Xi called on the province to further deepen reform and opening up. It is necessary to keep in mind both domestic and international imperatives, promote urban-rural integration and regional coordination, optimize the layout of productive forces, and strive to promote high-quality development, he said.

　　He added that equal treatment must be ensured for enterprises under all forms of ownership, and that sustained efforts must be made to improve the business environment.

　　Xi urged the province to make proactive and coordinated efforts in the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta, the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt and the implementation of other development strategies.

　　Jiangsu should strengthen its alignment with strategies such as the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and have a deep involvement in high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, Xi said.

　　He also stressed continuous efforts in promoting all-around rural revitalization and integrated urban-rural development, as well as in consolidating and expanding the achievements of poverty alleviation.

　　Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, was present at the event.■

　　Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, takes part in a deliberation with fellow lawmakers from Jiangsu during the third session of the 14th National People's Congress in Beijing, capital of China, March 5, 2025. (Photo by Sheng Jiapeng/Xinhua)