Between Aug. 22 and 24, Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, President, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission goes on an inspection tour to Qinghai. On the afternoon of Aug. 23, Xi visits Qinghai Provincial Ecological and Environmental Monitoring Center. (Photo by Pang Xinglei, Xinhua)

XINING, Aug. 24, Xinhua-In a recent inspection tour to Qinghai, Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, President, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission stressed that ecological and environmental protection and development of ecological civilization lay the primary groundwork for China to maintain sustained development. Qinghai Province’s most invaluable treasure, overarching responsibility, and greatest potential are ecological resources. Therefore, the province must give the development of ecological civilization an outstanding position in local development landscape, respect the nature, conform to the nature, and protect the nature, build up a solid national ecological security barrier, and integrate the economic, social, and ecological benefits.

Qinghai Plateau looks spectacular in August with ranges of magnificent mountains. Xi went on an inspection tour to Haixi, Haidong, and Xining to investigate how local areas have been doing in implementing the 13th Five-Year Plan, strengthening ecological and environmental protection, and promoting local economic and social development, between Aug. 22 and 24, with the accompany of Secretary of the CPC Qinghai provincial committee Wang Guosheng and Governor of the provincial government Hao Peng.

Xi arrived in Golmud City of Haixi Mongolian and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture on his special plane on the morning of Aug. 22, and took on a ride to Qarhan Salt Lake in Qaidam Basin on the afternoon. Qarhan Salt Lake is the largest salt lake in China, and one of the world’s most famous inland salt lakes as well. Qinghai has started its salt chemical industry as early as the 1950s, taking advantage of the resources of the lake. So far, Qinghai Salt Lake Industrial Co., Ltd. has developed five industrial clusters, that is, sylvite, sodium salt, magnesium salt, lithium salt, and chlor-alkali industrial clusters. Its magnesium project is the core project of Qaidam Pilot Area for Circular Economy, one of the country’s first 13 pilot areas for developing circular economy.

At the wharf of the salt lake, Xi heard report on the development of circular economy in Qaidam, got an understanding of how the companies have comprehensively utilized the salt lake resources and promoted the industrial upgrading, and visited the exhibitions on salt chemical products such as potassium chloride, potassium hydroxide, potassium nitrate, lithium cell, and magnesium alloy. Afterwards, he walked on the plank road to the side of the salt lake, observed how the modern machinery mines salt, and checked how the reserve resources of the salt lake have been protected, developed, and utilized. Xi noted that the resources the salt lake offers are the largest ones in Qinghai, the country’s strategic resources as well, so it is paramount to properly handle the relation between the development and utilization of these resources and the protection of the ecological environment. Developing circular economy is the inevitable way to raise resource efficiency, so it is important to firmly develop the concept of green development, enthusiastically advance the innovation of work flows, technologies, and processes of relevant industries, strive to achieve low consumption, low emissions, and high benefits, and enable the precious resources the salt lake can offer to benefit the people forever.

Departing from the wharf, Xi took on a ride and went to visit Changjiangyuan Village in Tanglha Town of Golmud City. It is a village of Tibetan residents, and a resettlement of immigrants as well. In November 2004, 407 herdsmen from 128 families echoed the country’s policy for preservation of the ecological conditions at the headwaters of Yangtze River, Yellow River, and Lancang River, and migrated to the southern suburbs of Golmud from somewhere over 400 km away with an altitude of 4,700 m. As Xi stepped out of his car, the aged director of village committee Genggananjie greeted him respectfully with khata, and the villagers with chemar (roasted barley flour mixed with butter) and highland barley wine. Xi heard report at the office of the village committee on the resettlement of immigrants, the solidarity among ethnic groups, and the development of grassroots Party organizations in the village, took a tour around the village, and visited a Tibetan villager by the name of Shen’ge at his home to see how life goes on with his family and talked with them. Shen’ge applauded the ecological immigration policy for multiple reasons and showed the General Secretary his family’s grassland ownership certificate and medical care cards. Xi was very glad to see that the villagers have fairly good living conditions in terms of clothing, food, housing, and commuting, plus stable household income, and basic medical care insurance and pensions, saying that your happy days will last for a very long time. He pointed out that the preservation of the headwaters of Yangtze River, Yellow River, and Lancang River is a major policy adopted by the CPC Central Committee, and ecological immigration is one of the essential measures taken to implement this policy. The immigration must be well organized. He stressed that China is a multi-ethnic state, and all of the ethnic groups are families, so we should love each other, unit, and make progress together. In the farewell, the villagers, old and young, in colorful Tibetan attire, sent off the General Secretary at the entrance of the village. They waved the khata and chanted “tashi delek” (best wishes). Xi Jinping shook hands with each and every one of them and wished them a happier life. The happy and peaceful moment reflected the heartfelt connection between the General Secretary and the Tibetan villagers.

