Carry Forward the Red Boat Spirit and Drive All Endeavors to the Forefront

The year 2025 marks the 20th anniversary of the formulation of the Red Boat Spirit — “the pioneering spirit of opening up the heavens and establishing the earth and daring to be the first, the striving spirit of firm ideals and unyielding perseverance, and the dedication spirit of building the Party for the public good and being loyal to the people.” This spirit has consistently inspired the people of Jiaxing to remain true to their original aspiration and founding mission [n1], to forge ahead on the path of Chinese-path modernization, to overcome all kinds of difficulties and risks, and to continuously win new victories.

2025年是红船精神提出20周年，“开天辟地、敢为人先的首创精神，坚定理想、百折不挠的奋斗精神，立党为公、忠诚为民的奉献精神”一直激励着嘉兴人民不忘初心、牢记使命，在实现中国式现代化的道路上奋发进取，战胜各种困难和风险、不断夺取新胜利。

Jiaxing is the birthplace of the Majiabang culture of the Neolithic Age, a region of rivers and lakes in the south of the Yangtze River, and a place where many famous figures have emerged. In modern times it has borne witness to many major historical events. The century-long struggle of the Communist Party of China has not only created a vibrant China but also bequeathed to us an eternal spiritual treasure. The limpid waters flow on; the Red Boat remains. Times change; the spirit is eternal. The pioneering spirit of opening up the heavens and establishing the earth and daring to be the first endows Chinese Communists with responsibility, mission, and commitment. Respecting pioneering, esteeming pioneering, and daring to pioneer are the fine political qualities and distinctive character of Chinese Communists. The striving spirit of firm ideals and unyielding perseverance is the lofty embodiment of the life value of Chinese Communists and the spiritual realm displayed by Chinese Communists in revolution, construction, reform, and development. The history of the CPC’s development is a history of struggle. It has experienced countless hardships and obstacles. Over the course of a century, it would be unimaginable without the support of this striving spirit of firm ideals and unyielding perseverance. The dedication spirit of building the Party for the public good and being loyal to the people is the life sentiment of Communists who dedicate themselves to the Party, to the country, and to the people. It is the value pursuit that countless outstanding Communists have interpreted with their lives. The Red Boat Spirit contains the spiritual driving force that has run through the century of Communists, manifests the source of strength that inspires Communists with awe-inspiring grandeur, condenses the Communists’ persistent pursuit of ideals and convictions, and embodies the Communists’ realm, breadth of mind, and feelings.

嘉兴是新石器时代马家浜文化的发祥地，江南水乡、名人辈出，近代以来承载着许多重大历史事件。中国共产党百年奋斗，不仅创造了生机勃勃的中国，也留给我们永恒的精神财富。秀水泱泱，红船依旧；时代变迁，精神永恒。开天辟地、敢为人先的首创精神赋予中国共产党人责任、使命与担当。尊重首创、崇尚首创、敢于首创是中国共产党人的优秀政治素质与鲜明品格。坚定理想、百折不挠的奋斗精神是中国共产党人人生价值的崇高体现，是中国共产党人在革命、建设和改革发展中体现的精神境界。中国共产党的发展史就是一部奋斗史，经历过多少艰难险阻，百年历程，没有这种坚定理想、百折不挠的奋斗精神的支撑无法想象。立党为公、忠诚为民的奉献精神是共产党人以身许党、以身许国、以身许民的人生情怀，是无数优秀共产党人用生命诠释的价值追求。红船精神蕴含了共产党人贯穿百年的精神动力，彰显了共产党人气壮山河的力量源泉，凝聚了共产党人对理想信念的执着追求，体现了共产党人的境界、胸襟与情怀。

Over the past 20 years, the people of Jiaxing have kept in mind the instructions, and with the Red Boat Spirit of pioneering, striving, and dedication, they have overcome various contradictions and problems in their advance, continuously driven all endeavors of Jiaxing’s economy and society to the forefront, and transformed spiritual strength into powerful material force.

