Qu Qingshan: The Rich Connotations and Theoretical Contributions of General Secretary Xi Jinping's Important Expositions on Urban Work
General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important expositions on urban work constitute a scientific theory characterized by rich connotations, systematic integrity, and rigorous logic. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping has profoundly grasped the general trend of urban development and gained insight into the laws governing urban growth. He has delivered a series of important discourses centered on urban work, drafting the "Urban Chapter" of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, thereby providing the fundamental guidance for conducting urban work in the New Era.
General Secretary Xi Jinping creatively proposed persisting in and strengthening the Party’s comprehensive leadership over urban work. He emphasizes that urban work is of pivotal importance within the overall layout of the Party and state’s work. It is essential to strengthen and improve the Party's leadership, reinforce the leading responsibilities of Party committees at all levels, and enhance the capacity to lead urban work, so as to promote the modernization of the urban governance system and governance capacity. He stresses the need to establish and improve a framework for urban work characterized by the unified leadership of Party committees and the joint management of the Party and government. We must accelerate the cultivation of a cohort of cadres who understand cities and possess management expertise, utilizing a scientific attitude, advanced concepts, and professional knowledge to plan, construct, and manage cities. These important expositions clarify the fundamental guarantee for urban work in the New Era.
General Secretary Xi Jinping creatively proposed the significant concept that "a city built by the people is for the people." He emphasizes that the core of a city is people, and the key lies in twelve characters [1]: "clothing, food, housing, transportation; birth, aging, illness, death; and living and working in peace and contentment." We must fully implement the concept of the "People's City," upholding the principal status of the masses in urban construction and development, and integrating whole-process people's democracy into the modernization of urban governance to truly achieve a state where cities are jointly governed, managed, built, and shared. He emphasizes that urban construction must prioritize making cities livable and secure for the people, reserving the best resources for the people, and providing the masses with meticulous urban management and excellent public services, so as to make urban life more convenient, comfortable, and beautiful. These important expositions clarify the fundamental standpoint for conducting urban work in the New Era.
General Secretary Xi Jinping creatively proposed carving out a path of urban development with Chinese characteristics. Regarding the structure of urban development, he emphasizes coordinating the three major structures of space, scale, and industry to improve the holistic nature of urban work. Regarding the stages of urban development, he emphasizes coordinating the three major stages of planning, construction, and management to improve the systematic nature of urban work. Regarding the drivers of urban development, he emphasizes coordinating the three major drivers of reform, science and technology, and culture to improve the sustainability of urban development. Regarding the layout of urban development, he emphasizes coordinating the three major layouts of production, living, and ecology to improve the livability of urban development. Regarding the participants in urban development, he emphasizes coordinating the three major stakeholders of the government, society, and citizens to improve the enthusiasm of all parties in promoting urban development. These important expositions clarify the basic logic for urban work in the New Era.
In summary, General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important expositions on urban work run through with the Marxist standpoint, viewpoint, and method, embodying the New Development Philosophy [2]. They possess a distinct character of being for the people, practical, contemporaneous, and creative. They profoundly answer the fundamental questions of whom urban construction and development depend upon and whom they serve, as well as the major propositions of what kind of cities to build and how to build them. This is of vital instructional significance for us to promote the modernization of the urban governance system and governance capacity, to initiate a new situation in the construction of People's Cities, and to comprehensively advance the great cause of building a strong country and national rejuvenation through Chinese-path modernization.
General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important expositions on urban work systematically summarize the historical and fresh experience of the Party’s leadership in urban work. Through a series of new ideas, viewpoints, and judgments imbued with the spirit of the times and national characteristics, they have realized the innovative development of Marxist urban thought in New Era China, making significant original, historical, and global contributions to the persistence and development of Marxist urban thought.
The original contribution lies in the fact that these important expositions both uphold the basic principles of Marxism and articulate many new statements that classical writers did not address. On the basis of deeply investigating the relationship between the Industrial Revolution and urban construction, classical Marxist writers profoundly expounded on the basic issues of industrial cities from the height of the development of human society as a whole; however, they did not—and could not—provide ready-made answers for a series of major theoretical and practical issues concerning urban construction and governance in the present era. General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important expositions on urban work are grounded in the great practice of Chinese-path modernization. Developed in the process of grasping new situations, solving new problems, and responding to new challenges in urban work on the new journey of the New Era, they enrich and develop Marxist theories regarding urban history, urban status, urban-rural relations, and the future of cities.
The historical contribution lies in the fact that these important expositions adhere to the "Two Combinations" [3], achieving the creative transformation and innovative development of urban construction thought within fine traditional Chinese culture. Over more than 5,000 years of China's long civilization, the city has been a primary carrier. Ancient Chinese urban construction harbors extremely rich and wise concepts, theoretical principles, and technical methods that still hold important reference value today. General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important expositions on urban work fully absorb the essence of ancient Chinese urban construction thought—such as the "unity of heaven and humanity" (tianren heyi), the "co-nourishment of all things," "following the laws of nature," and "neutrality and great harmony." They highlight the emphasis on "seeing the mountains, seeing the water, and remembering the nostalgia for one's home" [4]. They attach great importance to the protection of urban history and culture, continuing the urban cultural lineage and nurturing the urban spirit through the combination of history and reality and the unification of culture and values, thereby deeply entrenching the profound historical and cultural foundations of China’s urban construction.
The global contribution lies in the fact that these important expositions gain insight into the process of human urban civilization, contributing Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions to global urban construction and management. The "capital-first" urban development path dominated by the West has already been proven to be a dead end. "Urban maladies" such as traffic congestion, environmental pollution, "pancake-style" [5] sprawling development, and urban slums have become global problems. Even today, the construction of modern cities remains at a crossroads regarding where to go. General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important expositions on urban work profoundly reveal the laws of socialist urban development with Chinese characteristics, draw on the experiences and lessons of urbanization processes in various countries, stand at the forefront of the era’s development, and respond to the universal concerns of people of all nations, pointing the way forward for the common prosperity and development of global cities.
The Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee made strategic arrangements for further comprehensively deepening reform and advancing Chinese-path modernization, which include major deployments such as deepening the reform of urban construction, operation, and governance systems, and accelerating the transformation of urban development models. As the vanguard of the nation's reform and opening up and the pioneer of innovative development, Shanghai has the responsibility and the capability to take the lead and set an example in strengthening the construction of People's Cities and improving the level of modernization in urban governance. We look forward to Shanghai moving courageously toward accelerating its development into a modern socialist international metropolis with global influence, exploring and forming more experience in the field of urban construction and governance that can be used as a reference and promoted elsewhere.