children's voices.
Huai'an has the Zhou Enlai Memorial Hall, and that it is important to carry out educational activities and make people satisfied with the education in pursuing high-quality development. "President Xi said that our education should be good at drawing the best from more than 5,000 years of civilization while not rejecting the fruit of Western civilization," said Zhang.
