On April 24, 2018, the supreme leader was inspecting the Three Gorges Dam. Source: Xinhua News Agency
CCTV News:"The Yangtze River is the mother river of the Chinese nation and must be protected."
On April 24, 2018, the supreme leader went deep into Hubei to inspect the ecological environment around the Three Gorges Project and the dam area. He looked up and saw the majestic dam, the rippling river and the lush river bank.
The Yangtze River, the cradle of the Chinese nation, is the longest river in China and our mother river. For thousands of years, the Yangtze River basin has been linked by water, connecting the upstream and downstream, the left and right banks and the main tributaries, forming a large economic and social system. In addition, the Yangtze River is an important link between the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.
For a long time, the development and planning of "Mother River" has always touched the heart of the supreme leader.
Play the "Yangtze River Concerto"
Chart: Schematic Diagram of the Yangtze River Delta Region Source: Xinhua News Agency
From Bashan Shushui to Jiangnan Water Town, the Yangtze River basin is outstanding, edifying the elites of past dynasties and nourishing countless people.
As early as when he was working in Zhejiang, the Supreme Leader put forward the "Eighth Five-Year Strategy" in view of the natural geographical advantages of Zhejiang’s long delta, explicitly demanding that "Zhejiang’s geographical advantages should be further developed, and Shanghai should take the initiative to participate in exchanges and cooperation in the Yangtze River Delta region, so as to continuously improve the level of opening up at home and abroad".
The Supreme Leader emphasized that jumping out of Zhejiang to develop Zhejiang is an inevitable requirement for Zhejiang’s economic development and a strategic choice for Zhejiang to achieve greater development from a high starting point.
Under the care and guidance of the supreme leader, Zhejiang Province plans to build an industrial belt and urban agglomeration around Hangzhou Bay, actively promotes regional coordinated development, and accelerates the rise of the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration led by Shanghai.
Schematic diagram of the Yangtze River Economic Belt Source: China Government Network
For more than a decade, the pace of Zhejiang’s comprehensive integration into the Yangtze River Delta has never stopped. In the Yangtze River Economic Belt, capital, commodities, technology, talents and other elements from Zhejiang are surging. From the Yangtze River Delta to the Yangtze River Economic Belt, Zhejiang took the initiative to connect and actively integrate, and played a powerful and distant "Yangtze River Concerto".
Shanghai Free Trade Zone Waigaoqiao Container Terminal Source: Xinhua News Agency
Plan the Yangtze River estuary
The rolling Yangtze River is a golden waterway, and Shanghai, located at the mouth of the Yangtze River, undoubtedly plays a leading role in the cooperation and exchanges in the Yangtze River Delta region.
In May, 2007, the Supreme Leader had just been working in Shanghai for two months. When planning the future development of Shanghai, he put forward that we must focus on "four in". One of them is to "think and plan in the overall arrangement of the country for the regional development of the Yangtze River Delta".
In August of the same year, the Shanghai Municipal Committee held a study meeting of the Standing Committee. At the meeting, the top leaders pointed out that it is necessary to adhere to regional coordinated development, promote regional cooperation, consciously put the service of the Yangtze River Delta in a more prominent position, strengthen cooperation and exchanges between Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai, give play to the role of the market in allocating port and shipping resources, and strive to build a Yangtze River Delta port group with clear levels, reasonable division of labor and complementary advantages; Actively promote the construction of the "golden waterway" of the Yangtze River, and make greater contributions to serving the Yangtze River basin, serving the whole country, and promoting the coordinated development of the East, China and the West.
Look at the overall situation and plan for the future.
Under the leadership of the supreme leader, Shanghai has actively participated in and actively served the development of the Yangtze River Delta region and the construction of the Yangtze River Economic Belt for more than a decade, setting up a free trade zone, deepening reform, expanding opening up and building channels.
During the "Thirteenth Five-Year Plan" period, Shanghai will promote the landing of major projects and realize multi-point connection and organic integration with the comprehensive transportation network of the Yangtze River Economic Belt; Strengthen the opening and cooperation of river basins and establish a cooperation mechanism for customs clearance in the Yangtze River Economic Belt; Enhance innovation ability and promote regional industrial transformation and upgrading.
