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Speakers:

Mr. Guo Yezhou, vice minister of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC)

Mr. Ma Zhaoxu, vice minister of foreign affairs

Chairperson:

Mr. Chen Wenjun, spokesperson of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee

Date:

Sept. 29, 2022

Chen Wenjun:

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to this press conference held by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee. Today, we are holding the 36th press conference under the theme of "China in the past decade" to brief you on China's diplomacy in the new era. We have invited Mr. Guo Yezhou, vice minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee (IDCPC), and Mr. Ma Zhaoxu, vice minister of foreign affairs. They will also take your questions.

Now, let's give the floor to Mr. Guo for his introduction.

Guo Yezhou:

Friends from the media, it is a great pleasure to brief you on the Party's external work in the new era over the past decade.

The CPC's external work is a cause of the whole Party. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has made a series of important expositions on major theoretical and practical issues regarding the Party's external work, including its definition, purpose, content, methods and actors, providing fundamental principles and guidance for the Party's external work in the new era. Under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, historic achievements have been made in the Party's external work featuring high-quality development. The international prestige of General Secretary Xi Jinping has been continually growing, the global influence of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era has increased steadily, the Party's international circle of friends has kept expanding, and historic changes have taken place in the relationship between the CPC and the world.

Over the past decade, we have been committed to serving the major diplomatic agenda of General Secretary Xi Jinping and taken concrete actions to support the "two establishments" (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 to ensure the "two upholds" (upholding General Secretary Xi Jinping's core position on the CPC Central Committee and in the Party as a whole, and upholding the Central Committee's authority and its centralized, unified leadership).

Global events involving political parties have been held, including the CPC in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-Level Meeting, and the CPC and World Political Parties Summit. General Secretary Xi Jinping delivered keynote speeches, charting the course for the trend of the times and human progress. Leaders of foreign political parties said the speeches helped them see the future of both China and the world. We have made every effort to facilitate top-level exchanges between General Secretary Xi Jinping and leaders of other socialist countries including the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Vietnam, Laos and Cuba. Such exchanges have played a leading role in the development of China's relations with these countries. We have held a series of events, including the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Political Parties Forum, the SCO People's Forum, and the BRICS Political Parties, Think Tanks and Civil Society Organizations Forum. These have proven to be successful practices in serving General Secretary Xi Jinping's major diplomatic agenda, improving relevant cooperation mechanisms, and boosting the momentum of cooperation.

Over the past decade, we have been committed to telling the CPC's stories thoroughly and innovatively. We have organized thematic briefings following the 18th and 19th CPC national congresses and the plenary sessions of the 18th and 19th CPC central committees. Dozens of delegations have been sent to nearly 100 countries and regions at their invitation and communicated face-to-face with more than 10,000 political party leaders and prominent figures during over 500 briefings. In response to the interest of foreign political parties, we have offered in-depth introductions to the four volumes of "Xi Jinping: The Governance of China." Many political party leaders have regarded the books as important sources of references for their work and asked for a set of the books for each senior official in their parties. In collaboration with CPC committees of relevant provinces and equivalent administrative units, we have held 14 briefings under the theme of "Stories of CPC — Achievements in Practicing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era" to elaborate on the new practices and progress in the CPC's state governance. We have invited more than 600 foreign guests to experience firsthand the standing committee meetings of CPC committees at city- and county-levels and activities of Party organizations at the primary level. We have also livestreamed the standing committee meetings of CPC committees at the county-level and villagers' congresses for viewers around the world. International participants have commented that the meetings are truly results-oriented and represent down-to-earth forms of democracy.

Over the past 10 years, we continued to make courageous and efficient efforts that brought great results and safeguarded national sovereignty, security, and development interests with firm resolve. The Party's external work has been conducted conscientiously and responsibly, especially when involving the core interests and major concerns of China. Plenty of foreign political parties, non-governmental organizations, and people with vision, highly agreeing with China's relative stances, have formed a potent voice being spoken in defense of justice. As the CPC celebrated its centenary, more than 600 political parties and political organizations sent us more than 1,500 congratulatory messages or letters to mark the grand event together. We innovated an approach for boosting exchanges through the involvement of political parties. Leading officials of local Party committees have led nearly 100 batches of Party delegations for overseas trips, facilitating pragmatic external cooperation and the construction of the new development paradigm.

Over the past 10 years, we continued to expand the international circle of friends of the Party through genuine communication and exchanges. We maintained contact with more than 600 political parties and political organizations and proactively participated in multilateral dialogues between political parties within the region and beyond. We made efforts to create a new pattern of international relations by promoting a new model of relationship between political parties, and strived to improve the global partnership network through a cemented global partnership network of political parties. Some political party leaders revisited the IDCPC after assuming the office of a country's president, prime minister, or other important positions, saying it felt like reuniting with siblings or returning home. We carried out political party diplomacy, public diplomacy, and people-to-people diplomacy at the same time. By hosting dialogues for mutual learning among civilizations and international academic exchanges, we enabled China's social organizations and think tanks to communicate with a wider world.

Over the past 10 years, we strived to build a community with a shared future for mankind through collective will, effort, and wisdom. The CPC has always seen the development of China as part of the development of the entire human society and closely linked the destiny of the country with the destiny of the world. We willingly sent out letters to foreign political party leaders to explain China's practice in COVID-19 prevention and control and the lessons learned, and provided solutions to the prevention and control and the diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19. We also provided medical supplies and technical assistance as best as we could to foreign political parties and political dignitaries as well as international organizations of political parties when they needed them. We built a mutual consultation mechanism for political parties from Belt and Road Initiative signatories and established and perfected the Silk Road Think Tank Association and the Silk Road NGO Cooperation Network. We helped deepen policy exchanges and people-to-people bonds and made continued efforts to build consensus on promoting high-quality development through the Belt and Road cooperation. We hosted an exchange activity to share how the international community pursued the Global Development Initiative proposed by General Secretary Xi Jinping and organized events to celebrate the International Day of Peace so as to advance the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative. Together with political parties from across the world, we uphold the common values of mankind and contribute our wisdom and strength in building a better world.

Facing a new era and new journey, the Party shoulders major responsibilities and has a lofty mission to perform in conducting its external work. This is a glorious mission with huge potential to fulfill and great results to achieve. This is all I want to say. Thank you.

Chen Wenjun:

Thanks to Mr. Guo. Now Mr. Ma will brief us.

Ma Zhaoxu:

Comrades, ladies and gentlemen, and friends, good morning! We will soon convene the 20th CPC National Congress. At this moment, I am pleased to be here addressing this press conference.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has led us to forge ahead with Party's external work by overcoming difficulties, risks, and tests as we embarked on a historical journey of furthering the great undertaking of developing socialism with Chinese characteristics in a new era. We have achieved many important achievements. Our historical achievements have been all-around and groundbreaking. We found a new method of major country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics and created a better external environment for realizing the Two Centenary Goals (building a moderately prosperous society in all aspects and building a great modern socialist country in all aspects) and the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Riding on the development trends of China and the world and pondering on the future of humankind, General Secretary Xi Jinping carried forward the core principles and fine traditions of New China's diplomacy and proactively promoted innovations in major diplomatic theories and practices. A series of new concepts, proposals and initiatives with Chinese characteristics mirroring the spirit of the times and setting the trend of human progress were put forward. These elements form Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy.

The 10 major subjects of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy are as follows: strengthening the centralized, unified leadership of the CPC on external work under the overarching principle of upholding the authority of the CPC Central Committee; pursuing major-country diplomacy with distinctive Chinese features to fulfill the mission of national renewal; promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind as part of the effort to preserve world peace and pursue common development; enhancing strategic confidence that is rooted in socialism with Chinese characteristics; promoting the Belt and Road Initiative under the principle of shared benefits through discussion and collaboration; pursuing peaceful development based on mutual respect and win-win cooperation; forging global partnerships while advancing China's diplomatic agenda; steering the reform of global governance based on fairness and justice; safeguarding China's sovereignty, security and development interests with the national core interests as the bottom-line; nurturing a distinctive style of Chinese diplomacy by combining fine traditions of our external work and features of the times.

Under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy, we have focused on serving national rejuvenation and promoting human progress. Based on the new position and direction of China's development, we have grasped the changes in the relations between China and the rest of the world and developed ourselves to help others with the well-being of the world in our mind. We have steadfastly followed the path of peaceful development, advanced the building of the community with a shared future for mankind, and advocated establishing a new type of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness and justice and win-win cooperation. We will always be a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development, and a defender of the international order.

We have advanced China's diplomatic agenda in a comprehensive, multilevel, multifaceted way and promoted dialogues, communication and cooperation with other countries. As our circle of friends expands and our global partner network enlarges, we have established diplomatic relations with 181 countries and forged partnerships with more than 110 countries and regional organizations.

We have proactively promoted the reform and building of the global governance system, safeguarded the international system with the United Nations at its core and the international order based on international law and practiced genuine multilateralism. Remaining committed to the universal value of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy and freedom, we have enhanced the global efforts to battle COVID-19 and deal with climate change with concrete actions. Moreover, we have promoted sustainable development and provided Chinese solutions for and contributed to addressing the global governance deficit and tackling global challenges.

We have firmly safeguarded our national interests and dignity. We have maintained a clear position and never budged an inch on major issues concerning Taiwan, Hong Kong, Xinjiang, Tibet, maritime territory and human rights. We have always risen to challenges and fought hard and vigorously to safeguard our national sovereignty, security and development interests.

We have implemented people-centered philosophy and focused on the central task of the Party and the state. While staying truly connected to the people, we have served national economic and social development and resolutely protected the legitimate rights and interests of oversea Chinese citizens and corporations.

Looking to the new journey, the successful convention of the 20th CPC National Congress will surely lead China's diplomacy in the new era in striving forward and breaking new ground. We will closely follow the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, acquire 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, and boost consciousness of the need to maintain political integrity, think in big-picture terms, follow the leadership core, and keep in alignment with the central Party leadership. We will stay confident in the path, the theory, the system, and the culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics. We will firmly uphold Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and uphold the Central Committee's authority and its centralized, unified leadership to write a new chapter on the major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics in the new era. Thank you.

Chen Wenjun:

Thank you, Mr. Ma. Now the floor is open for questions. Please identify the media outlet you represent before raising questions.

Zhinews of Shenzhen Satellite TV:

During the past decade, China has actively reformed and built the global governance system. Yet some people argue that China plans to start all over again and change the rules-based international order. How do you view China's position and role in global governance? Thank you.

Ma Zhaoxu:

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, following the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy, China has expanded and deepened the involvement of its diplomacy in global governance with unprecedented intensity. It has contributed Chinese wisdom, offered Chinese solutions and demonstrated its sense of responsibility, winning wide praise from the international community.

Bearing in mind the future and the fate of humanity, General Secretary Xi Jinping has put forth, at the United Nations and other major occasions, China's global governance vision that advocates commitment to openness and inclusiveness instead of closeness and exclusion; commitment to working based on international law instead of a sense of superiority; commitment to consultation and cooperation instead of conflict and confrontation; and commitment to keeping up with the times instead of rejecting change. China's vision guides reforms of the global governance system and international system and injects positive energy into global uncertainty.

China has faithfully fulfilled its responsibility and mission as a permanent member of the UN Security Council. It has sent over 50,000 peacekeepers to UN peacekeeping operations and is now the second largest financial contributor to both the United Nations and UN peacekeeping operations. China stays committed to facilitating peaceful negotiations and advocates resolving disputes through peaceful means to settle significant hotspots such as the Ukraine crisis, the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, the Iranian nuclear issue, and Afghanistan. China maintains its commitment to promoting global security and has proposed the Global Security Initiative, winning praise and support from more than 70 countries.

China was among the first countries to meet the UN Millennium Development Goals. It has taken the lead in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, accounting for over 70% of global poverty reduction. We have used China's new achievements in development to provide the world with new opportunities, contributing over 30% of global growth on average. We have proposed a Global Development Initiative, set up the UN Peace and Development Trust Fund and expanded South-South cooperation, injecting strong impetus into human progress.

China has followed through with the Paris Agreement on climate change and declared its carbon peak and neutrality targets as well as new measures for nationally determined contributions, playing a key role in the cooperation on addressing climate change. It hosted the COP15 to the Convention on Biological Diversity and established the Kunming Biodiversity Fund, making it a firm player in global ecological governance. We have taken an active part in global digital governance and put forth the Global Initiative on Data Security to make the global digital governance system fairer and more equitable.

Recently, we have put forth related initiatives on food security and energy security, offering Chinese solutions to the world's challenges.

Here I want to make it clear that the reform of the global governance system is not intended to reinvent the wheel. Instead, it aims to make the system fairer and more equitable. The international order can only be underpinned by international law instead of the so-called rules drawn up by a few countries and the rules of a country or an organization. No matter how the global situation might have changed, China will neither change its resolve to practice genuine multilateralism nor change its efforts in improving global governance nor change its actions in pushing multilateral cooperation. Thank you.

CGTN:

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, Chinese Communists, with Comrade Xi Jinping as their chief representative, have offered an in-depth answer to address major questions both in theory and practice, achieving another leap forward in understanding the nature of socialism with Chinese characteristics. We note that several important innovative ideas and initiatives have been launched in the diplomatic field, such as building a community with a shared future for mankind. How has China implemented these ideas and initiatives in its diplomacy over the past decade? Thank you.

Ma Zhaoxu:

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee, with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, with an accurate understanding of the overarching global development trend and China's growth, has had a good understanding of China's relations with the rest of the world. The CPC Central Committee has provided answers to fundamental questions such as what a world we should build, what international relations we should develop, what diplomacy China needs, and how China carries out its diplomacy under new circumstances, making a series of major theoretical and practical innovations in the field of diplomacy.

Faced with the question of "what kind of world to build and how to build it," General Secretary Xi Jinping put forward the important concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind based on in-depth thinking about the future of humanity, thus charting the course for human development and progress. Building a community with a shared future for mankind is the general goal of China's diplomacy in the new era, and it has become a glorious banner leading the trend of the times.

The core of a community with a shared future for mankind is to build an open, inclusive, clean, and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security, and common prosperity. China is both an advocator and a practitioner of building a community with a shared future for mankind. We uphold the concept of a global community of development with a shared future, stay committed to achieving shared growth through extensive consultation and joint contribution, and keep taking forward the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). We have signed more than 200 documents on Belt and Road cooperation with 149 countries and 32 international organizations. Thanks to the BRI, East Africa has got its first expressway, the Maldives has a sea-crossing bridge, Laos has transformed itself from a landlocked to a land-linked country, and the China-Europe Railway Express has also become an important lifeline to ensure stable and smooth global logistics. Before the opening of the China-Laos Railway last year, Laotian students in China wrote a letter to General Secretary Xi Jinping to express their gratitude for the BRI.

When the once-in-a-century pandemic hit, we always stood at the forefront of international cooperation against the virus, shared epidemic prevention and control, and diagnosis and treatment plans with more than 180 countries and international organizations, sent 38 medical expert teams to 34 countries, and provided more than 2.2 billion doses of vaccines to more than 120 countries and international organizations. We carried out the largest global emergency humanitarian action since the founding of New China, in a bid to promote the building of a global community of health for all.

The building of a community with a shared future for mankind has been increasingly welcomed and supported by the international community. From China taking the lead to countries around the world joining the efforts, it has achieved great progress. When General Secretary Xi Jinping delivered a keynote speech titled "Building a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind" in Geneva, over 800 guests in attendance gave more than 30 bursts of warm applause within 47 minutes. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that the purpose of our practice of multilateralism is to build a community with a shared future for mankind. The concept is fully demonstrated in the documents of the United Nations and other international organizations. The building of a community with a shared future between China and Africa, China and Arab countries, China and Latin American and Caribbean countries, China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and China and Central Asian countries is also being actively promoted. Since last year, General Secretary Xi Jinping has successively proposed the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative, which have further enriched the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind.

At present, our world is living through accelerating changes unseen in a century and is entering a new period of volatility and transformation. Changes to the world, history, and our times are becoming more evident. Under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, we need to make innovation based on what has worked in the past, unremittingly promote innovation in diplomatic theory and practice through determined endeavors, and constantly break new ground for major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics. Thank you.

China Daily:

As stated in the introduction, foreign political parties pay close attention to "Xi Jinping: The Governance of China." How do they describe Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era? What do they focus on? Thank you.

Guo Yezhou:

Thank you for your questions. Over the past decade in the new era, one of the most profound impressions in Party's external work is that more and more foreign political parties have paid attention to China and the CPC, with their focus not only on China's development achievements but also on China's path and system. When exploring the key to success in China, they have focused more on the decisive role of the CPC's leadership. Moreover, they have paid much attention to its significance to the world when focusing on the influence on China of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.

Many foreign political parties agree that Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era has "raised the theoretical outcomes concerning economic and social development to the level of the rules of the evolution of human society." They also agree that the thought has "illustrated the concrete path to achieving the grand vision of humankind," "lighted the new dream of humanity's joint pursuit of a better life," and "contributed wisdom and strength to humanity's noble cause of peace and development." Some foreign Marxist parties hold that Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is "the Marxism of our times."

While speaking highly of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, foreign political parties of some countries have also put some of the ideas and policies into practice. For example, they have applied our "4+2" system, the democratic policy-making process on village affairs under the leadership of village Party organizations. ("4" means four steps: Proposals should be put forward by the Party branch, jointly discussed by the village committee and the Party branch, and deliberated by Party members, and villagers' representatives should adopt resolutions. "2" means transparency on two levels: resolutions and implementation results should be made known to the public.) They have taken the system of community-level self-governance in China directly into the practices of their own parties and have been very satisfied with the effects. Specifically, foreign political parties mainly focus on the following aspects.

First, they focus on the public products that the CPC provides to the international community in the new era. They believe that the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind, the Belt and Road Initiative, the Global Development Initiative, and the Global Security Initiative put forward by General Secretary Xi Jinping mark a new starting point for the development of China and the world. Moreover, they believe the initiatives formulate a good vision for building a better world, demonstrating the CPC's care about the well-being of humanity and its sense of responsibility for the international community.

Second, they focus on the values and ideas embodied in Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. They believe that the people-centered approach, targeted poverty alleviation, the pursuit of common prosperity, whole-process people's democracy and other ideas are thoroughly demonstrated in Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and are significant constituents of the new model for human progress created by Chinese people under the leadership of the CPC. Humanity's common values of peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom chart the course for the future development and are very important for safeguarding multilateralism and fostering a new type of international relations.

Third, they focus on the CPC's experience in state governance. They believe that under the leadership of the CPC, the impossible has been made achievable one by one in China. These experiences have provided valuable references for political parties to resolve challenges in governance and for developing countries to overcome difficulties in achieving modernization. Therefore, they all look forward to deepening the exchange of governance experiences with the CPC.

Fourth, they focus on the charm and wisdom reflected in the building of the CPC itself. They pay close attention to the CPC's experience and effective practices in exercising complete and strict self-governance of the Party and intensifying efforts to fight corruption. Many foreign Marxist parties agree that 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, with decisive significance, is the most important political achievement of the CPC in the new era. They believe that the CPC's thoughts and practices in self-reform have enhanced Marxist parties' awareness of thought, theory and action in building and strengthening the party.

Over the past decade, we have catered to these focuses of foreign political parties and strived to publicize and introduce Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. We believe that political parties, especially governing parties in all countries, should independently explore their own governance based on national and party conditions. Every kind of responsible exploration deserves respect. We have focused on strengthening communication and dialogue based on voluntarism, neither importing the models of other countries nor exporting the model of China. We value mutual learning and have learned about meaningful thoughts and explorations from foreign political parties. Such communication and dialogue aims to jointly develop governance capacity and work together to promote global governance efficacy. Thank you.

Global Times:

In recent years, the International Department of the CPC Central Committee has organized many global political parties' high-level meetings. We also see that the Party has been increasingly active and influential on the international stage. Can Mr. Guo briefly introduce the roles of the Party's external work in national foreign affairs?

Guo Yezhou:

Thank you for your concern about the major diplomatic activities of political parties. As I just mentioned in the press release, the Party maintains various forms of contact with more than 600 political parties and political organizations. A series of global high-level political parties' meetings, including the CPC in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-Level Meeting held in November 2017 and the CPC and World Political Parties Summit held in July 2021, are a comprehensive display of the Party's international circle of friends and also the broadest response by political parties from other countries to our Party's calls. General Secretary Xi Jinping attached great importance to and personally planned and guided these high-level dialogues and meetings to make them embody the advantages, duties and roles of our Party's external work.

General Secretary Xi Jinping noted that the Party's external work is an important front of the Party, an important part of the overall national diplomacy, and an important embodiment of major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the Party's external work has focused on the goal of rejuvenating the Chinese nation and promoting the progress of humanity and made important contributions to the continuing development of the CPC's endeavors and the overall national diplomacy.

We have built extensive and close ties with other political parties and continuously promoted the development of state-to-state relations. We have enhanced communication with ruling and opposition parties of other countries to maintain and promote the healthy and stable development of state-to-state relations. In the spirit of seeking common ground while shelving differences, respecting, and learning from each other, we have continuously strengthened solidarity and cooperation with political parties of developing countries and enhanced exchange and communication with political parties of developed countries. All these efforts are aimed at building a new type of relations between political parties and a new form of international relations, consolidate the network of global political party partnerships, and help improve the network of global partnerships.

We maintain a correct political orientation and take it as our mission to safeguard the Party's governance security and the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics. The Party has conscientiously fulfilled missions and responsibilities in conducting its external work. In response to issues involving China's core interests and major concerns, the Party has joined with political parties, think tanks, social organizations, and people with wisdom and foresight of other countries to express the voice of justice to safeguard our country's sovereignty, security, and developmental interests and work hard for a favorable external environment for advancing on a new great journey.

We keep in mind the mission of serving the people and actively support the implementation of national development strategies. The Party grounds its efforts in conducting external work in the new development stage, follows the new development philosophy, and fosters a new development paradigm in its diplomatic endeavors. The Party has further explored ways of exchanges between political parties and strengthened the alignment of development strategy, policy planning, and mechanism and platform through consultation and cooperation between political parties. With the needs of economic and social development as our compass, we have continuously enriched the content and methods of exchanges and worked hard to improve the efficiency of the Party's external work in serving the central work of the Party and country.

We are committed to promoting human progress and the building of a community with a shared future for humanity. The Party's external work fully reflects its strong sense of responsibility as a major political party in a major country. It has worked with political parties of other countries to enhance communication and mutual trust and seek common ground while respecting differences. They join hands to uphold international equity and justice, advocate and practice real multilateralism, and promote more fair and reasonable development of the global governance system. They pool wisdom and strength for building a better world, and promote the progress of human civilization together.

On the new journey to fully build a modern socialist China, the Party's external work will have a big role to play and usher in a new developmental stage. Please stay tuned. Thank you.

Reuters:

Chinese President Xi Jinping has asked Chinese diplomats to have more fighting spirit when dealing with other countries. Critics say that bilateral relations have suffered as a result. Going forward, will China continue with this combative approach in the next five years? Thank you.

Ma Zhaoxu:

Safeguarding China's sovereignty, security, and development interests is the sacred mission of Chinese diplomacy. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, we have established a strong line of defense for defending national interests and national dignity with a stronger will, more solid action, and more powerful measures, and we have the initiative of the country's development and security firmly in our own hands.

We have unequivocally defended the one-China principle, established and re-established diplomatic relations with nine countries, resolutely fought back against provocative acts regarding the Taiwan question, and consolidated consensus on the one-China principle among the international community. We have strongly prevented external forces from interfering in Hong Kong's affairs and reinforced the sound situation of Hong Kong going from disarray to good governance. We fiercely exposed lies about Xinjiang with facts and the truth, and defeated the political scheme of "using Xinjiang to contain China." We have steadily advanced consultations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea and maintained the overall stability of the situation in the South China Sea.

We have rejected any politicization or stigmatization associated with COVID-19, while more than 80 countries wrote letters and issued statements to oppose the politicization of the virus' origin tracing. At the United Nations Human Rights Council and the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly, we defeated the anti-China actions exploiting human rights issues seven times in a row, shaping a strong momentum where nearly a hundred countries supported China's just position and opposed interference with China's internal affairs on the pretext of human rights. After unremitting efforts, Ms. Meng Wanzhou, who was illegally detained for more than 1,000 days, safely returned to the motherland.

When we carry out diplomatic struggles, our targets are words and deeds that harm China's national interests and national dignity, and we defend our own legitimate rights and interests. What we oppose is hegemony and bullying, and we fight for fairness and justice in the world. We use our actions to tell the world that the era when the Chinese nation had been trampled on by other countries has long gone, and there is no power to stop China's development and advance. We have the confidence to take the initiative to fight, the backbone to defy hegemony, and the great spirit to uphold justice. The Chinese nation will not be intimidated or crushed, nor will it be taken in by fallacies or tremble in the face of danger. We will never sit by and watch our national interests be damaged, and no one should expect China to swallow anything that undermines our interests. Going forward, Chinese diplomacy will continue to overcome all odds and forge ahead bravely, and will always be a loyal guard of the interests of the country and the people. Thank you.

Channel NewsAsia:

Question from CNA. Chinese President Xi Jinping recently made his first overseas trip in more than two years, attending the SCO summit and meeting leaders from Central Asia. Some observers have described this visit as China's attempt to boost cooperation to check and balance the West. What's your comment on this? Do Chinese top leaders have plans to meet their counterparts from other regions like the U.S. in person, overseas, in the coming months? Thank you.

Ma Zhaoxu:

In the middle of this month, General Secretary Xi Jinping had great success in attending the 22nd meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO, and making state visits to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. General Secretary Xi Jinping stayed there for 48 hours, attended nearly 30 events, and met with leaders of 10 countries, which strongly promoted the development of the SCO and pushed relations between China and the relevant countries to a new level. As for foreign trips by Chinese leaders going forward, if there is any relevant news, we will publish it in a timely manner. Please be sure to closely follow the press conferences of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In the past decade, General Secretary Xi Jinping took the lead in practicing and setting a personal example, and carried out a series of brilliant and fruitful diplomatic efforts with heads of states.

When General Secretary Xi Jinping visited Russia in March 2013, he proposed for the first time to promote the establishment of a new type of international relations. He proposed the Belt and Road Initiative during his visits to Kazakhstan and Indonesia in the fall of 2013. In 2015, he proposed jointly building a community with a shared future for mankind at the UN General Assembly. In 2017, he systematically elaborated on the profound connotations of and path to jointly building a community with a shared future for mankind at the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG). When he attended the General Debate of the 76th Session of the UN General Assembly and the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2022, he proposed the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative, respectively, to provide Chinese solutions for strengthening global governance.

General Secretary Xi Jinping has said that actions hold the key to building a community with a shared future for mankind. Over the past decade, General Secretary Xi Jinping has made 42 visits abroad, covering 69 countries on five continents, and received over 100 heads of state and government at home. He once made four overseas visits in a month and chaired 70 bilateral and multilateral events in a week. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, General Secretary Xi Jinping has actively carried out "cloud diplomacy." He made 181 phone calls with foreign leaders and heads of international organizations and participated in 78 major diplomatic activities via video link. This February, China successfully hosted the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. We have carried out Winter Olympics diplomacy. General Secretary Xi Jinping hosted over 20 bilateral events with visiting world leaders who all found their trips to Beijing pleasant and satisfying. This June, General Secretary Xi Jinping chaired the 14th BRICS Summit and the High-level Dialogue on Global Development via video link. This has steered high-quality development of the BRICS to a new era and taken solidarity among emerging markets and developing countries to new heights. General Secretary Xi Jinping once said, "frequent overseas trips may be exhausting, but we are repaid with a broader network of friends." Chinese netizens said, "we are seeing the world by following President Xi." All of these have demonstrated the irreplaceable role and strategic value of head-of-state diplomacy.

General Secretary Xi Jinping has made friends all over the world and shared with them the stories of China. He has kept a 30-plus-year-long friendship with his friends in the state of Iowa in the U.S., setting an example of the Chinese saying "only from hearts can friendship lasts forever." General Secretary Xi cited the changes taking place in Liangjiahe village as an example of the historical achievements that the Party has made over the past century. He used the metaphor "whether the shoe fits or not, only the wearer knows" to explain that China has adopted the development path suited to its national realities, which helped the international community to better understand China. These demonstrated General Secretary Xi Jinping's leadership and charisma, positioning him as an approachable leader who values integrity and friendship. It also showcased his international vision of "developing ourselves to help others with the well-being of the world in our mind." Thank you.

Phoenix TV:

How does the CPC carry out exchanges with ruling parties of socialist countries and other left-wing political parties such as Marxist political parties? What progress has been made in exchanges and interactions? Thank you.

Guo Yezhou:

Thank you for your question. It is known that political parties are the principal players in political life in most countries. They are the source of the policy decision-making process, influencers of public opinions, and representatives of social consensus. The special and important position of ruling parties in socialist countries has determined the vital importance of exchanges and dialogues among these parties. The commitment to communist parties' leadership and exploring socialist development paths suited to respective national conditions are the defining features of exchanges between the CPC and ruling parties of other socialist countries. We have carried out multi-level exchanges with ruling parties in DPRK, Vietnam, Laos, and Cuba, such as high-level visits, sending special envoys, briefing on major issues, making exchanges between party organizations at all levels and relevant departments, and institutionalizing theoretical seminars. These high-level exchanges were held in various forms, covering a wide range of topics and had a profound influence, of which the top-level strategic exchanges provided defining political guidance for state-to-state relations.

Our Party has also actively carried out exchanges with other left-wing political parties, including Marxist political parties across the world. We held the seminar commemorating the 200th anniversary of Marx's birth and the CPC and World Marxist Political Parties Forum, among others. We conducted theoretical exchanges and policy dialogues so as to uphold our original aspirations and keep our missions in mind.

We have carried out dialogues and exchanges with ruling parties of other socialist countries and Marxist political parties in order to support the development of state-to-state relations, deepen the friendship between our peoples, and push forward the progress of human civilization. These dialogues and exchanges will help us enhance our understanding of governance by a communist party, the development of socialism, and the evolution of human society. During dialogues and exchanges, we respect the independent  explorations of all Marxist political parties. We never interfere with the internal affairs of other parties through exchanges and dialogues, nor the internal affairs of other countries through party-to-party exchanges. Through dialogues and exchanges, we strive to jointly explore the development paths of socialism in light of our respective national realities, and ways to adapt Marxism to our national conditions and our times. In the meantime, through dialogues and exchanges with ruling parties of other socialist countries and Marxist political parties, we feel more strongly than ever that Marxism is full of vitality and that socialism enjoys a promising future. Thank you.

Xinhua News Agency:

I would like to learn about the exchanges between the CPC and the political parties in developing countries, especially neighboring countries, and what achievements have been made through these exchanges? Thank you.

Guo Yezhou:

This also involves the Party's foreign exchanges. We are connected with neighboring countries by mountains and rivers. China and its neighbors are geographically linked, our peoples are connected by kinship, and our cultures enjoy a natural affinity, which is an outstanding advantage for China to have exchanges and dialogues with the political parties in its neighboring countries.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, our Party has upheld the principle of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit, and inclusiveness put forward by General Secretary Xi Jinping, and implemented the important consensus on developing bilateral ties reached by top leaders through various forms, including visits of delegations, exchanges of correspondence, and other online and offline activities. The Party's external work has covered almost all neighboring countries and their political parties, writing a new chapter for the CPC and parties from China's neighboring countries to enjoy mutual respect, deepened friendships, mutual learning, and mutual support.

Through exchanges with political parties in neighboring countries, we have actively stepped up the implementation of major concepts and initiatives put forward by General Secretary Xi Jinping in China's neighboring countries and advanced the building of a neighborhood community with a shared future to a new level. Through inter-party exchanges, we have facilitated the accurate dovetailing of development strategies between China and other countries and promoted cooperation on key projects, so as to improve people's livelihoods. We have worked to create a synergy between the BRI and development strategies of other countries, advanced the implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, and tightened the bond of interests between countries in the region. We have exchanged governance experience on issues of common concern, such as Party building, economic development, and poverty reduction and alleviation, so as to jointly improve our respective governance capabilities. We have also actively explored close cooperation under bilateral and multilateral dialogue mechanisms to promote a new type of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness, justice, and win-win cooperation, thus improving regional and global governance.

Exchanging with the political parties of developing countries is an important pillar of our Party's external work, accounting for over 75% of the total number of foreign parties regularly exchanging with the CPC. China faces similar historic opportunities and development tasks, and has a similar desire for regional and international peace and security with other developing countries. We also share many common topics. The principle of sincerity, real results, amity, and good faith as well as the principle of pursuing the greater good and shared interests proposed by General Secretary Xi Jinping have resonated deeply with parties of developing countries.

In our exchanges with political parties in other developing countries, we have always supported each other in exploring development paths suited to our national conditions and conducted in-depth discussions on issues of common interests, such as targeted poverty alleviation, rural revitalization, and green development. Through political party, we have promoted practical cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, boosted regional development, jointly coped with the challenges facing the world economy, and followed the path of common development and prosperity. We have shared experience in party and state governance and discussed ways to address global challenges, through various forms of dialogue between political parties as well as dialogue mechanisms between political parties in China and the ones in Africa, Latin America (CELAC), Central and Eastern Europe, Arab countries, Central Asia, and Pacific island countries. The concept of a community with a shared future for mankind, the concept of global governance, and the new security outlook put forward by the general secretary have won widespread approval from political parties of developing countries.

At last, I would like to say that China will always be a member of the team of developing countries. The CPC will always be a good friend, good brother, and a good partner to political parties of developing countries.

N Video from Southern Metropolis Daily:

As more and more Chinese citizens and companies go abroad, their first thought is the motherland and seeking help from Chinese embassies and consulates abroad when they are in trouble. I would like to ask, how does Chinese diplomacy deliver on the commitment of "diplomacy for the people" and protect legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies and citizens overseas? Thank you.

Ma Zhaoxu:

Since the 18th National Congress, as people-to-people exchanges and China's overseas interests have constantly expanded, the duties and responsibilities guided by the commitment of "diplomacy for the people" have become heavier and heavier. We have always adhered to the CPC's fundamental tenet of serving the people wholeheartedly, providing safe havens for overseas compatriots. The motherland will always be the strong backing of the Chinese people.

We have actively supported the construction of the new development paradigm and continuously facilitated exchanges between Chinese and foreign personnel. We have efficiently coordinated relations between epidemic prevention and control and economic and social development, overcome difficulties brought by the epidemic, established "fast tracks" for necessary personnel exchanges, and built "green channels" for the transportation of emergency materials.

We have constantly improved our consular service network to effectively address people's needs and worries. More than 280 embassies and consular agencies around the world have provided consular services to overseas Chinese citizens. We have further promoted the transformation and upgrading of consular services, significantly reduced fees for Chinese citizens to obtain relevant documents, innovatively conducted overseas remote video notarization, and comprehensively launched the mobile application "China Consular Affairs." We have rolled out a set of convenient services, such as online processing of overseas passports and travel permits, online verification of consular certification, and online appointment of marriage registration, to free people from going on errands through wider use of online services. The Chinese passport has become increasingly useful, making it easier for Chinese citizens to go abroad to visit family members and relatives, travel, or conduct business. According to some netizens, a Chinese passport not only leads you to a wider world, but also brings you home safely.

We have constantly strengthened the implementation of the "Peaceful China Initiative" overseas and strived to ensure the safety of overseas Chinese citizens and institutions. The Global Emergency Call Center for Consular Protection and Services of the Foreign Ministry has provided round-the-clock assistance to overseas citizens. Consular protection will follow Chinese citizens wherever they go. Over the past decade, we have organized more than 10 emergency evacuations of our overseas citizens. In just a few days after the beginning of the Ukraine crisis, we have opened "life passages" and safely evacuated more than 5,200 Chinese citizens. Since the outbreak of the epidemic, Chinese embassies and consulates abroad have distributed "Spring Festival packages" and "health kits" to overseas compatriots in more than 170 countries and helped more than 4.6 million overseas Chinese citizens get vaccinated through the "Spring Seedlings Initiative." After receiving a letter for help from a Chinese student with disabilities, the Chinese Embassy in the United States immediately delivered "health kits" to him. The student was so moved that he shed tears and thanked his motherland in sign language.

We will shoulder serving the people as the abiding mission of Chinese diplomats and put it into practice, and make every effort to safeguard the security and legitimate rights and interests of overseas Chinese citizens and institutions. Thank you.

Beijing Youth Daily:

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that "to understand China today, one must learn to understand the Communist Party of China." We all know that telling the story of the CPC is an important task of the IDCPC. Can you give us a brief introduction to this work? Thank you.

Guo Yezhou:

Thank you for your question. As China has moved closer to the center of the world stage, a series of major theoretical and practical accomplishments of the Party has got a lot of attention from the international community. In particular, foreign political parties want to know the thoughts and actions of the CPC. They have more observations and deep thoughts about the CPC's governance of China and want to hear more from the CPC. In this context, it is the responsibility of us, the international department, to perform duties, leverage our strengths, respond to concerns, and provide more information as well as better tell stories about CPC to the international society. These are integral principles and responsibilities of the Party's external work.

We tell stories that follow in the footsteps of the general secretary. Among the CPC stories, the most important ones are those of General Secretary Xi Jinping. In recent years, at the request of foreign political parties and dignitaries, we have invited many foreign political leaders to visit places, either online or in person, where General Secretary Xi Jinping once worked or personally paid attention to, such as Shibadong village of Xiangxi Tujia and Miao autonomous prefecture in Hunan province, Xiaqi village in Ningde city of Fujian province, and Liangjiahe village of Yanchuan county in Shaanxi province. In this way, foreign political leaders can see for themselves the whole process of how the Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era came into being, developed, and was put into practice.

We tell stories in response to the needs of the international society. We listen carefully to the concerns of foreign political parties and leaders to understand their interests in the CPC and strive to provide the information they need in their areas of interest. For example, in response to the need of foreign political parties to understand CPC's major political agenda, we have held hundreds of briefings around the 18th and 19th CPC National Congress, as well as plenary sessions of the CPC Central Committee. In response to the needs of developing countries who want to know CPC's experience in governing the country, we have held a series of thematic briefings in cooperation with relevant provinces (municipalities and autonomous regions), focusing on targeted poverty alleviation, common prosperity, new development philosophy, supply-side structural reform, and other topics of interest to foreign parties. We not only introduce what we think but also show how we have done it, what results have been achieved, and what needs to be improved.

We tell stories about community-level governance. The Chinese people working hard to realize their dreams under the leadership of the Party is the most exciting chapter in the story of the CPC. Foreign political parties and leaders pay attention to the top-level political design of CPC's governance of the country, as well as the day-to-day governance practice at the community level. To this end, we broadcasted live globally the meetings of the standing committees of the county party committees and the villages' representative assemblies. We invited village branch secretaries of the CPC, ordinary Party members, and ordinary villagers to tell their stories, demonstrating the CPC's democratic and scientific decision-making process and how farmers got rid of poverty. It also helps foreign political parties and leaders understand why the CPC is capable of governing the country and why socialism with Chinese characteristics works.

Under the leadership of the CPC, historic achievements and changes have been made in the building of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era. The past decade in the new era has been extraordinary. The CPC has numerous great and exciting stories. The IDCPC will continue to work hard for the Party's external work and better tell these good stories. Thank you.

Chen Wenjun:

Thank you, Mr. Guo and Mr. Ma, and thanks to all reporters. Today's press conference is concluded. Goodbye!

Translated and edited by Zhang Liying, Wang Qian, Liu Sitong, Zhou Jing, Li Huiru, Duan Yaying, Ma Yujia, Yan Bin, Wang Wei, Wang Yanfang, Xu Kailin, Yang Xi, Yuan Fang, Zhang Rui, Huang Shan, Cui Can, Zhang Tingting, Wang Yiming, Qin Qi, David Ball, Tom Arnsten, and Jay Birbeck. In case of any discrepancy between the English and Chinese texts, the Chinese version is deemed to prevail.

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Read in Chinese

Speakers:

Mr. Chen Yuanfeng, deputy director of the Taiwan Work Office of the CPC Central Committee

Mr. Ma Xiaoguang, director general of the Publicity Bureau and spokesperson of the Taiwan Work Office of the CPC Central Committee

Mr. Qiu Kaiming, director general of the Research Bureau of the Taiwan Work Office of the CPC Central Committee

Ms. Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson of the Taiwan Work Office of the CPC Central Committee

Chairperson:

Mr. Chen Wenjun, spokesperson of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee

Date:

Sept. 21, 2022

Chen Wenjun: 

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to this press conference. Today, we are holding the 35th press conference under the theme of China in the past decade. We have invited Mr. Chen Yuanfeng, deputy director of the Taiwan Work Office of the CPC Central Committee, to brief you on achievements in Taiwan work and cross-Strait relations since the 18th CPC National Congress and take your questions. Also joining us today are Mr. Ma Xiaoguang, director general of the Publicity Bureau and spokesperson of the Taiwan Work Office of the CPC Central Committee; Mr. Qiu Kaiming, director general of the Research Bureau of the Taiwan Work Office of the CPC Central Committee; and Ms. Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson of the Taiwan Work Office of the CPC Central Committee.

Now, let's give the floor to Mr. Chen Yuanfeng for his introduction.

Chen Yuanfeng:

Friends from the press, let me begin by welcoming you to the press conference on work related to Taiwan. On behalf of the Taiwan Work Office of the CPC Central Committee, I would like to take this opportunity to express our appreciation for your long-term care, concern and support. Now, I will briefly introduce the major achievements in Taiwan work and cross-Strait relations in the past 10 years, as well as the important experience we have drawn from that. 

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has pursued the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation amid profound global changes unseen in a century. With an accurate understanding of the changes at home and abroad, the CPC Central Committee has adopted innovative theories and measures in all respects on Taiwan-related work, continued to chart the course of cross-Strait relations, safeguard peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and promoted progress toward national reunification. General Secretary Xi Jinping put forward a series of new concepts, thoughts and strategies as well as major policies on Taiwan-related work. He published a series of important remarks and gave a series of important instructions, thus developing the Party's overall policy for solving the Taiwan question in the new era, and setting out the overarching guideline and a program of action. 

In the past decade, a historic breakthrough has been made in cross-Strait political exchanges. We have facilitated the first meeting and direct dialogue between leaders of the two sides since 1949, raising exchanges and interactions to new heights, which is a new milestone for cross-Strait relations. The departments in charge of cross-Strait affairs on both sides have established regular contact and communication mechanisms on a common political foundation, and the heads of the two departments have exchanged visits and set up hotlines.

In the past decade, a new dimension has been opened up in cross-Strait dialogue and negotiation. Upholding the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus, the CPC and the Chinese government have facilitated exchanges between political parties across the Strait, and conducted dialogues, consultations and in-depth exchanges of views on cross-Strait relations and the future of the Chinese nation with relevant political parties, organizations and individuals in Taiwan. These efforts have resulted in consensus on multiple issues, and promoted a number of joint initiatives exploring the "two systems" solution to the Taiwan question with all sectors of Taiwan society.

Over the past decade, Taiwan compatriots on the Chinese mainland have gradually enjoyed equal treatment and development opportunities. Guided by the people-centered development philosophy and conviction that people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are of the same family, the CPC and the Chinese government have promoted peaceful development of cross-Strait relations and integrated development of the two sides for the benefit of both the mainland and Taiwan. We have also refined the institutional arrangements, policies and measures to promote cross-Strait exchanges and cooperation, designed to advance the well-being of Taiwan residents. These include electronic travel passes for Taiwan residents to enter or leave the mainland, the delivery of water from the coastal province of Fujian to Kinmen Island, residence permits for Taiwan residents, progressively ensuring that Taiwan compatriots have equal access to public services so as to facilitate their studying, starting businesses, working and living on the mainland, and an ongoing effort to pave the way for Taiwan to benefit first from the mainland's development opportunities.

Over the past decade, cross-Strait trade and Taiwan investment on the mainland have grown significantly. The volume of cross-Strait trade increased from $160.03 billion in 2011 to $328.34 billion in 2021, doubling in 10 years. Taiwan businesses had invested in 85,772 projects as of 2011, while in 2021 the number rose to 124,142, up by 44.7%. The mainland is the largest export market for Taiwan, the largest source of trade surplus, and the largest destination for Taiwan's off-island investment.

Over the past decade, cross-Strait people-to-people exchanges from all walks of life have continued to expand. While countering interference and obstruction from separatist forces, we have called on the people of Taiwan to promote effective and in-depth cooperation and people-to-people exchanges in various fields across the strait. We have held a number of exchange events such as the Straits Forum, Shanghai-Taipei City Forum, and Straits Youth Forum and maintained the momentum of cross-Strait exchanges and cooperation. In 2011, 7.1 million cross-Strait visits were made, of which 5.26 million trips were from Taiwan to the mainland. In 2019, the total number of cross-Strait visits reached 9 million, including over 6 million visits from Taiwan to the mainland. In the past three years, affected by COVID-19, online communication has become the main form of people-to-people interactions across the Strait, and the numbers of people participating in and covered by online communication are reaching new highs.

Over the past decade, we have been constantly strengthening opposition to Taiwan independence and advancing national reunification. We have been resolute in defending national sovereignty and territorial integrity and opposing separatist activities and external interference. We have safeguarded peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the fundamental interests of the Chinese nation. We have taken lawful action against and effectively deterred separatist forces. We have handled Taiwan's external exchanges in a sound manner, and consolidated the international community's commitment to the one-China principle.

Under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core and guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, work related to Taiwan has seen important progress in the past 10 years. These achievements made on the basis of acting on General Secretary Xi Jinping's important remarks on the work related to Taiwan are an important part of the historic achievements and changes in the cause of the Party and the country. This process has fully demonstrated that we must adhere to the Party's leadership and firmly uphold Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and uphold the Central Committee's authority and its centralized, unified leadership in the work on Taiwan; we must adhere to the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus; we must firmly oppose any separatist activities seeking "Taiwan independence" and never allow any individual or force to separate Taiwan from China; we must resolutely oppose foreign interference and resolutely defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity; we must coordinate the resolution of the Taiwan question and the realization of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and resolutely advance the process of the reunification of China; we must strive for the well-being of all Chinese people, including those in Taiwan, and to realize the aspirations of all Chinese people for a better life; we must follow the principles of freeing the mind and seeking truth from facts to adopt new and innovative measures in relation to Taiwan; we must have the courage and skill to fight against any force that attempts to undermine China's sovereignty and territorial integrity or stands in the way of its reunification; and we must uphold extensive unity and solidarity to mobilize all factors to fight against any force that would divide the country, and pool strengths to make historic achievements in advancing national reunification.

Today, as China and the world experience profound changes, realizing China's complete reunification is facing new challenges. The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation has entered an irreversible historical process. The time, momentum, and righteousness of reunification are on the side of the Chinese mainland. In the new era, our resolve to realize national reunification in the face of provocation from secessionists and external forces is even stronger. The trend of China's reunification cannot be altered by any disruptions or obstructions. We will follow the general guidelines of the CPC in solving the Taiwan question and the decisions and arrangements made by the CPC Central Committee on work related to Taiwan. We will defeat separatism and external interference, make concrete efforts to promote peaceful cross-Strait relations, integrate the development of the two sides, and work toward national reunification. We will join hands with our compatriots in Taiwan to strive for national reunification and rejuvenation.

This is all of my opening remarks. Next, my colleagues and I are ready to answer your questions. Thank you.

Chen Wenjun:

Thank you, Mr. Chen. Now the floor is open to questions. Please identify the news outlet you represent before raising your questions.

China Media Group:

The white paper titled The Taiwan Question and China's Reunification in the New Era, published this August, mentioned the practice of one country, two systems in Taiwan. What benefits will peaceful reunification and one country, two systems bring to the Taiwan region and Taiwan compatriots?

I'll take this question. Peaceful reunification and one country, two systems are our basic principles for resolving the Taiwan question and the best approach to realizing national reunification. It embodies the Chinese wisdom that we thrive by embracing each other. In designing the specifics for implementing one country, two systems after peaceful reunification, we will give full consideration to the realities in Taiwan and the views and proposals from all walks of life on both sides. Furthermore, we will fully accommodate the interests and sentiments of our compatriots in Taiwan. To realize peaceful reunification, we must acknowledge that the mainland and Taiwan have their own distinct social systems and ideologies. The one country, two systems principle is the most inclusive solution to this problem. It is an approach grounded in democratic principles, demonstrates goodwill, seeks peaceful resolution of the Taiwan question, and delivers mutual benefit. Once peaceful reunification is achieved under one country, two systems, it will create huge opportunities for social and economic development in Taiwan and bring tangible benefits to the people of Taiwan.

After reunification, the Taiwan region may practice a social system different from that of the mainland, and Taiwan compatriots will be able to live and work in peace and tranquility, as the central government will be in a better position to take care of them. Provided that China's sovereignty, security, and development interests are guaranteed, Taiwan's social system and its way of life after reunification will be fully respected, and the private property, religious beliefs, and lawful rights and interests of the people in Taiwan will be fully protected. All Taiwan compatriots who support the reunification of the country and rejuvenation of the nation will be the masters of the region, contributing to and benefiting from China's development.

After reunification, the systems and mechanisms for cross-Strait economic cooperation will improve further. Supported by the vast mainland market, Taiwan's economy will enjoy broader prospects, become more competitive, develop steadier and smoother industrial and supply chains, and display greater vitality in innovation-driven growth. Many problems that have long afflicted Taiwan's economy and its people will be resolved through integrated cross-Strait development with all possible connections between the two sides. Taiwan's fiscal revenues can be better employed to improve living standards, bringing real benefits to the people and resolving their difficulties.

After reunification, Taiwan's cultural creativity will also enjoy a great boost. Both sides of the Taiwan Strait share the culture and ethos of the Chinese nation. Nourished by Chinese civilization, Taiwan's regional culture will flourish and prosper.

After reunification, Taiwan will have a greater space for development, and the people of Taiwan will enjoy greater security and dignity. They will stand upright and firmly within the international community. They will share the pride of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation with the people of the mainland.

We want to reiterate the fact that peaceful cross-Strait reunification will not harm the legitimate interests of any other country, including any economic interests they might have in Taiwan. On the contrary, it will bring more development opportunities to all countries. It will create more positive momentum for prosperity and stability in the Asia-Pacific region and the rest of the world. Moreover, it will contribute to building a human community with a shared future, promoting world peace and development, and propelling human progress. Thank you.

China Daily:

Recently, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities have been preaching the idea that the two sides across the Strait should not be subordinate to each other. Meanwhile, the U.S. has been obscuring and hollowing out the one-China principle. Considering current cross-Strait relations, how do you understand the nature of the Taiwan question and interpret the one-China principle?

Qiu Kaiming:

Good morning, everyone. I'll take this question. The current situation across the Taiwan Strait remains severe and complex due to the island's DPP authorities colluding with some forces in the U.S. to seek the independence of the island. Meanwhile, some forces in the U.S., motivated by a hegemonic mindset and a Cold War mentality, have intensified their efforts to use Taiwan to contain the development of the mainland. The DPP authorities have promoted the idea that the two sides across the Strait should not be subordinate to each other. Meanwhile, the U.S. has been obscuring and hollowing out the one-China principle for its own political gain. Such moves attempt to distort the nature of the Taiwan question and deny the one-China principle.

Taiwan has belonged to China since ancient times. This statement has a sound basis in history and jurisprudence. Many historical records and annals document the development of Taiwan by the Chinese people in earlier periods. They also demonstrate that since the middle of the 12th century, the imperial central governments of China all set up administrative bodies to exercise jurisdiction over Penghu and Taiwan.

The emergence and evolution of the Taiwan question have been inextricably interwoven with the history of the Chinese nation since China entered modern times. Following the Opium War starting in 1840, China suffered an invasion by Western powers and was plunged into the darkness of domestic turmoil and foreign aggression. Its people, ravaged by war, saw their homeland torn apart. Taiwan was under foreign occupation for half a century. The Cairo Declaration issued by China, the United States and the United Kingdom in 1943 stated that it was the purpose of the three allies that all the territories Japan had stolen from China, including Taiwan and the Penghu Islands, should be restored to China. The Potsdam Proclamation signed in 1945 reiterated: The terms of the Cairo Declaration shall be carried out. In 1945, the Chinese people, including Taiwan compatriots, fought bloody battles with unyielding determination and won the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. Taiwan was thus recovered and returned to the motherland.

On October 1, 1949, the People's Republic of China (PRC) was founded, becoming the successor to the Republic of China, and the Central People's Government became the only legitimate government of the whole of China. The new government replaced the previous KMT regime in a situation where China, as a subject under international law, did not change and China's sovereignty and inherent territory did not change. As a natural result, the government of the PRC should enjoy and exercise China's full sovereignty, which includes its sovereignty over Taiwan. As a result of the civil war and the interference of external forces, the two sides of the Taiwan Strait have fallen into a state of protracted political confrontation.

At its 26th session in October 1971, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 2758, which undertook to restore all the rights to the People's Republic of China and to recognize the representatives of its Government as the only legitimate representatives of China to the United Nations. This resolution settled once and for all the political, legal and procedural issues of China's representation in the UN, and it covered the whole country, including Taiwan. It also spelled out that China has one single seat in the UN, so there is no such thing as two Chinas or one China, one Taiwan. The United Nations and its specialized agencies all follow the one-China principle in dealing with questions concerning Taiwan. To date, 181 countries have established diplomatic relations with the PRC on the basis of the one-China principle. The one-China principle represents the universal consensus of the international community; it is consistent with the basic norms of international relations.

History, jurisprudence and international reality have all proven that the truth that Taiwan is part of China and both the mainland and Taiwan belong to one China has never been changed and can't be changed. Although the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are yet to be reunified, the sovereignty and territory of China have never been divided. Motivated by its nature of pursuing Taiwan independence and political gains, the DPP authorities profess that Taiwan and the mainland should not be subordinate to each other and that the status of Taiwan has yet to be determined. Their attempt to deny or dispute the one-China principle distorts the facts and confuses the public.

The Taiwan question is an internal affair of China and no external interference will be tolerated. Diplomatic relations between China and the U.S. are premised on dealing with Taiwan-related issues prudently and properly, and the one-China principle is the political foundation of China-US bilateral relations. The three China-U.S. joint communiques clearly describe the U.S.' commitments on the Taiwan issue. The U.S. side explicitly declared in the Shanghai Communique released in 1972 that the United States acknowledges that all Chinese on either side of the Taiwan Strait maintain there is but one China and that Taiwan is a part of China. The United States Government does not challenge that position. The China-U.S. Joint Communique on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations, published in 1978, states: The United States of America recognizes the Government of the People's Republic of China as the sole legal Government of China. Within this context, the people of the United States will maintain cultural, commercial, and other unofficial relations with the people of Taiwan. It also states: The Government of the United States of America acknowledges the Chinese position that there is but one China and Taiwan is part of China. However, the U.S. has constantly clouded the one-China principle in recent years. They are breaching their commitments on the one-China principle and turning their backs on the wheel of history. We firmly oppose this. We urge the U.S. side to adhere to the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiques, and deal with Taiwan-related issues prudently and properly.

Just as the white paper says: We are one China, and Taiwan is part of China. This is an indisputable fact supported by history and the law. Taiwan has never been a state; its status as part of China is unalterable. Any attempt to distort these facts and dispute or deny the one-China principle will fail. Thank you.

People's Daily:

Mr. Ma Xiaoguang just introduced the white paper entitled The Taiwan Question and China's Reunification in the New Era, and published in August, and said that the principles of peaceful reunification and one country, two systems will bring tangible benefits for Taiwan's economic and social development and Taiwan compatriots. I have two questions. Why did you publish the white paper at this time? What new expressions does the white paper include on China's policy and stance to achieve national reunification in the new era? Thank you.

Chen Yuanfeng:

I will answer your questions. Mr. Ma just introduced what benefits will be brought following the principles of peaceful reunification and one country, two systems. The white paper also gives a relatively thorough description of the content. After achieving peaceful reunification and one country, two systems, we will conduct in-depth communication and exchanges with all sectors of Taiwan society to explore the "two systems" solution to the Taiwan question.

On Aug. 10, the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council and the State Council Information Office jointly released a white paper titled The Taiwan Question and China's Reunification in the New Era. On the same day, the spokesperson of the Taiwan Work Office of the CPC Central Committee was authorized to remark on the white paper. Here, I would like to brief you on the relevant issues.  

First, the publication of the white paper is most relevant and of great significance. The Chinese government has published two white papers on Taiwan previously. One was The Taiwan Question and Reunification of China in August 1993, and the other was The One-China Principle and the Taiwan Issue in February 2000. These two white papers comprehensively and systematically elaborated the basic principles and policies regarding resolving the Taiwan question. Over the past two decades and more, especially since the 18th CPC National Congress, theories on national reunification and principles and policies concerning Taiwan have been continuously enriched and developed. General Secretary Xi Jinping has proposed a series of major concepts, policies and propositions on work related to Taiwan. The CPC's overall policy for resolving the Taiwan question in the new era has been developed, providing the overarching action guideline in this regard. An unstoppable force now drives China's national rejuvenation, and we are better positioned, more confident and capable of accomplishing the great cause of national reunification. In recent years, however, Taiwan's DPP authorities have redoubled their efforts to divide the country, and some external forces have gone all out to exploit Taiwan to contain China and try to prevent the Chinese nation from achieving complete reunification and national rejuvenation. Facing the new situation, it is necessary to publish a new white paper on national reunification to further reiterate that Taiwan is part of China. The paper demonstrates the firm resolve of the CPC and the Chinese people and their strong commitment to national reunification. It elaborates on the position and policies of the CPC and the Chinese government in the new era to promote the country's reunification.

Second, the content of the white paper are comprehensive and systematic, with prominent highlights. Based on the overall goal of national rejuvenation and global changes on a scale unseen in a century, the white paper has presented a thorough account of Taiwan's history. It comprehensively summarized the CPC's struggle for complete national reunification as well as its major achievements and valuable experiences. It exposed and denounced the DPP authorities' intensified provocation designed to divide the country and the desperate acts and fallacies of the U.S. when it plays the Taiwan card. The white paper has systematically elaborated the major principles and policies followed by the CPC and the Chinese government in the new era to facilitate national reunification and unequivocally clarified the bright prospect of Taiwan after peaceful reunification in accordance with the principle one country, two systems. It demonstrates our full confidence in achieving complete national reunification, resolute resolve to oppose Taiwan independence separatist forces and external interference, and consistent aspiration to ensure the wellbeing of Chinese people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

Third, the white paper is most relevant to fighting against any forces seeking Taiwan Independence and promoting national reunification. Amid the current complicated international landscape and grim situation across the Taiwan Strait, the white paper is conducive to exposing and denouncing the vicious provocation of any collusion between the Taiwan independence separatist forces and external forces to undermine China's sovereignty and territorial integrity as well as to obstruct and sabotage China's process toward national reunification. It is conducive to demonstrating the position and attitude of the CPC and the Chinese government to continue to strive for peaceful reunification with utmost sincerity and effort. The white paper also helps boost the spirit of the whole Party and Chinese people of all ethnic groups to press ahead with national reunification, strengthen the confidence and courage of anti-separatism and pro-reunification forces in Taiwan and those staying abroad, and pool strengths into a mighty force to support and promote the great cause.

Fourth, the white paper will help unite our compatriots in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao and overseas to work together for the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations and the great cause of peaceful national reunification. Peaceful cross-Strait reunification benefits not only the Chinese nation and Chinese people, but all other peoples and the international community as a whole. We hope that our compatriots in Taiwan will stand on the right side of history, fully consider the position and role of Taiwan in China's rejuvenation, and actively participate in the just cause of China's peaceful reunification. We hope that our compatriots in Hong Kong, Macao and overseas will make new contributions to promoting the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations and the peaceful reunification of the country. We also hope that the international community will abide by the one-China principle, properly handle Taiwan-related questions, and understand and support the Chinese people's just cause of opposing separatist forces seeking Taiwan independence and striving for national reunification. Thank you.

ETtoday:

What progress has been made in cross-Strait people-to-people exchanges and cooperation and communication in various other fields in recent years? What can be done to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on cross-Strait exchanges? In addition, we have seen that an increasing number of young people from Taiwan come to the mainland to study and work. What has been done to attract them to the mainland? Thank you.

Zhu Fenglian:

Thank you for your attention to ordinary and young people on both sides of the Strait. Indeed, cross-Strait relations are internally driven forward by non-government sectors and the youth. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, we have worked with local governments and relevant departments to earnestly implement the important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping as well as the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee, continuously expanded cross-Strait exchanges and cooperation in various fields, and enhanced the kinship and wellbeing of compatriots on both sides of the Strait, thus lending strong internal impetus to the growth of cross-Strait relations. We have summarized the following four aspects:

First, the belief that compatriots across the Strait should promote exchanges, cooperation, and development has been widely supported. The pattern for cross-Strait exchanges enjoys a solid and stable foundation. Cross-Strait interactions and exchanges in various sectors are expanding, and a wide-ranging, multi-tiered pattern for communication has been built. In 2015, China removed entry permit requirements for Taiwan residents traveling to the mainland and began issuing electronic travel passes to them, further facilitating cross-Strait communication and leading to a peak of 9.85 million trips that year. Since 2020, due to COVID-19 and political obstructions set by Taiwan's DPP authorities, online communication has become the main form of cross-Strait exchange. Nearly 1,000 exchange activities have been held both online and offline by compatriots across the Strait from all walks of life. 

Second, the policy of equal treatment has been deepened and refined to support more Taiwan compatriots to pursue, build, and achieve their dreams on the mainland. We worked with all localities and government departments to introduce a series of policies and measures that are preferential to Taiwan compatriots. We provide development opportunities for Taiwan compatriots and ensure they enjoy equal treatment, including issuing residence permits for Taiwan residents, removing work permits for Taiwan compatriots working on the mainland, expanding trials to allow more Taiwan compatriots to work in public institutions, increasing enrollment for Taiwan compatriots, ensuring their access to professional qualification examinations, social security, and free COVID-19 vaccines on the mainland, among other benefits. 

An increasing number of Taiwan compatriots now find opportunities for development on the mainland. We have built 78 bases and demonstration platforms for cross-Strait youth entrepreneurship and employment, providing services for over 220 Taiwan youth startup programs. More than 2,000 young scholars from Taiwan are teaching at universities and colleges on the mainland. About 3,000 university students from Taiwan are awarded scholarship on the mainland every year. Nearly 1,000 Taiwan compatriots have attained professional qualifications in a variety of popular sectors. About 300 Taiwan compatriots working and living on the mainland have received honorary titles, including winners of the May 1 Labor Medal, the Youth May Fourth Medal, the March 8 Red-Banner Holder, and the Five-Virtue Family at or above the prefectural level.

Third, as the integrated social and cultural development across the Strait continues to be deepened, compatriots across the Strait has shown a closer bond of kinship on the new journey in the new era. Every year, a large number of Taiwan compatriots come to the mainland to trace their ancestors' history. Cross-Strait cultural exchanges in film, television, music, art, creative design, book publishing, intangible cultural heritage, and other sectors are thriving. Excellent cultural products such as films and TV dramas from the mainland are popular among Taiwan people, especially teenagers. Every year, thousands of Taiwan artists and performers take part in radio, television, audiovisual programs, and film production on the mainland. Ethnic minorities from Taiwan also participated in the 11th National Traditional Games of Ethnic Minorities. 

Fourth, the general public and young people have become a primary force in driving cross-Strait exchanges. They have become the foundation and engine for advancing the development of relations across the Strait. An increasing number of cross-Strait exchange activities have been held for the general public and the young generation. As the largest platform focusing on people-to-people exchanges across the Strait, the Straits Forum has been held for 14 consecutive years. The Shanghai Taipei City Forum, an important platform for exchanges among cities, has been held for 13 years consecutively. A wide range of exchange activities are carried out every year, involving science and technology, education, medical care, sports, religion and belief, labor unions, and women's affairs. Every year, we carry out hundreds of summer (or winter) camps and studying camps for Taiwan youth and hold large exchange activities such as the Cross-Straits Youth Festival and the Straits Youth Forum, attracting tens of thousands of young people from Taiwan to participate. Taiwan compatriots also actively take part in volunteering activities on the mainland, including anti-poverty projects, rural vitalization, teaching assistance, free medical programs, disaster relief, and epidemic prevention and control work.

Looking forward, we will introduce more preferential policies and measures for Taiwan compatriots. We will advance integration through better connectivity and more preferential policies based on mutual trust and understanding. Efforts will be made to create favorable conditions for improving cross-Strait exchanges and cooperation, and promote mutual understating and mutual trust among compatriots across the Strait. We will work together to push forward the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations and the peaceful reunification of the country. Thank you.

TVBS:

How are cross-Strait economic and trade cooperation and exchanges going now? The economies of the mainland and Taiwan are highly complementary. What's your take on this? What are the characteristics of cross-Strait economic exchange? Thank you.

Ma Xiaoguang:

Over the past decade, we have been working to expand cross-Strait economic and trade cooperation, which has delivered fruitful results. The characteristics can be summarized as follows.

First, the trade volume between the mainland and Taiwan doubled in the past 10 years. Taiwan's trade dependence on the mainland remains high.

Second, investment on the mainland from Taiwan businesses is gaining momentum with positive changes. Investments have focused more on major projects and high-tech projects.

Third, the integrated development of economies across the Strait have delivered more substantial and concrete outcomes. Since 2018, we have unveiled 31 measures and 26 measures to enhance cross-Strait economic and cultural exchanges and cooperation. We have released 11 measures and 22 measures on agriculture and forestry to support the development of Taiwan-funded enterprises. We have also rolled out policies to encourage more Taiwan residents to register as self-employed individuals on the mainland. These efforts have helped Taiwan compatriots and businesses enjoy greater development opportunities and equal treatment on the mainland. We have encouraged Taiwan compatriots and businesses to take part in the Belt and Road Initiative, the country's major regional strategies, and strategies for regional coordinated development. We have supported Fujian province in exploring new approaches for integrated development across the Strait. Other provinces and cities where Taiwan businesses are clustered have also been encouraged to pilot preferential policies for them. We have guided enterprises across the Strait to strengthen cooperation in terms of funds, technology, management, standards, brands, and channels. We have helped Taiwan businesses to expand the domestic market on the mainland. Thousands of Taiwan enterprises in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, and other provinces and cities have enjoyed preferential tax policies of various kinds. Hundreds of Taiwan enterprises have received specialized financial support in terms of industrial transformation and upgrading, green manufacturing, and smart manufacturing. As of June this year, 41 Taiwan-funded financial institutions had received Qualified Foreign Institutional Investors (QFII) licenses, and 53 Taiwan enterprises had been listed on the mainland.

Fourth, the number of platforms for cross-Strait economic and trade cooperation has increased and they have made notable achievements. The Summit for Entrepreneurs across the Taiwan Strait has vigorously promoted joint ventures and cooperation between enterprises on both sides of the Strait and has become the most important platform for exchanges and cooperation between entrepreneurs across the Taiwan Strait. In addition, cross-Strait integrated circuits industry cooperation pilot zones in the cities of Hefei in Anhui province and Xiamen and Quanzhou in Fujian province, as well as a cross-Strait industrial cooperation zone for replacing old growth drivers with new ones in Shandong province, and five cross-Strait industrial cooperation zones in Guangxi, Hubei, Sichuan, Jiangxi and Hunan provinces have been set up. We have supported Kunshan Pilot Zone for Deepening Cross-strait Industrial Cooperation to carry out pilot tests with Taiwan. As of 2021, there were more than 350 Taiwan-funded projects in the five cross-Strait industrial cooperation zones, with investment totaling over 100 billion yuan. Various regions have continued to hold distinctive Taiwan-related economic and trade activities and promoted the partnering and delivery of high-quality projects. The cross-Strait economic exchanges and cooperation have kept a strong momentum and we have seen more solid achievements. Thank you.

Hong Kong Economic Herald:

People on both sides of the Strait are highly concerned about cross-Strait political exchanges. What achievements have relevant parties on both sides of the Strait achieved in safeguarding the common political foundation and conducting political exchanges in recent years? Thank you.

Qiu Kaiming:

Cross-Strait political exchanges have drawn attention on both sides of the Strait because this issue plays a pioneering and leading role in cross-Strait relations. We can see its importance in the white paper titled "The Taiwan Question and China's Reunification in the New Era," which regards the realization of the first meeting and direct dialogue and communication between leaders across the Strait since 1949 as the first major measure for promoting work related to Taiwan under the leadership of General Secretary Xi Jinping since the 18th CPC National Congress. Over the years, we have grasped the trend of the times and promoted cross-Strait political exchanges on the basis of staying committed to the 1992 Consensus and firmly opposing "Taiwan independence." The historic achievements that we have made are embodied in three aspects:

First is promoting a historic meeting between the leaders of the two sides of the Strait. On Nov. 7, 2015, General Secretary Xi Jinping, also president of China, met with then Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou. It was the first meeting between leaders of the two sides since 1949. Many reporters witnessed this historic moment. Both sides have reached consensus on the theme of promoting the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations and national rejuvenation, consolidated and deepened the key position and role of the 1992 Consensus as the common political foundation for the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations, which has been widely affirmed and highly appraised by compatriots on both sides of the Strait and the international community. The cross-Strait leaders' meeting fully demonstrates the firmness and tactical flexibility of the Party Central Committee's principles and policies on the work related to Taiwan, and fully demonstrates that we have the initiative in the development of cross-Strait relations and the great goodwill to seek well-being for people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. We have shown the world that the Chinese people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait have the wisdom and the ability to handle its own affairs.

Second is promoting the establishment of regular contact and communication mechanisms between the departments in charge of cross-Strait affairs on both sides of the Strait. In February 2014, the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council and Taiwan's mainland affairs council established a regular communication mechanism on the political basis of the 1992 Consensus. Heads of the two departments visited each other many times and opened hotlines, which raised the level of institutionalization of cross-Strait exchanges. Since the DPP came to power in 2016, it has turned its back on the 1992 Consensus that states both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one and the same China, which has undermined the political foundation for the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations and led to the suspension of this communication mechanism.

Third is maintaining exchanges with relevant parties in Taiwan and promoting cross-Strait democratic consultation. There are three aspects in this regard. Firstly, General Secretary Xi Jinping and other Party leaders have maintained contact with relevant parties, groups and representatives in Taiwan through meetings, correspondence and the like, so as to consolidate the common political foundation on both sides of the Strait and ensure the right direction of the development of cross-Strait relations. Secondly, we have jointly held the Cross-Strait Economic, Trade and Culture Forum, the Cross-Strait Peaceful Development Forum, and dialogue and exchanges between the CPC and Kuomintang to exchange views and build consensus on important issues in the development of cross-Strait relations. In addition, we have conducted dialogues and consultations with representatives of political parties, groups and people from all walks of life in Taiwan and issued joint initiatives centering on cross-Strait relations and national rejuvenation. We have successively held the Hand in Hand to Realize Dreams: Cross-Strait Compatriots Exchange Seminar in Shanghai last year and in Beijing this year. We have united and led patriotic reunification forces and created an institutionalized platform for democratic consultation across the Strait, which played an important role in fighting against any force that would divide the country and promoting national reunification. Thank you.

The Beijing News:

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the 1992 Consensus. Since coming to power, the DPP authorities have refused to recognize the 1992 Consensus. The mainland has been in a fierce struggle with the DPP authorities over upholding or denying the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus. What is the major significance of the mainland always upholding the 1992 Consensus? Thank you.

