Chinese President Tours Inner Mongolia 17-19 November
Text of report by official Chinese news agency Xinhua (New China News Agency)
[Report: "During Inspection Tour of Inner Mongolia, Hu Jintao Stresses Need to Continue to Deepen the Study and Implementation of the Spirit of the 17th Party Congress and to Unite as One in the Relentless Struggle to Create Better Lives for the People"]
Hohhot, 19 Nov (XNA) – During an inspection tour of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region recently, Hu Jintao, general secretary of the CCP Central Committee, President of China, and chairman of the Central Military Commission, stressed: It is necessary to continuously deepen the study and implementation of the spirit of the 17th Party Congress, exert genuinely intense efforts to use it to equip our minds, guide our practical undertakings and advance our work so that the process of studying and implementing the spirit of the 17th Party Congress becomes a process for promoting the in- depth implementation of the scientific development concept, a process for promoting an improvement to the people’s livelihood, a process for advancing the unity and progress of the people of all nationalities, as well as a process for promoting the overall strengthening of party building.
The weather was getting cold in the plateau of Inner Mongolia during this early wintertime, but the upsurge on the study and implementation of the spirit of the 17th Party Congress has injected vitality and vigour everywhere here. From 17 to 19 November, accompanied by Chu Bo, secretary of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Regional Party Committee, Yang Jing, chairman of the autonomous regional government, and others, Hu Jintao visited Ordos, Hohhot and other areas. There he conducted investigations and studies in the pastoral areas of the grassland and factory workshops where he joined cadres and people of all nationalities in discussing the great plans to deepen the reform and opening up, promote scientific development, and advance social harmony.
Inner Mongolia forms an important ecological shield for northern China. Hu Jintao pays great attention to the protection of the ecology and environment in this area. Upon arriving in Ordos, he immediately drove to Subulga Town in Yijinhuoluo Banner situated on the northeastern edge of the Mausu desert in order to inspect the situations related to the reclamation of forest land from arable land and the restoration of pastoral land into grassland. Hu Jintao then visited the home of Mongolian herdsman (Burenjirigala) where he carefully checked the sheep enclosure inside his courtyard and chatted with other herdsmen in his home. When he learned that these herdsmen were raising sheep, had built new homes and bought cars as their lives improved steadily, Hu Jintao said happily: You have actively responded to the call of the state, switched from pastoral sheep herding to sheep-raising in enclosures. This not only protects the ecology, it also develops production, increases incomes, and leads to a path of prosperity. You have taken the lead and provided good example for the masses of herdsmen in the building of a new socialist pastoral land. Hu Jintao also observed on site the situation on the restoration of pastoral land into grass land here. He saw that vegetation had already grown on vast stretches of sand dunes as the grassland that had once been in degeneration had started to recover. Speaking to the local cadres, he said: Doing a good job with the reclamation of forest land from arable land and restoration of pastoral land into grassland is of immense importance to the restoration of the ecology and the improvement of the people’s livelihood. It is consistent with the demand of the scientific development concept. It is necessary to further improve the policy, consolidate results, and unswervingly carry out this task which benefits both the state and the people in a satisfactory manner.
The development and conservation of energy sources represented a focal point of this visit by Hu Jintao. The first phase of the project of the China Shenhua Energy Co. Ltd to convert coal directly into liquid is about to be completed and the workers were presently engaged in tense installation and testing. Walking into the plant area, Hu Jintao learned in details about the progress in the construction of the project, the technological process, the production costs and others. He said to the cadres and workers of the company: The construction of the project to convert coal directly into liquid is an important strategic measure and it should be completed with high quality and high standards in order to contribute to the assurance of the state’s energy security. At the Yili energy and chemical cyclical economic industrial base, Hu Jintao gave high praise to the integrated cyclical industrial chain method adopted by the company. He stressed: It is necessary to vigorously develop the cyclical economy in line with the demands put forth at the 17th Party Congress on building ecological civilization, firmly foster an awareness for energy and resource bases to practice conservation strictly, intensify the level of energy conservation and reduction of waste disposal, earnestly raise the efficiency in the use of resources as well as lower the wastefulness in energy consumption and disposal of wastes in order to strive to achieve a sustainable development of the economy and society. Hu Jintao also visited the Datang International (Tocto) Power Generation Ltd Co. There he encouraged the company to strive to build a world first-rate thermal power plant and play a bigger role in the national project to deliver power from the west to the east.
In recent years, relying on its rich local resources, Inner Mongolia has built up a number of famous companies and famous brands boasting of strong competitiveness. At the big-scale wool products manufacturer Ordos Group, leading dairy products manufacturer the Yili Industrial Group Company Limited, and the Shengnaji Lighting Materials Company Limited, Hu Jintao walked into production workshops and products exhibition halls. He held talks with the cadres and workers in which he expressed the hope that they would focus on the domestic and foreign market demands, vigorously promote independent innovation, make their unique top-quality industries bigger and stronger, and truly convert their advantages in resources into an economic strength.
The lives of the people in distress have always been a source of concern for Hu Jintao. He specifically came to visit the people in distress living on the Siluofeng Street in the new city district of Hohhot. At the home of minimum insurance household Jia Jun, Hu Jintao sat with the members of the family and asked about their welfare. From the daily family expenses to the commodity prices in the markets, from seeking medical care to the education of the children, Hu Jintao raised very detailed questions. He said with great emotions: In leading the people to engage in reform and opening up and promote economic and social development, the basic objective of the party and the government is to let the people have better lives. With the continuing rise in the national economic strength and the gradual implementation of the policies to improve the people’s livelihood, your days will definitely get better. At the home of retired worker Zhou Yun, Hu Jintao asked about the family’s pension fund and heating fees. Hu Jintao said: The retirees have made contributions to the construction and development of the country, and the party and government will not forget you. According to the spirit of the 17th Party Congress, the central authorities have decided to raise the pension fund standards for retirees in order to further improve their lives. We should firmly grasp this big task to ensure and improve the lives of the people so that the masses can enjoy the fruits of reform and development and experience the superiority of the socialist system.
At the end of the inspection tour, Hu Jintao listened to the work reports of the party committee and government of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous region and fully affirmed the achievements made by Inner Mongolia in economic and social development in recent years. He expressed hope that the cadres and people of all nationalities in Inner Mongolia would act according to the demands set forth at the 17th Party Congress, hold high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, persist in being guided by the Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important thinking of the “three representations,” thoroughly carry out the scientific development concept, firmly seize the valuable opportunity to thoroughly carry out the great development of the west, and through steadfast work, make bigger strides in continuing to emancipate the mind and persisting with reform and opening up in order to achieve greater results in advancing scientific development and promoting social harmony.
During the inspection tour, Hu Jintao also met with army cadres above the rank of the division based in Hohhot.
Originally published by Xinhua news agency domestic service, Beijing, in Chinese 1550 19 Nov 07.
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