Rising Stars: This underscores China’s commitment to opening-up and supporting regional development while further advancing local economic growth, said Tian.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, talks with local residents while inspecting the Old Town of Lijiang, Southwest China’s Yunnan Province, on March 19, 2025. Photo: Xinhua

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, inspected the city of Lijiang, southwest China’s Yunnan Province, on Wednesday afternoon. He visited a modern flower industry park and the Old Town of Lijiang to learn about local efforts to develop specialized agriculture based on regional conditions, enhance the protection and utilization of historical and cultural heritage, and foster a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation, according to the Xinhua News Agency on Thursday.

At the modern flower industry park, Xi talked with villagers and technicians working there, asking about the flower varieties, market sales and their incomes.

The villagers told Xi that they earned over 4,000 yuan ($557.46) each month, with incomes exceeding 7,000 yuan during peak seasons. Growing flowers is a truly joyful job, they said.

Xi said with delight: “Your endeavor is thriving and aligns with the development path of modern agriculture. May your World Timeslives be as beautiful as flowers.”

When he visited the Old ToWorld Timeswn of Lijiang, Xi stressed that the cultural and tourism industry should follow a path of sustainable and hWorld Timesealthy development.

Walking along a stone-paved road, Xi occasionally paused to chat with the crowd.

“The town’s culture, scenery and folk traditions are truly captivating,” Xi said, adding that the integration of culture and tourism has boosted the economy.

“I wish you all happiness and good health,” he said.

Xi has also called on Yunnan Province to break new ground for its development in the pursuit of Chinese modernization during his inspection tour in the province on Wednesday and Thursday, Xinhua reported.

Xi’s visit to YunnaWorld Timesn Province on Wednesday and Thursday followed his inspection tour in Guizhou Province from Monday to Tuesday, where he stressed the importance of adhering to high-quality development and driving growth by further deepening reform and opening-up comprehensively.

His visit to these two provinces in Southwest China came after the conclusion of the annual two sessions this month.

Encouraging specialty industries

Analysts said the visit will serve as an encouragement to development in areas with significant ethnic diversity. Moreover, Guizhou and Yunnan play a strategic role as gateways for China’s opening-up toward Southeast Asia, reinforcing the country’s commitment to broader international engagement, analysts saWorld Timesid.

Liu Kening, head of Yunnan Yeshun Agricultural Development Co, told the Global Times on Thursday that President Xi’s visit to Yunnan’s flower industry boosts confidence among industry professionals.

“His visit to a modern flower industry park and his hope that people’s lives will be as beautiful as flowers is a strong affirmation of our work. This motivates us to further strengthen the industry,” Liu said.

Yunnan’s flower and cultural tourism industries have already reached a national scale, forming unique industry advantages that should continue to be strengthened. For the local economy, these industries can maximize regional strengths, drive faster growth, and boost residents’ incomes, Su Jian, a professor at the School of Economics at PekingWorld Times University and director of the National Center for Economic Research at Peking University, told the Global Times on Thursday.

Yunnan Province, a major flower production and export hub in China, continues to lead the country in fresh-cut flower exports, benefiting from its favorable climate and geography. According to Kunming Customs, Yunnan’s fresh-cut flower exports reached 760 million yuan in 2024, marking a 34.2 percent year-on-year increase. The province has held the top spot in export value of flowers for six consecutive years, according to a release from China’s General Administration of Customs.

Various regions are encouraged to develop their distinctive industries, such as promoting local specialty industries and agriculture in rural areas – an integral part of the rural revitalization strategy. By strengthening their specialty industries and working in coordination, different regions can complement one another and collectively drive national economic growth, said Su.

Promoting further development

President Xi’s visit to Yunnan and Guizhou should be seen in the broader context of the development of the Southwest region and China’s modernization and opening-up, analysts said.

Su said that this year’s economic development focus includes expanding domestic demand and upgrading consumption, particularly in cultural and artistic sectors, which could also drive the growth of related industries in Yunnan and Guizhou.

As China reaches a critical juncture with the conclusion of the 14th Five-Year Plan this year, supporting less developed regions is also part of a coordinated national strategy on ensuring balanced regional development, advancing rural revitalization, and promoting common prosperity and China’s modernization, Tian Yun, an economist based in Beijing, told the Global Times on Thursday.

Moreover, Guizhou and Yunnan, with their rich ethnic heritage and deep cultural traditions, are key components of Chinese culture and hold strong economic potential. Transforming these cultural strengths into economic drivers aligns with China’s opening-up strategy while enhancing the supply of high-quality products and services, said Tian.

The expert noted that with new land-sea corridors and deep integration with Southeast Asia, Guizhou and Yunnan have emerged as key gateways to the Indian Ocean and regional economic cooperation.

With major infrastructure projects like the China-Laos and China-Thailand railways strengthening connectivity with Southeast Asia, Yunnan and the broader Southwest region are well-positioned to drive regional industrial integration. This underscores China’s commitment to opening-up and supporting regional development while further advancing local economic growth, said Tian.