On the morning of Aug. 23, Xi went to Huzhu Tu Autonomous County of Haidong Municipality and visited Banyan Village, a resettlement for poverty alleviation. The new village project was about to be concluded, with lines of courtyards well blueprinted. Xi inquired about the development plan of the new village, walked into the new houses to check the building area, structure, and construction quality, and had talks with the villagers who were there to supervise the project. At the house of a destitute villager of Tu ethic group named Lv Youjin, Xi sat with his family around the table and watched a footage about the conditions of the old village that has been home to the villagers. There is a 7 km steep and zigzagging mountain path leading up to the old village, and generations and generations of villagers have been living in this place with so bad traffic conditions and severe water deficiency. Knowing this, Xi said to the family that the life-struggling people like you are exactly the close concern of the Party and the government, which will send you to a path of good life by relocation. Also, Xi browsed the poverty alleviation brochures and delicacy management brochures of destitute households, and inquired about how each and every poverty relief measure has been implemented, such as the development of the farming and livestock and poultry breeding, the participation in labor training programs, the schooling of the children, and the access to the new rural cooperative medical care and the endowment insurance. Xi noted that relocation is one of the effective approaches to shaking off poverty. The relocation should consult the rural residents concerned and allow them to be part of the planning process of the new villages. The development of the new villages should be combined with the development of agricultural productions and the increase of employment, with the improvement of basic public services, and with the protection of the ethnic, local, and cultural features and scenes. At Xi’s departure, the Tu villagers lined up at the entrance of the village as soon as they heard the news and applauded him with laughter. Xi was very glad and took a group photo with them.

On the afternoon that day, Xi arrived in Xining Municipality, the capital of the province, and visited Qinghai Provincial Ecological and Environmental Monitoring Center, and Xining branch of Huanghe Hydropower Development Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of State Power Investment Corporation. At the monitoring center, Xi observed the multimedia presentations, heard report on the overall progress in promoting province-wide ecological progress, the progress in ecological conservation of the headwaters of Yangtze River, Yellow River, and Lancang River, and the pilot project on establishing a national park to preserve the headwaters. He observed the real-time ecological monitoring of such sites as Eling Lake-Zhaling Lake (headwater of Yellow River), Angsai Canyon on Lancang River, the south hillside of Yuzhu Peak of Kunlun Mountain, and Wudaoliangbei Bridge on Qinghai-Tibet Raiway, through remote video surveillance. Also, he had a video conference with the grassroots-level officials and management staff of the two monitoring sites-Eling Lake-Zhaling Lake site at the headwater of Yellow River in Maduo County, and Angsai Canyon site on Lancang River section in Zaduo County, heard their reports on local ecological conditions, and had in-depth exchanges on the management effort. Xi also expressed regards through the videoconference system to local officials and people of all ethnic groups, and hoped that with the support of State policies, they would make joint efforts to manage and preserve such ecological resources as lakes, grasslands, rivers, and wildlife, and enjoy better life and work. Xi noted that in order to preserve the ecological environment, the first and foremost is to figure out the background information, keep it updated, and do well in laying the groundwork of establishing and applying the ecological environment monitoring network.

At the Xining branch, Xi learnt about how the company has developed the whole photovoltaic industrial chain, carried out the S&T R&D, and maintained operations. He also observed the solar cell production line at the workshop, visited the exhibitions on finished products, and learnt about the texturing, itching, coating, screen printing, and high-temperature sintering processes. He gave recognition to the progress Qinghai has made in developing clean energy with such advantages as abundant sunshine and solar radiation and heat resources. Xi noted that in order to develop photovoltaic power generation industry, we will make well-designed plans, strengthen policy support and guidance, and highlight the norm and orderliness. He hoped that the state-owned enterprises would take the lead in enhancing innovation ability, strive to develop more and better innovation outputs and products, and play a greater role in leading the innovation and development.

