(Adopted at the Fifth Plenary Session of the 12th Sichuan Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China on May 13, 2024)

The 12th Sichuan Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) convenes its fifth plenary session in Chengdu on May 13, 2024.

Wang Xiaohui, Secretary of the CPC Sichuan Provincial Committee, delivers an address.

The 12th Sichuan Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) convened its fifth plenary session in Chengdu on May 13, 2024.

A total of 80 members and 16 alternate members of the CPC Sichuan Provincial Committee attended the Session. Members of the Standing Committee of the Sichuan Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection, members of Sichuan Provincial Commission of Supervision, and leading officials of other relevant departments were present at the Session in a non-voting capacity. Some of the colleagues working at the primary level who were delegates to the 12th CPC Sichuan Provincial Congress, along with a number of experts, scholars and representatives of interested parties, also attended the Session in a non-voting capacity.

The Standing Committee of the CPC Sichuan Provincial Committee presided over the Session. Wang Xiaohui, Secretary of the CPC Sichuan Provincial Committee, delivered an address.

The Session adheres to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, thoroughly implements the guiding principles of the 20th CPC National Congress and the important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping on Sichuan's work, and reviewed and approved the Decision of the CPC Sichuan Provincial Committee on Solidly Promoting High-Quality Development by Focusing on the Development of New Quality Productive Forces. Wang Xiaohui delivered explanatory remarks on the draft Decision.

At the Session, the Sichuan Provincial Committee fully affirmed the work that its Standing Committee has carried out. It was unanimously agreed that since the fourth plenary session of the 12th Sichuan Provincial Party Committee, in the face of complex and grave situations as well as multiple difficulties and challenges, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, the CPC Sichuan Provincial Committee has comprehensively implemented the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee and the important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping on Sichuan's work, vigorously promoted the construction of the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle, thoroughly implemented the development strategy of "synchronized development of new urbanization, industrialization, informatization, and agricultural modernization, urban-rural integration and common prosperity of five zones", take diverse measures to consolidate and enhance the momentum for economic recovery and growth, and make coordinated plans for reform, development and stability, meticulously organized and carried out thematic education on Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and the Party discipline education, and achieved new progress in various causes of governance in Sichuan.

It was stated at the Session that high-quality development is the primary task in building a modern socialist country in all respects and is of paramount importance for the new era. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has made a series of theoretical summaries and strategic plans for high-quality development, especially creatively proposing the important requirements for developing new quality productive forces, which further enriches and develops the Marxist productivity theory and will lead China's economy through turbulent times and ensure steady progress. At the important node of the 25th anniversary of the Western Development Strategy, General Secretary Xi Jinping presided over a symposium and delivered an important speech, making strategic arrangements for further forming a new pattern of greater protection, openness and high-quality development in the western region, and providing fundamental guidance for the efforts to write a new chapter of the western region in the Chinese modernization drive. General Secretary Xi Jinping holds great importance to and high expectations for the high-quality development of Sichuan, emphasizing that Sichuan serves as a strategic hinterland for China's development and plays a distinctive and significant role in the national development agenda, especially in the implementation of the Western Development Strategy. He has put forward important requirements for the province, focusing on "four key aspects for exertion," the construction of "two highlands, two bases, and one shield," and swiftly establishing Sichuan as a vital growth pole and new engine for driving high-quality development in the western region. We must resolutely shoulder the mission and tasks entrusted to Sichuan by the CPC Central Committee and General Secretary Xi Jinping, act with a sense of urgency and utmost effort to boost the economy and advance construction, and continuously work to expand the economic aggregate, enhance the quality of development, and increase our overall contribution, striving to demonstrate new achievements and effectiveness in pursuit of high-quality development.

It was stated at the Session that Sichuan's development has reached a new historical starting point, with the province's economic aggregate now surpassing the level of six trillion yuan, and there has been a marked enhancement in the quality and efficiency of its development, which is rapidly evolving towards a more sophisticated form, a more optimized division, and a more sound structure; however, unbalanced and inadequate development remains the most significant reality of the province, and issues such as an imperfect industrial system, inactive market mechanisms, insufficient coordinated development, and limited openness still persist. Embarking on a new journey of development, Sichuan is currently in a critical phase of making breakthroughs, a key period of effectively advancing transformation and upgrading, and a pivotal moment for transitioning from old to new growth drivers. The province is confronted with an array of significant opportunities, alongside numerous challenges and difficulties. We must seize the opportunities presented by the new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, accelerate the development of new quality productive forces to solidly promote high-quality development, and lay a more robust material and technological foundation for Sichuan's modernization, thus acting as a forerunner in and contributing more to the western development in the new era.

