Xi Jinping, Chinese president, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, hosted a symposium to promote the ecological protection and high-level development of the Yellow River basin and delivered an important speech in Jinan city of Shandong province. He stressed that the government needed to scientifically analyse the condition of the ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River basin; have a clear understanding of the major issues relating to the ecological protection and of the high-level development of the Yellow River basin and do hard work for a long time, so as to be sure that the 14^th five year plan would saw significant result of the ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River basin, so as to contribute to the welfare of the Chinese nation.

    Han Zheng, vice prime minister of the State Council and member of the standing committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, attended the symposium and delivered a speech.

    Spoke in the symposium were He Lifeng, director of National Development and Reform Commission, Yin Hong, secretary of Gansu provincial committee, Lin Wu, secretary of the Shanxi provincial committee, Li Ganjie, secretary of Shandong provincial committee, Lu Hao, minister of natural resources, Sun Jinlong, secretary of the leading party group of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, and Li Guoying, minister of water resources. They gave a brief introduction of the work and offered suggestions. Heads of other provinces and sectors provided written statement.

    Xi Jinping delivered an important speech after listening to other attendees. He stressed that since the CPC Central Committee lifted the ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River basin as a national strategy, we had been doing a lot of work to solve potential conflicts and problems, including stipulating the structure of Yellow River protection and governance; solving ecological and environmental problems; promoting ecological promotion and recovery; improving governance system and achieve new and high-quality progress. In addition, we needed to know there were prominent conflicts and problems in the ecological protection and high-quality development, so we needed to stick to problem-oriented working methods and to do our work unswervingly.

    Xi Jinping said that regions and provinces along the Yellow River should carry out the strategy of the ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River basin and step on a modern road of ecological priority and green development. First, the government should have a correct concept of political achievements and have a clear concept of the relationship between protection and development. The authority should see large-scale protection as a key task and improve the ecology of the river basin by treating environmental problems, high-level water saving and control and the protection and recovery of ecology. The development and construction of the Yellow River shouldn’t destroy the ecology. Resource exploitation must be safeguard, especially that of water resource. Development quality must be safeguarded by strong restrictions. Second, the government should coordinate development and safety and improve risk prevention and ways to duel with it. The government should attach high importance to risks relating to water security and spend more effort to save water in the society. It also needed to consider the complex influence of the global climate change, so as to cope with it in terms of safety, to improve the level of disaster prevention and control as well as to safeguard people’s safety. Third, the government needed to have better strategic thinking and to apply systematic concept to the whole process of ecological protection and high-quality development. The authority needed to have a clear understanding of the relationship between a single part and the whole picture; be aware of the overall plan; see the interest of all in major issues; have a clear idea of the current and long-term relation and study the issue according to long-term effect. Third, the government needed to have better strategic thinking and to apply systematic concept to the whole process of ecological protection and high-quality development. The authority needed to have a clear understanding of the relationship between a single part and the whole picture; be aware of the overall plan; see the interest of all in major issues; have a clear idea of the current and long-term relation and study the issue according to long-term effect. Forth, the government should step on the green and low-carbon development road and push forward the reforms of efficiency, driving force and economic development quality. It should also take measures in terms of supply and demand; take measures to control both the total consumption and the intensity of energy; prevent reckless expansion of industries of “high pollution” and “high energy consumption”; adjust the production structure of energy and phase out outdated production and manufacturing techniques. The government must guarantee the stable supply of coal and electricity and the sound function of economy and society.