Ma Xiaoguang:

The 1992 Consensus is the political foundation and anchor for the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations. The significance of the 1992 Consensus lies in that it embodies the historical fact and legal basis that the two sides both belong to one China, defines the fundamental nature of cross-Strait relations, and bears on peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and interests and wellbeing of compatriots on both sides of the Strait.

We can recall together. In 1992, authorized by the two sides of the Strait, the mainland-based Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) and the Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), through the meeting in Hong Kong and subsequent correspondence, reached the common understanding that each should express verbally that both sides of the Taiwan Strait adhere to the one-China principle, later named the 1992 Consensus. The historical fact about the two sides reaching the 1992 Consensus is very clear. The content of the consensus consists of two specific paragraphs with mutual recognition of both sides after negotiations. The SEF said: In the process of seeking national reunification through the joint efforts of the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, both sides adhere to the one-China principle but have different understandings of the meaning of one China. The ARATS said: Both sides of the Taiwan Strait adhere to the one-China principle and strive to pursue national reunification. But in cross-Strait talks on routine affairs, the political meaning of one China will not be touched upon. In these two paragraphs, both sides stated their basic stance that they stick to the one-China principle and pursue national reunification. The key point is that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one China and work together toward national reunification. With regard to the political meaning of one China, SEF said both sides have different understandings, while ARATS said in cross-Strait talks on routine affairs, [it] will not be touched upon. The two sides sought common ground while reserving differences. The key to reaching the consensus lies in that both sides clearly stated their attitudes on the major issue of principle that both sides uphold the one-China principle, and at the same time, properly handled differences. The consensus demonstrates the political wisdom of seeking common ground while reserving differences and is a valuable asset for compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. 

It is based on the 1992 Consensus that the Wang-Koo meeting and a series of negotiations and consultations between the ARATS and the SEF were subsequently held, with many agreements reached to promote the development and improvement of cross-Strait relations. In February 2014, the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council and the Mainland Affairs Council of Taiwan established regular contact and communication mechanisms on the common political foundation of joint confirmation of the 1992 Consensus, with the heads of the two departments exchanging many visits. On Nov. 7, 2015, a historic meeting between leaders of the two sides of the Taiwan Strait was held, making a joint confirmation of adhering to the 1992 Consensus. In 2016, the DPP authorities refused to recognize the 1992 Consensus after taking office and have stepped up separatist activities aimed at Taiwan independence, severely impacting the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations.

The development of the cross-Strait relations has proved time and again that upholding the 1992 Consensus and opposing Taiwan independence is the common political foundation. Only based on that will the peaceful and stable development of cross-Strait relations be achieved, people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait be benefited, and peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait be safeguarded. If there is any attempt to shake or even abandon this foundation, cross-Strait relations will inevitably be damaged and plunged into turmoil and the interests of compatriots on both sides of the Strait will be harmed. We hope that our fellow compatriots in Taiwan will learn the significance of the 1992 Consensus, cherish and safeguard it, and oppose and resist any separatist activities seeking Taiwan independence to propel cross-Strait relations back to the right track. Thank you.

Red Star News:

For some time, the DPP authorities have colluded with external forces in successive provocative actions designed to divide the country, and the United States has continued to gang up with some countries to use Taiwan as a pawn to contain China. The visit of US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan has escalated the tension across the Taiwan Strait. What measures will be adopted by the mainland to keep effectively deterring separatist schemes or activities for Taiwan independence? Thank you.

Zhu Fenglian:

All those concerned about cross-Strait relations and the situation in the Taiwan Strait have paid great attention to this question. There are many concerns and suggestions as well. Why is that? Since 2016, cross-Strait relations have been faced with severe and complicated challenges, and the situation in the Taiwan Strait has been tense and unstable. The root cause is that the DPP authorities have stubbornly adopted a separatist stance, catered to schemes of external forces to exploit Taiwan to contain China, and taken successive provocative actions designed to divide the country, seriously undermining the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations and peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, endangering national sovereignty and territorial integrity and damaging the common interests of people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait and the overall interests of the Chinese nation.

The CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, grasping the overall situation of cross-Strait relations from the perspective of the general interests of the Chinese nation, has appropriately responded to changes in the situation in the Taiwan Strait and taken concrete actions to resolutely crack down on various provocations to seek Taiwan independence. It resolutely foils all external interference, effectively deters and thwarts separatist activities seeking Taiwan independence and firmly grasps the initiative in cross-Strait relations.

The U.S. and other external forces are playing the Taiwan card, constantly hollowing out the one-China principle and condoning separatist forces advocating Taiwan independence to take risks and provocations. They use Taiwan as a pawn to contain China's development and progress and obstruct the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. This has led to the continuous escalation of tensions in the Taiwan Strait and seriously damaged the interests, well-being and bright future of Taiwan compatriots. U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi insisted on visiting China's Taiwan region despite strong opposition from China in August this year. Her visit was a severe escalation of Taiwan-U.S. collusion. It gravely infringes on China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, severely violates the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiques, seriously tramples on international law and the basic norms governing international relations, breaks the serious political commitment the United States has made to China, and sends a seriously wrong signal to forces seeking Taiwan independence. We expressed our strong condemnation and protest, and took a series of resolute and decisive countermeasures.

It is worth noting that our resolute and decisive countermeasures are targeted against separatist activities seeking Taiwan independence and interference by external forces, not the majority of Taiwan compatriots. We will continue to unite all anti-independence forces and positive elements on the island, expand cross-Strait exchanges and cooperation, deepen cross-Strait integration and development, foster the common interests of compatriots on both sides of the Strait, and forge closer bonds, so as to isolate and combat forces seeking Taiwan independence, and strengthen and shape the general trend of opposing independence and promoting reunification. 

We would also like to stress that seeking Taiwan independence is a dead end and will only push the Taiwan compatriots into danger. The Taiwan question concerns China's core interests and the Chinese people's national sentiments. Any attempt by external forces to use the Taiwan question to obstruct China's development and reunification will fail. We are ready to create vast space for peaceful reunification; but we will leave no room for separatist activities in any form. No one should underestimate our resolve, will and ability to defend China's sovereignty and territorial integrity. 

Under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, and the scientific guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, while with the strong guarantee of the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the material foundation accumulated over 40 years of reform and opening up, as well as with the solid public will of the Chinese people, we will surely be able to overcome the risks and challenges on the way forward, resolutely smash any separatist schemes for Taiwan independence, firmly oppose the interferences of all external forces, and solidly advance the process of national reunification. Thank you.

CRNTT:

The mainland has announced two groups of diehard Taiwan independence separatists, and said to punish them according to law. May I ask what measures will be taken in this regard? Will you consider issuing detailed implementation rules for the Anti-Secession Law, or formulating a separate law on national reunification? Thank you.

Zhu Fenglian:

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, we have thoroughly studied and implemented Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law and General Secretary Xi Jinping's important expositions on our work related to Taiwan, using law-based thinking, methods, and the power of the rule of law to defend the one-China principle in accordance with the law. We have resolutely opposed and deterred any separatist activity seeking Taiwan Independence and protected the legitimate rights and interests of compatriots on both sides of the Strait.

Actively using legal means to combat and contain separatist activities seeking Taiwan independence and punish diehard Taiwan independence separatists and their affiliated companies and major supporters such as financial sponsors in accordance with the law is an important measure to combat and contain the separatist forces and activities seeking Taiwan independence. It's also vital for maintaining the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations and the peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests. This move significantly deterred the separatist forces on the island. Moreover, it encouraged patriots who supported the reunification of the motherland inside and outside the island and received extensive support and affirmation.

We will continue to take targeted measures against diehard Taiwan independence separatists in accordance with the law. We will intensify the punishments of the very few diehard Taiwan independence separatists who have arrogant remarks about independence, vile acts of seeking independence, and rampant activities of relying on the United States to seek independence. We will prohibit them and their families from entering the mainland and the Hong Kong and Macao SARs, restrict their affiliated companies from cooperating with mainland-related organizations and individuals, and never allow their affiliated companies and financial sponsors to make profits on the mainland. We will also take other necessary punishment measures to pursue criminal accountability against diehard Taiwan independence separatists in accordance with the law, with the punishment effective for their lifetimes. Taiwan independence separatists inside and outside the island will surely pay a heavy price if they are so obsessed as to continue the path, do not know how to restrain themselves, and go their own way.

I would like to stress that the Constitution, the Anti-Secession Law, the National Security Law and other laws have explicit provisions for resolving the Taiwan question and promoting the reunification of the motherland, providing a solid legal guarantee for the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations and the reunification of the motherland. We will continue to strengthen the use of the law-based approach and means to combat the separatist elements advocating Taiwan independence and advance the progress of the reunification of the motherland. We will also further introduce new law-based measures to oppose and deter the separatist schemes or activities for Taiwan independence according to the development and changes of the situation and resolutely safeguard national sovereignty, security, and development interests. Thank you.

Phoenix TV:

Now the public generally believes that the DPP authorities are seeking independence by force and the U.S. is strengthening its support in improving Taiwan's so-called self-defense capacity, so the possibility of peaceful reunification is decreasing, and the mainland is likely to "promote reunification by force". How do you view the public opinion? Is there a timetable for the mainland to resolve the Taiwan question and realize complete national reunification? Thank you.

Ma Xiaoguang:

I would like to reiterate that we uphold the basic principles of peaceful reunification and one country, two systems, and work with the greatest sincerity and exert our utmost efforts to achieve peaceful reunification. Our confidence comes from the development and progress of our country, the overwhelming support of the 1.4 billion Chinese people, and the time-honored history and culture of the Chinese nation. So, we will work with the greatest sincerity and exert our utmost efforts to achieve peaceful reunification. At the same, we must make it clear that we have unswerving determination and strong will to defend China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and we will never allow any individual or force to invade and divide the sacred territory of our motherland. We will only be forced to take drastic measures to respond to the provocation of separatist elements or external forces should they ever cross our red lines. The attempts of separatist forces to pursue independence and prevent reunification by force will only accelerate their own demise.

The two sides of the Taiwan Strait must be and will surely be reunified. It is indispensable for the realization of China's rejuvenation in the new era and a historical trend that no individual or force can hold back. The Taiwan question arose as a result of weakness and chaos in our nation, and it will be resolved as national rejuvenation becomes a reality. On our way to national rejuvenation, we will surely succeed in realizing complete national reunification. Thank you.

Southern Metropolis Daily:

Now the current situation across the Straits is becoming more complex and serious, and the trend of supporting 'Taiwan independence' is rising on the island. Some are worried about the mainland's ability to maintain the initiative in cross-Strait relations and the realization of complete national reunification. What's your view on that? Thank you.

Qiu Kaiming:

The journalist just mentioned that the current situation across the straits is becoming more complex and serious and the trend of supporting 'Taiwan independence' is rising on the island. Despite multiple challenges in the grave and complex situation across the Straits, we still have strategic focus and determination, historical patience, and full confidence to resolve the Taiwan question and realize complete national reunification. 

The confidence comes from the development and progress of the country. During more than four decades of reform and opening up, particularly since the 18th CPC National Congress, China's composite national strength in the aspects of the economy, technology, education, culture, and military, as well as its international influence, have significantly improved. The mainland has formed a comprehensive advantage over Taiwan. In 2021, the GDP of the Chinese mainland exceeded 114 trillion yuan. The mainland has a population of over 1.4 billion, a middle-income group of over 400 million, 160 million market entities, and the world's most complete and largest industrial system. The potential for domestic demand is being unleashed and the domestic economy is becoming more dynamic. With its continuous development, the mainland will have a greater influence on and an attraction for the Taiwan people as well as a stronger ability to maintain the pulling force and initiative in cross-Strait relations.

The confidence comes from the power of morality. Taiwan has been an integral part of China's territory since ancient times. Although the two sides are yet to be reunified, the sovereignty and territory of China has never been divided, the fact that the mainland and Taiwan belong to one China has never changed, and the one-China principle represents the universal consensus of the international community and a universally recognized norm governing international relations. As the Chinese proverb goes, With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you cannot take a step. A just cause will surely succeed.

The confidence comes from the power of the people. The vast majority of Taiwan compatriots oppose Taiwan independence and support the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations. The mainstream public opinion in Taiwan calls for peace, development, and a better life. More and more Taiwan compatriots have come to realize that the future of Taiwan lies in national reunification and their well-being depends on national rejuvenation. The more than 1.4 billion mainlanders and all Chinese both at home and abroad eagerly expect reunification and firmly defend it. This constitutes the strongest support for us.

The confidence also comes from the power of culture. The bond of culture is the strongest, and the power of culture is the most enduring. For thousands of years, the Chinese nation has always pursued unity and unification, and the idea of great unification has been deeply embedded in the genes of the Chinese people. Like an old saying goes, this is a permanent principle between heaven and earth, and the universal truth throughout ancient and modern times. Safeguarding national unity is the most cherished part of national integrity of the Chinese people.

Seeking Taiwan independence and preventing reunification is by no means acceptable in view of the history and culture of the Chinese nation. The will and resolve of the over 1.4 billion Chinese people will never allow that to happen. The attempt is doomed to fail. The people on both sides of the Straits should follow the tide of history, work together for greater national interests, oppose separatist activities seeking Taiwan independence, bolster confidence and pool strengthen for reunification, promote the peaceful and integrated development of cross-Strait relations by deepening exchanges and cooperation, and jointly strive for national reunification and rejuvenation. Thank you.

Chen Wenjun:

Thank you to all the speakers and friends from the media. That's all for today's press conference. Goodbye.

Translated and edited by Cui Can, Wang Wei, Yan Bin, Wang Yiming, Xu Kailin, Zhang Junmian, Zhang Rui, Huang Shan, Zhang Liying, He Shan, Guo Yiming, Ma Yujia, Xu Xiaoxuan, Wang Qian, Li Huiru, David Ball, Jay Birbeck, and Tom Arnstein. In case of any discrepancy between the English and Chinese texts, the Chinese version is deemed to prevail.

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Read in Chinese

Speakers:

Mr. Huang Liuquan, deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council

Mr. Wang Linggui, deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council

Chairperson:

Mr. Chen Wenjun, spokesperson of the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC)

Date:

Sept. 20, 2022

Chen Wenjun:

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to this press conference held by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee. Today, we are holding the 34th press conference under the theme of "China in the past decade." We have invited Mr. Huang Liuquan and Mr. Wang Linggui, deputy directors of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, to brief you on the successful implementation of "one country, two systems" in Hong Kong and Macao since the 18th CPC National Congress and take your questions.

Now, let's give the floor to Mr. Huang for his introduction.

Huang Liuquan:

Friends from the media, good morning. Thank you for your interest in and support for "one country, two systems" and the work related to Hong Kong and Macao. Alongside me at the press conference this morning is Mr. Wang Linggui. Before we take your questions, I would like to briefly introduce the implementation of "one country, two systems" in Hong Kong and Macao. 

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has unswervingly stayed true to the letter and spirit of the "one country, two systems" principle, proactively responded to the changes inside and outside Hong Kong and Macao, taken a series of measures to address both symptoms and root causes of the problems, and worked to ensure the ship of "one country, two systems" breaks the waves and forges ahead, thus achieving historic accomplishments and transformations.

First, the theory of "one country, two systems" has broken new ground. General Secretary Xi Jinping has put forward a series of new concepts, new visions and new strategies for "one country, two systems" and the work related to Hong Kong and Macao, raising the Party's understanding of "one country, two systems" to new heights. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that the fundamental purpose of "one country, two systems" is to safeguard China's sovereignty, security, and development interests and to maintain long-term prosperity and stability in Hong Kong and Macao; its top priority is to safeguard national sovereignty, security, and development interests, and the more firmly the "one country" principle is upheld, the greater the strength of the "two systems" will unleash; the central government, in implementing the principle of "one country, two systems," will maintain two key points: first, the central government will remain resolute in implementing the principle, and will not change or vacillate in this stand; and second, the principle will be implemented precisely as it was originally intended; the rule of law must be maintained in Hong Kong and Macao, the central government's overall jurisdiction must be upheld while the special administrative regions' (SARs) high degree of autonomy must be secured, Hong Kong and Macao must be administered by patriots, and the distinctive status and advantages of Hong Kong and Macao must be maintained; the chief executives and the governments of the SARs in the driver's seats are the first to be held accountable for the governance of the regions; support will be provided to the SARs in their efforts to better integrate into the overall process of national development, and resolute actions will be taken to guard against and deter external interference in the affairs of Hong Kong and Macao; there is no reason to change the good policy of "one country, two systems," and it must be adhered to in the long run. These important statements of General Secretary Xi Jinping have enriched and developed the theory of "one country, two systems," provided fundamental guidance for the implementation of "one country, two systems" in the new era, and constitute the fundamental reason for the new achievements and developments in the work related to Hong Kong and Macao.

Second, the system of "one country, two systems" has been improved. With regard to the serious situation that occurred in Hong Kong, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, in its assessment of the situation then, reinforced the Party's centralized and unified leadership on the work related to Hong Kong and Macao; made the major decision of improving the exercise of the central government's overall jurisdiction over the SARs in accordance with the Constitution and the basic laws and improving the relevant systems and mechanisms of the two SARs for enforcing the Constitution and the basic laws; promoted the establishment and improvement of the legal systems and enforcement mechanisms for the two SARs to safeguard national security, the formulation of the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), and the improvement of the electoral system of the HKSAR; and supported the Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR) in amending its law on safeguarding national security. All these have provided solid institutional safeguards for the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong and Macao as well as the steady implementation of "one country, two systems."

Third, Hong Kong and Macao have maintained their prosperity and stability. With strong support from the motherland, Hong Kong's economy has been thriving, and its status as an international financial, shipping and trading center has been maintained. Its innovative science and technology industries have been booming. Moreover, Hong Kong has remained one of the most free and open economies in the world, and has also maintained a world-class business environment. Its laws, including the common law, have been maintained and developed. Hong Kong has been ranked the world's freest economy more than 20 times in a row, and has long been ranked as one of the most competitive economies in the world. In addition, Hong Kong has ranked first for multiple times for total funds raised among the global Initial Public Offering (IPO) markets in the past decade. Greater efforts have been made in Macao to build "one center, one platform and one base" (namely a world center of tourism and leisure, a commercial and trade cooperation service platform between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, and a base for exchange and cooperation where Chinese culture is the mainstream and diverse cultures coexist). Macao's efforts to appropriately diversify its economy have delivered early results. The rapid economic growth, improvement of people's well-being, and beautiful scenery of the city, highlight the remarkable achievements Macao has made in economic and social development. Facing the severe impact of the pandemic, the governments of the Hong Kong and Macao SARs, with the support of the central government, have adopted proactive and effective measures to mitigate difficulties for their peoples and promote economic recovery over the past more than two years. As a result, the SARs have been able to overcome difficulties, and make progress in all areas of their endeavors. 

Fourth, Hong Kong and Macao have accelerated their integration into the country's overall development. Significant achievements have been made in development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) which was planned, deployed and advanced by General Secretary Xi Jinping. For example, the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, and multiple ports have been put into operation. Efforts have been stepped up to establish major cooperation platforms in Hengqin (an island in Zhuhai city), Qianhai (a special cooperation zone in Shenzhen city) and Nansha (a district in Guangzhou city). Greater efforts have been made to synergize rules and mechanisms in the mainland, Hong Kong and Macao. The flow of production factors across borders has been accelerated. In addition, policies and measures have been improved to make it convenient for people from Hong Kong and Macao to develop their careers on the mainland. In the process of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, Hong Kong and Macao have been serving as an important bridge and window between the Chinese mainland and the rest of the world. As a result, they have made irreplaceable contributions to the country's economic miracle marked by long-term, stable and rapid growth. 

As the mainland and Hong Kong and Macao have become more connected and more extensive exchanges and close cooperation have been carried out, greater patriotism and a stronger sense of national identity have been fostered among the people in Hong Kong and Macao. Hardships and challenges have made the people in Hong Kong and Macao aware that they have always maintained a close bond with the motherland in weal and woe. The ranks of patriots who love both the country and their regions have been strengthened. The mainstream values, which are characterized by love of both the motherland and Hong Kong and Macao and conform with the principle of "one country, two systems," have enjoyed growing popularity. Hundreds of thousands of young people from Hong Kong and Macao are studying, working and living on the mainland, writing a rewarding chapter in their lives with a stronger sense of national pride and awareness of their status as masters of the country. 

That's all for my introduction. Thank you. 

Chen Wenjun:

Thank you, Mr. Huang. Now, the floor is open for questions. Please identify the media outlet you represent before asking questions.

CCTV:

The successful practice of "one country, two systems" in Hong Kong and Macao has been an important part of realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. What new progress and achievements have been made in the practice of "one country, two systems" in Hong Kong and Macao over the past decade?

Huang Liuquan:

Thank you for your question. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, new progress and achievements in the practice of "one country, two systems" in Hong Kong and Macao have been made in various areas. I'd like to make an introduction focusing on the following three aspects:

First, in the Hong Kong and Macao SARs, the constitutional order based on the Constitution and the respective basic laws has been maintained in a sound manner, and the governance system has been improved. The central government's overall jurisdiction over the SARs has been well implemented, and a high degree of autonomy in the SARs has been exercised as it should be. The Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) has been formulated and enforced, and the Macao SAR is set to amend its law on safeguarding national security. We have been committed to safeguarding national sovereignty, security, and development interests. We have materialized the principle that Hong Kong and Macao should be administered by patriots, and improved Hong Kong's electoral system. Efforts have been made to ensure the democratic system of the SARs conforms to the principle of "one country, two systems" and the SARs' constitutional status, and is in the interest of residents' democratic rights in Hong Kong and Macao, as well as their prosperity and stability. Hong Kong and Macao residents can enjoy extensive rights and freedom in accordance with the law.

Second, the Hong Kong and Macao SARs have overcome various hardships and challenges and are advancing steadily. Despite adverse changes in the external environment, the severe COVID-19 epidemic and social unrest, Hong Kong and Macao have continued to develop. From the perspective of Hong Kong, its status as an international financial, shipping and trading center and an international civil aviation hub has been further consolidated and improved. Positive progress has been made in constructing a global innovation and technology center, an international legal and dispute resolution service center in the Asia-Pacific region, a regional intellectual property trade center, and a Sino-foreign cultural and art exchange center. From the perspective of Macao, its economy has developed rapidly, with its per capita GDP ranking among the top in the world. It has seen the booming growth of emerging industries including conventions and exhibitions, traditional Chinese medicine, specialized financial services, and cultural and creative industries. Macao's economic diversification has achieved initial results. The Hong Kong and Macao SARs have made overall progress in social undertakings such as education, science and technology, medical and health care, culture, and sports. They have continuously expanded exchanges with other countries, and significantly increased their international impact.

Third, while leveraging complementary advantages and seeking common development with the mainland, Hong Kong and Macao have accelerated their integration into the remarkable journey toward the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Hong Kong and Macao have actively integrated themselves into the overall national development, proactively dovetailed themselves with the national development strategies, comprehensively expanded exchange and cooperation with the mainland, and continuously improved the mechanism in this regard. They have given full play to the advantages of a high degree of openness and aligned themselves with international rules. In doing so, they have played an important role in raising China's opening up to a higher level with broader coverage and scope. Hong Kong has always been the largest source of foreign capital, the largest destination for foreign investment, and the largest transit trade port for the Chinese mainland. Macao has become an essential platform for China's two-way opening up, especially for economic and trade exchanges with Portuguese-speaking countries. In the historical process of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, Hong Kong and Macao have made and will continue to make significant contributions. Thank you.

People's Daily:

The 19th CPC Central Committee adopted at its fourth plenary session the Resolution on Upholding and Improving the Socialist System with Chinese Characteristics and Modernizing China's System and Capacity for Governance. It proposes that we will uphold and improve the system of "one country, two systems." What specific progress has been made in this regard? Thank you.

Wang Linggui:

Hong Kong and Macao have been reintegrated into China's governance system since they returned to the motherland. Upholding and implementing "one country, two systems," maintaining the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong and Macao, and promoting the peaceful reunification of China are notable strengths of China's state governance system.

The central government has always unswervingly, fully and faithfully implemented the principle of "one country, two systems." That is to say, the central government will remain resolute in implementing the principle and will not change or fluctuate in this stance. Moreover, the principle will be implemented as it was initially intended. The central government has always adhered to law-based governance in Hong Kong and Macao, upholding the constitutional order established by the Constitution of the People's Republic of China and the basic laws of the two SARs and improving the systems and mechanisms related to the implementation of the Constitution and the basic laws. We must both adhere to the "one country" principle and respect the differences between the "two systems." We must ensure both the central government's overall jurisdiction over the Hong Kong and Macao SARs and a high degree of autonomy in the two regions. We must both give full play to the role of the mainland as a staunch supporter of Hong Kong and Macao and enhance their own competitiveness.

For a time, the situation in Hong Kong was grim due to complex factors at home and abroad and rampant activities of destabilizing anti-China forces in the region. The CPC Central Committee has stressed that we must maintain our firm commitment to the letter and spirit of the "one country, two systems" principle, and uphold and improve its system. In accordance with the top-level design and overall plan made at the fourth plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Committee, China has adopted the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) with resolve, fundamentally closing the systematic loopholes and marking an important milestone in the practice of "one country, two systems." We have established the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR according to the law, guided the setting up of the Committee for Safeguarding National Security of the HKSAR and the designation of National Security Advisers for the committee, and authorized Macao's Committee for Safeguarding National Security to retain national security affairs advisers and national security technical advisers. We have systematically improved the electoral system in the HKSAR, laying a solid institutional foundation for safeguarding the security of the political power of the HKSAR and establishing a high-quality democratic system with Hong Kong characteristics. We have further improved the institutional mechanism by which the chief executive of the HKSAR is responsible to the central government. We support Hong Kong and Macao in their efforts to deeply dovetail themselves with the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) and other national strategies involving the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao GBA and high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. We support both regions as they grow their economies, improve people's lives and foster greater patriotism and stronger national consciousness among the people in the two regions. We resolutely prevent and contain external forces' interference in the affairs of Hong Kong and Macao and their separation, subversion, infiltration and sabotage activities. Through these important measures, we have upheld and improved the institutional system of "one country, two systems," laying a solid foundation for governing Hong Kong and Macao according to law and promoting the implementation of "one country, two systems" in a sound and sustained manner. 

Thank you.

CRNTT:

Over recent years, the central government has repeatedly stressed the need to fully and faithfully implement the principle of "one country, two systems" and ensure that patriots administer Hong Kong and Macao. How should this be understood? Thank you.

Wang Linggui:

Thank you for your question. The principle of "one country, two systems" embodies a complete system. Fully and faithfully implementing this principle requires an accurate understanding of the relation between "one country” and "two systems." Its top priority is safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests. With this being ensured, Hong Kong and Macao can keep their previous capitalist systems unchanged for a long time and enjoy a high degree of autonomy. Since the socialist system is the fundamental system of the People's Republic of China and leadership by the CPC is the defining feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics, all residents in the two SARs should willingly respect and uphold the country's fundamental system. The central government's overall jurisdiction over the SARs underpins their high degree of autonomy, and such autonomy bestowed by the law is fully respected and resolutely safeguarded by the central government. The more firmly the "one country" principle is upheld, the greater the strength of the "two systems" can be unleashed for the development of the SARs.

It is a universal political rule that a government must be in the hands of patriots. There is no country or region in the world where its people will allow an unpatriotic or even treasonous force or figure to take power. The principle that patriots should administer Hong Kong and Macao is an essential requirement for Hong Kong's and Macao's long-term prosperity and stability, as well as safeguarding the immediate interests of the people in both regions. The governance teams of the SARs must be patriots who stand firm, take on responsibility, care for the people, and have the power to inspire a sense of responsibility. In addition, everyone in Hong Kong and Macao, regardless of profession and belief, can be a positive force and do their bit for the region's development. But they must genuinely support the principle of "one country, two systems," love Hong Kong and Macao, and abide by the Basic Law and other laws of the two SARs. Thank you.

Lianhe Zaobao:

China enforced the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) in 2020 to maintain stability in Hong Kong. Some opinions argue that Hong Kong is becoming similar to the mainland, which would affect its position as an international financial center. Notably, after the outbreak of the pandemic, Hong Kong's connectivity with the rest of the world has been influenced by its connection with the mainland. What is your take on that? Thank you. 

Huang Liuquan:

I think upholding national security is common practice for all countries in the world, and not a single country would tolerate deeds and opinions to overturn its national political power and split the country. All countries worldwide have their own national security laws. If you read the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), you will understand that there is no difference between the law and national security laws of other countries, with the same purpose and content. Therefore, in my view, it is alarmist and politically biased to say that Hong Kong would become similar to the mainland's system because of the enforcement of the law in Hong Kong. Fact proves that after its enforcement, Hong Kong has restored an orderly rule of law, safe lives for the Hong Kong people, and a sound business environment. A poll showed that 71.9% of respondents believed that the enforcement of the law bolstered their confidence in Hong Kong's practice of "one country, two systems."

In his speech at the meeting celebrating the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland, President Xi Jinping highlighted that "we must maintain Hong Kong's distinctive status and advantages." The central government and the Hong Kong people cherish Hong Kong's distinctive advantages in relying on the motherland and connecting the world. Both support Hong Kong in consolidating its position as an international financial, shipping, and trade center. Both champion a free, open, and standard business environment, maintain the common law, and expand smooth and convenient international connectivity. We believe that no matter what others say, Hong Kong will dazzle the world with its enormous vitality as an international metropolis. 

As for the question you asked about connectivity against the backdrop of the pandemic, my opinion is that the rampant global pandemic has exerted a profound influence and has changed the way the world connects each other, and Hong Kong is not immune to that. I noticed that the new term of the government of the HKSAR reiterated many times after its inauguration that connecting with the rest of the world and achieving customs clearance between the mainland and Hong Kong are compatible. The HKSAR coordinates epidemic prevention and control and socio-economic development and improves its epidemic prevention and control measures according to the epidemic development of Hong Kong and the rest of the world as well as Hong Kong's conditions. I think the adjustments made by the HKSAR are justified and should not be over-interpreted. 

Thank you.

Phoenix TV:

Last year, the central government improved the HKSAR's electoral system and released a white paper titled "Hong Kong: Democratic Progress Under the Framework of One Country, Two Systems." Can you introduce the central government's stance on and attitude towards Hong Kong's democratic development? 

Wang Linggui:

Thank you for your question. Democracy is the common value of all humanity and an important philosophy that the CPC and the Chinese people uphold unswervingly. "One country, two systems" under which the people of Hong Kong administer Hong Kong with a high degree of autonomy is an important reflection of the CPC's democratic philosophy. After Hong Kong's return to the motherland, Hong Kong people can run their own region, marking the start of Hong Kong's true democracy.

The CPC designs, establishes, upholds, and promotes Hong Kong's democratic institutions and firmly supports the HKSAR to develop its democracy in an orderly manner in accordance with the law. However, Hong Kong confronted setbacks in its democratic development due to anti-China agitators' intended confrontation and harassment and exposed deficiencies and loopholes in its electoral system. The CPC Central Committee made resolute decisions to improve Hong Kong's electoral system in 2021. 

From the election of the Election Committee to the seventh-term Legislative Council (LegCo) election, to the sixth-term chief executive election, the three elections have demonstrated the distinctive features and advantages of the new electoral system. To be specific: First, it is a broadly representative electoral system. The composition of the Election Committee increased from 1,200 members to 1,500 members, and the LegCo seats from 70 to 90. It is unprecedented that candidates come from such diverse backgrounds. The second is political inclusiveness. Candidates who come from different political groups from across the political spectrum represent different political beliefs. Patriots of all stripes who administer Hong Kong represent the interests of all, rather than a certain political group. The third is balanced participation. The composition of the committee has been expanded from four to five subsectors. The LegCo members are from three groups of constituencies. Candidates for the office of the Chief Executive must be nominated by at least 188 members of the Election Committee and at least 15 members from each sector. The fourth is fair competition. Candidates compete with each other in their expertise, political program, vision, sense of responsibility, and contribution to garner the voters' support. The electoral activities are more rational, fair, and orderly. From the above characteristics, we have seen that the new electoral system can ensure that public opinion is reflected, the people's wisdom pooled, and the people's welfare achieved. It is a broad-based, genuine, and effective democratic system.

It can be seen from the above that the central government's position and attitude toward Hong Kong's democratic development have been very clearly reflected in the new electoral system and its successful practice. It should also be noted here that elections are not the whole of democracy. The HKSAR's democratic system is underpinned by the Chinese Constitution and the Basic Law of the HKSAR. The Constitution clarifies the constitutional responsibility of the central government to steer and determine the democratic development of the HKSAR. The Basic Law stipulates the main content of the democratic system of the HKSAR and the path and principles for its future development and provides Hong Kong residents with extensive democratic rights and freedoms. The democratic system of the HKSAR is in line with the principle of "one country, two systems" and the constitutional status of Hong Kong. It is conducive to safeguarding the democratic rights of Hong Kong residents and the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong with brighter prospects. Thank you.

Hong Kong Sing Tao Daily:

Recently, Hong Kong was once again rated as the world's freest economy among 165 economies, according to the Economic Freedom of the World 2022 Annual Report released by the Fraser Institute, a Canadian think tank. However, the report also said that after the national security law was promulgated and implemented, it had a certain impact on the degree of economic freedom. What is your response to this? Thank you.

Huang Liuquan:

I saw the report you just mentioned, and there have been other similar reports involving Hong Kong during the past period of time. Judging by these reports, Hong Kong's status as the world's freest economy and the most competitive region has been widely recognized by the international community, which shows that the international community has always commended Hong Kong's unique status and advantages and has always been confident in Hong Kong's development. 

As I said just now, the main purpose of implementing the national security law in Hong Kong is to restore the rule of law and order in Hong Kong, and bring its development back on the right track so as to maintain Hong Kong's market and investment environment, and to protect the legitimate rights and interests of investors from all over the world in Hong Kong. It is hard to imagine how it is possible to create a good business environment if rioting, smashing, looting, and burning are rampant. 

In just two years following the implementation of the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), Hong Kong citizens' confidence and the global capital's confidence in Hong Kong have continued to rise. International institutions and the business community have positively evaluated Hong Kong's business environment. We have also seen Hong Kong rose to third place in the Global Financial Centres Index. The total value of Hong Kong's asset and wealth management had reached HK$35.55 trillion by the end of 2021, which was 20% up compared with the amount at the end of 2019. Hong Kong banks' deposits exceeded HK$15 trillion in July this year, an increase of 8.5% from the days before the implementation of the national security law in Hong Kong. In March this year, the International Monetary Fund praised the stability of Hong Kong's financial system and again recognized Hong Kong's status as a major international financial center. In addition, we have also seen more buoyant enterprise activities in Hong Kong. This also shows that Hong Kong's business environment and economic freedom have not been undermined. I would like to share with you some data on corporate activities. In 2021, the number of companies in Hong Kong whose parent company is in the Chinese mainland and overseas reached 9,049, a record high. In the first half of 2022, a total of 50,087 companies were established in Hong Kong, and the number of new companies increased steadily. These facts fully demonstrate that the law on safeguarding national security in Hong Kong will not undermine Hong Kong's economic freedom, but instead provide a very solid legal guarantee for Hong Kong to maintain prosperity and stability and consolidate its competitive advantages.

Thank you.

South China Morning Post:

Has the central government noticed or become concerned about an "emigration wave" in Hong Kong? In the past year, more than 110,000 local residents left Hong Kong, and the city's population dropped by 1.6%. Many of them left by joining the immigration programs launched by foreign countries for Hong Kong residents. Meanwhile, some foreign talents also chose to leave Hong Kong. What is the central government's expectation for the current chief executive to keep local and foreign talents staying in Hong Kong? Thank you.

Huang Liuquan:

Thank you for your questions. I have also seen such reports from Hong Kong media recently, and many are paying attention to the so-called "emigration wave." The data you mentioned above was also cited by Hong Kong media and attracted my curiosity. I later found these figures were cited from a report released by Hong Kong's Census and Statistics Department. Here, I would like to share with you the detailed numbers.

According to the report, the provisional estimate of the Hong Kong population was 7.2916 million in mid-2022. Among them, 7.1819 million were usual residents and 109,700 were mobile residents. From mid-2021 to mid-2022, 18,300 people settled in Hong Kong with One-way Permits, while 113,200 Hong Kong residents left the city, which is what you just mentioned. Besides, new births and deaths were 35,100 and 61,600 during the period, respectively. According to the above data, we cannot conclude that the reduction of the Hong Kong population was due to an emigration wave, as there are many other factors contributing to the decrease. As a spokesperson from the HKSAR government explained, "there is no direct statistical figure on emigrants. As an international hub, Hong Kong has high population mobility all the time. Over the past decade, Hong Kong residents, excluding One-way Permit holders, have seen a net outflow in most years." Therefore, according to the demographic data released by the HKSAR government and the spokesperson's explanation, it's not appropriate to conclude that there emerged an emigration wave in Hong Kong.

At present, Hong Kong has been in a critical stage from chaos to order and prosperity, and Hong Kong society is full of expectations for the city's future development. The central government will stay committed to supporting wider and closer communication and cooperation between Hong Kong, the mainland, and the rest of the world. I also noted that the spokesperson of the HKSAR government has actively responded to the concerns from all walks of life, saying that "the HKSAR government will continue to encourage talented people both at home and abroad to settle in Hong Kong and facilitate mobility of talented people in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao GBA." The HKSAR government is taking active measures to attract talents to the city. Therefore, I believe that Hong Kong's highly free, open, and well-regulated business environment, its smooth and convenient communication with the rest of the world, its common law system and low tax policy, the fusion of Western and Chinese cultures there, and in particular, its geographical advantages manifested in its close connection with the world market and the strong support from the motherland, will surely attract more talent to realize their aspirations in Hong Kong. Thank you.

Bloomberg: 

Thank you, a question from Bloomberg. If a decision to extend "one country, two systems" past 2047 in Hong Kong was made, what would such an extension mean for Hong Kong's future? Thank you.

Wang Linggui:

Thank you very much for your question. Unswervingly, comprehensively, and accurately implementing "one country, two systems" is China's unchanging policy. On July 1 this year, in his address at the meeting celebrating the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland, General Secretary Xi Jinping clearly announced to the world, "There is no reason for us to change such a good policy, and we must adhere to it in the long run!" If Hong Kong, Macao, and the international community had any doubts in this regard before, this speech by the general secretary on July 1 gave the final word, and all those worries and discussions no longer persist.

"One country, two systems" is a great innovation of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and it is the best system for Hong Kong and Macao to maintain long-term prosperity and stability after returning to the motherland. As an unprecedented great undertaking, the system of "one country, two systems" has morphed from a science-based vision 40 years ago and been implemented proactively. The system has been fully put into practice and continuously enriched and improved, overcoming a series of challenges and risks, and achieving a universally recognized success. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, under the helm and guidance of General Secretary Xi Jinping and the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee, we have pushed Hong Kong to achieve a major transition from chaos to governance, and Macao has maintained a stable and sound development. The practice for more than two decades has fully proved that "one country, two systems" is a good system that is applicable, achievable, and favorable.

At present, China's national rejuvenation has become a historical inevitability of great significance, and promoting the successful practice of "one country, two systems" in Hong Kong and Macao is an important part of this historic process. We believe that with the firm backing of the motherland and the solid guarantee provided by "one country, two systems," Hong Kong and Macao will surely create splendid feats on the journey ahead toward China's second centenary goal and will share the glory of the Chinese nation's rejuvenation together with people in the rest of the country!

Thank you.

Hong Kong Ta Kung Wen Wei Media Group:

From disarray to good governance, Hong Kong is entering a new phase of becoming more prosperous. The people of Hong Kong are eagerly looking forward to the practical solutions to the problems regarding people's wellbeing that range from land and housing to the extreme disparity between the rich and the poor, and to the development of youth. What measures will the central government take to support and help Hong Kong address these problems? Thank you.

Wang Linggui:

General Secretary Xi Jinping is very concerned about the vital interests of Hong Kong citizens. In his important address at the meeting celebrating the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland, General Secretary Xi Jinping especially emphasized that "Currently, the biggest aspiration of Hong Kong people is to lead a better life, in which they will have more decent housing, more opportunities for starting their own businesses, better education for their children, and better care in their twilight years." General Secretary Xi Jinping hopes that the newly inaugurated HKSAR government should be "pragmatic, live up to what the people expect of it, and consider the expectations of the whole society, particularly ordinary citizens, as what it should accomplish foremost. It should be more courageous and adopt more efficient measures to overcome difficulties and forge ahead. It should make sure that all citizens in Hong Kong share more fully and fairly the fruits of development." General Secretary Xi Jinping further pointed out that we must "help young people with their difficulties in studies, employment, entrepreneurship, and purchasing of housing, so that more opportunities will be created for their development and accomplishment."

We are very pleased to see that the new HKSAR government has started to take action, setting up the Steering Committee on Land and Housing Supply and Task Force on Public Housing Projects to comprehensively promote the speed, efficiency, and the quantity of land and housing work through a multi-pronged approach. The HKSAR government also set up the Task Force to Lift Underprivileged Students out of Intergenerational Poverty and the District Matters Co-ordination Task Force, helping young people strive for upward mobility. These measures show the determination and the taking of responsibility to solve these problems. According to a recent poll released by The Society for Community Organization (SoCO) in Hong Kong, more than 80% of the surveyed grassroots citizens believe that the new HKSAR government can achieve the central government's hope that it should actively respond to those aspirations from the people.

Meanwhile, we should see that the people's concerns and difficulties in daily life that you mentioned have built up over a long period of time. It is impossible to resolve these problems in one move or with a one-size-fits-all solution. While pursuing development, we will do our utmost to address them. Going forward, the central authorities will continue to fully support Hong Kong in its efforts to seize historic opportunities offered by China's development and actively dovetail itself with the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) and other national strategies such as the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao GBA and high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. The central authorities will also fully support Hong Kong in leveraging its unique advantages to carry out more extensive exchanges and close cooperation with the rest of the world, and in taking active yet prudent steps to advance reforms in order to unlock the enormous creativity and development potential of Hong Kong society. 

We believe, under the firm support of the central authorities and the sound governance of the chief executive and the government of the HKSAR in the driver's seat, the first levels to be held accountable for the governance of the region, the people of Hong Kong will work hard and devote themselves to building Hong Kong into a better home, therefore creating a better and happy future. Thank you. 

Chen Wenjun:

Two more questions.

Macao Daily:

Due to the impact of COVID-19, Macao has faced multiple difficulties in development. How will the central authorities help Macao overcome these difficulties? The central authorities always support the development of an appropriately diversified economy in Macao. Regarding this, what progress has been made? Thank you. 

Huang Liuquan:

The COVID-19 pandemic is still spreading and severely impacting the social and economic development of countries all over the world. Macao cannot stay immune to the impact either. Due to the pandemic, people from all walks of life in Macao have a more sober awareness of the existing problems in the local economic structure and deeper understanding of the development direction set by the central authorities for Macao.

The central authorities always attach great importance to and unremittingly promote the development of an appropriately diversified economy in Macao. In December 2019, General Secretary Xi Jinping delivered an important speech at a gathering in celebration of the 20th anniversary of Macao's return to the motherland. He pointed out, "What is particularly important is to ensure good collaboration with Zhuhai in developing Hengqin, which will create immense space and new momentum for Macao's long-term development." In September 2021, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council released the general plan for building a Guangdong-Macao in-depth cooperation zone in Hengqin, marking how we have comprehensively implemented and accelerated the building of the zone into a new phase. Through a year, initial outcomes have been accomplished. The relevant departments of the central authorities and the Guangdong provincial government have launched specific measures regarding different fields such as industries, science and technology, human resources, and finance. Under the firm support of the central authorities, the Macao SAR will continue to appropriately diversify its economy. In my opening statement, I said that the proportion of emerging industries like conventions and exhibitions, traditional Chinese medicine, special financial products and services, and cultural and creative industry in the GDP of Macao has continued to rise. The strategic position of Macao as "one center, one platform, and one base" has been basically put in place. Macao has ramped up efforts to develop itself into a world tourism and leisure center, and is well-known as a Creative City of Gastronomy. It has achieved fruitful results in building itself as a service platform for economic and trade cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, and has made steady progress in becoming a base for exchanges and cooperation where Chinese culture is the mainstream and diverse cultures coexist. 

Just as you said, Macao has encountered some difficulties and challenges in its social and economic development in the past few years due to the epidemic. However, its positive economic fundamentals remain unchanged. We believe that, under the strong support of the central authorities and the firm leadership of the chief executive and the government of the Macao SAR, Macao can give better play to its unique advantages, make more achievements in driving economic growth, and improve people's wellbeing. In response to the requests of the Macao SAR, the relevant departments of the central authorities will actively formulate policies and measures to support Macao's tourism growth and accelerate the building of the Guangdong-Macao In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin.

Thank you. 

Xinhua News Agency:

What measures has the central government taken to support Hong Kong and Macao in integrating into the overall development of the country and particularly in participating in the high-quality development of the GBA? What achievements have been secured? What other measures will be taken in the future? Thank you.

Huang Liuquan:

Developing the GBA is a new measure to promote the cultivation of a new landscape of comprehensive opening-up in China in the new era and a new practice to advance the cause of "one country, two systems." One of the vital purposes of developing the GBA proposed by the central government is to further support Hong Kong and Macao's integration into the overall national development, improve the well-being of compatriots in the two SARs, and maintain long-term prosperity and stability there.

In 2019, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council issued the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Three years into the implementation of the outline, remarkable achievements have been secured in the GBA development with the joint efforts of relevant central departments as well as Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao. First, the development of major cooperation platforms has been accelerated. The Guangdong-Macao In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin has innovated a new system of shared growth through consultation, collaboration, and joint management and formulated 12 kinds of channels to align rules and mechanisms. Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone has coordinated space expansion and policy coverage expansion. The demonstration zone for comprehensive cooperation among Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao in Guangzhou's Nansha district has seen its functions constantly improved, with nearly 3,000 enterprises from Hong Kong and Macao settling there. Second, steady progress has been made in building an international center for technology and innovation. The framework for the Greater Bay Area International Center for Technology and Innovation has taken shape, with the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong sci-tech innovation corridor, Guangzhou-Zhuhai-Macao sci-tech innovation corridor, Shenzhen Hetao innovation center, and Zhuhai Hengqin innovation center as the mainstays. We call them "two corridors" and "two centers." The Greater Bay Area Association of Academicians has been established in Hong Kong. Cooperation has been deepened between the Chinese mainland and the 20 key national laboratories of Hong Kong and Macao in brain science, smart cities, the Internet of Things, and other fields with distinctive strengths. Third, new breakthroughs have been made in connectivity between Hong Kong, Macao, and the Chinese mainland. The development of world-class airport and port clusters and a new type of infrastructure system in the GBA has been accelerated. The Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong high-speed railway and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge have entered operation. The development of the "Greater Bay Area on rail" has continued, and it now basically takes around one hour to move among major cities in the GBA. The cross-border flow of personnel, vehicles, goods, funds, and other production factors has become more efficient and convenient. Liantang Port/Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point, new Hengqin Port, and Qingmao Checkpoint have been opened successively. Convenient customs clearance models, including co-location arrangement, as well as "joint boundary control system," have been implemented. Fourth, policies and measures to facilitate the development of people from Hong Kong and Macao on the mainland have continued to be improved. The scope of mutual qualification recognition in professional fields between Hong Kong, Macao, and the mainland has been gradually expanded. Policies supporting Hong Kong and Macao youth in their employment, entrepreneurship, and exchanges on the mainland have been refined. The service system for the people of Hong Kong and Macao to live on the mainland has been improved, making it more convenient for them to get elderly care and be covered by the social security system on the mainland.

Going forward, relevant central authorities will continue to support Hong Kong and Macao in leveraging their unique strengths and roll out more effective measures to accelerate the development of the Greater Bay Area International Center for Technology and Innovation, the integrated development of the GBA market, and the construction of major GBA cooperation platforms. Thank you.

Chen Wenjun:

Thank you, Mr. Huang, Mr. Wang, and friends from the press. That's all for today's press conference. 

Translated and edited by Wang Qian, Xu Xiaoxuan, Zhang Liying, Gong Yingchun, Zhou Jing, Duan Yaying, Liu Jianing, Wang Yiming, Wang Yanfang, Zhang Tingting, Zhang Rui, Ma Yujia, Zhang Junmian, Yan Bin, Liu Sitong, Wang Wei, Li Huiru, David Ball, Jay Birbeck, and Tom Arnstein. In case of any discrepancy between the English and Chinese texts, the Chinese version is deemed to prevail.

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Read in Chinese

Speaker:

Mr. Huang Runqiu, minister of ecology and environment

Chairperson:

Mr. Chen Wenjun, spokesperson of the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC)

Date:

Sept. 15, 2022

Chen Wenjun:

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to this press conference held by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee. Today, we are holding the 32nd press conference under the theme of "China in the past decade." We have invited Mr. Huang Runqiu, minister of ecology and environment, to brief you on applying the new development philosophy and building a beautiful China where humanity and nature exist in harmony and take your questions. 

Now, let's give the floor to Mr. Huang Runqiu for his introduction.

Huang Runqiu:

Thank you, Mr. Chen. Friends from the press, good morning. As the 20th CPC National Congress draws nearer, I am very pleased to brief you here on the historic achievements China has secured in ecological conservation and environmental protection over the past decade since the 18th CPC National Congress. In fact, we have witnessed the battle against pollution and the historic progress of ecological conservation together in recent years, and you have told China's stories in ecological progress well in your own way and made your contributions to ecological conservation. Here on behalf of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE), I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all of you.

Over the past decade since the 18th CPC National Congress, new historic achievements and transformations have been secured in the cause of the Party and the country. The same is true in the field of ecology and environment. The past decade has witnessed the deepest understanding, the greatest efforts, the most solid measures, the fastest progress, and the most remarkable results in ecological conservation and environmental protection. To conserve the ecological environment, the CPC Central Committee has made unprecedented efforts on various fronts in terms of thinking, law, system, organization and conduct, and carried out a series of tasks of fundamental, pioneering and long-term significance, bringing about historic, transformative and overall changes in ecological conservation and environmental protection. The entire Party and country have become remarkably more conscious of and proactive in promoting green development, and have created miracles in ecological and green development attracting global attention. We have embarked on a path of sustainable development featuring advanced production, higher living standards and sound ecosystems, and made major headway in building a beautiful China.

In terms of guiding thoughts, General Secretary Xi Jinping, keeping in mind the sustainable development of the Chinese nation, has vigorously promoted innovation in theories, practices and systems of ecological conservation, put forward a series of new, creative concepts, ideas and strategies, and formed Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, providing a fundamental guide to action for ecological conservation and environmental protection.

In terms of strategic deployment, we have included building a beautiful China into the goals of building a great modern socialist country, ecological conservation into the Five-sphere Integrated Plan, harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature into the basic strategy of upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, and green development into the new development philosophy, pollution prevention and treatment into the three critical battles (alongside fighting potential risk and poverty). It is fair to say that the planning and arrangements to make progress on the ecology have been improved and become more systematic and more mature.

In terms of reform measures, we have reformed the management system for ecological environment and natural resources in recent years. We have established and implemented a series of systems, including central government ecological inspections, evaluations and accountability of ecological progress targets, river and lake chiefs, ecological protection redlines, pollutant discharge permits, and compensation for ecological damage. Over the past decade, we have formulated and revised more than 30 related laws and regulations, strongly ensuring ecological conservation with increasingly extensive institutional systems.

In terms of ecological and environmental quality, the average concentration of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in cities above prefecture level in 2021 fell by 34.8% compared with 2015, and 84.9% of surface water bodies nationwide met Class I to III quality standards. Soil pollution risks have been effectively controlled. Import of foreign waste has been banned, achieving the goal of zero imports of solid waste. In addition, nature reserves now cover 18% of China's land area, and wild populations of more than 300 rare and endangered wildlife species have been restored, presenting a vivid view of harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature.

In terms of green and low-carbon development, carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP nationwide have dropped by 34.4% in the past decade, and the share of coal in primary energy consumption has declined from 68.5% to 56%. The scale of renewable energy development and utilization as well as the production and sale of new energy vehicles both rank first in the world. Last year, we launched the world's largest Carbon Emission Trade Exchange, and green development is increasingly becoming the defining feature of high-quality development.

In terms of international influence, we have made historic contributions to the conclusion, signing, entry into force and implementation of the Paris Agreement aimed at addressing climate change. We announced that we would strive to peak carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. Last year, we held the first phase of the 15thmeeting of the Conference of the Parties to the U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity in Kunming and issued the Kunming Declaration. We have also actively promoted green development of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). China has become an important participant, contributor and leader in global ecological conservation.

Friends from the press, China has entered a new stage of development. General Secretary Xi Jinping has underscored that on the new journey of building a modern socialist country in all respects, the entire Party and country must maintain and strengthen the strategic focus of ecological progress, work hard to promote green transition in all aspects of economic and social development, and strive to build a beautiful China where humanity and nature exist in harmony, so as to make greater contributions to jointly building a clean and beautiful world.

Next, the MEE will firmly follow the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, resolutely implement the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, and promote pollution and carbon emissions reductions, green expansion and economic growth in a coordinated manner, so as to advance high-quality economic growth and create a high quality of life through high-level ecological protection. Last July, with the approval of the CPC Central Committee, the MEE established a research center for Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization. We will build this center into a pacesetter for theoretical research, publicity and interpretation of the thought. We also welcome active support and participation of friends from the press in the center's work.

Finally, we hope that through practical efforts, green development will become a brighter defining feature of a beautiful China, so as to pave the way for a successful 20th CPC National Congress. Thank you.

Chen Wenjun:

Thank you, Mr. Huang. The floor is open now. Please name the news agency you work for before raising questions. 

CCTV:

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, we have declared war against pollution, subsequently made a comprehensive plan to prevent and remedy pollution, and then entered a phase of continuous environmental improvement. Mr. Huang, what progress has been made in ecological environment protection, what major changes have taken place, and what important steps will be taken in the future? Thank you.

Huang Runqiu:

Thanks a lot for the questions. The ecological environment presents a major social issue associated with people's livelihood, as well as a major political issue that is very important to fulfilling the CPC's mission. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has made unprecedented efforts to promote ecological progress, one important strategy of which was to plan for and make solid efforts to prevent and control pollution. General Secretary Xi Jinping established the guiding principles and strategies for the work and provided support and encouragement for us. He once said that, no matter how difficult it is, we must prevent and control pollution, do not hesitate, do not flinch, and fight it with resolution, courage, and a strong drive. And we kept his word firmly in mind, made steadfast efforts, and have seen great results. It is fair to say that we have completed the goals and missions set so far and even done some extra work, and, as the result, the ecological environment has been remarkably improved. 

I believe that the journalists here at this press conference share this strong feeling that we have seen more and more clear days in recent years. Lush mountains and clear waters can be seen everywhere. And these make people feel a stronger sense of happiness, gain, and security for environmental improvement. According to the survey and statistics by the National Bureau of Statistics last year, the rate of public satisfaction with the environment surpassed 90%. To be specific, I think the main results of the fight against pollution can be summarized in three aspects.

First, the air quality experienced historical changes. As an air quality criterion, the national average density of PM2.5, or fine particulate matter, lowered from 46 micrograms per cubic meter in 2015 to 33 in 2020 and to 30 last year, historically reaching the interim target-1 set by the World Health Organization. In addition, the rate of days with good air quality reached 87.5% last year, 6.3 percentage points higher than in 2015. China has become the country to improve its air quality most quickly in the world. According to Bloomberg, in the seven years between 2013 and 2020, the scale of air quality improvement in China equaled that of the United States over the 30 odd years since the launch of the Clean Air Act. 

Second, water quality experienced a turning point for the good. Over the past decade, the proportion of water section with good water quality at Grade I to III in the country's water quality system has increased by 23.3 percentage points to reach 84.9%, approaching the level of developed countries. The murky and stinky waters have disappeared from cities at prefecture level and above. The safety of drinking water has been effectively secured. 

Third, soil environmental quality went through fundamental changes. Over the years, we rolled out the law on the prevention and control of soil pollution, which is of great importance as our first fundamental legislation in the field. We carried out a national survey on soil pollution of land for agriculture and construction use and exercised risk management over soil pollution. The momentum of deteriorating soil pollution has been curbed effectively. 

The journalist just asked about what we will do during the 14th Five-Year Plan period. The CPC Central Committee has made it clear that we will further the efforts in fighting pollution. In November last year, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council published their opinions regarding this point. During the 13th Five-Year Plan period, we said we should make firm efforts to fight pollution, and in the 14th Five-Year Plan period, we said that we should further the efforts in the field. In my opinion, this is not only a change in terms but also an indication that we are facing deeper problems and more significant difficulties of a wider scope, while being required to meet higher standards. So, during this period, we will maintain the intensity of our efforts while expanding their breadth and depth. We will make further efforts to fight pollution with higher standards. All of these can be summarized into three aspects as follows.

First, at a strategic level, we must maintain a strategic focus, and advance in the right direction and in a sound and sustained manner. The ecological environment quality has improved, however, it is still at a relatively low level. Tireless efforts should be made to meet the needs of the people for a good ecological environment. We will put the fight against pollution into the big picture of socioeconomic development, seeking progress while maintaining stable performances, coordinating pandemic prevention and control with socioeconomic development and ecological environment protection so as to secure basic safety of the ecological environment. 

Second, at a tactical level, we should continue to treat pollution with targeted, law-based, and science-oriented measures. We have proposed that we should make accurate assessments regarding what has caused the pollution, which regions are involved, the right timing and proper schedule to control the pollution, the targets we should tackle, and the measures we should adopt. We advocated that we should seek control of environmental pollution by invoking the law and protect the ecological environment through the rule of law. 

Moreover, we will place emphasis on addressing problems at the source through systematic and comprehensive measures. We should coordinate the efforts in carbon reduction, pollution mitigation, vegetation planting, and economic development. One of the priorities is the coordination in five aspects. The first is the efficiency-improving coordination between carbon reduction and pollution mitigation. This is required for the high-quality development of the economy and serves the need to deepen environmental treatment and fundamentally transform the quality of the ecological environment from the source. The second is the coordination of the treatment of PM2.5 and ozone. Because the precursor of these two is the same. So, the reduction of both can be made possible at the same time. In recent years, we have made efforts and seen preliminary results. In 2021, the synergized reduction of both has been initially realized. The third is the coordination of water resources, water environment, and water ecosystem. A water body with good water quality requires a good water environment and good water ecosystem, which consists of water, aquatic plants, and fish. There is a gap on this front, especially regarding biodiversity as well as the restoration and conservation of the water ecosystem. And we shall put in more efforts. The fourth is the coordination between urban and rural resources. Our shortcoming and weakness still exist in the environmental treatment of rural areas, especially the treatment of diffused pollution, garbage, sewage, and murky and stinky waters. The fifth is the coordination of treatment of conventional pollutants and new types of pollutants. We should especially build a risk prevention and control system regarding new chemical substances. 

Third, at an operational level, we have planned eight key campaigns in pollution prevention and control and have launched them one after another. To promote blue skies, we will focus on generally eliminating heavy air pollution, controlling ozone pollution, and pollution caused by diesel trucks. To protect clear waters, we will give priority to generally eliminating black, malodorous water bodies and controlling and preventing water pollution in key sea areas and the Yangtze River and the Yellow River. To protect clean lands, we will carry out critical battles against pollution in agriculture and rural areas with a focus on cleaning up the black, malodorous water bodies and domestic sewage. 

In short, during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, we will make greater efforts to address the salient ecological and environmental problems that concern people's daily life, and gain credibility with solid outcomes. Thank you.

Cover News:

Water ecological and environmental protection is of great significance to improving the quality of life of the people and promoting high-quality development of the economy. What changes have taken place in China's water ecosystems and environments over the past decade? What will be done next? Thank you.

Huang Runqiu:

Thank you for your question. I have just talked about the water environments in China. Water is one of the most basic elements of our environment. It is the aspiration of the people for a better environment and also a goal that our environmental protection workers strive for. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, we have acted upon the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council and launched programs on the prevention and control of water pollution with the strongest resolve and most effective measures, bringing about transformative changes in the protection of water ecosystems and environments. These changes can be generalized into three aspects.

First, water ecological and environmental protection and governance system has been improved. We have revised the Law on the Prevention and Control of Water Pollution, formulated and revised a series of laws and regulations such as the Yangtze River Protection Law, and developed over 20 relevant discharge standards of pollutants, consolidating the legal basis for water ecological and environmental protection of water bodies. We have seized the opportunity for institutional reform and set up water ecosystems and environmental regulatory agencies in seven major river basins, strengthening unified regulation over water ecological and environmental protection. The total number of state-controlled water sections increased from 1,940 to 3,641 during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, achieving full coverage of 10 major river basins, cities at and above the prefecture level, provincial and municipal borders of important water bodies, and important water functional zones. We have promoted the establishment of compensation mechanisms for the ecological conservation of river basins that span provinces. In recent years, we have launched trials for provinces situated on the upper and lower reaches of river basins compensating each other for ecological conservation in 13 river basins, such as Xin'an River and Chishui River, in 18 provinces, including Anhui province and Zhejiang province, developing well-coordinated governance between the upper and lower reaches and the left and right banks.

Second, our efforts to keep water clear have made significant progress. Concerning the protection and restoration of the Yangtze River basin, a total of more than 60,000 sewage outfalls into the Yangtze River have been identified. Over 16,000 illegal problems have been addressed through quick action, focusing on controlling the pollution of phosphorite mines, phosphorite chemical enterprises, and phosphogypsum warehouses and improving the water quality of state-controlled water sections with ratings lower than Grade V. The water quality of the Yangtze River's main stream reached Grade II standard or above for two consecutive years. In terms of the protection and improvement of the Yellow River basin ecosystems, we have identified about 17,000 sewage outfalls in the upper and some of the middle reaches of river basins, with the water quality of the Yellow River's main stream reaching Grade III standard or above. To improve water environments in cities, we have done a great deal of work with relevant departments over the years. We have carried out targeted actions for environmental protection to clean up black, malodorous water bodies in cities and generally eliminated 295 black, malodorous water bodies in built-up areas of cities at and above the prefecture level. In the past, black, malodorous water in cities were problems that concerned the people. Now they have been transformed into beautiful landscapes. During the 13th Five-Year Plan period, the number of newly-built sewer networks at and above the prefecture level reached 99,000 kilometers, which is equivalent to over twice the length of the Earth's equator. Over 1,200 industrial parks at and above the provincial level have realized centralized sewage treatment. To ensure of drinking water safety, we have launched a special campaign on protecting the environment in centralized drinking-water source areas nationwide, identifying and addressing over 10,000 problems in 2,804 water-supply sources, ensuring more secure drinking water sources for the people.

Third, positive progress has been made in the protection and restoration of river and lake ecosystems. We have strengthened the protection and restoration of river and lake shorelines. In the battle to protect and restore the Yangtze River, 162 kilometers of shorelines of the Yangtze River have been restored, and over 12 million square meters of beaches have been covered with plants. The Yangtze River shorelines has significantly improved. For eutrophic lakes such as Taihu Lake, Chaohu Lake, Dianchi Lake, and Erhai Lake, we have accelerated the industrial restructuring around the lakes, turned more polders into lakes, strictly regulated and controlled emissions of nitrogen and phosphorus, and addressed agricultural pollution from non-point sources, effectively controlling illegal activities such as land reclamation from lakes, encroachment on lake shorelines, and illegal sand mining. 

Just as we mentioned earlier, with our efforts, transformative changes have taken place in water quality in China over the past decade. A large number of typical examples of water pollution prevention and control have also emerged in various places. For instance, the water quality of Baiyangdian Lake, which is the largest freshwater lake in the North China Plain, had long been below Grade V in the past. Since the establishment of the Xiong'an New Area, Hebei province has resolutely implemented General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions on restoring and protecting Baiyangdian Lake and has been committed to making "three-sphere" integrated plans for water replenishment, pollution prevention and control, and flood control, and advancing them in a coordinated way. In 2021, the water quality of Baiyangdian Lake and rivers that empty into the lake reached Grade III standard, achieving a great leap from below Grade V to Grade III. As you can see in this picture, viewed from water quality and ecological landscapes along the lakeshore, Baiyangdian Lake has become a beautiful landscape and harmony between nature and water. Some indigenous fishes, such as rhodeussinensis, which have not been seen in Baiyangdian Lake for years, are gradually recovering. And the number of wild bird species has increased to 237. The ecological beauty of groups of fishes and shrimps and flocks of flying water birds has reappeared. The pearl of the North China Plain shines brilliantly again. In 2021, 18 cases nationwide were listed in the first group of excellent cases of beautiful rivers and lakes, setting an illustrious example.

Entering the new stage of development, we will shift the focus of water ecological and environmental protection from the prevention and control of water pollution to the coordinated protection of water resources, water ecosystems, and water environments. In particular, we will make greater efforts to protect and restore water ecosystems, strengthen the weak points, improve the quality and efficiency of our actions, and take further steps to advance water ecological and environmental protection, laying a solid foundation for building a beautiful China. Thank you.

Nanfang Metropolis Daily:

In recent years, China's air quality has significantly improved. We used to see pictures of blue skies posted on WeChat. In recent years, with better air quality, blue skies have become a common sight, and fewer pictures have been shared among people. How did such great changes take place in such a short time? What key measures have been taken? How could the air quality in China be further improved in the future? Thank you.

Huang Runqiu:

Thank you for your questions. Speaking of blue sky, I would like to show you a photo taken at night. This image shows star trails in the night sky against the backdrop of the Meridian Gate of the Forbidden City. How was the photo taken? As you can see, stars twinkle at night and their movements in the sky form bright trails called star trails. The photo must be taken in an environment with good air quality. Therefore, this image is a true reflection of Beijing's improvement in air quality in recent years. The average density of PM2.5(particles with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less)was reduced by 63.1%, nearly two-thirds, from 89.5 micrograms per cubic meter in 2013 to 33micrograms per cubic meter in 2021. The number of heavily-polluted days in Beijing reduced from 58 in 2013 to eight in 2021, then to two this year. Consequently, "blue sky" days have become the norm in Beijing, as evidenced by the APEC summit in 2014, the parade in 2015 and the Winter Olympics this year. 

Beijing epitomizes China's changes in air quality. Air quality in the past 10 years was improved substantially across China, including the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta region, and the Zhujiang River Delta region. Over the past decade, the average density of PM2.5 in China's 74 major cities dropped by 56%. The number of heavily polluted days in those cities decreased by 87%. In 2021, the number of heavily polluted days in cities at and above prefecture level across China declined by 51% compared with 2015. China is the first developing country to tackle PM2.5pollution and is hailed as the fastest to address air pollution. 

How was China able to improve its air quality so much? To my understanding, it should be accredited to the importance of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council attached to it and their science-based decisions. In recent years, China rolled out the Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan and a three-year action plan to fight air pollution . Of course, the concerted efforts from government departments and all sectors of society, including the press, were indispensable. I think the efforts made in adjusting the structures of the following four aspects are crucial. 

First, we adjusted the energy structure to be cleaner and lower in carbon emissions. Over the past 10 years, two-thirds of China's increased energy consumption was from clean energy. The number of coal-fired boilers and kilns was reduced from 500,000 to 100,000. We promoted clean heating during winter season in northern China, sparing more than 27 million rural households from smoky coal-fired heating in winter. People are living happier lives as their living conditions improved notably. The air quality was also improved, thanks to burning 60 million fewer metric tons of coal. 

Second, we adjusted the industrial structure to improve the quality and efficiency of industrial development. In the past decade, we reduced outdated production capacity and cut overcapacity of 300 million metric tons of steel, 400 million metric tons of cement and 150 million metric tons of glass. We established the world's biggest clean coal power generation system and the capacity of coal power generators with ultra-low emissions reached more than 1,030million kilowatts. We strived to upgrade the whole procedure of steel production towards ultra-low emissions, with 630 million metric tons of crude steel capacity being or having been upgraded to achieve ultra-low emissions.

Third, we adjusted the transportation structure to adapt to a green approach. In the past 10 years, we reduced more than 30 million outdated and high-emission vehicles. Now China owns the world's largest number of new energy vehicles. The vehicle emission and fuel quality standards have been updated from "China IV" to "China VI," and the standards are both leading the world.

Fourth, we improved the urban environment governance structure to include dust control as a key area. We have combated the dust generated by mining gravel in construction sites, resulting in a notable decline in urban dust. We set up a grid-based supervision institution to tackle air pollution at the village and community levels. Burning uncultivated land in spring, straw in autumn and garbage all year long, barbecuing in summer, and coal-fired heating in winter were controlled. The cities took on a new look, to which technology contributed greatly. More than 2,000 technicians participated in examining the reasons for air pollution and resolving them. We developed a national forecast model whose accuracy rate reached 90% in combating PM2.5 pollution. Such technological support was pivotal in our fight against air pollution.

More needs to be done to meet people's expectations and achieve the goal of building a "beautiful China." Next, focusing on coordinated efforts to reduce pollution and lower carbon emissions, we will tackle both PM2.5 and ozone and emphasize joint control of various pollutants and coordinated prevention and control efforts across regions. In doing so, we can press ahead with low-carbon and green development in industries, energy and transportation, fight against air pollution and promote sustainable improvements in air quality. Thank you. 

ITVNews: 

This summer here in China and across the region in places like India and Pakistan we saw what appeared to be the accelerated effects of climate change. I want to get your view on what we've experienced this summer. And do you think that China can still reach its targets on decarbonization and on emissions, given it's experiencing these extreme events when we've seen some parts of the country facing power outages?

Huang Runqiu:

Thank you for your question, which is a good one suitable at this time. Some places in China encountered extreme long-term heat this summer. As you mentioned, hot days, drought, floods and other disastrous weather also plagued regions and countries like Europe and Pakistan. We have felt the consequences of climate change and the urgency to respond to climate change. 

The Chinese government has attached great importance to addressing climate change issues. In the past 10 years since the 18th CPC National Congress, under Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, we have placed responding to climate change to a more prominent position in national governance, and have implemented proactive national strategies to combat climate change and intensified efforts to reduce carbon emissions. We have strengthened China's Nationally Determined Contribution. Remarkable results have been made in steering socioeconomic development on the track of green development.

In Sept. 2020, President Xi Jinping declared at the general debate of the 75th Session of The United Nations General Assembly that China aims to have CO2 emissions peak before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060.That means China, the largest developing country in the world, will reduce its carbon emissions and achieve carbon neutrality in the shortest time. That is very challenging in view that China's energy system relies on coal and it has an extensive industrial system. Though it is a huge challenge for us to achieve that goal, it demonstrates China's resolve to combat climate change and embark on the road of green development, which provided an important impetus to global climate governance from a political perspective. 

General Secretary Xi Jinping stressed that achieving "dual carbon" goals is not something that others asked us to do but is something we must do. Over the past 10 years, China has cut its carbon emission intensity by 34.4%, reversing the rapid growth of carbon dioxide emissions. Green growth has become a defining feature of high-quality economic and social development. You asked about our determination. I would like to introduce our concrete efforts to answer your questions. So, what have we done over the past decade?

First, we steadily promoted energy restructuring. Over the past decade, the share of coal consumption in primary energy consumption dropped from 68.5% to 56% last year. The share of non-fossil fuels increased by 6.9 percentage points to 16.6%. China's installed capacity of renewable power increased by 3.1 times, exceeding one billion kilowatts. The installed capacity of wind, solar, water, and biomass power all topped the world. 

