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Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated that economic development is the Communist Party’s “top priority,” a signal that Beijing will continue to emphasize growth despite some analysts expecting a shift toward greater focus on national security.
At the opening of the 20th party congress in Beijing, in which Xi is likely to secure a third term in power, he echoed development-first phrasing used in congress addresses by every party leader since Jiang Zemin in 2002. “Development is the party’s top priority in governance,” he said.
Xi has increasingly been highlighting the need to balance security concerns with economic growth since 2020, prompting some analysts to suggest Xi would drop the development-first slogan. That would have been a major departure signaling Beijing would be willing to push other policy goals at the expense of economic growth.
