Speakers:
Mr. Zhang Yuzhuo, chairman of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC) of the State Council
Mr. Weng Jieming, vice chairman of the SASAC
Mr. Zhao Shitang, vice chairman of the SASAC
Chairperson:
Mr. Chen Wenjun, director general of the Press Bureau of the State Council Information Office (SCIO) and spokesperson of the SCIO
Date:
Feb. 23, 2023
Chen Wenjun:
Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to this press conference held by the State Council Information Office (SCIO). This is the second briefing in the series "Embarking on the New Journey—A Government Perspective." Today, we have invited Mr. Zhang Yuzhuo, chairman of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC) of the State Council, to brief you on thoroughly studying and implementing the guiding principles of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and comprehensively promoting the high-quality development of centrally administered state-owned enterprises (SOEs), and take your questions. We also have with us two vice chairmen of the SASAC, Mr. Weng Jieming and Mr. Zhao Shitang.
Now, I will give the floor to Mr. Zhang Yuzhuo.
Zhang Yuzhuo:
Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. It is a great pleasure to meet with friends from the press and introduce the situation of state-owned capital and SOEs.
The CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core attaches great importance to the management of state-owned capital and SOEs. The 20th CPC National Congress has drawn up a grand blueprint for advancing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization. It has also made significant arrangements for deepening the reforms of state-owned capital and SOEs, in a bid to accelerate the creation of a new development pattern and pursue high-quality development. Recently, General Secretary Xi Jinping published an important article in the Qiushi Journal titled "Several Major Issues in Current Economic Work." The article emphasizes the need to improve the core competitiveness and core functions of SOEs. Additionally, it lays out plans for a new round of actions to deepen SOE reforms, which is also a major deployment made at the Central Economic Work Conference.
SOEs are an important material and political foundation for socialism with Chinese characteristics. The SASAC has a deep understanding of the decisive significance of the establishment of both Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and the guiding role of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, firmly upholds Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole, and also upholds the Central Committee's authority and its centralized, unified leadership. We are working unswervingly both to consolidate and develop the public sector and to encourage, support and guide development of the non-public sector, and continue to build up the strength, quality and size of state-owned capital and SOEs. In these ways, we aim to contribute to comprehensively building a modern socialist country.
In the past year, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, the SASAC and centrally administered SOEs conscientiously implemented the decisions and deployments of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council. Despite facing difficulties, we made efforts to achieve generally stable economic growth while making further progress. The operating revenues of China's centrally administered SOEs reached 39.6 trillion yuan in 2022, an increase of 9.1% year on year, while their total profits increased by 6.2% to 2.6 trillion yuan and tax payments rose by 19.3% to 2.8 trillion yuan. Remarkable achievements have been made in the reform and development of state-owned capital and centrally administered SOEs and in Party building, making important contributions to the development of the Party and the country. However, we also recognize that there is still a gap between what we have done and the expectations of General Secretary Xi Jinping, the Party Central Committee, and the people.
This year marks the first year of thoroughly implementing the guiding principles of the 20th CPC National Congress. The SASAC and centrally administered SOEs will adhere to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, fully implement the guiding principles of the 20th CPC National Congress, thoroughly carry out the deployments of the Central Economic Work Conference and the government work report to be deliberated by the National People's Congress, and focus on Party building, value creation, technological self-improvement, deepening reform, optimizing the layout and keeping the bottom line, to solidly promote various tasks. We will actively promote stable growth, stable employment and stable prices, and play a leading role in promoting the overall improvement of economic operation. We will thus make new and more extraordinary contributions toward building a modern socialist country in all aspects.
Next, my colleagues and I will take your questions. Thank you.
