President Xi Jinping has reiterated calls for China to make its supply chains more resilient and self-sufficient while accelerating the creation of a modern industrial system underpinned by advanced manufacturing.
Xi’s latest directives, issued at a national conference on advanced manufacturing in Beijing on Wednesday and Thursday, were said to be aimed at strengthening the Chinese economy, the state-run Xinhua reported.
Xi’s push this week echoed Beijing’s previous statements and came as the world’s second-largest economy has been growing at a slower pace amid employment worries, soft consumption and a persistent property market downturn.
Upgrades to the industrial sector, the president said, were essential to securing China’s global competitiveness, Xinhua reported.