The "two sessions," China's most important annual political agenda, are about to open soon in Beijing. A key part of Chinese President Xi Jinping's routine schedule is participating in panel discussions with various delegations of the National People's Congress (NPC) and sectors of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee.

The key words Xi addressed in remarks reflected major themes of China's national policies and highlighted its development direction, drawing global attention and sparking widespread discussion.

We have compiled some key terms from Xi's panel discussions with national lawmakers and political advisors in the past two years.

Let's take a closer look at them.

This undated aerial drone photo shows a view of the Ningdong photovoltaic base and the Yuanyanghu thermal power station in the distance, in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. (Photo/Xinhua)

High-quality development

China's economy had been transitioning from a phase of rapid growth to a stage of high-quality development.

When joining the deliberation with fellow deputies from east China's Jiangsu at the NPC annual session in 2023, Xi said high-quality development is the first and foremost task in building a modern socialist country in all respects.

Efforts should be made to fully and faithfully apply the new development philosophy on all fronts, and better coordinate the effective upgrade in quality with the appropriate expansion in quantity in economic development, Xi said.

The country must unswervingly deepen reform and opening up and transform the development model to accelerate the formation of sustainable institutions and mechanisms for high-quality development, Xi said.

When visiting national political advisors from the China National Democratic Construction Association and the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, he also called on private firms to take the initiative to pursue high-quality development.

The investment of private capital should be energized, and more private capital should be encouraged and attracted into major state projects and key industrial and supply chain projects, Xi noted.

File Photo: A visitor touches the finger of a mechanical hand at a booth at the 26th China High-Tech Fair (CHTF) in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, Nov. 15, 2024. (Photo/Mao Siqian, Xinhua)

Innovation

Innovation is one of the most frequently mentioned topics in Xi's remarks during the "two sessions," and he believes that innovation is "the most important driving force for development."

We must open up new areas and new tracks in development and foster new growth drivers and new strengths, which, fundamentally, depends on sci-tech innovation, Xi said in the panel discussion with deputies from Jiangsu at the NPC session in 2023.

He urged for an accelerated implementation of the innovation-driven development strategy, and called for deeper reform of science and technology system and fostering a culture of innovation so as to create an enabling environment for innovative personnel to stand out and give full play to their talents.

File Photo: A worker inspects the equipment in an intelligent workshop of a fastener-producing company in Yongnian District of Handan, north China's Hebei Province, Feb. 20, 2024. (Photo/Wang Xiao, Xinhua)

New Quality Productive Forces

First put forward by Xi in an inspection and research trip in northeast China in 2023, the term "new quality productive forces" refers to advanced productivity freed from the traditional economic growth mode and productivity development paths. It features high-tech, high efficiency and high quality, and comes in line with the new development philosophy.

Joining his fellow deputies from Jiangsu in a deliberation at the NPC annual session in 2024, Xi emphasized the need to firmly focus on the primary task of high-quality development, and develop new quality productive forces according to local conditions.

To develop new quality productive forces doesn't mean ignoring or abandoning traditional industries. The endeavors in this regard should never be in a mad scramble, and bubbles should be prevented. We should also avoid the domination of a single model, Xi said.

He also stressed the need to strengthen basic research and basic research in applied sciences, achieve breakthroughs in core technologies in key fields, and foster new drivers for developing new quality productive forces when participating in a joint group meeting attended by national political advisors.

In 2024, developing new quality productive forces was written into the government work report for the first time.

A villager who has just moved into a new house hangs a lantern outside the door in Binhu Village of Changxing County, east China's Zhejiang Province, Feb. 9, 2024. (Photo/Tan Yunfeng, Xinhua)

People-centered development

Applying a people-centered development philosophy, Xi has repeatedly highlighted people's well-being as a goal of the country's economic development.

Addressing the closing meeting of the first session of the 14th NPC, Xi said the people are the decisive force in building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects.

He said a people-centered philosophy of development must be implemented so that the gains of modernization will benefit all people fairly, and that more notable and substantive progress will be made in promoting prosperity for all.

The people-centered development philosophy should be upheld, and the people's well-being should be steadily improved in the course of pursuing development, Xi stressed while taking part in the deliberation with his fellow deputies from Jiangsu in 2024.

File photo shows flags on the Tian'anmen Square and atop the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China. (Photo/Chen Yehua, Xinhua)

Chinese Modernization

Xi Jinping summarized five major features of Chinese modernization: a huge population, common prosperity for all, coordination of material and cultural-ethical advancement, harmony between humanity and nature, and peaceful development.

This sketch of Chinese modernization is even more precise, well-conceived, and feasible.

During the panel discussions with political advisors from China National Democratic Construction Association (CNDCA) and the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce (ACFIC) at the "two sessions" in 2023, Xi pointed out that Chinese modernization is meant to realize common prosperity for all Chinese people. Both state-owned enterprises and their private counterparts are important forces for promoting common prosperity.

When joining the deliberation with his fellow deputies from Jiangsu in 2024, he pointed out the necessity of planning major measures to further deepen reform on all fronts, so as to continuously inject strong impetus into the endeavor to promote high-quality development and advance Chinese modernization.