BEIJING -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, presided over a meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee to analyze the current economic situation and economic work on Friday. At the meeting, the National Talent Development Plan during the 14th Five-Year Plan Period (2021-2025) was also reviewed.

The political bureau noted that this year, against the backdrop of a pandemic and drastic changes both unseen in a century, all regions and departments, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Xi Jinping at its core, have effectively coordinated COVID-19 response with economic and social development. China's economy has witnessed a steady start. We also successfully hosted the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics. All these are hard-won.

With the COVID-19 pandemic and Ukraine crisis bringing more risks and challenges, the environment for China's economic development has become increasingly complicated, grim and uncertain, and new challenges have arisen in keeping economic growth, employment and prices stable, the political bureau noted. It is of vital importance to deliver in our economic work, and to ensure and improve the people's wellbeing. We must stay confident, overcome difficulties and ensure that the CPC Central Committee's major policies are carried out to the letter.

The CPC Central Committee has made it clear that we must contain the epidemic, stabilize the economy and keep development secure, according to the meeting. In response to the new features of virus variants and their transmission, we must efficiently coordinate COVID response with economic and social development, put the people and their lives first, guard against imported cases and domestic resurgences, and follow a dynamic zero-COVID policy. By doing so, the health and safety of the people are protected to the fullest, and the pandemic's impact on economic and social development is reduced to the minimum.

We will step up macroeconomic adjustment to stabilize the economy, meet the objectives set for economic and social development in 2022, and keep major economic indicators within an appropriate range. We will move faster to implement established policies, press ahead with tax refund and reduction and fee cuts, and better use a range of monetary policy tools, according to the meeting.

We will promptly design additional policy tools, strengthen well-timed regulation, and make sure goal-oriented policies are formulated in a timely manner and given some leeway.

We will make all-out efforts to expand domestic demand, give full play to the role of effective investment, ensure support for projects in terms of land and energy use as well as environmental impact assessment, and advance infrastructure development across the board. We will give full play to the role of consumption in facilitating economic flows. To keep stable the operations of market entities, we will carry out a package of policies to help industries as well as micro, small and medium enterprises and self-employed individuals hit hard by COVID-19 to overcome difficulties. The supply and price stability of energy resources will be ensured, so will spring farming and preparations for plowing.

We will ensure and improve people's living standards, stabilize and expand employment, ensure the supply of essential goods and the performance of cities' core functions, and enhance workplace safety to maintain overall social stability.

We must keep in mind a full picture of national development to ensure unimpeded transportation and logistics, and the normal operations of key industrial and supply chains, suppliers for COVID response, and critical infrastructure.

The political bureau stressed the need to effectively control major risks and guard against systemic risks. Housing is for living in, not for speculation. Greenlight should be given to local governments to improve their real estate policies according to their specific conditions. People's demand for buying their first homes and improving housing conditions should receive due support. The oversight on advance payment for commodity housing should be optimized. All these are meant to promote steady and sound development of the real estate market.

It is necessary to respond to market concerns in a timely manner, steadily advance the reform on a registration-based IPO system, and attract long-term investors to ensure the smooth operation of the capital market.

The platform economy must develop in a healthy way. Rectifications for it will be completed, regular supervision will be initiated and specific measures to support its standardized and sound growth will be unveiled.

It is essential to manage our own affairs well, according to the meeting. We should accelerate the creation of a new development pattern, deepen supply-side structural reform, solve the problems encountered in development through reform, and move faster toward greater self-reliance in science and technology to develop a robust and resilient economy.

To pursue high-standard opening up, it is vital to actively respond to the demands of foreign-funded companies for a better business environment and maintain the overall stability of foreign trade and foreign investment.

Officials at all levels should always keep in mind their duties, take on responsibilities, and remain realistic and pragmatic. All types of "black swan" and "grey rhino" events must be preempted.

Party committees and governments at all levels must unite and lead officials and people in striving together to set the stage for the 20th National Congress of the CPC with concrete actions.

The formulation of the National Talent Development Plan during the 14th Five-Year Plan Period (2021-2025) is an important task arranged by the CPC Central Committee, a concrete step to implement the guiding principles of the Central Talent Work Conference, and also an important part of China's 14th Five-Year Plan, according to the meeting.

It is vital to strengthen the CPC's leadership over talent-related work across the board. Strategic role of talent in advancing development should be firmly established, therefore cultivating, introducing and utilizing talent well in an all-round way.

It is essential to set priorities and progress gradually in accelerating efforts to build talent centers and innovation hubs of global importance, according to the meeting.

Beijing, Shanghai and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area should aim high and strive to lead in building themselves into hubs for innovative talent. Other major talent-rich cities should also take strong steps to build platforms for attracting and pooling talent, so that pacesetters and strategic nodes for China's talent development will take shape very soon.

It is important to cultivate strategic scientists and put them to good use, and also foster large numbers of world-class leaders and innovation teams in science and technology, young scientists and researchers, as well as outstanding engineers.

Particular importance should be attached to the fostering of talent in the fields of basic research, and steady support and guarantee should be ensured for them on a long-term basis.

Reform in the talent development mechanisms and systems should be deepened to create platforms for outstanding personnel of various types to pursue their career.

Party committees (groups) at all levels should fully assume their principal responsibilities. They should refine the overall leadership of the Party over personnel work and take coordinated steps to ensure major measures in this regard are put into practice. They should work to help solve difficulties for personnel and those hiring them, guide them in raising political awareness, and enroll them. In this way, talent will remain committed to the Party and the nation, dedicate themselves to their career, keep the motherland in their hearts, and serve the people.

Other matters were also discussed at the meeting.