Chinese President Xi Jinping on March 20, 2024, called for solid efforts to further energize the central region at a higher starting point. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks while chairing a symposium on furthering the development of the central region in the new era. The symposium was held in Changsha, Central China's Hunan Province. Xi delivered an important speech. Xi highlighted the central region's pivotal role as an important base for the country's grain production, energy and raw materials, modern equipment manufacturing and high-tech industry, and a comprehensive transportation hub. Xi called for synergy in promoting high-quality development and writing a new chapter in energizing the central region in the process of advancing Chinese modernization by consistently implementing a series of policies made by the CPC Central Committee in this regard.

Li Qiang, premier, Cai Qi, director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, and Ding Xuexiang, vice premier, attended the symposium. They are all members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.

Zheng Shanjie, director of the National Development and Reform Commission, and Tang Dengjie, Han Jun, Yin Hong, Lou Yangsheng, Wang Menghui and Shen Xiaoming, secretaries of the CPC provincial committees respectively of Shanxi, Anhui, Jiangxi, Henan, Hubei and Hunan, briefed the symposium on the endeavors to promote the development of the central region, and proposed opinions and suggestions.