As stressed at the Session, to solidly promote high-quality development at a new starting point, we must fully and faithfully apply the new development philosophy on all fronts, actively integrate into and serve the construction of a new development pattern, adhere to pursuing progress while ensuring stability, vigorously promote the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle, thoroughly implement the development strategy of "synchronized development of new industrialization, information technology application, urbanization, and agricultural modernization, urban-rural integration, and common prosperity of five zones," take the development of new quality productive forces as an important focus of efforts, accelerate the transformation of development methods, drivers, fields and quality, and strive to achieve effective upgrades of higher-quality economic growth and appropriate increases in economic output. We must strengthen our commitment to serving the overall situation of the country, resolutely shoulder the crucial responsibility of a major economic province in substantially contributing to the national economy, and strive to build a core area of the national strategic hinterland. We must adhere to a systematic approach, focus on enhancing our strengths and shoring up weaknesses, and comprehensively improve the balance, coordination and sustainability of development. We must leverage the crucial role of reform and opening up, eliminate institutional barriers that hinder high-quality development, and continuously enhance the vitality of development. We must uphold the people-centered development philosophy, adopt more measures that benefit and warm the hearts of the people, and continually improve the well-being of the people towards the goal of common prosperity for all. We must firmly stick to the bottom line of safety, effectively prevent and defuse various risks and challenges, and achieve a dynamic balance and mutual reinforcement between high-quality development and high-level security.

Focusing on the overall goals for Sichuan's modernization, the Session proposed the objectives for solidly promoting high-quality development: By 2027, the province will see a continual increase in its comprehensive strength and competitiveness, a notable rise in the status of its high-quality development, and the economic aggregate surpassing two additional trillion-yuan milestones. New progress will be made in developing new quality productive forces, marked by a number of landmark achievements in cutting-edge technological fields, continuous growth of high-tech industries and strategic emerging industries, steady increase of the scale of future-oriented industries, and a greater stride in industrial transformation and upgrading. New enhancements will be realized in the balance, coordination and sustainability of development, with notable results achieved in integrating urban and rural areas, rapidly establishing the development pattern focusing on the common prosperity of five zones, and further advancing the green transformation of development methods. Achievements will be obtained to see the well-being of the people reach a new level, social undertakings related to people's wellbeing develop rapidly, and the intellectual and cultural lives of the people further enriched. A new situation will be created in coordinating development and security, with solid progress in the initiatives of building a Peaceful Sichuan and the rule of law in Sichuan, and the overall social situation will remain harmonious and stable. By 2035, the province will significantly enhance total factor productivity, basically achieve new industrialization, informatization, urbanization and agricultural modernization, essentially build itself into a great modern economic province, and basically realize socialist modernization in sync with the entire country.
It was noted at the Session that Sichuan is abundant in scientific and educational resources, possesses a comprehensive industrial system, and enjoys a vast market space, thus providing a solid foundation and favorable conditions for developing new quality productive forces; these should be prioritized as a key focus for promoting high-quality development, with innovation as the primary driver for the rapid growth of new quality productive forces. We will implement a breakthrough action on cutting-edge technologies, optimize the layout of innovative resources, strengthen the construction of technological innovation capabilities, and vigorously promote major science and technology projects in artificial intelligence, aerospace, advanced equipment, biomanufacturing, clean energy, and advanced materials, and work to achieve a series of breakthroughs in some core technologies in key fields. We will promote the in-depth transformation and upgrading of industries, strengthen the technological empowerment of characteristic and advantageous industries, further promote the digital and intelligent transformation of the manufacturing sector, cultivate and expand emerging and future-oriented industries, facilitate the deep integration of modern service industries with advanced manufacturing, and accelerate the construction of a modern industrial system with characteristics and advantages of Sichuan. We will deepen reforms in key areas and critical links, effectively leverage the driving role of reforms in economic, educational, scientific and talent sectors, gather advanced production factors through greater openness, innovate in the allocation of production factors, and eliminate the bottlenecks and obstacles that hinder the development of new quality productive forces.

The Session stressed that it is crucial to continuously address the prominent issues hindering the high-quality development of Sichuan, strengthen the balance, coordination and sustainability of development, and consistently elevate the standard of high-quality development. We should move faster to form the new pattern of regional common prosperity, encourage the advantageous regions to lead the development, shore up the prominent weak links in regional development, establish a regional economic layout featuring complementary advantages, and advance higher-level regional coordinated development. It is essential to deepen the integration of urban and rural development, adhere to the working approach of "reinforcing both ends while smoothing the intermediate process," take counties as a crucial starting point to steadily advance the urban-rural integration, accelerate the new type of urbanization centering on counties, effectively and vigorously promote the all-round rural revitalization, speed up the construction of a beautiful and harmonious countryside that is desirable to live and work in, and foster common prosperity between urban and rural areas. We must comprehensively strengthen the building of a Beautiful Sichuan, consistently adhere to the greater protection, make further efforts to keep our skies blue, waters clear, and lands clean, implement major projects for the protection and restoration of essential ecosystems, improve the mechanisms for realizing the value of ecological products, accelerate the green and low-carbon transformation of development methods, continuously reinforce the ecological shield along the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and the Yellow River, and establish Sichuan as a pioneer region in the building of Beautiful China.

