Ashraf AboArafe
2025-03-24 (Xinhua) — Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, Chinese president, and chairman of the Central Military Commission, stressed during his recent inspection tour of southwest China’s Yunnan Province that Yunnan Province must earnestly implement the strategic plans issued by the CPC Central Committee on promoting major development in the western regions and developing the Yangtze River Economic Belt. He stressed the need to fully, thoroughly, and comprehensively implement the new development thinking, adhere to the general principle of achieving progress while maintaining stability, and focus efforts on promoting high-quality development, unleashing ideas, and promoting reform and innovation. He emphasized the need to intensify efforts to achieve progress and take the lead in hard work, so as to open up new prospects for the province’s development in the Chinese-style modernization process.
On March 19 and 20, Xi visited Lijiang City and Kunming, the provincial capital, respectively, for inspection tours. Accompanied by Wang Ning, Secretary of the Yunnan Provincial Party Committee, and Wang Yubo, Governor of Yunnan Province, Xi visited a modern flower industrial park in Lijiang City. In the exhibition hall, Xi examined displays of fresh roses and calla lilies and listened to a presentation on the development of the flower industry in Yunnan. In the rose growing area, Xi learned about soilless cultivation technology in smart greenhouses and had friendly conversations with villagers and technicians working on the site. Xi also visited a rose sorting and packaging production line, inspecting the entire process from selection and sorting to packaging and shipping. He praised the efficient logistics system that ensures the timely export of fresh flowers to target markets. Xi pointed out that Yunnan’s flower industry has broad prospects. It is necessary to build on the entire industrial chain and continue to develop the industry in a profound and meticulous manner, including seed breeding, cultivation, and marketing, so that the “beautiful industry” can be transformed into one that brings happiness and benefits to local residents.
The Old Town of Lijiang, with a history of more than 800 years, has been listed as a World Cultural Heritage Site. The Old Town received an influx of tourists following a recent spring snowfall. Xi visited the town and learned in detail about its history, the characteristics of local Naxi settlements, the protection and use of local cultural heritage, and the coordinated development of tourism and culture. Local residents and tourists were overjoyed to see Xi and warmly welcomed him, performing songs and dancing to welcome him. Xi chatted with everyone and learned about the operating conditions of the shops and the feelings of the tourists. He also asked local authorities to carefully balance protection and development so that the beautiful Old Town can shine with a new and beautiful appearance.
At the Mu Dynasty Administration Office in the Old Town, where the history of exchanges and contacts between various ethnic groups in the southwest of the country was recorded, Xi inspected the main buildings and visited an exhibition of research achievements on the Dongba culture of the Naxi ethnic group. He emphasized the need to protect and utilize important cultural sites like the Mu Dynasty Administration Office, protect and pass on distinctive Chinese traditional culture, and instill awareness among the public of all ethnic groups that the Chinese nation shares a common destiny.
As the General Secretary departed, a large crowd of residents and tourists gathered to bid him farewell. Xi told everyone that Lijiang boasts stunning scenery, distinctive culture, and a reputation for excellence, and that it can pave the way for a sound and sustainable development of cultural tourism. He wished the city’s residents a happy, healthy, and harmonious life, with a bright future, like the Naxi surname “He,” meaning harmony.
On the morning of March 20, Xi listened to work reports from the Yunnan Provincial Party Committee and government, expressed his appreciation for Yunnan’s achievements, and made recommendations for the next steps.
Xi pointed out that advancing industrial transformation and upgrading is a key task for high-quality development. Each region has different resource endowments and basic conditions, and each region must start from its own realities, adhere to the law of economics, and highlight its strengths to do a good job of industrial transformation and upgrading. For Yunnan, it must use scientific and technological innovation as the driving force to promote, improve, and expand resource-based industries and actively cultivate strategic emerging industries and future industries. It should accelerate the development of distinctive plateau agriculture, promote the cultural tourism industry, increase industrial output, improve enterprise efficiency, and enhance public income. It should actively explore mechanisms for benefit-sharing and the orderly localization of industries transferred from other regions.
Xi stressed that Yunnan enjoys favorable geographical conditions and must promote high-quality opening-up to build it into a hub for opening up to South and Southeast Asia. It is necessary to build high-quality pilot free trade zones, promote the construction of major corridors for transportation, logistics, energy, and digital information, and make various open platforms growth points for economic development. It is necessary to expand exchanges and cooperation with neighboring countries in the fields of economy, science and technology, talent, medicine, and culture, so that the fruits of joint construction can be realized.
The global quality of the Belt and Road Initiative is more tangible.
Xi pointed out that Yunnan enjoys a significant ecological position, and it is necessary to unswervingly follow a green development path that prioritizes ecological conservation to strengthen the construction of an ecological security barrier in the southwest. It is necessary to improve the nature reserve system, with national parks as the core pillar, enhance ecosystem protection and restoration, and continue to implement comprehensive management of rocky desertification, soil erosion, and small watersheds. It is necessary to strengthen the coordination between territorial space use control and regional ecological environment management, and seriously enhance pollution prevention and control in key areas and ecological management of major lakes.
Xi emphasized that Yunnan is home to many ethnic groups, and it is necessary to strengthen the governance of border areas with large numbers of ethnic minorities, expand the practice of inclusive integration of all ethnic groups, continue to strengthen efforts to revitalize border areas and enrich the people in the new era, and earnestly maintain ethnic solidarity and border stability.
Xi pointed out that Party leadership is the fundamental guarantee for the development of the cause, and that an important aspect of judging whether the level of Party leadership and building in a given area is whether the political environment is favorable. Cadres at all levels must assume responsibility for Party governance, uphold integrity in their management style and be fair in handling cases. Their exemplary practices will contribute to continuously purifying the political environment. Party organizations at all levels must strengthen the education and supervision system for Party members and cadres, and strictly inspect and hold accountable those who violate disciplinary regulations, ensuring that all forms of misconduct are eradicated. The Party Central Committee has planned to launch a comprehensive study and education campaign to deepen the Party-wide implementation of the spirit of the Eight-Point Rule for Improving Conduct. Party organizations at all levels, as well as the masses of Party members and cadres, must strengthen their awareness of their responsibilities and accelerate the study and education campaign, linking it to the reality of comprehensive and strict self-governance within the Party. These efforts must also be linked to the practical practices of improving behavior in their regions, departments, and sectors over the past years. They must grasp the core spirit of the Eight-Point Rule and the detailed regulations for its implementation, while mastering all disciplinary regulations, to establish a solid intellectual and political foundation for identifying problems and focusing reform efforts. Conduct improvement and discipline tightening must be harmoniously combined with the fight against corruption, guiding Party members and cadres toward spontaneous adherence to rules and discipline while courageously fulfilling their duties.
Xi was accompanied on his inspection tour by Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, He Lifeng, and other officials from relevant central Party and government departments.
On the morning of March 20, Xi graciously received commanders of military units with the rank of colonel or above stationed in Kunming, along with representatives of model soldiers and grassroots civilian workers. On behalf of the Party Central Committee and the Central Military Commission, Xi extended sincere greetings to all officers and soldiers stationed in Kunming and posed for a group photo with them.
to all.. 