Second, we continued to optimize and upgrade the industrial structure. We vigorously developed green and low-carbon industries, strictly contained the blind expansion of energy-intensive projects with high emissions, cut backward production capacity based on laws and regulations, and stepped up efforts to ease overcapacity. Over the past 10 years, China's energy consumption increased by 3% annually, underpinning the 6.5% annual growth of the national economy. The energy intensity dropped by 26.2%, which is the fastest in the world, saving energy equivalent to 1.4 billion tons of standard coal, and cutting emissions equivalent to 2.94 billion tons of carbon dioxide. Strategic emerging industries thrive rapidly. China's new-energy vehicle sales reached 3.52 million units in 2021, topping the world.

Third, we continued to enhance the carbon sink capacity and the ability to respond to climate change. Over the past decade, China increased the forested area by 7.1% to 227 million hectares, serving as a major contributor to afforestation efforts in the world. China increased its forest carbon sinks by 7.3%, reaching 839 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per year, which can offset the annual carbon emissions from mobile vehicles in China. China has released a national climate change adaptation strategy. A pilot campaign has been carried out to build climate-resilient cities. Our capacity to deal with challenges posed by climate change has been improved in key sectors, such as agriculture and infrastructure construction.

Fourth, we stepped up efforts to develop the carbon market nationwide. The China Carbon Emission Trade Exchange became the largest in the world in terms of greenhouse gas emissions covered in the system upon starting trading online on July 16, 2021, with a total of 2,162 key emission-related entities in the power generation industry being included during its first compliance period. The total trading volume of carbon emission quota in the market reached 195 million tonnes as of yesterday, with a turnover totaling 8.559 billion yuan. By giving effective play to the incentive role of the market mechanism, we controlled greenhouse gas emissions and promoted green and low-carbon development.

Fifth, China made its contributions to global climate governance. Upholding the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind, China has engaged constructively to promote the multilateral process of climate change issues and made historic contribution to the adoption, entry into force and smooth implementation of the Paris Agreement. We made continued efforts to deepen South-South Cooperation on addressing climate change. By the end of last month, China has allocated 1.2 billion yuan in total, signed 43 cooperation documents and trained more than 2,000 relevant personnel from developing countries. 

Achieving the goals of peaking carbon emissions and carbon neutrality is necessary to relieving the serious constraints imposed by resources and the environment on China's economic growth and achieving sustainable development. Therefore, we have firm determination to achieve the "dual carbon" goals. It is also a solemn commitment toward building a community with a shared future for mankind. China always keeps its word and acts with resolve. We will fully implement the 1+N policy framework for peaking carbon emissions and achieving carbon neutrality, actively participate and play a leading role in global climate governance, making more and new contributions to building a beautiful China and responding to global climate change. Thank you.

National Business Daily:

Over the years, we have seen more lucid waters and lush mountains around us, and the sight of rare animals and plants has been caught more often than before. These are the results of China's efforts in ecological protection. What has China done to protect the eco-environment over the years? Speaking of eco-environment, we will think of COP15. As the COP15 presidency, what kind of role will China play in the second phase of the meeting? What goals does China have? Thank you.

Huang Runqiu:

Thank you for your questions. A beautiful ecological environment lays the foundation for achieving harmony between humans and nature. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has prioritized ecological protection in the efforts to promote ecological progress, stressed on more than one occasion the need to conduct holistic conservation and systematic governance of mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes, grasslands, and deserts, to improve the quality and stability of ecosystems and ensure natural ecological security. Over the past decade, we have made great achievements in this regard, and the works we have done are as follows:

First, the past decade has witnessed the overall improvement of the eco-environment protection system. In terms of laws and regulations, China has promulgated and revised more than 20 laws and regulations, including laws on bio safety and forests and laws on the protection of wild animals and wetlands. We have further strengthened legal protection for ecological environment. In terms of systems and measures, China initiated an ecological conservation redline system. More than 25 percent of China's land area has been demarcated for ecological protection under this system. China has established a national park-based nature reserve system and established the first batch of five national parks, including the Three-River-Source National Park, bringing 90% of land ecosystem types and 74% of national key protected wild animal and plant species under protection. By enforcing the ten-year fishing ban along the Yangtze River, rare aquatic species, including the Yangtze finless porpoise, which is often called the "smiling angel," has seen initial recovery. The number of aquatics species monitored in Dongting Lake increased by 30 from 2018 to 2021.

Second, the past decade has witnessed the greatest efforts for supervising ecological protection. By conducting central eco-environmental protection inspections, a series of prominent eco-environmental problems have been solved. For example, the Qilian Mountains, which suffered from significant damages, are now covered in greenery. The effort in ecological governance has seen great results. The northern slope of the Qinling Mountains has also undergone historical changes. Blind development was curbed, non-ecofriendly factors withdrew in an orderly manner, and the ecosystem has started to restore. We have worked with relevant departments to conduct the "Green Shield" campaign five years in a row to strengthen the supervision of nature reserves, which helped to solve more than 5,000 problems found in national nature reserves.

Third, the past decade has seen China effectively consolidate its shields for ecological security. We adhere to the holistic conservation and systematic governance of mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes, grasslands and deserts. We have steadily advanced 25 pilot projects to protect and restore mountain, water, forest, farmland, lake and grassland ecosystems, carried out major biodiversity protection projects, and designated 35 biological diversity conservation priority areas. The glossy ibis, which was once thought to be extinct, has reappeared. You can see that this picture is the glossy ibis, which is rare and has appeared again in our nature. Moreover, there are now new members of the critically endangered Hainan gibbon species, as seen in the picture above. The number of Hainan gibbons is constantly expanding. The critically endangered species of graptopetalum aquifolium that had been thought missing for a century has also been discovered again. In total, 112 unique, rare and endangered wild animals and plants have returned to the wild.

Fourth, the past decade has seen innovative development, during which we have turned "lucid waters and lush mountains" into "invaluable assets." We regard the construction of ecological civilization as an essential platform and carrier for practicing Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, and successively organized and named five batches of 362 national ecological civilization demonstration cities and counties. Moreover, we have created 136practice and innovation bases for the "two mountains" concept, according to which "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets." We have guided all localities to actively explore new ways to achieve green and high-quality development with ecological conservation as the priority. For example, the Jiawang district in Xuzhou, Jiangsu province. Through the vigorous implementation of restoration projects for mine subsidence, afforestation and water system management, this district has witnessed a massive transformation from "a city of half coal ash" to "a city of green hills and lakes."

Fifth, the past decade has seen China's increased participation in global biodiversity governance. We have actively implemented the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and its protocols. Over the past decade, China has accomplished its biodiversity conservation goals better than the global average. In October last year, as the president of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Convention, we successfully held the first phase of COP15 in Kunming. President Xi Jinping attended the conference and delivered a keynote speech, announcing the establishment of the Kunming Biodiversity Fund and other host country initiatives. In addition, the Kunming Declaration was adopted at COP15. The theme of this conference is "Ecological Civilization: Building a Shared Future for All Life on Earth," which has explained to the world China's ideas, propositions and actions to advance global ecological civilization. It has also contributed to the promotion of global ecological civilization and biodiversity conservation using Chinese wisdom, solutions and strength.

The reporter mentioned the second phase of COP15 just now. I think all of you are very concerned about it. Taking into account the domestic and international COVID-19 prevention and control situation, the location of the second phase of the conference will be changed to Montreal, Canada, the seat of the CBD Secretariat, from December 7 to 19, 2022. Although the location has changed, the theme of COP15 remains the same, "Ecological Civilization: Building a Shared Future for All Life on Earth." Under the same theme, China will continue to perform its duties as theCOP15 president to lead the agenda. Our goal is to reach an ambitious and pragmatic post-2020 global biodiversity framework that balances the objectives of the convention promotes global biodiversity and builds a shared future for all life on earth. Thank you.

China Daily:

Minister Huang, we know that soil is an important foundation for life to survive. A good soil environment is essential for breeding animals and plants, as well as for the lives of ordinary people. What is the current state of China's soil environment? Are there any problems now? How will the problems be fixed? Thank you.

Huang Runqiu:

Thank you for your question. Soil is the foundation of everything and the source of life, and it is important to prevent and control soil pollution. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, we have worked with various regions and departments to steadily keep our lands pollution-free. As a result, the soil pollution across the country has been effectively curbed, the overall soil environmental quality has remained stable and soil pollution risks have been kept under control. Overall, we have made progress in the following three areas.

First, we have carried out diagnostic assessments. Together with relevant departments, we have completed a detailed survey of soil pollution across the country and established a national soil environmental monitoring network comprising 80,000 points, covering all counties, cities and districts. We have identified the area and distribution of soil pollution in agricultural land and its impact on the quality of agricultural products, learned about the distribution and environmental risks of soil pollution in key industries and enterprises and shared relevant data with multiple departments.

Second, we have established a system. China has promulgated the Law on Prevention and Control of Soil Pollution, the first basic law on soil pollution prevention and control. We have clarified the principles of soil pollution prevention and control, featuring "prevention and protection first, classified management, and risk control." We have established a system of laws and regulations for soil pollution prevention and control to ensure that people don't worry about food or land quality. Together with relevant departments, we have successively issued departmental regulations such as soil environmental management measures for polluted land plots, agricultural land, and industrial and mining land and formulated a series of standards and specifications for controlling soil pollution risk in agricultural land and construction land.

Third, we have controlled the risks. Since the Thirteenth Five-Year Plan (2016–2020), we have strengthened the prevention at the source. Working with relevant departments, we have continued to take action in preventing and controlling heavy metal pollution sources such as cadmium in agricultural land soil and put more than 18,000 enterprises under stricter regulation. In terms of the safe use of contaminated farmland, we worked to reduce the risk of agricultural product pollution by adjusting the planting structure. For strictly controlled cultivated land, the measures we took to manage risks included withdrawing from the cultivation of edible agricultural products and turning farmland into forests. Regarding the safe use of construction land, we have conducted soil pollution surveys and assessments on more than 40,000 plots across the country in accordance with laws and regulations. A total of more than 1,500 plots of construction land have been included in the soil pollution risk management and restoration list. We strictly manage these lands, and those failing to meet the risk control and restoration requirement shall not be used as residential, public management, or public service land. For some vacated industrial plots, a combined measure of controlling soil pollution risk and building greens together has been adopted in certain areas. They planned and built urban green areas, which ensure not only safe use of land but also expand ecological green space for residents. In this way, economic returns and social and environmental benefits are pursued at the same time. 

I will give you an example. Taopu Industrial Park in Shanghai was once a chemical industrial zone built in 1954. It used to have severe soil and groundwater pollution. Over the years, the polluted land has been vacated and effectively treated and restored, and the park has become a pleasant green space in the city center. The park has undergone a transformation and has become a benchmark for transforming, upgrading and ecologically restoring Shanghai's old industrial bases.

Of course, we are also soberly aware that although fundamental changes have taken place in China's soil environmental quality, the foundation of work for soil pollution prevention and control is still weak. Going forward, we will work with relevant departments to do an excellent job in four aspects. First, we will adhere to the principle of precautionary prevention, strengthen the supervision and law enforcement of key soil pollution entities under supervision and prevent new soil pollution. Second, we will pay close attention to the areas with prominent arable land pollution, conduct investigations on the causes of pollution, implement a classified management system and continuously improve safe utilization. Third, we will strictly manage the land used for construction, strengthen joint supervision around the residential, public administration and public service land plots, and firmly end illegal development and utilization. Fourth, we will comprehensively promote the implementation of various tasks in the action plan for dealing with new pollutants and vigorously enhance the ability to address such pollutants. Thank you.

The Poster News APP:

Hello, Mr. Huang, every summer, many people choose to go to the seaside for vacation. The quality of seawater and the marine environment area matter of general concern. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, may I ask what work China has carried out in marine ecological and environmental protection, and what results have been achieved? What will be the focus of the next step? Thank you.

Huang Runqiu:

Thank you for your questions. The sea is a strategic place for high-quality development. Protecting the marine environment is significant for promoting high-quality development in coastal areas and building a harmonious relationship between humankind and the sea. General Secretary Xi Jinpingemphasized that we must attach great importance to developing a marine eco-civilization. This involves strengthening the prevention and control of marine environmental pollution, protecting marine biodiversity, realizing the orderly development and utilization of marine resources, and leaving a blue sea and blue sky for future generations. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the main achievements of China's marine environmental protection can be summarized in four "new" characteristics:

First, a new pattern has been formed in the integrated land-sea governance system. In 2018, the responsibility for marine environmental protection was integrated into the MEE, combining the protection of both land and sea. We resolutely implement the reform of Party and government institutions, set up three supervision institutions for basin and marine environment in different sea areas, and established coordination mechanisms with relevant departments in marine environment monitoring and evaluation, supervision and law enforcement, protection and governance. Eleven coastal provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) and related municipal and county-level environment departments have also re-established marine ecological and environmental protection agencies, forming a new work pattern of coordinating land and sea protection, as well as coordination and cooperation across different levels.

Second, the quality of the marine environment has seen new improvements. We have further promoted the prevention and control of pollution in offshore areas, and the marine environment has been significantly improved. In the past 10years, among the rivers entering the sea which have national-level water-quality monitoring sections, 71.7% of water sections were graded in categories I-III, up 25 percentage points. The proportion of water sections graded as inferior category V decreased by 24 percentage points to 0.4%. The balance of excellent water quality in offshore areas across the country increased by about 17.6 percentage points to 81.3%. We have made great efforts to improve the water environment of the Bohai Sea region. All 30 tasks with established time frames have been completed with high quality, and the ecological environment of the Bohai Sea region has been significantly improved. We continue to promote the building of beautiful bays, and scenes of beautiful bays with clean water, clean beaches, schools of fish and flocks of gulls, and harmonious relationships between the sea and people have continued to emerge. Lingshan Bay in Qingdao city, Shandong province, has renovated 30kilometers of coastline for visitors and citizens to appreciate the sea. It is a magnificent transformation.

Third, marine environment management and protection efficiency has achieved a new leap forward. Since the institutional reform, we have promoted optimizing and integrating the land-sea monitoring network and gradually built a marine environment monitoring network based on 1,359 national-level monitoring sites. We have further improved the marine environment supervision system. All coastal provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) have comprehensively cleaned up sewage outfalls into seas. Nearly 19,000 sewage outfalls have been reviewed in the Bohai Sea region. All localities have also continued to strengthen the supervision of the marine aquaculture ecological environment and the management of marine garbage. Fujian province's Ningde city focused on the green transformation of marine aquaculture, upgrading traditional foam net cages to environment-friendly plastic net cages, significantly reducing fishery waste and transforming the sea garbage dump in the past into a beautiful idyllic "sea garden."

We, together with relevant departments, continue to strengthen marine ecological protection and restoration. Up to now, the marine ecological protection red lines of 11 coastal provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) have all been delineated, and a total of 145 marine nature reserves have been established nationwide, with a total area of about 7.91 million hectares. During the 13th Five-Year Plan period, we have improved and restored 1,200 kilometers of coastline and 23,000 hectares of coastal wetlands. By 2021, all 24 marine ecosystems included in the monitoring had largely recovered from an "unhealthy" state.

Fourth, a new mechanism for marine environment surveillance and law enforcement has been formed. We have made greater efforts to ensure that  responsibilities for marine environment governance are fulfilled. Since 2015, the environmental inspections carried out by the central government have revealed more than 150 salient problems concerning marine environment and we have urged local governments to make effective rectifications. We continue to strengthen law enforcement for marine environmental protection. In recent years, we have cooperated with the China Coast Guard and other departments to carry out special surveillance and law enforcement actions such as "Blue Sea," which has formed a solid deterrent to violations of laws and regulations related to the marine environment.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, we will work with relevant departments and coastal localities to focus on building beautiful bays as the main task and the improvement of the marine environment as the priority, improve the environment in key sea areas. We will work to advance the management of bays with a holistic approach and tailored measures, continue to improve our capacity for coordinated protection of land and sea.We will promote high-quality economic development in coastal areas with high-level marine environment protection. Thank you.

Chen Wenjun: 

The last question.

Red Star News:

Good morning, Mr. Huang. Over the past decade, we see that ecological and environmental protection has gained much more attention. The past decade has witnessed stricter measures and more interdepartmental collaboration for environmental protection. Could you brief us on the development of the legal and institutional framework regarding ecological and environmental protection? What landmark achievements have been made? Thank you.

Huang Runqiu:

Thank you for the questions. General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized on many occasions that developing institutions is essential for ecological conservation. The ecological environment should be protected with strict institutions and the rule of law. This is the essence of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization. Under the sound guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization and Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law, we have seen more vital legislation, more newly-introduced institutions and stricter regulation and law enforcement regarding ecological and environmental protection than ever before.

The past decade has seen stronger legislation on ecological and environmental protection than ever before. Both the quantity and quality of new laws have been improved. As a fundamental and overarching law in ecological and environmental protection, the Environmental Protection Law was comprehensively revised and came into force in 2015. The newly amended law stipulates punitive measures such as levying fines accumulating by the day, closing down or distraining pollution-causing facilities and equipment , and detention, thus being called the strictest environmental protection law in history. The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress formulated and amended 25 laws related to ecological and environmental protection, covering air, water, soil, solid waste and noise pollution prevention and control. In addition, it looked at laws related to essential ecosystems and elements such as the Yangtze River, wetlands, and chernozem soil. More than 30 laws on ecological environment protection have come into force, forming a comprehensive, practical, effective, and stringent socialist legal system on ecological environment protection with Chinese characteristics. In addition, ecological civilization was written into the country's Constitution. Moreover, the civil code included the green principle as a general principle of civil activities. Finally, the Criminal Law and its amendments clearly defined the crimes of polluting the environment and destroying resources. These are all highlights of legislation on environmental protection in the past decade.

Second, the past decade has witnessed more newly-introduced institutions on ecological and environmental protection than ever before. In 2015, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council promulgated two top-level design documents-the guidelines on accelerating ecological advancement and the integrated reform plan for promoting ecological progress. Since then, a series of innovative systems have been introduced, such as the central supervision system for environmental protection, the reform of the vertical management system for monitoring, supervision, and law enforcement of eco-environmental institutions that are at and below the provincial level, and the emissions permit system . Law enforcement officers for ecological protection have been included in the system of coordinated law enforcement by government departments and wear the same uniforms as other personnel in the system. An institutional framework has taken shape, providing an institutional base for advancing ecological conservation and environmental protection.

In particular, the central supervision system for ecological and environmental protection has played a crucial role. A press conference held by the State Council Information Office this July introduced the progress in implementing the system. Here, I would like to add some points.

General Secretary Xi Jinping personally planned, deployed, and promoted the central supervision system for ecological and environmental protection, a major institutional innovation and reform measure of the Party and the country. The system has facilitated the implementation of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, ensured that both CPC committees and governments are held accountable and that officials take responsibility for ecological and environmental protection in performing their duties , helped resolve a large number of environmental problems, promoted high-quality economic development, and become a litmus test of the officials' sense of responsibility. During the two rounds of supervision, we released 262representative cases, and handled287,000 tip-offs and complaint letters, of which 286,000 have been settled. Moreover, 18,000 officials were held accountable during the first round. It is fair to say that the supervision has achieved sound political, economic, environmental and social effects.

Third, the past decade has witnessed the strictest regulation and law enforcement as well as the most effective implementation of the legal system. Statistics speak volumes. In 2021, the number of administrative penalty cases concerning environmental protection was 1.6 times that before the implementation of the new environmental protection law. From 2013 to 2021, the people's courts tried an average of more than 2,000 cases involving pollution crimes per year, while the number was several dozens and sometimes less than 20 per year before 2013. Since the newly revised environmental protection law came into force in 2015, there have been over 170,000 cases involving fines accumulating by the day, closing down or distraining pollution-causing facilities and equipment, production restrictions and halts, detention, and pollution crimes.

While enforcing the law, we have made full use of information technology such as modern remote sensing and big data, as well as advanced equipment such as mobile laboratories, drones, and uncrewed ships. We have established an integrated "air-space-land" monitoring mechanism to identify problems and clues accurately, thus significantly enhancing the ability to detect polluters. I have a photo here to show you. You can see that some companies discharge sewage into the river using pipes hidden under the ground. Generally, it is difficult to find, but our infrared imagers can easily detect the act. These enterprises have been severely punished. At the same time, we have optimized law enforcement methods, improved law enforcement efficiency, and implemented a positive list system for supervision and law enforcement to see that the law-abiding are let be and lawbreakers are punished in accordance with the law.

Going forward, we will continue to follow the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization and Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law, improve the legal and institutional system for ecological and environmental protection, promote precise, scientific and law-based pollution control, and at the same time offer more guidance and assistance to enterprises to boost high-quality development. Thank you.

Chen Wenjun:

Thank you, Mr. Huang. Thank you to friends from the media. Today's press conference is now concluded. See you!

Translated and edited by Wang Qian, Xu Xiaoxuan, Zhang Liying, Wang Yanfang, Liu Sitong, Xu Kailin, Li Huiru, Liu Jianing, Cui Can, Ma Yujia, Wang Yiming, Zhang Rui, Huang Shan, David Ball, Jay Birbeck, and Tom Arnstein. In case of any discrepancy between the English and Chinese texts, the Chinese version is deemed to prevail.

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Read in Chinese

Speakers:

Mr. Zhuang Shaoqin, vice minister of natural resources

Mr. Liu Guohong, a member of the CPC Leading Group of the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) and chief engineer of the MNR 

Mr. Li Chunliang, vice administrator of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration (NFGA)

Mr. Zhang Zhanhai, chief engineer of the MNR

Mr. Yu Haifeng, director general of the Geological Exploration Department, MNR

Chairperson:

Ms. Shou Xiaoli, spokesperson of the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC)

Date:

Sept. 19, 2022

Shou Xiaoli:

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to this press conference held by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee. Today, we are holding the 33rd press conference under the theme of "China in the past decade." We are delighted to have invited Mr. Zhuang Shaoqin, vice minister of natural resources; Mr. Liu Guohong, a member of the CPC Leading Group of the MNR and the ministry's chief engineer; and Mr. Li Chunliang, vice administrator of the NFGA, to brief you on achievements in China's natural resources development in the new era and take your questions. Also joining us today are Mr. Zhang Zhanhai, chief engineer of the MNR, and Mr. Yu Haifeng, director general of the Geological Exploration Department, MNR.

Now, let's give the floor to Mr. Zhuang Shaoqin for his introduction.

Zhuang Shaoqin:

Ladies and gentlemen, friends from the media, good morning. First of all, I would like to thank the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee for giving us the opportunity to take part in this press conference, and to thank you for your long-term care, support and help for the natural resources sector.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, with a strategic perspective of the sustained development of the Chinese nation, has deeply promoted the reform of the ecological civilization system. The past years have seen historic achievements and changes in China's natural resources development, which have effectively promoted the modernization of harmonious coexistence between man and nature.

Over the past decade, we have kept in mind the worst-case scenarios, strictly protected farmland, effectively guaranteed the supply of resources, and effectively supported high-quality development and a high quality of life. We have continued to implement the most stringent farmland protection system, strictly set a redline ensuring that the total farmland shall be no less than 1.8 billion mu (120 million hectares), and consolidated the foundation of national food security. We have continued to strengthen basic geological surveys and mineral resource exploration. The reserves of major mineral resources increased, and the outputs of coal, tungsten and other mineral products have ranked first in the world for many years. Significant progress has been made in extracting gas hydrates, or what we usually call "flammable ice." We have optimized the layout of land and space in accordance with laws and regulations, ensured the supply of land in an orderly manner, and effectively supported the implementation of major national strategies such as coordinated regional development, new urbanization and rural revitalization. Land used for urban housing, parks and green spaces, and public service facilities has grown substantially, and the living environment in urban and rural areas has improved significantly.

Over the past decade, we have thoroughly implemented a comprehensive resource conservation strategy, continued to improve the ability to conserve and effectively use resources, and promoted the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development. We have adhered to and implemented the most stringent system of economical use of land, controlled the total amount and intensity of land used for construction, and improved the evaluation system for economical use of land across regions and projects. We have put inefficiently utilized land into use to meet the increasing needs for construction. We strictly marked the boundaries of urban development and promoted high-quality green urban development featuring efficiency and effectiveness. From 2012 to 2021, the land used for construction per unit of GDP nationwide dropped by 40.85%, and the economic density of land increased significantly. In accordance with the requirements of resource conservation and green development, a survey and evaluation system for the development and utilization of mineral resources has been established to promote the comprehensive utilization of resources and accelerate the development of green mining.

Over the past decade, we have followed the philosophy that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets, and the concept that mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes, grasslands and deserts form a living community. The quality and stability of the ecosystem have continued to improve, which has effectively promoted the building of a beautiful China. We have adhered to and implemented the most stringent environmental protection system, scientifically set redlines for ecological protection, and brought the total area under protection to more than 30% of China's territory. Except for major national projects, coastal reclamation activities are no longer allowed, and new island reclamation is strictly controlled. A system of nature reserves with national parks as the mainstay has been established, the first batch of national parks has been established, and natural and cultural heritage resources have been protected and used in an orderly manner. The value and advantages of China's diverse natural resources have been further brought into play. We have adhered to systematic governance, retained security boundaries for the natural environment, and provided high-quality ecological products for the people. We have promoted the implementation of major projects for the protection and restoration of important ecosystems across the country, and deployed and implemented a number of integrated protection and restoration projects for mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes, grasslands and deserts, and the quality of river and lake ecosystems has been significantly improved. Forest coverage has increased to 24.02%, and the desertified land under management has achieved a historic change from "sand encroaching on human habitats" to "people pushing back the deserts."

In the past 10 years, we have advanced the reform of ecological conservation system, and improved the natural resources governance system and capacity by stepping up scientific and technological innovation and applying information technology. We have pressed ahead with the reform of the property rights system for natural resources assets. We have established a system for the confirmation and registration of natural resources ownerships, explored a principal-agent system for the property rights of natural resources assets owned by the whole people, and set up a paid-use mechanism for natural resources covering major categories such as land and mineral resources. Completing the third national land survey, the MNR compiled China's first territorial spatial planning outline and set up a unified planning system for national territorial space. We have advanced reforms in the natural resources field to delegate power, streamline administration, and optimize government services. Based on unified criteria, unified planning, and the same digital map and platform, we have integrated various review and approval items into one, various certifications into one, and streamlined various kinds of surveying and mapping into one. That means immovable property can be registered at one department rather than various departments as before. It takes at most five days for common registration and mortgage registration of immovable property in all cities and counties across China, which helps improve the business environment. Based on the real scene 3D China project, we have been building a new type of basic surveying and mapping system to promote digital and smart territorial spatial planning. The investigation, monitoring, early-warning, and prevention and control systems for geological and marine disasters have been improved, which have reduced casualties and property damage caused by disasters. We promulgated the Wetland Protection Law and revised the Land Management Law, Forest Law, and Surveying and Mapping Law. We have intensified the national supervision and inspection of natural resources, protecting natural resources and the ecological environment with the strictest system and law-based governance. In so doing, we have formed a rational process for land development strictly based on functional zoning. 

In the past decade, we have engaged in international cooperation to promote the global governance of natural resources and ecological conservation. We have contributed to global ecological conservation, the building of a community of all life on Earth, the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as well as the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. Together with the International Union for Conservation of Nature, we released typical Chinese practices through nature-based solutions. We have participated in the maritime governance mechanism within the UN framework and launched China's action for a Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030). We have actively forged blue partnerships and established marine cooperative relations with more than 50 countries and international organizations, providing public goods and services, including tsunami pre-warning for countries around the South China Sea. We donated high-resolution global land cover data to the UN and set up a UN Global Geospatial Knowledge and Innovation Center in China.

Next, on the new journey, guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, we will apply the new development philosophy in full, in the right way, and in all fields of endeavor. Focusing on the new development paradigm, we will strive to break new ground in promoting natural resources development so as to make more contributions to fully building a modern socialist China. 

Now, my colleagues and I would like to take your questions. Thank you.

Shou Xiaoli:

Thank you, Mr. Zhuang. Now the floor is open for questions. Please identify the media outlet you represent before raising questions. 

Red Star News:

Food security is a crucial strategic issue concerning national security. Farmland is the lifeblood of food security, and never crossing the red line for 120 million hectares of farmland is the prerequisite for food security. What measures has China taken to secure the red line in the past decade? What are the results? Thank you. 

Liu Guohong:

Thank you for your question. The CPC Central Committee and the State Council have attached great importance to arable land protection. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has made important instructions on farmland protection and underscored practicing the strictest farmland protection system and protecting farmland just as we protect pandas. Firmly implementing the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions and the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, we have taken tough measures to abide by the red line for 120 million hectares of farmland, which can be summarized into five aspects. 

First, we have enforced strict legal system on farmland protection. We improved laws and regulations, revised the Land Management Law and a regulation on implementing the Land Management Law, and promulgated the Black Soil Protection Law. The CPC Central Committee and the State Council issued a guideline on strengthening farmland protection and offsetting farmland used for other purposes. The State Council released documents to prevent the use of farmland for non-agricultural and non-grain purposes. Second, we have drawn red lines for farmland and permanent basic farmland. We launched the prioritized protection of farmland. In the national territorial space planning outline and in designating urban space, agricultural space, and ecological space with three red lines for urban development boundaries, permanent basic farmland, and ecological conservation, protection tasks of farmland, and permanent basic farmland with designated locations were deployed to local governments. Thus, we can ensure that farmland is prioritized as designated and will be protected as much as possible. Third, we have strictly prohibited non-agricultural use of farmland and maintained a balance between occupation and replenishment of farmland. The use of farmland for non-agricultural construction should be replenished before being occupied, and the size and fertility of the land should be ensured. Occupied paddy fields should be replenished with paddy fields. We strictly verified and confirmed the replenishment of farmland and set up a disclosure system for replenished land to ensure real replenishment. Fourth, we have strictly prohibited the use of farmland for other agricultural purposes and maintained a balance between usage and replenishment. The third national land survey exposed problems such as sharp decrease of farmland caused by use for other agricultural purposes. In response, we required that if the farmland is turned into forest, grassland and garden land, replenishment of equal amount and quality should be made to ensure stable and long-term use. Fifth, we have launched strict supervision and law enforcement for farmland protection. National natural resources departments have strengthened supervision and inspection of provincial governments' performance of their responsibilities in protecting farmland. Ledgers for problems are established to urge rectification. Satellite remote sensing technology has been applied to help law enforcement with satellite images so as to promptly detect, investigate and handle illegal practices. We made typical cases public to deter people from similar practices. 

Through the abovementioned measures, coupled with the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, the support and supervision from all sectors of society, and the cooperation among Party committees and governments at all levels as well as related departments, markable results have been secured in farmland protection over the past decade, meeting the target set by the State Council to keep a total of 1.865 billion mu of farmland in 2020, thus securing the redline. Particularly in the past two years, the decline of farmland has been initially curbed, and the total area of farmland in 2021 registered a net increase. Thank you.

China County Times:

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, historic, transformative, and holistic changes have taken place in China's ecological progress. As important departments for promoting ecological progress, what main measures have the forestry and grassland departments taken, and what specific contributions have been made over the past decade? Thank you.

Li Chunliang:

Thank you for your questions. First of all, I would like to thank all the friends from the press for your long-term interest and support in our work. 

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has attached great importance to promoting ecological progress as well as the development of forestry and grassland sector. General Secretary Xi Jinping has always kept forestry and grassland related work in mind and made a series of important expositions and instructions in this regard. He has participated in tree planting in the capital of Beijing for 10 consecutive years and conducted multiple inspections and investigations in forestry areas, tree farms, grasslands, and national parks, which has promoted historic achievements and transformations in the field of forestry and grassland.

The forestry and grassland departments at all levels have thoroughly implemented Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, made solid progress in promoting the integrated development of forestry, grassland, and national parks, to make lush forests and grassland be part of the beautiful eco-environment.

Let me first present you with a set of data. China's forest area registers 230.67 million hectares, ranking fifth worldwide; forest stock stands at 19.49 billion cubic meters, ranking sixth worldwide; and man-made forest area amounts to 87.6 million hectares, ranking first worldwide. Grassland area registers 264.53 million hectares, ranking second worldwide, and wetland area reaches about 56.67 million hectares, ranking fourth worldwide. China is also one of the 12 countries with the richest biodiversity in the world, holding almost all types of ecosystems in the world. The numbers of higher plant species and vertebrate species in China account for 10% and 13.7% of the world's total, respectively, both ranking among the top globally. The total carbon storage of forests and grassland in China stands at 11.44 billion tons, also ranking among the top in the world.

The data reflects China's excellent ecological performance in forestry and grassland development since the 18th CPC National Congress. Here, I will brief you on the performance from six aspects.

Over the past decade, we have made solid efforts to build a beautiful China by expanding greenery. Through continuous large-scale greening programs, we have afforested 64 million hectares of land, planted grass and improved the original vegetation and eco-environment of grassland on 11 million hectares of land, and added or restored more than 800,000 hectares of wetlands. Our forest coverage rate and comprehensive vegetation coverage of grassland have reached 24.02% and 50.32%, respectively. China has contributed a quarter of the world's new forest areas in the past decade.

Over the past decade, a new nature reserve system has taken shape. We have strived to build a national park-based nature reserve system with nature reserves as the foundation and various types of nature parks as supplements. The first group of five national parks has been officially established, namely the Three-River-Source National Park, the Giant Panda National Park, the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park, the Hainan Tropical Forests National Park, and the Wuyishan National Park. The China National Botanical Garden and the South China National Botanical Garden have been set up in Beijing and Guangzhou, respectively. Effective protection has been ensured for 74% of wildlife species under key protection and 65% of higher plant communities. Last year, you well covered the northbound trek of the wild Asian elephants and their safe return to Yunnan province. Here, I would like to refresh your memory on these. Last year, a herd of 15 Asian elephants all returned to their original habitat of Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve after wandering more than 1,400 kilometers in 124 days, and are now living a leisurely life. Yesterday, I asked the monitoring personnel to send me pictures of the elephants, and I'd like to share one with you here. In the picture, there are four Asian elephants, including two mothers and two babies. The two babies are what we cared about the most last year. They were born during last year's northbound trip and are very healthy now. They weighed 100 kilograms at birth, and now, as I was told by the monitoring staff, appear to weigh 300 kilograms, as you can see in the picture. Thank you for your interest in them.

Over the past decade, we have focused on desert ecological protection to set a global benchmark. We have protected around 18.53 million hectares of land with desertification prevention and treatment. We have saved 5 million hectares from desertification, prevented 4.33 million hectares from becoming sandy land, and prevented 5.26 million hectares from becoming stony deserts. Up to 53% of manageable desertified land has been treated. Many role models working for desertification control, such as Wang Youde, have stood out. A spirit of desertification control has formed, represented by afforestation efforts in Babusha Forest Farm in Gansu province, Youyu county in Shanxi province, and Kekeya in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Over the past 10 years, a new forest and grassland resource management pattern has taken shape. We have introduced the forest-chief system nationwide, appointing nearly 1.2 million forest chiefs at the five administrative levels of province, city, county, township and village. Among them, 421 are also provincial-level officials. The information-based management of forest and grassland resources has improved dramatically, and an internet-based sensing system of forest and grassland ecology has been built. Thanks to these efforts, we have been able to monitor forest and grassland resources within one system, evaluate them by one set of indexes, and manage them through one map. The shares of the fire-related damaged area to the overall forest area and the total grassland area have been stably kept below 0.9‰ and 3‰, respectively, considerably lower than the global average.

Over the past decade, major ecological projects have been carried out to ensure ecological security. We have implemented 66 regional and systematic forest and grassland management projects and 40 pilot demonstration projects on national territorial greening in major ecological areas such as the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the Yellow River Basin, and the Yangtze River Basin. We have carried out natural forest protection projects in an all-around way, benefiting about 171.87 million hectares of natural forests, and implemented projects converting cropland to forests and grasslands, covering around 34.67 million hectares of cropland in two rounds of practices and extending Shaanxi province's green land by 400 kilometers to the north. A total of 15 million-mu shelter forest bases have been built under the Three-North (Northeast China, North China and Northwest China) Shelterbelt Forest Program, China's earliest and longest-running afforestation project. We have implemented systems prohibiting grazing on grassland and maintained a balance between grassland and livestock to promote the rehabilitation of the vast grassland.

Over the past decade, we have implemented the concept that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets" and intensified our efforts to improve the environment and people's living standards. We have facilitated and given full play to the role of forest and grassland resources as "a reservoir, a granary, a bank vault and a carbon sink," contributing to the critical battle of poverty alleviation and rural revitalization. In 2021, the overall output value of China's forestry industry exceeded 8 trillion yuan. The plantation area of tea-oil trees reached 4.53 million hectares, benefiting nearly two million poverty-stricken people by increasing their incomes. We have actively promoted the development of the featured forestry and fruit industry. A total area of 300,000 hectares has been allocated for the forestry and fruit industry in Aksu prefecture in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, contributing to one-third of local farmers' average net income. A total of 1.102 million poverty-stricken people have been hired and registered to work as forest rangers nationwide, and 23,000 afforestation and grass planting cooperatives have been established, helping more than 20 million people get rid of poverty and increase their income.

From the achievements mentioned above, we can strongly feel that over the past decade, under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, China's ecology has continued to become better both in the aspects it reveals and the way it develops. It presents a vivid picture of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature, with the people thoroughly enjoying a sound ecological environment of blue sky, green land and clear water. Meanwhile, the international community has also widely recognized China in building the ecological civilization. China has become a participant, promoter and trailblazer of global ecological civilization construction.

People.cn:

The mountain, river, forest, farmland, lake, grassland and desert coexist with a shared future. Therefore, we must systematically consider various ecological elements while implementing protection and restoration. The MNR is responsible for exercising the responsibility of national territorial ecological protection and restoration in a unified way, so what major measures has the MNR taken to promote ecological protection and restoration in recent years, and what results have been achieved? Thank you.

Zhuang Shaoqin:

Ecosystem protection and restoration is a basic responsibility of the MNR and an essential aspect of the "two unifications," that is, unification in performing the duties of the owner of public-owned natural resource assets and unification in performing the duties of regulating the use of all territorial space and protecting and restoring ecosystems. I have also noticed that other government departments have recently introduced the achievements made in ecological protection and restoration. Today, I want to give an introduction focusing on some measures taken by the MNR. We have promoted ecological protection and restoration by following Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization. In particular, we have worked according to the principle of improving governance with laws and regulations, systematic and comprehensive measures, and an emphasis on addressing the root causes of issues.

We have first strengthened overall planning in addressing the root causes of issues. As we said, the national territorial space planning outline has set the red lines for ecological conservation. All eco-areas of great significance and sensitivity have been included within the red lines, such as the national park-based nature reserve system. With the setting of the red lines, we have established a pattern for safeguarding national ecological security by constructing protective barriers for eco-security in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the important ecological areas along the Yellow River and the Yangtze River, the northeast forest belts, the sand control belts in the north, the hilly and mountainous areas in the south, and the coastal zones. At the same time, the MNR, the National Development and Reform Commission and other departments have jointly issued an overall plan for major national eco-system protection and restoration projects and nine special construction plans. The plans have stated clearly that by 2035, ecological problems in not only ecological spaces, but also agricultural and urban spaces must be solved systematically. Hence, a coordinated arrangement has been made at the overall level to address the root causes of problems.

Second, we have strengthened systemic governance. According to the concept put forward by General Secretary Xi Jinping, mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes, grasslands and deserts form a community of life. Instead of restoring one single element, we should take into consideration the ecosystem as a whole and conduct systemic governance of regions and drainage basins. Since the beginning of the 13th Five-Year Plan period, we have focused on the protective barriers for eco-security in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the important ecological areas along the Yellow River and the Yangtze River, the northeast forest belts, the sand control belts in the north, the hilly and mountainous areas in the south, and the coastal zones, and planned and implemented 44 projects for the systemic conservation and restoration of mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes, grasslands, and deserts, with over 2 million hectares having been treated and restored. At the same time, by focusing on areas where mineral resources are concentrated, especially areas covered by national major regional development strategies, such as the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze Economic Belt, and the Yellow River basin, we have carried out ecological conservation and restoration of mines with restored areas reaching 280,000 hectares. We have also taken further steps to launch actions such as the Blue Bay environmental improvement initiative, protection and restoration of coastal belts, and protection and restoration of mangrove forests. A total of 1,500 kilometers of coastlines and 30,000 hectares of coastal wetlands have been restored. In addition, we have also promoted ecological restoration in rural areas by launching comprehensive land improvement in holistic approaches, contributing to rural revitalization.

Third, we have been committed to comprehensive governance. We have established new mechanisms for ecological conservation and restoration. In particular, we have rolled out policies for encouraging and supporting the participation of nongovernmental capital in protecting and restoring ecosystems. New incentive mechanisms and policies, as well as new models of investment and financing, have been adopted to attract the participation of nongovernmental capital. At the same time, we have carried out the reform of the natural resource assets property rights system in a coordinated way to promote the realization of the value of ecological products. Other relevant policies have been issued, such as management policies for drawing red lines for protecting the ecosystems, designating permanent basic cropland, and delineating boundaries for urban development in the "three types of territorial spaces and three types of control lines" to reflect the idea of prioritizing ecological conservation. There are also policies focusing on coastal reclamation activities and land greening programs. All these policies are expected to arouse the enthusiasm of the whole society to promote comprehensive governance of the ecological environment.

Fourth, we have been committed to law-based governance. New advances have been made in the rule of law in the protection and restoration of ecosystems. Over the years, we have carried out formulation and revision of the Law on Development and Protection of Territorial Space, the Law on the Planning of Territorial Space, the Law on Nature Reserves, the Law on National Parks, and laws and regulations related to land, forests, grasslands, wetlands, farmlands, and minerals, providing strong legal support for ecological conservation and restoration.

In short, over the years, we have acted upon the guiding principles of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization and carried out institutional reforms from the above aspects, laying a sound foundation for eco-environmental construction. Thank you.

Guangming Daily:

One of the major changes in China's society over the past decade is the realization of unified registration of immovable property, which concerns numerous households. What progress has been made in institutional development in this regard? What new measures have been adopted in the areas that people are concerned about, such as shortening the time required for registration and providing more convenient services? Thank you.

Liu Guohong:

Thank you for your question. Establishing the unified registration system for immovable property and integrating responsibilities of registration of immovable property are major decisions and plans made by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council. Over the past decade, setting one goal a year and advancing step by step, we have successfully accomplished the reform of unified registration of immovable property and continuously improved the quality, level, and efficiency of registration services, effectively protecting the property rights of enterprises and the people and ensuring the security of immovable property transactions. It can be said that the work has served all walks of life and benefited numerous households, mainly reflected in three aspects.

First, the unified registration system for immovable property has been established and put into practice, with the goal achieved as scheduled. I would like to brief you about the work we have done in recent years. In 2013, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council made the decision to launch the reform of the unified registration system for immovable property. In 2014, the Provisional Regulations on the Registration of Immovable Property was promulgated. In 2015, the integration of responsibilities and agencies for the registration of immovable property in China was completed. In 2016, the initiative of issuing new immovable property registration certificates and suspending old ones was completed. In 2017, all the registration agencies at city and county levels were included on the national registration information platform. It took five years for us to achieve the goal of reform for unification in four aspects, including registration agencies, registration bases, registration books, and the registration information platforms. 

Second, the quality, level, and efficiency of registration services have been improved to facilitate the registration of people and enterprises. We have implemented information integration, process integration or personnel integration, simplified application materials and procedures, and continued to reduce the time required for immovable property registration. We have promoted services to facilitate and benefit people, and provided "single-window and inter-agency services" for registration, transaction, and taxation of immovable property, and "Internet Plus Immovable Property Registration." At present, all cities and counties have basically realized five-day processing of general registration and mortgage registration.

Third, practical measures have been taken to resolve the most pressing difficulties and problems that are of great concern to the people to enhance their sense of fulfillment. We have continued to promote localities to resolve difficulties in registration caused by longstanding issues, with a large number of people receiving property ownership certificates. We have planned and launched trials for cleaning up longstanding issues in regulating the determination and registration of forest tenure. Guided under the principles of respecting history and seeking truth from facts, we have taken steady steps to resolve longstanding issues in forest tenure registration. We have completed the immovable property registration of the resettlement housing for people relocated from inhospitable areas. By the end of June 2021, about 2.58 million resettlement houses for registered poor households had completed immovable property registration.

In the next step, we will continue to implement the people-centered development philosophy and make great efforts to improve the conduct of the ranks of the registration of immovable property according to the deployments of deepening reforms to streamline administration, delegate powers, improve regulation, strengthen services, and improve the business environment, which were deployed by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council. We have continuously improved the convenience of registering immovable property to make it give full play to its important role in protecting property rights, guaranteeing transactions, and serving the interests of the people and enterprises. Thank you. 

Southern Metropolis Daily:

The maritime economy is an important part of the national economy. A developed maritime economy is an important support for building a strong maritime country. Over the past decade, what progress has been made in developing the maritime economy and building a strong maritime country? What are the next major tasks? Thank you.  

Zhang Zhanhai:

Thank you for your questions. As you said, the maritime economy is an important manifestation of comprehensive national power and is closely related to the lives of the people. Therefore, the whole of society attaches great importance to it. The oceans are strategically important to high-quality development. We should speed up the progress in the construction of world-class sea ports, a well-established modern maritime industry system, and a green and sustainable marine ecological environment to push for the building of a maritime power, General Secretary Xi Jinping has noted. MNR has conscientiously implemented the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions and worked together with related departments and localities to promote the high-quality development of the maritime economy. New progress has been made in developing the maritime economy. 

First, the overall strength of the maritime economy has been improved. From 2012 to 2021, the total value of the maritime economy rose from 5 trillion yuan to 9 trillion yuan, with its proportion to GDP remaining around 9%. The structure of maritime industries has also been continuously improved. In particular, the growth rate of emerging maritime industries has exceeded 10%. China is also the world's largest ship building country, which has been further enhanced. China has become a front-runner in ocean engineering equipment manufacturing. The scale of its maritime ports and the total installed capacity of offshore wind power have ranked first around the world. MNR also worked with related departments to release financial guidelines on supporting the development of the maritime economy. The loan balance of the maritime economy of major banks is maintained at 600 billion to 700 billion yuan. 

Second, the effective use of maritime resources has been enhanced. We established and improved a management and control system on sea reclamation with the aim of continuously strengthening management and control. We guaranteed the implementation of major national projects under strict management and control. We classified and resolved longstanding problems and quickened our steps to effectively revitalize sea reclamation resources. From 2018 to the first half of this year, 418 projects have been implemented, and the contractual right to 86.78 million ha of land has been confirmed, involving an investment of about 900 billion yuan. In addition, we strengthened the protection, utilization, and management of the coastline, and urged and guided localities to achieve the target of coastline retention rate. We also improved the system for paid use of sea areas and uninhabited islands to use maritime resources more efficiently. 

Third, progress has been made in the protection and restoration of maritime ecology. A maritime ecology early warning and monitoring system was basically established, and a targeted action plan for mangrove forest protection and restoration, as well as a campaign for maritime ecology protection and restoration, were carried out. Around 145 maritime protected areas were established across the country, covering an area of 7.91 million ha. In addition, 143 projects involving the Blue Bay environmental improvement and protection and restoration of coastal zones were launched, renovating and restoring 1,500 kilometers of coastline, 30,000 ha of coastal wetland, and 72 kilometers of ecological seawalls. 

Fourth, innovation in marine science and technology has been accelerated. Our country has 10 maritime satellites in orbit, and a maritime satellite constellation was established. Ocean exploration and transport operations, represented by the Jiaolong manned deep-sea submersible and the Fendouzhe (Striver) deep-sea manned submersible, have achieved a qualitative leap. The Xuelong 2 icebreaker filled in China's blanks in the field of major equipment for polar expeditions and is also our country's first domestically-built polar icebreaker. The continuous running time of domestically-developed megawatt tidal power generators has been leading the world. 

In the next step, we will follow the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era; apply the new development philosophy in full, in the right way, and in all fields of endeavor; continuously improve the system for maritime resources protection and exploration; and safeguard China's maritime ecological security to promote the high-quality development of the maritime economy and make new contributions to building a strong maritime country. Thank you. 

The Beijing News:

We all know that China has a large population but scarce land, so while we adhere to the system of providing the strictest possible protection for farmland, we also try to stick to promoting the most efficient use of land. May I ask what results have been achieved in promoting efficient and intensive use of land and what are the next steps? Thank you.

Liu Guohong:

Thanks for your question. As we all know, the efficient and intensive use of land is not only an inherent requirement for green transformation and high-quality development but also a practical requirement for the protection of farmland, which is of great significance.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has given essential instructions on the efficient and intensive use of land on many occasions. In particular, he stressed that it is necessary to adhere to intensive development, define the total amount, limit the capacity, put idle land into use, optimize the increment, and improve the quality. Not long ago, the Central Commission for Comprehensively Deepening Reform reviewed and adopted opinions on comprehensively strengthening the resource conservation work, making new arrangements for the conservation and utilization of resources with high efficiency and creating higher demands.

We have firmly implemented the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions and the decisions and plans made by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, and taken a series of measures to better conserve land resources and use them efficiently.

First, we have strengthened planning and regulation. We have formulated and implemented the territorial space plan by integrating various plans into one. We have optimized the spatial pattern, coordinated the land use needs of various industries, and scientifically delineated boundaries for urban development, which will, in turn, spur the intensive urban development.

Second, we evaluate strictly. We have strengthened the evaluation of various construction projects in terms of the economical use of land and strictly implemented standards for land use quotas. We have strengthened the review, approval, and monitoring of land use in economic development zones. From 2012 to 2020, the overall plot ratio of national economic development zones increased from 0.83 to 1, and the average investment intensity of industrial land increased by more than 60%.

Third, we have strengthened incentives and constraints. We have adopted incentive policies in the aspects of use control, plot ratio adjustment and price adjustment to promote the redevelopment of inefficiently-used urban land and to put idle land into good use. In 2018, we established a mechanism linking the amount of newly-added land used for construction to the amount of idle land that put into use. Over the past four years, we have reduced 914,666 hectares of unused land, and handled 290,666 hectares of idle land. Currently, a quarter of the total supply of construction land are used to be unused or idle land. The proportion reaches 50% in some localities.

Fourth, we have focused on demonstration and guidance. In recent years, 46 economical land use technologies and models in three batches have been introduced, and 427 model counties (cities) and 24 model prefecture-level cities have been selected in three batches for efficient and intensive use of national land resources. This year, we launched an initiative to build model counties (cities) in economical and intensive use of natural resources covering land, minerals, and marine resources.

Over the past 10 years, China's economical and intensive land use system has improved, and the mechanism has become more complete. It now includes eight categories: planning and management; plan adjustment; standard control; market allocation; policy incentives; monitoring and supervision; assessment and evaluation; and joint responsibility. Through continuous efforts, the level of economical and intensive use of land has been significantly improved. Just as Mr. Zhuang Shaoqin introduced, from 2012 to 2021, the nationwide construction land use area per unit GDP dropped by 40.85%. 

Going forward, we will focus on strictly controlling new construction land and simultaneously putting idle land into use. We will continue to strengthen planning and regulation as well as land conservation evaluation to promote the efficient use of land in various construction projects. We will continue to deepen the linkage between the amount of newly-added construction land and that of unused and idle land, and improve the incentive measures for utilization of idle construction land. We will guide the whole society to enhance the awareness of the economical and intensive use of land and continuously improve the level of economical and intensive land use to better promote high-quality economic development. Thank you.

China Natural Resources News:

We know that the establishment of a territorial space planning system that integrates various types of plans into one single master plan is a major deployment for the reform of the system for developing an ecological civilization. Ever since the CPC Central Committee and the State Council issued the document of several opinions on building a territorial space planning system and supervising the implementation in 2019, how is this work progressing? Thank you.

Zhuang Shaoqin:

This document is the general design and overall deployment of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council to promote the integration of multiple plans. The document clearly states that space planning such as the plan to develop functional zones, land use plan, and planning in urban and rural areas should be integrated into a unified territorial space planning. At the same time, it also says that the implementation of "integrating various types of plans into a single master plan" should be promoted in accordance with the four aspects of plan formulation and approval, implementation and supervision, regulations and policies, and technical standards. I will mainly elaborate on these four aspects:

First, it's about the system of the plans' formulation and approval. The territorial space planning system includes five levels and three types, inheriting some characteristics from the previous plans for land use and urban and rural planning. The five levels refer to the administrative levels of the country, province, city, county, and township. Types include the master plan, detailed plan, and special plan. Currently, in terms of the master plan, the territorial space plan outline has been formulated. This outline is based on "three spaces and three lines," which means three types of land spaces, including urban space, agricultural space, and ecological space, as well as redlines for protecting the ecosystems, designating permanent basic farmland, and boundaries for urban development. Although the area within the three types of lines and boundaries is less than 50% of the entire territorial land area, it defines the skeleton and foundation of the entire territorial space layout. The delineation of "three spaces and three lines" provides a basic guarantee for ensuring China's food security, ecological security, and energy security, and promoting sustainable urban and rural development. When delineating the "three lines," priority was given to the protection of farmland. Red lines for farmland protection and ecological protection were drawn first, and then urban development boundaries were delineated, which is to spur the efficient and intensive land use and promote the green transformation of the economy and society. By coordinating the space requirements of various special plans on the "one map" of territorial space plan, we have truly implemented the "integration of various types of plans into a single master plan," while also promoting the digital transformation of space governance. The outline is of landmark significance for promoting the reform of the "integration of various types of plans into a single master plan." At the same time, the local territorial space planning, especially the territorial space planning above the city level, has already produced phased results.

In terms of the detailed plan, the reform broke through the original urban-rural division. Under the condition that the original urban-rural plan and land-use plan are handled in a consistent manner, the detailed regulatory plan can be formulated and revised for the urban areas, which can serve as a basis for guiding urban renewal and various constructions. In rural areas, village plans can be formulated to promote rural revitalization, which is also a type of detailed plan.

In terms of the special plan, there are actually two levels. At the national and regional levels, specific departments take the lead in formulating the special plans. After coordinating with the territorial space plan, special plans can be included in the territorial space plan to ensure the implementation of the special plans. At the city and county levels, according to the Urban and Rural Planning Law, the relevant special plans are an integral part of the master plan. Therefore, the MNR, together with the relevant departments, shall advance the special plans simultaneously with the master plan, and eventually, they shall be included in the territorial space plan to ensure their legitimacy and practicability.

Second, it is about the system for supervision on implementation. Since 2019, we have been building a supervision system for the implementation of the territorial space plan, which can incorporate all plans of "five levels and three types." The system can implement full-spectrum, all-factor, and full-life-cycle management of the entire territorial space so as to supervise each piece of land and each project. Meanwhile, we have established an oversight, evaluation, and early warning system for the implementation of the territorial space plan. This system conducts monitoring, evaluation, and early warning based on the annual surveys and changed status of territorial land and other surveys and information, including the monitoring of geographic and national conditions. Since last year, we have completed the examination and evaluation for 108 cities approved by the State Council based on the third national land survey. In the first half of this year, we have carried out special examinations and assessments in more than 600 cities across the country based on their population changes and other situations. In the future, we will conduct regular examinations and assessments according to the annual surveys. In addition, on the basis of "integration of multiple plans into one single master plan," we are promoting the reform of regulation over land use, especially the reforms for the integrations of multiple reviews into one and of multiple permits into one. Some localities have begun to combine the original two permits, namely, the construction land plan permit and the construction project plan permit.

Third, it is about the system of laws, regulations, and policies. Article 18 of the regulations for the implementation of the Land Administration Law implemented in 2021 stipulates that the state shall establish a territorial space planning system. The territorial space plan approved according to law is the fundamental basis for all kinds of development, protection, and construction activities. Where a territorial space plan has been prepared, the general plan for land utilization and the urban-rural plan shall no longer be prepared. After implementing "multi-planning into one," only the territorial space plan is the basis for construction and plan permission. At present, the National People's Congress is promoting the legislative work for the territorial space plan. Various localities have also done a lot of work actively in this regard. The cities of Dalian and Ningbo have issued municipal-level territorial space plan regulations, while Hunan, Guangdong, Zhejiang, and other provinces are formulating provincial-level regulations on territorial space plans.

Fourth, in terms of building a basic standard system, we have established technical standards for territorial space planning in a three-year action plan with the Standardization Administration of China (SAC). We did this to accelerate the building of a unified technical standard system from four aspects: common bases, compilation and approvals, supervision and implementation, and information technology. There are several characteristics in building such a system. First, it is necessary to adhere to "integrating multiple regulations into one," especially for unifying the classification of land and sea use. This is fundamental and includes the standards for the information and data. Second, it must meet the requirements of ecological civilization, especially the requirements of intensive conservation, green and low-carbon, and safety and resilience. Third, it must meet the requirements of high-quality development, adhere to a people-centered approach, and serve the people's needs for better lives. Fourth, it must emphasize adjusting measures to local conditions. We need to streamline the previous system which had too many standards. Moreover, we need to avoid the "one size fits all" approach which risks making cities and towns all look the same. We will give better play to local advantages and leave room for formulating local standards.

In addition to these four aspects, it is worth mentioning that, with the support of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the development of the entire spatial planning industry has been very encouraging in recent years. The number of registered planners has increased from less than 30,000 before the reform to over 40,000 now, an increase of 39%. At the same time, the number of organizations with class-A qualifications for planner staff has increased from more than 400 to over 600. Furthermore, the number of registered planners and organizations has increased without the need to lower standards. Indeed, we have actually raised standards. Therefore, the industry has also been well developed. In terms of the discipline development, with the support from the Ministry of Education, some well-known universities have strengthened the development of the planning discipline in accordance with the requirements of "integrating multiple regulations into one" and building an ecological civilization.

Next, we will firmly implement the deployment of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council to promote the integration of multiple plans and continue to deepen the related reform. In particular, we will work to strengthen the planning regarding the aspects of science, authority, seriousness and effectiveness. And we will also continue to provide better support for the construction of new development patterns, promote the transformation of development methods, in order to pressing forward for a beautiful China and achieving harmony between human and nature. Thanks.

Zhonghongwang.com:

Over the past decade, China has implemented the strategic action of mineral exploration. What role does this action play in improving the guarantee of mineral resources? What are the future considerations? Thank you.

Yu Haifeng:

Thank you for your concerns about the mineral prospecting work. To implement the important instructions by General Secretary Xi Jinping and to guarantee the safety of national energy and resources, since 2011, we have organized and carried out strategic actions of mineral prospecting in accordance with the requirements of the State Council, and has developed a batch of strategic areas for important mineral resources in the past decade. Under the continuous increase in mining operation and consumption, the reserved resources of major minerals have generally increased. The specific data are as follows:

First, 23 large oil fields of 100 million metric tons and 28 large gas fields of 100 billion cubic meters were newly discovered, and 32 new non-oil and gas resource bases were also found.

Second, the newly proven geological reserves of petroleum in the western regions accounted for more than half of the country's total, and the output accounted for about one-third of the country's total. The newly proven geological reserves and natural gas production in western regions accounted for more than 80% of the country's total. Offshore oil and gas production accounted for about a quarter of the country. Especially in 2021, the crude oil output of Bohai Oilfield exceeded 30 million metric tons, and the new output increased significantly. In particular, we have founded 32 non-oil and gas mineral resource bases, and 25 of them are located in the western part of China.

Third, the added resources of over 80 old mines have reached large and medium-sized scale, and the service life of nearly 800 production mines has been extended to varying degrees.

Fourth, China's basic geological survey work has been improved. The coverage rate of the 1:50,000 regional geological survey has increased from 24.7% to 45.5%, and the survey work of important prospecting and prospective areas has been thoroughly surveyed.

Fifth, scientific research achievements, such as "the innovation of geological theory and the major breakthrough in prospecting of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau" and the "trinity" prospecting prediction theory in solid mineral exploration areas, have greatly supported domestic prospecting activities.

Sixth, we have issued the "three rates" target requirements for 124 mineral varieties such as coal and iron, and selected and promoted 360 advanced and applicable technologies, processes and equipment. As a result, the recovery rates of petroleum, solid minerals, and ore beneficiation have increased by 9 percentage points, 8 percentage points, and 9.5 percentage points on average, respectively.

Seventh, we have promoted the revision of the "Mineral Resources Law," deepened reform on the mining rights transferring system, and formed new standards for the classification of mineral resources and reserves.

For the next step, the MNR will resolutely implement General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions, carry out the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, collaborate with relevant departments to launch a new round of mineral exploration campaigns with more focus on scarce strategic resources, enhance fundamental geological work, strengthen prospecting, especially accurate prospecting, and give full play to the role of various market entities so as to improve our ability to secure strategic mineral resources. 

The Poster News APP:

The surveying, mapping and geoinformation work is fundamental support for economic and social development, affecting all walks of life and serving thousands of families. What progress has been made in improving such support for economic and social development? What achievements have been made in this regard? Thank you.

Liu Guohong:

First of all, thank you for your concern about the surveying, mapping, and geoinformation work. As you said, this work is a basic but significant and glorious mission. In a reply letter to the veteran team members and CPC members of the First Geodetic Surveying Brigade of the MNR, General Secretary Xi Jinping fully affirmed the great spirit of those working on the frontlines of surveying, mapping and geoinformation, manifested in their loyalty to the Party and dedication to the country. Inspired by General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions, our staff in this field have worked hard, kept exploring new ground, and achieved transformation and upgrading in all work. Over the last decade, our basic surveying and mapping capabilities have been significantly improved, and geoinformation services have been expanded, providing strong support for economic and social development. It's mainly demonstrated in the following three aspects.

First, the transformation and development of our surveying, mapping and geoinformation work has basically formed a new pattern. We have revised the Surveying and Mapping Law, and the Regulations on Map Management, among others, and defined the role of surveying, mapping and geoinformation activities in promoting progress in the economic, national defense, social and eco-environmental fields, as well as safeguarding the security of national geoinformation. We have also formulated and implemented the Outline of the National Medium- and Long-term Plan for Basic Surveying and Mapping (2015-2030), forming a new work pattern in the construction of a new surveying and mapping system, the strategic transformation of basic geoinformation, the sound development of the geoinformation industry and other relevant industries, and security services for surveying, mapping and geoinformation. 

Second, we have continued to improve our capabilities of acquiring basic surveying and mapping data and enhance their support services. We have significantly improved the performance of our homemade satellites to receive remote sensing data. In the past decade, we achieved a breakthrough in obtaining high-resolution images from our domestic satellites. Ten years ago, we had to buy foreign satellites for high-resolution imaging. At present, as a lead user, the MNR alone has 25 domestic satellites in orbit. We now update the 2-meter resolution images of our territory every quarter and the sub-meter resolution images annually. In 2021, we worked out 463,000 images through surveying and mapping. It might not be a familiar concept to the public, but if you see it this way, the areas covered by these surveying and mapping results are 20 times that of our entire territory. The national satellite navigation and positioning system has been fully established to provide centimeter-level real-time navigation and positioning services for the whole society. We can't live without it. These technologies, such as spatio-temporal databases, a new generation of national digital elevation model, and the construction of a real 3D China, and a spatio-temporal big data platform, have provided a unified spatio-temporal database for the construction of a digital China.

Third, the surveying, mapping and geoinformation work has provided solid support for economic and social development. The results of surveying, mapping and geoinformation have greatly supported major national surveys, such as economic censuses, land surveys, censuses on pollution sources, and population censuses, and injected strong impetus to the digital reform of government governance. Spatial data services based on geographical location, navigation, and positioning have greatly boosted the rapid development of new industries such as modern logistics, autonomous driving, and the sharing economy. I would like to share with you a set of figures. The total output of the geoinformation industry increased from 150 billion yuan in 2011 to more than 750 billion yuan in 2021, a four-fold increase in 10 years. Additionally, emergency mapping support, known as the "eye above the disaster area," has played an irreplaceable role in providing a timely and reliable geographical location to verify the disaster situation and organize rescue efforts in a targeted manner. Over the last decade, we have provided support services for more than 200 major natural disasters and public emergencies. After 10 years of efforts, we have basically formed a rapid response mechanism for emergency mapping. Take the earthquake that hit Luding, Sichuan province on Sept. 5 as an example. We provided the command map to the front headquarters within three hours after the earthquake. At the same time, we urgently mobilized 14 satellites to program and record for seven consecutive days. The directional, fixed, and timed shooting has facilitated an updating of the command map in a timely manner during the rescue process. We swiftly sent in drones to acquire radar images of the earthquake area with a resolution of 0.3 meters. For the remote areas, where the roads were interrupted and it was difficult for rescue workers to reach, we acquired high-definition images with a resolution of 0.1 meters, providing timely and precise positioning services for rescue workers and winning valuable time for the rescue work. It goes without saying that this mechanism should be constantly improved on the basis of the present in order to better provide services.

Going forward, we will firmly adhere to the requirements of supporting economic and social development and promoting ecological progress, continuously improve our abilities in surveying, mapping and geoinformation, and make new contributions to building a modern socialist country in all respects. Thank you.

Cover News:

In January this year, President Xi Jinping said at the 2022 World Economic Forum Virtual Session that China is now building the world's most extensive national parks system. What measures will forestry and grassland departments take to this end? Thank you.

Li Chunliang:

Thank you for your attention to the development of national parks. It has been 10 years since the target of establishing a national parks system was first put forward at the Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee in 2013. Over the past decade, General Secretary Xi Jinping has personally planned, deployed, and promoted the development of national parks. He announced the designation of China's first group of national parks and declared that the country is putting in place the world's most extensive national parks system. The NFGA, other relevant departments, local Party committees and governments have earnestly implemented General Secretary Xi's important instructions. We have firmly shouldered the glorious mission and political responsibility entrusted to us by the CPC Central Committee, explored boldly and actively made innovation. It is fair to say that the development of national parks has become the highlight of our forestry and grassland work over the past decade and a bright spot of our endeavor to promote ecological conservation and build a beautiful China. This is reflected in the following five aspects.

First, we have explored a national park development path with Chinese characteristics by piloting the national parks system. Since 2015, China has launched 10 pilot programs for the national parks system, strengthened top-level design, and formulated the principles of "putting ecological protection first, representing the national image, and benefitting the public" for national park development. National parks will be authorized by the central government and jointly developed by the central and local governments. China has accumulated experience in promoting innovation in the management system, ecological conservation, and community integration.

Second, we have achieved notable progress in protecting the ecological environment of the first group of national parks. The Sanjiangyuan National Park covers the source areas of the Yangtze River, Yellow River, and Lancang River. The Giant Panda National Park connects giant panda habitats that initially belonged to 73 nature reserves and 13 metapopulations. And 72% of wild giant pandas in the country have been effectively protected. The Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park has facilitated the migration of wild animals. The number of Siberian tigers has topped 50, and the number of Amur leopards has exceeded 60. The function of the rainforest ecosystem in the Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park has been gradually restored. In the last two years, a Hainan gibbon cub was born and two were monitored in the park, increasing the island's gibbon population to 36 in five families. In the Wuyishan National Park, 14 new species were discovered in the past three years. At the same time, new national parks are being built in an orderly manner, and they will be designated once they are well-established.

Third, we have actively promoted the building of legal and policy systems for national park development. We have issued the Provisional Measures for the Management of National Parks and the Guidelines on the Establishment of National Parks, and launched and enforced five sets of national standards and a series of industry standards. We are soliciting public opinions on the draft law on national parks, and Sept. 19 is the closing date. We welcome your suggestions. In addition, fiscal policy support has been improved for the protection and restoration, ecological compensation, research and monitoring, and science popularization related to national parks.

Fourth, we have coordinated ecological conservation and green development. We have stayed committed to balancing ecological conservation, green development, and better lives. Moreover, we have properly addressed longstanding issues and various challenges arising from the development of national parks. We have enabled local residents to gain tangible benefits while participating in ecological conservation, nature education, and ecotourism development to increase their recognition and sense of belonging in the national parks.

Fifth, we are actively building the world's largest national parks system. As the journalist mentioned, General Secretary Xi said at the 2022 World Economic Forum Virtual Session that China is now putting the world's largest national parks system in place, setting the course for developing national parks. We are formulating a plan for the spatial layout of national parks as part of our efforts to turn the blueprint drawn up by General Secretary Xi into reality. The plan is being formulated with an aim of building the world's largest national parks system with the most diverse ecological and geographical features and the highest value for conservation. We will make a detailed introduction when it is released to the public soon. 

Developing national parks is of vital importance to a nation. What we are doing today will benefit generations to come. This endeavor requires sustained effort and, more importantly, the support of society as a whole. Let's work together to develop our national parks so that our future generations have these precious natural assets, and contribute to building a modern country characterized by harmonious coexistence between man and nature. Thank you.

Shou Xiaoli:

Thank you to all the speakers and friends from the media. Today's press conference is concluded. Goodbye.

Translated and edited by Liu Jianing, Zhang Junmian, Xu Xiaoxuan, Liu Sitong, Zhou Jing, Zhang Rui, Yan Bin, Huang Shan, Yan Xiaoqing, Li Huiru, Qin Qi, Wang Wei, He Shan, Zhang Liying, Ma Yujia, Yang Xi, Wang Qian, Wang Yiming, Yuan Fang, Xu Kailin, David Ball, Jay Birbeck, and Tom Arnstein. In case of any discrepancy between the English and Chinese texts, the Chinese version is deemed to prevail.

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Read in Chinese

Speakers:

Mr. Jiang Wanrong, vice minister of housing and urban-rural development

Mr. Li Rusheng, chief engineer of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development (MOHURD)

Mr. Li Xiaolong, director general of the General Office, MOHURD

Mr. Wang Shengjun, director general of the Housing Reform and Development Department of the MOHURD and the ministry's spokesperson

Chairperson:

Ms. Shou Xiaoli, spokesperson of the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC)

Date:

Sept. 14, 2022

Shou Xiaoli:

Ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon. Welcome to this press conference held by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee. Today, we are holding the 31st press conference under the theme of "China in the past decade." We are delighted to have invited Mr. Jiang Wanrong, vice minister of housing and urban-rural development to brief you on China's measures and achievements in housing and urban-rural high-quality development in the new era and take your questions. Also joining us today are Mr. Li Rusheng, chief engineer of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development (MOHURD); Mr. Li Xiaolong, director general of the General Office, MOHURD; and Mr. Wang Shengjun, director general of the Housing Reform and Development Department of the MOHURD and the ministry's spokesperson. 

Now, let's give the floor to Mr. Jiang Wanrong for his introduction.

Jiang Wanrong:

Ladies and gentlemen, friends from the media, good afternoon. It is a great pleasure for me to attend the press conference this afternoon which is being held in the run-up to the 20th CPC National Congress. I would also like to thank the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee for giving us this opportunity to introduce the trajectory and achievements of housing and urban-rural development in the past 10 years. My colleagues and I will answer your questions and respond to your concerns. First, on behalf of MOHURD, I would like to thank you for your long-term attention to and support for housing and urban-rural development.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has made a series of important instructions on housing and urban-rural development, and proposed a series of new ideas, new concepts and new strategies, providing fundamental principles and guidance for us to do a good job in housing and urban-rural development. Under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, the MOHURD has mobilized and guided officials and employees in the entire industry to study and implement the instructions and strive to build beautiful cities and countryside, meet housing needs for all people, and achieve historic progress in housing and urban-rural development.