    Xi Jinping stressed that the 14^th five year plan was implemented in a key period to push forward ecological protection and high quality development of the Yellow River basin, so the government needed to carry out major tasks and create a new condition as soon as possible. There needed to be a mechanism to protect ourselves form natural disasters. So the government needed to be sure that they could prevent flood and disasters causing lots of damage. The weakness of the disaster-preventing mechanism must be eradicated, especially in forecasting and infrastructure. The flood prevention and drainage system should be enhanced, more effort should be spent to prevent and reduce disasters and cities’ ecological space and drainage passage needed to be protected. Second, the government should follow the principle to take rivers and lakes into consideration when it stipulated plans for cities, lands, industries and habitancy, so as to step on an intensive and saving road leading to water safety guarantee, high efficiency and ecological improvement. Relating departments needed to calculate to use water resource in a good way and manage water resource-related affairs in a strict and detailed way. The government also needed to improve the effect of water saving by innovative trade right relating to water right and pollution discharge rights and use financial and tax leverage to make full use of price mechanism. Third, the government needed to push forward the protection and governance of ecological environment. It should conserve the natural ecological system in the upper stream as a whole system; protect the unique ecological system with high altitude in plateaus with integrated measures and carry out rehabilitation policy in an orderly way. In the upper and middle stream, local governments needed to prevent soil erosion and desertification and promote comprehensive treatment. There’s also the need to enhance the comprehensive treatment of the lower stream and the wetland; to improve the biodiversity of the river delta and to implement comprehensive treatment to the pollution. Forth, the government needed to accelerate a new construction for the protection and exploitation of the space of national land. The authority needed to improve the level of transfer payment in the areas of key ecological function of the river basin, so these places could be attentive to protection and develop characteristic ecological industries. The agricultural modernization needed to seek benefit from water saving and technology; develop dry land farming and push forward the construction of high-standard agricultural land. Cities and metropolis circles needed to develop in an intensive and efficient way, instead of reckless expansion. Fifth, the government needed to make new steps towards high-quality development. The authority should stick to innovation and creation and improve the coordination level of the the innovation of the industrial chain; promote energy revolution and stabilize energy supply; improve the level of inter-connectivity between costal areas and regions along the Yangtze River; promote the construction of a new type of infrastructure and increase effective investment.

    Xi Jinping said that the CPC Central Committee had make an overall plan  to push forward the ecological protection and the high-level development of the Yellow River basin. The key points were thoughts unification, determination, coordinated work and implementation. The central government was responsible to make a plan; the provincial governments had most responsibilities and the municipal and county government carried out the plan. Each one of them should act and be responsible. They also needed to stimulate the initiative of market players and social organizations.

    Xi Jinping stressed that the later period of the July witnessed unexpected flood, so regions should recover the reconstruction after the natural disaster. It’s especially worth noticing that people in the disaster-stricken areas must be taken care of and be supported. Their basic life, production and consumption must be guaranteed. The government needed to overcome the flood rise in autumn and take targeted measures to do their work well in autumn and winter. Winter was arriving, so local governments should make early plans and preliminary agenda to guarantee electricity supply and function of the heating system, so as to be sure that Chinese people would be warm in winter.

    Han Zheng said in his speech, the government should learn the important speech and the spirit of the instruction of the general secretary Xi Jinping and enhance senses of mission and responsibility of the ecological protection and high-quality of the Yellow River basin. The government needed to stick to the problem-oriented principle to coordinate water safety and the optimized exploitation of water resource, guarantee the water use for ecology and consumption and prevent reckless expansion of industries consuming a large amount of water; to take into consideration the system and the completeness of the ecological environment of the Yellow River basin to enhance the water conservation in the upper stream, the conservation of water and soil in the middle stream and the wetland protection and ecological treatment in the lower region and to promote the protection and recovery of the ecological environment according to different regions and problem classifications; promote the high-quality development of the Yellow River basin and establish a characteristic and advantageous modern industrial system; attach great importance to the clean exploitation of coal and build an important national energy base as well as be aware of the full picture, gather the strength for the protection and carry out the ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River basin.

    From October 20^th to 21^st, to hold the symposium, Xi Jinping, accompanied by Li Ganjie, secretary of Shandong provincial party committee, and Zhou Naixiang, acting governor, went to the Yellow River delta, agricultural high and new technology industrial demonstration zone and the community built for the migrants originally living in the flood detention area to learn the condition of the ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River basin.

    In the afternoon of October 20^th, Xi Jinping went to the river delta to inspect the water condition and ask information about the volume of runoff, sediment runoff and so on. Later, he went to the ecological supervision center to listen to the introduction of watercourse change, change of water and sand and the protection of biodiversity in the delta of the Yellow River. He stressed that he always cared about the ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River basin. Today, he came to this place to visit the upper, middle and the lower part of the Yellow River. The protection of the river to be sure that it’s in control was a major event of the governing of the country, so the government needed to enhance the system to prevent the flood and to reduce disasters in a comprehensive way; to improve the management of the water ecology and to enhance the ability to cope with flood and drought, so as to be sure of the safety along the Yellow River.

    Xi Jinping listened to the report of the condition of the national reserve in the Yellow River delta. He inspected the ecological environment of the wetland in the delta. He said that since the 18^th CPC national congress, party committee and government of every level enhanced their awareness and initiative to complement green development ideology and spend more effort to protect mountains, rivers, lakes, forests, farm lands, grassland and deserts, so the achievement of China’s ecological civilization was impressive. The Yellow River delta national reserve had significant position, so relating departments needed to carry out the project according to scientific judgement. Xi Jinping stressed that on our journey to meet the second centenary goal, we needed to see ecology as a priority and stick to green development, so as to promote the concept of ecological civilization and to make socialist modern construction more amazing.

