（来源：CGTN 2025-05-20）

Editor's note: Gao Lei, a special commentator for CGTN, is an associate professor at the Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Opening-up, Research Institute of Globalization and China's Modernization, University of International Business and Economics. Xia Lu, a special commentator for CGTN, is a research fellow at the National Academy for Development and Strategy of Renmin University of China and Deputy Dean of the School of Marxism Studies at Xinjiang University. The article reflects the authors' opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, inspected the city of Luoyang in central China's Henan Province. Situated in the heart of China, Henan holds a unique and enduring significance stemming from its foundational role in Chinese civilization to its contemporary status as a major economic and agricultural center.

In the past, Henan stands as one of the cradles of Chinese civilization, its history deeply intertwined with the very origins of Chinese culture and society. This region served as the capital for 13 ancient dynasties throughout history, each leaving indelible marks on the trajectory of Chinese history.

The province's profound cultural and historical contributions are also evidenced by the invention of Chinese writing through oracle bones discovered in the city of Anyang and its key role in the dissemination and evolution of Buddhism through iconic sites such as the White Horse Temple, the Longmen Grottoes and the Shaolin Temple. Thus, Henan's profound historical legacy renders it a potent symbol of Chinese identity and the unbroken continuity of its civilization.

In the present, Henan stands as a significant economic powerhouse. The agricultural sector remains a cornerstone of Henan's economy, with the province being a major producer of grain, especially winter wheat, which positions it as a crucial element in China's national food security. In addition to agriculture, Henan's industrial sector is diverse and expanding, encompassing manufacturing industries like electronics, automobile production and textiles, alongside significant mining operations for coal, as well as sustainable energy production.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), there has been considerable growth in high-technology industries and the service sector, particularly concentrated in the urban centers of Zhengzhou and Luoyang. Recent economic data indicates a positive trajectory for Henan, with a GDP growth of 5.1 percent in 2024 and a strong start in the first quarter of 2025 with a 5.9 percent year-on-year increase.

President Xi's recent inspection trip to Henan, particularly to the Luoyang Bearing Group Co., Ltd., explicitly underscored the central government's commitment to accelerating the development of advanced manufacturing in the region. This high-level attention is expected to influence and bolster the building of a modern industrial system in the province.

Since the 14th Five-Year Plan, Henan has been strategically focusing on the high-quality development of its manufacturing sector, with a clear direction towards fostering modern industrial system. The province has outlined a strategy to cultivate and strengthen seven major industrial clusters and 28 key industrial chains, serving as a key support for this transformation.

Xi's visit to Luoyang Bearing Group Co., Ltd. directly aligns with and reinforces this provincial strategy, further clarifying and emphasizing the innovation-driven, science and education-driven, and talent-driven strategy. The trip signals strong central government backing for Henan's industrial upgrade.

In the areas of advanced manufacturing and high-tech industries, Henan is actively accelerating its construction as a strong manufacturing province, with strategic emerging industries like advanced equipment, electronic information and bio-medicine serving as primary drivers for industrial growth. Under the guidance of President Xi on the transformation of old and new driving forces, Henan is transitioning its traditional industries into high-end, intelligent, and green through technological upgrades and digital transformation. Therefore, investment in high-tech manufacturing in Henan has increased by 20.9 percent in 2024, significantly higher than the national average of 8.9 percent. Products such as optical communication chips and sensors already hold leading market shares.

In terms of new energy vehicles (NEVs), Henan aims at achieving an annual production of over 1.5 million NEVs and establishing a 300 billion yuan ($41.7 million) NEV industry cluster by 2025. The province has attracted 17 complete vehicle manufacturing companies and over 600 automobile parts manufacturing enterprises, forming a comprehensive industrial chain from raw materials to core components and vehicle assembly. Research institutes focusing on NEVs, new energy power, energy storage battery materials and automotive electronics have also been put into place, with Henan leading in areas like intelligent connected buses and emergency braking systems.

In technological innovation, Henan is fostering "new quality productive forces" based on its local conditions, emphasizing innovation-driven industrial growth. The province has formed a high-level innovation platform system with 13 national-level laboratories and 20 provincial-level laboratories as the core in 2024, building comprehensive scientific and technological innovation centers like Central Science and Technology City, Central Medical Science City, and Central Agricultural Valley, which promote the deep integration of scientific and technological innovation with industrial needs. The total value of technology contracts in the province surged significantly in the first quarter of 2025, with significant increases in the production of service robots and integrated circuits.

In industrial clustering and investment, efforts are underway to build advanced economic hubs. For instance, in 2023, Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan Province, made a three-year action plan to promote 20 key industry chains, ranging from smart terminals to energy conservation to environmental protection. With its well-connected high-speed rail network and Zhengzhou Airport, Henan is transforming its geographical advantage into a hub economic advantage. The Zhengzhou Airport Economy Zone (ZAEZ) has seen rapid industrial growth, particularly in computers, communication, electronic equipment and automotive manufacturing, with strategic emerging and high-tech industries contributing significantly to its value-added industrial output, forming a trillion-level electronic information industry cluster, and promoting the global reach of "Made in Henan" products through the Zhengzhou-Europe Railway Express.

President Xi's visit will serve as a powerful endorsement and catalyst for Henan's ongoing efforts to modernize its industrial system. It will also reinforce the provincial government's strategic focus on advanced manufacturing, technological innovation, and the development of high-value industrial clusters, contributing both to local ambitions and to national priorities for high-quality economic development. If Henan can continue to combine technological innovation with industrial innovation, it will surely become the core engine of central China and contribute a "Central Plains solution" to the high-quality development of the country.