In this video, Mr. Xi, his hands folded behind his back, strikes up a conversation with a worker at an equipment manufacturer in Qiqihar, a northeastern city.

“Are these raw materials domestically made?” he asks.

“Yes, all of them,” the worker responds. Mr. Xi nods approvingly.

Mr. Xi used his visit to reiterate calls for China to move more quickly to build its own technologies, so that it is less dependent on the United States. With trade tensions growing between the two countries and threatening supply chains, Mr. Xi has spoken frequently about the need for China to develop its own microchips, software and other technologies, part of its strategy to become a leading superpower of the 21st century.

Throughout the tour, Mr. Xi called for “zili gengsheng,” or self-reliance. At one point, he picked up a rice bowl and said, “Chinese rice, Chinese rice bowl,” emphasizing his call for domestically made products.

“The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation depends on our economic competitiveness,” he said, using a favorite phrase to describe China’s rise, as a crowd of workers applauded feverishly. “Only then can China be forever invincible.”