Fighting to Gain New Development Advantages—Examining the Institutional Strength of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics Through Major Infrastructure Projects

“Chang'e” lands on the moon, “Tianwen” explores Mars, Shenzhou spacecraft soars into space, high-speed trains race across the land, the C919 makes its maiden flight, the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, and the “West-to-East Power Transmission” initiative... From the shores of the South China Sea to the snowy plains of northern China, from the eastern coastal regions to the northwestern inland areas—major projects have been successively brought to life, yielding one remarkable development achievement after another, all coming together to form a grand and magnificent panorama of our times.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Party, under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, China’s major construction projects have been steadily advancing. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: “Our greatest advantage is that our socialist system can concentrate our strengths to accomplish great things. This is a vital treasure that has enabled us to achieve remarkable accomplishments.”

The image, taken on September 2, 2022, at the Beijing Aerospace Flight Control Center, shows astronaut Liu Yang (left) of Shenzhou-14 returning after completing her extravehicular activity. Photo by Li Jie, Xinhua.

Along the way, every breakthrough and every step forward in China’s major national projects has demonstrated the robust strength of China’s engineering capabilities, embodied the Chinese spirit and Chinese power, and more fully revealed the practical potency of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as well as the unique advantage of our socialist system in pooling resources and accomplishing great undertakings.

This is an image of the Chang'e-4 lander taken by the panoramic camera on the Yutu-2 rover. Photo by Xinhua News Agency (provided by the China National Space Administration).

Mobilize the strength to forge ahead under the Party’s centralized and unified leadership.

In the Lingdingyang waters during autumn, the construction site of the Shenzhen-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge—a key transportation hub in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area—is bustling with intense activity. This world-class mega-project, integrating “bridge, island, tunnel, and underwater interchange,” will connect the coastal cities of Zhongshan and Shenzhen in just two years, linking them together and injecting new vitality and dynamism into the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

The “China Sky Eye” has been completed and put into operation; the Hualong One nuclear power unit has begun commercial operation; and the Fuxing high-speed train sets have started running on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau... Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has demonstrated far-sighted vision and comprehensive strategic planning. As a result, China has achieved a series of major engineering projects of great practical significance and profound historical importance, laying an important foundation for China’s emergence as a major global power with worldwide influence.

This is a panoramic view of the “China Sky Eye” (photographed on July 21, 2022 during maintenance and upkeep; drone photo). Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Ou Dongqu.

Over the past decade, Party organizations at all levels have steadfastly implemented the Party Central Committee’s various decisions and deployments, fully demonstrating the Party’s political leadership, overall coordination capabilities, and strong execution power.

The Wudongde and Baihetan projects feature complex geological conditions and harsh climatic environments, placing them among the most challenging construction projects in the world. The grassroots Party organizations of Wudongde and Baihetan—under the Party Committee of China Three Gorges Construction Group—have joined forces with participating construction units to carry out a wide range of activities, including “Red Flag Posts” for Party members, “Party Member Pioneer Teams,” and “Party Member Task-Force Groups,” thereby overcoming a series of major technical hurdles in hydropower engineering. During the construction of the Central Yunnan Water Diversion Project, all participating units have taken Party building as the guiding principle, closely integrating Party leadership with construction and production operations, continuously strengthening the role of grassroots Party organizations as battle-hardened fortresses, and enhancing both the quality and speed of this exemplary water conservancy project...

This is the eastern tower of the Lingdingyang Bridge on the Shenzhen-Zhuhai Channel, the western artificial island, and the distant urban area of Shenzhen (photographed on June 7, 2022). Photo by Deng Hua, Xinhua News Agency.

Since the beginning of this year, affected by factors beyond expectations, China’s economy has faced increasing downward pressure. The role of steady investment in major projects and the rapid generation of tangible work volume in supporting economic development have become even more prominent.

Under the exemplary and leading guidance of the Party Central Committee, localities have adopted a "nailing down" spirit to ensure that all tasks are carried out thoroughly, meticulously, and effectively. They have drawn up task lists, established timetables, and mapped out clear roadmaps. Major projects such as the Pinglu Canal and the Hanjiang-to-Weihe Water Diversion Project are being vigorously advanced, playing a pivotal role in driving investment, stabilizing the overall economy, enhancing comprehensive competitiveness, and safeguarding national security.

When a Western political leader visited China, he once asked: Why has China been able to consistently and successfully carry out its five-year plans one after another? The answer he received was: China’s institutional design is precisely to draw up a blueprint and stick to it, with each generation continuing the work from the previous one.

“Practice has proven that only by consistently upholding the Party’s strong leadership can we properly harness its maximum potential to guide the building of socialism with Chinese characteristics,” said Wang Liwei, deputy director of the Strategic Planning Office at the Institute of Economics, China Academy of Macroeconomic Research.

This is the “landing and rover合影” image. On June 11, 2021, the China National Space Administration held a ceremony in Beijing to unveil the first batch of scientific images captured by the Tianwen-1 probe upon its landing on Mars. The images released included a panoramic view of the landing site, Martian topography and landforms, the “Chinese imprint,” and the “landing and rover合影” taken by the Zhurong rover. The release of this initial batch of scientific images marks the complete success of China’s first Mars exploration mission. Photo by Xinhua News Agency (provided by the China National Space Administration).

