China’s Xi joins leadership blitz of hub visits in fact-finding push before GDP release
The president, premier and vice-premiers blanket agricultural and tech centres to gauge local strains and industrial progress before key July policy summit
China’s top leadership launched an expansive sweep of the nation’s agricultural, industrial and tech hubs this week, gathering “frontline” data ahead of a crucial GDP release in mid-July and a high-stakes Politburo meeting at the month’s end.
On Wednesday, President Xi Jinping conducted a field trip to Dezhou, an agrarian city in the northern Shandong province, where he visited cornfields and a village. During the tour, he highlighted the need to enhance production and yield to guarantee food security and stable supplies and prices, according to Xinhua.
Xi also emphasised agricultural infrastructure, specifically the construction of “high-standard farmland”, water- and energy-efficient techniques, and disaster mitigation.
The president’s tour follows a series of regional inspections by other top leaders in recent days.
Vice-Premier He Lifeng toured the central province of Henan from Sunday to Tuesday to examine how innovative manufacturers optimise operations to sustain an export boom and navigate uncertainty in overseas markets, Xinhua reported on Tuesday.
On the same day, the state-run news agency revealed that Vice-Premier Liu Guozhong had headed to Jiangsu, China’s second-largest provincial economy.