President Xi Jinping’s recent visits to Shandong and Zhejiang provinces highlight the significant role China’s coastal regions play in the nation’s modernization efforts.
On September 24, President Xi toured Zaozhuang in Shandong Province after concluding his inspection in Zhejiang. In both provinces, he urged local governments and various economic sectors to actively contribute to Chinese modernization by promoting high-end, intelligent, and green development in the manufacturing industry.
Pioneering Modernization Through Exploration
More than four decades ago, under the leadership of Deng Xiaoping, China’s coastal regions were instrumental in initiating reforms and opening up the country. Today, as China embarks on a new journey toward national rejuvenation, these regions continue to be at the forefront of modernization. Chinese modernization is an ongoing process that requires bold exploration and innovation. With no precedent to follow, coastal provinces are uniquely positioned to lead due to their strategic advantages.
Shandong’s Strategic Advantages
As a major economic province with a large population, Shandong boasts:
- Land and Sea Integration: Coordinated linkage that enhances trade and transportation.
- Diverse Industrial Growth: Simultaneous development across primary, secondary, and tertiary industries.
- Urban-Rural Coordination: Balanced development that bridges the gap between urban and rural areas.
These attributes make Shandong a vital industrial base and a strategic fulcrum for economic development in China’s northern coastal region.
Advancing Common Prosperity
Improving people’s livelihoods is a key measure of modernization. Zhejiang and Shandong prioritize common prosperity with goals to:
- Increase Incomes: Implement projects to raise the average income and expand the middle-income population, supporting regions to explore common prosperity pilot zones.
- Provide Public Goods: Optimize services in education, healthcare, elderly care, and childcare, including establishing rural education revitalization pilot zones and integrating medical and elderly care.
Rural revitalization is seen as essential for achieving common prosperity. By 2020, Shandong had eliminated poverty in villages with collective incomes below 30,000 yuan ($4,104). The next phase involves strengthening rural economies through partnerships among enterprises, cooperatives, and farmers, aiming to narrow the urban-rural divide.
Cultural Revitalization and Spiritual Growth
Modernization encompasses both material wealth and spiritual enrichment. Shandong, the birthplace of Confucianism, leverages its cultural heritage to promote spiritual civilization by:
- Enhancing Moral Standards: Launching the “Shandong with Virtue” project to foster generosity and virtue among residents.
- Innovating in Culture: Establishing the Nishan World Confucianism Center to promote cultural experiences and heritage, setting new benchmarks for cultural innovation.
- Boosting Cultural Industries: Strengthening brands like “Hospitality in Shandong, Good Product of Shandong,” creating industry clusters worth over 100 billion yuan, and positioning the province as a world-renowned cultural tourism destination.
Looking Ahead
Through these initiatives, China’s coastal regions are not only driving economic development but also enriching the nation’s cultural and spiritual life. Their continued efforts embody the multifaceted goals of Chinese modernization, setting examples for other regions and contributing to the overall rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
