Speakers:
Mr. Zhou Naixiang, deputy secretary of the Communist Party of China Shandong Provincial Committee and governor of Shandong province
Mr. Fan Bo, vice governor of Shandong province
Mr. Song Junji, vice governor of Shandong province
Mr. Sun Aijun, director of the Shandong Development and Reform Commission
Chairperson:
Mr. Chen Wenjun, director general of the Press Bureau of the State Council Information Office (SCIO) and spokesperson of the SCIO
Date:
April 10, 2024
Chen Wenjun:
Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to this press conference held by the State Council Information Office (SCIO). Today, we are holding the eighth briefing in the series "Promoting High-Quality Development." We have invited Mr. Zhou Naixiang, deputy secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Shandong Provincial Committee and governor of Shandong province, to brief you on Shandong's practice in green, low-carbon and high-quality development, and to take your questions. Also present today are Mr. Fan Bo, vice governor of Shandong province; Mr. Song Junji, vice governor of Shandong province; and Mr. Sun Aijun, director of the Shandong Development and Reform Commission.
Now, I'll give the floor to Mr. Zhou for his introduction.
Zhou Naixiang:
Good morning, everyone. It's a great pleasure to brief you on Shandong's high-quality development. First of all, on behalf of the CPC Shandong Provincial Committee, the Shandong provincial government and the more than 100 million Shandong residents, I'd like to express my heartfelt gratitude to people from all walks of life for their long-term interest in and support for Shandong's development.
Shandong is a major province in terms of population, culture, resources and economy. It bears the significant responsibility entrusted by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council to build a pilot zone for green, low-carbon and high-quality development.
Showing great care and high expectations for Shandong, General Secretary Xi Jinping has made inspection visits to the province on multiple occasions, providing guidance and charting the course for us and requiring us to lead the way and break new ground. We have kept in mind the general secretary's expectations, shouldered our missions and forged ahead, making solid progress in promoting high-quality development and fostering a strong, modern province.
The economy has improved in both quantity and quality. Shandong's GDP has grown by an average of over 6% annually, reaching 9.2 trillion yuan ($1.27 trillion) last year, with three cities surpassing the 1-trillion-yuan mark. The output of high-tech industries has accounted for over 51% of the total industrial output of enterprises above designated size, an increase of over 3 percentage points year on year, and the number of market entities in high-tech industries has reached 14.74 million. The major national strategy for ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River basin has been thoroughly implemented. Approval has been given to develop the metropolitan areas of Jinan and Qingdao.
Abundant results have been achieved in scientific and technological innovation. R&D spending across Shandong has maintained a growth of over 12% in the past three years. With construction of Laoshan Laboratory initiated, Shandong now boasts 21 key national laboratories. The world's first fourth-generation nuclear power plant, China's Shidaowan high temperature gas-cooled reactor nuclear power plant, has gone into commercial operation. The Oriental Maritime Space Port has sent 57 satellites into space through sea launches. The world's first high-speed maglev transportation system with a speed of 600 kilometers per hour has rolled off the assembly line. The province owned 240,000 invention patents by the end of last year, up 26.5% year on year.
Industrial upgrading has been accelerated. The value added of industries above designated size has maintained an average growth rate of 7.4% over the past two years. A total of 11 flagship industrial chains have been cultivated at a faster pace. Shandong is now home to more than 200 manufacturing enterprises that are champions in their individual categories, 1,032 "little giant" companies (novel and elite small and medium-sized enterprises that specialize in a niche market, boast cutting-edge technologies, and show great potential), and over 45,000 small and medium-sized sci-tech enterprises. Shandong also boasts 47 national industrial internet platforms, with its industrial digitalization index ranking among the top in the country.
Breakthroughs have been made in infrastructure building. The length of in-service high-speed railways in Shandong has reached 2,810 kilometers, ranking first nationwide. Construction of the Tianjin-Weifang and Weifang-Suqian high-speed railways — two sections of the second Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway — as well as the Shandong section of the Xiong'an-Shangqiu high-speed railway has been expedited. The length of expressways has exceeded 8,400 kilometers. Significant progress has been made in building the modern water network. Over 200,000 5G base stations have been put into operation.
