On January 20, the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee held a meeting to review the "Comprehensive Report on the Political Bureau Standing Committee's Hearing and Study of Work Reports from the Party Groups of the NPC Standing Committee, the State Council, the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the Supreme People's Court, and the Supreme People's Procuratorate, as well as the Work Report of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee," and the "Opinions on Comprehensively Promoting Ecological Protection and High-Quality Development in the Yellow River Basin." Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, presided over the meeting.

The meeting fully affirmed the work carried out in 2024 by the Party groups of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the State Council, the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the Supreme People's Court, and the Supreme People's Procuratorate, as well as by the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, and approved their work plans for 2025. The meeting held that over the past year, the five Party groups had consistently adhered to Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as their guiding principle, firmly upheld the authority and centralized, unified leadership of the Party Central Committee, strengthened their sense of mission and responsibility, conscientiously fulfilled their duties, reinforced the building of their own Party groups, and earnestly shouldered the main responsibility for comprehensively enforcing strict Party governance, thereby making new contributions to advancing the great cause of building a strong country and national rejuvenation through Chinese-style modernization. Under the leadership of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and its Standing Committee, the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee has performed its duties diligently and taken proactive measures, accomplishing a great deal of work in promoting the implementation of the Party Central Committee’s decisions and deployments, strengthening the construction of internal Party regulations, guiding the building and reform of mass organizations, and addressing formalism to relieve burdens at the grassroots level.

The meeting emphasized that, in the new year, the five Party groups should take Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as their guiding principle, uphold the central Party leadership’s principle of centralized and unified leadership—the highest political principle—and ensure ideological unity, consistent direction, and strict compliance with orders. They should establish and practice a correct view of political achievements, put action first, strive vigorously, perform tasks effectively, work together to overcome tough challenges in reform, and solidly promote high-quality development, thus demonstrating new responsibilities and making new contributions on the new journey of fully advancing Chinese-style modernization. The Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee should, based on its own duties, enhance its political capabilities, ensure the effective implementation of key tasks, strengthen its self-construction with strict discipline, and complete all tasks assigned by the CPC Central Committee with high quality.

The meeting pointed out that ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin are matters of great significance for the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and its sustainable development—a plan for millennia. We must deeply understand the strategic intentions of the Party Central Committee, firmly grasp the strategic requirement of prioritizing protection and focusing on governance, take further comprehensive deepening of reform as the driving force, promote the full implementation of the Yellow River Protection Law, respect natural laws, pay close attention to properly balancing the relationship among water, population, food, and energy, and accelerate the comprehensive green transformation of our development model.

The meeting emphasized the need to continuously improve the comprehensive and coordinated approach to ecological protection in the Yellow River basin, systematically enhancing upstream water conservation capacity, strengthening soil and water conservation in the midstream region, and promoting wetland protection and ecological restoration in the downstream area. Water resources must be treated as the strictest constraint, and potential for water conservation must be thoroughly tapped. We must remain vigilant in ensuring the long-term stability and safety of the Yellow River, safeguarding the security of key embankments, reservoirs, and infrastructure. We should comprehensively deepen reform and expand opening-up, strengthen alignment with regional strategies such as the Western Development Initiative and the Rise of Central China, and continue to achieve new successes in high-quality development. We must protect, inherit, and promote Yellow River culture, enhance the holistic and systematic preservation of cultural heritage, carry forward the historical and cultural threads and the nation’s spiritual roots, and foster the integrated development of culture and tourism. The Leading Group for Coordinated Regional Development under the CPC Central Committee should strengthen overall coordination, supervision, and guidance. Relevant central departments should step up their support efforts. Party committees and governments at all levels in provinces and regions along the Yellow River must earnestly fulfill their primary responsibilities, resolutely implement the decisions and deployments of the CPC Central Committee, solidly advance the implementation of key tasks, and ensure that major reform initiatives are effectively put into practice.

The meeting also discussed other matters.