It is pointed out at the Session that the fundamental purpose of promoting high-quality development is to ensure that the people enjoy a better life, continually elevating the quality of their life. We must optimize the public service system, focus our efforts on people's urgent problems, launch more tangible measures in areas such as employment, education, healthcare, elderly care and child-rearing, and enhance the equity, convenience and accessibility of public services. It is essential to actively explore new mechanisms for promoting common prosperity, optimize the income distribution structure, refine the dynamic adjustment mechanism for people's wellbeing policies and standards, and deepen the construction of the Panzhihua pilot zone for common prosperity. Efforts will be made to enrich the supply of high-quality culture offerings, establish a special working mechanism for the protection and inheritance of cultural heritage, improve the modern public cultural service system, vigorously develop the digital cultural industry, and accelerate the construction of a province strong in culture, tourism and sports fields in the new era.

It is noted at the Session that achieving high-level security is the fundamental prerequisite for high-quality development, and it is necessary to better coordinate development and security to establish a higher level of security pattern. It is essential to secure the supply of important primary products for national needs, build a higher-level "granary of heaven" in the new era at a more rapid pace, create a world-class, high-quality clean energy base, and promote the comprehensive development and utilization of strategic mineral resources. It is necessary to effectively prevent and defuse risks in key areas, strengthen risk control in small and medium-sized financial institutions, systematically advance the prevention and resolution of local government debt risks through tiered and classified approaches, address real estate risks in a proactive and cautious manner, and firmly maintain the ideological and political work front. We will put the initiatives of building a Peaceful Sichuan and the rule of law in Sichuan to a higher level, coordinate the construction of a law-based government and society, deepen the regular, law-based governance of areas incorporated in the governing strategy for Tibet, solidly implement the three-year action of tackling the key problems of work safety, further promote the regular management of forest and grassland fire prevention and control, and advance the modernization of the system and capacity for emergency management.
It was stressed at the Session that the crux of solidly promoting high-quality development lies in implementation, and the key lies in the officials. We must firmly implement the Party leadership across all aspects and throughout the entire process, ensure that the Party committees and governments at all levels fulfill their responsibilities, and significantly improve the capacity for driving high-quality development and the level of such development. We must establish and act on a correct understanding of what it means to perform well, continue to deepen the special rectification of issues such as "showcase projects", "face projects", "half-finished projects," and statistical fraud, resolutely oppose pointless formalities and bureaucratism, resolutely curb the blind development of energy-intensive projects with high emission and backward production capacity, and resolutely put an end to seeking growth through extensive ways that cause significant environmental damage but have low input-output benefits. We must adhere to developing new quality productive forces based on actual conditions, follow the strategy of establishing the new before abolishing the old, adjusting measures to local conditions, and giving tailored guidance, prevent the tendency to seek large-scale and foreign-oriented development or to rush into projects without proper planning, also, avoid simply labeling traditional industries as "low-end" and withdrawing from them without further consideration. We must adhere to the criteria for judging competent officials in the new era, establish a clear orientation that assesses and uses officials based on their solid efforts and tangible performance, focus on discovering, cultivating and using officials in the frontline of promoting high-quality development, optimize the comprehensive performance evaluation index system for high-quality development, motivate officials to take the initiative and fulfill their duties, and gather a strong cohesive force to drive high-quality development.

It is emphasized at the Session that studying, publicizing and implementing the spirit of the fifth Plenary Session of the 12th CPC Sichuan Provincial Committee is an important political task for the entire province in the current and future periods. Party committees (leading Party members groups) at all levels should effectively execute the tasks of studying, publicizing and conveying the spirit of the Session and guide the Party officials and members to keep their thoughts and actions aligned with the provincial Party committee's plans and decisions. Efforts must be made to strengthen the initiative and determination to accelerate the development of new quality productive forces and solidly promote high-quality development on the new starting point, ensuring coordination between sci-tech innovation and industry innovation, coordinated regional development and integrated urban-rural development, improving the quality of people's life and achieving common prosperity, efficient markets and competent government, as well as development and security. With a strong sense of political responsibility and historical mission, solid efforts must be made to promote the implementation of the guiding policies of the CPC Central Committee and the plans of the plenary sessions of the CPC Sichuan Provincial Committee.

The Session calls upon the entire province to rally more closely around the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, thoroughly implement the spirit of the 20th CPC National Congress and the important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping on Sichuan's work, and take a pragmatic approach, diligent effort, and steady progress. We will deliver concrete achievements in developing new productive forces and driving high-quality development, striving to make new and greater contributions to writing a new chapter of Sichuan in advancing Chinese modernization!