The past decade has seen the largest number of government-subsidized housing projects and the highest amount of relevant investment in China. Hundreds of millions of people have realized their dream of having their own home. We regard accelerating the building of a housing support system as an important task to meet the basic housing needs of the people. The housing support system has been continuously improved. The construction of government-subsidized housing has been steadily advanced, the rebuilding of run-down urban areas has been vigorously implemented, groups benefiting from the housing provident fund have gradually been expanded, and the housing support capacity has been continuously enhanced. Over the past 10 years, the country has invested 14.8 trillion yuan in building various types of government-subsidized housing and rebuilding 59 million housing units in run-down urban areas. Low-income families with housing difficulties have been basically covered, and more than 140 million people have realized their dream of having their own place to live. 

The past decade has seen the fastest development in China's real estate industry and a real estate market which is increasingly better regulated. The living conditions of the people have been significantly improved. We have been adhering to the principle that "houses are for living in, not for speculation" and implementing city-specific policies and classified guidance to promote the stable and sound development of the real estate market. We put in place a long-term mechanism for the development of the real estate market and are ensuring that municipal-level governments shoulder the primary responsibilities, supervised by provincial-level ones. We have established and improved the real estate market supervision system, and unswervingly kept the prices of land and housing as well as market expectations stable. In the past 10 years, the scale of housing supply has continued to increase. The sector sold a total of 13.23 billion square meters of commercial homes during the period, up 2.2 times from the previous decade, with better construction quality, more amenities and improved living environment.

The past decade has seen changes to China's urban development paradigm and significant improvements to the quality of development. Cities have become healthier, safer and more livable. Adhering to "one respect, five coordinates," we put the people's living conditions in the first place, leave the best resources for the people, improve the ability to meet people's basic living needs and provide public services, and promote intensive and green development. Efforts have been made to explore a high-quality urban development path with Chinese characteristics. In the past 10 years, urban functions have been continuously improved, the urban living environment has been significantly upgraded, and the urban governance level has been markedly enhanced. In 2021, China's percentage of permanent urban residents reached 64.72%, built-up areas of cities covered 62,000 square kilometers, 98% of urban residents had access to gas, and 99.4% to water supply. The green area rate of urban built-up areas reached 38.7%, and the per-capita area of green parks reached 14.87 square meters. People now enjoy more convenient, comfortable and better lives in cities.

Over the past decade, China has made huge efforts to develop rural areas, greatly transforming their look and giving rural residents a stronger sense of gain, happiness, and security. Fully implementing the tasks of eliminating poverty and comprehensively promoting rural revitalization, we have vigorously renovated dilapidated houses in rural areas, advanced rural development, improved the living environment there, and strived to build scenic and livable villages. A total of 23.42 million registered poor households nationwide have had access to safe housing, securing a historic victory in ensuring safe housing for impoverished rural residents. More than 50,000 beautiful villages with distinctive local features have been built, and more than 90% of household waste in villages has been collected, transported, and treated. A total of 6,819 villages of vital conservation value have been included in the list of traditional Chinese villages, and 520,000 traditional buildings, including cultural relics, historical buildings, traditional dwellings, temples, and ancestral halls, have been protected, developing the largest heritage conservation program of agrarian civilization with the richest contents and greatest value in the world. 

Over the past decade, China has transformed and upgraded its construction industry and been marching from a major builder toward a strong builder. China's construction has continued to change the country's look. We have deepened the reform to streamline administration and delegate power, improve regulations, and upgrade services in the construction industry, as well as reform the examination and approval system for construction projects. We have improved supervision systems and mechanisms, strengthened quality and safety management, optimized the business environment, and promoted the coordinated development of smart construction and new types of building industrialization. In the past decade, the construction industry has played a more solid role as a pillar industry of the national economy and has become more modernized, with project quality steadily improving. In 2021, the total output value of the construction industry reached 29.3 trillion yuan, 2.1 times that of 2012; the value added reached 8 trillion yuan, accounting for 7% of GDP; and the industry created more than 50 million jobs. A number of world-class landmark projects, such as the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and the Beijing Daxing International Airport, have been completed, demonstrating China's strong comprehensive national strength.

The past decade has witnessed remarkable achievements. Fundamentally, all of these are attributed to the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core and the scientific guidance of the Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. All of these are owed to the wisdom and sweat of builders in the new era and to the mighty strength of people from all sectors of society to build better urban and rural areas and realize their dream of having access to decent housing. Standing at a new historical starting point, we will focus on the central task of the Party on a new journey in the new era, keeping in mind the shouldering and fulfillment of our responsibilities, and striving for new advances in promoting the high-quality development of housing and urban-rural construction. By doing so, we aim to make greater contributions to realizing the second centenary goal of building a modern socialist country in all respects, and paving the way for a successful 20th CPC National Congress with impressive achievements.

Thank you.

Shou Xiaoli:

Thank you. The floor is now open for questions. Please identify the news outlet you represent before raising your questions.

The Poster News APP:

Over the past decade, China has secured visible outcomes in urban development, with the urban environment being more beautiful, functions further improved, and residents are enjoying more convenience in their lives. Could you introduce the measures the MOHURD has taken to promote urban development and improve the urban landscape? Thank you.

Jiang Wanrong:

Thank you for your question. City dwellers have experienced the development and changes of cities in recent years. I'd like to invite Mr. Li Xiaolong to answer this question.

Li Xiaolong:

Thank you for your question. Urban work plays a major role in the overall work of the Party and the country. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has put forward a series of new concepts, ideas, and strategies for urban work, answering the fundamental question of for and by whom are the cities being built and developed, as well as the major question of what kind of cities should be built and how to build them, thus providing principle guidance for promoting high-quality urban development.

After 37 years, in December 2015, we held the fourth Central Urban Work Conference, clarifying the overall thinking, goals, and tasks for urban development. This conference marked a milestone in urban work and turned a historic page in China's urban development.

Over the past decade, we have remained committed to a people-centered development philosophy, focusing on addressing the most pressing difficulties and problems that greatly concern the people. We have endeavored to create a quality living space for the people and make our cities healthier, safer, and more livable.

Over the past decade, China's urban living environment has been greatly improved. We have continued to restore the ecological environment and functions in cities, comprehensively renovated old urban residential communities, made further progress in sorting household refuse and greening urban gardens, and basically eliminated black, fetid water bodies in built-up areas of cities above the prefecture level, making the urban environment more livable. A total of 163,000 old residential communities have been renovated nationwide, benefiting more than 28 million households, and 297 cities above the prefecture level have adopted refuse sorting, covering 150 million households.

The past decade has witnessed the steady improvement of the comprehensive carrying capacity of cities in the country. We vigorously improved the system of urban infrastructure, accelerated new types of urban infrastructure, coordinated the construction of urban underground space and municipal infrastructure, and made efforts to renovate old public facilities. Just now, Mr. Jiang introduced some data, so I won't say more about this aspect. 

The past decade has witnessed an increasingly consolidated foundation for the safety and security in Chinese cities. We established a risk inventory system for urban governance, and carried out surveys and safety inspections of buildings, constructions, and municipal facilities. We also promoted the building of sponge cities and piloted the sponge city program in 75 cities. A total of 1,116 areas prone to waterlogging in 60 key cities have been pinpointed and addressed, and urban waterlogging has been controlled systematically.

The past decade has witnessed a better system and mechanism for the workings of Chinese cities. We established and improved the urban examination and evaluation system, which provided strong support for accurately identifying and solving the root causes of "urban diseases." This included promoting the construction of the CIM platform and urban operation management service platform and steadily implementing the urban renewal action.

In the past decade, China has made remarkable progress in urban construction and development, which gained the recognition of the international community. We promoted the establishment of the World City Day and the Global Sustainable Development Cities Award (Shanghai Award) at the U.N., strengthened exchanges and sharing among cities around the world, and boosted the implementation of the Global Development Initiative and the U.N .2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which jointly advanced the sustainable development of global cities. Thank you.

Yicai:

The construction industry is a pillar industry of the Chinese economy. What has the ministry done to upgrade the structure of the industry? How has the "Built by China" brand changed the face of China? Thank you.

Jiang Wanrong:

As I said in the introduction, China is now a major state in the construction industry and will continue to build its strength in the industry. Plenty of international landmark projects are also being advanced steadily. I would like to invite Mr. Li Rusheng to answer your questions.

Li Rusheng:

Thank you. Just as Mr. Jiang said that since the 18th CPC National Congress, the past decade marks an important period for the construction industry to transform and upgrade. "Built by China" has shown its strong comprehensive strength. I would like to add a few more points.

In the past decade, the scale of the construction industry has constantly increased. In the period, the industry's added value increased from 3.69 trillion yuan to 8.01 trillion yuan, accounting for more than 6.85% of GDP, which consolidated its position as a pillar industry of the economy. In 2021, the industry's total output reached 29.3 trillion yuan, more than twice that of 2012, and the sector created 52.82 million jobs, 10 million more than that of 2012.

In the past decade, the development benefit of the construction industry has sharply increased. Engineering design, construction standard, project quality, the level of S&T innovation, and the skills of workers have all been significantly improved. Labor productivity reached 473,000 yuan per person, an increase of nearly 60% compared with 2012. A number of new products, new business forms, and new models have taken shape, including prefabricated buildings, construction robots, and the internet for the construction industry. In 2021, the area of newly built prefabricated buildings in China reached 740 million square meters, accounting for 24.5% of the total newly built constructions.

In the past decade, the construction industry has supported people's basic living needs. Projects for improving people's wellbeing, such as the construction of urban infrastructure, schools, and hospitals, the rebuilding of run-down urban areas, and the renovation of old residential communities in cities, have significantly changed the landscape of urban and rural areas and facilitated people's work and life. Take the construction of urban rail transport as an example. At the end of 2021, the total length of urban rail transit lines reached 8,571 kilometers, more than four times that of 2012. The annual passenger volume reached 23.6 billion, which greatly facilitated people's travel. A number of landmark projects completed during the past decade, such as the Beijing Daxing International Airport, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, and Huoshenshan and Leishenshan hospitals in Wuhan, embody the achievements of the transformation and development of the construction industry, and become the calling card of "Built by China."

In the past decade, the construction industry has expanded its overseas presence at a faster pace. Its international competitiveness has been significantly enhanced, with overseas projects carried out in more than 190 countries and regions. Since 2013, the turnover of contracted overseas projects and the amount of newly signed contracts have maintained steady growth. In 2021, 79 Chinese enterprises were among the world's largest 250 international contractors, as the number of such enterprises and the proportion of business have continued to rank first since 2014.

The influence of the "Built by China" brand has continued to improve. During his 2019 New Year speech, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that "Made in China," "Created in China," and "Built by China" should work together to continuously change the face of China. His remark not only recognizes the construction industry, but also shows ardent expectations of its future development.

Next, we will further deepen the reform of the construction industry, strive for innovation-driven and technology-led development, and promote the transformation, the upgrading, and high-quality development of the industry so as to continue building the brand of "Built by China" and make a greater contribution to the sustained and sound development of the economy and society. Thank you.

China News Service:

Safe housing is an important part of the Two Assurances and Three Guarantees in poverty reduction [this refers to assurances of adequate food and clothing and guarantees of access to compulsory education, basic medical services, and safe housing for impoverished rural residents]. What has the MOHURD done to achieve the goal of providing safe housing to the rural poor population? Thank you.

Li Rusheng:

As Mr. Jiang mentioned before, in the battle against poverty, a total of 23.416 million registered poor households nationwide have access to safe housing, which means the issue of safe housing for poor rural population has been solved. We are very pleased to see that they have moved from clay and straw houses in brick ones, which shelter the wind and are larger and brighter. Their sense of contentment, happiness, and security has been greatly improved. The work we have done in this regard is as follows:

First, we carried out precise identification. We laid out applicable standards to identify dilapidated houses in rural areas, which include four levels: level A, which means safe; B, which is basically safe; C, which is partially dangerous; and D, which is dangerous. Houses identified as C and D-level houses are regarded as dilapidated houses for renovation.

Second, we ensured that responsibilities are fulfilled. We take registered poor households as the priority of our work. We adhere to the principle that the government at the provincial level takes the primary responsibility and the government at city, county, and township levels implements the tasks. Identification of safe housing has been carried out for every village and every household. We established a ledger for the renovation of dilapidated houses. Efforts were made to manage projects, funds, and human resources in a coordinated way. The renovation works have been mainly done by farmers themselves and subsidized by the government. For those areas of extreme poverty, we provided preferential policies. We also carried out a working mechanism in which a household would be removed from the list once its dilapidated house was renovated.

Third, we provided professional assistance. We formulated technical standards and guidance that are applicable in works of renovation and completion acceptance. We carried out training for construction workers and managers. We organized efforts to provide tailored technical assistance and help areas of extreme poverty, enhance techniques for renovating dilapidated houses, and improve housing quality. 

Fourth, we conducted careful examinations and checks. We worked with relevant departments to conduct examinations nationwide to ensure registered poor households have access to safe housing. By fully leveraging the institutional strength of "CPC Secretaries at Five Levels Responsible for Poverty Elimination" [the five levels refer to the Party committees of provinces, cities (prefectures), counties, and townships, and the Party branches of villages], we organized local governments to work with Party branches of villages and village committees, village Party chiefs, and resident work teams in poor villages to conduct examinations on housing conditions for every registered poor household, in a bid to make sure that no household and no one is left behind.

Next, the MOHURD will align the efforts of consolidating and expanding poverty alleviation achievements with rural vitalization endeavors, conduct dynamic monitoring, and continue the renovation works of dilapidated houses and seismic retrofitting in rural areas. We will speed up the building of a long-term mechanism that aims to ensure safe housing for low-income groups in rural areas in a bid to better meet the growing needs of rural residents. Thank you.

Changjiang Daily:

Urban management is closely related to people's interests, and has drawn much attention from all circles of society. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that cities shall be governed meticulously, like creating an embroidery. What has the ministry done in this regard? Thank you.

Jiang Wanrong:

As the Chinese saying goes, construction work accounts for 30% of urban development while the rest relies on management. Managing a city, especially mega-cities, is not an easy job. General Secretary Xi Jinping has made clear instructions in this aspect many times. Today, Mr. Wang will introduce this aspect.

Wang Shengjun: 

Thank you for your question. In recent years, we have resolutely acted on the important instruction given by General Secretary Xi Jinping that cities shall be governed with meticulous efforts and made special action plans on making the urban management more meticulous. We guided local authorities to deepen reform of the law enforcement system for urban management. Meticulous efforts have been made to improve urban management.

First, we deepened institutional reform. We have established a four-tiered system for urban management at the national, provincial, city, and county levels. The MOHURD has set up the Urban Management Supervision Bureau. Provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities have specialized departments that are in charge of urban management. There are also comprehensive departments with urban management functions at city and county levels. Laws and regulations have been improved, and we have promulgated Measures for Law Enforcement in Urban Management and Technical Standards for Urban Outdoor Advertising Facilities, among others. We worked to carry out urban management works at the community level and solve the "last-mile" problem to better meet the needs of people. We pushed forward the establishment of a new city management paradigm based on collaboration and participation.

Second, we focused on sci-tech development in urban management. We have initiated the building of an urban management service platform at the national, provincial, and city levels. We have established a national network that connects all departments, and in which coordinated efforts will be achieved, and information will be shared. We have set up a new mechanism in which our decision-making, management, and innovations are based on statistics. The platforms at national and provincial levels focus on the overall situation, providing guidance and conducting supervision. The platform at the city level focuses on coordinating efforts, enhancing competent services, and strengthening assessment. Shanghai, Hangzhou, Qingdao, and other cities have put in place e-platforms for urban management, which preliminarily realized the goal of addressing problems at the source as well as process monitoring, early warning, emergency response, and improving the urban management with a holistic approach. 

Third, we have made greater efforts to train urban management personnel and improved our capability for doing meticulous work. We have continuously carried out special campaigns themed with "Strengthening Foundation, Changing Working Style, Building Image," and formulated the Code of Conduct for Urban Management and Law Enforcement. We have worked to ensure that law enforcement is strict, procedure-based, impartial, and civil by comprehensively introducing the system of publicity for administrative law enforcement, the system of archiving of the entire law-enforcement process and the system of legal review of major law enforcement. We have also promoted the "721 Working Method," which solved 70% of the problems through service, 20% of the problems through management, and 10% of that through enforcement. In the prevention and control of the COVID-19 epidemic and the fight against disasters such as waterlogging, typhoons, and snowstorms, urban management officers have lived up to their responsibilities, taken the lead, and made contributions. Three urban management officers, including Zhang Guifeng, were awarded the title of "model civil servants."

Four, we have made contribution to the operation of cities. We have formulated the standards for clean, orderly, and safe cityscape and included main indicators into the national standard evaluation system for civilized cities. We have continued to improve cities' appearance and environment, focusing on tackling difficult problems in backstreets, alleyways, advertising plaques, and manhole covers. We have also conducted trials of risk list management system for urban governance and pilot monitoring system for the safe operation of urban infrastructure, and built comprehensive monitoring systems for information on gas, water supply, drainage, power supply, heating, and bridges so as to improve urban risk prevention and control capabilities.

Thank you!

CNBC:

I have prepared two questions. First, I would like to ask, how is the housing shortage situation in urban and rural areas? How much more money and what kind of measures will be needed to support urban and rural development? Second, what are the key plans for the issues of urban and rural housing development in the next year or two? For example, in regards to the proportion of rental housing, government-subsidized rental housing, etc.? What other sectors will have new opportunities to participate? Thank you.

Jiang Wanrong:

The housing problem is a major concern to all. I will invite Mr. Wang Shengjun to answer these questions.

Wang Shengjun:

Thank you for your questions. Mr. Jiang has introduced the development situation, including the progress we have achieved in housing construction over the past decade. Since the reform and opening-up, especially the urban housing reform, we have constantly accelerated the pace of housing construction and continuously expanded the scale of housing supply, so the problem of housing shortage has been solved gradually. According to the data of the seventh national census, the nation's total household living space has surpassed 50 billion sq m as of 2020. At this stage, people's demand for housing has shifted from "zero to one" to "good or not." They have started to require more comfortable living conditions, a more beautiful environment, and more convenient services. In response to people's expectations, the MOHURD will speed up the establishment of a housing system with multiple types of suppliers, multiple channels for housing support, and encouragement for both renting and buying. We will strive to improve housing design and construction, improve management and service quality, and continuously meet people's needs for a better living.

Over the last decade, we have made a rapid progress in housing as well as urban and rural development. The construction scale of housing, including urban infrastructure, has become relatively large. Speaking of future work regarding housing and urban and rural development, it is fair to say that we still in a period of rapid urbanization. Tens of millions of people are added to the urban population every year, resulting in massive demand for urban housing, infrastructure, and public service facilities. Meanwhile, our cities have entered an important stage of urban renewal and have been faced with many new tasks such as rebuilding old urban residential areas, shoring up weak links in infrastructure and renovation. It is fair to say that the construction scale remains relatively large considering these two aspects mentioned above, as well as the efforts to advance rural development. Advancing housing and urban and rural development has remained a long-term task as well as a comprehensive task.

Going forward, the MOHURD will earnestly implement the decisions and arrangements made by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, adhere to the general principle of seeking progress while maintaining stability, and take various measures to advance supply-side structural reforms in housing, urban renewal, and rural development in a coordinated manner. We will also accelerate the construction of government-subsidized rental housing, as you mentioned before, to make new progress in the high-quality development of housing and urban and rural areas.

CCTV:

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, housing conditions in China have achieved noticeable improvement, helping many urban residents realize their dreams of settling down. Regarding this, could you please introduce what efforts the MOHURD has made and what achievements have been produced? For the next step, what new measures will be taken to consolidate the work of housing support and to solve housing problems for low- and middle-income urban residents and new urban residents? Thank you.

Jiang Wanrong:

Thank you for your questions. The housing problem concerns people's well-being. Therefore, we should ensure that the government functions better while letting market forces play a decisive role. We have prioritized improving two systems: the housing market system and the housing support system. The government plays a more significant role in the support system. Over the past decade, we have explored the following aspects and made several achievements.

First, we have moved faster to improve the housing support system to meet people's basic housing needs. Focusing on meeting people's basic housing needs, we have fully considered different groups' housing conditions and financial capacity while exploring and establishing the housing support system. Based on a thorough investigation and demonstration, and a review of experiences gained from the trials, with the approval of the State Council, last June, the General Office of the State Council issued opinions on accelerating the development of the government-subsidized rental housing. It outlined for the first time the top-level design for the housing support system at the national level. It proposed accelerating the improvement of the housing support system with public rental housing, government-subsidized rental housing and shared ownership housing as the mainstay. In other words, the housing support system mainly consists of three parts: public rental housing, government-subsidized rental housing, and shared ownership housing. To deliver the best outcomes, we have worked with relevant departments to establish a set of relatively sound housing support policies and management systems, including financial, fiscal and tax, land and other support policies. In addition, we have set up mechanisms for the admission, use, exit and operation management of government-subsidized housing, ensuring that benefits can effectively be brought to people struggling with housing and needing help.

Second, we have advanced housing reconstruction in neglected urban areas to help people move from sub-standard accommodation to new apartments. In 2013, the reconstruction of the neglected urban areas was fast-tracked. The state has issued policy documents concerning speeding up the rebuilding of housing in dilapidated urban areas every year for three consecutive years. These documents set out clear requirements about the number of buildings to be rebuilt and the necessary infrastructure. Departments and commissions of the central government have cooperated closely and introduced a series of effective policies and measures concerning financial support, tax and fee cuts and exemptions, capital subsidies, land supply and special bonds. Over the past decade, over 43 million housing units in underdeveloped urban areas have been rebuilt, helping hundreds of millions of residents in run-down urban areas to improve their living conditions and to live in peace and contentment.

Third, we have made great efforts to develop government-subsidized rental housing to help new urban residents and young people realize their dreams of having a home to settle in. We have urged and guided localities to accelerate the development of government-subsidized rental housing, set the development goals, establish fundamental institutions, promote multi-party participation and implement supporting policies. Moreover, a pattern of developing government-subsidized rental housing with multiple types of suppliers and numerous channels for support has taken shape. In 2021 and 2022, 3.3 million government-subsidized rental housing units were constructed nationwide, addressing the housing needs of nearly 10 million new urban residents and young people. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, 6.5 million government-subsidized rental homes will be built in 40 key cities, solving the housing difficulties for about 20 million new urban residents and young people.

Fourth, we have promoted the well-regulated development of public rental housing to ensure the basic needs of urban households with housing difficulties and low incomes. Over the past decade, public rental housing operation management has been continuously strengthened, with an increase in the amount of physical housing stock and an improvement in the housing subsidy system. By the end of 2021, 38 million people in need had moved into public rental housing. The provision of physical housing and rental subsidies has addressed the housing needs of many people in difficulty. I would like to share some figures with you. We have ensured the housing needs of 11.76 million people living on low incomes and subsistence allowances and struggling with housing. Moreover, we have helped 5.08 million people over 60 years old, 710,000 people with disabilities, 440,000 young teachers, 260,000 entitled groups, and 230,000 sanitation workers and bus drivers.

Fifth, we have developed shared ownership housing according to local conditions and helped households with certain financial capacities to purchase shared ownership housing. In April 2014, we launched pilots on the development of shared ownership housing in six cities, including Beijing and Shanghai. We deepened the pilot programs in September 2017. By the end of 2021, a total of 83,000 shared ownership housing units had been built in Beijing and 136,000 households had signed contracts in Shanghai. Shared ownership housing enables residents to obtain houses with property rights at relatively lower prices, increasing their sense of fulfillment, happiness and security.

Indeed, housing support is a long-term task. Next, we will thoroughly implement the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, focusing on increasing government-subsidized rental housing and improving the housing support system. We will further regulate the development of public rental housing, develop shared ownership housing according to local conditions, and steadily advance housing renovation in run-down urban areas. We will make more efforts to increase the supply of government-subsidized housing to better meet people's basic housing needs while making new achievements in housing support.

Thank you!

CNR News:

Significant changes are taking place in not only urban but also rural development. How will the MOHURD advance the building of beautiful countryside and retain our cultural roots? Moreover, what measures will be taken next to promote rural revitalization? Thank you.

Li Xiaolong:

Thank you for your questions. The idea that the development of beautiful countryside should enable people to enjoy the beautiful scenery and retain their cultural roots has been ingrained into people's minds. Beautiful villages have also become places where people living in cities would most like to bring their elderly and children to visit during holidays or to take photos for social media.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the MOHURD has conscientiously studied and implemented the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speeches and instructions on rural development and stepped up rural development to build a beautiful and livable countryside. Rural areas have taken on a new look.

First, we have improved the management over the construction of rural houses and villages. We have provided design support to countryside construction and strengthened the training of rural constructors to improve rural development. We have promoted the modernization of rural housing and villages, enhanced the design and construction level of rural housing, strengthened the development of village infrastructure and public service supporting facilities, protected the natural and cultural environment, and greatly enhanced the housing conditions of rural residents. These efforts have given rise to a number of picturesque villages with distinctive features. 

Second, breakthroughs have been made in treating household waste in rural areas. We have guided all localities to coordinate the development of waste treating facilities and services at the county, township and village levels. The domestic waste collection, transporting and treating service has covered more than 90% of villages, an increase of 60 percentage points compared with 2012. The task of improving 24,000 undesignated refuse dumping points has been completed, and nearly 1 billion cubic meters of various types of garbage left untreated for long have been adequately addressed.

Third, the protection of traditional villages has continued to improve. We have organized and implemented programs to protect traditional Chinese villages, and 6,819 villages were included in the "List of Chinese Traditional Villages for Protection." We have carried out demonstrative projects for contiguous protection and utilization of traditional Chinese villages. 520,000 historical buildings and traditional dwellings and 3,380 intangible cultural heritage items at and above the provincial level have been protected and inherited, forming the world's largest protection group of agricultural civilization heritage.

Fourth, the evaluation mechanism for rural development has been continuously improved. We have established and enhanced the evaluation mechanism for rural development and built an index system to evaluate rural development, rural housing construction, village construction and county seat construction among other aspects. In 28 provinces across the country, 117 sample counties were evaluated, shedding light on the status and performance of rural development nationwide as well as the significant problems and shortcomings. The findings serve as important references for scientifically promoting rural development.

In the next step, we will continue to advance poverty alleviation to help achieve rural revitalization, and promote the beautiful countryside initiative to continuously yield new results. First, we will implement projects to improve the quality and safety of rural housing by enhancing the design and construction level. We will improve rural houses' functions and supporting facilities and continuously improve rural residents' housing and living conditions. Second, we will guide all localities to further improve the system for the collection, transport and treatment of domestic waste, improve the governance level, and continue to improve rural living environments. Third, we will increase the protection and utilization of traditional Chinese villages. Fourth, we will carry out a comprehensive evaluation of rural development. Fifth, we will further mobilize and stimulate people's enthusiasm and initiative to participate in rural development and ensure rural people can share the fruits of rural development. Thank you.

Southern Metropolis Daily:

In the past decade, real estate has been closely related to the vital interests of ordinary people and the country's economic and social development. The rapid development of real estate has also played a significant role in improving people's housing conditions. What measures has the MOHURD taken in this regard? As we move forward, is there anything else under consideration when promoting a stable and healthy housing market, especially regarding the delivery of houses to their purchasers? Thank you.

Jiang Wanrong:

Everyone has personal experiences with real estate, so please let me invite Mr. Wang Shengjun to give you an introduction to this issue.

Wang Shengjun:

Thanks for your question. Real estate is of great interest to everyone, so let me introduce the details.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee, with great care for the people's wellbeing, has proposed the principle that houses are for living in, not for speculation, and made comprehensive plans to meet the housing needs of all Chinese people as a major task. The housing system to ensure supply through multiple sources, provide housing support through multiple channels, and encourage both housing purchase and renting has been gradually improved. "Houses are for living in, not for speculation" has become a public consensus. 

As Mr. Jiang Wanrong said, with the rapid development of real estate, our market order has been constantly regulated. Over the past ten years, we have worked closely with all relevant departments to resolutely implement the decisions and plans made by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council. The focus of real estate development has always been on ensuring people's wellbeing. We have implemented in steps long-term mechanisms to stabilize land prices, housing prices, and expectations, and take city-specific policies to promote the steady and healthy development of the real estate market. There are mainly the following aspects.

First, we have established a policy coordination mechanism. We have kept real estate policies continuous and stable, making them more coordinated and well-targeted. We have supported people's demand for housing and improved housing by reining in speculative investment in the housing market. We have also enhanced the land supply management for residential use, established a joint mechanism for housing and land supply, and improved macro-prudential management of real estate financing to promote a sound circle between real estate and finance.

Second, we have established a mechanism that links the ministry with provinces and cities. Considering real estate market law, the ministry and provincial and municipal governments have coordinated efforts to strengthen the primary responsibility of municipal government and the supervision and guiding responsibility of provincial governments. We have adopted city-specific measures and made full use of tools for regulation to enhance guidance and supervision over city-specific measures.

Third, we have improved the monitoring, early warning, evaluation and assessment mechanism. We have established a sound information system for the real estate market and a monitoring system to carry out monthly monitoring, quarterly evaluation and annual evaluation regularly. For cities where the housing prices exceed the target of regulation, we urge municipal governments to take effective measures to stabilize the market by issuing letters of warning and conducting inquiries, research and supervision.

Fourth, we have enhanced supervision over the real estate market. The ministry and related departments have jointly launched a three-year campaign to ensure the order of the real estate market. We have done this by rectifying violations of laws and regulations in real estate development, housing sales, housing rental and property services, and strengthening supervision of pre-sale funds for commercial housing following the principle of "getting them under control instead of over control." We take it as the primary goal to ensure home delivery, meet living needs, maintain stability, and prevent and defuse market risks in accordance with the law- and market-based principles to protect the legitimate rights and interests of homebuyers and maintain overall social stability.

Real estate involves living needs and development as well. The ministry and related departments will continue to take concrete steps to promote the steady and sound development of the real estate market. First, we adhere to the policy that homes are for living in, not for speculation; this is the fundamental principle for real estate regulation. Second, we will improve the housing market and support systems, both of which are indispensable. Third, we will increase efforts to stabilize land prices, housing prices and expectations. Fourth, we will improve the mechanism for coordinating the elements of people, homes, land and funds by determining housing prices based on the population and estimating land supply and funds based on homes.

Regarding home delivery, the ministry, together with the Ministry of Finance and the People's Bank of China, issued special measures last month to support cities in need. We utilized special loans from policy banks to boost the construction and delivery of housing projects that have been sold and have difficulties delivering on time. At present, work in this regard is getting underway in an orderly manner. Thank you.

Hong Kong Economic Herald:

Historical and cultural heritage carries the gene and bloodline of the Chinese nation. Over the decade, China has systematically sought to protect, utilize and maintain historical and cultural heritage in the country's urban and rural construction. What efforts have been made by the ministry to enhance the work in this regard? Thank you.

Li Xiaolong:

Thank you for your question. It is our responsibility to history and the people to protect and carry forward historical and cultural heritage. We have implemented the guiding principles of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions and continued to strengthen the protection and inheritance of historical and cultural heritage. At present, China has 140 state historical and cultural cities, 312 historical and cultural towns, 487 historical and cultural villages and 6,819 traditional villages, more than 1,200 historical and cultural blocks, and 59,500 historical buildings, making them the most comprehensive, complete and systematic carrier for carrying forward traditional Chinese culture.

First, we have established a system for protection and inheritance and formed a systematic protection model. The concept of the system involves a time span covering the 5,000-year history of Chinese civilization, including the ancient time, 180 years of modern and contemporary history, 100 years since the founding of the Communist Party of China, 70 years since the founding of the People's Republic of China, and 40 years of reform and opening-up. Meanwhile, it also involves coverage, where all that ought to be designated for protection shall be designated and all that ought to be protected shall be protected. We had done a lot of jobs before the concept of the system was rolled out. Last August, the Opinions on Strengthening the Protection and Inheritance of Historical and Cultural Heritage in Urban and Rural Construction was issued by the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council. The document clarified the protection of historical and cultural cities, towns and villages (traditional villages), blocks and immovable cultural relics, historical architecture and streets, industrial, agricultural, irrigation and intangible cultural heritage and the cultural heritage of place names. The complete system has formed a systematic protection model.

Second, we insist on promoting protection by utilization. Urban and rural historical and cultural heritage are closely linked to ordinary people's lives. For example, Chinese traditional construction methods, whether a mix of brick and wood or a wooden structure, decay more easily the less you use them. Therefore, a question worth thinking about is how we can protect these cultural relics whilst making good use of them. Now, we encourage all localities to adopt the approach to promote protection by putting them into use, and make historical and cultural resources be utilized and come alive through refined transformation. By doing so, on the one hand, we can protect cultural relics. On the other hand, we can resolve the pressing difficulties and problems of the most significant concern to the people and make their living more convenient. Some places have achieved good results by adopting this approach and the relic sites have now become popular among internet users after transformation and renovation.

Third, we strengthen supervision and management. To improve the protection of famous historical and cultural cities, towns and villages, it is imperative to supervise and inspect. Regarding destructive behaviors such as large-scale demolition and reconstruction, we have promptly investigated, punished and issued circulated notices to criticize, reversing this bad tendency and the malpractice of demolishing relics and constructing replicas, in a timely manner. At the same time, we have established a special evaluation system for the normalized protection of famous historical cities. Starting this year, we will guide each of such cities to complete yearly self-assessments.

Going forward, the MOHURD will work with relevant departments to speed up the improvement of the urban and rural historical and cultural heritage protection and inheritance system. We will wholly and systematically protect historical and cultural heritage, and strive to do an excellent job in the protection and inheritance of urban and rural historical and cultural heritage in the new era, so that urban and rural areas can retain their memories and the public can enjoy the nostalgia. Thank you!

Cover News:

Construction has a high energy consumption, but it also has a high energy saving potential. May I ask what measures our country has taken to promote the rapid development of energy efficiency of buildings and green architecture, and encourage energy conservation and emission reduction in the construction sector? What results have been achieved? Thank you.

Li Rusheng:

Well, thank you for your questions. Indeed, the construction sector is an important area of China's energy consumption and carbon emissions. It is also vital for China to achieve peak carbon emission and carbon neutrality. I would like to answer your questions on expanding the construction of eco-friendly buildings, promoting the energy efficiency of buildings, adjusting energy structures and improving the green standards.

First, we have expanded the construction industry through green architecture. The coverage area of newly built green buildings nationwide has increased from 4 million square meters in 2012 to more than 2 billion square meters in 2021. In 2021, the proportion of newly built green buildings in urban areas that year reached 84%, and the cumulative number of projects that have obtained green building labels reached 25,000. Currently, 2,134 green building materials products have obtained certification labels, which has driven the coordinated development of related industries and has extended and widened the construction industrial chain.

Second, we improved the lives of residents through the energy efficiency of buildings. We vigorously promoted building energy efficiency and raised the energy efficiency standard for residential buildings in northern China from an energy saving rate of 50% in 2012 to 75%. By the end of 2021, urban energy-efficient buildings had reached 27.7 billion square meters. According to the monitoring results, the residential buildings that have undergone energy-saving renovation can increase the indoor temperature by 3-5 degrees Celsius in winter and decrease it by 2-3 degrees Celsius in summer, improving the living comfort of residents.

Third, we have made the residential environment greener by adjusting the energy consumption structure. By the end of 2021, China's buildings' solar thermal energy application area reached 5.066 billion square meters, and the installed solar photovoltaic capacity reached 18,200 megawatts. The shallow geothermal energy application building area was about 467 million square meters, and urban buildings' renewable energy replacement rate reached 6%, effectively reducing carbon emissions.

Fourth, we have strengthened the industry's competitiveness by improving building energy efficiency standards. We have promulgated and implemented a series of standard specifications for the energy efficiency of buildings, green architecture and building materials. These include the "General Code for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Application in Buildings," "Assessment Standard for Green Building," "Technical Standard for Nearly Zero Energy Buildings," and "Green Product Assessment - Wood-based Panels and Wooden Flooring," which have enhanced the competitiveness of the construction industry and created conditions for the "Built by China" brand to go global.

Going forward, we will adhere to the priority of ecology and conservation, implement the goals of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, and promote energy efficiency of buildings, green architecture and green construction. We will accelerate the green and low-carbon transformation and development of urban and rural construction and put a green label on "Built by China" to contribute to building a beautiful China. Thank you.

Shou Xiaoli:

Due to time constraints, we will take the last question. Housing and urban-rural development is closely related to everyone and has received widespread attention. If you do not get the opportunity to ask your question, please feel free to contact the MOHURD after the press conference. Let's give the last opportunity to this journalist in the first row.

21st Century Business Herald:

Since its establishment, the housing provident fund system has benefited more and more people with increasingly higher satisfaction. How has the system been improved? What role has it played in meeting the people's basic housing needs? Thank you.

Jiang Wanrong:

Thank you for your positive comment on our work. The housing provident fund system has indeed played a very important role. I would like to invite our spokesperson Mr. Wang Shengjun to take these questions.

Wang Shengjun:

Thank you for your questions. I'll make a brief introduction. The housing provident fund system was first launched in Shanghai in 1991 amid the urban housing reform. It is a fundraising, use and management system created to solve the housing problem for employees. Over the past decade, the system has developed steadily, benefitted larger groups of people, continued to release the system's dividends, and played an increasingly prominent role in meeting people's basic housing needs. I would like to summarize its development in three points.

First, the system pools funds for people's accommodation. Over the past decade, the coverage of the system has continuously expanded and the scale of the fund has become ever larger. The number of people who pay contributions to the fund has increased from 102 million to 164 million, the total deposits from 5 trillion yuan to 22.5 trillion yuan, and the fund balance from 2.68 trillion yuan to 8.18 trillion yuan. Last year, employees in the non-public sector accounted for 52.1% of all those who contributed to the fund. Meanwhile, over 1 million workers in flexible employment participated in the system. We also encourage our fellow compatriots from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan who are working on the Chinese mainland to contribute to and use the housing provident fund. 

Second, the system provides convenient services for the people. We support both renting and buying to solve the housing problem for the people. In the past decade, 12.44 trillion yuan were withdrawn from the housing provident fund; 27.36 million individual housing loans were issued, totaling 10.28 trillion yuan, of which more than 80% were first-home loans. In addition, 341 municipal housing provident fund management centers have set up platforms enabling trans-provincial, off-site, and round-the-clock services. A national platform for the transfer and continuation of the housing provident fund has been launched to help employees transfer their accounts and continue contributing despite movement across the country. We have handled a total of 4.19 million housing provident fund transfers and continuations, with an amount exceeding 100 billion yuan. In May last year, the national housing provident fund mini-app was launched, which has provided individual housing provident fund information inquiry services to more than 67 million depositors.

Third, the system helps guard against risks and protects employee's savings through transparent operation. Using the internet plus regulation model, we have improved the national housing provident fund regulation and service platform, which enables online real-time regulation and established an impregnable risk prevention system combining internal risk control and external regulation and connecting online inspection with offline verification and disposal. Since 2015, in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance and the People's Bank of China, we have released the previous year's national housing provident fund "account book" to the public every year, and local housing provident fund management centers have also disclosed the annual housing provident fund bills within their jurisdictions through various channels.

The housing provident fund, with saving as the basis and fund at the core, is designed to ensure people's accommodation. Going forward, we will continue to innovate and develop the system to sustain its benefits for both employers and employees and better meet the people's housing needs. Thank you.

Shou Xiaoli:

Thank you to Mr. Jiang and all the other speakers. Thank you to friends from the media. That's all for today's press conference.

Translated and edited by Wang Yiming, Zhang Liying, Cui Can, Wang Yanfang, Qin Qi, Huang Shan, Xu Kailin, Zhou Jing, Zhang Rui, Liu Sitong, He Shan, Lin Liyao, Ma Yujia, Xu Xiaoxuan, Yuan Fang, Yan Bin, Duan Yaying, Li Huiru, David Ball, Jay Birbeck, and Tom Arnstein. In case of any discrepancy between the English and Chinese texts, the Chinese version is deemed to prevail.

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Read in Chinese

Speakers:

Mr. Li Guoying, minister of water resources

Mr. Zhang Xiangwei, director general of the Department of Planning and Programming of the Ministry of Water Resources (MWR)

Mr. Chen Mingzhong, director general of the Department of Rural Water and Hydropower of the MWR

Mr. Yao Wenguang, director general of the Department of Flood and Drought Disaster Prevention of the MWR

Chairperson:

Mr. Chen Wenjun, spokesperson of the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC)

Date:

Sept. 13, 2022

Chen Wenjun:

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to this press conference. Today, we are holding the 30th press conference under the theme of "China in the past decade." We have invited Mr. Li Guoying, minister of water resources, to brief you on achievements in water development since the 18th CPC National Congress and take your questions. Also joining us today are Mr. Zhang Xiangwei, director general of the Department of Planning and Programming of the Ministry of Water Resources (MWR); Mr. Chen Mingzhong, director general of the Department of Rural Water and Hydropower of the MWR; and Mr. Yao Wenguang, director general of the Department of Flood and Drought Disaster Prevention of the MWR.

Now, let's give the floor to Mr. Li for his introduction.

Li Guoying:

Ladies and gentlemen, friends from the media, good morning. I am very glad to brief you on water development work since the 18th CPC National Congress. I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to people from all walks of life for your long-standing interest in and support for China's water development.

China suffers from water scarcity, imbalanced seasonal and regional water availability, and frequent floods and droughts. This makes China one of the countries with the most complicated water resource conditions and the most difficult and arduous task in terms of water management. The CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core attaches great importance to water development. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping, mindful of the sustainable development of the Chinese nation, has set out a policy framework for water management that prioritizes water conservation, balances spatial allocation, adopts a systematic approach, and involves both government and market efforts; established development strategies for the Yangtze River and the Yellow River; and arranged major water conservancy projects such as the national water network, thus providing strategic guidance and a roadmap for China's water development in the new era. These steps are of milestone significance in the history of water management of the Chinese nation. With General Secretary Xi Jinping at the helm and guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, people from all walks of life have made concerted efforts to scientifically manage water resources, thus solving many tough problems that were long on the agenda but never resolved, and accomplished multiple major goals that affect the country's overall strategic and long-term development and the people's wellbeing. China has made historic achievements and transformations in water development.

The past decade has witnessed overall improvements in the country's capabilities to guard against floods and droughts. We have acted on the principles of "giving priority to disaster prevention and combining prevention, response and relief; integrating routine disaster reduction and urgent disaster relief; shifting the focus from post-disaster relief to pre-disaster prevention, from response to a single disaster to comprehensive disaster reduction, and from reducing disaster losses to alleviating disaster risks," put people's lives first, improved flood prevention systems in drainage basins, enhanced forecasting, early warning, disaster drills and preparedness, and operated water projects in a fine-tuned fashion. In this way, we have contained severe floods of the Yellow River, Yangtze River, Huaihe River, Haihe River, Pearl River, Songhuajiang-Liaohe River and Taihu Lake. In the past decade, the annual cost of damage caused by floods, as a share of China's GDP, dropped to 0.31% from 0.57% in the previous decade. Since 2021, we have seen a mega flood in the upper stream of the Heilongjiang River, autumn floods on a rarely seen scale in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River, and a rarely seen flood in the Beijiang (north river) of the Pearl River Basin; nationwide, 8,135 large and medium-sized reservoirs have controlled 225.2 billion cubic meters of floodwater; 12 national floods storage areas have been put into use, avoiding flooding events in 3,055 cities and towns, floods in more than 39.48 million mu (2.63 million hectares) of arable land, and the relocation of 21.64 million people. Meanwhile, we have effectively responded to severe droughts in the Pearl River Basin and other areas, ensuring basic water supply in a year of extraordinary droughts. This year, faced with the most severe drought in the Yangtze River Basin since 1961, we adopted precise and targeted measures in a specific scope and carried out a special joint action for drought relief and water supply of reservoirs, thus ensuring drinking water security for 13.85 million people and meeting the irrigation needs of 1.9 million hectares of autumn grain crops. 

The past decade has witnessed the resolution of the long-standing drinking water security problem in rural areas. Drinking water security in rural areas is a key indicator for eradicating absolute poverty. With this firmly in mind, we have solved the drinking water security problem for 17.1 million registered poor people and a total of 280 million rural residents over the past decade. To date, 84% of the rural population have access to tap water. In this way, the problem of drinking water which troubled generations of Chinese farmers has been resolved. We have promoted the construction of farmland irrigation projects. A total of 7,330 large and medium-sized irrigation districts have been built and the effective irrigated area has reached 69.13 million hectares. In the irrigated areas, which account for 54% of China's arable land, farmers produced 75% of the country's grain and more than 90% of cash crops. This has laid a solid foundation for ensuring food security through our own efforts.

The past decade has witnessed transformations in the utilization of water resources. We have prioritized water conservation, implemented a national water-saving initiative, strengthened a rigid constraint system for water resources, and promoted efficient and intensive water utilization. In 2021, water consumption per 10,000 yuan of GDP and per 10,000 yuan of value-added of industry dropped by 45% and 55% respectively compared to 2012. The effective utilization coefficient of farmland irrigation water went up from 0.516 in 2012 to 0.568 in 2021. In the past decade, China's total water consumption has remained stable. With 6% of the world's fresh water, China feeds nearly 20% of the global population and generates over 18% of global economic output.

The past decade has witnessed holistic upgrading in the distribution of water resources. Based on the overall and spatially balanced allocation of water resources in drainage basins, we have accelerated major water diversion projects and key water supply projects. The first phase of the eastern and central routes of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project were put into operation, supplying 56.5 billion cubic meters of water so far and benefitting 150 million people. The construction of other major projects has started, including water diversion projects such as channeling water from the Yangtze River to the Hanjiang River, a follow-up project for the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, water transfer to central Yunnan province, water diversion from the Yangtze River to the Huaihe River, and the Pearl River Delta Water Resources Allocation Project, as well as large reservoirs such as Jiayan Reservoir in Guizhou province and Laluo Reservoir in Tibet. As such, a complete, secure, reliable, efficient, environmentally friendly, smart, smooth and well-regulated national water network is taking shape at a fast pace. The supply capacity of water conservancy projects across the country increased from 700 billion cubic meters in 2012 to 890 billion cubic meters in 2021.

Over the past decade, the condition of rivers and lakes has improved fundamentally. Guided by the philosophy that clean water and green mountains are just as valuable as gold and silver, we have advanced the protection and governance of water ecosystem. We have fully established the river-chief and lake-chief system, with 1.2 million river and lake chiefs at the five administrative levels of province, city, county, township and village performing their duties. We launched the Mother River restoration project, and the groundwater level of northern China has picked up. In 2021, shallow groundwater in controlled areas rose 1.89 meters on average from the same period in 2018, while deep confined water climbed 4.65 meters. The aquatic ecosystem of the Baiyangdian Lake has been restored; many rivers that have dried up for many years, such as the Yongding River, have fully resumed water supply; and the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal has realized full operation for the first time in a century. We have brought soil erosion under control across 580,000 square kilometers of land over the past 10 years. The area and intensity of soil erosion have declined, with barren mountains covered with green and flaming mountains transformed into mountains of flowers and fruits. More rivers have been restored, more basins have been revitalized and more rivers and lakes have become pleasant rivers and lakes that benefit the people. 

Over the past decade, the capability of water conservancy governance has improved systematically. We strengthened the management of water conservancy systems and mechanisms under the rule of law, deepened unified planning, unified governance, unified control and unified the administration of basins, and advanced modernization of water conservancy systems and capability of water conservancy governance. The law on the protection of the Yangtze River and regulation on the management of groundwater were released and implemented, and the mechanism for coordinating water resources law enforcement and criminal justice and the cooperation mechanism between water resources law enforcement and procuratorial public interest litigations have been continuously improved. Reforms in key areas, such as market-oriented trading of permits for water use, have been accelerated, and breakthroughs have been made to reform water conservancy investment and financing. Water conservancy investment from bank loans and social capital has reached 238.8 billion yuan since the beginning of the year, setting a record. The construction of digital twin basins, digital twin water networks, and digital twin water projects has been accelerated. There has been a significant advancement in the science and technology of water conservation. 

Embarking on a new journey, guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, water resource authorities will apply the new development philosophy in full and correctly. Authorities from all fields will endeavor and fully implement the thinking of prioritizing water conservation, spatially balanced allocation, systematic governance, and leveraging the government's and the market's strengths. We will focus on enhancing the national ability to safeguard water safety and make concrete efforts to promote the high-quality development of water conservancy in a new development stage and make our contributions to writing a brand-new chapter in building a modern socialist country in all respects. Thank you. 

Chen Wenjun:

Thank you, Mr. Li. The floor is now open for questions. Please identify the media outlet you represent before raising questions.

CCTV:

The river-chief and lake-chief system was fully established by the end of 2018. It has been almost four years since then. What specific work has the MWR done during this period and what achievements have been made? Thank you. 

Li Guoying:

The river-chief and lake-chief system is a major reform planned, deployed and promoted by General Secretary Xi Jinping personally. It is a major institutional innovation formally approved by the CPC Central Committee. In October 2016, guidelines on appointing local government heads as river chiefs across the nation to clean up and protect its water resources were rolled out by the general offices of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council. In December 2017, guidelines for establishing a lake chief system were released by the general offices of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council. This innovative system is based on upholding the people's fundamental interests and aims to resolve floods, problems of the water ecosystem, water environment and water resources, which are of the utmost and immediate concern to the people. Therefore, the establishment and implementation of the system have won extensive support and positive response from Party committees and governments at all levels and people from all sectors of society. Since establishing and implementing the system, tangible progress has been made in at least three aspects. 

First, a management system of water conservancy governance has been continuously improved. At the national level, we established and improved the inter-departmental joint meeting mechanism for the river-chief and lake-chief system. Leading officials from the State Council serve as conveners, and 18 member units act closely to strengthen the coordination, organization and leadership of promoting the river-chief and lake-chief system nationwide. In terms of basins, seven basin institutions, including the Yangtze River, the Yellow River, the Huaihe River, the Haihe River, the Pearl River, the Liaohe River and the Taihu Lake basin institutions, have established their own provincial inter-departmental joint meeting mechanisms for the river-chief and lake-chief system. Their offices are located in their management institutions, which aim to strengthen coordination between basins and form a joint prevention, joint control and joint treatment working mechanism for coordinating upstream and downstream, left bank and right bank, and mainstream and tributary. In terms of areas, river-chief and lake-chief offices at the provincial, prefectural, or county levels are established to form a coordinated joint working mechanism for the related department within their jurisdictions and pool a powerful joint force for the protection and governance of rivers and lakes. 

Second, a responsibility system has been fully established. It is a responsibility system for river and lake protection and governance, with leading Party and government officials taking responsibility at the core. Up to now, leading Party and government officials from 31 provinces, centrally administered municipalities and autonomous regions, have served as river and lake chiefs at the provincial level. There are more than 300,000 river and lake chiefs at the provincial, city, county, and township levels and more than 900,000 at the village level, including river patrol staff and river protection staff. Therefore, each river and each lake are managed well and under protection. 

Third, the conditions of rivers and lakes have been continuously improved. All localities give full play to the advantages of the river-chief and lake-chief system and take an active role. Facing acute problems related to floods, water resources, the water ecosystem and the water environment, we work in light of actual conditions and take targeted measures to deal with the chaos of rivers and lakes. We manage the space of rivers and lakes according to law, protect water resources strictly, quicken our steps to restore the water ecosystem and make great efforts to tackle water pollution. Thanks to these efforts, the conditions of rivers and lakes have changed historically, more and more rivers have been restored, more and more basins have been revitalized and more and more rivers and lakes have become beautiful rivers and lakes that benefit the people. Thank you!

Hong Kong China Review News Agency:

Accelerating the construction of water conservancy infrastructure is highly relevant to the overall strategic situation and people's well-being. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, China has successively carried out 172 major water-saving and water supply projects and 150 major water conservancy projects. Since the beginning of this year, the MWR has further intensified efforts to promote water conservancy infrastructure construction. Over the last decade, what role has the water conservancy infrastructure system played in promoting the high-quality development of China's economy and society? Thank you.

Zhang Xiangwei:

Thank you for your question. The CPC Central Committee and the State Council have attached great significance to the construction of water conservancy infrastructure. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, we have implemented 172 major water-saving and water supply projects and 150 major water conservancy projects. Over the last decade, China's investment in water conservancy projects has reached 6.66 trillion yuan, five times that of the previous decade. During this period, a number of key flood control projects were carried out, such as the construction of major flood storage and detention areas along the Yangtze River, flood control in the downstream of the Yellow River, and the Datengxia water conservancy project on the Xijiang River. A set of large-scale projects were also carried out to harness small and medium-sized rivers and reinforce dilapidated reservoirs. Storage capacity was increased by 105.1 billion cubic meters, and 56,500 kilometers of levees of grade 5 or higher were added. A system of river basin flood control projects mainly consisting of river channels, levees, reservoirs, and flood storage and detention areas has been basically formed for major rivers, playing an important role in ensuring the safety of people's lives and property and major infrastructures. Over the past decade, we have completed 54 cross-basin and cross-regional water diversion projects, such as the first phase of the Middle East Route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, the diversion of water from the Yangtze River to the Huaihe River, the Han River to the Wei River, and the allocation of water resources in the Pearl River Delta, increasing the designed annual water diversion volume to 64.79 billion cubic meters. The overall deployment capacity of water resources has been significantly improved in China.

Since the beginning of this year, we have thoroughly implemented the guiding principle of the important speech delivered by General Secretary Xi Jinping at the 11th meeting of the Commission for Financial and Economic Affairs of the CPC Central Committee, and earnestly carried out a series of measures made by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council to stabilize economy. We have accelerated construction of water conservancy projects, and achieved remarkable results in project construction, investment, and job creation. 

First, compared with the same period of past years, the number of projects started this year hit a record high. Since the beginning of this year, a record 19,000 new water projects have been started nationwide. In particular, a number of major projects of strategic significance, such as the second phase of the Huaihe Waterway to the Sea, the middle route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project to replenish the Han River, and the allocation of water resources in Guangdong around the Beibu Gulf, have started construction smoothly. All of the above are major water infrastructure projects that had been needed for many years but had not been undertaken until this year.

Second, the scale of investment was larger than at any time in history. While increasing government investment, local governments have issued special bonds and gathered financial support and private capital to raise funds for water conservancy projects through multiple channels. From January to August, China invested 977.6 billion yuan in water conservancy projects, up 50.9% year on year. The national investment in water conservancy projects exceeded 700 billion yuan, reaching 703.6 billion yuan, up 63.9% year on year.

Third, a larger number of jobs have been created. We have given full play to the advantages of water conservancy projects with wide areas, long industrial chains, and more job opportunities, especially in terms of providing jobs for rural labor forces. From January to August, the water conservancy projects have delivered jobs to a total of 1.91 million people, including 1.53 million rural workers.

The construction of large-scale water conservancy infrastructure has played an important role in stabilizing growth and employment, and promoting high-quality development of the economy and society. Thank you.

People.cn:

Water-saving is highly relevant to the production and life of people. The report to the 19th CPC National Congress has also made it clear that we should implement a national water-saving initiative. The National Development and Reform Commission and the MWR have jointly issued the National Water Saving Action Plan, transforming the water-saving action into a national initiative. Therefore, I would like to ask, what achievements have been made since the launch of the national water-saving initiative? What are the next steps? Thank you,

Chen Mingzhong:

The implementation of a national water-saving initiative is an important task deployed at the 19th CPC National Congress. Since the National Water Saving Action Plan was introduced in April 2019, a cross-department coordination mechanism for the national water-saving work led by the MWR and 20 other departments has been put in place to push for achievement of various targets and tasks set in the action plan. At present, various tasks have been well accomplished, and the six key actions are being implemented in a steady manner. All of these key actions, including the dual control of total water use and water intensity, the action to save water and improve efficiency in agriculture, the action to save water and reduce emissions in industry, the action to save water and reduce losses in urban areas, the action to develop water sources and promote water conservation in key areas, and the action to give a better play to the role of scientific and technological innovation, have been actively carried out. At the same time, we have further deepened reform on water-saving systems and mechanisms, continuously improved policies, regulations and technical standards, and constantly enhanced organizational guarantees and basic capabilities. As of now, all 31 provincial-level regions have established departmental coordination mechanisms or water-saving joint conference systems, issued provincial water-saving action plans, and carried out water-saving actions in a solid and orderly manner. Through joint efforts over the years, we have made remarkable progress in water-saving. These achievements have been mainly manifested in the following aspects:

China's water use efficiency has dramatically improved, especially regarding public awareness of water conservation. In recent years, we have continued our efforts in water-saving transformation in large- and medium-sized irrigation areas, with newly-built high-efficiency water-saving irrigation areas growing by over 120 million mu nationwide from the beginning of the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020). We have stepped up efforts to promote water-saving transformation in the industrial sector and encouraged more enterprises to put water conservation high on the agenda. As such, the reuse rate in industrial enterprises above the designated size reached 92%. Meanwhile, planned water use management was practiced by 99% of enterprises above the designated size in key water-intensive industries experiencing overexploitation of water resources. Building water-efficient cities has become a priority. Cities of prefectural level and above that lack water have all been established as water-saving cities, and 119,000 enterprises in the service sector have become water-saving enterprises. We have made unconventional water resources part of the water allocation system and established pilot programs for using recycled water in certain areas. China's total unconventional water use rose to 13.83 billion cubic meters in 2021 from 10.77 billion cubic meters in 2019. We have launched a campaign to promote water-saving efforts in counties across the country, with 1,094 counties (districts) becoming water-saving counties. In 2021, China's total water use was kept below 610 billion cubic meters. Its water consumption per 10,000 yuan of GDP was 51.8 cubic meters, while the water consumption per 10,000 yuan of industrial added value was 28.2 cubic meters, dropping by 45% and 55% from the 2012 level, respectively. China's farmland irrigation efficiency index rose to 0.568 in 2021 from 0.516 in 2012.

Going forward, the MWR will take full advantage of the coordination mechanism on water conservation to encourage synchronized efforts between departments and local governments. We will encourage national water conservation action and implement the plan to build a water-saving society in the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025). We will continue to advance the actions mentioned earlier in terms of six areas to ensure that sustainable water use will support China's high-quality economic and social development. Thank you. 

Xinhua News Agency:

The soil erosion problem in China is one of the most severe in the world. Over the past decade, what achievements have been made in comprehensively controlling soil erosion? What are the subsequent plans? Thank you.

Yao Wenguang:

Thank you for your questions. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, departments responsible for water resources at all levels have implemented Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization and firmly upheld and practiced the notion that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets to advance the comprehensive control of soil erosion. Thanks to these efforts, the area and intensity of soil erosion in the country have declined, and the erosion caused by water and wind also dropped. Around 2.6742 million square kilometers of land experienced soil erosion in China in 2021, a decrease of 274,900 square kilometers from the 2011 level, with the share of land areas experiencing severe soil erosion, or worse, falling to 18.93%. The water and soil conservation rate hit 72.04%. 

China has made remarkable progress over the past decade in soil erosion control, especially in intensity, speed and efficiency. These efforts have laid a solid foundation for building an ecological civilization. Over the past 10 years, we have prioritized prevention and control to reduce soil erosion as much as possible. We have tightened supervision according to the law and ensured that around 500,000 projects have implemented soil erosion prevention and control policies, thereby effectively reducing potential soil erosion caused by human activity. We have practiced comprehensive management to reduce soil erosion. Following the national strategy, we have promoted major water and soil conservation projects in light of actual conditions, with 580,000 square kilometers of land with soil erosion being treated. We have put people and their lives first and endeavored to ensure that soil erosion prevention and control will promote agricultural production and the development of local specialty industries. For example, we have made efforts to control soil erosion in Dingxi city of Gansu province, Ganzhou city of Jiangxi province and the northern part of Shaanxi province, where planting potatoes, navel oranges and apples have become local specialty industries. As such, more than 10 million people living in poverty nationwide have benefited from soil erosion control, with an annual income increase of about 5 billion yuan. Thanks to these efforts, those places with unfavorable natural conditions have transformed into areas with lucid waters and lush mountains, generating remarkable economic benefits. 

In the new stage of development, we will implement the new development philosophy in a thorough, accurate and comprehensive manner, accelerating institutional reform and innovation. We will ramp up efforts to prevent and control soil erosion, and enhance supervision and management, to promote a comprehensive green transition of economic and social development. We will scientifically advance comprehensive soil erosion control and implement the small river basin ecological improvement policy. We will rejuvenate the ecological environment of rivers and lakes, and improve the quality and stability of the ecosystem, to offer more high-quality environmental products. All these efforts will serve as solid support for the building of a beautiful China. Thank you!

Zhonghongwang.com:

As the flood control and drought relief systems have been improved in recent years, we have greater confidence to deal with flood and drought disasters. Could you introduce the achievements we have made in flood and drought disaster prevention? Also, this year the Yangtze and Pearl River basins have experienced the worst drought in the past 60 years. What has the MWR done to deal with this severe drought? What is the progress so far? Thank you. 

Yao Wenguang:

Thank you for your questions. In the past decade, the MWR has actively followed General Secretary Xi Jinping's concept of "two commitments and three transformations" in disaster prevention, reduction and relief. We have resolutely implemented the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, and continuously strengthened the building of flood and drought disaster prevention capabilities. In terms of engineering, flood control engineering systems, which consist of river channels, dykes, reservoirs, and flood storage and detention areas, have been formed and put in place for major river basins. Through comprehensive measures of "blocking, dividing, storing, delaying and draining" water, we are now able to prevent flooding on a scale equivalent to the largest that has occurred since the founding of New China. The annual water supply capacity of China's water conservancy projects has reached 890 billion cubic meters. Through comprehensive measures such as "storing, diverting and pumping" water, the safety of urban and rural water supplies have been guaranteed and losses caused by drought have been minimized. In terms of non-engineering measures, monitoring and early warning capabilities have been significantly improved. The number of hydrological stations across the country has increased from more than 70,000 in 2012 to 120,000 in 2021, and the time for collecting information from all stations has been shortened from 30 minutes to 15 minutes. The accuracy of flood forecasting for major rivers in the south and north have increased to over 90% and 70% respectively. Monitoring and early warning platforms for mountain flood disasters have been set up in 2,076 counties with disaster prevention and control tasks.

Through a combination of engineering and non-engineering measures, we have been able to overcome major floods and severe droughts. Compared with the previous decade, the average annual loss rate of flood disasters in China has dropped from 0.57% to 0.31%. We have effectively guaranteed the safety of people's lives and property, water supply and food security, and economic and social operation.

In recent years, China has experienced frequent floods and droughts, and the system of water conservancy projects and non-engineering measures have played important roles in the flood control and drought relief.

In terms of flood control, in 2021, the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River experienced the worst flooding during any fall since the founding of New China. The MWR adhered to the principles of "systematic, coordinated, scientific and safe" and made great efforts to provide highly tailored responses and solutions. The MWR accurately calculated each criteria to schedule reservoir groups including the Yellow River Xiaolangdi, Luhun, Guxian, Hekou Village and other main and tributary reservoirs to block and reduce flood water flow as effectively as possible. As a result, the water flow at Huayuankou Station was controlled at around 4,800 cubic meters per second, avoiding the evacuation of 1.4 million people downstream and flooding of 3.99 million mu of farmland. We have achieved the goal of "no casualties, no flooding of flood plains and no running of dams" and won the tough battle against floods. This June, the Pearl River has experienced severe floods, and flooding in the Beijiang River has been the most severe since 1915. Water resources departments jointly scheduled 37 reservoirs, such as the Xijiang Longtan, Dateng Gorge and Beijiang Feilai Gorge, to block and reduce floods. We resolutely activated the flood storage and detention area of the Pa River and used the Beijiang Lubao Floodgate and Southwest Floodgate to divert flood water in time. Floods of the Xijiang River and Beijiang River avoided each other, and the water level and flow of important river sections were controlled within a safe range. As a result, the flood control safety of the Xijiang River Dam, Beijiang River Dam, Guangzhou and the Pearl River Delta was ensured.

Drought-relief efforts: From 2021 to the spring of 2022, the East River and the Han River of the Pearl River Drainage Basin experienced the most severe drought in the past 60 years. In addition, influenced by the upstream expansion of the salty tide at the Pearl River Estuary, the drought was continuous from autumn, winter and spring and was made worse by salt. The MWR formulated emergency water regulation plans, and formed three defense lines to guarantee water supply by organizing local reservoirs to store water in a timely way. The MWR ordered nearby reservoirs to dispatch water to dilute the salt and remote reservoirs to reserve water. The MWR also delicately administered water conservancy projects like the Dateng Gorge of Xijiang River and Jiantan Dam of Dongjiang River repeatedly and replenished water for dilution to effectively inhibit the upstream flow of the salty tide at the Pearl River Estuary and guarantee the water supply in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area and areas like East Guangdong and South Fujian. Since July of this year, heat waves and diminished rainfall have hit the Yangtze River Basin; the water sources of rivers and lakes have been highly scarce; the water level of rivers and lakes has continued to fall; the drought has become severe. The MWR worked out the Yangtze River Basin emergency water dispatch plan. It carried out a project entitled "coordinated command of water reservoirs in the Yangtze River Basin to resist drought and guarantee water supply." The MWR delicately utilized reservoirs near the Three Gorges Dam, namely, the cascade reservoir groups in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, the reservoir groups of the main and tributary rivers named Xiang, Zi, Yuan and Li of the Dongting Lake, and Gan, Fu, Xin, Rao and Xiu of the Poyang Lake. Water conservancy departments in Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Anhui and Jiangsu provinces along the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River were guided by the MWR to deal with every irrigated area and each intake in cities and countryside for better water diversion, pumping and dispatching. Until now, a total of 3.57 billion cubic meters of water has been replenished in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, and 356 large and middle-sized irrigated areas have irrigated a total of 1.904 million hectares of farmland. These efforts have benefited 13.85 million people and ensured water safety in drought-affected areas and the water supply for large-scale farming, livestock breeding and autumn crop planting. 

Southern Metropolis Daily:

Providing safe drinking water and adequate supply in rural areas is essential for rural residents' well-being. My question is, what progress and achievements have been made in rural water supply since the 18th CPC National Congress? In line with advancing rural revitalization, what will the MWR do to guarantee water supply in rural areas?

Chen Mingzhong:

Thank you for your question. The CPC Central Committee and the State Council have emphasized the issue of drinking water safety in rural areas. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, great efforts have been made to manage the issue. The MWR has collaborated with local governments to construct water supply projects in rural areas, completing a total investment of 466.7 billion yuan. The MWR has guaranteed drinking water safety for 280 million rural residents, improving the water supply for 340 million rural people, with the penetration rate of tap water in rural areas reaching 84%, 19 percentage points higher than in 2012. The problem of carrying water on shoulders generation after generation has been resolved with historical significance.

First, we have set up a complete system of water supply projects. By the end of 2021, a total of 8.27 million water supply projects were completed in rural areas across China, offering services for 900 million people.

Second, we have guaranteed safe drinking water in poverty-stricken rural areas. A total of 17.1 million registered poor people have access to safe drinking water. Many farmers and herders in poverty-stricken areas have realized strides from buckets to tap water facilities.

Third, we have eradicated water-borne diseases. A total of 9.75 million rural residents no longer drink water with excess amounts of fluorine and 1.2 million rural residents no longer have salty water. Chinese farmers bid farewell to high fluorine and salty water.

Fourth, we have stepped up administrative responsibility systems. As for rural water supply, local governments have shouldered the primary responsibility, the water conservancy administrative departments have taken the supervision responsibility and the water supply units assumed the management responsibility. The centralized water supply projects in rural areas have fixed pricing and charging systems and the long-term operation system and mechanism of the project have kept improving. 

In order to better meet people's yearning for better lives, the next step for the MWR will be to continue increasing its efforts in promoting the construction of rural water supply projects to further ensure safe drinking water in rural areas in accordance with the overall deployment and requirements of rural revitalization. The work will focus on the following aspects:

First, we will fully consolidate and build on the achievements of rural water supply projects, and meet people's basic needs. We will strengthen the comprehensive assessment and dynamic monitoring of drinking water safety in rural areas. By sticking to the dynamic zero policy, we will make sure that drinking water problems are solved as soon as they are found. Second, we will accelerate the construction of large-scale water supply projects. On the basis of building stable water sources, we will carry out large-scale water supply projects and standardized transformation of small-scale projects in light of local conditions. The integration of urban and rural water supplies will be encouraged in areas where conditions permit. Third, we will carry out special actions to improve the quality of rural water supply and ensure water quality and safety. We will speed up the construction of water source protection areas to fully ensure drinking water safety in rural areas, put in place purification and disinfection facilities and equipment, and improve the water quality assurance system which goes from water sources to faucets. Fourth, we will constantly improve the long-term management and maintenance mechanism to yield greater benefits. We will promote coordinated regional management and specialized management and maintenance of the rural water supply, and improve the pricing mechanism for water supply. In particular, we will strengthen digital empowerment to realize smart water supply. Thank you.

The Paper:

The overexploitation of groundwater in North China has drawn much attention from society. What progress has been made in the comprehensive treatment of this problem and the ecological water replenishment of rivers and lakes in the region since the 18th CPC National Congress was held? Thank you.

Li Guoying:

Due to various historical reasons, North China's ecological environment of rivers and lakes was once seriously damaged, and a large area of land subsidence has been caused because of the overexploitation of groundwater. In March 2014, General Secretary Xi Jinping made clear requirements and specific arrangements for addressing groundwater overexploitation and land subsidence in the North China Plain. The MWR, together with the relevant departments of the State Council and local governments, resolutely carried out General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions, and took a series of measures including "saving, controlling, replacing, replenishing and managing" to vigorously implement comprehensive treatment of groundwater overexploitation. The first is "saving," that is, saving water and strengthening the saving of water on the demand side. Three measures were adopted in North China: saving water and improving efficiency in agriculture, saving water and reducing emissions in industry, and saving water and reducing losses in urban areas. The second is "controlling," that is, strictly controlling the scale and intensity of groundwater exploitation. For agriculture, which is the largest user of water, the methods of fallow rotation and developing rain-fed agriculture were adopted. At the same time, the development of water-intensive industries was strictly controlled. The third is "replacing," that is, the replacement of groundwater with other water sources. Industries and sectors, which previously used groundwater as their source of water, switched to surface water in production. The groundwater sources for them have been replaced with water from the central and eastern routes of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, the Yellow River, local surface water, and unconventional local water resources. The fourth is "replenishing." Underground water in North China is mainly replenished by rivers and lakes. However, rivers in the region have been cut off for some time and lakes have dried up for a long time, meaning that there is no supplementary source of groundwater. Therefore, from a broader perspective, we are considering having ecological water replenishment for rivers and lakes in North China. Over the past two years, the MWR has stepped up efforts to replenish water in the Yongding River, Baiyangdian Lake and the canal section north of the Yellow River of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. The fifth is "managing," that is, carrying out strict regulation over the exploitation of groundwater. The first step is to delineate the areas with groundwater overexploitation in North China, delimiting areas where exploitation is forbidden or restricted, and then implementing strict management within these areas. Especially in areas where the deep groundwater has been overexploited, mechanical and electric wells have been closed or even sealed. At the same time, the groundwater monitoring system has been established to conduct strict supervision and assessment.

By implementing the five measures I just mentioned, significant results have been achieved in recent years, which are mainly reflected in the following aspects: the latest statistics from the end of December 2021 show that shallow groundwater recovered by 1.89 meters and the deep confined water recovered by 4.65 meters in the groundwater overexploitation control areas in North China compared with the same period in 2018. Meanwhile, monitoring results show that the recharge of groundwater has reached 8 billion cubic meters over the years. The Yongding River, Chaobai River and Hutuo River have resumed their flow. Baiyangdian Lake has come back to life. The canal section north of the Yellow River of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, which has been cut off and dried up for nearly a hundred years, has also achieved the full flow connection this year, realizing the centennial joining-up with the Yongding River. Thank you.

