Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, inspected the cities of Anqing and Hefei in east China's Anhui Province on Thursday afternoon.
Xi visited the Liuchi Alley in Tongcheng City under Anqing and the Hefei Binhu Science City.
During the visits, he learnt about the local efforts to carry forward fine traditional Chinese culture, promote cultural-ethical progress, advance institutional innovation of science and technology, and accelerate the application of scientific and technological advances.
Being part of the Yangtze River Delta, Anhui Province boasts beautiful landscapes and a rich cultural heritage.
It covers an area of 140,100 square kilometers and has a population of 61.21 million.
In the first half of 2024, its GDP reached 2.3967 trillion yuan, a year-on-year growth of 5.3 percent.
To comprehensively deepen reforms and promote high-quality development in manufacturing, Anhui is focused on building a "4433" trillion-yuan industrial system. The goal is to cultivate four trillion-yuan industries, four industries exceeding 500 billion yuan, three exceeding 300 billion yuan, and three exceeding 100 billion yuan by 2027.
Anhui Province has further enhanced its capacity for technological innovation by integrating reforms in education, technology, and talent systems. The strategical emerging industries driven by innovation are continuously growing, with technological advancements turning into new momentum for high-quality development.
As a major grain-producing area, Anhui's grain output has reached 40 billion kilograms for seven consecutive years.
Anhui is systematically advancing ecological protection and restoration while accelerating the green transformation of its development model. Over the past 10 years, energy consumption per unit of GDP in the province has decreased by 30 percent.
With a long and rich history and profound cultural heritage, Anhui is actively promoting cultural prosperity and development. The aim is to stimulate cultural innovation and creativity and accelerate the establishment of a thriving and strong cultural province.
Brief look at Anhui Province as Xi goes on inspection tour
The peace talks between the United States and Iran are expected to start on Saturday morning in Islamabad, Pakistan, and the Iranian delegation has already arrived in the Pakistani capital for the negotiations.
The talks will be held during a fragile two-week conditional truce between the United States and Iran which in now hanging in the balance alongside ongoing Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced the scheduled negotiations between the United States and Iran in a televised address on Friday evening, and Pakistani authorities confirmed in the early hours of Saturday that the talks would take place at the Serena Hotel in Islamabad.
The Iranian delegation led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf arrived in Islamabad overnight, according to Pakistan's Foreign Ministry. The delegation includes Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
Upon arrival, they were received by Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar who reaffirmed Pakistan's readiness to facilitate the constructive engagement and support a lasting resolution.
However, Ghalibaf said on social media on Friday that two understandings between Iran and the United States have yet to be implemented before negotiations can begin: a ceasefire in Lebanon and the unfreezing of Iran's assets.
He stressed that both conditions must be met before talks can proceed.
For the U.S. side, Vice President J.D. Vance left Washington on Friday for Islamabad. He warned Iran not to "play" the United States in the upcoming negotiations, which he expects to be "positive."
The U.S. negotiation team also includes President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner.
Local media reported that the meeting would be the highest-level encounter between the two countries since 1979.
The talks take place during a diplomatic window provided by the two-week ceasefire which took effect on Wednesday, and more than one month after the start of the joint U.S.-Israeli military strikes on Iran.
The ceasefire has already been strained as Israel continues to strike Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group in Lebanon.
US-Iran peace talks imminent as Iranian delegation arrives in Pakistan
