Xi made the remarks during his inspection tour in a bearing producer in Luoyang City, central China’s Henan Province, on Monday afternoon.
Xi visited the company’s intelligent manufacturing plant to learn about the performance and applications of various types of bearing products. He inspected the intelligent production lines and had an amiable conversation with the workers.
“China has always adhered to the path of developing the real economy. From the past reliance on imported matches, soap and iron, to now becoming the world’s largest manufacturing country with the most complete industrial categories, we have taken the right path,” Xi noted.
China must continue to strengthen the manufacturing sector, adhere to the principles of building self-reliance and strength, and master core technologies in key fields, Xi said.
He also urged efforts to strengthen collaboration between industries, universities and research institutes, and cultivate a large number of high-quality talents.
The producer, Luoyang Bearing Group Co., Ltd., is a traditional manufacturing firm that has invested heavily in scientific and technological research and made significant progress in industrial upgrading in recent years. Its wind turbine main bearings now hold over 40 percent of the domestic market share.
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks during his inspection tour of the cities of Luoyang and Zhengzhou in the province on Monday and Tuesday.
He emphasized that Henan should focus on building a modern industrial system and strengthening its agricultural capacity, improving people’s well-being and social governance, enhancing ecological and environmental protection, and promoting cultural prosperity.
On Monday afternoon, Xi visited Luoyang Bearing Group Co., Ltd. Its predecessor was a factory established during China’s inaugural five-year plan period (1953-1957). The five-year plan laid the industrial foundation via concentrated efforts to build New China’s first steel production base and first auto manufacturer.
It is imperative to maintain a robust and reasonable share of the manufacturing, a key pillar of the national economy, in the process of advancing Chinese modernization, Xi said.
“Modern manufacturing relies on sci-tech empowerment,” Xi said, while calling for greater efforts in the quest for core technological breakthroughs and pursuit of a path of independent innovation.
Xi then visited the White Horse Temple, originally built during the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220), where he learned about the adaptation of Buddhism to the Chinese context and local efforts to preserve cultural relics.
At the Longmen Grottoes, an over 1,500-year-old UNESCO World Heritage site which also represents the pinnacle of Chinese stone carving art, Xi underlined the importance of preserving, inheriting and promoting these treasures of Chinese culture.
The integration of culture and tourism holds great potential, Xi said, requiring efforts to promote the high-quality development of the sector and turn it into a pillar industry that benefits the people and enriches their lives.
On Tuesday morning, Xi heard the provincial authorities’ work report.
Xi emphasized that high-quality development is fundamental to advancing Chinese modernization. In the face of a complex external environment, China should unwaveringly focus on managing domestic affairs well and expanding high-standard opening up, he added.
Xi called for concrete efforts to maintain the stability of employment, businesses, the market and expectations.
As an economic powerhouse, Henan should strengthen its real economy as the bedrock of development and foster new quality productive forces tailored to local strengths, Xi said.
He also highlighted the need to enhance farmland protection and development, advance comprehensive rural revitalization through integrated urban-rural development, and strengthen the ecological conservation of key river basins.
Xi urged more efforts to strengthen social governance as Henan faces complex and diverse social issues due to its large population, high population density, and significant population mobility.
He also demanded the province to enhance Party-building within new-type economic and social organizations and among groups in new forms of employment, emphasizing the need to improve public services, and forestall and defuse risks in key sectors to safeguard social stability.
Carrying out the education campaign to implement the Party central leadership’s “eight-point decision” on improving work conduct is a major task for Party-building work this year, and the focus should be put on solving problems, Xi said.
As drought has lingered in certain regions of the country since the beginning of this year, Xi called for better water allocation to safeguard water supply for residents and meet agricultural irrigation needs.
Xi urged all regions to make thorough preparations for flood prevention and control as the flood season arrives.
Speaking on the latest episode of China Economic Roundtable, an all-media talk show hosted by Xinhua News Agency, Liu Jia, an official with the National Immigration Administration, highlighted that the updated visa-free policies have waived procedures and reduced time and financial burdens for foreign travelers, making it easier to visit China.
China has introduced a slew of policies to facilitate inbound travel since 2023. Major steps taken included expanding mutual visa exemptions and unilateral visa-free access, and extending visa-free entry stay for international visitors.
As of now, China has established comprehensive mutual visa exemptions with 29 countries, implemented unilateral visa-free policies for 38 countries, and transit visa-free policies for 54 countries including Britain, the United States and Canada.
