"History has taught us that the development of a place, without long-term planning, often leads to serious mistakes and even permanent regrets," Xi Jinping once said.

During his posting in Xiamen, East China's Fujian province, from 1985 to 1988, Xi spearheaded a social and economic development plan for the city from 1985 to 2000.

"Other places only drew up five-year plans at that time, but Xi did a 15-year plan and invited well-known experts to participate in the drafting. His foresightedness impressed us a lot," said Peng Yiwan, a member of the drafting group.

Many ideas and measures in the plan, the first 15-year economic and social development strategy adopted by a local government in the country, were pioneering and forward-looking in retrospect. For instance, it stressed preventing pollution and maintaining ecological balance while developing the economy, unusual at that time as the country's economy was just beginning to take off.

The plan has injected strong impetus into the sustainable development of Xiamen. From 1985 to 2023, the city's gross domestic product achieved an average annual growth rate of 14.1 percent, surpassing the growth rates at the national and provincial levels. Meanwhile, the ecological environment remarkably improved, as the city led the country in water and air quality.