Actively integrate into the new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial reform, develop new productive forces, and stand up the "backbone" of the rise of central China.
Five years later, General Secretary Xi Jinping once again presided over a forum on promoting the rise of the central region and delivered an important speech, stressing that "it is necessary to consistently grasp the implementation of a series of policies and measures of the CPC Central Committee in promoting the rise of the central region, form a joint force to promote high-quality development, and strive to write a new chapter in the rise of the central region in the construction of Chinese-style modernization," pointing out the direction for promoting the rise of the central region on the new journey.
Promoting the rise of the central region is of overall significance. In 2004, "promoting the rise of the Central region" was first included in the government work report. Over the past 20 years, especially since the 18th CPC National Congress, the central region has risen strongly. During the 13th five-year Plan period, the economy of the central region grew at an average annual rate of 8%.Crashbandicoot4ps1.6%, in 2023, the gross domestic product of the central region is nearly 27 trillion yuan, accounting for more than 1 per cent of the country, and the backbone supporting role of the "backbone" in the central region is becoming more and more significant. The rise of the central region is an important part of the regional coordinated development strategy, which is conducive to building a moderately prosperous society in an all-round way.Crashbandicoot4ps1The new journey of China's socialist modernization is of great significance.
There is a good foundation for promoting the rise of the central region. "the central region is China's important grain production base, energy and raw material base, modern equipment manufacturing and high-tech industrial base and comprehensive transportation hub, and plays an important role in the country." General Secretary Xi Jinping's full affirmation of the important position of the central region is also a scientific summary of the good foundation for the rise of the central region. The central region has a developed transportation network, intensive factors of production, rich human resources, complete industrial categories, a good scientific and educational foundation, a large ecological environment capacity, and a strong ability to agglomerate and carry industries and population. it has good conditions for speeding up economic and social development. On the whole, all these have laid a solid foundation for promoting the rise of the central region from a higher starting point.
General Secretary Xi Jinping put forward six requirements on how to promote the rise of the central region from a higher starting point. Among them, "to lead industrial innovation with scientific and technological innovation, and actively cultivate and develop new quality productive forces" is listed in the first place. Science and technology is the foundation of a country's strength and prosperity, and innovation is the soul of national progress. To promote the rise of the central region, we must firmly grasp the "bull's nose" of scientific and technological innovation, actively integrate into the new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial changes, develop new productive forces, and stand up the "backbone" of the rise of the central region.
It is necessary to transform and upgrade traditional industries. General Secretary Xi Jinping stressed: "the development of new-quality productive forces does not mean neglecting or abandoning traditional industries. We should prevent mass action and bubble formation, and we should not set up a model." Traditional industries have many kinds, large volume, wide market and high output value, which play a key role in the industrial chain supply chain. The central region should make use of scientific and technological forces to improve the quality and efficiency of agricultural development, vigorously promote the construction of high-standard farmland, and promote the construction of functional areas for grain production, production protection areas for important agricultural products, and dominant areas for characteristic agricultural products. We will create a number of production, processing and supply bases for green agricultural products and enhance the added value of agricultural products. Efforts should be made to consolidate the stock, expand the increment, extend the industrial chain, and increase the added value, form a relatively perfect industrial chain and industrial clusters, promote the development of traditional industries to high-end, intelligent, and green, and let traditional industries coruscate new vitality.
It is necessary to strengthen the deep integration of scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation, and speed up the development of new quality productive forces in line with local conditions. The new quality productivity is supported by digital, networked and intelligent new technology, and scientific and technological innovation is the core driving force. The six provinces in central China should firmly seize the great opportunity of the construction of national strategic scientific and technological forces, strengthen the layout of major scientific and technological infrastructure, vigorously promote the construction of basic research supporting platforms such as national laboratories and national key laboratories, strive to create a number of innovative platforms with leading levels at home and abroad, form more outstanding original innovation capabilities, and implement strategic, overall and forward-looking major national scientific and technological projects. We will focus on key core technologies and use scientific and technological innovation to drive industrial innovation. It is necessary to cultivate and strengthen a new generation of emerging industries such as information technology, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, new energy, new materials, high-end equipment, and green environmental protection, and advance the layout and construction of future industries such as quantum information, genetic technology, future networks, and deep-sea space development.
We should attach great importance to the cultivation and introduction of talents. Talents are the most critical and core element to speed up scientific and technological innovation. There are more than 700 universities in the central region, with students accounting for 30% of the country's total. Relying on scientific and technological infrastructure and platforms such as national scientific research institutions, high-level research universities, and scientific and technological leading enterprises, we should strengthen the combination of theoretical training and practical system, improve the talent training system, strive to train high-level and applied talents in the frontier fields of science and technology, and train more strategic scientists, first-class scientific and technological leaders, and a reserve force of young scientific and technological talents with international competitiveness.
(the author is Hu Zhongjun, member of the CPPCC National Committee, chairman of the Hubei Provincial Committee of the Democratic Progressive Party, and dean of Hubei Institute of Socialism)