During his inspection tour to Qinghai, Xi also heard work reports from the provincial Party committee and the provincial government, and gave recognition to the progress Qinghai has made in local economic and social development. He hoped that Qinghai keep making new progresses in its way to a pilot area of ecological civilization, a pilot area of circular economy, and a pilot area of national solidarity and progress.

Xi noted that to center on the economic development and maintain the sustainable and healthy development of the economy is one of the great missions of the Party. We will have full confidence in this endeavor, maintain our focuses, guide the overall picture of development with new ideas, strive to solve structural and institutional conflicts and problems that hinder the development, and try to open up new prospects for it. We will take the structural reform of the supply side as a major task of economic development for now and for a period of time to come, make full-throttled efforts to optimize the allocation and combination of existing production factors, the current structure of supply, and the existing products and services, earnestly raise the quality and efficiency of the supply system, and build new engines and supports for the sustained and healthy development of the economy.

Xi stressed that Qinghai stands at a vital and special position in China’s ecological conservation blueprint and must take the major responsibility of protecting the headwaters of Yangtze River, Yellow River, and Lancang River, which are known as the “Water Tower of China”. We will give priority to the conservation of them, integrate the natural restoration with artificial restoration, consider the practical circumstances, implement the main functional area zoning plans, and strengthen their main function which is safeguarding the national ecological security in all respects. We will make overall plans to advance the ecological projects, energy conservation and pollution reduction, environmental governance, and the building of beautiful cities and countryside, enhance the development of nature reserves, and do well in the pilot projects on establishing a national park to preserve the headwaters of Yangtze River, Yellow River, and Lancang River. Furthermore, we will put greater efforts in preserving the ecological conditions surrounding the Qinghai Lake, in combating desertification and developing alpine grasslands, in returning the pastures to grasslands, returning farmlands to forests and grasslands, and planting the shelter forests in North, Northwest, and Northeast China, and in energy conservation, pollution reduction, and integrated environmental governance, so as to ensure “clear waters running all the way to the east”.

Xi noted that the poverty alleviation is a tough and yet glorious mission. The Party and government departments at all levels and the majority of the Party members should, with the firm will and unswerving resolve of “never withdraw troops before occupying Loulan State”, pinpoint the poverty stricken households and make earnest efforts to shake them off poverty. We will adopt policies by considering all factors and make efforts through multiple policies, channels, and approaches. We will lift the destitute families out of poverty by changing their living environment, uplifting their living standards, and raising the productivity, with follow-up plans, measures, and safeguard policies to consolidate the poverty relief efforts. We will pay close attention to the economic and social development in earthquake-struck areas in Yushu, and help local people of all ethnic groups live a better life.

Xi stressed that national solidarity is the lifeline of the people of all ethnic groups. We will guide the people of all ethnic groups to further identify with our great country, the Chinese nation, the Chinese culture, the Communist Party of China, and the socialism with Chinese characteristics, live together in peace, unit and make progress together, and accelerate the development of areas which are home to minority ethnic groups. We will follow the basic policy adopted by the Party on religious affairs, strengthen the management of them, guide the religions to get suited to the socialist society, preserve the Chinese nature of the religions on Chinese soil, and take more initiative to do well in the religious affairs under new circumstances.

Xi also noted that taking a serious attitude towards inner Party political life lays the groundwork for running the Party strictly in all respects, and is a major mission of the whole Party. Party organizations at all levels should voluntarily take responsibilities, handle matters strictly following the political disciplines and rules of the Party, and under no circumstances should they breach such disciplines and rules or trade them for personal gains. The leading departments and leading officials should take the leading in doing so and set an example for fellow departments and officials. Furthermore, efforts will be made to properly handle the relation between rights and obligations, powers and responsibilities, incentives and disincentives, and punishments and protection, and mobilize the enthusiasm of the majority of Party members and advance the development of all undertakings by taking a serious attitude towards inner Party political life.

Wang Huning, Li Zhanshu, and heads of other central departments accompanied Xi in his inspection tour.

During the tour, Xi met with the leading officials of Qinghai-resident armies who are at or above division commander level as well as the heads of division-level units, and on behalf of the CPC Central Committee and the Central Military Commission, sent sincere regards to the whole armies. Fan Changlong accompanied Xi in the meeting.