The General Secretary focused on deploying this work, and visited two provinces and regions in succession

From June 18 to 20, General Secretary Xi Jinping visited Qinghai and Ningxia. After conducting field research in schools and religious sites in Xining and communities in Yinchuan, the General Secretary made important arrangements on how the two provinces and regions can leverage their own advantages and play an active role in China's modernization process.

"Current Affairs Micro-Observation" found that the General Secretary emphasized the theme of "ecological protection and high-quality development" for the key tasks of the two provinces and regions.

Qinghai must "make greater progress in promoting ecological protection and high-quality development on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau."

Ningxia aims to "build a pilot zone for ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin."

The General Secretary’s important deployment embodies profound dialectical thinking.

Economic development should not be a case of exhausting resources and the ecological environment, nor should ecological and environmental protection be a case of abandoning economic development. Instead, we should insist on protecting while developing and developing while protecting.

——The ecological environment of the two provinces and regions is important and special

Qinghai has China's largest saltwater lake, Qinghai Lake; the "China Water Tower" Sanjiangyuan, the source of the three major rivers, the Yangtze River, the Yellow River and the Lancang River; and the majestic Qilian Mountains... It is not only a treasure trove of rich ecological resources, but also an important ecological security barrier, and has an irreplaceable strategic position in the overall national development.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping has visited Qinghai three times, participated in the deliberations of the Qinghai delegation at the National People's Congress twice, and talked about ecological protection and high-quality development many times.

"Qinghai's greatest value lies in its ecology, its greatest responsibility lies in its ecology, and its greatest potential also lies in its ecology," the General Secretary pointed out during his inspection tour in Qinghai in 2016.

In 2021, when attending the review of the Qinghai delegation, the General Secretary emphasized the need to promote the organic combination and mutual benefit of adhering to ecological priority, promoting high-quality development, and creating a high-quality life.

△ Qinghai Lake Erlangjian Scenic Area, Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province

During this inspection, the General Secretary highlighted the key points of ecological protection in Qinghai:

"The top priority is to protect the Three Rivers Source, the 'Chinese Water Tower', protect biodiversity and enhance water conservation capacity. We will strengthen the construction of a natural conservation area system with national parks as the main body, and create a model of natural conservation area with national representativeness and global influence."

The word "model" is full of the General Secretary’s earnest expectations.

△Ningxia is the only province in the country whose entire territory belongs to the Yellow River Basin.

The Yellow River has enriched Ningxia, and it has long benefited the people here. Since the Han and Tang Dynasties, people have dug canals to divert water and reclaimed land here, and it is known as the "Jiangnan on the Great Wall". In addition to the "Mother River" Yellow River, Ningxia also has the Helan Mountain, known as the "Father Mountain". As an important natural geographical dividing line in my country and an important ecological security barrier in the northwest, the Helan Mountain protects the ecological security of the northwest and north China.

During his inspection in Ningxia in June 2020, General Secretary Xi Jinping came to the Yellow River beach area on the eastern foot of the Helan Mountains. Looking out at the towering Helan Mountains, the General Secretary said earnestly that ecological restoration would come at a great cost, but there could be no ambiguity and great efforts must be made to do it well.

During his inspection in Ningxia, the General Secretary further pointed out:

"Protecting the ecological environment of the Yellow River and Helan Mountain, Liupan Mountain, and Luo Mountain is the baseline for Ningxia's reform and development. We must deepen the reform of market-oriented allocation of resources and environmental factors, improve the value realization mechanism of ecological products and the ecological protection compensation mechanism, and implement the strictest water resources management system. We must fight hard to overcome the "Jizi Bend" of the Yellow River, coordinate the ecological protection and restoration of forests, grasslands, wetlands, deserts, and the comprehensive management of saline-alkali land, and make the "Jiangnan on the Great Wall" more and more beautiful."

The Qarhan Salt Lake in Qinghai is the largest salt lake in my country and one of the most famous inland salt lakes in the world.

When General Secretary Xi Jinping visited Qinghai in August 2016, his first stop was the Qarhan Salt Lake.

"Are the salt mining boats domestically made? How much brine is mined every day?" "Does the circular economy use clean energy?" The General Secretary walked along the plank road to the edge of the salt lake, observed the operation of modern mechanical salt mining, and learned about the reserve protection, development and utilization of salt lake resources. He emphasized that salt lake resources are the largest resource in Qinghai and a strategic resource for the whole country, and it is imperative to properly handle the relationship between resource development and utilization and ecological environmental protection.

"Qinghai shoulders the important mission of maintaining ecological security. Industrial development must adhere to the principles of doing what it should and not doing what it shouldn't, and focus on cultivating a modern industrial system that reflects local characteristics and advantages." The General Secretary once again emphasized this during this inspection.

