Xi Jinping tells China’s biggest economic zone to ‘balance growth and security’ – and no more mega projects
- Officials tasked with developing regions along the Yangtze River Economic Belt told to ‘take the long view’ while balancing ecological conservation with economic growth
- President Xi’s repeated emphasis on national security could portend the lack of a large-scale stimulus before a key economic meeting of the Communist Party
President Xi Jinping wants to see a stronger push to develop China’s largest economic zone – the Yangtze River Economic Belt – with an emphasis on not only high-quality and green growth, but also security.
The region, which covers 11 provinces and municipalities along the world’s third-longest river, needs to take a long-term perspective on ecological conservation and economic growth, Xi said on Thursday at a high-level meeting in Jiangxi, one of the participating provinces.
Instead of striving to achieve short-term results amid China’s complex economic problems, Xi instructed officials to “take the long view, make long-term strategies, and safeguard long-lasting security” at the meeting attended by high-ranking officials, including three other Politburo members, Xinhua reported.
Localities under the Yangtze belt should “balance growth and security, and play a bigger role in protecting national security in terms of food, energy, key industry chains, and water”, Xi was quoted as saying at the meeting.