President Xi Jinping urged China’s major provincial economies to take the lead in technological innovation and strengthen their resilience to external shocks over the next five years, as part of the annual meeting of the National People’s Congress (NPC) – the country’s top legislature – which began in Beijing on Thursday. Addressing deputies from the eastern province of Jiangsu, Xi said the region should be at the forefront of developing “new quality productive forces” – the emerging industries...