Advertisement
Xi Jinping tells officials to ensure economic and social stability ahead of Communist Party congress
- Chinese leader calls for a balance between containing the pandemic and economic development during Sichuan trip
- A visit to the mechanised fields of a village sends a carefully choreographed message about boosting food security
Reading Time:3 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
10
Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered all local governments and central government departments to strive for economic and social stability ahead of the ruling Communist Party’s twice-a-decade congress later this year.
Xi relayed the message during a trip to the southwestern province of Sichuan on Wednesday and Thursday, at a time when Beijing is urging local governments to do more to stabilise the pandemic-hit economy.
He told cadres to ensure economic, political and social conditions were favourable for the party congress in autumn – when he is expected to secure a third term as the party’s general secretary and a new leadership line-up will be unveiled.
Government officials should “effectively” keep a balance between containing the pandemic and economic development, Xi said on the trip, according to state news agency Xinhua.
He also told cadres to “overcome the difficulties faced by economic development” and said they should ensure employment, social welfare and help for the poor.
“[Government officials] should be diligent in carrying out all the tasks to ensure social stability in order to keep public sentiment stable, and a stable social environment overall,” he was quoted as saying.
Advertisement