Relying on concentrated efforts to accomplish major undertakings and achieve leapfrog development.

More efficiently allocating resources for scientific and technological innovation and more effectively strengthening collaborative efforts across interdisciplinary fields—particularly in key areas and cutting-edge technologies—will enable us to swiftly establish competitive advantages and seize strategic initiative. This is a distinct advantage of the new national system for tackling critical core technologies under the socialist system, which enables us to concentrate our strength on achieving great things.

“China’s ultra-high-voltage technology is truly remarkable—just how remarkable is it?” Zhang Guoliang, deputy chief engineer at the Northeast Electric Power Design Institute Co., Ltd. of China Power Engineering Consulting Group, said that globally, only China possesses the complete set of core technologies for ultra-high voltage. Therefore, Chinese standards have become the global standard.

The breakthrough in ultra-high-voltage technology is inseparable from the support of major projects and collaborative research efforts.

Leveraging the institutional advantage of pooling resources to accomplish great things, grid enterprises have mobilized nearly 50,000 engineering and technical personnel from dozens of research institutions, universities, and over 200 equipment manufacturers, working collaboratively across industry, academia, research, and application to tackle key challenges. Relying on independent innovation, they have successfully developed 21 major categories and 310 critical technologies related to ultra-high voltage transmission. They have continuously overcome world-class challenges in areas such as insulation for ultra-high voltages and ultra-large currents, equipment development, electromagnetic environment control, and testing technologies.

On the afternoon of September 13, after 13 consecutive days of construction, the Chongqing section of the Baihetan-Zhejiang ±800 kV ultra-high-voltage direct-current transmission project—the “West-to-East Power Transmission” backbone—successfully completed the cable-laying operation across the Yangtze River. This marks a major milestone in the “West-to-East Power Transmission” project.

On September 16, 2022, the Anhui section of the Baihetan-Zhejiang ±800 kV ultra-high-voltage direct-current transmission project (the Bai-Zhe Line) successfully completed the cable-laying operation for its major crossing over the Yangtze River. The Bai-Zhe Line is a key project under China’s “West-to-East Power Transmission” strategy. (Drone photo) Xinhua News Agency via Zhao Xianfu.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Party, in response to the country’s major strategic needs, a series of major engineering projects have been vigorously pursuing breakthroughs in critical core technologies and seizing strategic commanding heights that are vital for long-term development and overall national interests. While achieving leapfrog development, these efforts have consistently adhered to the principle of comprehensively advancing superior resources and concentrating strength on tackling major tasks.

“We must fully leverage the advantage of our socialist system—the ability to concentrate resources and accomplish great things—and see this glorious yet arduous historical task through to completion,” General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized in November 2020, when construction began on the Sichuan-Tibet Railway.

On September 6, 2022, the 27th Meeting of the Central Commission for Comprehensively Deepening Reform reviewed and approved the "Opinions on Improving the New National System for Tackling Key Core Technologies under the Conditions of a Socialist Market Economy." General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: “We must leverage the distinct advantage of our socialist system in pooling resources to accomplish great things, strengthen the Party and the state’s leadership over major scientific and technological innovations, fully harness the role of market mechanisms, optimize the allocation of innovation resources around national strategic needs, bolster our nation’s strategic scientific and technological forces, significantly enhance the systematic capability for tackling key technological challenges, and forge competitive advantages and gain strategic initiative in several critical areas.”

10,909 meters! This is the new depth record set by China’s manned deep-diving vessel. In November 2020, the “Fendouzhe” successfully reached the bottom of the Mariana Trench, marking China’s entry into the capability of exploring the deepest parts of the world’s oceans.

On August 18, 2021, staff members prepared to deploy the “Fendouzhe” submersible from the deck of the research vessel “Explorer No. 1” in the western Pacific Ocean. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Chen Kaizi.

How easy could it be to dive to a depth of 10,000 meters! The Mariana Trench, at its deepest point, reaches about 11,000 meters— an extreme and harsh environment characterized by intense water pressure and complete darkness. Every aspect— from the submersible’s ability to withstand high pressure, to its handling performance, and to its communication systems—presents world-class technological challenges.

In response, our country has mobilized nearly a thousand researchers from nearly 100 research institutes, universities, and enterprises, adopting the principle of "no organizations, only positions" to carry out collaborative攻关 efforts. As a result, we have achieved breakthroughs in a series of critical core technologies. The localization rate of components for the "Fendouzhe" submersible has exceeded 96.5%, enabling it to conduct full-depth exploration and operations.

“In today’s China, by concentrating our efforts on tackling major undertakings, our country has achieved breakthroughs and innovations in several key areas and major projects in a relatively short period of time,” said Chen Zirui, a special researcher at the Guangdong Provincial Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. “Looking back at the field of major infrastructure construction since the founding of New China, it’s clear that, thanks to the institutional advantage of concentrating our forces on accomplishing great things, we have made historic leaps—not only in our capacity for scientific and technological innovation but also in the speed of innovation itself.”

