Chongqing party chief Bo Xilai again touted his 'Chongqing model' during a group discussion at the annual session of the National People's Congress on Monday. He had previously kept a low profile after the defection attempt last month by his former right-hand man, Wang Lijun.
Unlike at two municipal-level party meetings he held last month, in which he underscored the importance of upholding Beijing's policies without mentioning his Chongqing experiences, Bo brought up the municipality's economic achievements under his leadership since 2007 during a discussion with the Chongqing delegation.
Discussing economic figures for Chongqing for 2007-2011, Bo said: 'It's possible to have fair wealth distribution and high-quality, fast growth at the same time. This is the route Chongqing followed in these years.'
He said Chongqing's economic growth, as well as farmers' income, had roughly doubled during the five-year period, while foreign investment increased almost tenfold and overseas investment increased 100-fold.
Bo said these figures suggested that common prosperity was possible to achieve. 'While we encourage competition and recognise the income gap among residents, we also attach great importance to social equality and the lives of middle- and low-income groups,' he said.
He said a major issue was the continuation of reform policies. There had been breakthroughs in the nation's economic system during the past three decades of reform and opening up, and that should be continued.
Bo's remarks were echoed yesterday by Chongqing Mayor Huang Qifan. He told China Central Television that the municipality ranked first in about 18 economic categories last year, including its 16.4 per cent economic growth.