BEIJING, March 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, took part in a deliberation with fellow lawmakers from Jiangsu during the third session of the 14th National People’s Congress (NPC) in Beijing, on March 5, 2025. This marks the third consecutive year that Xi has taken part in a deliberation of this delegation since 2023.
‘Social work must be strengthened’
The lively exchanges in the deliberation vividly reflect the significance of social governance in the context of China’s efforts to modernize its national governance system.
“How many people live in your community?” Xi asked the lawmakers during the deliberation with the Jiangsu delegation.
“There are 7,266 residents, making up five residential communities. When I first started working in this community, there were only some 3,000 people. Now the number has doubled,” said Li Xiaona, an NPC deputy who has worked in the Hailian community of Xinhai Street in Lianyungang city for 12 years, when talking about her grassroots work.
After hearing these figures, Xi said with emotions: “In the past, the neighborhood committees were generally quite small in my memory. The community’s Party secretary was like a ‘premier of a small alley,’ managing a lot of things, which was not easy.”
The community is the fundamental unit of urban governance in China, weaving together countless threads of daily life and connecting thousands of households. Within this intricate web pulses the lifeblood of the nation, revealing both the immense scale and profound weight of governance in a country. Xi has always cared about the affairs within the community.
During the deliberation, Xi expressed concerns regarding “caring for the elderly and children.”
In terms of the elderly care, it is common to see senior canteens in China, but overly relying on welfare models risks its sustainability. Solutions must be locally tailored and self-sustaining. Meanwhile, home services for the elderly should also be enhanced with the expansion of volunteer networks and elderly healthcare occupations.
In terms of childcare, current daycare services face problems of imbalances, which should be adjusted align with local demographics and service quality. The children deserve safe, healthy and nurturing environments, which requires professional caregivers and stronger oversight frameworks.
Xi also expressed concerns about the groups of new forms of employment.
A recent survey on the status of the national workforce revealed that 84 million people are now employed in new forms of work across China, accounting for 21 percent of all employed citizens.
The 20th CPC National Congress has made improving the social governance system a priority. In 2023, the Society Work Department of the CPC Central Committee was established, with local branches following nationwide. The central conference on social work was held for the first time in Beijing in 2024. These initiatives embody the governing philosophy that “nothing is too small for a civil servant to do if it delivers concrete benefits to our people.”
“Social work must be strengthened,” Xi emphasized, addressing the matter with clarity: As the Chinese social fabric grows more complex, emerging forms of work like deliveryman, ride-hailing drivers, and e-commerce practitioners demand tailored management services. The country must keep up with the management services and fill the gap.
Sound grassroots governance fortifies national governance. In the deliberation, Xi urged earnestly to make more practical efforts to strengthen foundational and inclusive construction of people’s livelihood, and to address the urgent and pressing concerns of the public. Additionally, the social security system and the accessibility and balanced distribution of basic public services should be further improved. “Putting the people first” has permeated every word of his address.
‘Always maintain the role of a trendsetter’
You were on the TV news today, weren’t you?” Xi asked Zhang Junjie, an NPC deputy and a cardiologist in Nanjing First Hospital, who was seated across from him. That morning, Zhang had shared stories about advancements in medical technology with the media in the NPC deputies’ meetings with the press.
Zhang used the metaphor of “touching the heart” to share an inspiring tale of triumph. He recounted how his team overcame foreign monopolies to develop a domestically produced mitral valve clip. Utilizing minimally invasive techniques, they successfully repaired the mitral valve – the heart’s “back door” – of an 88-year-old patient surnamed Liu at the time, all while his heart continued to beat. Now Liu, 92, enjoys a fulfilling life in his later years.
“Every year, my team performs over 300 minimally invasive heart valve surgeries across the country. Liu’s story is merely a snapshot of our daily work,” he said.
“Twenty years ago, I went abroad for further studies. Now, we have emerged as a leader in various medical fields,” he recalled, emphasizing that the realm of medical research knows no boundaries.
“What you said reminds me of the difficulties we faced in the 1990s when performing heart stent surgeries,” Xi talked to him.
Now, the domestic production rate of cardiovascular materials is quite high, isn’t it? the president asked.
Zhang responded proudly, “Our domestically produced stents have reached global markets. Over the years, I have traveled to Belt and Road Initiative partner countries, treating patients and saving lives with Chinese technologies and products.
After hearing that, Xi said that “we have made significant strides in this area, and we must continue to forge ahead.”
The transformation of an industry reflects the broader trends of development. Today’s China is a nation surging with waves of innovation and vibrant growth.
“Jiangsu, an economic powerhouse, should take the lead.” This was the earnest instruction from Xi.
The president elaborated on four key areas for “taking the lead,” with the foremost being “taking the lead in integrating technological innovation with industrial innovation.”
Innovation is the primary driving force for development.
When Xu Guanghui, an NPC deputy and director of the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Science and Technology, made a report, Xi asked “What is the proportion of innovation investment in Jiangsu’s fiscal expenditures?”
The answer given by Xu was impressive. Compared with 2022, Jiangsu’s fiscal investment in technological innovation increased by 16.2 percent in 2024.
Technological innovation and industrial innovation constitute the fundamental pathways for developing new quality productive forces.
Following last year’s two sessions, Xi once again mentioned new quality productive forces during this deliberation, noting that China should promote the development of new quality productive forces so that the country could always remain a role of trendsetter in modern economic wave.
Economic powerhouses should shoulder greater responsibilities in implementing the country’s major development strategies, Xi stressed.