Tax refund schemes for international travelers have been optimized as well. While allowing foreign shoppers to instantly claim tax rebates at tax-free stores, China has also lowered the minimum purchase threshold for refunds, raised the cash refund ceiling and widened the range of products available.
Speaking on the roundtable, Shi Zeyi, an official with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, said that with continuous improvements in visa, payment and tax policies, “China Travel” has demonstrated robust recovery momentum and broad growth prospects.
Last year, China recorded 132 million inbound trips, with total tourism spending reaching 94.2 billion U.S. dollars, recovering to 97.2 percent and 93.5 percent of 2019 levels, respectively, according to Shi.
Liu noted that the influx of foreign visitors has spurred consumption across sectors such as hospitality, retail and cultural services, contributing to the growth of the service trade and attracting foreign investment.
These updated policies are evidence of China’s commitment to opening up, Liu said, adding that they could help foster deeper cultural understanding between China and the international community, breaking stereotypes held by some countries.
“First-hand experience can help dispel misunderstandings and biases, enabling the world to see, feel and recognize an open, inclusive, prosperous, stable and safe China,” Liu said.
China will further enhance the convenience of inbound tourism in terms of visas, payments, transportation and accommodation, Shi Zeyi, an official at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism said during the latest episode of China Economic Roundtable, an all-media talk show hosted by Xinhua News Agency.
It will also focus on “precise demand orientation, diversified business formats, and international-standard services” to improve inbound tourism services, Shi added. For example, China will introduce new products and business models to cater to the diverse needs of travelers from different countries, Shi said.
It will also encourage inbound consumption by increasing the number of duty-free shops and expanding the range of goods eligible for “instant tax refunds,” which allows foreign visitors to instantly claim value-added tax rebates at tax-free stores across the country, Shi added.
The country will continue to improve its institutional mechanisms for high-standard opening-up, ensuring greater openness, more robust open development and security to facilitate personnel exchanges and cultural interactions, said Liu Jia, an official from the National Immigration Administration.
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in a recent instruction on the work concerning the compilation of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030).
Xi noted that the scientific formulation and consistent implementation of five-year plans stand as an important piece of experience in the CPC’s approach to governing the country.
The formulation and implementation of the 15th Five-Year Plan holds immense significance for fully realizing the strategic initiatives outlined at the 20th CPC National Congress and advancing Chinese modernization, Xi said.
He emphasized the importance of integrating top-level design with seeking advice from the public, enhancing research and discussions, and building broad consensus.
Starting from 2026, China will embark on the implementation of the 15th Five-Year Plan for economic and social development.
Currently, the CPC Central Committee is organizing the drafting of proposals for this plan, and relevant departments are gearing up to solicit opinions and suggestions from officials, the general public, as well as experts and scholars through various channels in the near future.
The new collection, compiled by the Institute of Party History and Literature of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, consists of five volumes of 29 articles published since November 2023.
These articles focus on studying and implementing relevant discourses made by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, with the aim of advancing systematic research and theoretical interpretation of the Party’s innovative theories for the new era.
The articles were originally published in the People’s Daily or the Qiushi Journal, both flagship publications of the CPC Central Committee.
The first two collections on the same topic, each comprising five volumes, were released in 2020 and 2023.
Xi made the remarks when he and Russian President Vladimir Putin jointly met the press after their talks at the Kremlin in Moscow.
In the face of the changes of the world, of the times and of historical significance, China and Russia should keep a firm grasp on the development direction of bilateral ties and the general trend of the development of human society, Xi said.
Noting that his talks with Putin were in-depth, cordial and fruitful, Xi said he and Putin reached many important new consensus, signed a joint statement on further deepening China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era and witnessed the exchange of multiple bilateral cooperation documents, which injected new impetus into the development of China-Russia relations.
Xi said this is his 11th visit to Russia, the country he has visited the most since becoming the president of the People’s Republic of China. On Friday, he will attend the celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Soviet Union’s Great Patriotic War, his second time attending the grand commemoration event in ten years.
Xi said the past decade has witnessed major turbulence and transformation in the international situation, as well as great leapfrog in China-Russia ties. The two countries have jointly witnessed the continuous consolidation and deepening of political mutual trust, and the continuous improvement of cooperation in various fields.