The ecological environment has continued to improve. Energy consumption per 10,000 yuan of GDP has decreased by 15.8% over the past three years. The installed capacity of new energy and renewable energy has exceeded 97 million kilowatts. The average concentration of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) has dropped by 19% over the past three years, and 83.7% of surface water sections monitored by the state have been rated either good or excellent for quality.
The people's well-being has improved. Government spending for people's well-being has remained at around 80% of the total amount. Over 1.2 million urban jobs were added annually, and public services and social security have continuously improved.
On the new journey, we will implement the general secretary's important instructions and requirements on Shandong's development, making solid efforts to write a new chapter of Chinese modernization in Shandong. We will take concrete actions to resolutely advocate 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, and resolutely uphold Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and uphold the authority of the Party Central Committee and its centralized, unified leadership. This year, we will make efforts to ensure GDP growth reaches more than 5% and the per capita disposable income of residents increases by around 5.5%.
First, we will make solid efforts to nurture and develop new quality productive forces. We will implement the three-year action plan for developing new quality productive forces, enhancing scientific and technological innovation, and reinforcing the principal role of enterprises. A total of 100 major programs targeting sci-tech innovation will be carried out in the integrated circuit industry and machine tool industry. We will advance industrial upgrading and seize significant opportunities to promote large-scale equipment updates and consumer goods trade-ins. We will intensify our efforts to build a modern industrial system, which will support the development of six traditional industries, nine competitive industries, nine emerging industries, and seven future industries. We will also ramp up efforts to attract and cultivate talent by enhancing our initiatives to attract and retain top talent, our programs to cultivate and support exceptional scientific and technological talent, and the Taishan talent programs. By doing so, we aim to facilitate a mutually reinforcing interaction among science, education and talent.
Second, we will remain committed to building Shandong into a model of rural revitalization. We will intensify our efforts to build a beautiful and harmonious countryside, making it an attractive place to live and work. We will also continue to advance the construction of the "Granary of Shandong." We will ensure that annual grain production remains stable above 110 billion kilograms and that the output of vegetables, fruits, aquatic products, meat, eggs, and milk remains among the highest in the country. Moreover, we will make sure our total output value of agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, and fisheries continues to lead the country.
Third, we will ramp up efforts to achieve new heights of opening-up. We will promote the development of national-level opening-up platforms, including the China-SCO Local Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Area (SCODA), the Jinan Start-up Area for Growth Drivers Transformation, and the pilot free trade zone. We will make greater efforts to attract high-quality investment and consolidate and improve foreign trade and investment. We will further boost the quality and efficiency of government services, and cultivate a market-oriented, law-based and world-class business environment.
Fourth, we will make solid efforts to build Shandong into a maritime province. We are committed to building world-class port clusters and supporting the development of competitive industrial clusters, such as offshore engineering equipment and marine biomedicine. We also aim to increase the cargo throughput of Shandong's coastal ports to over 2 billion tons and ensure that at least 95.6% of our coastal waters maintain good water quality.
Fifth, we will intensify efforts to build a beautiful Shandong. Efforts will be made to cut carbon emissions, reduce pollution, and expand green development. We will also accelerate the construction of five major clean energy bases, such as nuclear and offshore wind power bases, enabling more cities to use the energy generated by nuclear power. We are committed to creating beautiful national-level rivers, lakes, and bays to make Shandong a place where waters are cleaner and mountains are greener.
Sixth, we will ensure and improve people's well-being. This year, we aim to create more than 1.1 million urban jobs and 100,000 new urban public welfare jobs. Additionally, we plan to renovate and upgrade 560,000 old urban residential communities and 10,000 village medical clinics. We will devote greater efforts to key areas of people's livelihoods, including education, healthcare, social security, elderly care, and cultural activities, all aimed at improving the quality of people's lives.
That's all for my introduction. Thank you.