20年来，嘉兴人民牢记嘱托，以首创、奋斗、奉献的红船精神，克服前进中的各种矛盾与问题，不断推进嘉兴经济社会各项事业的发展走在前列，把精神的力量转化为强大的物质力量。

The Red Boat Spirit has inspired the people of Jiaxing to create brilliant achievements in economic development. Over the past 20 years, the gross regional product has grown from 116.6 billion yuan in 2005 to 756.95 billion yuan in 2024, an increase of 5.49 times. Total import and export trade has grown from 9.92 billion US dollars to 67.71 billion US dollars, an increase of 5.83 times. The cumulative number of foreign-funded enterprises established in the city has exceeded 10,000, and the cumulative actual utilized foreign capital has exceeded 50 billion US dollars. The total amount of utilized foreign capital has ranked first among prefecture-level cities in Zhejiang for 20 consecutive years. The number of key foreign investment projects included in the Ministry of Commerce by Jiaxing has reached 33, ranking first in the province. The number of listed companies has expanded to 89, ranking third in the province. Total fiscal revenue has grown from 13.51 billion yuan to 107.36 billion yuan, an increase of 6.95 times; general public budget revenue has grown from 7.35 billion yuan to 63.87 billion yuan, an increase of 7.69 times. Both of these figures currently rank third in Zhejiang Province. The proportion of primary, secondary, and tertiary industries has changed from 7.0:59.3:33.7 to 2.0:49.5:48.5. Total retail sales of consumer goods have grown from 38.32 billion yuan to 264.74 billion yuan, an increase of 5.91 times.

红船精神激励嘉兴人民创造了经济发展的辉煌业绩。20年来，地区生产总值由2005年的1166亿元到2024年的7569.5亿元，增长了5.49倍。进出口贸易总额由99.2亿美元到677.1亿美元，增长了5.83倍。全市累计设立外资企业突破1万家，累计实际使用外资超500亿美元，利用外资总量连续20年稳居浙江地级市第一。嘉兴列入商务部重点外资项目累计达33个，数量保持全省第一。上市公司扩容至89家，居全省第三。财政总收入从135.1亿元到1073.6亿元，增长了6.95倍；一般公共预算收入从73.5亿元到638.7亿元，增长了7.69倍，目前这两个数据均保持浙江全省第三。一二三产占比由7.0∶59.3∶33.7变为2.0∶49.5∶48.5。社会消费品零售总额由383.2亿元到2647.40亿元，增长了5.91倍。

The Red Boat Spirit has inspired the people of Jiaxing to create brilliant achievements in urban-rural integrated development. Jiaxing is a pilot unit for urban-rural integrated development in Zhejiang. In 2004, Jiaxing took the lead in the province in formulating the “Jiaxing Urban-Rural Integrated Development Plan Outline.” Urban-rural integrated development has been at the forefront of the province, and a networked urban-rural infrastructure has been basically completed. The density of expressways within the city’s jurisdiction reaches 8.6 kilometers per square kilometer, ranking first among comparable prefecture-level cities in the Yangtze River Delta. The road network within the territory is basically formed, with a rural road density of 155 kilometers per 100 square kilometers. The rate of graded roads reaching villages and the rate of hardened pavement reaching villages both reach 100%. The rate of public transport reaching administrative villages reaches 100%. The city’s navigable mileage, mileage of Class IV and above waterways, and waterway density all rank first in Zhejiang. The comprehensive evaluation of rural revitalization ranks first in Zhejiang, and the comprehensive evaluation of common prosperity ranks second in Zhejiang. The urbanization rate has developed from 47.6% to 74.5%. Over the past 20 years, the per capita disposable income of urban residents has grown from 16,189 yuan to 78,641 yuan, an increase of 3.86 times; the per capita net income of rural residents has grown from 8,007 yuan to 52,249 yuan, an increase of 5.53 times. The urban-rural income ratio has gone from 2.02 to 1.51, maintaining the best ratio in the province.

