Xi Jinping heads to China’s rust belt in renewed push for ‘common prosperity’
- President vows to peg the country’s modernisation to the principle of ‘wealth and happiness for all’
- Premier Li Keqiang visits Guangdong, calling on the country’s most dynamic areas to ‘shoulder greater responsibility’ in stabilising sluggish economy
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The trip signals the end of the summer break when top state leaders retreat to the beach town of Beidaihe.
In the past, the annual holiday has been known as a chance for the political elite to meet in an informal setting, forging alliances, strategising political moves and building consensus.
It has been the most watched unofficial event in China’s political calendar, although it has become much less important under Xi, who has emerged as the most powerful political leader in decades.
Xi’s trip to Liaoning means the holiday break is over. Premier Li Keqiang, the second most senior Communist Party leader, made a whirlwind visit to southern tech hub Shenzhen on Tuesday.
It is typical for the party leaders to carry out field trips ahead of important political meetings. China’s top political leaders are expected to gather in Beijing at the end of this month to discuss the most pressing issues facing the country.
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Unlike Li, whose trip to Shenzhen was focused on economic affairs, Xi picked Liaoning for his first visit. It is known as China’s rust belt because its development lags far behind rich coastal regions.
It is also where the Communist Party began its offensive against the nationalist government more than 70 years ago in a bitter war that swept it to power.
In a symbolic move, Xi visited the Liaoshen Campaign Memorial, which commemorates a major battle in 1948 during China’s civil war, and met a group of war veterans.
The Liaoshen campaign was the first major victory of the communist forces over the Kuomintang-led Nationalist army. Defeats in the northeast dealt a fatal blow to the Nationalists and the remnants of the KMT forces retreated to the island of Taiwan.
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“General Secretary Xi Jinping visited the Liaoshen Campaign Memorial … looking back into the history of the liberation of northeast China,” state news agency Xinhua reported.
On a tour of a forest park, Xinhua said Xi told residents China’s modernisation must be built on the principle of ‘common prosperity’.
“China’s modernisation is modernisation for all Chinese people under the principle of common prosperity,” Xi was quoted as saying. “It is about bringing wealth and happiness to all people, and not just to a small group of people.
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“The party has been implementing the strategies for the revitalisation of the northeast since the 18th party congress [in 2012],” Xi said. “[We] must continue to press ahead with the party central policy of spearheading the readjustment of the revitalisation drive and accelerating the adjustment of [the region’s] industry mix.
“We have full confidence in the revitalisation of the northeast.”
Xi previously inspected Liaoning in 2013 and 2018. During both visits, he stressed the importance of transforming state-owned industry and promoting innovation and modern management to increase competitiveness.
Top leaders have been out of the public limelight since early August and Li and Xi were the first Politburo Standing Committee members to reappear in public after the Beidaihe sojourn.
At the Politburo meeting to be held later this month, the top leaders are expected to take stock of the country’s economic situation and announce a date for the 20th party congress, at which Xi is expected to secure a third term as the party’s general secretary.