Xi said that China and Russia must uphold long-standing friendship from generation to generation and remain true friends forged through trials and tribulations. Eighty years ago, in the face of brutal aggression of militarism and Nazism, the Chinese and Russian peoples stood united, fighting side by side against a common enemy and writing a remarkable and heroic chapter in history, he said.
The great friendship forged between the two peoples through the trials of war and bloodshed has laid a solid foundation for the high-level development of bilateral relations, Xi said, adding that the two countries should deepen political mutual trust, enhance strategic coordination and advance bilateral ties toward a more mature and resilient future.
Xi said that the two countries should uphold mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, and be good partners who help each other prosper.
From overcoming hardships to deliver urgently needed supplies to each other during World War II, to the current record-breaking bilateral trade volumes, the “high-speed train” of China-Russia mutually beneficial cooperation has taken an extraordinary journey through mountains and valleys, overcoming challenges and obstacles, he said.
China and Russia should continue to deepen practical cooperation in various fields and solidify the material foundation for their comprehensive strategic coordination, bring more benefits to the people of both countries and give stronger momentum to global development, he said.
Xi noted that the two countries should uphold fairness and justice and defend the international order. China and Russia, as main theaters of Asia and Europe in WWII, have made decisive contributions to the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War and laid a solid foundation for the establishment of the post-war international order, he said.
As forces for stability, progress, and development in the international community, China and Russia should continue to firmly stand together, resolutely safeguard the UN-centered international system and the international order underpinned by international law, and continuously promote an equal and orderly multipolar world, said Xi.
China and Russia must uphold solidarity and mutual assistance and act as leading forces in global governance, Xi noted, stressing that the future of the world should be decided by all countries together, and the fruits of global development should be shared by all.
As major countries and key emerging market economies, China and Russia both shoulder the lofty mission of advancing global governance toward greater equity and justice, and the two sides should enhance coordination within multilateral platforms such as the UN, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS, remain committed to true multilateralism, guide global governance in the right direction, and promote a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, he said.
Xi emphasized that in the face of a turbulent and complex international situation, China and Russia must firmly uphold the spirit of lasting bilateral good-neighborliness and friendship, comprehensive strategic coordination and mutually beneficial cooperation.
The two countries should stand together to overcome challenges, comprehensively elevate the level, scope and resilience of China-Russia relations, inject greater stability into world peace and security, and provide stronger momentum for global development and prosperity, said Xi.
Xi made the remarks during a chat over tea with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the president’s office of the Kremlin in Moscow.
As long as China and Russia maintain strategic resolve and coordination, no force can stop the two countries from achieving their respective development and revitalization, no force can shake the strong foundation of long-standing friendship between the two peoples, and no force can hold back the prevailing trend toward a multipolar world and economic globalization, said Xi.
Xi also voiced readiness to stay in close communication with Putin to chart the course for China-Russia relations and make contributions to advancing global governance.
For his part, Putin said that Russia and China have always stood together in solidarity and supported each other, forging an unbreakable friendship.
The Russian president said he is willing to maintain close strategic communication with Xi, provide strategic guidance for the development of bilateral relations, jointly respond to the challenges of a complex international landscape, deepen comprehensive strategic coordination, safeguard common interests of the two countries and promote the development of a more equitable, democratic and multipolar world.
The two heads of state exchanged views on the Ukraine crisis and other issues. Xi said that China advocates for and remains committed to the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security at the global level, and believes it is important to take seriously the legitimate security concerns of all countries and eliminate the root causes of the Ukraine crisis.
China welcomes all efforts conducive to peace and looks forward to reaching a fair, lasting and binding peace agreement on the Ukraine crisis that is accepted by all relevant parties through dialogue, Xi noted.
Putin highly commended China’s objective and impartial position on the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis, saying that Russia is ready to engage in peace talks without preconditions and hopes to reach a fair and lasting peace agreement.
More than 80 years ago, the peoples of China, the Soviet Union and other countries fought side by side and secured victory in the World Anti-Fascist War, opening a new chapter in human history.
As the world is undergoing accelerating changes unseen in a century, the international community demands greater global efforts to face common challenges, and to build a community with a shared future.
Xi’s upcoming visit is expected to inject new momentum into the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era. Moreover, it will demonstrate the two major countries’ commitment to working with the rest of the world to safeguard the outcomes of the victory in World War II, uphold international fairness and justice, and maintain world peace and stability.
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History and reality show that China and Russia are good neighbors that cannot be moved away, and true friends who share weal and woe, support each other and achieve common development, Xi said in his phone conversation with Putin in February.
