Recently, amid the spread of speculation about a power shift concerning Chinese President Xi Jinping in anti-China media, President Xi inspected Shanxi Province and urged for industrial transformation, the eradication of corruption, and strengthening social safety.
Chinese state-run Xinhua News Agency reported on the 9th that President Xi visited Shanxi Province from July 7 to 8, touring Yangquan City and Taiyuan City. During the same period, the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) summit was held in Brazil, but President Xi did not attend it for the first time since taking office and chose to inspect local areas instead.
On July 7, President Xi visited the anti-Japanese memorial site at the Bai Dandai Monument in Yangquan and laid flowers in honor of the fallen soldiers. This move is interpreted as an effort to emphasize the spirit of the anti-Japanese war ahead of the 80th anniversary of Victory Day on September 3.
President Xi then visited Yangquan Valve Company. He noted, "Traditional manufacturing is an important component of the real economy. We must understand market demand and accelerate scientific and technological innovation to inject vitality. Our country's (China) industrial development relied on manual labor in the past, but now we are raising the level with advanced technology and equipment."
The following day, he received work reports from the Shanxi Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China and the provincial government. President Xi particularly mentioned the anti-corruption movement, stating, "We must promote comprehensive strict party management. We should maintain the party's nature, party style, and party discipline while correcting discipline and eradicating corruption, ensuring a stringent approach, measures, and atmosphere in the long term."
He further stated regarding social safety, "We need to strengthen the overall prevention and control of social order, normalize the eradication of organized crime and evil acts, and crack down on all forms of illegal criminal activities according to the law to ensure stability throughout society."