红船精神激励嘉兴人民创造了城乡一体化发展的辉煌业绩。嘉兴是浙江城乡一体化发展的试点单位，2004年，嘉兴在全省率先制定《嘉兴市城乡一体化发展规划纲要》，城乡融合发展走在全省前列，城乡网络化基础设施基本建成。市域内高速公路密度达到每平方公里8.6公里，位居长三角同等地级市城市之首；境内公路网络基本形成，农村公路密度达到155公里／百平方公里，等级公路通村率和路面硬化通村率均达到100%；公交行政村通达率达到100%，全市通航里程、四级及以上航道里程、航道密度均列浙江第一。乡村振兴综合评价位列浙江第一，共同富裕综合评价位列浙江第二，城市化率由47.6%发展到74.5%。20年来，城镇居民人均可支配收入由16189元到78641元，增长了3.86倍；农村居民人均纯收入由8007元到52249元，增长了5.53倍。城乡收入比由2.02到1.51，城乡收入比保持全省最优。

The Red Boat Spirit has inspired the people of Jiaxing to create brilliant achievements in scientific and technological innovation. In 2023, the innovation index ranked second in Zhejiang, and the city’s R&D investment intensity was 3.56%, ranking second in Zhejiang. A high-tech industrial cluster represented by electronic information, new energy, biomedicine, etc., has been formed. The number of enterprises at digitalization level 3.0, the digitalization rate of warehousing and logistics, and the digitalization rate of production and manufacturing all rank first in Zhejiang. The added value of core industries of the digital economy accounts for 11.2% of GDP, ranking second in Zhejiang Province. Approval has been obtained to build a provincial-level airport economic zone. Four 10,000-card computing power clusters have been built and put into operation, ranking first in Zhejiang in scale. There are 49 provincial (key) enterprise research institutes, 104 provincial high-tech enterprise R&D centers, and the cumulative number of provincial-level enterprise R&D institutions ranks third in Zhejiang. The number of high-tech enterprises per 10,000 enterprises is 302.84, ranking second in Zhejiang. The rate of R&D institution establishment among industrial enterprises above designated size is 77.43%, ranking first in Zhejiang for three consecutive years.

红船精神激励嘉兴人民创造了科技创新的辉煌业绩。2023年创新指数排名浙江第二，全市研发投入强度3.56%，居浙江第二。形成了以电子信息、新能源、生物医药等为代表的高新技术产业集群。数字化水平3.0企业数量、仓储物流数字化率、生产制造数字化率均排名浙江第一。数字经济核心产业增加值占GDP 比重达11.2%，排名浙江省第二。获批建设省级临空经济区，建成运营4个万卡算力集群、规模浙江第一。省（重点）企业研究院49家，省高新技术企业研发中心104家，省级企业研发机构累计数位列浙江第三。每万家企业中高新技术企业数为302.84家，居浙江第二。规模以上工业企业研发机构设置率77.43%，连续三年位列浙江第一。

The Red Boat Spirit has inspired the people of Jiaxing to create brilliant achievements in reform and innovation. Jiaxing has many of the earliest national reform pilot projects, including pilot cities for new-type industrial technological transformation, pilot projects for the standardization of basic public services, national-level pilot projects for comprehensive reform of agricultural water prices, and pilot experiments for comprehensive rural reform. It is the only prefecture-level city in Zhejiang selected for the first batch of national pilot cities for new-type industrial technological transformation. Through reform, the business environment has been further optimized, and the non-sensing monitoring index of the business environment ranks among the top three in Zhejiang. A convenient and complete public service system makes the city more attractive — a “15-minute public service circle” brings quality life within a quarter-hour’s reach, achieving full coverage of a “10-minute quality cultural life circle,” and the city has been selected as one of “China’s Happiest Cities.”