On July 21, 2013, the Supreme Leader visited Wuhan. As soon as he got off the plane, he came to Yangluo Container Port Area of Wuhan Xingang in the rain. Source: Xinhua News Agency
Visit the port area along the Yangtze River in the rain.
Since assuming the post of general secretary, the supreme leader has braved the severe cold and summer heat to inspect the Yangtze River basin many times, held symposiums, reviewed relevant plans, and deployed and implemented the strategy of the Yangtze River Economic Belt.
It was an unusual summer-in July of 2013, a torrential rain came unexpectedly in Xingang, Wuhan, and the Yangtze River became more and more misty.
As soon as the supreme leader got off the plane, he braved the rain and went straight to Yangluo Container Port Area in Wuhan Xingang, located on the north bank of the Yangtze River. It rained heavily, and the accumulated water didn’t cross the foot. In the storm, he rolled up his trouser legs, held an umbrella and asked while watching. The shirt was wet by the rain, but the supreme leader still focused on the local production situation. He stressed that the Yangtze River basin should strengthen cooperation, give play to the role of inland navigation, and turn the whole basin into a golden waterway.
Under the care and guidance of the supreme leader, in March 2014, "Building the Yangtze River Economic Belt by Relying on the Golden Waterway" was written into the Government Work Report. In September 2014, the State Council’s Guiding Opinions on Promoting the Development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt by Relying on the Golden Waterway was officially released.
The Yangtze River Economic Belt starts from Shanghai in the east and reaches Yunnan in the west, covering 11 provinces and cities such as Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Chongqing, Sichuan, Yunnan and Guizhou, radiating about 600 million people and covering an area of about 2.05 million square kilometers, with GDP accounting for 45% of the national total. Promoting the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt is an important regional development strategy of the country, and it is a new strategic chess game that is balanced vertically and horizontally and related to the coordinated development of the eastern, central and western regions.
On April 26, 2018, the Supreme Leader hosted a symposium in Wuhan to further promote the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt. Source: Xinhua News Agency
Planning the future development of the Yangtze River
January 5, 2016 is a milestone in the development history of the Yangtze River Economic Belt.
Just after New Year’s Day, the mountain city in winter is warm in the cold. From January 4th to 6th, the Supreme Leader came to Orchard Port in Liangjiang New Area of Chongqing, walked to the dock front platform, inspected the Yangtze River shipping and port loading and unloading operations, listened to the construction of the shipping center in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, and told operators, cargo ship owners and port planning and construction personnel to build, manage and operate the port well.
On January 5, 2016, the Supreme Leader held a symposium in Chongqing to promote the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, pointing out the direction and setting the tone for the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt: "At present and for a long time to come, we should put the restoration of the ecological environment of the Yangtze River in an overwhelming position, work together for great protection and not engage in great development."
As a basin economy, the Yangtze River Economic Belt involves water, roads, ports, shores, production, cities, biology, wetlands, environment and other aspects. It is a whole and must be comprehensively grasped and planned.
In March of the same year, the Political Bureau of the Central Committee held a meeting to review and approve the Outline of the Yangtze River Economic Belt Development Plan. In 2017, "Promoting the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt with the guidance of joint protection and no development" was solemnly written into the report of the 19th National Congress.
In 2018, in the spring and April, the green is full of Jingchu. The supreme leader crossed Jingzhou and entered Yueyang to develop the Yangtze River Economic Belt, further unified his thinking, and investigated whether the requirements of "jointly protecting and not developing" were put in place; Through on-the-spot investigation and classified guidance, it is proposed to correctly grasp the "five major relations" and push the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt deeper.
From Xizi Lake to Zhongnanhai, this affection for the mother river, the Yangtze River, has been lingering in the mind of the Supreme Leader General Secretary. In his mind, it bears the sustainable development of the whole eastern, central and western regions and the coordinated development of the whole Chinese land.
The blueprint is clearer and the horn is louder.
Under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee with the Supreme Leader as the core, we will protect and make good use of the golden waterway of the Yangtze River, build and develop the Yangtze River Economic Belt, and March forward toward the glorious other side of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. (Text/Yu Xiaoling)
