BEIJING, (Xinhua): Chinese President Xi Jinping visited primary-level officials and residents in Beijing during a two-day inspection tour from Monday to Tuesday, extending Spring Festival greetings to Chinese people at home and abroad ahead of the festival.
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, wished them good health, career success, and family happiness. He also wished the country peace and prosperity in the Year of the Horse.
The Spring Festival, also known as the Chinese New Year, is the most important traditional festival for the Chinese. This year it falls on Feb. 17.
On Monday morning, Xi visited a national information technology innovation park in Beijing E-Town, where he viewed displays showcasing sci-tech achievements in fields such as artificial intelligence and robotics, and spoke with researchers and heads of technology enterprises.
Xi said he was “even more confident” in the country’s sci-tech innovation after seeing what was presented during the visit.
He stressed that sci-tech self-reliance and strength is the “key” in China’s efforts to build a great modern socialist country and urged the Chinese capital to leverage its unique strengths to make greater contributions in this regard.
On Tuesday morning, Xi came to a Beijing downtown community which was renovated to be barrier-free and age-friendly. He visited a community canteen for seniors to learn about the meal services provided there.
“Caring for and supporting the elderly is a shared responsibility of the whole society,” Xi said, urging efforts to create better conditions for them to enjoy happy and fulfilling twilight years.
In Xicheng District, Xi also visited an apartment complex for seniors, where he spent time with the elderly, wishing them health, longevity and a happy Spring Festival.
Arriving at the Longfusi commercial area in Dongcheng District, Xi was briefed on urban renewal efforts there. He stopped by a store of the traditional bakery brand Daoxiangcun, where he watched pastry-making.
At a Spring Festival market, he visited various stalls selling festive goods and talked with people there, sharing memories of his visits to the area when he was young. He also bought some specialty food and culture-themed products.
Xi said he was very pleased to see the bustling, vibrant festive scene and well-stocked holiday goods there.
“The Spring Festival is an important occasion for the people,” Xi said, urging officials at all levels to make solid efforts in ensuring people’s wellbeing and strengthening workplace safety so that everyone can enjoy a joyful Chinese New Year.
During the trip, Xi heard a work report by Beijing municipal authorities and gave his approval for the city’s progress across the board.
Describing the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030) as key in China’s efforts to basically realize socialist modernization, Xi said Beijing must take the lead and make sure “decisive progress” is achieved.
He asked the Chinese capital to seize the opportunity of enlarging the Beijing (Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region) international sci-tech innovation center to strengthen its innovation coordination and industrial cooperation with Tianjin and Hebei.
Xi also asked Beijing to actively develop the modern services sector and move further to comprehensively deepen reform and expand institutional opening up, in a bid to create experience that can be applied elsewhere across the nation.
Xi said that as Beijing strives to build a world-class city that is harmonious and desirable to live in, it must advance urban governance with the highest standards.
Xi demanded efforts to further exercise full and rigorous Party self-governance by adopting higher standards and more concrete measures. He also demanded that officials further enhance their ability to advance modernization.
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, and other senior officials accompanied Xi on the inspection tour.