红船精神激励嘉兴人民创造了改革创新的辉煌业绩。嘉兴有许多全国最早的改革试点，包括制造业新型技术改造城市试点、基本公共服务标准化试点、农业水价综合改革国家级试点和农村综合性改革试点试验，浙江唯一入选首批国家制造业新型技术改造城市试点的地级市等。通过改革进一步优化了营商环境，营商环境无感监测指数位列浙江前三。便捷完善的公共服务体系让这座城市更具吸引力——“15分钟公共服务圈”让优质生活“一刻”即达，实现“10分钟品质文化生活圈”全域覆盖，入选“中国最具幸福感城市”。

The Red Boat Spirit has inspired the people of Jiaxing to create brilliant achievements in green and harmonious development. In 2024, Jiaxing was rated an excellent city in Zhejiang for pollution prevention and control, and its experience in collaborative innovation for pollution reduction and carbon reduction was promoted nationwide. The proportion of water quality at Class III or above at national and provincial monitoring sections remains at 100%, and Jiaxing was awarded the Zhejiang Province “Five-Water Co-Governance” Dayu Tripod Silver Award [n2]. The improvement range of the average PM2.5 concentration and the rate of good air quality days both ranked second in Zhejiang. Social harmony and stability have been at the forefront of Zhejiang, and the city has been awarded the title of “Safe City” in the province for 19 consecutive years.

红船精神激励嘉兴人民创造了绿色和谐发展的辉煌业绩。2024年获评浙江污染防治攻坚优秀市，减污降碳协同创新工作经验全国推广。国控、省控断面三类及以上水质比例保持100%，获评浙江省“五水共治”大禹鼎银鼎。PM2.5平均浓度、空气质量优良率改善幅度均列浙江第二。社会和谐稳定走在浙江前列，连续19年荣获全省“平安市”称号。

In an important period of great development and great historical transformation, spiritual strength is an indispensable and most precious support and reliance for Jiaxing. Jiaxing has reached today by relying on spirit, and it must rely on spirit to move toward the future. The Red Boat Spirit remains a powerful spiritual pillar and inner driving force inspiring us to march forward. Facing the future, the people of Jiaxing, inspired by the Red Boat Spirit, will faithfully implement the “Eight-Eight Strategy” [n3], take high-quality development as the primary task, take narrowing the “three major gaps” [n4] as the main direction of attack, take reform and innovation as the fundamental driving force, and take meeting the people’s needs for a better life as the fundamental purpose. They will firmly shoulder the responsibility of an economically large city to play a major role, accelerate the building of Jiaxing into an important central city in the Yangtze River Delta city cluster, and strive to write a new chapter of Chinese-path modernization in Jiaxing.

在时代大发展与历史大变革的重要时期，精神的力量是嘉兴不可或缺的最宝贵的依托与支撑。嘉兴靠精神走到今天，更要靠精神走向未来，红船精神依然是激励我们走向未来的强大精神支柱与内在动力。面对未来，嘉兴人民在红船精神的激励下，忠实践行“八八战略”，以高质量发展为首要任务、以缩小“三大差距”为主攻方向、以改革创新为根本动力、以满足人民对美好生活的需要为根本目的，坚定扛起经济大市挑大梁责任担当，加快打造长三角城市群重要中心城市，奋力谱写中国式现代化嘉兴新篇章。

Further leverage one’s own development advantages and strive to make up for shortcomings. Jiaxing has a good development foundation, with a complete industrial structure and rapid development of emerging industries such as electrical equipment, new energy, and intelligent manufacturing. It has a unique locational advantage, being located in the core area of the Yangtze River Delta city cluster and serving as an important transportation node connecting Hangzhou, Shanghai, and other places. It plays a bridging role in resources, talent, and technology, and is a link driving the development of the two major regions. It has a superior ecological and livable natural environment, providing solid ecological and humanistic support for future development. It has rich historical and cultural accumulation, making it a high ground for innovation and entrepreneurship that transforms cultural resources into development resources.

进一步发挥自身发展优势，努力补齐短板。嘉兴有良好的发展基础，产业结构完整，电气设备、新能源、智能制造等新兴行业迅猛发展。有独特的区位优势，地处长三角城市群核心地带，是连接杭州和上海等地的重要交通节点，在资源、人才、技术等方面发挥着桥梁作用，是推动两大区域发展的纽带。有优越的生态宜居自然环境，为未来发展提供了坚实的生态与人文支撑。有丰富的历史文化积淀，是把文化资源转化为发展资源的创新创业高地。