The Poster News APP:

Implementing the major projects of the national water network is the major decision and plan of the CPC Central Committee. At present, China has basically formed the overall landscape of water resource allocation with water diversion channels transferring water from south to north and connecting east and west. On that basis, what can be done to accelerate the development of the national water network and ensure water security for the development of a modern socialist country in all respects? Thank you.

Zhang Xiangwei:

Thank you for your question. The spatial and temporal distribution of water resources in China is extremely unbalanced. Accelerating the construction of the national water network and building a high-quality modern infrastructure network for water conservancy are urgently needed to optimize the strategic landscape of China's national water resources, and have a bearing on national development and security. We will fully implement the guiding principles of General Secretary Xi Jinping's speeches at the 11th meeting of the Commission for Financial and Economic Affairs of the CPC Central Committee and the symposium on promoting the high-quality follow-up development of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project. Focusing on building connections, improving the network and strengthening links, we will make science-based plans for the hierarchical layout comprising three levels, taking the natural water system of major rivers and lakes, major water diversion projects, and key water transfer channels as the main structure, with connection projects of regional rivers and lakes and water supply channels at the secondary level, and key water resource regulation and storage projects at the primary level, to construct a national water network that is complete, safe, efficient, green, intelligent, circulates smoothly and is regulated in an orderly manner. We will enhance the capacity for coordinating the allocation of national water resources, flood control and improving strategic water resource reserves. Next, we will work on the following four aspects:

First, we will accelerate the construction of the backbone of the national water network. Focusing on national major strategies, based on the mainstreams of large rivers as well as major rivers and lakes, giving priority to the eastern, central and western routes of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, we will promote the planning and construction of a number of trans-basin and cross-regional major water diversion projects in a scientific manner. Based on the ongoing construction of the central route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project diverting water from the Yangtze River to the Hanjiang River, we will continue to work on the planning and demonstration of the follow-up construction of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project to ensure its high-quality development.

Second, we will improve the system of regional water resource allocation. Based on the needs of ensuring water security for the country, regions and different provinces, we will strengthen connectivity between national major water resource allocation projects and regional important water resource allocation projects, advance connectivity among regional rivers and lakes and the construction of water diversion projects, forming a water network system across provincial, municipal and county levels featuring integration between urban and rural areas and interconnectivity.

Third, we will advance the construction of water resource regulation and storage projects. We will fully tap into the potential of existing water resource projects in water resource regulation and storage, accelerate the construction of key water resource projects in accordance with the plans, and implement small and medium-sized water resource supporting projects to enhance the capacity for ensuring the water supply of urban and rural areas and for improving the national strategic water resource reserves.

Fourth, we will develop the digital twin water network. Through the use of digital scenarios, intelligent simulations and precise decision-making, we will vigorously promote the development of the digital water network, intelligent water diversion, automatic monitoring and early warning, so as to build a digital twin water network with forecasting, early warning, previewing and contingency plan functions, fulfilling our goal of building a more digitalized, internet-based, and intelligent water network. Thank you.

The Beijing News:

The medium and large irrigated areas in China are the main battleground for ensuring national food security. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, China has redoubled its efforts to transform and build medium and large irrigated areas, consolidating the water conservancy foundation for food security. The No. 1 Central Document for 2022 also called for stepping up efforts to promote the follow-up construction of support facilities and transform medium and large irrigated areas, plan and newly build a number of modern irrigated areas in areas with appropriate water and soil resources, and give priority to turning medium and large irrigated areas into high-standard farmland. What progress and achievements have been made in the transformation and construction of medium and large irrigated areas? Thank you.

Chen Mingzhong:

Thank you for your question. China boasts a long history of irrigation. At present, China's effective irrigated farmland accounts for 54% of the country's arable land, and produces from the land account for over 75% of the country's grain and 90% of the country's cash crops. Irrigated areas are crucial to stabilizing high yields. The CPC Central Committee and the State Council have attached great importance to the development, construction and renovation of irrigated areas and have invested around 150 billion yuan since the 18th CPC National Congress in building and renovating irrigated areas. This has delivered remarkable results, and laid a solid foundation for irrigation work in securing China's food supply. The achievements can be summarized in the following aspects: 

First, we have established a network integrating projects for water storage, diversion, withdrawal, transportation and drainage. There are 7,330 medium- and large-sized irrigated areas each above 10,000 mu across China. We constructed a batch of canals and renovated a series of supporting facilities, water pumping stations, aqueducts and ditches. The length of major canals reached 400,000 kilometers, 10 times the Earth's circumference. The irrigated areas can water farmland in times of drought and drain water in times of flood. 

Second, we have promoted water conservation in agriculture with substantial improvements in the efficiency of irrigation water use. The national index for effective use of irrigation water increased from 0.516 in 2012 to 0.568 in 2021. The amount of water saved annually reached 48 billion cubic meters, 1.3 times the annual water supply of the Yellow River, or 10 times the amount of water in Miyun Reservoir. 

Third, we have increased and improved irrigated areas. We have restored or increased irrigated areas amounted by 60 million mu, and renovated about 300 million mu of irrigated areas, which prevented irrigated areas from declining. The area of effective irrigated farmland nationwide increased from 937 million mu in 2012 to 1,037 million mu. 

Fourth, we have increased comprehensive grain productivity. The newly added grain productivity amounted to 30 billion kilograms, with the average yield per mu of medium- and large-sized irrigated farmland areas increasing around 100 kilograms, 1.5 to 2 times the national average. 

Next, in collaboration with the national water network, major water diversion projects and programs to protect major water resources, the MWR plans to construct and renovate another batch of irrigated areas to increase China's comprehensive ability to produce grain and provide solid water conservancy support for securing national food security. Thank you. 

Chen Wenjun:

Last question.

Cover News:

The 14th Five-Year Plan for Technological Innovation in Water Conservancy emphasized the role of technology in water conservancy, and technology will underpin high-quality water conservancy development by the end of the 14th Five-Year Plan period. What progress has been made in and what measures will be taken for smart water conservancy development? Thank you. 

Li Guoying:

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the MWR has firmly implemented General Secretary Xi Jinping's important discourses on building China's strength in cyberspace and applied the Digital China strategy, strengthening in-depth integration of information technology and water conservancy practices. We have made notable progress in the following two aspects:

First, a space-air-ground integrated network for monitoring water conservancy has been established to obtain timely and important information. We have constructed a national water resources monitoring system, a network of national groundwater monitoring stations, and 430,000 water resources information points across China. Hydrological monitoring is carried out on all 5,186 small- and medium-sized rivers for the risk of flooding. The time needed to collect and transmit rainfall and water condition monitoring information has been shortened from one hour to one minute at 110,000 state flood stations nationwide.

Second, a national water conservation map has been created to increase the efficiency of flood control, drought relief and water resources management. The map covers 16 million water conservancy facilities in 55 categories and conducts dynamic management and online updates. Spatial management has been carried out in water areas above the designated size, water conservancy facilities and water conservancy departments, underpinning detailed emergency responses to flood prevention, drought relief and other emergencies. In addition, it provides detailed services for implementing the strictest water resources management institution and the river chief and lake chief mechanisms. 

Next, complying with requirements of meeting demand, prioritizing application, harnessing digitalization and increasing capabilities, the MWR will follow the trend of digitalization and focus on intelligent development with networks, which is supported by data, algorithms and computing power. We will apply digital twin technology in basins, water networks and water conservancy projects by using digitalized scenarios, intelligent simulations and targeted solutions. We will build a smart water conservation system with functions of forecasting, early warnings, disaster relief planning, and emergency drills, which will provide strong technical support to improve the nation's water security. Thank you.

Chen Wenjun:

Thank you to all the speakers and friends from the media. That's all for today's press conference. Goodbye.

Translated and edited by Wang Qian, Zhang Liying, Yang Xi, Wang Yanfang, Qin Qi, Zhang Junmian, Gong Yingchun, Zhou Jing, Xiang Bin, Xu Kailin, Li Huiru, He Shan, Liu Jianing, Yuan Fang, Yan Xiaoqing, Mi Xingang, David Ball, Jay Birbeck, and Tom Arnstein. In case of any discrepancy between the English and Chinese texts, the Chinese version is deemed to prevail.

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Read in Chinese

Speakers:

Mr. Huai Jinpeng, minister of education

Mr. Lyu Yugang, director general of the Department of Basic Education of the Ministry of Education (MOE)

Mr. Chen Ziji, director general of the Department of Vocational and Adult Education, MOE

Mr. Wu Yan, director general of the Department of Higher Education, MOE

Chairperson:

Mr. Chen Wenjun, spokesperson of the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC)

Date:

Sept. 9, 2022

Chen Wenjun:

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to this press conference held by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee. Today, we are holding the 29th press conference under the theme of "China in the past decade." We are delighted to have invited Mr. Huai Jinpeng, minister of education, to brief you on China's achievements in education reform and development since the 18th CPC National Congress and take your questions. Also joining us today are Mr. Lyu Yugang, director general of the Department of Basic Education; Mr. Chen Ziji, director general of the Department of Vocational and Adult Education; and Mr. Wu Yan, director general of the Department of Higher Education, MOE.

Huai Jinpeng:

Ladies and gentlemen, friends from the media, good morning. It is a great pleasure to meet you, and I would like to express my thanks to you for your long-term interest in, support for and trust in education.

General Secretary Xi Jinping replied to a letter from the students of Beijing Normal University who are participating in a teacher training program and extended greetings to teachers across the country ahead of the 38th Teachers' Day in China, which falls on Sept. 10. This fully reflects the high importance the CPC Central Committee attaches to education and its care for teachers.

Education is crucial for the country and the Party. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has put forward a series of new concepts, new ideas and new strategies around the fundamental issues of what kind of citizens we should be cultivating, and how and for whom we are cultivating citizens. These important instructions on education, made by General Secretary Xi Jinping, has pointed out the direction and provided fundamental guidelines for the development of education in China in the new era. Over the past 10 years, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, the education sector has fully implemented the Party's education policy, carried out the fundamental mission of fostering virtue, nurtured a new generation of capable young people who have a good and all-round grounding in moral, intellectual, physical and aesthetic aspects, and are well-prepared to join the socialist cause. The education sector has been promoting education equality, improving the quality of education, and accelerating the modernization of education, so as to build a country strong in education and to provide education that our people are satisfied with. Education in China has displayed more characteristic features and made historic achievements, and is undergoing structural changes.

In the past decade, universal education has expanded remarkably, better guaranteeing people's access to education and effectively alleviating this pressing problem that is of the greatest concern to the people. At present, China has nearly 530,000 schools of various levels and categories, with over 290 million students currently receiving education. The gross enrollment ratio for preschool education reaches 88.1%, up 23.6 percentage points compared with 10 years ago. Following its full coverage nationwide, the retention rate of nine-year compulsory education hits 95.4%, an increase of 3.6 percentage points compared with 10 years ago. The gross enrollment ratios for senior secondary education and higher education climb to 91.4% and 57.8%, up 6.4 percentage points and 27.8 percentage points, respectively. The coverage of education in China has either reached or surpassed the average levels of middle- and high-income countries in the world. Specifically, preschool education and compulsory education have reached the average level of high-income countries, and higher education is becoming universal. The average schooling years of the working-age population reach 10.9 years. All the 200,000 dropouts from compulsory education have returned to school, which means that the long-standing student dropout problem has been solved, making an important contribution to building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. All 2,895 counties across the country have passed education inspections, and 99.8% of primary and secondary schools have met the 20 bottom line requirements for running a school. Schools have undergone fundamental changes, and the country has achieved new progress in promoting balanced and integrated development of compulsory education in urban and rural areas. The country's financial aid system for students has covered all educational stages, making nearly 1.3 billion payments over the past 10 years. We have continued to implement special plans for key colleges and universities to admit students from rural and poverty-stricken areas, enrolling a total of more than 950,000 students. All counties with a population of more than 300,000 have special education schools, and over 95% of children with disabilities are enrolled in compulsory education.

In the past decade, our educational service capacity has been steadily improved, providing a strong source of talent and intellectual support for the implementation of major national strategies and socioeconomic development. Over 218 million Chinese have a college degree, a substantial growth from a decade ago. We have implemented a training plan for cultivating outstanding talent in foundational disciplines, deepened the reform of master and doctoral degree programs in engineering, strengthened innovation and entrepreneurship education for college students, and accelerated the training of urgently needed talent. We have optimized forms of vocational education, promoted the integration of vocational and general education, and deepened the integration of production and education. Secondary and higher vocational schools (excluding technical schools) have cultivated more than 79 million graduates in the past 10 years. We have steadily advanced the development of world-class universities and disciplines. Several disciplines have been placed among the world's top ranks. The innovation ability of Chinese higher education institutions (HEIs) has continued to improve. In the past 10 years, HEIs received 67% of all natural science awards and 72% of all technological invention awards. For three consecutive years, HEI researchers have been awarded first-class prizes at the State Natural Science Awards. HEIs have contributed to innovation and making key technological breakthroughs such as the observation of the quantum anomalous Hall effect for the first time, the quantum computer "Jiuzhang," China's first home-developed cutter suction dredger "Tian Jing," the world's first pebble-bed modular high-temperature gas-cooled nuclear plant, and China's first home-developed COVID-19 antibody drug approved for marketing. We have deepened industry-university- research cooperation and accelerated the commercial application of scientific and technological achievements. The monetary value of patent commercialization has amounted to 8.89 billion yuan, up from 820 million yuan a decade ago. We have promoted the prosperity and development of philosophy and social sciences in colleges and universities. We have promoted educational exchanges between the mainland and Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, and supported youth in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan to integrate into overall national development.

In the past decade, the reform and opening-up of education has continued to deepen, and the education system that serves the lifelong learning of people has been further improved. We have ensured that the Party exercises overall leadership over education, followed Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era in educating people, promoted theoretical and political courses in primary and secondary schools as well as universities and colleges in an overall manner, incorporated "work skills" into the Party's education policy, and fully promoted education in standard spoken and written Chinese across the country. Students have unswervingly followed the instructions and guidance of the Party and declared their commitment to making due contributions to building a strong country. We have been committed to prioritizing the development of education, and government spending on education has remained above 4% of GDP for 10 consecutive years. We have further reduced the burden of homework and after-school tutoring on students in compulsory education, and the education sector is undergoing changes. Reforms in areas such as education evaluation, examination and enrollment have continued to deepen, and law-based governance of education has become more strict and powerful. We have exercised full and strict Party self-governance in this regard. We have ensured that the average salaries of teachers in compulsory education are not lower than that of public servants working in the same locality. In the face of COVID-19, more than 18 million teachers rose to the challenge and switched to online teaching. We have launched the national education digitalization strategy to accelerate the digital transformation of education. We have been working to build a new paradigm of education opening-up, and deepen cooperation in the field of education among Belt and Road countries. We have strengthened cultural exchanges between China and other countries, developed closer relations among people, and helped build a community with a shared future for mankind. With an expanded international education platform, China's education sector is becoming increasingly open and we are more confident about playing a more active role in education on the international stage.

Embarking on a new journey, we will adhere to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, educate people for the Party, cultivate talent for the country, promote the high-quality development of education, and make new and greater contributions to the realization of the second centenary goal of building a modern socialist country in all respects. 

Now, my colleagues and I are happy to answer your questions. Thank you.

Chen Wenjun:

Thank you, Mr. Huai. Now the floor is open for questions. Please identify the media outlet you represent before raising questions.

CCTV:

Tomorrow is Teachers' Day. Teachers are fundamental to education. Mr. Huai, what major progress was made in building the teacher force in the past 10 years? Thank you.

Huai Jinpeng:

Thank you for your question. I am willing to answer this question since I was once a teacher for more than 20 years. 

Teachers are fundamental to education, which determines the future. Nurturing talents is to foster China's innovative ability. Excellent teachers underpin high-quality education. I would like to introduce the progress made in education personnel in the past decade in the following aspects.

Let me cite statistics first. The total number of full-time teachers at all educational levels in China reached 18.44 million by 2021, up 26% from 14.62 million in 2012. The past decade has seen an increased number of teachers as well as an improvement in the quality and structure of teachers, which has provided a solid guarantee for modernizing education, building China into a country with strong education, and delivering education that satisfies people's needs. 

We credit tremendous changes in education to the great importance that the Party and the country has attached to the teaching workforce since the 18th CPC National Congress. General Secretary Xi Jinping has made a number of important instructions, delivered important speeches, and extended Teachers' Day greetings to teachers each year in different ways. His important discourse about teachers improved the status and role of teachers' work to an unprecedented level so that teachers can be more confident and achieve more self-improvement. This discourse also served as a fundamental reference for building a strong teaching workforce in the new era. The discourse included four requirements for good teachers, four aspects that teachers should guide students, four relationships that teachers should balance in education, and what makes a great educator. The MOE has implemented measures and pressed ahead in this regard, which can be summarized into three aspects, namely respecting teachers, strengthening the teaching workforce, and benefiting teachers.

First, society respects teachers more. Respecting teachers and valuing education is a fine tradition of Chinese culture, which requires society to appreciate, understand, and support teachers. We have built and improved a system to commend, award, select, and publicize exemplary teachers by granting titles such as "People's Educator," "Models of the Times," "National Model of Teaching and Educating," "the Most Beautiful Teachers," and national model teachers and excellent teachers awards, such as the National Teaching Achievement Award. The system embodies an important function in serving teachers and boosting their spirits. We actively publicized major exemplary teachers, such as Yu Yi, Wei Xinghua, Gao Mingxuan, and Zhang Guimei, as well as a large group of excellent teachers working at schools. We celebrated Teachers' Day and fostered a fine atmosphere in society to respect teachers and value education. Meanwhile, guided by the principle that teachers should be given both strict supervision and profound love, we rolled out professional codes and increased teachers' self-discipline. Giving top priority to teachers' ethics and conduct, we released a series of documents, including 10-point codes of conduct for teachers to enhance teachers' ideological and political awareness. We also established a system for enhancing teachers' ethics in a bid to standardize teachers' ethics and manage institutions through law-based governance. 

Second, more concrete measures have been taken to strengthen the teaching workforce. We have established a system with Chinese characteristics for cultivating and training teachers to improve their caliber and abilities. An open and flexible paradigm for training teachers has been formed, with normal universities as the mainstay and the participation of comprehensive universities. Normal universities affiliated with the MOE have enrolled 85,000 students supported by public funds in the past 10 years, and 90% of them taught in China's central and western provinces after graduation. We have launched a targeted training plan to nurture excellent teachers for underdeveloped regions in central and western China. More than 10,000 normal college students receive targeted training annually to teach in 832 counties, helping to reduce poverty in central and western China. The National Training Program has trained more than 18 million teachers in the past 12-plus years. We established an education assistance project, via which over 220,000 teachers aided education in schools in central and western regions. We stepped up efforts to increase teachers' digital literacy and teaching competence and sped up the construction of a digitalized education platform for teachers and a national information system for teacher management so that new technologies could facilitate the teaching workforce.

Third, policies benefit teachers more. We have intensified efforts to ensure that teachers can devote their time to teaching. We have established and improved a long-term mechanism to ensure the wages and benefits of compulsory education teachers and a mechanism to ensure their wages and benefits should be adjusted to those of local public servants. Currently, all regions have implemented policies to ensure that compulsory education teachers' average wages should be no less than those of local public servants. We strived to ensure teachers' living conditions. In the past 10 years since the 12th Five-Year Plan period, the central government invested more than 26 billion yuan in building 600,000 sets of rural dormitories in remote and poor areas, which provided accommodation to over 830,000 teachers. 

To promote our country, we must strengthen education and build a strong teaching workforce. Taking building the teaching workforce as our basic work, we will continue to promote the cultivation of professional and innovative education personnel of a high caliber. 

Thank you for your concern about teachers, who serve as the most crucial and fundamental power for developing education. Thank you.

Southern Metropolis Daily:

China's compulsory education has become universal. In addition, compulsory education became more balanced among counties between 2012 and 2021. What measures will be taken to further promote the sound and balanced development of compulsory education in the future? Thank you. 

Lyu Yugang:

Compulsory education is essential for China's education undertakings and has been universal in China since 2011. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core attached great importance to compulsory education and promoted leapfrog development and historic achievements on this front. First, we have ensured universal access to compulsory education and solved the long-period problem of dropouts in the fight against poverty. Second, we have basically achieved balanced development of compulsory education in counties. With unremitting efforts, all counties passed the national assessment for basic and balanced development of compulsory education, marking a new milestone in China's development of compulsory education.

Next, according to the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, we will focus on modernizing and strengthening education with unwavering emphasis, intensity, and efforts. We will sustain compulsory education as a top priority and consolidate the achievements made in ensuring compulsory education and its balanced development among regions. We will advance the fine and balanced development of compulsory education in a bid to meet people's expectations for access to education as well as high-quality education.

In terms of goals, we will emphasize four aspects, namely, more vivid development philosophies, higher standards in building schools, a higher caliber of the teaching workforce, and increased satisfaction among the people. We will ensure sound and balanced compulsory education by 2035.

In terms of implementation, we will bolster the construction of a high-quality and balanced basic public education service system to narrow the gap between regions, urban and rural areas, schools, and different groups. This can be achieved by standardizing school construction, integrating urban and rural education, balancing the allocation of teacher resources, harnessing digitalization in education, and forming an institution to care for students. 

To ensure progress, the government will be in charge, coordination will be strengthened, plans will be well-crafted, work will be done step by step, and pilot and demonstrative programs will be launched. The MOE has adopted a document to oversee and evaluate the development of quality and balanced compulsory education at the county level. Last year, 135 counties and districts were selected to carry out pilot programs, according to the document. With the basic requirements and key tasks already being specified, the pilot programs will actively explore paths and measures for developing quality and balanced compulsory education and play demonstrative and leading roles. 

I will stop here. Thank you.

Red Star News: 

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council have attached great importance to the development of vocational education and made unprecedented efforts to promote it. Could you share the future plans for developing vocational education? Thank you.

Chen Ziji:

Just as you said, since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council have attached great importance to the development of vocational education and promoted it vigorously by continually ramping up policy support for building a modern system at a faster speed. As a result, vocational education has achieved leapfrog development. It used to follow the example of general education but now has become a relatively independent type of education and entered a stage of pursuing excellence and higher value. The changes can be seen in the following four aspects. 

First, the operational mechanisms of vocational schools have been improved. A pattern featuring government leadership, industry guidance, and participation of enterprises is being formed. So far, state-owned enterprises have set up 435 vocational schools, and private enterprises have set up some 2,200. Over 50 industry regulators, industry organizations, and central enterprises have jointly set up 56 teaching instruction committees to guide vocational education in different industries. Over 1,500 vocational education groups have been established, involving over 30,000 enterprises. Vocational schools and enterprises have jointly set up 24,900 internship and training bases. Some 3,000 enterprises that integrate vocational education with industries have been fostered, and 21 cities are integrating industry with vocational education on a pilot basis.  

Second, the layout of vocational education has been improved. So far, China has established 9,789 secondary vocational schools (including 2,492 skilled workers schools) and 1,518 vocational colleges. Now, almost every county has at least one secondary vocational school, and every city has at least one vocational college. The role of vocational education in supporting regional socio-economic development has become more significant. When designing majors for secondary vocational schools, junior vocational colleges, and undergraduate vocational programs, we took an integrated approach, and have opened 1,349 majors at 120,000 sites, basically covering all sectors of the national economy.

Third, training models have been innovated. Now schools and enterprises make training plans together, and practical training accounts for over 50% of a student's training. This way, teaching and production have been more effectively linked. Over 11,600 experts from some 4,600 enterprises and public institutions have been engaged to revise the introduction of the above-mentioned 1,349 majors. We have also launched 558 modern apprentice programs on a trial basis covering 501 schools and over 1,000 sites.

Fourth, international cooperation has delivered big highlights. So far, Chinese vocational colleges have established stable ties with over 70 countries and international organizations, set up 25 "Luban Workshops" in partnership with 23 countries and regions, and launched "Chinese language plus vocational training" programs in more than 40 countries and regions. They have also launched over 1,000 institutions and programs with their partners in 28 countries and regions. Chinese vocational colleges have so far hosted some 20,000 overseas students. Over 1,000 teaching standards for vocational majors, 6,000 standards for vocational courses, and 2,000 courses have been introduced overseas.

Going forward, we will continue to modernize vocational education and carry out related reforms to promote well-rounded human development and support high-quality socio-economic development. We will work on the basis of enhancing the core capability of vocational colleges, and seek to break through by integrating it with industry. We will continue to integrate vocational and general education as a key task and innovate mechanisms for international exchanges and cooperation. With these efforts, General Secretary Xi Jinping's ardent expectations for vocational education will be transformed into fruitful actions on the vocational education front. Thank you.

Changjiang Daily:

The reform to the examination and enrollment system is a major concern of students and their parents. Could you introduce the progress of the reforms? Thank you.

Huai Jinpeng: 

This is a very good question. The examination and enrollment system is a basic educational system in China. Concerning national development as well as the immediate interests of the people and the health of teenagers, its reform is an important matter that almost everyone and every family has paid attention to.

In 2014, the State Council issued a document on deepening the reform of the examination and enrollment system, marking the start of a new round of reform to the system. The MOE then adopted a series of documents and policies to instruct 29 provinces to comprehensively reform their college entrance examination practices. An examination and enrollment model with Chinese characteristics has since taken shape, marked by categorized examination, comprehensive evaluation, and diversified college admission. Related institutions and mechanisms have been improved to further ensure fairness, sound talent selection, and strong supervision. The modern education, examination, and enrollment system with Chinese characteristics has been improved, as demonstrated in the following five aspects.

First, education access among different regions and between urban and rural areas has become more equitable. We have continued the program to enroll more students from central and western China and allocated new enrollment quotas in favor of central and western provinces and provinces with large populations. We have also continued the special program for major universities and colleges to enroll students from rural areas and poverty-stricken areas. From 2012 to 2022, annual enrollment from such areas has increased from 10,000 to 131,000 thanks to the program, and the total enrollments have exceeded 950,000. We have further implemented and improved the policy to grant children who live in urban areas with their rural migrant worker parents the same eligibility to go to secondary school or college as local students after receiving compulsory education. Some 1.68 million relocated children have sat the college entrance exam in the places of relocation.

Second, examinations have been improved to better promote well-rounded human development. All localities across China have generally put in place mechanisms for evaluating the well-rounded development of high school students. The function of college entrance exams in cultivating talent has been strengthened, with its content now focusing more on prompting comprehensive moral, intellectual, physical, aesthetic, and development of labor skills among students. There is a greater tendency to test a student's capabilities in the exam, and exams are now being more effectively linked with teaching. We have vigorously promoted categorized examinations for vocational college enrollment to test a student both on their academic achievements and professional skills. Annual enrollments through categorized examination have now passed three million, accounting for more than 60% of the total enrollments by vocational colleges. 

Third, talent selection has become more scientific and standard. In recent years, designated circumstances for granting extra scores to certain college entrance exam sitters have been significantly reduced and strictly controlled. Five national categories of circumstances have been canceled, and we are gradually canceling 95 local categories. The preferential policies for ethnic minorities will be made more targeted. In 2020, we launched a program to select and cultivate top-notch innovation talents in basic disciplines to meet the needs of China's major strategies. Around 18,000 enrollments have been made in the past three years under the program. We have also further reformed the examination and enrollment methods for art majors and members of high-level sports teams in colleges and universities to make selection fairer and more scientific. 

Fourth, we have further strengthened institutional development. We have increased information transparency, thoroughly implemented the Sunshine Project in college student enrollment, and earnestly carried out a series of restrictions on work related to student enrollment such as the "30 Prohibitions" and "Eight Basic Requirements." We have strengthened management on the process of examinations and admissions and strictly cracked down on illegal and criminal activities related to examinations. Since 2020, we have actively responded to the COVID-19 pandemic and created a model for organizing large-scale examinations under the regular epidemic prevention measures based on China's experience.

Fifth, we have made steady progress in comprehensive reform of the national college entrance examination. So far, a total of 29 provinces across the country have implemented the reform, giving students more choices in the combination of exam subjects instead of having to choose between liberal arts or science subjects. Regular senior high schools have to varying degrees adopted a system allowing students to choose electives. Colleges and universities have further improved curriculum provision requiring more focus on the cultivation of talents with solid foundation and wide career scope.

The examination and enrollment system is the country's basic education system. The MOE will continue to deepen reform in line with the needs of the country's economic and social development and personnel training to better serve national strategies. Thank you.

Cover News:

After a decade of rapid development, the accessibility of preschool education has been greatly improved. Could you please introduce what measures the MOE has taken to promote the development of preschool education? Going forward, how can inclusive preschool education resources continue to be expanded, the problem of difficult and expensive access to kindergartens be solved, and crucial support for the implementation of the three-child policy be provided?

Lyu Yugang: 

Thank you for your questions. These are good questions and of great public concern. The learning done in early childhood provides a crucial basis for the rest of one's whole life. The access to kindergartens has become a firm demand for many families. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has attached great importance to the development of preschool education and issued a number of guidelines on deepening reform and standardizing the development of preschool education to promote its rapid development and improve its accessibility. In 2021, there were 295,000 kindergartens nationwide, with 48.05 million children enrolled. The gross three-year enrollment rate reached 88.1%, which was 23.6 percentage points higher than that of 2012. The coverage rate of government-subsidized private kindergartens reached 87.8%, which was 20.5 percentage points higher than that of 2016 when statistics began, enabling the vast majority of children to enjoy inclusive preschool education services and enhancing people's sense of happiness and gain.

Over the last decade, to promote the development of preschool education, we have focused our efforts on solving the problem of difficult and expensive access to kindergartens that is of great concern to the people, and achieved obvious progress. We have mainly taken measures from the following aspects.

First, we have remained firm to the direction of development, always adhered to the people-centered approach in the development of education, and firmly grasped the basic direction of preschool education for the benefit of the public.

Second, we have implemented special campaigns. The MOE and other departments have continuously carried out multi-phased action plans. The central government allocated 196 billion yuan of special funds to support preschool education and continued to step up efforts to promote its development.  

Third, we have expanded resources for the benefit of the public and vigorously developed public kindergartens, which accounted for 51.9% of the total in 2021, while actively supporting private kindergartens to provide public services. We have also implemented a special campaign to improve the governance of kindergartens in urban communities, bringing more than 20,000 kindergartens under orderly management, increasing the number of public education places by 4.16 million, and significantly expanding inclusive preschool education resources.

Fourth, we have established and improved institutions and systems, issued working rules and charging methods for kindergartens and guidelines on smooth transition from kindergarten to elementary school, and carried out supervision and evaluation on the operation of kindergartens and the provision of preschool education at the county level, to constantly improve the overall operation of kindergartens.

Next, the MOE will take implementation of the "14th Five-Year Plan" Action Plan for the Development and Improvement of Preschool Education as an important focus, earnestly implement the national population development strategy and actively promote the implementation of the three-child policy.

As for the overall goals, we will further increase the accessibility and affordability of preschool education. By 2025, the gross three-year preschool education enrollment rate is expected to reach 90%, the coverage rate of government-subsidized private kindergartens is expected to reach 85%, and a properly distributed public service system for preschool education will be established, covering both urban and rural areas.

In terms of the supply of places, according to the trend of population change, we will strengthen the prediction of enrollment demand by county, further expand preschool education resources through a variety of channels, especially inclusive preschool education resources, effectively solve the problem of large class sizes, and better meet the enrollment demand of kindergarten-age children.

In terms of policy support, we will further improve the system for ensuring inclusive preschool education, the mechanism for funding and cost sharing, and the system for providing supplementary kindergarten teachers and guaranteeing their salaries and benefits.

In terms of preschool care and education, we will continue regarding games as basic activities and deeply promote the transition from kindergarten to elementary school in a scientific manner, to effectively alleviate parents' anxiety about their children's enrollment. We will also improve the quality evaluation system and comprehensively improve care and education in kindergartens. Thank you.

The Paper:

It has been more than a year since the "double reduction" policy was launched. What achievements have been made? How should we evaluate the results? Thank you.

Lyu Yugang:

This question has drawn widespread attention from all sectors of society over the past year or so. As one of the major decisions and arrangements made by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, the "double reduction" policy has gained massive attention, understanding and support from society. The MOE has attached great importance to the implementation of the "double reduction" policy, regarding it as a top priority for the work of the ministry's Party leadership group and education supervision. We have refined the policies and measures, improved the working mechanism, and paid close attention to the implementation of the work. Overall, the "double reduction" work is progressing smoothly and has achieved phased results.

Everyone is aware that the implementation of "double reduction" involves the two parties of schools and off-campus. In terms of schools, the key is to focus on strengthening the main position of school education, training talents who can take on the responsibility of national rejuvenation, and achieving the "three improvements."

First, schools should improve the management of homework. Over the past year, the total quantity of school written homework and time spent doing it have been effectively controlled, and the quality of homework has been continuously improved. According to a third-party survey, since the implementation of the "double reduction" policy one year ago, 87.8% of students said they believe that the amount of homework has been significantly reduced, and more than 90% of the students were able to complete their homework within the specified time.

Second, schools should improve after-school services. After-school services have achieved full coverage. The content of after-school services has been gradually enriched and is increasingly attractive, which better meets the diverse learning needs of students. In a third-party survey, 90% of students said they participate in after-school services, which have always been voluntary, and 88.3% of the students said they enjoyed the services provided by the school.

Third, schools should improve classroom teaching. All parties from the national to the local levels, to schools, have paid more attention to education and teaching reform. The country has built a smart education platform for primary and secondary schools to expand the sharing of high-quality education resources. To date, there are 34,000 resources. Since the revision on March 1, the total number of visits has reached 8.8 billion, with a daily average of 46.35 million visits. It's fair to say that the platform has effectively served the implementation of the "double reduction" policy. All local schools and colleges have comprehensively introduced new curriculums and textbooks, actively promoted the country's excellent teaching achievements, and led the reform of education and teaching. Local governments have established basic teaching procedures, strengthened teacher training, enhanced support for teaching and research, accurately analyzed learning conditions, and focused on teaching students in accordance with their aptitude. The quality of classroom teaching has steadily improved. National monitoring of the quality of compulsory education shows that most primary and middle school students have a positive mental outlook, and more than 80% of the students' academic quality has reached the medium level or higher.

As we see, significant achievements have been made and the effects are apparent in reducing the off-campus tutoring burden on students. For example, the number of off-campus curriculum subject-tutoring institutions has decreased sharply, with 95.6% of offline and 87.1% of online establishments closing. Meanwhile, the price of off-campus training has decreased by an average of over 40%. Moreover, actions were taken to curb irregularities while enhancing the governance of non-academic training institutions.

The implementation of the "double reduction" policy has further promoted the changes in the education concept of principals, teachers and parents. Nowadays, schools are paying more attention to ensuring the well-rounded development of students in terms of moral grounding, intellectual and physical ability, aesthetic sensibility, and work skills. Meanwhile, parents are gradually developing a concept that puts "health first" in cultivating children by positively establishing a harmonious and close parent-child relationship.

Although the "double reduction" work has achieved initial success, we should be keenly aware that this work is an arduous and sophisticated project requiring more effort. Next, the MOE will earnestly implement the decisions of the CPC Central Committee, follow the overall thinking of consolidation, advancement and risk-control, focus on lightening burdens, strengthening quality, and increasing efficiency to gradually improve our "double reduction" work and promote the high-quality development of basic education.

Thank you.

Science and Technology Daily:

We have noticed that in recent years, many landmark technologies have been presented by universities. Can you introduce the situation in cultivating talent in basic academic disciplines and top innovative talent at universities, as well as the development of sci-tech innovation and plans? Thanks.

Wu Yan:

I am happy to answer your questions. The CPC Central Committee attaches great importance to cultivating basic academic disciplines and top-notch talent. General Secretary Xi Jinping has made several important instructions, emphasizing the need to cultivate talent in basic academic disciplines in an all-round way. In recent years, the MOE has thoroughly implemented and continuously strengthened the training of basic academic disciplines and top-notch innovative talent and focused on an independent path of talent training to provide key support for building the world's major talent center. We continued our efforts in the following three areas:

First, we bear in mind the need for national development, focus on strengthening the cultivation of talent in basic academic disciplines, and improve the country's strength in the disciplines. In 2018, based on the preliminary work, the MOE, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Finance, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), and the China Association for Science and Technology jointly launched a cultivation plan for top students in basic disciplines. The plan established 288 training bases covering basic science, basic medicine and basic liberal arts in 77 high-level universities, attracting more than 10,000 outstanding students. A number of talent with great scientific research potential made their presence known. The 24th meeting of the central commission for deepening overall reform presided over by General Secretary Xi Jinping this February, adopted Opinions on Strengthening Talent Cultivation in Basic Academic Disciplines. Meanwhile, a strategic action of cultivating top-notch talents in basic disciplines is underway by strengthening the four key elements – first-class core courses, first-class core teaching materials, first-class core faculty, and first-class core practice projects. Efforts were also made to reform the "five major mechanisms" –the unconventional selection mechanism of top students, the bachelor's-master's-doctorate combined degree program, collaborative education mechanism of science and education integration, long-term evaluation mechanism and the support mechanism. Our goal was to deploy a multifaceted and comprehensive chain of policies. We aim to continuously cultivate outstanding natural, medical and social scientists who can shoulder great responsibilities in the future.

Second, we have been working hard on China's matters of urgency, such as strengthening the cultivation of outstanding engineers and enhancing the country's strength in engineering. Facing the challenges of a new scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, and based on the previous work, the MOE, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and the Chinese Academy of Engineering jointly launched the second version of the Education and Cultivation Plan of Excellent Engineers in 2017. We aimed to cultivate the ability to solve complex engineering problems and comprehensively deepen the building of new engineering disciplines. We have promptly added 71 undergraduate majors in carbon storage science and engineering, artificial intelligence, biological breeding and more. We have also established 11 national industry-education integration innovation platforms in integrated circuits, energy storage, and other fields. Moreover, together with industry departments, we have established 50 modern industrial colleges, 33 software colleges with special features and for demonstration, 28 microelectronics colleges for demonstration, 11 first-class cybersecurity colleges and other professional and characteristic colleges. We have supported more than 1,100 colleges and universities and more than 800 enterprises to implement industry-education cooperation and collaborative education programs. Currently, China's engineering education scale ranks first in the world, tens of millions of engineering and technical professionals have been trained, and many industry leaders have emerged, supporting the construction and development of China as the world's largest manufacturing country.

Third, we have responded to the needs of China's development, focusing on strengthening the cultivation of technological innovation talents and enhancing the country's strength in relevant areas. We have built the first batch of 12 technical colleges for the future at 12 high-level universities aimed at producing cutting-edge, revolutionary and groundbreaking technological development in the next 10-15 years. We are breaking the barriers of traditional disciplines and majors, promoting the innovation with the in-depth cross-integration of disciplines and majors, and pushing forward the building of new disciplines of engineering, medical science, agricultural science, and liberal arts. With such efforts, we will cultivate a large number of technological innovation talents who can adapt to and lead the latest round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation. Thank you.

Huai Jinpeng:

I would like to add one more thing. Mr. Wu Yan said basic disciplines are an important part of higher education. This decade has witnessed great changes in the technological aspect of higher education. We all know that colleges and universities are the main force of basic research, and cultivating top-notch innovation and basic-discipline talent is an important reason for the sustainable development of basic research. We often say that cultivating creative talents means accumulating important energy for the main force of basic research. There's another saying that the height of higher education determines the height of our technological innovation. At a central talent-related work conference on Sept. 27 last year, General Secretary Xi Jinping proposed accelerating the efforts to build China into a major world center of professional talent and innovation, which pointed out to us the inevitable logic between talent cultivation and innovation and creation. I would like to add a point here. For the past 10 years, the MOE has implemented a general pattern of promoting both talent training and technological innovation to accelerate development from the perspective of the layout and structure of science and technology in the entire education field. I'd like to brief you on the results.

First, a scientific and technological innovation system with precise levels and a reasonable layout for universities has been basically formed. In the past decade, the MOE has organized universities and colleges to take the initiative to work on the world's scientific and technological frontiers and China's major national needs. Regarding the frontier sciences, which is the basic research that Mr. Wu just mentioned, and critical scientific research platforms such as integrated research platforms for breakthroughs in core technologies, the MOE has established key research laboratories and engineering centers. There are currently more than 1,500 such platforms. In terms of talent team building, colleges and universities have gathered more than 40% of the national academicians of the CAS and the Chinese Academy of Engineering and nearly 70% of the winners of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars. The full-time equivalent of R&D personnel increased to 334,000 person-years, an increase of nearly 60%. In particular, Chinese scientific and technological personnel and scientific research teams of universities have actively participated in international scientific and technological cooperation and led the launch of one of the country's first major international scientific programs, "Deep-time Digital Earth" (DDE). This was what the education system has achieved in terms of research patterns and teams.

Second, a number of landmark major scientific and technological achievements have been made. Over the past decade, the MOE has organized colleges and universities to adhere to the principle that scientific and technological development must target the global sci-tech frontiers, serve the main economic battlefields, strive to fulfill the significant needs of the country and benefit people's lives and health, and to bravely climb the peaks of science and technology. Colleges and universities have won six of the 10 first prizes of the State Natural Science Award in the past decade, a milestone in terms of basic research. They have also won 10 of the 11 first prizes for China's State Technological Invention Award and two special prizes for the State Scientific and Technological Progress Award. In a series of pillar projects such as the Shenzhou space missions, the construction of the BeiDou satellite navigation network, and the completion of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, colleges and universities have helped to break through many technological bottlenecks and made contributions to basic research and key technologies. At the same time, universities also gave full play to the advantages of profound basic research and interdisciplinary integration, actively supported the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, served rural revitalization, contributed to the science and technology of the Winter Olympics, and made active and effective efforts for national scientific and technological innovations and serving the country by science and technology.

Third, the vitality of scientific and technological innovation in colleges and universities has been continuously stimulated. Over the past decade, the MOE has vigorously promoted the innovation mechanism of the scientific and technological system in colleges and universities, relieved the burden of scientific research personnel, gave colleges and universities greater autonomy in scientific research management, continued to deepen the reform of scientific and technological evaluation, and gradually established an evaluation orientation centered on innovation quality, ability and contribution in colleges and universities. We vigorously promoted the spirit of scientists, and many great teachers have emerged.

The past 10 years of scientific and technological development in colleges and universities were a decade of talent cultivation and technological innovation, a decade of serving the national strategy, and a decade of striving to build China into a country with strong education. Mr. Wu and his colleagues are also promoting the "Internet +" innovation and entrepreneurship education campaign. In recent years, innovation and entrepreneurship education and practical activities have not only affected China, but also attracted college students from all over the world to participate in this important campaign. Going forward, we will continue to promote high-level and high-quality free exploration in colleges and universities while strengthening organized scientific research and breakthroughs, focusing on the country's critical needs, building the national science and technology platform, and promoting the further development of China's science and technology.

Thank you.

The Beijing News:

There were 10.76 million college graduates this year, a record high. At the same time, college graduates have encountered some difficulties in seeking jobs due to the pandemic. Over the past few months, we have seen that the unemployment rate of young people aged between 16 and 24 has been on the rise. What is the judgment of the Department of Education on the overall employment situation of college graduates this year? What measures will be taken next to promote employment? Thank you.  

Huai Jinpeng:

Thanks to this reporter for your question. The issues we discussed today are all of common concern to the people and the society and are major issues in economic and social development. Employment is pivotal to people's well-being and a field that the CPC Central Committee and the State Council have attached great importance to and cared about. Therefore, it is the top priority of our work this year to ensure the employment of college graduates. As is known to all, the total number of college graduates this year has reached nearly 11 million, exceeding 10 million for the first time in history. Affected by various factors, including the COVID-19 epidemic and mounting downward pressure on the economy, employment has experienced unprecedented difficulties. 

In fact, not only this year has the education system encountered challenges in employment. In recent years, the employment of college graduates has faced many challenges and difficulties. Faced with that, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council and with the direct care and personal attention of General Secretary Xi Jinping to the employment of college graduates, the Department of Education, together with relevant departments, has firmly put into practice the decisions and plans, overcome difficulties, and implemented comprehensive policies, ensuring a stable employment situation of college graduates for many years. By far, college graduates in 2022 have made steady progress in securing jobs. I would like to report the progress to you. Here are the main features: 

First, strong support has been provided. We have strengthened top-level design to promote employment and improved policies in providing college graduates with multiple channels to find jobs or start their own businesses, encouraging them to find employment at the community level and in the central and western regions, optimizing guidance services, and strengthening the protection of rights and interest of employment. Especially in recent years, we have launched a series of bold policies. For example, we have promoted admission to higher levels of education and recruitment of all types of government bodies, public institutions and state-owned enterprises in a coordinated way to help college graduates to find employment as soon as possible and facilitate their job hunting. 

Second, employment channels have been expanded. The major role of market-based employment channels such as micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises in creating jobs has been fully leveraged. We have taken extensive action this year to launch the "Special Program on the Visits of Secretaries and Presidents of Colleges and Universities to Enterprises to Expand Job Opportunities and Bolster Employment" and the "Program on Ten Thousand Enterprises Entering Campus." We have organized a series of activities, such as activities themed "Joint Promotion of Employment by Private Enterprises and Colleges and Universities" and "Recruitment by Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in One Hundred Days," to promote exchanges, cooperation, and communication between enterprises and universities, making every effort to broaden channels for creating market-based employment. The reform in the education of innovation and entrepreneurship has been advanced. Just as I mentioned when I answered the last question, the "Internet Plus" Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition has also played a significant role in setting an illustrious example for and having a multiplier effect on encouraging college graduates to start their own businesses to boost employment.

Third, better guidance has been provided. We have put our hearts and souls into delivering employment guidance and take it as fundamental. In particular, we have given full play to the role of over 100,000 employment service workers in colleges and universities and counselors of graduating classes. We have strengthened career planning and employment guidance for college graduates and guided them to establish a positive outlook on employment to contribute to places where the country needs them most. Especially this year, based on the previous "24365" employment service platform for college graduates, we have optimized and upgraded it into the "National Employment Service Platform for College Graduates," providing services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This kind of digital platform has enabled college graduates to access non-stop employment guidance and services and offered one-stop and one-click online services. This year we have provided 13.7 million jobs for college graduates through this platform.

Fourth, assistance has been taken as a priority. We have established and improved the assistance mechanism for employment and carried out targeted assistance for groups with special difficulties, such as households lifted out of poverty, households living on subsistence allowances, unemployed households and college graduates with disabilities. We have launched the "Project of Support to Employment of People with Difficulties by the Central Special Lottery Welfare Fund," providing employability training for 100,000 people offline and 500,000 online, making people with difficulties more competitive in the job market. In recent years, the employment rate of low-income households and college graduates with disabilities has been higher than the national average. 

Fifth, structural adjustment has been made. It is an important direction for the reform of higher education. In combination with the needs of the labor market and technological revolution and industrial transformation, we have taken employment as an important part of the development of world-class universities and world-class disciplines, known as the "Double World-Class Project," and the structural adjustment of higher education as well as a major reference for construction performance and discipline evaluation. We have guided colleges and universities to prioritize disciplines and majors with the strongest societal demands, broadest employment prospects, strongest needs for economic and social development, and the largest talent gaps. For the disciplines and majors that have a low employment rate and have not been able to meet market demand for years, we should make timely adjustments and work together with local governments and colleges and universities to study disciplines and majors suitable for economic and social development and the all-round development of students. We must strive to improve the education structure and system with the quality of talent cultivation, meeting the job market's needs and economic and social development.

Promoting the employment of college graduates is the duty of the education system and what we are concerned about. We will unswervingly work to ensure the employment of college graduates and take it as an opportunity to optimize the structure of education further and deepen educational reform. Thank you.

21st Century Business Herald:

Since the beginning of this year, the MOE has been vigorously promoting national education digitalization strategic action and launched the National Smart Platform for Public Educational Services. What is the status of the development of this platform? What are your considerations for future work? Thank you.

Huai Jinpeng:

I will take this question. That is an area that I am particularly interested in. As we all know, not only China but many countries in the world attach great importance to the digitalization of education. Digitalization is an important part of education transformation worldwide. This year, the UN Summit on Education also listed digital education as an important topic. This is the general development background. 

With the scientific revolution and industrial reform, digital and information technology has played a significant role in supporting and promoting economic and social development. General Secretary Xi Jinping has attached great importance to education and the Digital China Initiative. I believe digital education is an important component of the Digital China Initiative. In that sense, promoting digital education, advancing the modernization of education, and achieving the aim of building a strong nation in education are of great significance for providing a better education platform for Chinese society and the world, building a learning society, and realizing life-long learning.

We are vigorously advancing the digitalization of education. The MOE has long been promoting the informatization and digitalization of education. One of the highlights of the ministry's work this year has been a significant project to fully launch a national education digitalization strategy to accelerate the digitalization of education. We have focused our efforts on the following aspects. 

First, a national big data center for the digitalization of education has been built. It provides public education resources and services for the whole country and the world. In his answer to the question, my colleague emphasized that an important part of our work, such as the national smart education platform launched on March 28, is the development of the National Educational Resource Center. There are 34,000 pieces of resources available on the basic education platform, 1,194 educational resource libraries and 6,628 high-quality online courses on the vocational education platform, and 27,000 courses on the higher education platform which has attracted users from 146 countries and regions across five continents. Therefore, we have integrated the resource development of basic education, vocational education, and higher education and built the national educational resource center by mobilizing quality resources.

Second, the Educational Resource Center has five important functions, including serving students' learning, serving teachers' lesson preparation and teaching, serving school management, serving education research, and serving reform on education in the future. In terms of employment this year as I just introduced, we have expanded and upgraded the "24365" platform into the National Employment Service Platform, offering big data of high-quality educational resources and providing services for the education system and society. The number of job opportunities shared on the platform for college graduates has reached 13.7 million.

With a large number of teachers nationwide, especially teachers for basic education, how can we improve training for teachers? This year we tried to use digital education online to provide basic services for national basic education, especially science education. We have improved training efficiency and provided development opportunities by combining online and offline training. At the same time, in the development of basic education in China, the development of educational resources to promote equity and improve quality can benefit all aspects more conveniently and rapidly through such methods and platforms. The work in this area has been very effective.

Concerning the application of the platform, we have launched pilots in 31 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central government) and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, with the world's largest digitalization center and service platform for educational resources basically coming into being. We have combined the data center for resources with public services, providing strong support for students' learning, teachers' education and teaching, school's educational management and research on educational reform. This support has enabled us to expand and integrate the basic contents of online learning in digital space based on current classroom teaching and campus education. That has played a significant role in ensuring online learning when schools are closed and pooling quality resources across the country amid COVID-19. I would like to share a figure. As of yesterday, our platform has been visited almost 4 billion times by more than 600 million people. We can say that this digital education platform, which has been launched rapidly on the existing basis to accelerate the development of quality resources, has gone a long way toward advancing the digitalization of education and increasing the influence and voice of China's digital education in the international community.

Next, we will continue strengthening our work on basic, vocational and higher education. In particular, we have delivered good results in higher education. Two days ago, Mr. Wu Yan told me that the total number of learners at xuetang.com was over 100 million. It has become the world's second-largest online education classroom, which proves that our work in this regard has been positive and effective. With the high-level MOOCs going international, we hope to effectively increase education quality in China and promote high-level international cooperation and exchanges.

We will keep improving the National Educational Resource Center and strengthening its capacity to provide better services. For example, through digital education and dynamic interaction, we could keep track of the key and hard parts for the students as a whole in the process of learning and how to effectively help them understand the knowledge, boost their interests in science, and achieve "double improvements" in both their ability and knowledge. Besides, the center supports teachers in educational practices to combine the imparting of knowledge with the all-round development of students more effectively. At the same time, it also enables schools to further improve their educational practices and management abilities. It is also an important platform for us to provide services for society, serving as a crucial part of a learning society and lifelong education. At this time, the classroom has been expanded to society. It is also an important carrier for us to offer Chinese education and other types of education to the international community. Therefore, digital education and digitalization of educational resources are what we will strengthen in the future as they are necessary for developing a digital China. We are willing to work with all sectors of society to promote digitalization and modernization of education and contribute to building a strong nation in education. Thank you.

Chen Wenjun:

Thank you to Mr. Huai and all the other speakers. Here, we would like to wish all the teachers across the country a happy Teachers' Day and wish you all a Happy Mid-Autumn Festival in advance. Today's briefing is concluded. See you!

Translated and edited by Wang Yiming, Wang Wei, Qin Qi, Zhang Liying, Zhang Tingting, Zhang Rui, Zhou Jing, Xu Kailin, Liu Qiang, Ma Yujia, Liu Jianing, Yang Xi, Yuan Fang, Li Huiru, David Ball, Jay Birbeck, and Tom Arnstein. In case of any discrepancy between the English and Chinese texts, the Chinese version is deemed to prevail.

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Read in Chinese

Speakers:

Mr. Zhan Chengfu, vice minister of civil affairs

Mr. Li Baojun, spokesperson of the Ministry of Civil Affairs (MCA) and director general of the General Office of the MCA

Mr. Liu Xitang, director general of the Department of Social Assistance of the MCA

Mr. Chen Yueliang, director general of the Department of Local Government Development and Community Governance of the MCA

Mr. Li Banghua, senior official of the Department of Elderly Service of the MCA

Chairperson:

Ms. Shou Xiaoli, spokesperson of the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC)

Date:

Sept. 8, 2022

Shou Xiaoli:

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to this press conference held by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee. Today, we are holding the 28th press conference under the theme of “China in the past decade.” We have invited Mr. Zhan Chengfu, vice minister of civil affairs, to brief you on the country's civil affairs in the new era and take your questions. Also joining us today are Mr. Li Baojun, spokesperson of the Ministry of Civil Affairs (MCA) and director general of the General Office of the MCA; Mr. Liu Xitang, director general of the Department of Social Assistance of the MCA; Mr. Chen Yueliang, director general of the Department of Local Government Development and Community Governance of the MCA; and Mr. Li Banghua, a senior official of the Department of Elderly Service of the MCA.

Now, let's give the floor to Mr. Zhan Chengfu for his introduction.

Zhan Chengfu:

Ladies and gentlemen, friends from the press, good morning. I am very pleased to brief you, along with my colleagues, on the country's civil affairs over the past decade since the 18th CPC National Congress.

As we all know, civil affairs concerns people's livelihood, is critical for the people and is the basic and fundamental work for social development. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, civil affairs departments at all levels have followed the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, remained committed to making people's lives better, and made continuous efforts in ensuring basic livelihoods, community-level social governance and basic social services with a focus on poverty alleviation, groups with special needs and people's concerns. Through vital efforts, the past decade has witnessed glorious achievements and landmark development, which can be reflected in the following three aspects.

First, ensuring the basic needs of the people has reached a new level, helping groups with special difficulties enter a moderately prosperous society in all respects along with the rest of the nation.

Over the past decade, the social assistance system with Chinese characteristics has basically taken shape. Every year on average, the system provides support for more than 40 million people on subsistence allowances, nearly 5 million people living in extreme poverty, about 10 million people in need of temporary assistance, and more than 2.3 million times to homeless people and beggars.

We have successfully provided support for those unable to shake off poverty through their own efforts while alleviating poverty, lifting 19.36 million registered poor people out of poverty. At the same time, we have constantly improved the mechanism linking price subsidies with price changes, expanded the scope of the subsistence allowance scheme, and dynamically tracked more than 62 million low-income people to provide them with regular assistance and support. By doing so, we have consolidated and expanded the achievements in providing subsistence allowances for those unable to shake off poverty through their own efforts, and aligned such efforts with endeavors to promote rural revitalization in an effective and orderly manner.

Over the past decade, the standard of ensuring the basic needs of people has been constantly increased. From 2012 to 2021, the average subsistence allowances for urban and rural residents nationwide increased by 1.2 times and 2.1 times, respectively. The basic living standard of people in extreme poverty has been 1.3 times or more the standard of local subsistence allowances. The average monthly allowances for orphans in welfare institutions and families that provide temporary care have reached 1,728 and 1,288 yuan per person, up by 77.9% and 83.1% from 2012, respectively.

Over the past decade, the coverage of ensuring basic livelihood has been constantly expanded. De facto orphans have been covered in a support system. A care and service system for the elderly, women and children left behind in rural areas has been established, and a protection system for minors has been set up. A system has been built to provide living allowances for people with disabilities and difficulties, and nursing subsidies for people with severe disabilities, benefiting nearly 20 million disabled people every year.

Charity has thrived over the past decade. Charitable donations exceeded 200 billion yuan in 2020, and 1.86 trillion yuan of welfare lottery were issued between 2012 and 2021, raising 540.8 billion yuan of public welfare lottery funds in total.

Second, solid progress has been made in community-level social governance, helping sustain long-term social stability.

Over the past decade, the system of community-level self-governance under the leadership of Party organizations has become more mature and stable. The channels of community-level democracy have been constantly expanded, forms increasingly diversified, and efficacy continuously improved, which has played a unique and critical role in developing China's whole-process people's democracy.

We have made continuous innovations in urban and rural community governance and strengthened community services. All urban communities and 79.5% of rural communities have been equipped with comprehensive service facilities. More than 4 million community workers have played an important role in serving the people, especially in preventing and controlling COVID-19 over the past three years.

We have strengthened efforts to improve social organizations and promoted their Party building. We have completed the reform of delinking industry associations and chambers of commerce from government as scheduled, and cracked down on illegal social organizations in accordance with the law, further improving the environment for social organizations. At present, the number of registered social organizations nationwide has reached 900,000, an increase of 1.7 times over 2012.

We have continued to expand the group of professional social workers, with the number of licensed social workers nationwide reaching 737,000, up by nearly nine times over 2012. There are also more than 1.29 million volunteer teams, with 220 million registered volunteers, accounting for 15.9% of the country's total population.

Third, basic social services have developed at a faster pace, contributing to the increasing improvement in people's living standards. 

Over the past decade, we have improved and coordinated domestic, community and institutional elderly care services to meet different medical and health care needs. Up to now, there are 360,000 various elderly care service institutions and more than 8.12 million beds across the country, with the number of beds nearly twice that of 2012. We have continued to improve systems for delivering old-age allowances, service subsidies for elderly people, nursing subsidies for elderly people who cannot perform essential self-care, and general subsidies, benefiting nearly 37 million elderly people.

We have abolished marriage registration fees in an all-around way and launched a pilot project for interprovincial marriage registration to contribute to family harmony and happiness.

We have carried out policy upgrading services for funerals and worked hard to address the pressing difficulties and problems of the greatest concern to the people in funeral-related affairs.

We have formulated and promulgated regulations on administrative divisions, revised and issued regulations on geographical names, coordinated and promoted major administrative division adjustments, and provided geographical names to society as one of the public services.

Looking back on the past decade, we are delighted to see encouraging historical changes and sounder prospects for the undertaking of civil affairs, thanks to the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core and the sound guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.

We should acquire a deep understanding of the decisive significance of the establishment of both Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the CPC 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. We should boost our consciousness of the need to maintain political integrity, think in big-picture terms, follow the leadership core and keep in alignment with the central Party leadership. We should stay confident in the path, the theory, the system, and the culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics. We should firmly uphold Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the CPC Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and uphold the Central Committee's authority and its centralized, unified leadership. 

Marching on the new journey in the new era, civil affairs departments at all levels will better perform their responsibilities to ensure people's basic living needs, improve social governance at the primary level, and provide basic social services. We will take stronger measures to work away at issue by issue, year in and year out, to see that our people will always have a strong sense of fulfillment, happiness, and security. With such efforts in civil affairs undertakings, we will make new, greater contributions to fully building a modern socialist country and realizing the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation.

Next, my colleagues and I will answer your questions.

Shou Xiaoli:

Now, the floor is open to questions. Please identify the media outlet you represent before asking questions.

CNR:

The Party and the country have always attached great importance to people's basic living needs and social assistance. What achievements has the MCA made in improving the social assistance system and ensuring and improving the basic living of people with difficulties? Going forward, what arrangements will the MCA make?

Zhan Chengfu:

This topic is of great concern to reporters at this press conference and also to the whole society. Today, Mr. Liu Xitang, head of the Department of Social Assistance of the MCA, is here at the conference and I would like to invite him to answer your questions.

Liu Xitang:

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the MCA has thoroughly implemented the guiding principles of the important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping and the decisions and arrangements of the Party Central Committee. The MCA has also worked with relevant departments to comprehensively implement various social assistance policies and made historic achievements.

First, a basic social assistance system with Chinese characteristics has been established. The system's main provisions are basic living assistance, special assistance, and emergency social relief assistance, supplemented by public participation. It covers all assistance forces by integrating urban and rural endeavors in a tiered, classified, comprehensive and highly efficient manner. The two basic living assistance systems, which target people living on subsistence allowances or in extreme poverty, have matured. Special assistance systems covering medical, education, housing, employment and disaster relief, have offered timely help to people in need. Emergency social relief assistance such as temporary assistance and assistance for beggars and the homeless have also aided people in temporary difficulties. It can be said that the living difficulties of both urban and rural residents can all be addressed by corresponding systems.

Second, an institutional guarantee has been offered to ensure that all members of disadvantaged groups have their basic living needs met. The subsistence allowance system we are familiar with is the primary institutional arrangement to provide for the basic needs of people of disadvantaged groups. The subsistence allowance system has become more mature, standardized, inclusive and considerate in determining eligibility, income accounting, business process, fund distribution and dynamic management. For instance, the subsistence allowance scheme has expanded its scope to include people with serious illness or severe disability from families just outside the margin of eligibility. It has also added regulations on employment cost deduction and allowed a "grace period" for previously impoverished people. The extreme poverty relief system has integrated another two assistance systems into a basic living assistance system which runs in parallel with the subsistence allowance system. The two assistance systems mentioned above include one for helping urban residents who are incapable of work, have no source of income, and have no legal supporters, and another for assisting rural residents with guarantees for food, clothing, medical care, housing and burial expenses. The temporary assistance system has focused on addressing the urgent needs of people in difficulties, providing solutions to emergencies and pressing problems that affect people's basic living. In 2021, more than 46.8 million people living with difficulties were included in the subsistence allowance or extreme poverty relief system, and 11.986 million people received temporary assistance throughout the year. These figures are dynamic and change from year to year.

Third, social assistance has achieved leapfrog growth. In addition to the changes in the subsistence allowances over the past decade introduced by Mr. Zhan, I would like to sketch another piece of data. Over the past 10 years, governments at all levels have spent 2.04 trillion yuan on basic living allowances and subsidies, effectively guaranteeing the basic needs of people of disadvantaged groups. Subsistence and other allowances were given out in full and in a timely manner.

Fourth, it has played an essential role in winning the battle against poverty and building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. When we fought against poverty, 19.36 million registered impoverished people received subsistence allowances or extreme poverty aid, accounting for 19.6% of the population lifted out of poverty. After winning the battle against poverty, we continued to consolidate the results of poverty alleviation. We provided 2.77 million people with subsistence allowances and extreme poverty aid, including those who have just emerged from poverty but whose position is far from secure, those on the verge of poverty who can easily fall back, and those experiencing difficulties in meeting their basic needs due to sudden events. 

Fifth, we have implemented dynamic monitoring of the low-income population. The MCA has established a national low-income population dynamic monitoring platform, which collects basic information on more than 62 million low-income people, or about 4.4% of the country's total population. At the same time, with relevant departments, we have improved the tiered and classified aid mechanism and carried out targeted assistance to ensure that various aid policies are focused and timely.

Next, following the requirements of system integration, coordination and ensuring efficiency, we will continue to deepen the reform of the social assistance system, expand the application of the dynamic monitoring information platform for low-income populations, innovate and optimize assistance services, and further foster a “safety net” meeting people's basic living needs. Thank you.

CCTV:

Improving the social welfare system with a focus on the elderly, children and people with disabilities, is crucial for the well-being of society. Over the years, what progress has been made by the MCA in this regard?

Zhan Chengfu:

Social welfare and building the social welfare system are issues of great concern to society. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the MCA has done much work in this regard. Next, I would like to invite Mr. Li Baojun, MCA spokesperson and director of the general office of the MCA, to give you a detailed introduction.

Li Baojun:

Thanks for this reporter's question. Social welfare is an important institutional arrangement to improve people's well-being. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has given important instructions on many occasions. He has stressed acting on the people-centered philosophy of development, speeding up the improvement of the care and service system for the elderly, improving the social welfare system for the persons with disabilities and orphans, and addressing weaknesses in social welfare in rural areas. Civil affairs departments at all levels have conscientiously implemented the important instructions made by General Secretary Xi Jinping and the decisions and deployment of the Party Central Committee and promoted the development of social welfare to a new level.

First, we have continued to improve the welfare of the elderly. Old-age allowances, service subsidies for the elderly with financial difficulties, and nursing subsidies for the elderly people with disabilities are ensured at the provincial level nationwide, now benefiting 30.695 million, 4.479 million and 789,000 seniors, respectively. Moreover, 702,000 seniors have received comprehensive subsidies. Greater efforts have been made to ensure the basic needs of poor elderly people, and we have promptly brought the poor population of advanced age and incapacitated seniors in rural areas within the scope of subsistence allowances. Up to now, 14.2 million elderly people have received urban and rural subsistence allowances and 3.717 million elderly people have received extreme poverty aid, which ensures the support and assistance to everyone who needs it. We have deepened the reform of public care institutions for the elderly, vigorously developed at-home and community-based elderly care, and focused on providing services for economically disadvantaged elderly people, and those with disabilities . We have established and improved the system to support and care for the elderly left behind by their families in the countryside after their grown-up children have moved to the cities in search of employment. We have strengthened care for the elderly living alone and left behind in rural areas and helped them lead happy lives in old age. 

Second, we have deepened and expanded the welfare of children. We have gradually improved the basic living standards of orphans. Up to now, 169,000 orphans have been raised across the country, and the monthly allowance for orphans in welfare institutions and families that provide temporary care totals 1,728 yuan and 1,288 yuan per person, respectively, an increase of 77.9% and 83.1%, respectively over 2012. The Tomorrow Plan for Rehabilitation of Orphans with Disabilities has been launched, benefiting nearly 223,000 orphans. A program to support school education for orphans enabled more than 80,000 people to realize their dreams of receiving a university education. Efforts have been made to nurture orphans better. We have formulated and implemented the Measures on the Management of Child Welfare Institutions and promoted the optimization, innovation, transformation and high-quality development of child welfare institutions. We have actively explored expanding the scope of protection, bringing 340,000 de facto orphans into the coverage of state support and including rural left-behind children and children in need into the system of care and services. Up to now, there are 55,000 child welfare supervisors and 667,000 child welfare directors across the country to provide children with regular care services.

Third, the welfare of people with disabilities has been improved. The subsidy system to provide for the living expenses of disabled people in need and to pay the nursing costs of people with severe disabilities has been established. The dynamic mechanism of adjusting standards for subsidies has been developed, and all the services can be accessed on an inter-provincial basis and via the internet. So far, these two subsidies have benefited 11.81 million disabled people in need and 15.32 million people with severe disabilities. The development of the industry of rehabilitation assistive devices has been accelerated. We have piloted comprehensive innovation in the industry of rehabilitation assistive devices and community-based lease services. From 2012 to 2021, a total of 143,000 pieces of rehabilitation assistive devices were distributed to disabled people in welfare institutions in the central and western regions through the launch of the “Fukang Project.” The construction of welfare institutions for mental patients has been strengthened, and a total of 6.9 billion yuan has been allocated to build, renovate, and expand mental health welfare institutions. We have promoted community-based rehabilitation services for people with mental illnesses through services purchased by the government and guided the places where the conditions permit to provide centralized or commercial nursing care services for disabled people in need and people with severe disabilities, increasing the sense of fulfillment and happiness of disabled people and their families.

Next, the departments of civil affairs will fully grasp and put into practice the important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping and the decisions and plans of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, continue to improve systems, strengthen services, and raise the standards of our work, and develop a social welfare system compatible with economic and social development so as to provide strong support for groups with special difficulties to share the fruits of reform and development and achieve common prosperity.

Thank you.

China News Service:

Social groups and charities are important forces different from the market and government. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, social organizations and charities have thrived and played an active role in poverty alleviation, prevention and control of the pandemic, and emergency rescue and disaster relief. Can you introduce more about that? Thank you.

Zhan Chengfu:

I will take this question.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, social groups and charities in China have made historic achievements and undergone historic changes, which can be mainly demonstrated in the following aspects.

First, the Party's overall leadership over social groups and charities has been strengthened. Over the past decade, the function of the Party organization in social groups has been further clarified, and the working institutions and mechanisms of Party building have been improved. By the end of last year, there were a total of 171,000 community-level Party organizations in social groups. Upholding the Party's leadership and the Core Socialist Values have been generally incorporated into the charters of social groups. It has become commonplace for the heads of social groups and the heads of party organizations to enter each other's organizations and take rotating posts.

Second, the environment for the development of social groups and charities has been continuously optimized. Over the past decade, China has formulated laws and regulations such as the Charity Law, the Civil Code, and the Regulation on Volunteer Services. Regulations on the Registration and Administration of Social Groups, Regulations on Administration of Foundations, Provisional Regulations on the Registration and Administration of Non-Governmental Nonprofit Units are being revised and improved. The government has continued to improve a series of policies regarding the qualification of the tax-exempt status of nonprofit organizations, pre-tax deduction for charitable donations, donation of equity shares to public welfare organizations, tax exemption for membership fees of social groups, and the use of donation bills. The central government has allocated special funds to support social groups to carry out social services for many years. The State Council has clearly stipulated that opinions of industry associations and chambers of commerce should be fully solicited when formulating administrative regulations and normative documents of government. All these have contributed to fostering a sound environment for social groups to survive and thrive, especially charity organizations.

Third, social groups and charities have been rejuvenated with vigor and vitality. Over the past decade, 729 national industry associations and chambers of commerce and 69,699 local industry associations and chambers of commerce have been delinked from administrative organs. We have developed a large number of community-based social groups featuring direct participation of ordinary people. Internet-based charity has been thriving, with an annual growth rate of over 20% in donations raised online. 

Fourth, the stage for social groups and charities to play their roles has become broader. The past decade has witnessed the most rapid development of social groups. At present, social groups registered have reached 900,000, which is 20,000 times the number in the early days of the founding of the PRC and 150 times that in the early days of reform and opening up if we compare the data. There are over 10,000 charity organizations registered in China at present. In 2020, charitable donations in China exceeded 200 billion yuan, an increase of 155% from 2012. Especially since the 18th CPC National Congress, social groups and charities of all types have been widely engaged in poverty alleviation. They have implemented over 92,000 poverty relief projects according to primary statistics and guided the investment of 124.5 billion yuan from all kinds of funds. Social groups have taken actions to maintain the market order for fair competition, participating in the formulation of 2,499 national standards and 364 international standards. At current, private nonprofit elderly care institutions account for 44.7% of the elderly care institutions nationwide. That number is large, and the multi-level and multi-faceted needs of the people have been effectively met.

In the final analysis, over the past decade, achievements in the development of social groups and charities can be attributed to the successful development of a path with Chinese characteristics for the growth of social organizations. We will continue to go down this path and we believe that the path will be wider and wider. Thank you.

