A keynote speech by Xi Jinping outlining China’s long-term urban development strategy is due to be published in full tomorrow, January 17, in the second issue of Qiushi Journal. The release comes as China’s urbanisation drive enters a more mature and quality-focused stage.
First Central Urban Work Conference in a decade
The speech was delivered at the Central Urban Work Conference held in Beijing from July 14 to 15, 2025, the first such high-level meeting in ten years. By 2024, China’s urbanisation rate had reached around 67 per cent, with more than 150 million new urban jobs created between 2013 and 2024, underscoring the scale and complexity of the transition now underway.
Shift from expansion to quality
In the address, Xi signals a decisive move away from rapid, large-scale urban expansion towards improving quality, efficiency, and sustainability within existing cities. The speech addresses long-standing “big city diseases”, including congestion, pollution, and overdevelopment, arguing that these challenges are no longer intractable but require more refined governance and planning.
People-centred urban philosophy
A central theme of the speech is that “cities should be built by the people and for the people”. Xi stresses that urban construction must prioritise liveability, access to services, and residents’ wellbeing, rather than focusing on sheer size, visual spectacle, or short-term economic returns. He calls for the best urban resources to be reserved for the public and cautions against uniform, copy-and-paste development models across regions.
Respecting nature and culture
The speech urges respect for the laws of urban development, warning against excessive demolition, short-termism and blind adoption of foreign designs. Xi advocates cities with distinctive local character, cultural continuity and harmony with nature, allowing people to “see the mountains, see the water, and remember their homesickness”.
Progress and future priorities
Reviewing the past decade, the address highlights progress in managing mega-cities, citing Beijing’s reduced development intensity as an example of easing urban pressures while improving overall function. Looking ahead, Xi Jinping outlines the goal of building modern cities that are innovative, liveable, beautiful, resilient, culturally advanced and smart. Priority tasks include optimising the urban system, boosting innovation, improving housing and transport, promoting green and low-carbon development, strengthening urban safety, fostering social civility and advancing smart governance.
Party leadership in urban work
The speech reaffirms the leading role of the Communist Party of China in coordinating urban development nationwide, positioning people-centred urban modernisation with Chinese characteristics as a core pillar of China’s next phase of development.