Fully recognizing Jiaxing’s political responsibility and mission as the place where the Chinese revolution set sail from the Red Boat, Jiaxing will more resolutely advance reform and opening up, and win strategic initiative in the increasingly fierce international competition. It will further coordinate the promotion of deep-level reform and high-level opening up, release reform dividends, strengthen the advantages of opening up, and build a new highland for high-level comprehensive opening up in the Yangtze River Delta. It will deepen value-added reform of government services to create efficient, convenient, and warm government services. It will implement the *Guidelines for Building a Unified National Market (Trial)*, fully enforce the *Zhejiang Province Regulations on Optimizing the Business Environment*, continuously improve mechanisms for market access, factor acquisition, and fair competition, and steadily raise the level of marketization, rule of law, and internationalization. It will cultivate new drivers for foreign trade, employ a combined approach of “stabilizing, expanding, adjusting, and optimizing,” and raise the capacity level of opening-up platforms.

充分认识嘉兴作为中国革命红船起航地的政治责任、使命担当，嘉兴将更加坚定不移地推进改革开放，在日趋激烈的国际竞争中赢得战略主动。进一步统筹推进深层次改革和高水平开放，释放改革红利、增强开放优势，打造长三角高能级全面开放新高地。纵深推进政务服务增值化改革，打造高效、便捷、有温度的政务服务。落实《全国统一大市场建设指引（试行）》，全面贯彻《浙江省优化营商环境条例》，持续完善市场准入、要素获取、公平竞争机制，不断提升市场化、法治化、国际化水平。培育外贸新动能，打好“稳拓调优”组合拳，提升开放平台能级。

Firmly grasp the core task of building a demonstration zone for common prosperity through high-quality development, and comprehensively consolidate the “four key supports” of building a strong transportation city, building a strong intelligent manufacturing and innovation city, raising the primacy of the central urban area, and achieving high-level urban-rural integration; firmly grasp the requirements of “seeking progress while maintaining stability, promoting stability through progress, upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground, establishing the new before abolishing the old, and pursuing systematic integration and coordinated cooperation,” and effectively coordinate the “two major tasks” of development and security; firmly grasp the work requirement of always “doing solid work, staying at the forefront, and bravely standing at the forefront.” It is necessary to seize the great opportunity of the country’s incremental policies, shape the great advantage of a strong intelligent manufacturing and innovation city, promote greater opening up both internally and externally, concentrate efforts on greatly raising the capacity level of the central urban area, polish the major brand of “urban-rural integration, look to Jiaxing,” promote the great prosperity of “the two cultures,” broaden the major channel for ecological value conversion, and build a great pattern for safe construction.

牢牢把握高质量发展建设共同富裕示范区这一核心任务，全面夯实交通强市建设、智造创新强市建设、中心城区首位度提升和高水平城乡融合“四大关键支撑”；牢牢把握“稳中求进、以进促稳，守正创新、先立后破，系统集成、协同配合”要求，有效统筹发展和安全“两件大事”；牢牢把握始终“干在实处、走在前列、勇立潮头”的工作要求。要抢抓国家增量政策大机遇，塑造智造创新强市大优势，推动对内对外大开放，聚势中心城区能级大提升，擦亮“城乡融合看嘉兴”大品牌，促进“两个文化”大繁荣，拓宽生态价值转换大通道，构筑平安建设大格局。

Persist in taking innovation as the primary driving force for development, concentrate efforts on building a strong intelligent manufacturing and innovation city, strengthen the deep integration of scientific and technological innovation with industrial innovation, and enhance the overall effectiveness of the innovation system. Strengthen the construction of high-level scientific and technological innovation platforms, reinforce the principal role of enterprises in innovation, and build a highland for the transformation of scientific and technological achievements. Develop new quality productive forces according to local conditions, closely follow the new type of industrialization, accelerate the high-end, intelligent, and green development of the manufacturing industry, and continuously improve the quality and efficiency of industrial development. Fully leverage the advantages of the hydrogen energy industry development in Jiaxing Port Area and the opportunity of Tongxiang being selected as one of the first batch of national pilot cities for “vehicle-road-cloud integration” applications, and fully support the development of intelligent connected vehicles, hydrogen energy equipment, and other cutting-edge emerging and future industries. Strengthen the foundational role of consumption, enhance the supporting capacity of the service industry, and increase the endogenous driving force for high-quality development. Persist in taking green and low-carbon development as a key link in high-quality development, deepen the construction of the national pilot city for coordinated pollution reduction and carbon reduction innovation, and promote the green transformation of the economy and society. Increase efforts to ensure and improve people’s livelihoods, and continuously enhance the quality of common prosperity.