People.cn:

In recent years, the MCA has planned and implemented plenty of reforms and innovative measures, such as marriage registration service provided on a cross-provincial basis and reforms of wedding customs, which have won great popularity. My question is, since the 18th CPC National Congress, what breakthroughs have been made in furthering reforms by the MCA. Thanks. 

Zhan Chengfu:

Thank you for your question. The reform of wedding customs has attracted attention from the whole society. I am in charge of this area of work, and will give some additional details. 

Getting married should be a wonderful and happy thing, but in some places, it becomes a burden on individuals because of some issues and unhealthy phenomena such as high-price betrothal gifts for brides, high-profile weddings, vulgarly teasing the bride and bridegroom, and presenting a gift of a large amount of money for a wedding. A joyful occasion becomes vexatious. People expect that we can retrieve the unhealthy situation and change malpractice in wedding customs. Since 2018, the MCA has put the reform of wedding customs high on the agenda, and in April and September 2021, respectively, set up 32 reform pilot zones in two batches throughout the country. Some local pilot zones have also been set up in provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities, according to actual conditions. So far, the following aspects have taken effect.  

First, we have controlled undesirable customs such as high-price betrothal gifts. In some pilot zones, publicity has been intensified to enhance the public's awareness of the hazards of unhealthy customs, such as high-price betrothal presents and high-profile weddings. Particular cases have been used to explain the related laws and regulations. In some pilot zones, relevant rules and regulations have been rolled out. In some pilot zones, mass weddings play a demonstrative role.  In other pilot zones, high-price betrothal gifts are regulated through formulating codes of conduct for rual and urban residents. 

Second, we have advocated for healthy and harmonious family traditions. Many pilot zones have adopted various approaches to pass on and spread good family education and family tradition for people to follow. 

Third, we have strengthened marriage and family counseling services. I want to inform you of some data. At present, more than 75% of county-level marriage registration offices have set up marriage counseling rooms. With the support of administrative bodies, counseling services can make marriages more harmonious and satisfying. 

So far, the reforms in various pilot zones have been effective and received positive comments from the society. Unhealthy customs such as high-price betrothal gifts and high-profile weddings have been effectively reined in. From the perspective of civil affairs, there is a lot marriage-related work to do. For instance, we have pushed marriage registration services forward in recent years, providing them on a cross-provincial basis and piloting the measures in seven provinces, and receiving positive reviews from the public. In the next phase, we will expand the scope of this reform to benefit more people. We will intensify efforts to build more marriage registration facilities and infrastructure, advance the level of digitalization for marriage registrations, and convert all marriage registration information taken since the founding of the People's Republic of China to digital records. The scope of pilot reforms will continue to expand. We will speed up the process and enable the results of marriage registration reforms to benefit more people.  

Thank you.

Li Baojun:

There is something else I wanted to add. The reforms boost the quality development of civil affairs initiatives in the new era. General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized that reforms should be furthered comprehensively, collaboratively, and efficiently, giving top priority to the reforms enabling people to enjoy a stronger sense of gain. In addition, the civil affairs authorities are required to continue reform and innovation and better perform duties. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, civil affairs authorities at all levels have put into effect the important expositions by General Secretary Xi Jinping on deepening reform in all respects, thoroughly implement the decisions and plans made by the Party Central Committee , and continue to integrate improving institutional top-level design with solving the pressing difficulties and problems that are of the greatest concern to the people. Notable results have been achieved in the following three aspects.  

First, we have set up a pertinent institutional framework to guide civil affairs work. The past decade has seen China's National People's Congress (NPC) and its Standing Committee formulate or revise nine laws in the area of civil affairs, including the Charity Law. The State Council formulated and revised seven sets of administrative regulations in the area. The number of documents that were submitted to the CPC Central Committee and the State Council for approval reached 13 and 19, respectively. More than 100 documents have been formulated by reforming and innovating values, and seven cross-department joint conference mechanisms have been established. We have made efforts to improve social assistance, building a system that coordinates urban and rural resources and provides subsistence allowances, assistance and support for severely impoverished people, disaster relief, medical assistance, education assistance, housing assistance, employment assistance, and temporary assistance, while being supplemented by public participation. Moreover, we have improved the top-level design to promote the modernization of community-level governance system and capabilities, strengthen government service capabilities at town and township levels, and reform and refine the systems for regulating social organizations. We have promoted the establishment of a system providing basic elderly care services for all senior citizens. Relevant laws and regulations have been formulated and improved for regulating administrative division and geographical names. Institutions and laws relating to the development of civil affairs initiatives have been improved in the new era under the leadership of the CPC.

Second, we have followed the problem-oriented approach to address people's concerns in a timely manner. Over the past 10 years, by focusing on people's major concerns, we have carried out over 10 special campaigns such as improving the service in nursing homes around the country, cracking down on fraud in elderly care, undertaking an overhaul on illegal social organizations, addressing the imposition of arbitrary charges by associations and business chambers, regulating rural subsistence allowances, and addressing problems in funeral services. We have followed the principle of addressing overall problems while focusing on certain areas, and mobilized efforts to solve problems that harmed people's interests. With focus on the universal, fundamental, and deep-seated problems, we have adhered to the principle of addressing both their symptoms and root causes, and accelerated the building of major regulatory systems that could help strengthen the weaknesses, fill gaps, and step up oversight, so that various policy measures can bring benefits to the people.

Third, we have adhered to the innovation-driven approach to constantly improve the efficiency and effectiveness of our services. Just now, Mr. Zhan introduced the reform in marriage customs. Over the past 10 years, we have also launched a series of pilot reform programs in terms of community governance services, home-based and community-based elderly care services, and rehabilitative and assistive equipment sectors. In addition, we have comprehensively promoted the development of community workers' stations in townships, continuously optimized the "internet + civil affairs services," guided local authorities to deepen their reforms to streamline administration, delegate powers, improve regulation, and strengthen services in civil affairs, and explored the implementation of innovative reforms such as decentralizing the power of verification and confirmation of the subsistence allowances, and implementing temporary relief measures directly offered by the place where emergencies occur. We have also strengthened the application of new technologies and new means to comprehensively improve civil administration and to ensure that people can enjoy tangible benefits of our civil services.

Looking forward, we will continue to uphold Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, conscientiously implement General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions on civil affairs, follow the people-centered philosophy, continuously deepen innovative reforms to better fulfill our missions and tasks in civil affairs on the new journey, advance the high-quality development of our civil affairs work, and make new contributions to the building of a modern socialist country in all respects. Thank you.

Beijing Youth Daily:

General Secretary Xi Jinping has attached much importance to the prosperity and stability at the grassroots level. Over the past 10 years, what progress has the MCA achieved in consolidating local government development and making innovations in the governance of urban and rural communities.

Chen Yueliang:

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has attached much importance to community-level governance. We have made historic achievements in consolidating local government development as well as improving community governance. Community-level democracy continues to advance, and people's sense of achievement, happiness, and security are gradually improving, which helps consolidate the foundation of the CPC governance. It also demonstrates the advantages of our system and the effectiveness of the governance.

First, the Party's leadership is on a more solid footing. The CPC Central Committee has introduced and amended a series of rules and regulations to improve the community-level governance system that is under the full leadership of the Party. We have established a simplified and effective management system under which Party committees exercise leadership and the Party and the government enhance coordination. Up to 95.6% of villages and 93.9% of communities are headed by the same person who serves both the director and the Party secretary of the village or community, up 29.5 and 30.2 percentage points compared to the previous term, with the Party's banner flying high at the community level.

Second, the system of community-level self-governance is more mature. Village committees and neighborhood committees have been given special legal person status, and the term of office of village and neighborhood committees has been extended from three years to five years. Community-level democracy has expanded, ensuring the people's right to engage in democratic elections, consultations, decision-making, management, and oversight. "People's wide participation in their own affairs" has become a distinct feature of the times in which people are the masters of their own country.

Third, the system for community-level self-governance has improved. We have introduced a series of policies to consolidate the modernization of community-level governance. These policies are effective and operable, demonstrating the CPC Central Committee's clear orientation to strengthen the role of communities. The policies have also become pillars of the community-level governance system in the new era.

Fourth, our services have improved. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the coverage of comprehensive service facilities has increased from 82% to 100% in urban communities and from 31.8% to 79.5% in rural communities, up 18 and 47.7 percentage points, respectively. These services have provided more convenience to the public. A sample survey showed that public satisfaction has increased to 87.6%.

Fifth, community-level governance plays a more important role in society. The CPC Central Committee and the State Council continue to delegate powers to lower-level governments, empower them, and reduce their pressure; improve the community-level governance system which combines self-governance, the rule of law, and the rule of virtue; promote urban and rural communities to assume the primary task of social governance; and create a virtuous cycle featuring the unified leadership of the Party, and the benign interaction between government governance, social regulation, and residents' self-governance in the new era. In the fight against poverty, the rural communities tasked with poverty elimination have implemented the Party's policies for the benefit of people, and united and led the people to boost the production and improve their lives. A total of 35,000 communities whose residents were relocated from inhospitable areas have enhanced their capacity of governance, helping over 9.6 million people live a better life. During the country's COVID-19 prevention and control, more than 4 million urban and rural community workers have dedicated themselves to the epidemic response frontline, making communities a bastion of defense against the virus.

Sixth, the team structure has been optimized. Competent officials have been selected to form teams for Party branch committees and residents committees at villages and communities, and the occupational system has been established and improved. The proportion of directors of residents committees at villages and communities with junior college education or above accounted for 46.4% and 82.6%, respectively. Young age, high education, and strong ability have become the background features of urban and rural community workers in the new era. Eight of the 29 comrades awarded the July 1 Medal by the CPC Central Committee have worked in villages or communities for a long time.

Looking back at the past 10 years, the grassroots foundation was very important for China to achieve sustained and rapid economic development and long-term social stability. We are guided by General Secretary Xi Jinping's important expositions on grassroots governance to ensure the correct political direction of grassroots governance. We have the strong leadership of the CPC to ensure that grassroots governance is always stable and far-reaching. We continually improve the grassroots mass autonomy system, mobilize the enthusiasm of the broad masses of the people to the greatest extent, and ensure that the people are the masters of the country. We unswervingly build a solid foundation for urban and rural communities, and always focus on the core work and serve the overall situation. 

Thank you.

Red Star News:

We found that pension frauds are seriously threatening the happiness of the elderly in their later years, so a special campaign was launched to crack down on pension frauds across the country. Could you brief us on the progress of the MCA in rectifying frauds in the field of elderly care services, and in what areas will it continue to make efforts in the next step? Thanks.

Zhan Chengfu:

Thank you for your question. This question is indeed very important, and this work is a key task that our ministry has been focusing on in recent years and has made numerous achievements. Li Banghua, deputy director of endowment services, is an expert in this field. He's here now, so please let him make some professional elaborations.

Li Banghua:

In recent years, some criminals have carried out fraud under the guise of "elderly care," causing economic losses and mental pains to the elderly, and the people's complaints were very strong. The CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core pays special attention to the elderly, emphasizing the need to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of the elderly and resolutely punish the behaviors of defrauding the elderly in accordance with laws and regulations. In April this year, with the approval of the CPC Central Committee and led by the Peaceful China initiative coordination team, 12 departments jointly launched a nationwide special campaign to crack down on pension fraud, and the MCA is one of them. The MCA is mainly responsible for rectifying fraud-related problems and hidden dangers in the field of elderly care services. At present, the special campaign has been implemented for nearly half a year, and good progress has been made.

First, a comprehensive publicity campaign was launched. In accordance with the general requirements to make efforts in the three fields of publicity and education, crackdowns in accordance with the law, and rectification and regulation, we have launched a complaint and reporting platform, issued a batch of policy guidance books, published a batch of typical cases, and carried out a series of special news reports. Targeting the methods and characteristics of fraud in the field of elderly care services, we have extensively carried out policy publicity and common-sense education on deception and fraud prevention. We conducted publicity and mobilization work, from household to household, from community to community, and placed publicity materials on walls, in the media, and on the internet. It should be said that we have sounded the clarion call to combat fraud in elderly care services. Many local civil affairs departments and elderly care service institutions have also widely mobilized elderly people to participate in fraud prevention publicity, which has enhanced the ability of the elderly to recognize and prevent fraud.

Second, we carried out comprehensive research and investigations. As of the end of August, civil affairs departments at all levels across the country have carried out at least two rounds of surveys. A total of 270,000 elderly care service institutions and venues have been investigated, and 950 institutions and venues with hidden dangers have been identified. Why do we use the word “venue” here? Because there are 576 illegal institutions that are not registered but are engaged in the operation of elderly care services or carry out activities in the name of elderly care services.

Third, we have carried out comprehensive rectification. According to the levels of hidden dangers, civil affairs departments at all levels have established a "red, orange, and yellow" risk and hidden danger management and control list, clarified the timetable and roadmap, and carried out concentrated rectifications in accordance with the requirements of "one case, one policy." At present, of the 950 institutions and venues with hidden risks, a total of 510 have been banned and shut down, 81 have seen cases filed, 48 have been adjudicated, and 91 have been handed over to relevant departments for disposal. The rest are also under screening and investigation. It should be said that the existing hidden risks of fraud in the field of elderly care services are being resolved in an orderly manner.

Going forward, the MCA will further promote this work in accordance with the deployments of the office of special national campaign against pension fraud. On the one hand, we will speed up the clearance of existing risks, and on the other hand, we will strengthen the establishment of rules and regulations to effectively curb incremental risks. In establishing a long-term mechanism, there are also two aspects of the work: first, we will establish a normalized supervision mechanism, strengthen early warning monitoring and coordinated disposal; second, we will focus on prominent risks and hidden dangers, and work with relevant departments to study and standardize the relevant measures of prepayment for elderly care institutions, protect people's pension money, and make elderly care services safer and more secure. Thank you.

CRNTT:

Recently, the MCA, together with relevant departments, has issued a series of measures aimed at making up for the shortcomings of community governance and services, promoting college graduates to seek employment and entrepreneurship at communities, and ensuring community prevention and control of COVID-19. May I ask how to promote the mutual facilitation of these three goals in practice? What are the main directions for the next step?

General Secretary Xi Jinping attaches great importance to community work. At every local inspection visit, he would go to villages or communities and give important instructions. This year, the MCA has reported to the CPC Central Committee to issue the Opinions on Regulating the Work of Affairs, Mechanism Brands, and Certification Requirements of Village-level Organizations. Together with relevant departments, the MCA has issued policies and guidelines to further promote the construction of smart communities and taken strong steps to help the employment of college graduates in urban and rural communities in 2022, improve comprehensive service functions at the village level, do a good job in setting up special posts, and formulating guidelines for volunteer work in terms of community epidemic prevention and control. Through these solid measures, the important instructions given by General Secretary Xi Jinping have been implemented steadfastly in guiding all localities to reinforce points of weakness in community governance and services, in building a strong community defensive line against pandemic, and in guiding college graduates to find employment and start businesses at the community level. Since urban and rural community governance is a systematic project, we will work in concert to step up the connection and mutual promotion between the three goals in the following four aspects.

The first is to stick to regular epidemic prevention and control measures to foster a sound environment. We will accelerate the full coverage of the public health committee mechanism under the urban residents committees and villagers committees, improve the community COVID-19 prevention and control network, and build phase-based community pandemic prevention and control teams in order to strengthen related workforce and emergency capacity building. We will improve the working mechanism involving the switch between emergencies and regular operations, actively mobilize community volunteers to fight against COVID-19, and consolidate the defense line, involving all of society to help contain the virus.

The second is to build professional teams to pursue development. We will standardize the annual recruitment process of community workers to ensure the quality of community workers from the very beginning and encourage college graduates to work in the communities or start businesses there. We will improve the incentive system for community workers and study policies and measures for community team-building exercises together with relevant departments. We will improve the community worker vocational system, establish a post-based remuneration system, enhance the dynamic adjustment mechanism, and increase community worker capabilities and training systems to continuously enhance the professional level of community workers.

The third is to strengthen weak links by improving village-level comprehensive service capabilities. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, great progress has been made in the construction of the rural community service system. However, rural areas still lag behind in this regard. We will focus on issues of the utmost and immediate concern to the people's well-being and improve the service capabilities of villages, further improve the functions of basic public service needs, promote equal access to basic public services, enrich and diversify the supply of services concerning daily life, so as to secure people's basic living needs in rural areas, meet the new needs of villagers' daily lives, and boost rural revitalization and common prosperity.

The fourth is to improve efficiency through information technology. We will accelerate the construction of smart communities and create a new model of community governance services based on digitalization and intelligence. We should strengthen the construction and transformation of smart community infrastructure, focus on building a smart community comprehensive information platform, expand smart community governance scenarios, and map out the building of a community of digital life. We will also promote the application of big data in the communities, streamline and consolidate community data recording, and make full use of big data, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and other information technology methods to integrate various service resources in the communities as well as help community epidemic prevention and control and community governance services.

We have also seen that the modernization of urban and rural primary-level governance has always been progressing. In the next step, together with relevant departments, we will continue to channel resources, management, and services down to the community level and continuously promote the modernization of primary-level governance systems and governance capabilities to empower, improve quality, ease burdens, and increase efficiency for communities. Thank you.

Cover News:

The General Offices of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council issued the Opinions on Reforming and Improving the Social Assistance System in 2020. What achievements have been made in this regard since then? What measures have been taken due to the impact of COVID-19? What considerations will come next? Thank you.

Liu Xitang:

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, two regulations have significantly impacted the development of social assistance. One is the Interim Measures for Social Assistance, promulgated and implemented in 2014. The other is the Opinions on Reforming and Improving the Social Assistance System, issued by the General Offices of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council in 2020. Since then, the MCA, together with other departments, has implemented the requirements for reforming and improving relevant systems and achieved good results, which greatly enhanced the inclusiveness, accessibility, convenience and accuracy of social assistance.

First, policies and systems have become more rational. Accordingly, we have adjusted and optimized the social assistance policies on subsistence allowances, extreme poverty aid and temporary assistance. The scope of the subsistence allowance scheme was expanded to include individuals with serious illness or severe disability from families just outside the margin of eligibility. The subsistence allowance system covers both households and individuals that need help, providing more people-oriented services. We have relaxed the criteria of extreme poverty and standardized the methods to identify people who are incapable of working. The eligible age of minors covered by the relief scheme for severely impoverished people has been extended from 16 to 18. Moreover, we have implemented the temporary assistance system that allows us to provide assistance first with a small amount, highlighting the function of emergency assistance.

Second, a comprehensive assistance system has basically taken shape. Now, social assistance does not depend on the MCA alone, but is coordinately implemented by all departments. We provide comprehensive assistance of different types at different levels in both urban and rural areas. We have classified the social assistance community into three circles: recipients of subsistence allowances and extreme poverty aid in the core circle, people just outside the margin of eligibility for subsistence allowances and those with basic expenditure difficulties in the second circle, and people who face temporary difficulties in the third circle. We have made multi-pronged efforts with medical care, education, housing, employment and other special social assistance policies. We have established an inter-ministerial joint conference system for national social assistance, set up a coordination mechanism in the county level led by leading government officials to ensure the basic livelihoods of local people living in poverty, and strengthened the coordination of social assistance resources.

Third, the means of verifying the financial conditions of families applying for social assistance is now more scientific. We have adjusted and optimized the method of identifying household income and property, further improved the mechanism for checking the financial conditions of families receiving social assistance, and relaxed the frequency of reviewing the financial conditions of those receiving social assistance.

Fourth, social assistance services have become more convenient and efficient. We have delegated powers to review and approve applications for subsistence allowances and extreme poverty aid to sub-districts and townships, and established a comprehensive service mechanism where applications are processed at a one-stop service counter and coordinated across all departments. We have also allocated temporary assistance reserve funds to sub-districts and townships, required civil affairs departments at all levels to set up hotlines for social assistance services, and established a mechanism to proactively identify those eligible people who are incapable of applying for social assistance by themselves. More and more regions are providing specific services, like allowing people to apply for subsistence allowances directly on their cellphones. These changes have helped to make our social assistance policies more accessible to people in need.

You also mentioned the issue of ensuring the basic needs of people in difficulty during the epidemic. In response to that, the MCA, together with other departments, has implemented the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee, adjusted policies in a timely manner, and issued several emergency response measures. For example, we granted a lump sum of one-time temporary assistance for people facing difficulties but without unemployment insurance. We provided one-time living allowances to people in need, including subsistence allowance recipients and people with special difficulties. We instituted a mechanism to increase social security assistance and benefit payments in step with price rises, expanded assistance coverage for the current period, and lowered the eligibility requirements. Moreover, we provided temporary assistance to people with urgent or special needs that do not hold local residency. All these measures have achieved excellent results in ensuring the basic needs of those struggling due to COVID-19.

Social assistance is the basic system for ensuring people's basic well-being, promoting social equity and maintaining social stability. Going forward, the MCA will fully enforce the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, continue to deepen the reform of the social assistance system, and improve the mechanism to accurately identify people in need. We will innovate and optimize assistance services to make social assistance more law-based, specialized, information-based, and targeted. We will strive to bring a stronger sense of fulfillment, happiness and security to people in difficulty.

Tianmu News:

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that it is a matter of social harmony and stability to ensure care, support, recreation, and security for the elderly. What measures has the MCA adopted to improve the elderly care system since the 18th CPC National Congress? What are the subsequent arrangements? Thank you. 

Zhan Chengfu:

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the MCA has made great efforts to improve the elderly care service system. We have cracked down on fraud cases related to elder care, and established and improved the elderly care service system, ensuring that the seniors really get to know the accesses and places to obtain such services. I'd like to invite Mr. Li to make a detailed introduction.

Li Banghua:

Thank you for your questions. Mr. Zhan has made a brief introduction to the measures that we've adopted. The elderly care issue is something people are really concerned about, as we all have older adults as family members, and everyone gets old. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has made an important deployment to boost the elderly care service sector and establish an elderly care service system with Chinese characteristics. General Secretary Xi Jinping has made important instructions on the work regarding elderly care services on various occasions. Recently, General Secretary Xi Jinping made some important instructions on the aging issue and elderly care services during his inspection in Liaoning province. The MCA, working with the relevant departments, has ramped up efforts to implement the deployments and promote the progress of the elderly care service system with Chinese characteristics in the new era. Remarkable achievements have been made in the following five aspects:

First, the institutional framework for elderly care services has been constantly improved. Over the past decade, the Standing Committee of the NPC has amended the Law on Protection of the Rights and Interests of the Elderly three times, with the issue regarding elderly care services being part of it every time. The CPC Central Committee and the State Council have released more than 10 sets of policies to promote elderly care services. The MCA has worked with relevant departments to roll out over 90 sets of institutions and set up more than 50 sets of national and industry standards. The elderly care service system has become a crucial part of the national strategy to address an aging population. 

Second, the basic elderly care service system has been continually improved. A total of 14.2 million elderly people have been covered by the subsistence allowances system, and over 3.7 million old adults have received extreme poverty aid. The subsidy system for the poor population of advanced age and incapacitated seniors has been put in place at the provincial level, benefiting nearly 37 million people. We have also stepped up efforts to develop a system to support and care for left-behind elderly people in rural areas.

Third, the supply of elderly care services has increased. There are nearly 360,000 eldercare institutions and facilities across the country, offering over 8.1 million beds, which is almost twice as many as that in 2012. A series of preferential and supporting policies have been released to ensure the supply of the elderly care service, such as land use, tax cuts, and fiscal subsidies. We have made the elderly care services market more market-based. As such, the supply of elderly care services has become diversified.

Fourth, home- and community-based elderly care has witnessed rapid progress. There are 320,000 community-based elderly care service institutions and facilities nationwide, accounting for 88.9% of the country's total number of elderly care service institutions and facilities. New forms of services regarding home- and community-based elderly care have emerged, such as home adaptations, home care beds, regular visiting activities, "time bank," and elderly-targeted restaurants.

Fifth, the quality of the elderly care services has continuously improved. The MCA has worked with relevant departments to launch a four-year special campaign to improve the quality of the elderly care services nationwide, addressing more than 420,000 hidden dangers. We have conducted a series of major projects to begin renovations of the institutions offering extreme poverty aid and ensure that the elderly care institutions will meet all fire safety standards. Thereby, the elderly care services have seen notable progress.

Going forward, the MCA will continue to implement the important instructions made by General Secretary Xi Jinping and the decisions and arrangements made by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council so as to step up efforts in the following four aspects. First, we will promote the legislation for the elderly services to improve the institutional framework of the elderly care services. Second, we will improve the basic elderly care service system to foster a new development paradigm for elderly care services. Third, we will accelerate the development of long-term care services so as to further optimize the supply of services for the old-aged people. Fourth, we will ensure both development and security, and reinforce supervision over elderly care services in a comprehensive manner. All these efforts serve the same purpose, which is to enable elderly people to live happy lives.

Thank you.

Shou Xiaoli:

Thank you to all the speakers and friends from the press. That's all for today's press conference.

Translated and edited by Wang Qian, Xu Xiaoxuan, Zhou Jing, Wang Yanfang, Wang Yiming, Duan Yaying, Liu Sitong, Guo Yiming, Wang Wei, Zhang Rui, Yan Bin, Li Huiru, Dong Qingpei, Gong Yingchun, Yuan Fang, Xu Kailin, David Ball, Jay Birbeck, and Tom Arnstein. In case of any discrepancy between the English and Chinese texts, the Chinese version is deemed to prevail.

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Read in Chinese

Speakers:

Ma Feixiong, vice minister of veterans affairs

Liang Jingge, director general of the Department of Ideology and Rights Protection, Ministry of Veterans Affairs (MVA)

Yu Jingsen, director general of the Department of Employment and Entrepreneurship,MVA

Cao Jun, director general of the Department of Support and Preferential Treatment, MVA

Li Jingxian, official of the Department of Commendation and Commemoration, MVA

Chairperson:

Chen Wenjun, spokesperson of the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC)

Date:

Aug. 26, 2022

Chen Wenjun:

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to this press conference held by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee. Today, we are holding the 25th press conference under the theme of “China in the past decade.” We have invited Mr. Ma Feixiong, vice minister of veterans affairs, to brief you on the measures and achievements of veterans affairs in the new era. Also joining us today are Mr. Liang Jingge, director general of the Department of Ideology and Rights Protection, Ministry of Veterans Affairs (MVA); Mr. Yu Jingsen, director general of the Department of Employment and Entrepreneurship, MVA; Mr. Cao Jun, director general of the Department of Support and Preferential Treatment, MVA; and Mr. Li Jingxian, an official from the Department of Commendation and Commemoration, MVA. They will take your questions.

Now, let's give the floor to Mr. Ma Feixiong for his introduction.

Ma Feixiong:

Ladies and gentlemen, friends from the press, good morning. Welcome to this press conference. I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to you for your interest in and support for the developments in veterans affairs.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress , the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has attached great importance to veterans affairs. General Secretary Xi Jinping, keeping in mind the overall cause of the Party and the country, has personally devised the establishment of a veterans administration and support institution, and made a series of important statements on veterans affairs, pointed out the direction and provided fundamental guidance for dealing with veterans affairs in the new era. The 19th CPC National Congress made the major decision to establish an administration and support institution for veterans. On April 16, 2018, the MVA was officially established. For more than four years, we have committed ourselves to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and thoroughly implemented General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions on veterans affairs. We have constantly tried to develop a deep understanding of the decisive significance of the establishment of both Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the CPC 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. We have always been increasing our consciousness of the need to maintain political integrity, think in big-picture terms, follow the leadership core and keep in alignment with the central Party leadership. We have remained confident in the path, the theory, the system, and the culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and consistently upheld Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the CPC Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and upheld the Central Committee's authority and its centralized, unified leadership. We have resolutely implemented the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, and improved and firmly implemented policies and mechanisms to ensure that the military profession and veterans are respected by the whole of society. As a result, new developments have been secured in veterans affairs, and veterans' sense of gain, happiness and honor has been continuously enhanced.

First, the Party's leadership has been strengthened across the board. The central government has introduced opinions on improving the administration of veterans affairs in the new era and a plan featuring policies and systems for reforming veterans affairs, and issued the 14th Five-Year Plan for Services and Support for Veterans and the Opinions on Strengthening Commendation of Martyrs in the New Era , providing top-level design and institutional arrangements for veterans affairs in the new era. Party committees at and above the county level have all set up leading organs for veterans affairs, and the operating mechanisms have been improved, comprehensively enhancing the Party's leadership over veterans affairs. 

Second, various related systems have been established and improved. Administrative organizations for veterans affairs at and above the county level have been established across the country. There are now more than 600,000 veterans service centers and stations covering six levels from the state to the villages and communities. More than 4,000 relevant public institutions and over 700 social organizations have been transferred, taken charge of and set up. An organization and management system under the Party's leadership where administrative organs, service systems and private entities all make contributions has basically taken shape. We have established and improved the mechanism for the military and civilians to work together as one office while maintaining their separate identities, and promoted the inclusion of veterans affairs into the assessment of local Party and government officials. The working system of military and civilian coordination and cooperation has been gradually improved. China's first special law regarding veterans, The Veterans Law, came into force on Jan. 1, 2021, introducing hundreds of supporting policies covering such fields as ideology, resettlement and employment, preferential treatment and commendation, and service guarantee. A policy and institution system that both respects veterans and guarantees services and management for them has been basically formed.

Ma Feixiong:

Third, notable achievements have been secured in resettlement and employment of veterans. We have deepened the reform of the veterans resettlement system, innovatively organized direct and targeted resettlement of military officers transferred to civilian jobs, and improved the mechanism for fair and transparent resettlement, constantly improving the quality of resettlement. Over the past four-plus years, more than 1.85 million veterans have been resettled, and more than 80% of demobilized military officers have landed a job in Party and government organs and public institutions administered according to civil servants' standards. We have established a system for veterans to receive monthly demobilization payments, implemented the mechanism of immediate resettlement upon demobilization, and accelerated the resettlement of retired military personnel as well as military personnel with injuries, diseases and disabilities. In order to secure more adequate and high-quality employment for veterans, policy documents including the Opinions on Encouraging Outstanding Veterans to Teach in Primary and Secondary Schools have been issued, helping 2.26 million veterans find jobs and start their own businesses.

Fourth, services have been continuously guaranteed and improved. Subsidies and living allowances for entitled groups have been raised year after year. Unified supplementary payment of basic old-age insurance has been organized for some veterans, with 2.85 million veterans benefiting from the policy. Supplementary payment of medical insurance is now processed regularly. Basic information on veterans and other entitled groups nationwide has been collected and registration is completed on a regular basis. The application and issuance of preferential treatment cards for veterans and other entitled groups has been comprehensively launched. Universities for retired military officers have been established, and online platforms providing convenient services for them have been put into place. A new occupation of “veterans affairs officer” has been created to improve professional services. Campaigns have been launched and funds supporting veterans have been deployed to help veterans address their problems and difficulties.

Fifth, we have built an environment where the public values retired soldiers' contributions. We have held the National Conference on the Work of Veteran Affairs and ceremonies that honor cities, organizations, and individuals for their outstanding contributions to veteran affairs. General Secretary Xi Jinping met with representatives on those occasions twice, which greatly motivated the veterans and those working in veteran affairs. We extensively promoted the stories of model veterans like Zhang Fuqing, organized a series of activities to encourage veterans to follow the Party's leadership, and created the veteran-themed drama "Heart of a Soldier." Moreover, we organized a campaign for the public to learn from outstanding veterans and individuals who gave immense support to the military. We have consolidated the common consensus that retired soldiers and military personnel are respected, and their contributions are valued by establishing and improving the systematic routine. Our work includes holding farewell activities for recruits when they leave for the army, decorating a plate of glory in the family with military personnel, sending congratulatory letters to the family of a soldier who is rewarded in the army, and holding welcome activities for military personnel after service in their hometowns. We also include the names of the soldiers and their contributions to the local chronicles. Since 2014, China has brought back the remains of 825 Chinese People's Volunteers (CPV) martyrs from the Republic of Korea (ROK) in over eight consecutive years. We have carried out activities to encourage government and public support for the military and preferential treatment for families of service personnel and martyrs in the border and coastal defense forces. We have made changes to the military-civilian dual list system to make administrative procedures easier and consolidate the unity of the military, the government, and the people. 

These achievements are attributed to the outstanding leadership of the CPC Central Committee and the whole Party with General Secretary Xi Jinping at its core and the science-based guidelines of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. Looking forward, we will continue to follow Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, bear in mind the country's most fundamental interests, and stay true to our founding mission. We will focus on serving socio-economic development, national defense, and military building and write a new chapter for the high-quality development of work related to veteran affairs. We will strive to provide better services for retired military personnel and other entitled groups. This will pave the way for a successful 20th National Party Congress.

This is the end of my introduction. Next, my colleagues and I would like to answer your questions. Thank you.

Chen Wenjun:

Thank you, Mr. Ma. The floor is now open for questions. Please identify the news outlet you represent before raising your questions.

China Central Television:

What steps has the MVA taken to ensure ex-service personnel have a role in human resource management? Are there any future plans? Thank you.

Ma Feixiong:

Thanks for your question. This has long been one of our work priorities. Let me elaborate on this.

Retired military personnel, who have undergone strict training in the army, are mostly equipped with well-rounded qualifications. They are major human resources contributing to developing a modern socialist country. Over the past four years, the MVA has been conscientiously following the guidelines of General Secretary Xi Jinping and encouraging veterans to play their due roles through various measures. First, we have strengthened theoretical and political guidance. We have constantly carried out a series of campaigns to encourage veterans to follow the Party's leadership, organized education campaigns for veterans, selected and honored model veterans, organized campaigns to learn from outstanding veterans, issued privilege cards to entitled groups, held burial ceremonies for remains of CPV martyrs from the ROK, and encouraged ex-service personnel to pass on the revolutionary traditions and the exemplary conduct of the Chinese military and make new contributions in the new era. Second, centered on the requirements of the "six stabilities" and "six guarantees" by the CPC Central Committee, we encourage ex-service personnel to contribute their share to economic development. We have helped settle down 1.85 million ex-service members, helped 2.26 million veterans to find a job or start a business, encouraged 3.5 million ex-service members who became small business owners and played their role as market entities, and initiated over 10,000 startup and innovation projects for veterans. These efforts have helped stabilize the economy and energize the market. Third, revolving around the modernization of China's governance system and capacity, we have encouraged veterans to engage in rural revitalization efforts and to participate in the work of the village committee and Party committee in accordance with the laws and regulations. Over 270,000 ex-service personnel have become members of village and Party committees to serve the people better. We have also organized over 247,000 volunteer service teams consisting of veterans and recruited over 3.5 million veteran volunteers that work on the frontlines of Covid-19 response, as well as disaster rescue and relief. We also selected excellent ex-service members to work as primary and secondary school teachers, police officers or auxiliary officers, and community workers to serve the people and society.

For the next step, we will make good use of the veterans in the workforce, give them their role to play, and encourage them to become a determined force that follows the leadership of the Party, contributes to socio-economic development, and becomes a backup force for national defense and military building, as well as a major volunteer force for emergency rescue and relief, so as to better serve the modernization of the socialist country. Thank you!

China Review:

The service guarantee system now basically covers all retired military personnel. Are there any plans to improve this service guarantee system? How will "veteran service officers" play their role in guaranteeing the service of veterans?

Ma Feixiong:

Thanks for your question. The veterans' service guarantee system is one of the three priorities of our work. By asking this question, I can see that you have a good understanding of veteran affairs. The guarantee system is constantly improving. I would like to ask my colleague Liang Jingge, director general of the Department of Ideology and Rights Protection at the MVA, to answer your questions.

Liang Jingge:

With our continuous efforts over more than three years, almost all the ex-service members have been covered by the veteran service and support system. As such, we will adhere to the working philosophy of "delivering timely services and ensuring better guarantees" to push forward the veteran service and support system to a higher level. First, we will consolidate the foundation of veteran service institutions in five aspects, including the establishment of institutions, permanent staffing, regular staff members, sufficient funds, and guaranteed support. We will further implement the important guiding principle of General Secretary Xi Jinping by working in line with the requirements for the five aspects that serve all veterans and verify the construction and running status of veteran service centers and stations at all levels in a comprehensive way to keep advancing our work. Second, we will strengthen our team capacity building. We will take action to improve veteran service centers and station teams' capacity and quality, guiding and helping their staff members to strengthen their vocational study and improve their ability to perform their duties. Third, we will upgrade our service modes. To show our respect to veterans, we have pushed forward service modes such as agent service, one-stop service, internet plus service, and service without the need for a second trip. More than 600,000 veteran service institutions can now be reached on Amap and Baidu Map navigation apps, which offers veterans more convenient high-quality, and efficient services. Fourth, we will strengthen vocational construction. We will study and formulate the national vocational skill standards for personnel who manage veteran affairs, do a good job in compiling teaching materials, and develop question banks and other supporting work. On the basis of carrying out pilot schemes, we will gradually expand training to the whole system so as to build a professional team which has excellent vocational skills, is familiar with specialized knowledge and competent in practical tasks.

Veteran affairs officer is a new profession established for the first time in China and designed to provide services and guarantees for ex-servicemen. The setting of this profession is of great significance for improving the construction of a quality and efficient veteran service and support system and also promote the long-term and sound development of our cause. It will substantially raise the social awareness, recognition, and credibility of veteran affairs officers, support them to enhance their confidence and sense of professional belonging, and play a role in stabilizing and expanding our team. Meanwhile, going forward, we will establish a working mechanism of normalized training and scientific assessment procedures, open up the channel of career development for relevant personnel, and make our services and support work more professional and standardized. Thank you.

Xinhua News Agency:

Preferential treatment certificates are a symbol of honor for all veterans. Can you give an introduction to the current certification's application and issuance process? What preferential treatment can certificate holders enjoy? What plans will be made in the future to expand current preferential treatment programs? Thank you.

Ma Feixiong:

Thank you for your questions. Preferential treatment certificates are closely connected with all the ex-service members and other entitled groups, and, as you mentioned, the certificate is a symbol of honor for all veterans. I would like to invite Mr. Cao to answer your questions.

Cao Jun:

Thank you for your questions. Last December, the MVA officially started work on the application and issuance of preferential treatment certificates. This work has attracted much attention and is one of the key tasks of the MVA. Veteran affairs departments at all levels throughout the country have actively pushed ahead with relevant work in accordance with the deployment and requirements. At present, the work on the application and issuance of preferential treatment certificates is stable and orderly. As of 9:30 p.m. on Aug. 25, a total of 8.56 million preferential treatment certificates have been issued. By the end of the year, we will make efforts to issue certificates for all existing applicants.

The preferential treatment for certificate holders mainly refers to preferential social treatment, and can be summarized in three aspects. First, equal importance has been attached to preferential treatment in both the spiritual and material levels. The issuance of the certificate is an important measure to improve the honor system of the entitled groups and highlight the praise and encouragement for the holders. At the same time, we are also constantly improving the value of the certificate to let its holder access practical preferential treatment. For instance, holders can be guaranteed preferential access to services in some areas, such as, in particular, the courtesy broadcast in passenger cabins of China United Airlines, discounts in fueling cars at petrol stations under the China National Petroleum Corporation, and in delivering mail via SF Express, among others. Second, preferential treatment at the national and local levels have been coordinated. At the national level, 20 government organs, including the MVA, have issued opinions on strengthening the work on preferential treatment, clarifying almost 100 preferential treatment services in eight aspects that can be accessed by certificate holders. The preferential treatment at the national level is mainly reflected in spiritual praise and motivation. In accordance with the unified arrangement and deployment of the state, and in combination with the local economic and social development level, local departments have also issued a list of preferential treatment categories for certificate holders. Third, preferential treatment guaranteed by the government and provided by society have been coordinated. Joint efforts from both the government and the community are needed in offering abundant preferential treatment services for the entitled groups. So far, some enterprises in finance, communications, transportation, cultural tourism, express delivery, and some other fields have provided preferential treatment services for certificate holders. We hope that more social organizations and enterprises will join the practices to provide preferential treatment.

Going forward, we will expand and improve preferential treatment programs in four aspects. First, we will expand the scope of its application. We will continue to intensify our efforts to enrich the usage of the certificate. Second, we will coordinate extensive connectivity. Local departments and institutions are encouraged to open their preferential treatment services to certificate holders across the country so that preferential treatment programs across the country can be widely connected. Third, we will build platforms. We will build unified preferential treatment service platforms to both facilitate people from all walks of life to provide preferential treatment for certificate holders and help them get a better understanding and grant them access to various kinds of preferential treatment services. Fourth, we will digitalize the certificate. We will promote efforts to digitize the preferential treatment certificate and develop digital versions to help the holders enjoy preferential treatment conveniently. We believe that with strong support from the government and the active involvement of society, the certificate will become more and more useful and easier to use. Thank you.

Cover News:

What are the highlights and achievements in employment and entrepreneurship of veterans? And what are the next arrangements in promoting high-quality and stable employment for them? Thank you.

Ma Feixiong:

Thank you for your questions. As we know, employment is the cornerstone of people's well-being. The issue that you are concerned about is also a concern of veterans, and the focus of the MVA. As such, when the MVA was established, the Department of Employment and Entrepreneurship was specially set up. Now, I'd like to invite Mr. Yu Jingsen, director general of the Department of Employment and Entrepreneurship, to answer your questions.

Yu Jingsen:

First of all, I would like to thank all media reporters, especially all of you here, for your concern and care for the employment and entrepreneurship work of veterans. I will answer your questions from the following three aspects.

The first is to establish and improve a sound policy support system centering on serving key national development strategies. We have worked with other relevant departments and issued a series of policy documents to guide veterans to work for rural revitalization, in economic development zones and contribute to the development of private enterprises. So far, more than 400,000 veterans have returned to their hometowns and set up businesses, with some of them even becoming entrepreneurial “leaders” in getting rich.

The second is to directly provide high-quality job opportunities to maintain a stable economy and employment, and meet basic living needs. Firstly, we cooperated with enterprises. Veterans affairs departments at all levels signed contracts with 13,000 enterprises, provided more than 1 million jobs, and helped around 300,000 people find employment. Secondly, we cooperated with all sectors of society to guide veterans to find employment in suitable fields and key industries, in positions such as primary and secondary school teachers, police officers and auxiliary police officers. In addition, 3,000 to 4,000 of them are recruited in emergency management and fire and rescue services and more than 3,000 veterans are hired as shipping seamen each year. The scale of recruitment has also been increased, and more than 20,000 job fairs have been held in various regions, providing 12 million jobs and helping 2.26 million veterans get employment.

The third is to create a favorable environment to support job creation through business startups. We will guide veterans to make good use of existing policies, and support and promote the development of enterprises that are run by veterans and create more jobs. To date, more than 3 million self-employed individuals and enterprises have created more than 4 million jobs for veterans. The national-level Veterans Entrepreneurship and Innovation Competition saw the participation of more than 50,000 veterans with 13,000 high-quality startup projects. In addition, every year in the People's Daily, we publish the Honor Roll of Employment Cooperation Enterprises and the Honor Roll of Entrepreneurship That Creates Jobs. With the joint efforts and support of society, an atmosphere in which agencies, enterprises and institutions at all levels across the country give priority to the employment of veterans under the same conditions has taken shape.

Next, we will further improve the empowerment level of education and training programs for veterans, and fill the policy gap to support veterans in entrepreneurship and innovation and step up effective measures for self-employed individuals and employment assistance. We will continue to strengthen cooperation between industries and enterprises and encourage recruitment activities. We will also give full support to the development of enterprises run by veterans and broaden employment channels.

That's all from me. Thank you.

Beijing Radio & Television Station:

Caring for and respecting veterans is the shared responsibility of the whole society, and easing their difficulties is also a key task. What kind of work has been carried out to care for veterans in difficulty? What are the relevant arrangements going forward? Thank you.

Ma Feixiong:

Thank you for your questions. I will have Mr. Liang Jingge take your question.

Liang Jingge:

When it comes to people's livelihoods, every little detail matters. Among all the veterans, there are a few who do have difficulty in work and life due to various reasons. Since the establishment of the MVA, we have acted with firm resolve to implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions on caring for veterans, and established a support and assistance work system for veterans in difficulties that is led by the MVA with proactive cooperation from relevant functional departments and public participation.

The first is to develop a clear picture of the number of veterans in difficulty to implement targeted assistance and relief. Together with the Ministry of Civil Affairs, we drew back the veil on the number of veterans in difficulty across the country, and created the assistance service system to implement dynamic management and targeted assistance. At important points throughout the year, we will pay visits to veterans to see what they need. Over the past four years, a total of 6.5 billion yuan has been invested into our work, and more than 31 million veterans have been visited and helped.

The second is to strengthen top-level design and improve our policy and regulation system. We have released documents on assisting veterans, ensuring their basic livelihood and judicial assistance together with the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the CPC Central Committee, the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Ministry of Finance, to leverage relevant departments' functional advantages and open up a "green lane" to address veterans' needs. So far, we have issued nearly 41 million yuan in judicial assistance funding for veterans, service members and their families.

The third is to create strong synergy and support to further step up social participation. We cooperated with relevant social organizations to launch public interest activities under the theme of "Warming Veterans with Care and Help," in which we have invested more than 30 million yuan and carried out activities to address veterans' urgent needs including their elderly health care and the issues of schooling and medical assistance for their children, which have produced positive social effects. We also guided 20 provinces to set up care funds (associations) for veterans, and a total of 9 billion yuan has been collected.

Next, we will continue to carry out the special action of "Warming Veterans and Addressing Their Urgent Needs" together with the China Charity Federation and other units, so as to benefit more veterans in difficulty. We will continue to improve the assistance service system, provide care through routine visits and guide social organizations to play an active role in order to effectively build a tightly woven system to meet veterans' basic needs. Thank you. 

Changjiang Daily:

Since the establishment of the MVA, what has been done to promote the education and training of veterans and boost the employment of veterans who involved in enrollment expansion programs of vocational colleges? Thank you. 

Ma Feixiong:

Thank you for your question. Mr. Yu will answer your question. 

Yu Jingsen:

Thank you for your concern. As we know, service members are devoted to protecting our country while most young people study at school or prepare to enter higher school. Therefore, they need to improve their educational background and vocational skills after they retire from military service. I will answer the question from the following five aspects:

First, we have strengthened the top-level design. We worked with education, finance, and social security departments to roll out more than 10 policy documents related to education (receiving higher education) and training, reconstructing the whole education and training system.

Second, we organize adaptive training. Veterans face a significant change after they retire from military service. How to adapt themselves to the social situation as quickly as possible is a challenge. We have promoted adaptive training across the country since 2019, specifying the training's content, timetables, and forms. More than 520,000 veterans have improved their social adaptability through training. 

Third, we focus on improving their educational background. We worked with the Ministry of Education to boost enrollment expansion of self-employed veterans for higher vocational colleges. More than 1 million ex-service members who graduated from high school studied at a full-time junior college without being asked to take literacy exams. Moreover, 180,000 went back to school, and 20,000 became graduate students. We conducted tuition reduction or exemption for undergraduates, junior college students and postgraduates. National grant programs for undergraduates and junior college students have covered all full-time students who retired from military service. 

Fourth, we improve their vocational skills. We have strengthened the management of training institutions, establishing a management system featuring provincial unified planning and municipal leadership. We require counties to be held responsible for work assigned by the provincial and municipal governments, releasing name lists of training institutions, assessing performance at regular intervals, and expanding training programs to encourage ex-service members to participate in programs to improve their vocational skills and satisfy their growing diversified training demand with high quality. Our training programs have covered a total of 820,000 people. 

Enrollment expansion of higher vocational colleges and employment, which the reporter mentioned, is also a hot issue of the year. The first batch of ex-service members who participated in enrollment expansion programs of vocational colleges will graduate this year, and the number of graduates is expected to reach 300,000. To ensure their employment, we worked with the Ministry of Education to coordinate deployment and arrangements and promote full and stable employment. The preliminary statistics showed that the initial employment rate for graduates from vocational colleges stood at over 80 percent.

That's all for my answer, thank you. 

China Daily:

As we all know, the transfer and resettlement of veterans are very important. What progress and achievements have been made in this regard in recent years? Thank you.  

Ma Feixiong:

Thank you for your question. Resettlement of veterans is regular work. Where there are armed forces, there is retirement. Where there is retirement, there is resettlement. I am happy to give you some information about this. 

The resettlement of veterans is a global problem. We can demonstrate our efforts by rising to challenges. Since the establishment of the MVA, we have always followed the guidelines of serving the economy and the society, serving the construction of national defense and the armed forces, adhering to the principle of appropriate resettlement, reasonable use, tapping the full potential of talents and making sure that everyone enjoys his place. We will focus on the target of high-quality development, improve policies and measures, enhance working mechanisms, and improve our services, so as to well resettle veterans. 

First, we have continued to improve the resettlement system. We established a resettlement system that featured monthly retirement payments and rolled out measures for implementation. We started a training resettlement scheme for professional talents of veterans, improved the system for choosing jobs based on service contribution, promoted the system to encourage veterans to work at the grassroots level, and standardized transfer and resettlement procedures to improve the resettlement system. 

Second, the quality of resettlement has improved steadily. We carried out a series of measures, collecting reasonable positions, making scientific resettlement plans, intensifying our efforts in training, making more significant efforts to better match talents with positions, and doing everything possible to motivate employers to improve the quality of resettlement effectively. 

For more than four years, we have successfully resettled 330,000 ex-service members, who were employed by Party and government institutions at all levels, people's organizations, public institutions and state-owned enterprises. Their satisfaction with the resettlement work has been increasing year by year. 

Third, special campaigns have progressed smoothly. We focus on serving for and promoting military reforms and overcoming difficulties. We resettled many ex-service members during military reforms and took concrete steps to address permanent residency of military personnel and resettlement of ex-firemen. We also focus on serving for war preparedness and combat capabilities and follow the principle of taking special measures in special situations. We have quickened our steps to resettle military personnel who have been put on rest for a long time and retired soldiers who are sick and disabled. We focus on resolving the pressing difficulties and problems of veterans. We completed the work of supplementary payment of basic old-age insurance of some ex-servicemen, covering 2.853 million ex-service members. The management of basic old-age insurance is now conducted regularly. All these measures and work have convincingly shown the care of the Party and governments for ex-service members. 

China Youth Daily:

Revolutionary resources serve as vivid teaching materials for all Party officials and members to stand firm in their ideals and convictions and strengthen the Party spirit. What has the MVA done to make good use of revolutionary cultural resources, pass down revolutionary traditions, and sustain revolutionary heritage? Thank you.

Ma Feixiong:

Thanks to the reporter for their question. It is one of the important functions of the Department of Commendation and Commemoration of the MVA to make good use of revolutionary cultural resources, pass down revolutionary traditions, and sustain revolutionary heritage. We will have Mr. Li Jingxian from the Department of Commendation and Commemoration answer this question.

Li Jingxian:

Thanks to the reporter for their question. The MVA has resolutely implemented the important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping on the use of revolutionary cultural resources and commendation and commemoration of martyrs. We have guarded memorial facilities for martyrs, held the ground for education on the history of revolution, vigorously publicized and promoted the deeds and spirit of the heroes and martyrs, passed down revolutionary traditions and sustained revolutionary heritage, gathered mental strength, and nurtured the root and soul of the nation, and taken concrete steps to promote innovative development in the commendation and commemoration of martyrs.

First, the policy and regulation system has been further improved. We have promoted the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, the General office of the State Council, and the General office of the Central Military Commission to issue overall work plans on planning, construction, renovation, management, and maintenance of memorial facilities for martyrs and the opinions on strengthening commendation and commemoration of martyrs in the new era. Our work has incorporated the protection of heroes and martyrs into the support system of Party and state awards and honors. We have rolled out measures for protecting overseas memorial facilities for martyrs and revised the measures for protection and management of memorial facilities for martyrs. We have cooperated with relevant departments to establish a joint mechanism for protecting heroes and martyrs and have issued a series of guidelines on protecting, managing, and utilizing memorial facilities for martyrs. 

Second, remarkable progress has been made in the quality improvement and renovation of memorial facilities for martyrs. We have actively collected and verified information for the use of memorial facilities for martyrs, realizing dynamic information management of 760,000 martyrs' tombs nationwide. We have joined with the National Development and Reform Commission to roll out a project to provide adequate social service facilities during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, with a focus on supporting the upgrading and renovation of national- and provincial-level memorial facilities for martyrs. We have worked with relevant departments to launch renovation projects on memorial facilities for martyrs at the county level and below, renovating 220,000 memorial facilities for martyrs nationwide and combining standardized renovation with effective management and protection. We have signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the National Cultural Heritage Administration, strengthening the preservation and utilization of revolutionary cultural resources. 

Third, education on the history of the revolution has fully played its role. We have organized publicity and education events, such as the ones themed "Heroes and Martyrs in the Centenary of the CPC" and "Red September." We have issued the third batch of national-level directories of memorial facilities and historical sites for memorizing the war against the Japanese aggression and martyrs and groups of heroes famous for fighting the war against the Japanese aggression. We have held solemn repatriation and burial ceremonies for the remains of CPV martyrs from the ROK and the burial ceremony of remains of the Red Army martyrs in the Battle of the Xiangjiang. Together with relevant military and local civilian institutions, we have held exhibitions commemorating the 70th anniversary of the CPV entering the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea. Moreover, we have compiled the deeds of famous Chinese heroes and martyrs and promoted such materials to be displayed at the Museum of the CPC. We have, working with relevant departments, directed all local governments to make good use of memorial facilities for martyrs in the Party history learning and education and created several excellent works, including one titled "I Live in Your Memory." We have continued to launch themed events to commemorate heroes and martyrs online, and organized groups of Chinese youth cadres and other delegations to visit the DPRK for tomb-sweeping and exchanges. We have directed local governments to hold solemn public commemorative events for martyrs and award ceremonies for certificates of martyr on China's Martyrs' Day. We have actively collected and conserved relics of martyrs, their family letters, and historical materials and strengthened efforts to train research fellows and narrators in memorial facilities for heroes and martyrs. Thank you.

People.cn:

Can you brief us on the arrangements of the handover, repatriation, and burial ceremonies of the ninth batch of remains of the CPV martyrs from the ROK and the latest progress on identifying family members of martyrs? Thank you.

Ma Feixiong:

Thanks to the reporter for their question. As you know, a total of eight batches of the remains of the CPV martyrs from the ROK have been returned and buried home over the past eight consecutive years. The repatriation and burial ceremonies were grand and solemn, attracting worldwide attention. We will have Mr. Li Jingxian from the Department of Commendation and Commemoration discuss the arrangements of the ninth batch.

Li Jingxian:

According to the consensus and the work plan reached by China and the ROK, the repatriation and burial ceremonies of the ninth batch of remains of the CPV martyrs from the ROK will be held from Sept. 14 to 17. The remains will be placed into coffins at a ceremony on Sept. 15 in Incheon, the ROK. The handover and repatriation ceremonies will be held on Sept. 16 at the Incheon International Airport in the ROK and the Taoxian International Airport in Shenyang, Liaoning province of China, respectively. The burial ceremony is scheduled for Sept. 17 at Shenyang's CPV martyrs' cemetery. To fully demonstrate respect for CPV martyrs and vigorously promote the spirit of the heroes and martyrs, the MVA, together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other relevant units, will continue to hold the handover and repatriation ceremonies of the ninth batch of remains of the CPV martyrs from the ROK. China's repatriation delegation is planned to be led by a comrade in charge of the MVA and consist of members of the Publicity Department and the International Department of the Central Committee of the CPC, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, and the Political Work Department of the Central Military Commission. They will go to the ROK to carry out the handover and escort the remains of the CPV martyrs back to China. The leading official of the MVA will go to Shenyang to preside over the repatriation ceremony, attend the burial ceremony and deliver a eulogy. This year will mark the 20th CPC National Congress and the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the ROK. To fully demonstrate the country's respect and care, the arrangements for the handover, repatriation, and burial ceremonies of the ninth batch of the remains of the CPV martyrs from the ROK will be further optimized. The detailed arrangements are under discussion with the relevant units.

Regarding the progress of searching for relatives of martyrs, the MVA has fully implemented the decisions and plans made by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, optimized the government service platform to help find relatives of martyrs, and actively promoted the work in this regard. As of now, we have found relatives for more than 2,700 martyrs. We have also completed the process of DNA extraction and identification of the remains of 825 CPV martyrs returned by the ROK. At the same time, combined with the relics of martyrs, military history, and information on the excavation of the remains of CPV martyrs, we sorted out the list of suspected relatives of some martyrs, identified 10 returned martyrs, and found their families, naming previously unknown martyrs, and returning them to their hometowns. Now, we have started the collection and identification of DNA from a new group of martyrs' families. For the next step, we will compare that DNA with the remains of martyrs and actively promote related work in a steady manner.

Tianmu News:

The medical rehabilitation of disabled revolutionary servicemen and ex-servicemen has always been a great concern to all. Could you please give us a brief introduction to the current construction, reform, and development of hospitals for entitled groups? Thank you.

Ma Feixiong:

Thank you for your question. Hospitals for entitled groups are an important front for providing services to veterans and other entitled groups. Their development and reform are now at a critical stage. We will have Mr. Cao Jun, the director general of the Department of Support and Preferential Treatment of the MVA, to answer your question. 

Cao Jun:

Thank you for your question as well as the public concern about the hospitals for entitled groups. The public may not yet be very familiar with the new concept of "hospitals for entitled groups." As a matter of fact, as Mr. Ma briefly mentioned just now, hospitals for entitled groups are an important part of troops preparing for war, warm homes for disabled servicemen and other entitled groups to enjoy medical care, rehabilitation, and support services, and an important platform for spreading care and love for revolutionary heroes. In October 1935, the first hospital for entitled groups was established in Yan'an, the holy land of our Party's revolution. Since then, these types of hospitals have made outstanding contributions to serving disabled revolutionary soldiers in different historical periods of China's revolution, construction, and reform. With continuous economic and social development, especially rapid development of national health care, problems such as outdated infrastructure, poor management systems, lack of internal vitality, and the poor planning and layout of hospitals for entitled groups have become increasingly prominent. The construction and service level of hospitals for entitled groups can no longer fully meet the needs of the situation and tasks, as well as the expectations of entitled groups including disabled veterans.

We must go ahead with reform in order to promote the high-quality development of hospitals for entitled groups. It can be summarized as the following four aspects: "positioning, layout, integration, and livening up." The "positioning" stresses that the hospitals for entitled groups are welfare public medical institutions with special missions, mainly providing medical services for entitled groups represented by disabled veterans. Their main duty must be fulfilled with high standards and to the letter. The "layout" requires us to consider the needs of war, needs of entitled groups, and public health resources distribution in a comprehensive way. In principle, we should build three provincial hospitals for entitled groups in each province and a number of regional ones across the country in accordance with the standards of tertiary hospitals. The provincial and regional hospitals for entitled groups should play an exemplary role and help other such hospitals so that we can establish a medical system for entitled groups which is well laid out. The "integration" means that the hospitals for entitled groups should be integrated into the medical and health care service system, be included in regional planning and the construction of medical alliances, enjoy the same preferential policies as other public hospitals, and also provide medical services for our society, so that we can promote the integrated development of hospitals for entitled groups and local medical service systems. "Livening up" indicates that we should strengthen Party building, management, personnel salary, performance evaluation, and other aspects so as to activate the internal driving forces of the hospitals for entitled groups, enhance their capacity for independent development, and improve their capabilities.

It is a fine tradition of the Party and the state to show their great love for revolutionary heroes. It is the main duty of hospitals for entitled groups to serve disabled soldiers and other entitled groups. Being a soldier is a special profession. As the old saying goes, "On the day of taking orders, they will forget their homes; when facing the battles, they will forget their families; when the drum beats, they will forget themselves." Being a soldier means dedication and sacrifice. I hope that governments at all levels, all localities, and all sectors of society will care for, support, and help the construction and development of hospitals for entitled groups, striving to make them stronger and better. In doing so, we will ensure medical service guarantees for military officers and soldiers, and they will definitely devote themselves to building a strong military without hesitation.

Legal Daily:

What changes has the Veterans Support Law brought about more than one year after its implementation? What policies and regulations will be rolled out next to facilitate its enforcement? 

Ma Feixiong:

Thank you for your questions. As I said a moment ago, the Veterans Support Law is China's first special law regarding veterans, so we can all imagine its significance. 

Regarding your question, I would say that it is no easy job to pass a law, and it is even more important to implement it well. The Veterans Support Law has brought about many changes more than one year after its enforcement. First, the atmosphere for studying and respecting the law has become stronger. By compiling tutorials, organizing thematic training, and making short videos, we have promoted the law extensively and continually, focusing on its background, great significance, core content, and practical requirements. Now, the capability of the people in our system to administer according to law has improved markedly, and the legal awareness of veterans has also constantly increased. Second, supporting policies and regulations have been gradually improved. Progress has been made in the formulation and revision of the regulation on the resettlement of veterans, the regulation on the compensation and preferential treatment of military personnel, and the regulation on tributes to families of martyrs. We have also adopted measures on serving and managing retired military officials who now receive benefits from the government, measures on compensating disabled veterans, measures on managing special care hospitals, measures on managing glory hospitals, and measures on protecting and managing memorial facilities for martyrs. Third, solid progress has been made in implementing the law and relevant policies. We have launched an initiative called the "Year of Law and Policy Implementation." Under the initiative, we have worked to see that veterans benefit from relevant policies by promoting coordination at the ministerial, provincial, city, and county levels, urging implementation, breaking down tasks in a detailed manner, promoting the fulfillment of responsibilities at different levels, and tackling the bottlenecks and pains in policy implementation. Fourth, the level of service has kept rising. Among the measures already taken, pensions are given out monthly; the mechanism for fair and transparent resettlement of retired military personnel has been improved, and direct settlement has been introduced; multiple measures have been adopted to help veterans get employment or start a business; subsidies for entitled groups have been increased for many years in a row; the mechanisms for helping those in difficulty and providing legal aid and judicial assistance have been improved to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of veterans according to law. 

Going forward, we will continue to study and implement Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law and the important expositions of General Secretary Xi Jinping on veteran affairs. We will focus on issues that the CPC Central Committee is concerned about, veterans care much about, and those that need urgent attention. We will build a tightly woven system of laws, regulations, and policies, and move faster and with greater force to abolish outdated ones, fix deficiencies, fill gaps and implement existing laws. Specifically, we will focus on three areas of effort. First, we will step up to formulate the regulation on the resettlement of veterans, revise the regulation on the compensation and preferential treatment of military personnel and the regulation on tributes to families of martyrs, and conduct research on the formulation of regulation on the employment and entrepreneurship of veterans. Second, we will improve rules and regulations on various aspects of veteran support, including ones to strengthen their political awareness, facilitate their transfer and resettlement, support their employment and entrepreneurship, ensure their compensation and preferential treatment, and offer tributes to the families of martyrs. Third, we will instruct local veteran services to roll out rules and regulations that suit local conditions. With these efforts, we aim to build a policy system featuring unimpeded communication at all levels, coordination between different departments, policy consistency, and comprehensive support. Thank you.

Chen Wenjun:

Thank you to all speakers and friends from the media. That's all for today's press conference. Goodbye. 

Translated and edited by Wang Qian, Xu Xiaoxuan, Guo Yiming, Liu Qiang, Yang Xi, Zhou Jing, Huang Shan, Zhang Rui, Ma Yujia, Yan Bin, Xu Kailin, Li Huiru, Liu Sitong, Qin Qi, Wang Wei, Yuan Fang, David Ball, Jay Birbeck, and Tom Arnstein. In case of any discrepancy between the English and Chinese texts, the Chinese version is deemed to prevail.

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Read in Chinese

Speakers:

Mr. Li Bin, vice minister of the National Health Commission (NHC)

Mr. Qin Huaijin, vice commissioner of the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Mr. Chang Jile, vice administrator of the National Disease Control and Prevention Administration

Mr. Zhu Hongbiao, senior official of the Department of Healthcare Reform, NHC

Mr. Wang Haidong, senior official of the Department of Aging and Health, NHC

Mr. Du Xixue, senior official of the Department of Population Surveillance and Family Development, NHC

Chairperson:

Chen Wenjun, spokesperson of the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC)

Date:

Sept. 7, 2022

Chen Wenjun:

Ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon. Welcome to this press conference held by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee. Today, we are holding the 27th press conference under the theme of "China in the past decade." We are delighted to have invited Mr. Li Bin, vice minister of the NHC; Mr. Qin Huaijin, vice commissioner of the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine; and Mr. Chang Jile, vice administrator of the National Disease Control and Prevention Administration, to brief you on achievements in the development of China's public health since the 18th CPC National Congress. Also joining us today are Mr. Zhu Hongbiao, senior official of the Department of Healthcare Reform, NHC; Mr. Wang Haidong, senior official of the Department of Aging and Health, NHC; and Mr. Du Xixue, senior official of the Department of Population Surveillance and Family Development, NHC.

Now, let's give the floor to Mr. Li Bin for his introduction.

Li Bin: 

Friends from the press, good afternoon. I would like to express my thanks to you for your interest in and support for the health care sector.

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "The most important indicator of modernization is people's health, which is the basis for people's happy life." Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has prioritized people's health and assigned it a strategic position. "Putting people and their lives first" has been the CPC's governance philosophy. We have made guidelines for health care-related work in the new era, made building a healthy China and actively responding to an aging population as national strategies, and continuously deepened the reform of the medical and health system. We have embarked on a path to reform and advance the health care sector with Chinese characteristics.

The past decade has seen the Healthy China strategy fully implemented and people's health fully guaranteed. The Law on the Promotion of Basic Medical and Health Care was formulated and revised; the outline of Healthy China 2030 was formulated and implemented and the Healthy China initiative was carried out; the Health Care Program for Poverty Alleviation has helped nearly 10 million families who had returned to poverty due to illness to escape poverty; the patriotic health campaigns have been integrated into all aspects of social health governance; civilized, healthy and green lifestyles are increasingly popular; and people's awareness of good health has been significantly improved.

The past decade has seen the balanced long-term population growth and the improved health of the elderly and children. The childbirth policy has been refined. Policies allowing couples to have two children if either parent is an only child, allowing couples to have two children, and then allowing couples to have three children have been successively implemented. The government has scrapped many restrictions and will no longer issue fines for couples who violate the family planning law by having more children than they are allowed. Meanwhile, a series of supporting policies were launched. We have implemented the national strategy for addressing population aging, improved integrated medical and elderly care services, and actively promoted the building of an elderly-friendly society. The ability to ensure the safety of mothers and infants has been significantly improved. China's infant mortality rate and mortality rate of children under 5 years old are far lower than the average level of middle- and high-income countries. The core health indicators of mothers and infants have been further improved.

The past decade has seen the deepened reform of the medical and health system and gradual resolution of the problems of access to and affordability of medical services. The practice of hospitals subsidizing their medical services with medication sales has been brought to an end. The focus was changed from "treating disease" to "improving health." The experience of Sanming city's medical reform has been promoted. The three-level network of medical and health services covering urban and rural areas has been continuously improved, and 90% of families can reach their nearest medical institution within 15 minutes. The number of medications on the National Essential Medicines List has increased to 685. The number of people covered by basic medical insurance exceeded 1.36 billion, and the proportion of health care expenses borne by individuals dropped to 27.7%.

The past decade has seen the consolidated public health protection network and the effective prevention and control of infectious diseases, chronic diseases, occupational diseases and endemic diseases. Malaria has been eliminated in China, the target of curbing hepatitis B has been achieved, and the spread of AIDS is under effective control. The rate of premature deaths from major chronic diseases is lower than the global average. The higher prevalence of major occupational diseases such as pneumoconiosis has started to be curbed. The schistosomiasis epidemic has fallen to the lowest level in history, and the goals of the three-year campaign on preventing and curing endemic diseases have been achieved as scheduled. In the face of COVID-19, the most serious infectious disease pandemic in the world in a century, China is adhering to the general strategy of "preventing inbound infections and domestic resurgence" and a dynamic zero-COVID policy. We have been constantly adjusting prevention and control measures according to the situation, protecting the lives and health of the people to the greatest extent and coordinating the prevention and control of the epidemic and economic and social development. We have withstood the severe test and fully demonstrated China's spirit, strength and sense of responsibility.

The past decade has seen an increasingly higher overall quality of healthcare workers and enhanced medical technology capacity and quality. By 2021, there were nearly 14 million health professionals in China, with an increasing number of capable personnel with talents of all kinds, 72% of whom were technical personnel working on the ground. We have worked to build a high-quality and efficient medical services system, set up national and regional medical centers, advanced the construction of healthcare consortiums in urban areas and at the county level, and deepened the reform of the medical and health care systems at the county level. Now 50% of county hospitals are capable of performing complicated surgeries. We have worked to meet the goal of treating severe and critical illnesses within all provincial-level regions, common ailments treated at the city or county hospitals and mild diseases treated at nearby medical institutions in towns and villages. The annual average medical diagnosis and treatment per person and the hospitalization rate gradually reached or approached the average level of developed countries.

The past decade has seen the development of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) through innovation, with more people having more convenient access to TCM services and confidently using related medicines. We have stepped up to build a high-quality and efficient TCM services system. The capacity of the community-level TCM services has made notable improvements. The TCM services are increasingly equitable, accessible and convenient. We have actively introduced TCM to the rest of the world. As a result, TCM is now available in 196 countries and regions.

The past decade has seen the rapid development of medical science and technology, with China participating in global health governance at a deeper level and in a broader scope. A special program has contributed to developing China's new medicine R&D, from making generic versions to creating new medicines. Another program has raised the abilities for comprehensive prevention and control, handling emergencies and scientific research when responding to new and sudden outbreaks of infectious diseases swiftly and effectively. We have participated in global health governance at a deeper level, taking concrete steps to push forward health cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, continuously providing medical assistance to foreign countries and showcasing China's sense of responsibility in building a global community of health during the battles against the Ebola epidemic and the COVID-19 pandemic. 

In general, China has made unprecedented progress in healthcare over the past decade. Moreover, people are increasingly feeling the benefits of the country's progress. The average life expectancy in China rose from 74.8 years to 78.2 years, a historic improvement. The core health indicators of the Chinese rank among the highest of the middle- and high-income countries. People's right to health is guaranteed, highlighting the people-centered development philosophy adopted by the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core.

We will continue to improve national health policy and ensure the delivery of comprehensive lifecycle health services for our people, cementing the foundation of health for the second centenary goal.

Now, my colleagues and I are ready to take your questions. Thank you. 

Chen Wenjun: 

Thank you, Mr. Li. The floor is now open for questions. Please identify the news outlet you represent before raising your questions.

CCTV:

The Healthy China initiative, as a national strategy, is closely related to enabling people to feel more satisfied, happy and secure. The Outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) for National Economic and Social Development and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035 has declared that China will become a powerful country in terms of health by 2035. How has the work progressed to advance the Healthy China initiative? What progress has been made in achieving phased goals? What benefits have people enjoyed during the process? Thank you.

Li Bin:

I'll answer your questions. The Healthy China initiative has received a lot of attention. We have advanced the relevant work from the following aspects.

The CPC Central Committee and the State Council have attached great importance and given top priority to improving people's health, making the major policy decision to carry out the Healthy China initiative and committed to making China a powerful country in terms of health by 2035.

We have thoughtfully implemented the policy decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council and worked with other related departments in adopting multiple measures and focusing on their implementation. The primary goals of the Healthy China initiative in 2022 were achieved ahead of schedule, and efforts to build a Healthy China are now off to a good start and advancing smoothly.

