Good start for new five-year plan stressed

Boosting domestic demand

Xi underscored the need to take domestic circulation as the mainstay, and called for efforts to properly handle the relationships between consumption and investment as well as demand and supply, and align the improvement of people's livelihoods with efforts to promote consumption.

It is important to improve the quality and efficiency of national economic circulation, he said, underlining the need to make domestic demand the main driving force for the country's economic growth while expanding the international market to allow domestic and international circulations to reinforce each other.

Xi emphasized that priority should be given to improving people's livelihoods in promoting social development, so that the quality of people's lives will steadily improve while the economy develops. Efforts should be made to coordinate development and security, effectively prevent and defuse various risks, and take solid steps to safeguard national security and social stability, he said.

Xi pointed out that scientific, democratic and law-based decision-making must be adhered to in compiling the national and local outlines for the 15th Five-Year Plan as well as specialized plans, and local plans should align with the national plan.

He also urged officials at all levels, especially leading officials, to improve their capabilities and be good at addressing risks, challenges and difficulties. A high-pressure stance against corruption must be maintained, and coordinated steps must be taken to ensure that officials do not have the audacity, opportunity or desire to be corrupt, he added.