坚持把创新作为引领发展第一动力，聚力建设智造创新强市，强化科技创新和产业创新深度融合，增强创新体系整体效能。加强高能级科创平台建设，强化企业创新主体作用，打造科技成果转化高地。因地制宜发展新质生产力，紧扣新型工业化，加速推动制造业高端化、智能化、绿色化发展，不断提升产业发展质效。充分发挥嘉兴港区氢能产业发展优势和桐乡入选全国首批“车路云一体化”应用试点城市契机，全力支持发展智能网联车、氢能装备等前沿新兴、未来产业。强化消费基础性作用，提升服务业支撑能力，增强高质量发展内生动力。坚持把绿色化、低碳化作为高质量发展关键环节，深化国家减污降碳协同创新试点城市建设，推动经济社会绿色转型。加大保障和改善民生力度，不断提高共同富裕成色。

Unswervingly strengthen the Party’s self-construction, and build a contingent of good cadres who are firm in conviction, serve the people, are diligent and pragmatic, dare to take responsibility, and are honest and upright. With the higher standard of “striving for advancement, striving for excellence,” fully implement all tasks of Party building. Deepen the theoretical armed with the Party’s innovative theories, and enhance the ideological level and work ability of Party members and cadres. Establish and practice a correct outlook on political performance, and further raise the political stance of guarding the roots and protecting the pulse. Strictly enforce political discipline and political rules, and from the political height that work style construction concerns the Party’s image, concerns the people’s support or opposition, and concerns the success or failure of the Party’s and the country’s undertakings, solidly advance the construction of a conservation-oriented government, and further create a strong atmosphere throughout society where waste is shameful and thrift is glorious. Vigorously promote the requirements of “loyal work, pragmatic work, responsible work, innovative work, united work, and clean work” among the cadre contingent, select good cadres, equip strong leadership teams, and further shape the work style and character of being pragmatic, responsible, and achieving results. Enhance the political functions and organizational functions of Party organizations, and fully leverage the role of grassroots Party organizations as fighting fortresses and the vanguard and exemplary role of Party members. Deeply advance the construction of a clean Jiaxing, carry out high-quality study and education on thoroughly implementing the spirit of the Eight-Point Regulations, unswervingly severely punish corruption, and further create a political ecology of clean and upright atmosphere, full of energy, and pragmatic work.

坚定不移加强党的自身建设，打造信念坚定、为民服务、勤政务实、敢于担当、清正廉洁的好干部队伍。以“争先进、争一流”的更高标准，全面落实党建各项任务。深化党的创新理论武装，提升党员干部的思想水平与工作能力。树立和践行正确政绩观，进一步提高守根护脉的政治站位。严明政治纪律和政治规矩，从作风建设关系党的形象、关系人心向背、关系党和国家事业成败的政治高度，扎实推进节约型机关建设，在全社会进一步营造浪费可耻、节约光荣的浓厚氛围。在干部队伍中大力推进“忠诚干、务实干、担当干、创新干、团结干、廉洁干”的要求，选好干部、配强班子，进一步塑造实干担当有作为的作风品格。增强党组织的政治功能和组织功能，充分发挥基层党组织的战斗堡垒和党员的先锋模范作用。纵深推进清廉嘉兴建设，高质量开展深入贯彻中央八项规定精神学习教育，坚定不移严惩腐败，进一步营造风清气正劲足实干的政治生态。

The author is a counselor of the Zhejiang Provincial Government and a member of its Advisory Committee.

（作者系浙江省政府参事，咨询委员会委员）

Online editor: Tongxin

网络编辑：同心