People's livelihood projects highlight the people-centered nature.

Covered in swirling yellow sand and battered by fierce winds, this is the Taklamakan Desert—the “Sea of Death.” The harsh natural environment has long blocked most living creatures from thriving and has also hindered the development of Qiemo County in the Bayingolin Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture. Opening a road connecting Qiemo County to the outside world across this “Sea of Death” has been a long-held aspiration of the county’s residents.

In October 2017, construction began on the desert highway connecting Yuli County and Qiemo County in Xinjiang. Overcoming challenges such as loose roadbeds and sandstorms burying the road, the project involved leveling 32 towering sand dunes and filling in 28 inter-dune depressions. After nearly five years of round-the-clock desert construction, this 334-kilometer-long desert highway officially opened to traffic on June 30, 2022.

Now that the road is open, it takes only six hours to travel from Korla City to Qiemo County—halving the travel time. This has significantly reduced transportation and breeding costs for local pastoralists and also made it easier to explore, develop, and transport the abundant oil and natural gas resources in the Tarim Basin...

“The distinctive advantages of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics are the fundamental guarantee for resisting risks and challenges and enhancing the effectiveness of national governance. They also embody our unwavering commitment to putting the people first and relying on the people in everything we do, continuously promoting social equity and justice. These are precisely the starting point and ultimate goal of our institutional design,” said Xu Guangjian, a professor at the School of Public Administration at Renmin University of China.

Among all matters, people’s livelihood is of paramount importance. We have consistently adhered to a development philosophy centered on the people, continuously enhancing the quality and efficiency of development, and achieving remarkable progress in major infrastructure projects that benefit the broad masses of the population.

Thanks to the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, more than 53 million people in the four provinces and cities of Henan, Hebei, Beijing, and Tianjin—along the central route—now have access to water from the Yangtze River, and over 5 million people have said goodbye to high-fluoride and bitter-salty water.

Benefiting from the “West-to-East Power Transmission” project, the western region’s resource advantages are being transformed into economic strengths, providing much-needed energy for the eastern region’s economic takeoff and lighting up countless homes...

“Our Party is a party that serves the people and brings them prosperity. It is the shared aspiration of Communist Party members to address, one by one, the issues that matter most to the people.” General Secretary Xi Jinping’s remarks were deeply heartfelt and eloquently revealed the Communist Party of China’s unwavering commitment to serving the people.

This year marks the year of the 20th National Congress of the Party. Since the beginning of this year, various regions and departments have, in accordance with the Party Central Committee’s requirement to “moderately advance infrastructure investment,” continued to steadily implement the 102 major projects outlined in the 14th Five-Year Plan, ensuring that these major projects deliver tangible results, improve quality, and enhance efficiency.

This is a test aircraft of the C919 large passenger jet, photographed on July 18, 2022, in Pucheng County, Shaanxi Province. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Ding Ting.

Looking closely at these 102 major projects, we find both “national priorities” that are crucial to high-quality economic and social development—such as cutting-edge, pivotal research initiatives like next-generation artificial intelligence and quantum information, which will lead future development—as well as world-class, landmark infrastructure projects in areas like the Sichuan-Tibet Railway, the lower reaches hydropower base of the Yarlung Tsangpo River, and railways along rivers and coasts. We also see “heartwarming small-scale initiatives” focused on improving people’s livelihoods—such as large-scale projects directly benefiting ordinary citizens, including the renovation of old residential communities in urban areas and comprehensive urban flood control and drainage systems.

Installing elevators, replacing doors and windows, and constructing accessible ramps—emphasizing “one household, one customized design”—the renovation of older residential communities is progressing smoothly. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the country will basically complete the renovation of approximately 219,000 old urban residential communities built before the end of 2000.

With the establishment of 5G base stations, society and economic development now have a faster “information highway.” As of September 9 this year, China has cumulatively built and put into operation 1.968 million 5G base stations, and the high-quality external network of the industrial internet now covers more than 300 cities nationwide, with new application scenarios continuously emerging.

Majestic mountains rise up, towering iron towers standing tall; steep cliffs and deep ravines give way to suspension bridges; and vast deserts are transformed into photovoltaic power stations... One major project after another rises from the ground, reflecting the warmth and care for people’s livelihoods, continuously enhancing the sense of gain, happiness, and security among the masses. This demonstrates that under the wise leadership of the Party Central Committee, our country has fully leveraged the advantages of the socialist system. We must take realizing, safeguarding, and developing the fundamental interests of the broadest masses of the people as the starting point and ultimate goal of all our work, and more consciously ensure that the fruits of reform and development benefit all the people more equitably.

“Those who wish to build a house must first lay its foundation.” Under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, all Party members and people of all ethnic groups across the country have fully leveraged the remarkable advantages of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics, comprehensively strengthened the construction of major projects, and built a modern infrastructure system. With vigorous determination and courageous perseverance, we are laying a solid foundation and building strong pillars for fully building a modern socialist country.