First, a health-conscious approach has been promoted in all policy decisions, establishing a framework that integrates health considerations into policymaking. We established a committee to advance the Healthy China initiative and an expert advisory committee. We have explored the establishment of a health impact assessment mechanism and formed a work pattern featuring coordination among various departments and at the provincial, city and county levels.

Second, we have focused on popularizing health knowledge to more families and built two pools and one mechanism step by step to comprehensively spread health science. Two pools include an expert pool and a resource pool for health science popularization at the national level, and the mechanism is tasked with publicizing and spreading health knowledge by all media.

Third, we have attached importance to the full life cycle and greatly improved our capacity to protect health. The average basic public health service subsidy has been raised to 84 yuan per person. We have provided health management services for patients with hypertension, diabetes, tuberculosis, and other priority diseases, and for target groups such as kids aged 0-6, pregnant women, and seniors aged over 65. Solid progress has been made in comprehensively preventing and controlling myopia among kids and teenagers, and gradual improvement has been seen in students' physical health. Serious diseases have been effectively prevented, and the premature mortality due to major chronic diseases is lower than the average global level.

Fourth, people's life has become healthier, and the environment where we work and live has continued to be better. Healthy living has become a new fashion, and 25.4% of residents have had basic health awareness. The area of sports venues has been increasing, and 37.2% of residents have been taking part in regular exercise. The living environment in urban areas has improved notably, and the proportion of days with good air quality in a year has continued to increase. The sanitary conditions in rural areas have taken on a brand-new look, and tap water and sanitary toilets have become more accessible to rural residents.

Fifth, all people across the country have been encouraged to be involved in the Healthy China initiative, and we have seen an increasingly denser atmosphere of people making fitness activities part of their life. The initiative has strategically themed on achieving health for all with joint contribution and shared benefits, advocated that "everyone is the first person responsible for his/her health," helping form a sound social environment where all are pursuing and maintaining their health. Thank you.

China Youth Daily:

Medical reform is a difficult problem around the world. What measures has the NHC taken to promote in-depth medical reform? What achievements have been made? And what inspiration has been gained? Thank you.

Zhu Hongbiao:

Thank you for your care and attention to medical reform. Just as you said, medical reform is a difficult problem around the world, and in particular, it is even more difficult, arduous, and complicated for China, a major developing country with a population of more than 1.4 billion, to implement medical reform. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, in accordance with the CPC Central Committee and the State Council's top-level design on in-depth medical reform, we have focused on pilot demonstration programs, key and difficult issues, overall coordination, supervision, and evaluation. We have summarized and popularized medical reform experience in typical areas represented by Sanming city, pushed ahead with medical reform to deliver more solid outcomes, and strived to solve the problem of difficult access to medical treatment. Thanks to these efforts, we have obtained great efforts in medical reform.

First, it has become easier for people to access medical treatment. We have launched 12 national medical centers of different academic categories, 50 state-level regional medical centers, and 15,000 healthcare consortiums of various forms, channeling quality medical resources to lower levels. In 2021, the number of patients taking interprovincial medical treatment, which is related to the specialties of the first group of state-level regional medical centers, dropped by 9.3% compared with 2019. Medical treatment procedures have become more reasonable.

Second, the problem of expensive access to medical treatment has been better dealt with. All public hospitals are now required to stop profiting from higher-priced medicine and consumables, and our capacity to ensure access to basic medical resources has steadily improved. We have pressed ahead with bulk government purchases for medicines and medical consumables and put them into use. The price of seven batches of medicines from bulk government purchases dropped by over 50% on average, the price of two batches of consumables from government bulk procurement dropped by over 80% on average, and the medicine price fixed through negotiations and bargaining dropped by over 50% on average.  

Third, we have put more emphasis on health-centered reform. With the guidance of the concept of developing comprehensive health care services, we have attached greater importance to prevention during the implementation of the Healthy China initiative, and the concept of "everyone is the first person responsible for his/her health" has become more acceptable. We have strengthened the prevention and treatment of major diseases and also the health management of chronic diseases, reformed and improved the disease prevention and control system, given play to the unique strength of TCM, and developed integrated medical and elderly care services. With such efforts, China's health care has seen continuous innovation in the way it develops and in the modes we work with.

During our practice of in-depth medical reform, we have recognized that we must uphold the Party leadership, take a health-centered approach, and provide non-for-profit healthcare. We must also apply a systematic approach to promote coordination and ensure the effectiveness of all medical reform policies.

Going forward, we will develop based on China's realities and give full play to its institutional strengths, continuing to look for a Chinese solution to the global problem of medical reform. Thank you.

Southern Metropolis Daily:

China has adjusted and refined childbirth policies several times in the past 10 years. How is China's demographic development now? What will be done to support long-term balanced demographic development? Thank you.

Du Xixue:

Let me answer this question. Demographic?development is one of China's most fundamental interests. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has gradually adjusted childbirth policies and promoted balanced demographic development from the strategic perspective of realizing national rejuvenation in light of China's demographic changes. The two-child policy for couples in which one partner is an only child, the universal two-child policy, the three-child policy and supporting measures were implemented step by step, which delivered new results. The policies increased the proportion of newborns who were second or third children from 35% to more than 55%. The gender ratio at birth also became more balanced. Healthy childbirth and child-rearing have been promoted, which has ensured the safety of mothers and infants. Universal childcare services are complete with improved policies, regulations, standards and service systems. Supportive measures have been improved to relieve families' burden of childbirth and child-rearing. 

Profound changes have occurred in China's demographic structure in the new era, with a substantial slowdown in population growth, a declining fertility rate and an aging population. We will accelerate the introduction of policies to support childbirth and provide universal childcare services to satisfy people's expectations and eliminate their worries by integrating marriage, birth, child-rearing and child-education services. In doing so, China will release its potential for childbirth and realize strategic demographic goals. Thank you.

Macau Monthly:

Chinese herbs are the material foundation for inheriting TCM, and the vehicle for leveraging advantages of TCM. In the past 10 years, how has Chinese medicine developed in China? What are the plans for the future? Thank you.

Li Bin:

TCM matters a lot. Let us invite Mr. Qin Huaijin, vice-commissioner of the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, to answer your questions. 

Qin Huaijin:

Thank you for your questions. The past decade was the best period for the development of TCM since the founding of the People's Republic of China. As you mentioned, Chinese herbs lay the material foundation for TCM's inheritance and innovative development. With the coordinated efforts of relevant departments, Chinese herbs have seen sound momentum in industrial development, quality improvement, and technological innovation. 

First, the Chinese herb industry has experienced rapid development. National key laboratories, the National Engineering Research Center and other national platforms have deepened cooperation involving industries, universities and research institutes. The National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the National Development and Reform Commission jointly launched a campaign to standardize traditional Chinese herbs and improve quality supervision across the whole production chain. Currently, the industrial system based on agriculture and connected by commerce with the industry as the mainstay has been improved, showing strong impetus. According to statistics from the national medicinal sector, the revenue of the Chinese herbs industry registered 700 billion yuan in 2021, up from 515.6 billion yuan in 2012. 

Second, the quality of Chinese herbs has improved. The fourth national census on Chinese herbs presented a clear picture of Chinese herbs resources. Breakthroughs have been made in research on homegrown herbs and alternatives, with ecological planting in full swing. The herb tracing system has been more comprehensively applied. Several departments jointly issued a plan to construct production bases of fine medicinal material and a guideline for the quality review of herb production. They also stepped up management at the source. The drug spot check report in 2021 showed that 98% of prepared TCM samples were up to standard. 

The third is the continuous deepening of scientific and technological innovation of TCM. The National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the Ministry of Science and Technology and other national departments have continued to increase spending on science and technology in this regard, and strengthened research into genuine medicinal materials, TCM processing, quality assurance, and new drug research and development. We have been actively cooperating with the National Medical Products Administration to reform and improve the TCM evaluation and approval system that conforms to the TCM laws, and to establish a "three-in-one" evidence-based review system of TCM theory, human experience and clinical trials, and have further stimulated the vitality of scientific and technological innovation in TCM.

Next, the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine will conscientiously implement the requirements of the 14th Five-Year Plan for the Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the deployment of the major project for the development of TCM, and strengthen cooperation with relevant departments. Focusing on the complete process of TCM cultivation, research and development, production and use, we will give full play to the leading role of scientific and technological support, promote improvements in the quality of TCM and deepen evidence-based research so as to better demonstrate the clinical value of TCM and meet the people's medication needs. Thank you.

The Straits Times:

Given that it has been nearly three years since the pandemic started, is the country's current dynamic zero-COVID policy at odds with economic growth? How long more can we expect zero dynamic to continue? And furthermore, since over 90% of the Chinese population is now vaccinated, can we expect a timeline for the country to move towards living with the virus we've been going through? Thank you.

Chang Jile:

Thank you very much for your questions. The dynamic zero-COVID policy involves focusing on identifying problems early and correcting them while they are nascent. We need to improve abilities in COVID-19 prevention, control and early detection to promptly handle any infections, so that any cases can be found and addressed immediately, with the lowest social cost to bring the disease under control in the shortest possible time.

General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized targeted control, striving to achieve the greatest prevention and control effect for the lowest cost, and minimize the impact of the epidemic on economic and social development. This is also a consistent requirement of the central government. When evaluating the cost of policies and measures in fighting COVID-19, we should calculate it in big-picture terms. The country as a whole should be considered as a large economic account, a large social account, a large people's livelihood account, and a large health account. China's philosophy toward the COVID-19 pandemic control has always been putting the people and their lives first. The purpose of the prevention and control measures is to minimize the pandemic's impact on the economy and society. Of course, these measures will inevitably cause some inconvenience to people's daily life and work. However, the coordinated nationwide adoption of localized, strict prevention and control measures in areas where the epidemic occurs has ensured the normal life and work of most areas and people in China, and the stability of the supply chains. If we look at it in big-picture terms, our prevention and control measures are most economical and effective.

We are faced with a pandemic unseen in a century, with the current global COVID-19 situation still at a high level and a virus that is constantly mutating. Our understanding of the virus and the disease is still deepening, and there are still many uncertainties. The risks and threats posed by the pandemic still exist. Therefore, we must deal with the short-term and long-term, local and overall relationships, with unswerving strategic focus and continuously optimize prevention and control policies and measures as circumstances and conditions change, so as to take well-coordinated steps to respond to COVID-19 and pursue economic and social development in a more efficient way. These are the basic requirements of the scientific spirit and a science-based approach and also the realistic choices to follow the laws of science. Thank you.

National Business Daily:

Over the past decade, China's public health system has withstood the challenges of major infectious diseases, including H7N9 avian flu, avian influenza, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), Ebola and the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as natural disasters like earthquakes and floods. What progress has been made regarding China's health emergency response capacity after rising to public health emergencies so often? Thank you.

Chang Jile:

Thank you. Health emergency response capacity is the embodiment of comprehensive health strength. Over the past decade, relevant departments and local governments have worked together to develop a health emergency response system and core capacity. We have continuously strengthened and improved health emergency management, and comprehensively enhanced the capacity and level of the health emergency response system, which has also played an essential role in maintaining global public health security.

First, China's health emergency response system has taken shape. After many years of unremitting efforts, the legal and management systems of health emergency response have been established, with health emergency response capacity significantly improved. Moreover, China achieved the capacity-building goal required in the International Health Regulations (2005) as scheduled in 2014.

Second, the core capacity of health emergency response has reached an advanced international level. China has built the world's most extensive online direct reporting system for infectious diseases and public health emergencies. The average reporting time for public health emergencies is less than four hours. China is now capable of detecting more than 300 pathogens within 72 hours. A risk assessment system for public health emergencies has been built. Moreover, 59 national health emergency teams in four categories have been set up nationwide.

Third, prevention, control and response to public health emergencies have been carried out scientifically and efficiently. Centering on sources of infection, routes of transmission and susceptible populations, we have strengthened prevention and early warning measures and improved rapid response capacity to ensure effective handling of the incidents. Thanks to these efforts, the total number of public health emergencies and deaths has dropped. Severe and major epidemics have been brought under effective control. In particular, the highly pathogenic avian influenza you just mentioned, including the emerging infectious diseases H7N9 and imported epidemics like MERS, have been successfully dealt with. We have made international contributions to the prevention and control of Ebola hemorrhagic fever and secured major strategic achievements in preventing and controlling the COVID-19 pandemic.

We will continue to focus on the response to COVID-19, coordinate the prevention and control of multiple diseases and emergency medical relief, and further improve our emergency response capacity to better protect people's health and make greater contributions to building a global community of health for all. Thank you.

21st Century Business Herald:

Communities are the primary level where medical and health needs must be satisfied. Health institutions at the community level are critical to solving the most pressing difficulties and problems that greatly concern people when they seek medical services. Over the years, what achievements has China secured in community-level healthcare services? Thank you.

Zhu Hongbiao:

Thank you for your question. Enhancing medical services at the community level is always the top priority of health work. In recent years, the capacity for disease prevention, treatment and health management at the community level has been continuously improved.

First, the medical and health network has covered all communities, with more accessible services. By the end of last year, China had nearly 980,000 community-level medical and health institutions, including 35,000 township health centers, 599,000 village clinics, and 36,000 community health service centers and stations.

Second, the service capacity has been continuously enhanced, gaining increasing recognition from residents. The standards for service capacity have been set and infrastructure has been improved. In 2021, community-level medical and health institutions recorded 4.25 billion medical visits, accounting for 50.2% of the national total.

Third, the number of community-level health workers has increased substantially, with the structure constantly refined. Over the past decade, the total number of staff in community-level medical and health institutions has risen from 3.44 million to 4.43 million. The proportion of licensed and assistant doctors among village doctors has risen from 18.5% to 41.5%. Steady progress has been made in contracted family doctor services, contacts and communication between doctors and patients have been strengthened, and health education and guidance have been enhanced.

Fourth, basic public health services have been improved and expanded with fairer access. Per capita subsidy for basic public health services has risen from 25 yuan in 2012 to 84 yuan now. The services undertaken by community-level institutes have expanded from 10 to 12 categories. We now receive over one billion medial visits annually from patients with high blood pressure, diabetes, TB, and other major diseases, as well as members of key groups as children aged 0-6, pregnant women, and those aged 65 and above. Such services have helped improve the health of urban and rural residents. Thank you. 

The Poster News APP:

The health of women and children is a major public concern. Could you introduce the measures for ensuring their health over the past decade? What is your next plan under the new birth policy, which has created higher demands in this regard?

Du Xixue: 

Thank you for your questions. Maternal mortality, infant mortality, and the under-five mortality rates are key indicators for maternal and child health. They reflect a country or region's health service development and their social-economic development. In 2021, China's maternal mortality was 16.1 per 100,000, infant mortality 5 per 1,000, and under-five mortality 7.1 per 1,000, down 34.3%, 51.5%, and 46.2% respectively from the 2012 level.

Globally, among middle- and high-income countries, China's maternal mortality is far below the median 43 per 100,000, and its infant mortality and under-5 mortality are also lower than the average 9 per 1,000 and 11 per 1,000. With indicators for maternal and child health leading among middle- and high-income countries, China has been ranked among WHO's 10 high-performing countries for maternal and child health.

China's future plan for promoting high-quality maternal and child health services can be concluded as "two improvements," "two eliminations," and "one promotion." "Two improvements" refers to the improvement of the program for ensuring the safety of mothers and infants and the improvement of the program for ensuring the health of children; "two eliminations" refers to the action plans to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS, syphilis, and hepatitis B and eliminate cervical cancer at a faster pace; "one promotion" refers to the action plan to promote breastfeeding for better physical growth and a greater mother-infant bond. Thank you.

Cover News:

China is already an aging society. Heath demands will inevitably increase with the degree of aging. What will be the plans and measures in response? Thank you.

Wang Haidong:

Thank you for your attention to the aging issue. Every family has an old member and everyone will turn old. An active response to the issue concerns national development and the wellbeing of hundreds of millions of citizens. The aging issue in China has several distinct characteristics: the aging population is big, the process of aging is rapid, and the differences among urban and rural areas and among regions are great, so we face a heavy task in response. The 14th Five-Year Plan period, in particular, will be critical, as China will transit from a mildly aging society to a moderately aging one in this period. The NHC, also the National?Working Commission on?Aging, will continue to earnestly implement the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on the aging issue and put in place General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions on the issue. We will carry out the national response strategy and promote positive views on aging and healthy aging in socio-economic development. A social security system, an old-age care system, and a health support system will be built for senior citizens. Preferential policies will be put in place for them, their legitimate rights and interests will be safeguarded, China's fine tradition of filial piety will be promoted, and the positive role of old people will be brought into play. These efforts will help to ensure that old citizens enjoy the fruit of reform and development and live a healthy and happy life. 

Healthy aging is the most cost-saving and efficient method to deal with the issue of population aging. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), we will focus on the following areas in accordance with the requirements of the 14th Five-Year Plan for healthy aging.

First, we will provide better preventive care for the elderly. We will continue to carry out the Healthy China initiative, especially the health promotion plan for the elderly, and constantly improve their health literacy. We will also carry out four major campaigns on oral health, nutrition improvement, dementia prevention and treatment, and psychological care for the elderly, aiming to make them feel motivated to stay healthy so that they will be less likely to fall ill, get sick later than expected, and be free from serious illnesses.

Second, we will guarantee medical services for the elderly. We will continue to promote the establishment of geriatric medicine departments in general hospitals at or above the secondary level, with the proportion reaching over 60% by 2025. At the same time, we will accelerate the construction of rehabilitation hospitals, nursing hospitals, and elderly-friendly medical institutions, implement various measures to provide convenient medical care services for the elderly, and bring tangible benefits to them.

Third, we will deliver long-term care services for the elderly with disabilities. There are 40 million disabled and partially disabled seniors who are in urgent need of care in our country. Therefore, we should conduct health assessments for the elderly with disabilities and provide them with a whole chain of long-term care services from professional institutions and home-based communities. Notably, we will deliver medical services to communities and homes to effectively ease the burden on the families with disabled seniors and the burden on society as a whole.

Fourth, we will deepen the integration of medical and old-age services, which has gained great popularity among the elderly. For the next step, we will continue to promote the integration of elderly care service resources and medical resources, further expand the supply of integrated medical and old-age services, improve their quality, enlarge the team to provide such services, and establish an integrated health care system for the elderly featuring cooperation among homes, communities, and institutions and the integration of medical and health care. 

Fifth, we will expand efforts to ensure health care for the elderly. We will strengthen the development of geriatric health disciplines, cultivate a relevant talent team, improve standards and specifications in this field, and advance the scientific and technological development and industrial development of geriatric health.

To sum up, during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), we will be committed to establishing and improving a comprehensive and coherent elderly health services system covering both urban and rural areas and including health education, preventive health care, disease diagnosis and treatment, rehabilitation nursing, long-term care, and hospice care, so as to effectively enhance the sense of health gain among the elderly. Thank you.

Tianmu News:

It's known to all that the grassroots have strong demands for TCM. Regarding the "last mile" in delivering TCM services, what "prescriptions" do you have to better serve the people at the grassroots level?

Qin Huaijin:

Thank you for your question. As you mentioned, since TCM services are simple, easy, cheap and effective, they have been well received at the grassroots level. Over the past few years, the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine?has made it a top priority to strengthen the capacity of community-level TCM services, continuously promoted the implementation of projects to improve the capacity of community-level TCM services, and adopted various measures to bring quality TCM services to the people at the grassroots level.

First, we have constantly improved the grassroots TCM services network. Since 2012, the central government budget has supported the construction of 36,700 TCM clinics. As of the end of 2020, 85.38% of community health services centers and 80.14% of township health centers across the country have set up TCM clinics. And 99% of community health services centers, 98% of township health centers, 90.6% of community health services stations, and 74.5% of village clinics have TCM service capabilities.

Second, we have continually strengthened building grassroots TCM talent teams. Through targeted training, TCM general practitioner training, the establishment of inheritance studios for well-known and veteran grassroots TCM experts, and smooth grassroots talent career development channels, we have expanded the supply of grassroots talents, encouraged talents to work at the grassroots level, and improved the development environment for grassroots talents. By the end of 2020, there were an average of 0.66 general TCM practitioners per 10,000 residents in urban and rural areas, while 82.4% of community health services stations and 58.92% of village clinics were equipped with at least one doctor who can provide TCM services.

Third, we have widely promoted applicable TCM techniques, also known as TCM therapies, at the grassroots level. Relying on existing TCM medical institutions, all localities have strengthened their capacity for promoting applicable TCM techniques at the grassroots level. A total of 32 provincial-level bases and more than 1,820 county-level bases have been established for the promotion of applicable TCM techniques. By the end of 2020, 86.04% of community health services centers and 81.03% of township health centers were able to provide more than six types of TCM techniques and therapies.

Fourth, we have carried out paired TCM assistance between urban and rural areas. We have coordinated 403 Grade-III hospitals to assist 699 county-level TCM hospitals and continually improved the service capabilities of county-level TCM hospitals by means of stationed on-site assistance, personnel training, and technical guidance.

Going forward, we will conscientiously implement the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, further leverage the unique advantages of TCM, strengthen building a grassroots talent pool, continuously improve service capabilities, and play a more important role in accelerating the construction of a healthy China and serving the health of the people. Thank you.

The Beijing News:

We recently read the performance evaluation and monitoring of Grade-III public hospitals issued by the NHC. The data shows that most hospitals have improved, and the gap between regions is narrowing. However, the allocation of resources is still unbalanced and insufficient. What measures has the Chinese government taken to optimize the distribution of medical resources in recent years? Thank you.

Zhu Hongbiao:

Thank you for your question. Promoting the expansion and balanced distribution of high-quality medical resources is a powerful means to solve the problems of insufficient total medical resources and uneven regional distribution. Over the past 10 years, the NHC has further promoted the development of a hierarchical diagnosis and treatment system, taking multiple measures to promote building a new pattern of orderly medical diagnosis and treatment.

First, we have increased government financial investment and increased the total amount of medical resources. During the 13th Five-Year Plan period, China allocated 108.96 billion yuan in subsidies to improve capabilities in providing medical services and support. We arranged to invest 72.2 billion yuan in the program to ensure a healthy population and 14.58 billion yuan in the program for public health in terms of disease prevention and control and treatment capacity building in order to strengthen the construction of medical institutions, with a focus on county hospitals. The doctor-visiting rate for common diseases and frequently-occurring diseases in counties exceeded 90%. Compared with 2011, the number of medical institutions nationwide has increased by 8%, the number of beds has increased by 83%, and the number of health personnel has increased by 62%.

Second, we have promoted the expansion and balanced regional distribution of high-quality medical resources. We have started the construction of national medical centers and the country's regional medical centers. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, about 120 provincial-level regional medical centers will be built to improve the diagnosis and treatment level of relevant hospital departments in areas where high-quality medical resources are relatively weak, narrow the gap with the advanced national level, and greatly reduce the number of people seeking medical care across provinces and regions.

Third, we have built a hierarchical diagnosis and treatment system, with a focus on the development of partnerships between medical institutions. We have successively organized pilot projects with a hierarchical approach to diagnosis and treatment in four municipalities and 317 prefecture-level cities, carried out pilot projects for the development of partnerships between medical institutions in 118 cities in 32 provinces, and begun pilot partnerships between medical institutions in 827 counties. In 2021, the number of flexible inter-hospital patient transfers reached 28.8 million, and the structure of flexible inter-hospital patient transfers has been significantly optimized. Accomplishments have been achieved in building the hierarchical diagnosis and treatment system, and the rational distribution of medical resources and the synergy of services have been further enhanced. Thank you!

Beijing Youth Daily:

In 2021, China secured a complete victory in the fight against poverty. In his introduction, Mr. Li mentioned China's efforts to reduce poverty by improving healthcare services for the poor, a key measure to win the battle against poverty. What specific measures have been taken to prevent people from falling into or relapsing into poverty due to illness? Thank you.

Li Bin:

Thank you. I will go into detail on this issue.

The health system has taken extensive actions to launch the Health Care Program for Poverty Alleviation, guaranteed access to basic medical services for all the rural poor, and helped nearly 10 million households falling into or relapsing into poverty because of illness to shake off poverty, making great contributions to winning the battle against poverty.

First, we have completely remedied the shortfall in medical institutions and workers at the village and township level. We have set the goal and standards of guaranteeing basic medical services. By taking measures such as making medical workers managed by county-level medical institutions work for township-level medical institutions and medical workers employed by county-level medical institutions work for village-level medical institutions, providing mobile medical services at the village level, and stationing medical workers at village-level medical institutions, we have brought about a historic resolution to the problem of some areas lacking medical institutions and doctors at the community level, basically realizing the equitable access to basic medical and health services for rural people.

Second, great improvement has been made in the service capacity of county-level hospitals in areas that have been lifted out of poverty. We have focused on the capacity building of county-level hospitals in our work and organized 1,007 Grade-III urban hospitals to pair up with 1,172 county-level hospitals in 832 counties that have been lifted out of poverty. We have ensured that there is at least one public hospital in each county lifted out of poverty and at least one hospital at Grade II or above in 98% of the counties lifted out of poverty. The gap in the capacity of medical services between urban and rural areas continues to narrow down.

Third, we have tailored measures to households, individuals, and illnesses. We have organized and mobilized over 800,000 community-level medical workers nationwide, got a clear picture of the conditions of the impoverished people with illnesses, and established a dynamic management system for a national health care program for poverty alleviation. We have adopted a category-based approach to medical treatment of poor patients to see that the measures are applied to individuals and targeted to illnesses. By the end of 2020, over 20 million people have received medical treatment.

Fourth, we have made historic progress in the prevention and control of key diseases in key areas. We have prioritized prevention and launched programs for the prevention and treatment of major infectious diseases and endemic diseases, with effective control of the major diseases that have long affected people's health, such as HIV, echinococcosis, and endemic diseases.

Getting out of poverty is not the end but the beginning of a new life and a new journey. We will make comprehensive moves in advancing the development of a healthy countryside, ensure that people do not slip back into poverty in large numbers, and that all people have access to medical and health services at the village and township level, and enhance rural medical and health services so as to improve the health of the rural people. Thank you. 

Science and Technology Daily:

In the fight against COVID-19, vaccines have been developed from five technological routes, which has not only allowed the Chinese people to use their own vaccines but also provided vaccines as global public goods. What kind of "hard power" has been enhanced by anti-COVID scientific research? And what role has it played in the prevention and control of the pandemic? Thank you.

Li Bin:

Thank you. Since 2008, the NHC has taken the lead in initiating two major science and technology programs for research and development (R&D) of new medicines and the prevention and control of infectious diseases. Tapping into the advantages of the system of pooling national resources and strengths, we have organized national research teams to work together, and made a series of major achievements and breakthroughs in the field of public health. In recent years, through the implementation of the program for R&D of new medicines, the number of Class One new medicines approved for market launch reached 80, 16 times the number before the launch of the program, promoting a leapfrogging development where R&D of new medicines in China have developed from "imitation" to "innovation" and the pharmaceutical industry has grown from "big" to "strong." Through the implementation of the program for the prevention and control of infectious diseases, China has made remarkable progress in major infectious diseases diagnosis, prevention, treatment, and research, thus responding to emerging infectious diseases and outbreaks in an active and effective way.

During the fight against COVID-19, just within a week's time, we identified the novel coronavirus, isolated the coronavirus strain, determined the genome sequence, and shared it with the world, which was spoken highly of by the WHO for "identifying the pathogen in a record-short time." Within two weeks after the outbreak of COVID-19, we promptly developed the high-sensitive and specific novel coronavirus nucleic acid testing technology, playing a crucial role in the early diagnosis and screening of positive COVID-19 cases. We organized top research teams to work on the research and development of vaccines, and initiated the world's first technical standards for high biosafety risk vaccine production workshop, laying a solid foundation for the subsequent safe mass production of billions of COVID-19 vaccines. We organized the preclinical study of medicines and antibody screening, and fast-tracked clinical trials and market approval, promoting the successful launch of neutralizing antibodies, chemical drugs, and traditional Chinese medicines. Medical scientists and researchers have been fighting on the front line of the prevention and control of the pandemic, demonstrating the good spirit of the professional teams of medical science, technology, and education. 

We will continue to implement the Healthy China initiative, the strategy for invigorating China through science and education, and the innovation-driven development strategy, and work relentlessly on making breakthroughs in key technologies and scientific puzzles, to provide strong sci-tech support for the development of public health. Thank you.

Chen Wenjun:

OK. Thank you to all the speakers and friends from the media. Today's briefing is hereby concluded. See you!

Translated and edited by Wang Yanfang, Huang Shan, Yan Bin, Zhou Jing, Qin Qi, Wang Wei, Zhang Rui, Liu Sitong, Xu Kailin, Liu Qiang, He Shan, Liu Jianing, Ma Yujia, Yuan Fang, Wang Qian, Wang Yiming, Yang Xi,Xu Xiaoxuan, Li Huiru, David Ball, Jay Birbeck, and Tom Arnstein. In case of any discrepancy between the English and Chinese texts, the Chinese version is deemed to prevail.

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Read in Chinese

Speakers:

Zhou Xuewen, vice minister of emergency management

Song Yuanming, vice minister of emergency management

Qiong Se, member of the CPC Committee of the Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM) and head of the Fire and Rescue Department of the MEM

Chairperson:

Chen Wenjun, spokesperson of the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC)

Date:

Aug. 30, 2022

Chen Wenjun:

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to this press conference held by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee. Today, we are holding the 26th press conference under the theme of "China in the past decade" to brief you on the reform and development of emergency management in the new era. Joining us today are Mr. Zhou Xuewen, vice minister of emergency management; Mr. Song Yuanming, vice minister of emergency management; and Mr. Qiong Se, a member of the CPC Committee of the Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM) and head of the MEM's Fire and Rescue Department.

Now, let's give the floor to Mr. Zhou Xuewen for his introduction.

Zhou Xuewen:

Ladies and gentlemen, friends from the press, good morning. I am very pleased to meet you. First, on behalf of the MEM, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to you for your interest in and support for the development in emergency management.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has attached great importance to emergency management, and General Secretary Xi Jinping has made a series of important remarks and major decisions in this regard. In particular, while deepening the reform of the Party and state institutions in 2018, the CPC Central Committee decided to establish the MEM and a national comprehensive fire and rescue team , leading to systematic and holistic reconstruction of as well as historic achievements and transformation in China's emergency management system. The following four achievements are especially remarkable:

First, an emergency management system with Chinese features has been basically established. We have upheld and strengthened the Party's overall leadership over emergency management, enhanced comprehensive and whole-process emergency management as well as optimized management of forces and resources, basically forming a versatile, responsive emergency management system with Chinese characteristics featuring unified command and coordination across different levels. We have given play to comprehensive strengths of emergency management departments and professional strengths of relevant departments, and strengthened the integration of centralized and decentralized management, coordination of prevention and rescue as well as cooperation across different levels. Various working mechanisms have been established to improve the effectiveness of emergency management, such as joint risk consultation and evaluation, integration of prevention, rescue and relief efforts, as well as streamlined and efficient emergency command. For example, from 2018 to 2021, the average annual number of people killed and missing in natural disasters across the country dropped by 51.6% from that of the previous five years, with the new systems and mechanisms playing an important role.

Second, capacity for comprehensive emergency management has been improved across the board. In accordance with the goals and requirements of unified leadership, power being commensurate with responsibility, and remaining authoritative and efficient, we have comprehensively enhanced the emergency response capacity in such areas as emergency teams, command platforms, material support and information technology assistance. The national comprehensive fire and rescue team has accelerated its transformation and upgrading to respond to all kinds of disasters and to coordinate various emergency forces and resources. It has created more than 3,500 new professional teams to fight diverse disasters including earthquakes as well as water and mountain-related disasters, developed and equipped themselves with advanced technologies and equipment, and enhanced their modern and comprehensive rescue capacities. By actively promoting the construction of an emergency command system, we have basically established the national emergency command headquarters, and fully built an emergency command information network covering the four levels of ministry, province, city and county as well as the top-down emergency command platform system. As a result, direct command and dispatch via video link on the spot is now possible whenever a major disaster or emergency occurs. We have continued to modernize emergency management through information technology, built emergency resource management platforms, and comprehensively monitored coal mines, hazardous chemicals and other major sources of danger through the internet, accelerating the efforts to boost the role of big data in ensuring safety.

Third, prevention and control of major safety risks has been effectively intensified. We have devoted time and energy in ordinary times and enhanced checks and inspections closer to the sources to root out potential incidents. In terms of disaster prevention, reduction and relief, we have implemented nine key projects for natural disaster prevention and control in a coordinated manner. For example , we have organized the first national comprehensive survey of natural disaster risks, implemented a project to reinforce housing in earthquake-prone areas, and built and renovated a number of forest firebreaks, isolation zones, landing fields and reservoirs, enhancing the disaster prevention and control capacity. In response to the challenges brought by the increasing number of more extreme weather disasters, we have considered the worst-case scenarios, strengthened the coordination between early warning and emergency response, and established a "call and response" early warning mechanism that can reach those in charge at the primary level. By doing so, we can evacuate people under threat in advance, and at the same time guide the public to prepare for disaster prevention and risk aversion. In terms of workplace safety, we have held fast to the safety redline and established a long-term mechanism for regular and strict management. We have issued regulations on workplace safety accountability for local Party and government leaders, formulated and implemented 15 tough measures for workplace safety, and improved the oversight mechanism for new business forms and models. We have vigorously promoted reform of workplace safety law enforcement, and launched a special three-year campaign for workplace safety rectification and other special rectification campaigns in key industries and areas, so as to address both the symptoms and root causes, and fundamentally raise the safety level. 

Fourth, we have effectively dealt with a series of major disasters and accidents. We have always stayed ready as emergency personnel, and strengthened emergency preparedness in an all-round manner from emergency planning to force prepositioning and other aspects, so as to rush to the frontline at critical times. In the past, fire rescue teams were required to board vehicles in one minute and reach their destination in five minutes. Now, advance risk assessment and force prepositioning have not only increased the efficiency of the rescue work, but also made it more targeted and effective. In cases of serious and major disasters or accidents that are complicated and highly hazardous, heads of the MEM must go straight to the scene to guide the rescue efforts. Since its establishment, the MEM has organized 997 emergency consultations, launched 330 emergency responses and dispatched 414 emergency working groups. Through these efforts, we have effectively addressed a series of severe and major disasters and accidents, including barrier lakes in the Jinsha River and the Yarlung Zangbo River, severe floods that hit the Yangtze River region in 2020 , earthquakes  that struck Yangbi Yi autonomous county of Yunnan province and Maduo county of Qinghai province, forest fires in Nyingchi of Tibet autonomous region, a chemical plant explosion in Xiangshui county of Jiangsu province, a hotel collapse in Quanzhou city of Fujian province, the Hushan gold mine explosion in Qixia city of Shandong province, and the collapse of a self-built residential building in Changsha city of Hunan province. These efforts have minimized the loss of life and property.

Over the past decade, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, emergency management has seen remarkable achievements. Workplace accidents and their deaths in 2021 decreased by 56.8% and 45.9% from 2012, and annual accidents have declined for 10 years in a row. From 2013 to 2021, the annual average deaths and missing people, collapsing houses, and the proportion of direct economic losses in GDP from natural disasters fell 87.2%, 87.4%, and 61.7%, respectively, from the 2000-2012 level.

However, we know clearly that emergency management still faces a long and arduous journey ahead. Natural disasters are still frequent, and some are serious; difficulties in ensuring workplace safety are hard to overcome; risks and hidden dangers are various. In the future, the emergency management system will unite more closely around the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core and put the people and their lives first. We will continue to push ahead with reforms, prevent and control major risks to the best of our ability, and modernize the emergency management system and capacity at a faster pace, all in a bid to create a safe environment for China's journey toward building a modern socialist country in all respects and set the stage for the 20th National Congress of the CPC with concrete actions.

Now, my colleagues and I would like to take your questions. Thank you.

Chen Wenjun:

Thank you, Mr. Zhou. Now the floor is open for questions. Please identify the media outlet you represent before raising questions. 

CCTV:

In 2016, General Secretary Xi Jinping instructed that in addressing natural disasters, prevention should come first and be complete with disaster resistance and relief, routine disaster mitigation should work well with disaster relief in abnormal cases, and three shifts must be achieved from prioritizing disaster relief to disaster prevention, from responding to different kinds of disasters separately to comprehensively mitigating disasters, and from reducing disaster losses to lowering disaster risks. These instructions have provided the fundamental principles for disaster prevention, mitigation, and relief. How have the instructions been implemented? What results have been achieved? 

Zhou Xuewen:

Thank you for your questions. General Secretary Xi Jinping made the instructions when he inspected Tangshan city, Hebei province, in July 2016, clarifying the direction and fundamental principles for disaster prevention and mitigation. The emergency management system has carried out an in-depth study of the instructions and firmly implemented them. The results are obvious: Disaster is now being forestalled at an earlier stage; the foundation for disaster mitigation is more solid; the mechanisms for disaster relief are more responsive. Specifically, there are three "new". 

First, we have established new mechanisms to integrate disaster prevention, resistance, and relief. We have further reformed the mechanisms for disaster prevention, mitigation, and relief, clarified the prevention and relief responsibilities among relevant departments, and worked hard to achieve the greatest synergy possible. We have set up mechanisms for the joint study of risks, disaster information access and sharing, unified command and scheduling, and disaster early warning among relevant departments. A flat emergency organization structure has been formed, in which officials lead on their post, people are stationed 24 hours a day for important positions, and the whole emergency management system remains highly responsive to safeguarding the lives and property of the people. 

Second, disaster prevention has reached a new level. We have carried out the first national survey on the comprehensive risks of natural disasters to learn about hidden risks and the state of prevention facilities, and accelerated efforts to address the deficiencies in disaster prevention and mitigation. A number of key initiatives have been launched, including ones to reinforce houses in earthquake-prone areas, improve water conservancy against floods and droughts, and relocate people at times of geological disasters. Our capacity to guard against natural disasters has improved remarkably. For example, the houses brought down by a 6.9-magnitude earthquake in Menyuan county, Qinghai province, in 2022 was only 5% of those brought down by a 6.4-magnitude earthquake that jolted the same area in 2016. The effects in housing reinforcement against earthquakes are obvious. 

Third, we have made new breakthroughs in our comprehensive support capacity. Investment in science and technology, materials, and equipment for disaster prevention, mitigation and relief has been gradually increased, and our support capacity has been notably strengthened. A total of six state-level regional emergency response and rescue centers have begun construction, forming a coordinated nationwide arrangement that can ensure rapid deployment for the needs of nearby areas. We have completed the task of increasing the storage of central emergency supplies worth nearly three billion yuan, further enhancing the capacity to respond to the peak demand in a major disaster. Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) emergency response communication, large drainage vehicles, underwater robots and several other pieces of heavy equipment have been installed in succession, significantly improving the level of modern technical equipment.

According to our statistics, from 2018 to 2021, the country's annual average number of disaster-related deaths and missing people, the number of collapsed houses, and the annual average proportion of direct economic losses in GDP dropped by 51.6%, 73% and 44%, respectively, compared with the average during the five years ahead of reforms. Our system and mechanism reforms for disaster prevention, mitigation and relief have taken effect. Thank you.

Southern Metropolis Daily:

In recent years, China's production safety has been kept stable and continued to become better. However, serious and major accidents sometimes occur, making people feel less secure. Under such circumstances, could you please provide the measures and arrangements that the MEM has taken to prevent serious and major workplace accidents? Thank you.

Song Yuanming:

As you mentioned, a serious accident usually involves 10 or more deaths, while a major accident refers to an accident leaving 30 or more people dead. A serious or major accident will surely weaken people's sense of security. Hence, it is a major task for the MEM to prevent such accidents, and we have constantly attached great importance to this major task. In the past decade, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, the number of serious and major accidents dropped to 17 in 2021 from 59 in 2012, or 1.4 per month from five per month on average, registering a decrease of 71%. In particular, since the MEM was established in 2018, we have set a record for the longest duration without serious or major accidents since the founding of the PRC, which is 29 months. Since the beginning of this year, there have been five serious and major accidents up to now, dropping by seven or 58% compared with the same period of last year. We have made our continuous efforts mainly in the following four aspects.

The four aspects can be summarized as a red line, a responsibility system, a series of special campaigns, and a new capacity level.

First, we have made great efforts to publicize and safeguard "a red line." Early in June 2013, the general secretary clearly pointed out that "we can never pursue development at the cost of people's lives. This is a red line that cannot be overstepped." He also emphasized that the idea must be followed clearly, adamantly and resolutely. His instructions have become major standards for our efforts to coordinate development and safety. Over the past years, we have firmly held to this red line and adopted various methods to widely publicize the principle, leading to the formation of an environment focusing on workplace safety while pursuing development.  

Second, we have made great efforts to push ahead with establishing a responsibility system, which includes three aspects. The first focuses on local Party and government leadership's responsibility, ensuring that both Party committees and governments assume responsibility as required by the general secretary. For instance, the State Council has carried out a workplace safety assessment on provincial governments for six consecutive years, and implemented one-vote-veto practice for provinces where major accidents happened. The second focuses on the regulatory responsibility of government departments. This will ensure that the requirement of being responsible for both industrial development and workplace safety can be implemented. The third is the primary responsibility of enterprises. These three responsibilities have constituted a set of responsibility systems for workplace safety.

Third, we have taken decisive actions to implement a series of special campaigns to ensure workplace safety. We have carried out special campaigns to eliminate major potential dangers that easily lead to a large number of deaths and injuries. This is an effective method with Chinese characteristics that integrates administrative, economic, legal, sci-tech tools as well as industrial structure adjustments. For example, we have launched a three-year-long special campaign to treat hidden dangers in hazardous chemicals, mines, fire safety, traffic and transportation, fishing vessels, and industrial parks. Meanwhile, we have promptly studied and judged new risks that emerged from some new situations and business forms. We have promoted special actions regulating self-built houses for commercial purposes, gas, electric bicycles, electrochemical energy storage and offshore wind power, among other fields.

Fourth, we have made great efforts to improve our capacity and level of the rule of law in production safety. In the past decade, we have made amendments twice to the Law on Workplace Safety , promulgated the 11th amendment to the Criminal Law, and constantly adjusted and revised the Criteria for Determining Major Hidden Dangers in different industries to make the laws and regulations more stringent and precise. At the same time, we have also accelerated the reform of comprehensive administrative law enforcement for emergency management, and vigorously enhanced the authority and professionalism of workplace safety law enforcement teams. We have also strengthened law enforcement inspections, and stepped up efforts to crack down on violations. At the same time, we have established a reporting system, encouraged and rewarded whistleblowers, seriously investigated and handled accidents, and further enhanced the deterrence of workplace safety law enforcement.

Next, we will continue to focus on preventing major and severe accidents. We will coordinate economic development, epidemic prevention and control, and work safety, and take concrete actions to welcome the 20th CPC National Congress. Thank you.

People's Daily:

Fire safety involves thousands of families and concerns everyone in all industries. What specific achievements have been made in fire control work to serve economic and social development and safeguard people's lives and property? Thank you.

Qiong Se:

Thank you for your question. Fire safety is an important part of social governance and emergency management. In the past decade, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, all localities and departments have conscientiously implemented the concept of safe development. They have insisted on putting the people and their lives first, actively promoted the modernization of the management system and capacity in fire safety, and played an essential role in preventing fires and reducing fire hazards, protecting citizens' lives and property, and maintaining public security. The main achievements are as follows:

First, the fire safety responsibility system has been continuously improved. Party committees and governments at all levels have followed the requirement that "both Party officials and government officials take responsibility, and each and every official is responsible for fire safety" as well as the requirement that "whoever is responsible for the management of industries, business, and production and operation must also assume responsibility for workplace safety," and acted quickly to research and resolve major issues concerning fire safety. Annual government fire safety work assessments have been launched. Meanwhile, with industry associations promoting standardized management and enterprises and public institutions establishing and improving their own independent management mechanisms, we have formed a new pattern of fire safety work on a society-wide basis.

Second, significant progress has been made in building a legal system for fire safety. We have implemented the strategic plan of comprehensively advancing the rule of law. The central government released the opinions on reform of fire control law enforcement. The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress has twice amended the fire safety law and conducted inspections on law enforcement. It has also promulgated 71 local laws, 152 government regulations and 10 sectoral regulations, and 524 national industry standards, providing legal support for fire safety work.

Third, remarkable results have been achieved in preventing and tackling fire risks. We focused on high-risk areas such as high-rise buildings, large commercial complexes, and petrochemical enterprises. We paid close attention to new types of businesses such as electrochemical energy storage, electric bicycles and after-school training, and conducted precise assessments, law enforcement and governance. National authorities have overseen more than 200 major and regional fire risks, and localities have supervised the rectification of over 85.22 million fire risks.

Fourth, firefighting and rescue capabilities have been greatly improved. The number of fire and rescue stations across the country increased from 5,256 to 7,969. The number of fire engines increased from 47,000 to 111,000, and the number of municipal fire extinguishers rose from 1.058 million to 2.018 million. Forest and aviation firefighting forces has covered 21 provinces. In particular, after establishing a national comprehensive fire and rescue team, the fire service has undertaken the responsibilities of firefighting and comprehensive rescue following the law, effectively responding to a series of major disasters and accidents.

Fifth, a society-wide fire safety foundation has been effectively consolidated. All cities, counties, and key towns across the country have formulated and implemented fire safety plans. Primary-level fire safety has been integrated into grid management. Social services concerning fire safety have flourished, and there has been extensive fire safety publicity. The public's awareness of fire safety has been significantly enhanced. There are now over 100,000 registered firefighting engineers and 1.4 million people with special firefighting skills. Moreover, 14,000 new fire stations have been set up in towns and subdistricts across the country.

With China's economic size having more than doubled and urban built-up areas having expanded by 30% during the past 10 years, we have maintained the general stability and improved the performance of firefighting, especially in the prevention and control of fires that cause casualties. According to statistical analysis, the number of fires with three to nine fatalities dropped from an average of 87.7 cases annually in the last decade to 71.1 cases in this decade, a decrease of 18.9%. The number of fires with more than nine fatalities decreased from 4.9 per year in the last decade to three, a drop of 38.8%.

All these achievements are attributed to the scientific guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, as well as the joint efforts of the whole society. We will stay committed to coordinating development and security, taking prevention as a priority and combining prevention with fire rescue. We will continuously strengthen and improve fire prevention work, sparing no effort to protect people's lives and property so as to provide strong safeguards in terms of firefighting for achieving high-quality development. Thank you.

Xinhua News Agency:

This year, many places across China have suffered from floods and droughts to varying degrees. What is the overall situation of flood control and drought relief and what are the next steps? Also, after the institutional reform, what changes have taken place in flood control and drought relief? What results have been achieved? Thank you.

Zhou Xuewen:

Thank you for your questions. This year we have seen an early start to the flood season, with many numbered floods (floods of a certain large scale), severe regional disasters, and prolonged high temperatures and droughts. The flood and drought disasters can mainly be characterized by four aspects:

First, north and south China have seen more rainfall than the central region. The average precipitation nationwide is slightly lower than in previous years, but the rainfall in most of the north as well as south China has increased by 10%-100% compared with the same period in ordinary years, and the Yangtze River Basin, as well as Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Tibet Autonomous Region have experienced 10%-50% less precipitation.

Second, there have been many numbered large-scale river floods in China. A total of 586 rivers across China experienced floods that exceeded warning water levels. A total of 10 numbered large-scale floods hit China's major rivers. As you may recall, two large-scale floods hit the Pearl River Basin, with the Beijiang River experiencing a catastrophic flood. And the main stream of the Liaohe River suffered its biggest flood since 1995.

Third, we have seen more severe regional flood and waterlog disasters. Provinces such as Guangdong and Liaoning were severely affected, and provinces including Sichuan and Qinghai suffered from major mountain torrents. Since the beginning of this year, 171 people have either died or gone missing due to flood and waterlog disasters, and the number of collapsed buildings has reached 27,000, decreases of 60% and 71.7% respectively compared with the average during the same period in the recent five years.

Fourth, we have seen longer periods of high temperatures and droughts. Since July, the Yangtze River Basin has experienced its severest high-temperatures and heatwaves since 1961. The quickly deteriorating droughts in Sichuan, Chongqing, Hubei and Hunan have impacted domestic water use, agricultural production and electric power supply.

According to forecasts by meteorological departments, this fall, that is, from September to November, there will be more precipitation in northern, southwestern, central and southern China and the fall rain in western China will start earlier and be generally stronger. The fall rain in western China has already started. The middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River Basin may continue to suffer droughts that started in summer, and we should not be optimistic about the flood control and drought relief situation. We will go all out to continue the flood control and drought relief work in the post-flood season with a sense of responsibility to always be alert and vigilant.

Since the institutional reform, the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters and the MEM have been conscientiously implementing the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions on flood prevention, drought relief and disaster relief, focusing on improving the long-term mechanism for flood prevention and drought relief, and continuing to strengthen capacity building for disaster prevention and mitigation.

First, a work paradigm combining integrated and separated efforts and coordinating prevention and rescue has be formed. The State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters has been giving full play to its leading role in steering and coordinating the work, the MEM has been leveraging its comprehensive strength, and relevant departments have also utilized their professional advantages in this regard. We have basically established a mechanism with inter-departmental coordination and central-local and military-civilian cooperation, so that the advantages of the emergency management system reform have become more evident. 

Second, the responsibility system of joint management by Party and government bodies and delegated responsibilities has be improved. Local Party committees and government institutions have shouldered the main responsibility of disaster prevention and relief, with strengthened implementation of the responsibilities of higher-level administrators, persons with delegated responsibilities, and actual point persons for risk identification and prevention. And this responsibility system extends to villages and communities at the very end. 

Third, the working mechanism has been improved with a focus on preventive and preemptive measures. We have strengthened the joint analysis and assessment on disaster risks between departments, and established an early warning and "call and response" mechanism directly reaching the person responsible at the grassroots level. Heavy rainfall often occurs in the middle of the night or in the early morning when most people are asleep. If warnings by meteorological departments are sent via cell phone text message or WeChat, they may not be received or heard. This requires the meteorological departments to issue a high-level warning, and to wake up those responsible at all levels, especially those at the grassroots level, as soon as possible. So, we called for the establishment of this "call and response" mechanism, which entails a wake-up call and a response to it. Under this mechanism, we start emergency response upon receiving meteorological warnings, dispatching task force for emergency rescue and disaster relief at an earlier time. 

Fourth, a system mainly consisting of professionals and complemented with social participation has be strengthened. An emergency rescue and disaster relief system has been initially established. In this system, the national comprehensive firefighting and rescue task force is the main force, and the People's Liberation Army and the People's Armed Police will take on the difficult tasks, with collaboration by professional rescue teams of relevant departments and central stated owned enterprises and other forces of the society. We have been equipped with advanced and applicable rescue equipment. In disaster response, we act quickly and in an orderly manner with science-based and efficient measures. 

Under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, we have pooled strengths from all fronts and coped with a series of major disasters in recent years. As institutional reforms enter their fourth year, the annual average number of deaths and disappearances, and houses collapsed due to floods has plummeted by 30% and 55%, respectively, compared with the average number over the five years before the reforms began. Thank you. 

CNR:

A prolonged heat wave and droughts have been lingering in the Sichuan Basin and the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River since July, and have impacted production and life in these areas. What is the overall drought situation, and how will it go? What measures have the National Flood Control and Drought Relief Command Headquarters and the MEM taken to deal with it? Thank you.

Zhou Xuewen:

Thank you for your question. Southern China has been hit by a rare and continued heat wave and drought since July, with the Yangtze River basin suffering severely. According to analysis, the main features of the disaster are as follows:

First, the number of days with high temperatures is unprecedentedly high. On average, 32.5 days of high temperatures have been reported in the Yangtze River basin since July, a record high since China established its complete meteorological records system in 1961. More than 35 days of high temperatures have been registered in most parts of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, eastern Sichuan, as well as the city of Chongqing. 

Second, precipitation is unprecedentedly low. The average precipitation has stood at 160.3 mm in the Yangtze River basin since July, a significant 50.4% drop from previous levels and the lowest since 1961. 

Third, the amount of water inflow is abnormally low. Since July, the flow of the mainstream and tributaries of the Yangtze River has been 20-80% less than in previous years, and the flow of its upper and middle reaches has hit a record low since 1949. The water levels of the mainstream of the Yangtze River, the Dongting Lake, and the Poyang Lake are five to eight meters lower than in previous years, the lowest on record. 

Fourth, the heat wave and drought are causing serious damage, affecting 37.85 million people since July, among whom 4.28 million require assistance with basic needs. And around 4,045,000 hectares of crops were badly hit. The immediate economic loss they have caused has reached 31.5 billion yuan, a substantial increase from the records in the past five years. 

The heat wave is about to last until August 31, as per the meteorological departments. While the rainfalls in Sichuan, Shaanxi, Gansu, Chongqing, and Hubei have been increasing in recent days, we are highly alert to possible floods, fearing that the prolonged drought could be followed by torrential rains. 

It is predicted that precipitation in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River will remain low in autumn. The drought could last from summer to autumn and will pose a severe challenge to our drought relief efforts. The Office of the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters and the MEM have implemented the important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping on floods prevention, drought relief and disaster relief, and advanced our disaster mitigation work in accordance with the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council. 

First, we strengthened coordination. We coordinated with departments of meteorology, water resources, and agriculture and rural affairs on a daily basis to jointly analyze the trend of the drought situation and provide organizational guidance for drought areas. They are advised to enhance accountability, make emergency plans, and get materials and measures in place in order to be well-prepared for a serious and prolonged drought.

Second, we launched emergency drought response promptly. The State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters has launched level-IV emergency response in 10 provinces in a timely manner, and the National Disaster Reduction Committee and the MEM activated a level-IV response for drought. Multiple working groups were sent to drought-hit areas to assist in water supply and drought relief. 

Third, we took various measures to support local disaster relief. The Office of the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters and the MEM deployed the national comprehensive fire and rescue services to deliver water to drought-hit areas. The water supply in some rural areas was dependent upon small reservoirs and rivers in the mountain. But the continued drought has dried all of these water sources. Drinking water safety must be guaranteed for those suffering water shortages. We also coordinated with the Ministry of Finance and allocated 700 million yuan of central funds for natural disaster relief in advance. We worked together with the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration to allocate the central drought relief materials and equipment to fully support local governments' drought mitigation efforts. Thank you. 

The Poster News APP:

Some accidents happened because enterprises did not fulfill their due duties. What measures has the MEM taken to make sure enterprises perform their duties as the major body of accountability for workplace safety? Thank you.

Song Yuanming:

Thank you for your question. Enterprises are the last and most important link of the responsibility chain for workplace safety. Either the leadership responsibilities of local governments and Party committees or the oversight responsibilities of competent departments will ultimately be reflected in enterprises' fulfilling their primary responsibilities. General Secretary Xi Jinping once said that whether or not to take concrete and serious measures will make a difference in terms of workplace safety. The general guideline for the work of the MEM is to pinpoint problems and conduct effective supervision.

As for pinpointing problems, we mainly adopt measures to address the weak points of enterprises' production factors and to improve the four factors' overall quality. 

First, improving personnel quality. Together with the Ministry of Human Resources, we launched an action plan to improve the safety skills of staff in high-risk industries. One of the 15 hard measures issued by the Workplace Safety Committee of the State Council is to strengthen safety management in the fields of labor dispatch and flexible employment. We also launched a strike on training programs held just for show and cooperated with the Ministry of Public Security on a counterfeit certificate crackdown.

Second, improving enterprises' technical equipment. We regularly issue a list of outdated technical equipment and technology that should be phased out, and encourage traditional enterprises to be digitalized and smart. Take the coal industry, one of the traditional industries, for example: its smart transformation has been quite successful. Meanwhile, enterprises will also receive severe punishments for a lack of safety investment.

Third, improving enterprises' safety management. We ask enterprises to establish special safety management teams and optimize relevant regulations. We also help them to build an advanced, standardized management system to ensure workplace safety. Management practices that violate the law, such as subcontract and affiliate or lending qualifications, will be punished.

Fourth, improving safety awareness of business leaders who play a critical role. It is stipulated by the law that the legal representatives and actual controllers of enterprises are the "first to be held accountable" for workplace safety. They must fulfill the seven responsibilities specified in the Law on Workplace Safety. The theme of this year's "Workplace Safety Month" is abiding by the Law on Workplace Safety and fulfilling the responsibilities of the "first to be held accountable," which is also one of the 15 hard measures adopted by the Workplace Safety Committee of the State Council. 

As for effective supervision, we have been following the regularity that the precision and intensity of safety supervision is proportionate to how enterprises fulfill their primary responsibilities in this respect. That's to say, the more precise and more intense the supervision is, the better enterprises implement their responsibilities. Otherwise, it would be totally the opposite. 

To achieve effective supervision, we have been committed to the following three aspects: First, being committed to precise supervision. We have been targeting the major risks of key enterprises in key industries and objecting to bluff or one-size-fits-all supervision. Second, being committed to strict and standard law enforcement. We have employed the methods of investigation, tip-off, exposure to the public, law enforcement, accountability, admonition, notification, and supervision, as well as warning education. We are also resolutely against loose or non-standard law enforcement. Third, being committed to enthusiastic services. We have been providing on-site expertise service, offering assistance to key regions, and rallying central financial support. Through government service procurement, we have launched a campaign to promote workplace safety standardization, and enterprises that meet the standards will receive positive incentives, boosting their personnel's sense of dignity, accomplishment, and happiness. 

In the future, the MEM will continue its efforts to supervise enterprises' fulfilling their primary responsibilities and provide high-quality safety services for their high-quality development. Thank you.

Cover News:

Since the emergency management reform was introduced, the functions of the nation's comprehensive fire and rescue services have been expanded to cover all kinds of disasters. Can you tell us more about the characteristics of this function transformation? Thank you.

Qiong Se:

Thank you for your question. Our functions have been significantly expanded since the reform started. Our main duty used to be fire rescue in urban and rural areas, as well as extinguishing forest and grassland fires and saving people's lives. Now we are tasked with comprehensively responding to all forms of disasters. The total alarms we received have increased from 1.173 million in 2018 to 1.963 million in 2021, up 67.3 percent. The main characteristics are as follows:

First, putting the people and their lives first. We always heed the call of the Party and the people and fight in fields where the people need us most. Bearing the people's interests in mind, we are committed to putting their lives and safety front and center and implementing it in earnest. Since 2018, about 808,000 people have been rescued from various disasters and accidents and 2.2 million have been evacuated. 

Second, being combat-oriented. To better exercise our functions, we have optimized our teams and equipment systems and organized about 3,500 professional rescue teams that are adapted to multiple scenarios such as high buildings, the chemical industry, earthquakes, mountains, bodies of water, and freezing hazards. Around 9,800 special firefighting vehicles and fireboats, 2.96 million personal protective equipment, and 1.64 million emergency rescue equipment were newly added, and another 160 warehouses were built for disaster relief material reserves.

Third, maintaining a combat readiness. To build up first-class fighting capacity, we have been in a state of preparedness around the clock and are on high alert and ready for a quick response. We have actively organized exercises involving all personnel and held a ministerial-provincial earthquake relief drill named "Mission of Emergency Rescue" for two consecutive years, aiming to improve our professional response and enhance our capacity to deal with major earthquakes and catastrophes. 

Fourth, upholding scientific command. We have improved the authoritative and efficient national emergency response command and joint coordination mechanism and framed an "all-in-one map" featuring smart command over fire and rescue efforts. We have organized 12 large-scale and trans-regional reinforcements and pooled strengths to coordinate and cope with major disasters and accidents such as the floods that ravaged northern and southern China in 2020, the torrential rain that caused havoc in Zhengzhou on July 20, 2021, and the collapse of a self-built building in Changsha on April 29, 2022, as well as the recent forest fires raging in Chongqing, fully demonstrating the new advantages of our new system of emergency management and fire rescue.

The practice has demonstrated that decisions made by General Secretary Xi Jinping and the CPC Central Committee on reforming emergency management and the national comprehensive firefighting and rescue team are very wise. We will faithfully implement the important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping, keep in mind his expectations, and resolutely ensure that we are ready for and can win in any task, saving people from disasters, assisting them when they are in danger, and giving them strength. We will always fight in places where the people need us most and be the loyal guards of the Party and the people forever. Thank you. 

Red Star News:

Major emergencies are highly complicated and cross-regional. At the rescue scene of various major emergencies, we often see various rescue forces working together. Since its establishment, what has been done by the MEM to coordinate emergency force building and emergency command and dispatch? Thank you.

Qiong Se:

Thank you for your question. Coordinating emergency force building and emergency command and dispatch is an important task for reforming the emergency management system and advancing the modernization of the emergency management system and its capacity. In recent years, we have continuously strengthened emergency force building and optimized emergency command and dispatch based on the tasks that require our rescue to cover a full range of disasters and integrate all the forces and resources.

In coordinating the building of emergency forces, we have prioritized the following three aspects. First, we have given priority to the leading role of the system. We have advanced the development of the emergency rescue force system with Chinese characteristics. Our system uses the national comprehensive firefighting and rescue team as the major force in coordination with professional rescue teams in industries and sectors. Meanwhile, we use the military emergency forces as our fast-response force with social forces as auxiliary. Second, we have given priority to the scientific layout of emergency forces. We have focused on developing a comprehensive national firefighting and rescue team, set up six regional emergency rescue centers at national levels, and coordinated the building of emergency rescue forces such as aviation rescue forces and natural disasters rescue forces. Third, we have given our priority to the community level. We have extended the reach of emergency forces to communities, villages, and enterprises and built miniature fire stations and emergency rescue stations in key areas and places to improve self-rescue capability and the level of emergency disposal at early stages. 

In coordinating emergency command and dispatch, our work has mainly focused on strengthening the following three aspects. First, we have strengthened the unified command and improved the military-civilian, inter-departmental and inter-regional joint response mechanisms so as to ensure that rescue operations are carried out in a well-coordinated way. Second, we have strengthened on-site command. We have promoted the construction of commanding institutions at the site of disasters and accidents, improved the model of on-site command of operations, and actively developed an on-site coordination mechanism engaging various emergency forces in rescue operations to keep the rescue scene well-regulated and orderly. Third, we have strengthened professional command. We have given full play to the role of experts, strengthened consultation and analysis, and made decisions and command in a scientific way, with an effort to save lives as much as possible and reduce the losses caused by disasters to a minimum so as to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of rescue. Thank you.

China News Service:

We have noticed that in the past two years, the MEM has intensified its efforts to combat counterfeiting in certificates for special operations and protect the rights and interests of special operation personnel. Can you elaborate on that?

Song Yuanming:

Thank you for your question. There are ten types of special operation personnel, such as electricians, electric welders, and people work high above the ground. They are a very important group in enterprises. The operations they engage in are relatively high-risk and prone to accidents. Therefore, the law clearly stipulates that special operation personnel must undergo special training, pass an examination, and be certified to work. Currently, there are over 17 million special operation personnel nationwide, with an annual increase of about two million people. However, in recent years, we have found that some criminals, driven by interests, counterfeit the government website of the MEM, forge and buy and sell fake certificates, make false publicity, and induce practitioners to be deceived. Some practitioners have been deceived by false websites or advertisements claiming that they will get a pass in the exam and got fake certificates, which seriously violated the legitimate rights and interests of the practitioners and also caused some people without basic security skills to engage in high-risk operations, leaving major potential dangers to workplace safety of enterprises. To deal with these problems, we have mainly focused on strengthening supervision and providing warm services to safeguard the rights and interests of people.

First, we have worked on combating fake certificates. The MEM and the Ministry of Public Security have launched a special program on combating counterfeiting government websites and forging and selling fake certificates. Over the past year, emergency management departments at all levels have guided enterprises to conduct self-examination and self-rectification. About 31.78 million certificates have been verified through the national unified certificate inquiry platform. We have carried out inspections of compliance with laws on more than 300,000 enterprises and investigated and punished 9,855 persons working without certificates and 1,343 persons with fake certificates. We have found some clues through investigating fake certificates and handed them to public security departments timely, with 313 clues having been handled. At the same time, public security organs at all levels have acted firmly and swiftly. They have solved 154 cases of producing and selling fake certificates, arrested 899 criminal suspects, busted 44 gangs, shut down 461 counterfeit websites, seized over 100,000 fake certificates and seals, and identified 270,000 fake certificates by sorting out background data of counterfeit websites. All of these efforts have formed a powerful deterrent. Currently, the two departments have established a regular working mechanism for combating counterfeits. All counterfeits will be investigated and punished promptly and decisively once spotted.

Second, we have offered thoughtful services. We have provided cross-provincial services for special work personnel. Through technological means, we have realized cross-regional and cross-level sharing of internal data. Practitioners can take exams and apply for certificates and recertification at the place of their household registration or work. That is to say, for special work personnel, they don't always have to return to the place of their household registration to apply for certificates. They can apply for recertification and exams in cities above the prefecture level where they work, with data sharing allowing them to get things done with greater ease. In addition, we have promoted electronic certificates. Electronic certificates have the same legal validity as paper certificates. Special work personnel can download electronic certificates for free anytime and anywhere from the MEM's website. People no longer have to worry about certificates getting lost or being seized by enterprises. So far, we have issued 13.64 million new electronic certificates. We have also established a national unified certificate inquiry platform on the website of the MEM. Through the platform, we can quickly verify the authenticity of the certificate. Those that cannot be found on the platform are fake ones. Meanwhile, basic information on examination institutions and tutoring institutions in various places has been posted on the platform, so that practitioners can choose to take exams nearby and avoid being deceived by false promotions.

Next, we will act upon the requirements of reforms to streamline administration and delegate power, improve regulation, and upgrade services, and continue to optimize services to provide convenience for special work personnel. Thank you.

21st Century Business Herald:

China is one of the countries most vulnerable to natural disasters in the world. Since its establishment, what preparations have the MEM made in response to major and catastrophic disasters? Thank you.

Zhou Xuewen:

Thank you for your question. It is a basic reality that China has a large variety of natural disasters, distributed over a wide area and with high frequency, causing heavy losses. Since its establishment, the MEM has fully implemented the important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping on disaster prevention, mitigation and rescue, put people and their lives first, always been alert to the worst possible scenarios, adopted proactive strategies and strived for the best results, and always focused on emergency preparedness for major and catastrophic disasters. To be specific, we have strengthened preparedness in the following five aspects to achieve "five improvements."

First, we have strengthened emergency preparedness in mechanisms, improving the overall capacity for emergency response with unimpeded communication at all levels and coordination and interconnection among all parties. The comprehensive strengths of the MEM's departments and the professional advantages of relevant departments have been given full play. Joint mechanisms in military-civilian coordination, emergency transportation, and aviation rescue have been established. The systems for exchanging information, sharing resources, jointly constructing forces, and jointly supporting operations have been improved. A joint emergency response setup with distinctive focus, mutual complementarity and mutual support has been developed, effectively boosting the overall synergy of unified planning, integrated operation and joint actions.

Second, we have strengthened preparedness in contingency plans, improving emergency response awareness based on contingency plans. We have actively adapted to a new round of reforms to the emergency management system, and promoted the development of an emergency planning system. Over 650 special and departmental contingency plans at national and provincial levels have been issued and the revision of contingency plans at municipal and county level has been fully carried out. At the same time, we have strengthened the dynamic management, examination, evaluation, publicity and interpretation of the contingency plans, and given full play to their leading role in guiding emergency preparedness and directing rescue operations when disasters occur, which has effectively raised the awareness of emergency response based on contingency plans at all levels.

Third, we have strengthened preparedness in emergency forces, improving the emergency rescue operations featuring pre-positioned arrangements and tiered combination of forces. We have analyzed trends based on disaster risks and consulted with relevant departments at the beginning of each year to discuss and plan for preparedness in emergency forces in response to major and catastrophic disasters. We have coordinated and deployed firefighting, military, professional and social emergency forces in accordance with regions and categories and clarified the composition of forces, tasks, professional combination and delivery batches, which has effectively improved the capabilities of rapid response and efficient rescue. At the same time, we accelerated the development and deployment of advanced rescue equipment. We have built and installed large-scale marine engineering rescue ships on the Yangtze and Huai rivers. In particular, the dynamic pontoon bridge that played an important role in the flood disaster relief in Xinxiang, Henan province, was called the "rescue aircraft carrier" by netizens.

Fourth, we have strengthened preparedness in capabilities, improving the emergency rescue operation methods featuring efficient coordination and targeted rescue. We have taken emergency drills as the platform, carried out trainings in realistic and difficult conditions with strict standards, and practiced command, coordination, operational methods and support, so as to test contingency plans, strengthen teams and improve capacities. In the past two years, the MEM, together with Sichuan and Gansu provinces, jointly held two large-scale realistic earthquake relief drills. The participating teams were tested under real environments and complex conditions. Emergency drills have also been carried out in various localities on a regular basis, which has effectively improved the rescue capabilities of multi-disaster response, multi-force combination and multi-technology integration.

Fifth, we have strengthened preparedness in emergency supplies, improving emergency support capabilities featuring joint reserve and supply and joint deployment and support. We have strengthened the reserves of emergency supplies in accordance with local conditions so as to respond to major and catastrophic disasters and have optimized the variety, scale, distribution and standards of reserve supplies. We have improved the deployment of supplies by means of a national emergency resource management platform, coordinated with logistics enterprises to improve the emergency logistics support system, effectively enhancing the emergency supply support capabilities with rational layout, efficient deployment and rapid arrival. Thank you.

Chen Wenjun:

If you have no more questions, today's briefing is hereby concluded. Thank you to all the speakers and friends from media. Thank you.

Translated and edited by Xu Xiaoxuan, Wang Wei, Zhou Jing, Huang Shan, Yan Xiaoqing, Yan Bin, Liu Sitong, Liu Qiang, Xu Kailin, Li Huiru, He Shan, Yuan Fang, David Ball, Tom Arnsten, and Jay Birbeck. In case of any discrepancy between the English and Chinese texts, the Chinese version is deemed to prevail.

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Read in Chinese

Speakers:

Niu Yibing, deputy director of the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission, vice minister of the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) and spokesperson of the CAC

Yang Shuzhen, director general of the Policy Research Bureau of the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission

Zhang Yongjun, director general of the Comprehensive Cyberspace Governance Bureau of the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission

Sun Weimin, director general of the Cybersecurity Coordination Bureau of the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission

Wang Song, director general of the Informatization Development Bureau of the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission

Qi Xiaoxia, director general of the International Cooperation Bureau of the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission

Zhang Yong, senior official of the Cyber Communication Bureau of the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission

Chairperson:

Shou Xiaoli, spokesperson of the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC)

Date:

Aug. 19, 2022

Shou Xiaoli:

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to this press conference held by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee. Today, we are holding the 22nd press conference under the theme of "China in the past decade." We have invited Mr. Niu Yibing, deputy director of the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission, vice minister and spokesperson of the CAC, to brief you on the achievements in building China's strength in cyberspace in the new era and take your questions. Also joining us today are Mr. Yang Shuzhen, director general of the Policy Research Bureau of the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission; Mr. Zhang Yongjun, director general of the Comprehensive Cyberspace Governance Bureau of the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission; Ms. Sun Weimin, director general of the Cybersecurity Coordination Bureau of the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission; Mr. Wang Song, director general of the Informatization Development Bureau of the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission; Ms. Qi Xiaoxia, director general of the International Cooperation Bureau of the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission; and Mr. Zhang Yong, senior official of the Cyber Communication Bureau of the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission.

Now, let's give the floor to Mr. Niu for his introduction.

