Solving problems concerning people's livelihood and helping those living in difficulties should be given priority in the transition and development of resource-exhausted cities, Xi said.

On Friday afternoon, Xi convened and presided over a symposium on advancing revitalization of northeast China, in the city of Shenyang, Liaoning Province. He delivered a speech at the symposium on the issue, where he gave six-point instructions on making further progress of the cause.

First, efforts should be made to comprehensively deepen reform on the basis of improving the business environment. Reforms should be refined with solid steps taken in facilitating the deepening of supply-side structural reform, fostering new growth drivers, energizing market entities and strengthening the people's sense of fulfillment, as well as mobilizing and protecting the enthusiasm of officials and the people.

Xi called for comprehensive measures to make certain that the region can retain talent.

Second, priority should be given to fostering new growth drivers and stimulating the internal forces powering economic growth.

Xi urged efforts to solidify and strengthen the real economy by relying on innovation, comparing the efforts in supporting faster development of emerging industries to "vacating the cage and changing the bird" and the "nirvana of the phoenix."

Third, Xi stressed efforts in developing modern metropolis circles and enhancing the cooperation in key regions and areas to forge greater synergy of the region's opening-up.

Xi highlighted integrating the northeast region's development with the country's major development strategies, including the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region and development of the Yangtze Economic Belt.

Fourth, Xi called for efforts to better support ecological construction and food production to build on the strength of green development.

Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets and so are ice and snow, Xi said, calling for making the local environment even better and giving a full play to the region's special resources and strength in developing winter economy.

Fifth, Xi stressed the need of deeply integrating the region with the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative toward new heights in opening up.

Major tasks concerning the pilot free trade zone in Liaoning Province should be implemented in a faster manner, while infrastructure of major border ports should be improved and clusters of competitive industries should be developed, Xi said.

Sixth, Xi called for greater efforts in shoring up points of weakness related to public well-being to let the gains of the revitalization benefit the people.

Upholding and strengthening overall Party leadership are strong guarantees of the region's revitalization, Xi said.

Xi also called for strengthening Party building in the region, improving the Party's political ecosystem and showing zero tolerance for corruption.