The strategy of revitalizing northeastern China's traditional industrial base should be implemented in line with a scientific concept of development, President Hu Jintao said during his inspection tour to northeastern China's Jilin Province from May 14 to 16.

Hu, also the general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), pointed that the central government's strategy provides a good opportunity for the region's development.

Accompanied by local Party and government officials, Hu visited factories, scientific institutions, rural areas and urban neighborhoods.

He said that the revitalization of the traditional industrial base should entail complete upgrades of industrial structures with a market orientation.

The president stated that central government policies must be strictly implemented to guarantee both the grain harvest and greater income for farmers. Jilin is one of China's major grain production areas.

The president stressed the importance of innovation in the region's economic and social development, and said that the market must play a key role in economic development. Self-reliance, he pointed out, is vital to the rejuvenation of traditional industrial bases.

In order to improve China's comprehensive strength and competitiveness in the world, the nation should treasure and strengthen technological innovation and cultivate young talents. The application and commercialization of technological advances should be accelerated, he said in talks with scientists at the Changchun Institute of Optical Precision Machinery and Physics.

Hu also visited a local community, expressing his concern for the lives of average citizens. He urged local officials to put people first in their daily work to enable the common people to share the fruits of economic and social development.

Speaking to local officials, Hu stressed the importance of Party building and asked CPC units at various levels to improve their work.

 (People's Daily May 17, 2004)