Xiao Jie, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), led a team to Northeast China's Heilongjiang province from Jan 17 to 20 to conduct a survey for the preliminary review of the annual plan for national economic and social development.

At a symposium during the survey, Xiao listened to reports on the economic performance and implementation of the plan for national economic and social development in 2023 in Heilongjiang, as well as specific opinions and suggestions from relevant departments on the plan for 2024.

He fully affirmed the work that the province has carried out, adding that under the leadership of the Heilongjiang Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), tremendous efforts have been made to push forward high-quality development.

The province has played a positive role as a crucial hub for national grain production, a manufacturing center for heavy equipment, and an important energy and raw material base, and remarkable achievements have been made in agricultural production and the energy industry, contributing to the province’s sustained economic rebound, he noted.

He underscored the significance of reviewing and approving the annual plan in the agenda of the annual sessions of the NPC, stressing that it is a crucial task for the NPC to exercise decision-making power on major matters and implement the decisions and arrangements made by the CPC Central Committee, as well as  an event of great political significance for both the CPC and the country and in economic and social development.

Summarizing the economic and social development over the past year, planning the goals and tasks for the new year and transforming the CPC’s propositions into the will of the people through the annual session of the NPC are critical in boosting confidence and building consensus, he said.

He also called on people's congresses at all levels to make clear their responsibilities and strengthen communication and coordination with related government departments at all levels to advance the review work.

Further endeavors should be made to integrate support for supervision, highlight review priorities, and improve the quality and effectiveness of reviews, so as to promote high-quality economic development, he said.

The team also conducted on-site surveys in the cities of Harbin, Daqing, and Heihe.