The coming visit marks Xi’s 11th trip to Russia since he became Chinese president. The two heads of state have met more than 40 times on different occasions over the years. Their close communication provides strategic guidance, under which China-Russia relations have matured into a resilient and stable partnership characterized by deepening political trust, closer strategic alignment and sustained practical cooperation.
In 2024, bilateral trade rose to 244.8 billion U.S. dollars, making China the largest trading partner of Russia for 15 consecutive years. In December 2024, the China-Russia east-route natural gas pipeline was fully completed. Cooperation in emerging sectors such as the digital economy, e-commerce, bio-medicine, scientific and technological innovation, as well as green energy continues to expand.
The two countries’ long-lasting friendship has grown increasingly popular among the two peoples. The mutual visa exemption agreement for group tours has encouraged more robust two-way travel. Hundreds of cultural events have been held in succession with the framework of the China-Russia Year of Culture.
Andrey Denisov, first deputy chair of Russia’s Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs and former Russian ambassador to China, said the strategic guidance of the two heads of state is a key factor in ensuring the steady and long-term development of the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era.
The two leaders are expected to hold extensive and in-depth discussions on both bilateral cooperation and multilateral issues, and the Russian side has high expectations for that, he added.
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Over 80 years ago, China and Russia, as the main battlefields in Asia and Europe during World War II, made tremendous sacrifices and indelible contribution to the final victory.
In a signed article published by the Russian Gazette newspaper ahead of his visit to Russia in 2015, Xi quoted Russian historian Vasily Klyuchevsky as saying, “If we lost the memory of our past, our mind and soul would be lost in the darkness,” in a bid to express his remembrance of the history of the World Anti-Fascist War and earnest expectations for the two nations to join hands to maintain world peace and stability.
The bitter lessons drawn from World War II have taught mankind that the strong preying on the weak, the law of the jungle, warlike or hegemonic policies, the winner-takes-all mindset and zero-sum game do not benefit coexistence, peace or development of mankind, Xi wrote in the article.
Noha Bakir, a professor of political science at American University in Cairo, said China and Russia, drawing lessons from history, shoulder the important responsibility of safeguarding international stability and cooperation amid today’s complex global landscape.
By studying, restoring and spreading the true history, people can better understand World War II and the post-war international order, thus they will resist the attempts to distort historical facts, he added.
Andrey Fesyun, deputy director of the Institute of Asian and African Studies at Moscow State University, said that under the guidance of the two heads of state, China and Russia will further jointly advocate the correct historical view of World War II, and work together to maintain global strategic stability, so as to make the due contributions of responsible major countries to the advancement of international fairness and justice.
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Eighty years ago, representatives from multiple countries, including China and the Soviet Union, gathered in the U.S. city of San Francisco, and signed the Charter of the United Nations, laying the cornerstone of the post-war international order.
The preamble to the charter solemnly states the commitment “to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbors, and to unite our strength to maintain international peace and security.”
China and Russia have natural responsibilities to make joint efforts to steer and promote global governance in a direction that meets the expectations of the international community and promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, said Xi when meeting with Putin in March 2023. And it was during Xi’s first visit to Russia in 2013 as Chinese president that he first proposed the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind.
As permanent members of the UN Security Council and major countries in the world, China and Russia have been working closely on the world stage. Beijing and Moscow firmly uphold the international system with the United Nations at its core, the international order underpinned by international law, as well as the fundamental norms governing international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. They are also advocates of true multilateralism.
The two nations have also joined hands to promote political solutions to international and regional hot-spot issues. They have strengthened communication and coordination within multilateral mechanisms such as the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), BRICS and the Group of 20, and are jointly committed to advancing a multipolar world and the democratization of international relations.
Adhere Cavince, a Kenyan scholar on international relations, said that China and Russia collaborate through platforms like the SCO and BRICS, which has not only promoted a multipolar world, but also empowered the Global South with a greater voice in global governance and a bigger role in shaping the rules on major international issues.
Ilgar Velizade, head of the South Caucasus Club of Political Scientists from Azerbaijan, said that the growing strength of multilateral cooperation mechanisms such as the SCO and BRICS represents a powerful embodiment of the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.
If countries engage in an active, constructive and sustainable dialogue focused on common interests, the world will be safer, the global economy more sustainable and humanity’s future far more promising, he said.
