Inner Mongolia strives to follow Xi

The Inner Mongolia autonomous region has been making an all-out effort to implement President Xi Jinping's thoughts and instructions about the region, its top official said on Wednesday, following Tuesday's panel discussion with Xi and deputies from Inner Mongolia during the ongoing 13th National People's Congress in Beijing.

Li Jiheng, the region's Party secretary, said Inner Mongolia is moving forward with various measures to follow the road map given by Xi for local social and economic development.

The regional government strives to promote sound and high-quality growth in the local economy and has been upgrading the region's industries, Li said, noting that outmoded industries and those with excess manufacturing capacity are being removed or adjusted.

The region is also modernizing its agricultural sector, including animal husbandry, and fostering rising industries such as new energy and new materials, cloud computing and biomedicine, he said, adding that government support has been given to the local tourism industry and infrastructure construction, such as high-speed railways and irrigation.

Moreover, the regional government has enhanced its support for private enterprises to help them overcome difficulties and gain momentum, Li said.

In the field of environmental protection, Inner Mongolia has intensified its efforts to clean up the air, water and soil and to create a reliable line of defense for the ecology of northern China. The comprehensive cleanup effort in the region's major lakes has been strengthened, he said.

Li also mentioned the region's work in poverty reduction, saying it has strengthened its supervision over local governments' implementation of related policies and has set up task forces for impoverished areas to carry out targeted measures.

Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, shared his thoughts and gave instructions about Inner Mongolia's development with regional deputies on Tuesday, as well as at the annual NPC gathering in 2018.

He has urged the region to pursue high-quality economic growth, push forward the fight against poverty and strengthen ethnic solidarity and border stability.

In addition, Xi called on the autonomous region to maintain its strategic focus on environmental protection and build an ecological shield for the country's northern border. He also instructed the regional government to maintain its momentum in fighting pollution.