How to develop industries based on local ecological characteristics and advantages? The General Secretary pointed out the direction:

"We must effectively gather resources and factors, accelerate the construction of a world-class salt lake industrial base, and create a national clean energy industry highland, an international eco-tourism destination, and a green organic agricultural and livestock product export base. We must adhere to both scientific and technological research and development and the transformation of results, widely apply new technologies, transform and upgrade traditional industries according to local conditions, develop strategic emerging industries, and cultivate new quality productivity."

△Ningxia's GDP grew by 5.8% in the first quarter of this year, and its industrial added value above designated size ranked first in the country.

General Secretary Xi Jinping also made new arrangements for Ningxia's industrial development: "We should take a path of characteristic and differentiated industrial development and build a modern industrial system that reflects Ningxia's advantages and has strong competitiveness."

During his last visit to Ningxia, the General Secretary braved the scorching sun and walked into the Helan County Rice and Fish Space Rural Ecological Tourist Park.

The eco-tourism park has many innovative practices: rice is grown in the paddy fields, fish and crabs are raised, and the fish and crabs in turn fertilize the paddy fields; farmers transfer their land, work and invest, and become both workers and shareholders; tourists can not only sightsee, but also taste delicious food and buy agricultural products. This is a complete ecological chain and an extended industrial chain.

The General Secretary stressed that promoting agricultural transformation and development is an integral part of Ningxia's efforts to promote high-quality development. Ningxia should cherish the water resources of the Yellow River, pay attention to resolving the contradiction between rice and water, adjust the agricultural industrial structure, and actively develop water-saving and high-value-added farming and breeding industries.

△Ningxia has the first comprehensive new energy demonstration zone in my country.

During this inspection, the General Secretary not only required Ningxia to work hard and continuously develop "modern coal chemical industry and new materials industry, clean energy industries such as wind power, photovoltaics, hydrogen energy, and specialty industries such as wine and wolfberry", but also emphasized the need to promote the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries, cultivate strategic emerging industries, and develop new quality productivity according to local conditions.

It is General Secretary Xi Jinping's consistent philosophy to adhere to the principle of starting from reality, adapting to local conditions, and selectively promoting new industries, new models, and new momentum.

An important background to General Secretary Xi Jinping's visit to Qinghai and Ningxia is that the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee will be held next month. This plenary session will focus on further deepening reform and promoting Chinese-style modernization.

The ethnic minority population in Qinghai accounts for nearly 50%; Ningxia is the largest Hui ethnic group settlement area in my country, where people of many ethnic minorities including Manchu, Mongolian, and Zhuang live together.

From a national perspective, ethnic minority areas are rich in resources and have huge potential, but there are differences in development conditions and comparative advantages. It is necessary to comprehensively deepen reforms and transform resource advantages into advantages in exploring high-quality development and achieving catch-up and leapfrog development.

△Residents of the Great Wall Garden Community in Jinfeng District, Yinchuan City, Ningxia are creating paper-cut works.

In both provinces and regions, General Secretary Xi Jinping talked about the need to comprehensively deepen reform and expand opening up, focus on solving the urgent problems of the people, and solidly promote common prosperity for all ethnic groups.

Qinghai - We must "further comprehensively deepen reform, expand opening up, optimize the business environment, actively connect with major strategies such as the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, and promote the construction of the Green Silk Road." "We must effectively protect and improve people's livelihood, do our best and act within our means, do more practical things that conform to the will of the people, benefit their livelihood, and warm their hearts, and solidly solve the people's urgent problems."

Ningxia - "We must focus on deepening reforms in key areas and explore reforms with local characteristics." "We must strengthen the construction of inclusive, basic, and bottom-line livelihood projects, focus on solving the urgent problems of the people, and solidly promote the common prosperity of all ethnic groups."

△Students from Xining National Middle School in Goluo, Qinghai, operate the robots they assembled themselves.

The purpose of promoting reform and development is, in the final analysis, to enable all people, including ethnic minorities, to live a better life.

As General Secretary Xi Jinping said in the Great Wall Garden Community in Yinchuan City, Ningxia: "Our party is a party that serves the people wholeheartedly. People of all ethnic groups and every household are my concern. I hope you can do a better job in family building and make your life more prosperous." "Let us work together to promote Chinese-style modernization and realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation!"

△Villagers from Yangwa Village, Guanzhuang Township, Longde County, Guyuan City, Ningxia are rehearsing the community fire performance.

China's modernization is a modernization of common prosperity for all people, and no ethnic group should be left out. The Chinese nation is a big family, and all family members should live a good life.

General Secretary Xi Jinping visited the two provinces and regions consecutively, focusing on the economic and social development of ethnic minority areas, releasing the firm confidence and determination of the Party Central Committee to promote the common prosperity and development of all ethnic groups.

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