    In the morning of the October 21^st, Xi Jinping conducted an inspection and a research in the Agricultural High-tech Industrial Demonstration Area of the Yellow River Delta. He went to an experiment demonstration foundation to develop modern agriculture in saline and alkaline land to learn the growing condition of soybean, alfalfa, quinoa and green manure crop; the ecological protection and comprehensive exploitation of saline and alkaline land and the breeding and promotion of plants grow in saline and alkaline land. Xi Jinping stressed that the comprehensive exploitation has strategic importance in the guarantee of national food security and volume. It’s important to enhance the basic research of improving seed quality and farmland protection and exploitation; to change idea to plant breeding from changing the condition of saline and alkaline land to grow crops to breeding plants adapt to saline and alkaline land to cope with the change of the soil, so as to realize the potential of the this kind of land; make break through in the key and core technology and important innovation areas and transform scientific and research result into productivity.

    In 1970s, in Dongying city, people originally lived in the flood detention zone migrated to higher platforms along the dam of the Yellow River. From 2013, 66 villages built on higher land experienced demolition and reconstruction, so they could be transformed into new communities. Xi Jinping came to Yangmiao community and visited it’s service center, dining hall for senior people and processing cooperative for straw plaited article and asked in detail the condition of construction of the community-level party committee, services for the convenience of people and people’s payment increase. Xu Jian was a resident in the community. Xi Jinping saw the bedroom, kitchen and bathroom in his house and talked with him and his family, all of them belonged to three generations. Xu Jianfeng told the general secretary that in the past, they lived in the old house built on higher platforms along the Yellow River and moved in this building in 2016. Then, they had better living condition and more ways to find jobs, so they thanked the good policy of the CPC. Xi Jinping said that the CPC Central Committee attached great importance to the migration and happy life of people. The government had been doing their work to let people settle down and become rich. They coordinated plans to for migration, employment, public infrastructure and community service system, so as to be sure that people would move out, settle down, develop and become rich. Basic-level party organization must play their role to build the community into a happy home for people. When Xi Jinping left the community, cadres and people sent their greetings to him and he wish them to lead a happy life, be healthy and their children grow well.

    In the afternoon of the October 21^st, Xi Jinping went to the exploration development and research institution of Shengli Oilfield to learn more about the development and construction of the oil field and the overall condition of the research institute. He visited shale oil lab and carbon dioxide flooding technology lab. He also listened to an introduction of the institution’s self-reliant innovation, the accelerated application of technological break through and the guarantee of national energy security. Xi Jinping stressed that meeting the core demand of oil and gas was an important task. The people worked in Shengli Oil Field needed to enhance it’s exploration, solidify the base of domestic production and improve the self-guarantee ability. It also needed to gather resource to make new breakthrough in core technology; speed up the development and exploitation in a clean and efficient way and improve the quality of energy supply, exploitation efficiency and carbon reduction level. He said that oil front line had always been a flag of China’s reform and development, so we should continue to use it well to create new achievements and grade in safeguarding national energy security and economic and social development.

    After leaving the research institution, Xi Jinping went to lai 113 section of the Shengli Oilfield in Laizhou Bay of Dongying city to know the condition of technological research and application of carbon dioxide capture, exploitation and storage. He ascended the second floor of the drilling platform to see the automated equipment. He also went to operating room to communicate with working stuff members. This year was the 60^th anniversary of the discovery of the Shengli Oilfield. On behalf of the CPC Central Committee, Xi Jinping express his respect for crude oil practitioners who contribute to China’s energy cause. Xi Jinping reiterated that they should carry on the revolutionary spirit and the outstanding tradition of the senior generation working in the oilfield and they should also continue the revolutionary and struggling culture to make more contribution to the construction of the socialist modernization.

    Xi Jinping approved the work of Shandong province since the 19^th CPC national congress. He encouraged them to be in the leading position of serving and being integrated in the new development structure; of enhancing the innovative ability of economic and social development and of the ecological protection and high-level development of the Yellow River basin, so as to improve people’s livelihood, to promote common prosperity and to start a new condition to build strong socialist country in a new era.

    Attending the symposium and accompanying the inspection were Ding Xuexiang, Liu He, Chen Xi and He Lifeng. Heads of the central and national departments as well as heads of provinces and districts attended the symposium.