This aerial photo taken on Jan. 4, 2023 shows bullets trains at a garage of CRRC Qingdao Sifang Co., Ltd. in Qingdao, East China's Shandong Province. Photo: Xinhua

At the beginning of the Chinese Lunar New Year, both China's economic and social development have shown positive signs of progress. On the first trading day of the Year of the Dragon, the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock markets closed higher, while consumption data during the Spring Festival holidays in areas such as cultural tourism, box office and transportation reached new highs. The energy, willingness, and potential unleashed by these developments validate China's economic trend of stabilizing and improving. The atmosphere of vigorous action and pragmatic efforts in the Year of the Dragon is being transmitted throughout society.

This year is another important year for comprehensively deepening reforms. The main task is to plan for further steps to advance the overall deepening of reforms. On February 19, Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, presided over the fourth meeting of the central commission for deepening overall reform. The meeting pointed out that we must persist in using reform and opening up as a key strategy to solve development problems and deal with risks and challenges on the way forward. The meeting also emphasized that reform measures must have a strong flavor of reform and sufficient quality, promoting the formation of a strong reform atmosphere that encourages innovation, hard work, and pioneering progress. The Central Economic Work Conference held in December of last year also demanded that "swift and decisive action must be taken in implementation, practical efforts must be made in implementation, and bold measures must be taken in a judicious manner in implementation."

Efforts to find impetus for development and anchor high-quality development have gradually unfolded nationwide, with a high degree of consensus across Chinese society. On February 18, the first working day of Year of the Dragon, the State Council held its third plenary meeting to discuss the draft government work report to be submitted for review at the second session of the 14th National People's Congress. The meeting also mobilized efforts for the tasks at the beginning of the year. The meeting conveyed a strong signal of unwavering confidence and a commitment to practical work. On the same day, several provinces and cities held their "first meeting of the new year," where, during work deployments, emphasis was placed on the importance of practical work and reform.

General Secretary Xi has repeatedly emphasized that "empty talk is harmful to the nation, while doing practical work will make it thrive," highlighting "great truths are always simple, and one of them is action speaks louder than words." Working together for development is the common aspiration of the whole society. This has been the driving force behind China's economic development over the past over 40 years of reform and opening-up, overcoming obstacles and challenges along the way. Relying on the liberation of thoughts, seeking truth from facts, daring to try boldly, and courageously reform, we have overcome various difficulties and challenges in practical work, creating a new world. It is an urgent task to further mobilize the entire society's efforts to swiftly translate expectations and calls for deepening reforms and prioritizing practical actions into concrete achievements.

In recent times, there has been a strong reaction from various sectors of society against phenomenon of formalism and bureaucracy. It is necessary to break free from the constraints and routines of formalism and bureaucracy through clear institutional guidance, fostering a new atmosphere of seeking truth, pragmatism, and integrity. For grassroots officials and all sectors of society, empty talk misleads the country, while practical work promotes prosperity, which is an indisputable truth. There is no need for a wait-and-see attitude; rather, we should roll up our sleeves and work hard. Everyone should contribute to the country's development through practical actions. Whether it is government departments, businesses, or individuals, we should discard formalism and bureaucracy, focus on actual work, and pursue tangible results.

Whether it is exploring advanced productivity and creativity, or persistently combating formalism, removing obstacles to economic development, and increasing the vitality and momentum of society, active participation from the general public is indispensable. Society is an integrated whole, and the economic miracles created by China have always been achieved through the leadership of the CPC and the country, with everyone contributing through practical work. Now, there should be more of a spirit of ownership, turning the earnest expectations for practical work into enthusiastic actions.

Currently, the direction of China's economic development and breakthroughs is very clear. This is evident from the economic growth targets and plans for the year 2024 announced by the 31 provinces, regions, and municipalities nationwide. The economic growth targets set by various regions fully reflect the pursuit of fostering new productive forces and steadily promoting high-quality development. The direction is clear: making every effort to create vitality and enhance productivity. Immersing oneself in the tide of China's high-quality economic development, harnessing the practical work spirit of billions of people, the Year of the Dragon holds promise, and the future is optimistic.