Someone put forward a "sweet potato theory", which very vividly describes the phenomenon of "jumping out of Zhejiang and developing Zhejiang". The vine of the sweet potato extends in all directions in order to absorb more sunlight, rain and nutrients, but its tuber is always at the base of the vine, and the extension and expansion of the vine eventually makes the tuber grow thicker and larger. In the same way, our enterprises go out, take the initiative to connect with Shanghai, take the initiative to participate in the development of the western region and the transformation of the old industrial bases in the northeast region, take the initiative to participate in the competition in the international market, and build our grain base, energy raw material base and production and processing base outside the province and abroad. We must have a correct understanding of this, actively promote it, and be optimistic about its success.

——"Achieving Greater Development in a Larger Space" (August 10, 2004) from Zhijiang Xinyu

Further reading:

The sweet potato vines stretch in all directions in order for the tubers to grow thicker and larger. Without the extension of the vine, the tuber would be deprived of nutrients; Without the perseverance of the tuber, the vine loses its direction. The vine is a metaphor for the methodology of expanding the opening, while the tuber represents a teleology that stands firm. It can be said that what the "sweet potato theory" reveals is the dialectic between "standing firm" and "expanding opening up".

When Xi Jinping was in charge of Zhejiang, he put forward the strategy of "jumping out of Zhejiang to develop Zhejiang", "jumping out of Zhejiang" is like the vines of sweet potatoes extending in all directions, in the end it is to absorb more sunshine, rain and dew and nutrients, and enterprises can also achieve industrial gradient transfer and promote development, transformation and upgrading, and ultimately to "develop Zhejiang". Xi Jinping believes that "jumping out of Zhejiang" is not an "outflow", but an "expansion". For example, he said, countless Wenzhou people do business in the country and even around the world, pay taxes locally, but by the time of the Chinese New Year, Wenzhou people brought back to their hometowns with 30 billion yuan. This means that "the extension and expansion of the vine ultimately leads to the growth of the tuber to be thicker and larger".

After Xi Jinping became the general secretary, he applied the "sweet potato theory" to thinking about the fate of the country, and outlined the strategic blueprint of "jumping out of China to develop China and developing China based on the world". In September 2013, when Xi Jinping delivered a speech at Nazarbayev University in Kazakhstan, he first put forward the idea of jointly building the "Silk Road Economic Belt"; In October of the same year, in his speech to the Indonesian Parliament, he first proposed the initiative to jointly build the "21st Century Maritime Silk Road". The "Belt and Road" strategic concept has been fully presented and calmly spread, which has given wings to Asia's take-off and China's development, and dredged the bloodline.

Xi Jinping used the relationship between vines and tubers to vividly illustrate the philosophical wisdom contained in the "sweet potato theory": the extension of vines is a means of openness, and the tuber can grow thicker and bigger is the goal of openness. Today, when China is comprehensively deepening reform and deeply integrating China with the world, it is of great enlightening significance to revisit the "sweet potato theory" expounded by Xi Jinping. Xi Jinping has repeatedly stressed that the general policy of the Communist Party of China and the Chinese people taking root in the land of China, learning from the excellent achievements of human civilization, and independently realizing national development must be adhered to for a long time and unshakable. In fact, it is precisely because of its insistence on the basis of independence and a firm foothold, and the overall consideration and comprehensive use of both international and domestic markets, international and domestic resources, and international and domestic rules, that China has embarked on a unique development path and achieved achievements that have attracted worldwide attention.

Today, in the face of the logic of the new normal of the economy and the new connotation of the period of strategic opportunity, we must, in accordance with Xi Jinping's requirements, not only "stand on the vast land of 9.6 million square kilometers, suck the cultural nutrients accumulated by the Chinese nation through long struggle, and have the magnificent power of 1.3 billion Chinese people", but also "unswervingly improve the level of open economy" to inject new impetus, add new vitality and expand new space into economic development.