Niu Yibing:

Ladies and gentlemen, friends from the press, good morning. It's a great pleasure to attend this press conference under the theme of "China in the past decade." Thank you for your long-standing interest in and support for the work on cybersecurity and information technology application. Now, my colleagues and I will brief you on the achievements in building China's strength in cyberspace in the new era and take your questions.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has actively followed the development trend of the information revolution, coordinated the work on cybersecurity and information technology application with great attention, and realized historic achievements and transformations in this field. General Secretary Xi Jinping has charted the course and put forward a series of groundbreaking new ideas, visions and strategies, thus forming the important thought on building China's strength in cyberspace with rich and sophisticated connotations. Under the guidance of the thought, China, a country with an extensive cyber presence, is making big strides toward becoming a leader in cyberspace. This progress is reflected in the following 10 aspects.

First, the Party's centralized and unified leadership on cyber-related work has been enhanced. The CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has taken the Party's leadership on cyber-related work as an essential political principle, reformed and improved the leadership for internet management, and established the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission. Provincial, prefectural and municipal Party committees across the country have set up cyberspace affairs commissions, thus forming a three-level system for work on cyberspace affairs. Relevant documents have been issued, including opinions on strengthening cybersecurity and information technology application and the 14th five-year plan for cyberspace administration, to better implement the systems of responsibility for ideological work and cybersecurity, and ensure the Party's leadership on cyber-related work.

Second, mainstream values and positive energy have become more dominant in cyberspace. We have publicized the Party's innovation theory, promoted the spread of positive energy, organized publicity activities on major themes, and strengthened and improved international communication in cyberspace. We have carried out over 100 themed publicity activities each year with various highlights and held "China's positive energy" and "Five 100" presentations of excellent publicity works to boost the prevalence of positive energy in cyberspace. We have improved the online risk prevention mechanism to ensure ideological and political security in cyberspace.

Third, the system for integrated internet management has been improved. We have issued opinions on accelerating the establishment of a system for integrated internet management to promote preemptive and coordinated cyberspace governance. Since the launch of the "Clear and Bright" campaign, we have carried out more than 30 campaigns to address prominent issues such as undesirable fan culture, problems regarding internet accounts and online abuse, removing over 20 billion illegal and unhealthy pieces of information and nearly 1.4 billion accounts. We have issued opinions on improving ethical standards and advancing civility in cyberspace, launched the China Internet Civilization Conference, encouraged good netizenship, strengthened integrity in cyberspace, and worked to ensure a clean and healthy cyberspace.

Fourth, the building of cyber infrastructure has accelerated. China tops the world in the number of internet users and country code top-level domains. The country ranks second in the overall level of internet development. From 2012 to 2021, the number of internet users in China grew from 564 million to over 1.03 billion, and internet coverage rate increased from 42.1% to 73%. We have built the world's largest 5G and fiber optic networks with around 1.85 million 5G base stations and 455 million 5G mobile users. Fiber optic networks have been established in almost all prefecture-level cities, and all administrative villages and villages that have been lifted out of poverty have now been connected to broadband. Notable progress has been made in the deployment of the Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6)-based network, and China has the world's second largest number of IPv6 addresses. The country is stepping up its development of high-speed, ubiquitous, intelligent, convenient, green, low-carbon, secure and controllable information infrastructure with an integrated space-ground network and integrated interconnection.

Fifth, the digital economy has been gaining momentum. China has ranked second for several years in the market size of its digital economy, which increased from 11 trillion yuan in 2012 to 45.5 trillion yuan in 2021. The digital economy as a share of its GDP grew from 21.6% to 39.8%. The country's scale of e-commerce and mobile payment transactions are the largest in the world. The foundation for the development of digital industries has become more solid and the digitalization of traditional industries has been accelerated. In addition, we have held the Digital China Summit for five consecutive years.

Sixth, breakthroughs have been made in innovation in core information technologies. China has maintained its advantages in high performance computing, achieved leadership in 5G technology, industry and applications, and constructed the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System global network. The country has improved its chip development capabilities and the performance of domestic computer operating systems, and made positive progress in research on big data, cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain. In 2021, China filed over 30,000 patent applications in the cyber and information sector via the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), accounting for more than one-third of the global total.

Seventh, outstanding achievements have been made in using information to benefit the people and make their lives more convenient. Information-related services have been expanded, with internet-aided education and medical services further promoted. Great outcomes have been achieved in the fight against the pandemic through digital technologies. The campaigns to build digital government and digital villages have been accelerated. Over 1 billion people have signed up to China's integrated administrative affairs service platform, which enables people to handle such affairs entirely online and are not restricted by their location.

Eighth, we have strengthened the cybersecurity system and our capabilities in this regard. We have built and improved the cybersecurity protection system, enhanced protection of key information infrastructure, and strengthened data security management and personal information protection. The cybersecurity review has been carried out in an orderly manner. We have developed the academic discipline and talents regarding cybersecurity. The China Cybersecurity Week has been held for eight years in a row. We are also committed to the idea of cybersecurity for the people and by the people, significantly increasing society's awareness and capacities in protecting cybersecurity. 

Ninth, we have expedited our efforts to promote the rule of law in cyberspace. We have promoted the promulgation of over 100 related law and rules, including the Cybersecurity Law, Data Security Law, and Personal Information Protection Law. The Cyberspace Law Enforcement and Supervision Bureau has been set up to strengthen enforcement in cyberspace. Violations of laws and regulations have been rigorously dealt with. In the first half of this year, we summoned 3,491 websites and platforms for regulatory talks in accordance with the law, punished and fined 283 websites, suspended the operation or update of 419 websites, and taken down 177 mobile applications. Working along with telecommunication authorities, we have also dealt with 12,292 illegal websites, either canceling their permits or records, or shutting them down. In July, we imposed a fine of 8.206 billion yuan on Didi Global Inc, based on the findings of the company's violations of laws and rules.   

Tenth, international cooperation regarding cyberspace has expanded. We have held the World Internet Conference (WIC) for eight years straight, set up a WIC-related international organization, and put forward a concept paper and initiative for building a community with a shared future in cyberspace. The cyberspace governance ideas and suggestions proposed by General Secretary Xi Jinping are gradually becoming international consensus. 

In the new era, we will follow General Secretary Xi Jinping's important thought on building China's strength in cyberspace, and march forward with bravery to write a new chapter in the great cause of cyberspace work in order to provide strong services, support, and guarantee for achieving the second centenary goal. Thank you all. 

Shou Xiaoli:

Thank you for your introduction, Mr. Niu. Now is the Q&A session. Please identify your news outlet before raising questions. Now the floor is open. 

China News Service: 

We can see from your introduction just now that significant achievements have been made in building China's strength in cyberspace since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012. Can you please decode what's behind all these achievements? What are the plans for the future? Thank you. 

Niu Yibing:

Thank you for your questions. I hope my answer can be something of a "decode."

Reflecting on China's cyberspace development in the new era, our most prominent and deepest feeling is that the rapid development, tremendous changes, and remarkable achievements, in the final analysis, are a result of the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, as well as a result of the sound guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, especially General Secretary Xi Jinping's important thought on building China's strength in cyberspace. As the core of the CPC and its Central Committee, General Secretary Xi Jinping led and promoted China's cyberspace development, pointing the way forward and providing the fundamental principles for our work. 

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, we have strengthened our work in cyberspace through practice and made innovations while keeping to the right path, thus achieving hard-won and precious experience. The experience is demonstrated in the following aspects: We must uphold the principle of the Party overseeing the internet and keep strengthening the Party's overall leadership over cyberspace work; we must follow the guidance of important ideas and thoughts, using Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, especially General Secretary Xi Jinping's important thought on building China's strength in cyberspace, to lead our cyberspace work; our work must be people-centered, so that the people can have a better sense of gain, happiness and security; we must be committed to reform and innovation, continuously exploring ways of cyberspace governance with Chinese characteristics; we must stick to coordination and negotiation, in order to boost cohesion to build China's strength in cyberspace; we must also be committed to opening up and cooperation, in order to build a community with a shared future in cyberspace.  

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025) and beyond, we will summarize and utilize the experience gained since the 18th CPC National Congress, so that they will be reflected and made full use of in our cybersecurity and informatization work. Following the requirements of developing strong technology, content, and talent pool, building a solid base and having a better say in related international affairs, we will strive to make key breakthroughs in major areas in order to achieve a great rise in cyberspace development. We will also cement our comprehensive strength in cyberspace so that a pattern of cyberspace work supporting the construction of a great modern socialist country will take initial shape. The internet will have more positive energy, a healthier cyber ecology, an improved industrial system, and become more civilized. Our capabilities of guaranteeing cybersecurity, making independent innovations, and achieving industrial development in cyberspace will be markedly strengthened. Our comprehensive strength in information infrastructure will reach an advanced level globally, and our governance capabilities of digital government and digital society will see all-around improvement. China will have a notably stronger international presence in cyberspace, and significant progress will be made in building a community with a shared future in cyberspace. Thank you. 

Yicai: 

The digital economy provides a new driving force for global economic development. A report issued at the 5th Digital China Summit showed that the scale of China's digital economy remained the second largest worldwide, totaling $7.1 trillion in 2021. Can you please tell us the achievements that were made in building a digital China? What will we do to seize the development opportunities of the digital economy? Thank you. 

Niu Yibing:

Thank you. Mr. Wang Song from the Informatization Development Bureau will answer your questions. 

Wang Song:

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has systematically planned, coordinated, and promoted the construction of Digital China, achieving remarkable results. 

First, digital infrastructure has seen leapfrog development. Mobile communication technology has evolved from 3G and 4G to 5G. China's 4G base stations account for more than half of the world's total, and our 5G base stations have reached 1.854 million, with the number of 5G users exceeding 450 million. Fiber-optic networks were established in all prefecture-level cities. All administrative villages have access to broadband networks. China now ranks second in the world regarding computing power, and active IPv6 users reach nearly 700 million.

Second, the release of the value of data resources has accelerated. From 2017 to 2021, China's data output increased from 2.3 zettabytes (ZB) to 6.6ZB, ranking second worldwide. Moreover, the scale of the big data industry rose from 470 billion yuan to 1.3 trillion yuan, and the practical data sets of provincial public data sharing platforms reached nearly 250,000.

Third, the scale of China's digital economy leads the world. The scale of China's digital economy in 2021 was more than four times that of 2012, accounting for 39.8% of GDP. Furthermore, the revenues of the large electronic information manufacturing industry and software businesses were 1.7 times and 3.8 times that of 2012. Digital transformation accelerates in various fields, providing strong support for improving the quality and efficiency of the real economy.

Fourth, the efficiency of digital government services is significantly improved. China's e-government online service index jumped to ninth place in the world. It has become a standard practice for governments at various levels to provide services via mobile phone applications. Positive progress has been made in making government services accessible through a single portal and on an inter-provincial basis, and digital anti-epidemic measures have accelerated the exchange and sharing of data. The widespread use of health codes has reached an unprecedented level, and their security and stability have been greatly improved. Since the beginning of this year, the bearing capacity of health code systems across the country has increased sevenfold on average.

Fifth, the general use of digital services for public benefit has accelerated. The population of netizens in China has increased from 560 million to 1.032 billion, and internet usage has reached 73%. We have established the world's largest online education platform and a national unified medical insurance information platform, and telemedicine covers more than 90% of our counties and districts. The internet-empowered poverty alleviation efforts have helped win the battle against absolute poverty. The building of digital villages has been steadily advanced, so urban and rural residents could share the fruits of digital development. This is the status quo of the Digital China initiative.

Coming to your question on digital economy. The world is experiencing changes and a pandemic both unseen in a century. China's economic development is facing the triple pressures of shrinking demand, disrupted supply, and weakening expectations. New and higher requirements have been put forward to accelerate the digital economy's development. The digital economy involves many aspects. We will strengthen the systems thinking in promoting the Digital China initiative. We will speed up the breakthrough of core technologies in the information field, advance the construction of new infrastructure, consolidate the foundation for the development of the digital economy, and establish and improve the data resource system. Moreover, we will enhance the momentum of the digital economy, advance the digital transformation in industries through innovation, boost the development of digital initiatives in key fields, and lift the core competitiveness of China's digital economy. We will continuously improve the governance system for the digital economy, and ramp up cybersecurity and digital security barriers to promote the regulated and orderly development of the digital economy. We will take an active part in international cooperation on the digital economy and build a community with a shared future in the cyberspace domain to benefit the people of all countries. Thanks.

Bloomberg: 

Question from Bloomberg. Two questions, actually. So the first one is regarding companies that manage data and who are seeking overseas IPOs. I wonder if you could tell us some of the latest details, for example, how many such applications has the CAC processed? And how are those reviews conducted? Are they, for example, conducted under a tiered approval system according to the sensitivity of the level of a company's data, as reported by some media? The second question is about Didi. Its app hasn't resumed yet and that has led to some speculation that there might be more regulatory requirements pending or more regulatory actions pending. Can you share the latest progress in the case? And does the $1.2 billion fine you mentioned mean that your probe has finished? Is it concluded? And can Didi expect to soon get back to signing up new users and pursuing its expansion plans? Thank you very much.

Niu Yibing:

Thank you for your question. Indeed, your question is of very high interest and targeted. I'd like to refer this question to Ms. Sun Weimin.

Sun Weimin:

First of all, I will answer the first question. In alliance with the requirements of the Cybersecurity Law, the Data Security Law, the Personal Information Protection Law, and other laws and regulations, the CAC, together with relevant departments, revised the Methods on Cybersecurity Review, which began to be formally implemented on Feb. 15 this year. The revised methods require that any online platform operators' data processing activities that affect or may affect national security must be reviewed. Moreover, it stipulates that online platform operators having personal information of more than 1 million users must declare to the Cyberspace Security Review Office for review when seeking for overseas listing. According to the methods, the authorities will review online platform operators pursuing overseas listing, assessing risks of critical data, important data or a large amount of personal information being stolen, leaked, damaged, illegally used, and illegally exiting the country that may be brought about by listing overseas. They will also review risks to key information infrastructure, critical data, important data or a large amount of personal information being influenced, controlled, and maliciously used by foreign governments. Finally, they review the risks of online information security and other factors. We always support domestic enterprises that rationally use overseas capital markets for financing and development in accordance with laws and regulations. Opening-up is a fundamental state policy of China and a distinctive feature of contemporary China. The country will not change its resolve to open wider at a high standard, to share development opportunities with the rest of the world, and to make economic globalization more open, inclusive, balanced, and beneficial to all. This is my answer to your first question.

Second question. In July last year, to prevent national data security risks, safeguard national security, and guarantee the public interest, the Cyberspace Security Review Office conducted a cybersecurity review on Didi Chuxing in accordance with the National Security Law, the Cybersecurity Law, and the Methods on Cybersecurity Review. Next, the CAC will guide and urge Didi to rectify and eliminate potential security risks appropriately. We will strengthen law enforcement in cybersecurity, data security, and personal information protection. We will deal with illegal acts that endanger national cybersecurity and data security and infringe on citizens' personal information in accordance with laws. We will safeguard national cybersecurity, data security, and the public interest, and effectively protect the legitimate rights and interests of the people. Thank you.

China Media Group:

"Xi Jinping: Building China's Strength in Cyberspace" was published last year. The book reflects General Secretary Xi Jinping's rumination on building China's strength in cyberspace, puts forward precise requirements, and makes significant deployments. Could you share your understanding of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important thought in this regard based on the specific practices in cyberspace and information technology in the new era? Thank you.

Niu Yibing:

Thank you. As I said just now, the historic achievements and changes secured in cyberspace and information technology are, in the final analysis, attributed to the sound guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, especially of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important thought on building China's strength in cyberspace.

Now, Mr. Yang Shuzhen will answer your question. 

Yang Shuzhen:

Your question is significant, and I would like to answer it.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has put forward a series of new concepts, ideas, and strategies on cybersecurity and IT, forming the critical thought on building China's strength in cyberspace. In my opinion, the thought has five distinctive features.

First, it is in keeping with the times. Nowadays, the great, strategic rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, the changes in the world unseen in a century, and the tide of the information revolution are embracing a historic convergence. General Secretary Xi Jinping's important thought on building China's strength in cyberspace is a major part of the cyberspace chapter of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. It is a scientific summary and theoretical sublimation of the way of governance with Chinese characteristics and a guideline for the thoughts and actions that leads China's cyberspace and IT development. It has increasingly shown its strong power of truth in practice.

Second, it is practical. The important thought was developed through General Secretary Xi Jinping's local and central leadership practice over the long term. As early as working in Zhengding county, Hebei province, the general secretary pointed out that science and technology are key, while information is the soul. At that time, China had not yet entered the internet era, but he predicted the development trend of the future "smart century" with great foresight. While working in Fujian province, he creatively put forward the important strategic plan of building "digital Fujian," which has now become a source of ideas and practice in building digital China. During his work in Zhejiang province, he actively promoted the construction of "Digital Zhejiang." As a result, Zhejiang's IT development now leads the country. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the important thought on building China's strength in cyberspace has been put forward clearly, leading to historic achievements and changes in China's cyberspace and IT sectors. China is striding forward from a big player in cyberspace to a strong player in cyberspace.

Third, it is creative. General Secretary Xi Jinping's important thought on building China's strength in cyberspace proposes a series of original ideas and scientific conclusions. It clarifies the important position, strategic objectives, principles and requirements, international propositions, and basic methods of building a strong cyberspace player in the overall cause of the Party and the country, forming a scientific system with rich contents and complete structures.

Fourth, it is people-oriented. General Secretary Xi Jinping underscored that the internet and IT development should prioritize the people so they can have a greater sense of gain, happiness, and security in IT development.

Fifth, it is internationally minded. The four principles of global internet development and governance and five proposals on building a cyberspace community with a shared future pointed out by General Secretary Xi Jinping are an essential part of his thought on building a community with a shared future for mankind. The principles and proposals are guidelines, point to international cyberspace security and development direction, and provide a practical path, which has won positive response and wide praise from the vast majority of countries worldwide.

Through preliminary study and research, we have deeply realized that General Secretary Xi Jinping has a profound and clear understanding, long-term and in-depth thinking, and a scientific and systematic description of internet development. This reflects the profound insight and comprehensive grasp of the trend of the times and development by a leader of a major party and a major country. It shows a strong sense of vigilance and historical responsibility for our Party to stand the governance test, improve the governance capacity, and fulfill the governance mission; and also demonstrates the broad vision and mind to seek peace and development for the world as well as civilization and progress for mankind. Thank you.

Reuters:

The first question, to promote the building China's strength in cyberspace, what significant adjustments and supervision improvements will relevant authorities make in platform review? The second question, given the strategy of building China's strength in cyberspace proposed by General Secretary Xi Jinping, enhancing cybersecurity is the top priority. Thus, what technologies will relevant departments apply to improve China's early warning and monitoring capacity regarding internet early warning and monitoring to enhance cybersecurity? Thank you.

Niu Yibing:

Thanks to this foreign friend from Reuters. The well-regulated, healthy, and sustainable development of internet companies has long been a common concern both at home and abroad. Just as you mentioned in your questions, cybersecurity has been the top priority of our cyberspace affairs. I will answer these two questions.

In recent years, the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission and relevant departments have improved the means and efficiency of supervision and issued a series of policies and regulations to ensure the healthy and sustainable development of internet companies. These effective measures have further clarified rules, drawn a clear bottom line, and brought better order to the industry. They have set up red and green lights for the development of enterprises, restraining violations of regulations among internet companies, filling the vacuum of supervision, and defusing potential risks for the development of enterprises. These measures will help deepen the reform of internet companies, strengthen their management, and regulate their operations, so that they can grow in a more healthy, orderly, and sustainable way.

As the working body of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission, the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission is the functional department to coordinate the development of China's cyber and information sector. It is always our important mission to promote the healthy and sustainable development of internet companies. We will, together with relevant departments, earnestly study and implement the important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping and the decisions and plans made by the CPC Central Committee, work unswervingly both to consolidate and develop the public sector and to encourage, support, and guide development of the non-public sector, further the implementation of policies to ensure fair competition, continue to foster a market-oriented, law-based, and internationalized business environment, and continue to concern ourselves with and support the healthy growth of internet companies in terms of both scale and strength. We will strengthen communication between government and business, step up planning and coordination of preferential policies for enterprises, strengthen the publicity of policies and the guidance on public communication, further improve mechanisms for communication with enterprises, and provide strong support for enterprises to participate in major events and projects outlined in our 14th five-year plan. We will promote the development of enterprises while strengthening supervision and regulation, provide policy guidance while managing enterprises in accordance with the law, and give equal emphasis to both social benefits and economic returns. We will explore innovative standards and models of supervision, enhance cybersecurity for enterprises, foster a new type of cordial and clean relationship between government and business, safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of internet companies and entrepreneurs in accordance with the law, and take concrete measures to foster a strong, healthy and uplifting atmosphere for entrepreneurship. 

As General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out, without cybersecurity, there would be no national security, and no stable economic and social development, and the interests of the people could hardly get protected. Cyberspace departments nationwide have been working on making parallel progress in development and security, improving the system and capacity for safeguarding cybersecurity, and greatly strengthening the whole of society's awareness of cybersecurity and protection capabilities. The foundation for the work on cybersecurity has been continuously stepped up; the national cybersecurity emergency response system has been improved; the overall capabilities for network security situational awareness, case analysis, origin tracing, and emergency response have been enhanced; and a sound environment for cybersecurity featuring multi-party participation, mutual complementarity, and integrated development has been created. Thank you.

People.cn:

General Secretary Xi Jinping has stressed that promoting positive energy is the primary guiding principle for the integrated development of media, which should be well regulated and made good use of. What progress and achievements have been made in promoting positive energy? What will be done next to strengthen the development of online content to offer more high-quality "online feasts" to the people? Thank you.

Niu Yibing:

Thanks to the reporter from People.cn. People.cn is an online media sponsored by People's Daily. Next, we will have Mr. Zhang Yong, deputy director general and first-level inspector of the Cyber Communication Bureau, answer your questions. 

Zhang Yong:

Thank you for your attention to the development of online content. General Secretary Xi Jinping has stressed that online public communication should be the top priority of our publicity and ideological work. In accordance with the unified arrangement of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, cyberspace departments nationwide have taken online publicity of General Secretary Xi Jinping and Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as the top priority, coordinated online communication resources, increased supply of high-quality content, and launched a large number of phenomenal new media works such as "Watching the Main Peak in the Majestic Mountains" and "Holding Mother's Hand," demonstrating the leadership of General Secretary Xi Jinping as the leader of the major political party and major country in a comprehensive and multifaceted way and making the Party's theoretical innovations more accessible to the general public. 

We have been committed to making innovation on the basis of what has worked in the past and pursuing progress while ensuring stability. Focusing on major themes, we have earnestly carried out online publicity and set the agenda on major issues. We have proactively promoted in-depth integrated development of media, and accelerated constructing a landscape of mainstream tone in public communication, which integrates online and offline communication and coordinates domestic and international communication, in an effort to gain the upper hand in the guidance on public communication, ideological guidance, cultural inheritance, and serving the people. Focusing on major themes, including celebrating the centenary of the Communist Party of China, ecological conservation, poverty alleviation, rural vitalization, and combating COVID-19, we have launched a series of themed online publicity events, such as the event titled "The CPC bears its eternal great cause in mind, and the centenary only ushers in the prime of life," fully demonstrating our achievements in economic and social development, and creating an unstoppable force to enable us to forge ahead on the new journey and make still greater contributions in the new era. To improve online international communication and accelerate the construction of China's own discourse and narrative, we have launched online international communication events such as "A Date with China" and "DAKA China," in an effort to better tell China's stories and the CPC's stories and strengthen the attraction of Chinese culture, the affinity with China's image and the persuasiveness of Chinese discourse, enabling a far and widespread Chinese voice.

Next, our main task concerning online positive publicity and guidance on online public communication will be setting the stage for the 20th CPC National Congress and publicizing and implementing the guiding principles of the 20th CPC National Congress. We will understand the laws underlying online communication in a scientific way, and constantly promote innovation in work concepts, methods and means, carriers and channels, and institutions and mechanisms. We will continue to deepen online learning, publicity, and education of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, strengthen the position of the mainstream tone in online public communication, and cultivate positive and healthy online culture. We will enhance and improve our online international communication work, strengthen the penetration, guidance, influence, and credibility of the mainstream tone in online public communication, making the Party's voice always the strongest in cyberspace and setting the stage for the 20th CPC National Congress with concrete actions. Thank you.

Phoenix TV:

How has the CAC explored and innovated internet management and governance since the 18th CPC National Congress? In addition, what problems and challenges still exist? Thank you.

Niu Yibing:

Thank you. As the reporter said, we, as cyberspace administration workers, have been exploring how to manage and govern the internet and deal with the new issues and challenges internet management and governance face. Let me answer your questions.

General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized that maintaining the initiative in the realm of ideology in cyberspace is to safeguard the sovereignty of the country and state power. The national cyberspace administration system regards cyberspace ideological work as the top priority of ideological work. Our work strengthens the Party's overall leadership over cyberspace ideological work and effectively enhances the sense of responsibility, mission, and urgency in fulfilling duties. We strictly implement the responsibility system for cyberspace ideological work and vigorously maintain ideological and political security.

Facing the new issues and challenges brought by the internet to ideological work, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core which sees it from the perspective of carrying out a great struggle with many new historical characteristics, emphasized that "the online public opinion work should be taken as the top priority of publicity and ideological work." The national cyberspace administration system insists that promoting positive energy is the primary guiding principle for the integrated development of media, which should be well regulated and made good use of, to firmly grasp the initiative of cyberspace ideological work.

First, we ensure we fulfill our responsibility. We formulated and implemented the implementation guidelines on Party committee (Party group) cyberspace ideological work responsibilities and the implementation plans for Party committee (Party group) cyberspace security work responsibilities, so as to ensure the Party's governance of the internet through concrete actions.

Second, we have held our ground. We have strengthened risk awareness and bottom-line thinking, established and improved working mechanisms, prudently monitored and responded to various sudden and sensitive public opinions, strongly refuted historical nihilism and other wrong ideas and viewpoints, and resolutely cleaned up all kinds of harmful information such as rumors and slanderous remarks, and audio and video of violent terrorist activities. We have strengthened the work of online reporting and built a unified rumor-refuting internet platform in China.

Third, we have strengthened governance. We have improved the system for integrated internet management which covers the leadership's management, positive energy dissemination, content management and control, social collaboration, law-based internet governance, and cyberspace governance by technology, to realize integrated online and offline governance.

Fourth, we strictly enforced the law. We have actively explored the cyberspace law enforcement system and mechanism that meet the needs of internet development, punished illegal activities such as violations of personal information security per the law, protected the rights and interests of the people, and safeguarded social interests.

In the next step, we will continue to deepen the exploration and innovation in comprehensive internet management. First, we will further strengthen the Party's leadership over the work of cyberspace ideology, strengthen top-level design, and build a cyberspace ideology work pattern featuring rational division of work, smooth coordination and joint management and governance so that we can take good care of the direction, the battlefront, and the team. Second, we will vigorously enhance the comprehensive internet governance capability. We will accelerate the construction of the integrated internet management system, give full play to its leading role in the management and governance of the internet, and provide strong support for creating a sound cyberspace ecology, building a clean and healthy cyberspace, and building China's strength in cyberspace. Third, we will ensure the platforms' primary responsibility is fulfilled. We will start with improving the laws and regulations, focusing on key areas and links, clarifying the boundary of an enterprise's primary responsibility, and ensuring enterprises shoulder due responsibilities for their information content management. Fourth, we will speed up increasing the level of rule of law in cyberspace, continue increasing cyberspace law enforcement's strength, and resolutely investigate and deal with various cases that violate laws and regulations. Moreover, we will effectively improve the efficiency of cyberspace management and governance and then transform the internet, the biggest variable element, into the biggest boost for the development of the Party and the country. Thank you. 

Shou Xiaoli:

The last two questions, please.

Jiemian News:

In recent years, the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission and other departments have focused on dealing with problems affecting sound online environment, such as vulgar pornography, chaos in the digital fandom circles, and cyber violence, which gained support from many internet users. May I ask what the cyberspace administration department has done to foster a sound online environment? What's the plan for the next step? Thank you.

Niu Yibing:

Thank you. I mentioned in the introduction that the "Clear and Bright" campaign by the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission has carried out more than 30 special rectification actions, and we have cleaned up a lot of illegal and harmful information and accounts. I would like to ask Mr. Zhang Yongjun to answer your questions in detail.

Zhang Yongjun:

I can answer the questions. Cyber ecological governance has always been an important part of cyberspace management and governance. In recent years, under the great attention and strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission has aimed to improve the people's sense of gain, happiness, and security in cyberspace. We have solidly carried out cyber ecological governance work, mainly in three aspects.

First, we emphasize establishing rules and regulations to tighten the institutional cage of ecological governance. With the implementation of the Regulations on the Ecological Governance of Network Information Content in 2020, we officially opened the prelude to comprehensively and profoundly managing the cyber ecology. We have successively issued circulars to rectify the fandom circle's chaos and standardize entertainers' online information, significantly reducing the room for irrational fanatic acts. We have formulated and revised regulations on user accounts, public accounts, and applications, to strengthen the supervision of the whole process and all elements. Moreover, we have published documents on subjects such as livestreaming marketing and livestreaming rewards, and refined the standards of conduct. At the same time, we issued relevant opinions on ensuring the primary responsibility of websites and platforms is fulfilled, and clarified the substance and tasks of the primary responsibility. The introduction of these documents has laid an excellent institutional foundation for cyber ecological governance. Of course, we have issued more documents than these, but I will not mention them all here one by one.

Second, we will strengthen routine supervision, prevent and deal with various kinds of ecological problems, urge platforms to improve community rules and firmly guard the first pass to ecological governance. Meanwhile, we will focus on key platforms, key website pages and important links, strengthen inspection in areas where most problems occur and have great impact, and deal with problems in a timely manner. We will focus on key issues and continue to crack down on deep-rooted problems. We will conduct strict investigation into and publicly expose platforms that have the most concentrated problems and fail to carry out rectification, so as to generate sufficient deterrence among participants. We will get to the root of problems and identify the causes and profit chains behind disorder online, striving to solve problems at the source.

Third, we will conduct special campaigns and resolutely crack down on prominent improper online behavior. The "Clear and Bright" campaign has produced notable results over the last few years and become a byword for purifying the online environment. Every year, we have addressed issues related to the online environment of public concern, including by following leads provided by many journalists in this room, conducted extensive research into identifying key targets for crackdowns and carried out multiple special campaigns targeting various kinds of problems online such as undesirable fan culture, fake view data, unhealthy short video content, cyberviolence and the protection of minors. We conducted more than 10 campaigns in 2021, removed over 22 million pieces of illegal information, punished 1.34 billion accounts, removed 2,160 mobile applications, and closed over 3,200 websites. During the process of network ecological governance, many network platforms have actively cooperated with us, worked proactively and made constant efforts, so as to jointly improve the network ecological environment. It is clear that our cyber ecological governance work has achieved notable progress in recent years. However, it also goes without saying that there are still some problems. Therefore, going forward, we will focus on prominent issues of great concern to the public, adhere to a problem-orientated and result-oriented working approach, constantly explore new methods, and continuously promote network ecological governance, in a bid to create a clean and healthy cyberspace for the many netizens in China. Thank you.

Southern Metropolis Daily:

My question is about building a community with a shared future in cyberspace. What efforts and achievements have the CAC made in this aspect? With the establishment of the WIC organization in July, could you please give us a preview of the WIC's development direction and vision? Thank you.

Niu Yibing:

Thank you for your questions. We have already held the WIC for eight years in a row. As you mentioned, we also established an international organization of the WIC last month. I would like to invite Ms. Qi Xiaoxia to answer your questions.

Qi Xiaoxia:

Thank you for your questions. I'm delighted to answer them.

As we all know, the concept of a community with a shared future in cyberspace was put forward for the first time by President Xi Jinping in his opening speech at the Second WIC in December, 2015. Under the leadership of the widely recognized concept across the international community, we have enhanced the awareness of a community with a shared future and conducted our work from the following four aspects:

First, we have built a community of shared development. We have actively facilitated the construction of global information infrastructure and strived to build a digital development environment featuring openness, fairness, justice and non-discrimination. We have comprehensively implemented the APEC Internet and Digital Economy Roadmap and the Putrajaya Vision 2040, promoted the launch of the G20 Hangzhou Summit, put digital economy high on the agenda for the first time, and adopted the G20 Digital Economy Development and Cooperation Initiative. We have also jointly launched the Belt and Road digital economy international cooperation initiative with relevant countries.

Second, we have built a community of shared security. We have signed memorandums of cooperation on cybersecurity with the relevant authorities of Indonesia, Thailand and other countries, and established cooperative partnerships with 274 cybersecurity emergency response organizations in 81 countries and regions.

Third, we have built a community of shared responsibility. We have promoted international governance of cyberspace under the framework of the United Nations (U.N.) and deeply engaged in related activities such as the U.N. Internet Governance Forum. We have also conducted international exchanges and cooperation on cyberspace including hosting the China-U.K. Internet Roundtable and the China-Germany internet economic dialogue. We have also held the China-Africa Internet Development and Cooperation Forum, released the initiative of building a China-Africa community with a shared future in cyberspace and put forward the China-Africa Partnership Plan on Digital Innovation.

Fourth, we have built a community of shared interests. We have worked with the international community to jointly bridge the digital divide, helped developing countries to improve their level of access and contributed to poverty eradication in the Asia-Pacific region by hosting APEC. We have jointly released reports with UNICEF, and conducted international cooperation on cybersecurity for minors. We have continued to make positive contributions to the implementation of the U.N. 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Regarding the international organization, as Mr. Niu mentioned earlier, the founding of the international organization on the basis of the successful hosting of eight successive WICs is an important step to keeping abreast of trends of the information age and will deepen international exchanges and cooperation in cyberspace. As we have all noticed, President Xi Jinping expressed his hope that the WIC will encourage extensive consultation through dialogue and exchanges, promote the sharing of benefits through practical cooperation and contribute solutions and strength to the development and governance of the global internet in his letter congratulating the establishment of the international organization on July 12. The letter pointed out the direction and mapped out the vision for the future development of international organization. I would like to emphasize that the international organization of the WIC was started in China, belongs to the world, and acts as a shared platform for the international internet family. China, as the host country, is ready to provide continuous support and convenience for the high-level operation of the international organization. Thank you.

Shou Xiaoli:

Thank you Mr. Niu, and thank you to all of the speakers and friends from the media. Today's briefing is now concluded. Goodbye.

Translated and edited by Zhang Lulu, Zhang Rui, Yan Bin, Liu Qiang, Xu Xiaoxuan, Xu Kailin, Wang Wei, Huang Shan, Qin Qi, Zhou Jing, Wang Qian, Zhang Liying, Li Huiru, David Ball, Tom Arnsten, and Jay Birbeck. In case of any discrepancy between the English and Chinese texts, the Chinese version is deemed to prevail.

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Read in Chinese

Speakers:

Li Zhong, vice minister of human resources and social security 

Zhang Ying, director-general of the Department of Employment Promotion, Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS)

Qi Tao, senior official of the Department of Old-age Insurance, MOHRSS

Chairperson:

Chen Wenjun, spokesperson of the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) 

Date:

Aug. 25, 2022

Chen Wenjun:

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to this press conference held by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee. Today, we are holding the 24th press conference under the theme of "China in the past decade." We have invited Mr. Li Zhong, vice minister of MOHRSS, to brief you on the progress and achievements of China's employment and social security in the new era, and to take your questions. Also joining us today are Ms. Zhang Ying, director-general of the Department of Employment Promotion, MOHRSS, and Mr. Qi Tao, a senior official from the Department of Old-age Insurance, MOHRSS.

First, let's give the floor to Mr. Li Zhong for his introduction.

Li Zhong:

Friends from the media, hello. I am very pleased to attend today's press conference. Here, I'd like to express my gratitude to you for your interest in and support for the developments in China's employment and social security.

During the past decade of socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has adhered to the people-centered development philosophy and prioritized delivering a better life to the people. In alliance with the overall work of the Party and the country as well as the new situation, new tasks and new requirements of the country's development, the CPC Central Committee has consistently sought truth from facts and done everything within its capacity. Following the ideas of holding on to the bottom line, highlighting priorities, improving institutions and guiding expectations, it has shored up the weak links in securing people's wellbeing, and ensured that public services are inclusive, meet essential needs and ensure basic living standards for people in difficulty, so that people can have a fuller, safer and more sustainable sense of fulfillment, happiness and security. General Secretary Xi Jinping attaches great importance to employment and social security work, underscoring that employment is the foundation of and pivotal to people's wellbeing, and social security is critical to good governance and the stability of the country. We will work to create fuller employment with higher quality, and make improvements to achieve a sustainable, multi-level social security system which covers the country's entire population, coordinates the needs of urban and rural areas, and is fair and unified. All regions and departments have been resolute in implementing and promoting the great, historic achievements in the country's employment and social security. This has effectively improved people's lives, strongly supported steady economic growth as well as social harmony and stability, and paved the way for achieving the first centenary goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects on schedule.

Over the past decade, employment has remained generally stable and China, a large country with a population of over 1.4 billion, has achieved relatively full employment. The employment-first strategy has been fully implemented and the proactive employment policy has been constantly enriched and developed, with the guiding role of the employment-first concept significantly strengthened. Urban employment has expanded remarkably, with more than 13 million new urban jobs created annually. Historic changes have taken place in the urban and rural employment landscape, with urban workers accounting for more than 60% in 2021, up 13.8 percentage points from 2012. The employment structure has been constantly improved, and the tertiary industry has provided more jobs, seeing an increase from 36% of all jobs in 2012 to 48% in 2021. The unemployment level has remained low, and the surveyed urban unemployment rate has been generally lower than the expected target for control. Employment of key groups such as college graduates, rural migrant workers and people who have difficulty finding employment has been stable, and the number of migrant workers who have been lifted out of poverty has remained above 30 million. The legitimate rights and interests of workers have been effectively safeguarded, and labor relations have been generally harmonious and stable. The vocational skills of the workforce have been continuously upgraded, and the cultivation of skilled personnel has been consistently enhanced. A comprehensive public employment service system has basically taken shape. Recruitment campaigns such as the "Spring Breeze Action" and "Online Recruitment Providing More Than 10 Million Jobs in 100 Days" have yielded remarkable results, and the human resources service industry has grown in scale.

Over the past decade, China's social security system has entered the fast lane and become the largest in the world, with distinctive Chinese characteristics and comprehensive functions thanks to unremitting efforts. Focusing on helping those most in need, building a tightly woven safety net and establishing necessary institutions, we have advanced the development of sustainable, multi-level social security which will cover the entire population and meet basic living needs, with major breakthroughs being made in institutional reform and social security coverage being continuously expanded. The number of people covered by basic old-age insurance, unemployment insurance and work-related injury insurance increased from 790 million, 150 million and 190 million in 2012, to 1.04 billion, 230 million and 290 million, respectively, in June 2022, with an additional 250 million people covered by old-age insurance alone over the past decade. China's ability to provide social security has continued to increase. The accumulative surplus of social security funds for old-age insurance, unemployment insurance and work-related injury insurance has reached 6.9 trillion yuan, with annual revenue and expenditure exceeding 13 trillion yuan and market-based investment and operation funds exceeding 8 trillion yuan. We have kept the alliance of social security level with economic growth, and steadily increased social security benefits. A five-level administration and service network for handling social security has been basically formed to record, guarantee and serve people's whole life. The national social security public service platform has been put into operation, with the administration and services becoming visibly more regulated, standardized and advanced in applying information technology.

All these accomplishments should be attributed to the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core and the scientific guidance of the Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. Embarking on a new journey of building a modern socialist country in all respects, we should continue the Chinese mode of modernization and make strides toward the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Rallying closer around the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, we will ground our efforts in the new development stage. We will follow the new development philosophy, foster a new development paradigm and strive to achieve fuller and higher-quality employment while pursuing overall high-quality development. A tiered social security system will be built comprehensively to promote social fairness, justice, and well-rounded human development, enabling all our people to take concrete steps toward common prosperity. 

Now, my colleagues and I are ready to take questions from our media friends. 

Chen Wenjun:

Thank you, Mr. Li. The floor is now open for questions. Please identify the media outlet you represent before raising questions.

CCTV:

We noticed that sustained progress had been made regarding employment and social security over the past 10 years, and people's well-being has been significantly enhanced. Can you share with us your thoughts on the years of endeavor? Moreover, is there any experience or practice that should continue for a long time? Thank you.

Li Zhong: 

Thank you for your question. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has attached great importance to guaranteeing and improving people's well-being and put forward a series of new thoughts, new views, and new judgments, charting the course and providing fundamental guidance for enhancing people's well-being in the new era. We have studied thoroughly and unswervingly put them into practice. The regularities and practices we will continue to observe and develop are as follows: 

First, we will continue upholding the Party's overall leadership, the fundamental political guarantee for our work. Taking a holistic approach to promoting the cause of the Party and the country, our Party has strengthened its organizational leadership and pooled strengths from various fronts to implement the employment-first strategy, all in a bid to make social security fairer and more sustainable. While coping with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and China-U.S. economic and trade frictions in recent years, the Party has made stabilizing and ensuring employment a top priority in our efforts to ensure stability on six key fronts and security in six key areas and successfully sustained overall stable employment. All facts demonstrate that only through strengthening the Party's overall leadership and resolutely implementing the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee can concrete steps be taken to improve people's well-being. 

Second, we will continue taking the people-centered approach, which is both the principle and purpose of our work. Employment and social security work involve the most pressing, most immediate issues that concern the people. Our Party remains committed to the belief that development is for the people, and the people should pursue it and share its fruits. Our efforts to stabilize and expand employment and improve the social security system have laid a solid foundation for the people's pursuit of a better life. It fully demonstrates that only through observing the people-centered development philosophy, considering the people's feelings, and ensuring the people are universally benefited can the people's actual demands be better responded to and their sense of gain, happiness, and security be further enhanced. 

Third, we will continue doing everything within our capacity, which is an important principle for doing a good job. Fully demonstrating the spirit of seeking truth from facts and proceeding from reality is a principle based on a thorough understanding of our country's prevailing reality and development phase. Our Party, committed to safeguarding and improving people's well-being through development, has set development as the foundation and prerequisite for solving employment problems. We will not do anything beyond the current development phase or our financial strength. Instead, we will gradually improve social security as the economy develops. Only through proceeding from national realities, observing regularities, doing everything within our capacity and paying attention to stability, consistency, and accumulation, can the work of employment and social security develop steadily long into the future.

Fourth, we will continue following the guidelines for the work related to people's well-being, that is, to meet people's basic needs, prioritize key areas, improve institutions, and guide public expectations. Composed with an integrated mechanism, the four aspects complement and mutually reinforce each other. Prioritizing meeting people's basic needs, our Party has made concerted efforts to ensure that public services are inclusive, essential needs are met, and guaranteed basic living standards for people in difficulty. More attention will be given to key groups, prominent problems, and critical links to improve employment and social security through making major breakthroughs. We will continue to uphold institutional guidance, advance reform and innovation with the times, and make our institutions more mature and stable. Balancing between ideals and realities, needs and possibilities, as well as immediate gains and long-term interests, we will try to create an environment that encourages a public expectation that advocates hard work in pursuing a better life. 

Both in the immediate future and for some time to come, the pressure on aggregate job creation and related structural issues will continue unabated. Social security coverage still needs to be expanded, and it remains a long-term major strategic task to realize fuller, higher-quality employment and improve the tiered social security system. We will continue to follow the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, deepen our understanding of the regularities governing employment and social security, and carry forward our experience and effective practices to promote the sound and sustained development of employment and social security. Thank you.

Jiemian News:

Employment is pivotal to people's well-being as it concerns the lives of every household. What has the general employment situation been like since the 18th National Congress of the CPC? What kinds of measures will be taken to achieve fuller and higher-quality employment? Thank you. 

Li Zhong:

I just mentioned that the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has highly valued employment since the 18th CPC National Congress and made it a top priority to ensure stability on six key fronts and security in six key areas. The employment-first policy has been strengthened, and historic achievements have been made in the past decade. The overall employment situation has been stable over the years, and our country, with a population of over 1.4 billion, has achieved relatively full employment. 

First, urban employment has continued to increase. More than 13 million urban jobs have been created annually, with the accumulative number in the decade reaching 130 million. The surveyed unemployment rate is generally lower than the expected control target. 

Second, the employment structure has been optimized. Historic changes have taken place in urban and rural employment structures. In 2021, 62.7% of employed people worked in urban areas. The tertiary industry has become the most significant job provider, and the inverted pyramid employment structure has gradually developed.

Third, the quality of employment has steadily improved. Salaries have increased, with employees' wages in urban entities in 2021 doubling those in 2012. Social insurance coverage has been expanded, and the rights and interests of workers in flexible employment have been further protected.

Fourth, the employment for key groups has been stable. Over the past decade, the overall employment of more than 80 million college graduates has remained steady. The total number of migrant workers has risen to 290 million, and the number of workers lifted out of poverty has remained above 30 million. Appropriate arrangements have been made for workers displaced due to overcapacity cuts and fishermen relinquishing their nets due to the fishing ban. Moreover, the employment of people unemployed or having difficulty finding jobs has been kept stable, not only serving and safeguarding reform and development but also ensuring that people's basic living needs are met.

Fifth, the supporting system has been steadily improved. The employment-first policy has been implemented innovatively and elevated to the status of a macro policy. The policy tools for reducing businesses' burdens and stabilizing and expanding employment have been enriched and improved. The lifelong vocational skills training system was initially set up, and the total number of skilled workers has increased to more than 200 million. The comprehensive public employment service system has been improved, providing employment and business startup services and support for tens of millions of employers and workers every year.

With the joint efforts of all parties, China's employment has maintained long-term stability, providing solid support for better livelihoods, economic development, and social harmony and stability. At the same time, as a developing country with the world's largest population, China has been facing long-standing pressure on aggregate job creation, more pronounced structural problems, and mounting instability and uncertainties. Therefore, employment still faces significant challenges.  

Next, we will firmly implement the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, put into practice the people-centered development philosophy, continue strengthening the employment-first policy, and strive to achieve higher-quality and fuller employment. Specifically, we will give our priorities to "five focuses." First, we will focus on stabilizing and expanding employment. We will take employment as the priority in economic and social development, create synergy to stabilize employment through the coordinated use of fiscal, monetary, and industry policies, and support market entities to stabilize and expand employment. Second, we will focus on leveraging the role of business startups in boosting employment. We will keep optimizing the environment for innovation and entrepreneurship, provide more assistance to startups, improve employment and social insurance policies, and support the healthy development of flexible employment. Third, we will focus on ensuring employment for key groups. We will focus on key groups such as college graduates, migrant workers, and people having difficulty finding jobs. We will offer help according to defined categories, take targeted measures, and build a diversified assistance system. Fourth, we will focus on enhancing the quality of employment training services. We will improve the employment and unemployment service management system, launch large-scale vocational skills training, and make training services more targeted and effective. Fifth, we will focus on protecting workers' legitimate rights and interests. We will carry out demonstration programs to ensure harmonious labor relations, consolidate our gains in eradicating wage arrears, strengthen regulation on human resource markets, and create a sound employment environment. Thank you.

Red Star News:

This year the youth unemployment rate has remained high, and the number of college graduates reached another record high. The employment of young people has attracted wide public attention. What has the MOHRSS done to promote the employment of college graduates and other young people? What are the subsequent arrangements and plans? Thank you.

Zhang Ying:

Thank you for your questions. The employment of young people such as college graduates bears on people's well-being, economic development, and future of the country. Over the past decade, the total number of college graduates in China has continued to increase, with the employment rate of this group of people remaining relatively high, and employment situation generally stable. Meanwhile, the employment of college graduates faces both pressures from aggregate job creation and structural problems. Significantly since the beginning of this year, due to sporadic cases of COVID-19 in some areas, demands in job markets have decreased, some recruiting and job hunting events have been canceled or delayed, and some young people have encountered new difficulties in job hunting. This matter is very important to the CPC Central Committee and the State Council. The plan on boosting employment for the 14th Five-Year Plan period has a particular chapter concerning youth employment. The General Office of the State Council has issued opinions on supporting the employment and entrepreneurship of college graduates and other young people. A series of targeted policies and measures have been launched to help them find jobs and start businesses through every feasible means. The MOHRSS will implement these policies and prioritize the employment of college graduates and other young people. Centering around the employment service campaign, we will strengthen policy support, services, assistance to those in need, and the protection of rights and interests, and boost employment and business startups through multiple channels. The steps can be summarized as "four strengthening measures and one simplifying measure."

First, policy support will be strengthened. We will offer subsidies for ensuring and expanding employment and for paying into the country's social insurance pool, in a bid to encourage enterprises to hire more. We will implement policies such as tuition compensation and higher salaries for college graduates working in less-developed and remote areas and carry out programs for them to work in rural areas in the fields of agriculture, education, medical care and poverty alleviation, so as to provide more jobs at grassroots level. We will provide policies such as secured loans, tax and fee reductions, and social insurance payment subsidies to support business startups and flexible employment.

Second, strengthen the organization of employment. We will continue to establish employment service platforms for college graduates and host a large number of online and offline job fairs. We will continue to provide career guidance, job recommendations, training, and internship opportunities for youth, including college graduates. Additionally, we will organize apprentice training and training related to new careers for those who need to increase their experience and skills. 

Third, help those in difficulties. We will continue to launch paired assistance for those unemployed graduates and provide individual solutions and preferential policies such as priority in job recommendations, internships, and training. For those unemployed for a long time, we will establish a special plan to provide practical guidance and differentiated guidance so that they can find work quickly. 

Fourth, strength rights protection. We will continue to maintain market order by investigating and sanctioning employment discrimination, irregular intermediaries, and false employment. Report and complaint channels will continue to be smoothed to protect college graduates' lawful rights and interests.

Fifth, streamline employment procedures. We will continue the policy to cancel the signature and stamp procedure required from public employment service institutions on employment protocols and graduates' registration with public institutions. We will continue to facilitate the job hunting and employment of college graduates by prolonging periods for mailing personal files and permanent residency registration and by promoting universal recognition of health checkup results.

In general, the MOHRSS will spare no effort to support and help the youth, including college graduates, to get employment or start a business. Thank you.

21st Century Business Herald:

The payment of pensions has been a focus of attention among citizens. How is the basic old-age insurance funds for enterprise employees doing? Additionally, you established a national planning system for old-age insurance this year and readjusted the basic pension payment for retirees. How will this and unexpected factors such as the pandemic affect pension payment on time and in full? Thank you. 

Qi Tao: 

The pension concerns the life of hundreds of millions of retired people. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, according to the general arrangements of the CPC Central Committee, we increased the basic pension several times. Despite downward pressure on the economy and the impact of the pandemic in 2022, we increased the basic pension payment by 4% and paid extra pensions. The old-age insurance undertakings have developed at a fast pace with a more stable system and a more sustainable fund after more than 30 years of reform and development, particularly since the 18th CPC National Congress, which laid a solid material foundation for the pension payment on time and in full.

Whether pensions can be paid on time and in full depends on the following aspects. 

First, balance. The income of enterprise employees' basic old-age insurance funds in 2021 was 4.4 trillion yuan, and the payment 4.1 trillion yuan. That is to say, the fund was balanced with a certain amount of surplus. The fund has been in smooth operation since 2022. 

Second, cross-provincial adjustment. In January, the national planning system of basic old-age insurance was launched, providing greater support to provinces facing difficulties in funds. A total of 124 billion yuan was transferred in the first half year of 2022, which assisted the pension payment in those provinces. 

Third, surplus. We are capable of securing pension payments with a 5.1-trillion-yuan surplus of basic old-age insurance funds for enterprise employees. 

Fourth, subsidized revenues. 650 billion yuan in central government funding was channeled into enterprises employees' basic pension fund this year, continuing to provide greater help. Western areas and old industrial bases are the priorities of support. In addition to national planning, local mechanisms were established to provide financial subsidies. 

Fifth, long-term reserve pension. The national social security fund has 2.6 trillion yuan as a strategic reserve, and the central government has replenished social security funds with 1.68 trillion yuan in state-owned assets.

By taking a chain of comprehensive measures, we will continue to reform and improve the old-age insurance system to be fairer and more sustainable, thus ensuring the pension payment in due time and in the full amount. Thank you. 

Yicai:

A series of social security policies were introduced in recent years, which greatly relieved the burden on businesses. This year, a range of policies related to social insurance was rolled out to ease enterprises' difficulties. How have their effects been? Thank you.

Qi Tao:

In recent years, the CPC Central Committee lowered seven times social insurance premium rates so that the general premium rate of five social insurances declined from 41% to 33.95%, and enterprises' social insurance contributions from 30% to 23.45%. These measures substantially reduced enterprises' social insurance fees. In the face of the pandemic in 2020, the CPC Central Committee released policies that provided an unprecedented temporary reduction or remitting to enterprises' social insurance costs and cut their contribution by 1.54 trillion yuan in the year. All of these helped enterprises to stay afloat during difficult times. 

This year, according to the plans of the CPC Central Committee, a package of favorable policies related to social insurance was implemented in a bid to stabilize the economy, ensure employment, and improve people's livelihoods. First, we prolonged the policies to reduce premiums of unemployment and work-related injury insurance, which saved enterprises' costs by 100 billion yuan in the first seven months. Second, we allowed deferred payments of old-age, unemployment, and work-related injury insurance on a time-limited basis. The policy covered enterprises from five industries in severe difficulties, including catering, retail, tourism, and transportation, and 17 industries in difficulties, including equipment manufacturing and automobile manufacturing, and all micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and the self-employed facing temporary troubles in areas hit hard by the pandemic. From the end of April to July, a total of 49.4 billion yuan in social insurance premiums were deferred, benefiting more than 600,000 businesses. Third, we increased the proportion of unemployment insurance premium refunds for MSMEs that stabilized employment from 60% to 90% and large enterprises from 30% to 50%. In the first seven months, a total of 39.7 billion yuan was refunded to 6.67 million enterprises. Fourth, we initiated unemployment insurance subsidies to support enterprises in middle- and high-risk areas and in five industries facing severe difficulties to stabilize and expand employment. During the first three months of the policy, 2.91 million enterprises received a total subsidy of 13.5 billion yuan. 

Next, we will seriously implement various social security relief policies, closely follow the implementation of policies for the deferred payment of social insurance premiums in various places, and promptly study and solve new situations and problems encountered during the implementation process. We will further execute the quick action to implement the policies, realize the "apply and you can enjoy" policy for delayed payment of social insurance premiums, actively promote "need not to apply and you can enjoy" policy for refunding unemployment insurance premiums for enterprises that make no cuts or minimal cuts to staff numbers and for job retention subsidies, and accelerate releasing policy dividends for reducing burdens and stabilizing jobs. Thank you.

The Poster News APP:

The speed of aging in China is accelerating, and the issue of elderly care has attracted more and more attention. In terms of developing a multi-level and multi-pillar elderly care system, what has the MOHRSS done in the past 10 years? What are the next measures? Thank you.

Li Zhong:

The old-age pension insurance you are concerned about is an important part of the social security system. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, China's social security system has undergone its greatest reforms and the fastest development. Under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, while focusing on enhancing fairness, adapting to mobility, and ensuring sustainability, we have made overall coordination efforts to promote the construction of a social security system that covers the entire population, integrates urban and rural areas, and is fair, unified, and sustainable. These achievements have attracted worldwide attention.

First, breakthroughs were made in the construction of the institutional system. During this period, we carried out the top-level design of old-age pension insurance and issued an overall plan for the reform of the pension insurance system. We unified the pension insurance system for urban and rural residents, forming two basic pension insurance system platforms for urban workers and urban and rural residents. We implemented the reform of government office and public institution pension schemes and brought the schemes into line with enterprise schemes. We issued basic pension insurance fund investment management measures and carried out market-oriented investment operations. We have established a central regulation system for enterprise pension insurance funds and fully realized the provincial-level overall planning of pension insurance. At present, we are speeding up the implementation of the overall national pooling of pension insurance. We have established an occupational annuity system and introduced a personal pension system, filling the gap in the multi-level and multi-pillar pension system.

Second, the coverage continued to expand. Focusing on the goal of covering all the people with social security, we have implemented a coverage plan for all the people and precisely promoted key groups of people to participate. From 2012 to the end of June 2022, the number of people under the basic old-age pension insurance system has increased from 790 million to 1.04 billion, and the number of people covered by old-age pension insurance has increased by 250 million in the past decade.

Third, the level of benefits has been steadily improved. Taking into account factors such as price changes, employee wage growth, fund affordability, and financial conditions, we have continuously adjusted the basic pensions for retirees from enterprises, government offices, and institutions since 2012 and established and improved a mechanism for determining and rationally adjusting basic pension benefits. Since 2014, we have raised the national basic old-age pension standard of basic pension insurance for urban and rural residents four times.

Fourth, the management service level has been significantly improved. With pension insurance at its core, social security records, guarantees, and serves a lifetime of a person. We have further standardized and normalized IT-based constructions of management services, and it is more convenient and efficient for people to process social security affairs at nearby places, online, and in a quick manner. As of the end of June 2022, the number of social security card holders exceeds 1.36 billion, of whom more than 575 million are holders of electronic social security cards. The cumulative number of visits to the national social insurance public service platform has exceeded 3.6 billion, which effectively ensures easier access to cross-provincial services through a single portal.

Fifth, its role as a "shock absorber" for economic operations is prominent. In 2020, in order to effectively respond to the severe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, we implemented an unprecedented policy of "fee cut, exemption, delay, reduction, refund, and subsidy." We have reduced the burden on enterprises by 1.54 trillion yuan in three social insurances, including pension insurance. This year, we have further introduced a relief policy to help enterprises, which will allow them to postpone their payment for contributions to the three social insurances, including pension insurance, as a temporary measure. These policies are of higher value, can benefit more people and businesses, and are widely recognized by enterprises and people from all walks of life.

Next, we will adhere to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, follow the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on the top-level design of pension insurance, and actively adapt to the situations and requirements of the aging population, new urbanization, and diversification of employment methods. We will continue to push forward the major reform of the social security system and continuously expand the coverage of social security, especially to include more people in flexible employment into the scope of social security. We will actively promote the rule of law in social security and pay more attention to the safety of social security funds as well as protecting and increasing their value. We will strive to improve the level of detail of social security management and the level of high-quality services and solidly promote a fairer and more sustainable social security system. Thank you.

Xinhua News Agency:

General Secretary Xi Jinping has stressed on more than one occasion that the fellow citizens who still live in hardship remain most dearly attached to his heart. What specific measures has the MOHRSS taken to help people in need to find jobs? Thank you.

Li Zhong:

Helping the people in need to find employment is related to the well-being and the basic living needs of the Chinese people. As you said, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that those fellow citizens who still live in hardship remained most dearly attached to his heart. He pointed out that we should pay close attention to people in straitened circumstances, extend care to them with respect and love, and do our best to solve their problems. All regions and all relevant government departments have earnestly enforced the instructions and made every effort to help those in difficulty to gain employment. Here is a set of data: Over the past 10 years, with help, a total of 55.01 million unemployed people and 17.68 million people in difficulty have found work. At the same time, some people in difficulty have heavy family burdens, low skill levels and weak market competitiveness, all of which makes it relatively difficult for them to find employment. Therefore, it is the unshirkable responsibility of government departments to help them find jobs. The MOHRSS will work with relevant departments to consistently increase employment assistance and improve the mechanism to strengthen efforts to help people in need find employment.

First, improve the standing book documenting information relating to employment assistance to bring qualified people in difficulty into the scope of employment assistance in a timely manner. At present, people with difficulty to find jobs in different provinces mainly include people of higher age, people with disabilities, people who live on subsistence allowance or have been unemployed for more than one year, as well as people who find it difficult to secure work due to reasons such as land loss.

Second, strengthen policy support so as to provide strong support for people in difficulty to find employment, start businesses and improve their abilities. We reduce taxes and fees and subsidize social insurance contributions for enterprises that employ people in difficulty. Support such as guaranteed loans and interest discounts are given to people in need who are engaged in self-employment and social insurance payment subsidies are given to those in flexible employment. Vocational training subsidies, vocational skills assessment subsidies and living subsidies are given to those who participate in vocational skills training.

Third, strengthen service guarantees. We adhere to the combination of daily assistance and concentrated assistance, and established a working mechanism featuring target identification, dynamic management, classified assistance and return visits to provide tailored one-to-one assistance for those in need. At the same time, we also continue to hold monthlong employment assistance activities over the New Year's Day and Spring Festival holidays, focusing on helping people in need find a job.

Fourth, strengthen efforts to ensure basic livelihood. For those who are having difficulty finding work through market channels, public service positions such as in security, cleaning and gardening are provided.

Recently, in response to some urgent problems affecting people with employment difficulties, we have cooperated with the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the China Disabled Persons' Federation to organize an employment assistance activity under the theme "heart-warming" to resolve employment difficulties to help the long-term unemployed, graduates from families in financial difficulty, people with disabilities and people in urgent need of employment to provide them with job positions, services, policies and warmth. The activity was launched in early August this year, and we have so far visited more than 570,000 people in need and helped more than 200,000 people find jobs. I would like to take this opportunity to invite people from all parts of society to pay active attention to and participate in this activity, and give more support in employment assistance to help those in need ease their temporary difficulties. Thank you.

China News Service:

Employment has played an important role in winning the battle against poverty, and we should continue to leverage its positive role in consolidating and expanding the achievements of poverty alleviation and pushing forward rural revitalization. What specific measures will we take in the next step?

Zhang Ying:

Thank you for your question. When one member of a family gets a job, the whole family will get rid of poverty, so increasing employment is the most effective and direct way to shake off poverty and a basic measure to consolidate the achievements of poverty alleviation. In the battle against poverty, the MOHRSS and other relevant departments have made every effort to increase the income of the poor labor force by facilitating their employment as migrant workers and employment nearby with strengthened employment services, vocational training, and rights protection. The number of poor people getting employed as migrant workers increased from 12.27 million in 2015 to 32.43 million in 2020, and more than two-thirds of registered poor people got out of poverty mainly by working as migrant workers and engaging in local industries. Since the implementation of the rural revitalization strategy, we have stepped up our efforts, increasing the number of people out of poverty employed as migrant workers to 32.23 million in the first half of this year. At the same time, some people who have been lifted out of poverty do not have stable jobs, and thus, there is still the difficult task of stabilizing their employment. We will resolutely implement the requirements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council that poverty alleviation responsibilities, assistance, policies, and supervision be continued so as to ensure overall stability in employment for people who have been lifted out of poverty and help consolidate and enrich the achievements of poverty alleviation and rural revitalization. The main policies and measures are as follows.

First, we have worked hard to guide the migrant workers to flow in an orderly manner. We have improved mechanisms, including the labor collaboration between the eastern and western regions, made the labor flow more organized, and helped those out of poverty who are willing to work outside their hometowns do so. For those who need to go out together for work, locality-to-locality transportation services have been provided based on actual conditions.

Second, we have worked hard to stabilize employment. We have promoted the implementation of policies for stabilizing employment, such as postponing the payment of social insurance premiums and refunding unemployment insurance premiums for companies that make no cuts or minimal cuts to staff numbers, and strengthened follow-up services, stabilizing employment of people out of poverty. At the same time, we have provided services, including vocational guidance, job referral, and skills training in a timely manner and given priority to helping these people in need get transferred to new jobs or get employed.

Third, we have worked hard to develop nearby channels. In line with the implementation of the rural revitalization strategy and urbanization, we have boosted industrial development, developed workshops that provide employment assistance, encouraged people to return or go to villages to start businesses, supported flexible employment, and made good use of rural public welfare posts, continuously increasing nearby and local job opportunities.

Fourth, we have worked hard to ensure employment in key areas. We have increased funding, project, and policy support and organized regular recruitment activities in key counties to receive assistance in pursuing rural revitalization and in relocation areas for people from inhospitable areas, and sent targeted job information to these areas, ensuring that employment in key areas is no lower than the overall level. Thank you.

Cover News:

Recently, there has been significant attention paid to discrimination against people who have recovered from COVID-19 in the job market. How does the MOHRSS respond to it? How should the rights of people who have recovered from COVID-19 be protected? Thank you.

Li Zhong:

Resolutely preventing and addressing discrimination in employment is an important measure to stabilize employment. The MOHRSS has paid great attention to, and taken swift actions against, employment discrimination some time ago against people who have recovered from COVID-19. We have taken a series of measures and specially issued a notice. I will invite Ms. Zhang to share more.

Zhang Ying:

Thank you for your question and your attention to this issue. Resolutely preventing and stopping discrimination in employment is an important part of the work to stabilize employment and a necessary requirement for maintaining social fairness and justice. Recently, some companies and organizations in some localities have abused tools for testing result queries, such as health codes, and discriminated against people who have recovered from COVID-19 in employment, seriously infringing on their equal rights to employment.

The MOHRSS has paid great attention to these issues and acted quickly. We and the National Health Commission issued an emergency notice on July 29 to resolutely regulate against employment discrimination against people who have recovered from COVID-19, making detailed regulations and work arrangements to prohibit the discrimination. Specifically, it can be summarized as one "no … may" and four "it is prohibited."

The "no … may" refers to that no organization or individual may unlawfully query COVID-19 nucleic acid test results unless it is out of epidemic prevention and control needs and the period for querying the test information is set in a scientific and reasonable manner.

The four "it is prohibited" refers to that it is prohibited to publish recruitment containing discriminative content against people who have recovered from COVID-19; it is prohibited to refuse to recruit people who have recovered from COVID-19 for the reason that they were tested COVID-19 positive; it is prohibited to discriminate against people who have recovered from COVID-19 in hiring and working; it is prohibited to arbitrarily fire or dismiss people who have recovered from COVID-19 in violation of the law.

For employers and human resources service agencies violating the above provisions, human resources, social security, and health departments at all levels will take effective measures such as administrative inquiry, public exposure, and administrative punishment, and will deal with any violation resolutely.

On Aug. 10, the MOHRSS and the Supreme People's Court issued a notice on strengthening administrative and judicial collaboration to safeguard equal rights of people who have recovered from COVID-19 to employment, requiring strengthening the handling of employment discrimination cases, accepting relevant litigation in accordance with the law, reasonably allocating burdens of proof, and improving the efficiency of judicial protection in the process of filing, handling, and settling.

We will continue to work hard to ensure equal rights of people to employment. Thank you.

Chen Wenjun:

That's all for today's press conference. Thank you to all the speakers and friends from the press. Goodbye! 

Translated and edited by Wang Qian, Xu Xiaoxuan, Ma Yujia, Liu Sitong, Xu Kailin, Yuan Fang, Liu Jianing, Zhang Rui, Zhou Jing, Yan Bin, Li Huiru, Zhang Jiaqi, Huang Shan, David Ball, Jay Birbeck, and Tom Arnstein. In case of any discrepancy between the English and Chinese texts, the Chinese version is deemed to prevail.

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Read in Chinese

Speakers:

Rao Quan, vice minister of culture and tourism

Zhou Hanping, senior official of the Department of Art, Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MCT)

Chen Binbin, senior official of the Department of Public Services, MCT

Wang Chenyang, director-general of the Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage, MCT

Miao Muyang, director-general of the Department of Industrial Development, MCT

Jin Ruiguo, director-general of the Department of Policies, Laws and Regulations, National Cultural Heritage Administration (NCHA)

Chairperson:

Xing Huina, spokesperson of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee

Date:

Aug. 24, 2022

Xing Huina:

Friends from the media, good morning. Welcome to this press conference held by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee. Today, we are holding the 23rd press conference under the theme of "China in the past decade" to brief you on the high-quality development of culture and tourism in the new era, and to take your questions. Today, we are joined by Mr. Rao Quan, vice minister of culture and tourism; Ms. Zhou Hanping, a senior official from the Department of Art, MCT; Mr. Chen Binbin, a senior official from the Department of Public Services, MCT; Mr. Wang Chenyang, director-general of the Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage, MCT; Mr. Miao Muyang, director-general of the Department of Industrial Development, MCT; and Mr. Jin Ruiguo, director-general of the Department of Policies, Laws and Regulations, NCHA.

Now, let's give the floor to Mr. Rao Quan for his introduction.

Rao Quan:

Ladies and gentlemen, friends from the media, good morning. I'd like to express my gratitude to you for your interest in and support for the development of culture and tourism. I am very pleased to have the opportunity today to brief you on developments in culture, tourism and cultural relics.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has attached great importance to the development of culture and tourism. With great care for the field, General Secretary Xi Jinping has made a series of important expositions and instructions, bringing about historic achievements and transformations in culture and tourism. Over the past decade, keeping in mind the missions and tasks of holding high the banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, uniting the people, cultivating the younger generation, boosting culture and presenting a good image, we have continuously developed tourism through culture and displayed cultural developments through tourism. We have promoted the prosperous development of cultural undertakings and cultural and tourism industries, leading to new landscapes in this regard. Culture has played a visible role in nurturing spirit and empowerment, and tourism has played a salient role in benefiting the people and driving economic growth. The influence of Chinese culture has continued to rise, which has laid a solid foundation for accelerating the development of a great socialist culture in China and creating new splendor for Chinese culture.

First, artistic creation has continued to flourish to meet people's cultural needs, and at the same time provide them with a stronger source of inspiration. We have continued to improve the work mechanism with creation as the core task and performances as the key link, implemented projects to support national fine stage art creations and art production series for a new era, and actively built an artistic creation system for a new era. Major cultural and artistic performances and productions including "The Great Journey," "Strive Forward, Sons and Daughters of the Chinese Nation" and "Our Four Decades" have conveyed the mainstream of the times and written a splendid chapter of the new era. We have enhanced support via the China National Arts Fund and given play to the driving role of various cultural and artistic awards, performances and exhibitions. We have organized and broadcast performances, integrating both online and offline channels. As a result, many outstanding works have continued to emerge and have gained wider popularity. The dance drama "The Eternal Wave," the poetic dance "The Journey of a Legendary Landscape Painting," the opera "Yimeng Mountain," the drama "Gu Wenchang" and other cultural and artistic works have been widely praised, and we are constantly making strides toward the "artistic summit."

Second, the modern public cultural service system has been steadily improved to promote spiritual enrichment for all. The Law on Guaranteeing Public Cultural Services', Law on Public Libraries, Regulations on Museums, and National Standards for Guiding Basic Public Cultural Services were promulgated successively, effectively protecting the public's basic cultural rights and interests. We have actively built a public cultural service network covering six levels from the state to villages and communities. By the end of 2021, China had 3,215 public libraries, 3,316 cultural centers, 40,200 cultural stations and 575,400 comprehensive cultural service centers at the village level. All public libraries, cultural centers and stations, art galleries and 91% of museums are free to visit. Projects benefiting the people, such as "Bringing Opera to the Countryside," have been further conducted, and brand cultural activities like "Village Spring Festival Gala" have been widely carried out, making people's cultural lives richer and more colorful. The construction of a smart library system and online, digital public culture has been accelerated, and new public cultural spaces are constantly emerging. People have access to cultural services online at their fingertips, which has made public cultural services more convenient and more targeted. 

Third, industrial development has gained momentum, and innovation and creativity have been booming. The culture and tourism industry system has been gradually improved, with the system of standards constantly being refined and industrial scale consistently growing. In 2019, the added value of culture and related industries reached 4.44 trillion yuan, and that of tourism and related industries reached 4.5 trillion yuan, accounting for 4.5% and 4.56% of GDP, respectively. The digital culture industry has developed rapidly, and new business forms including online exhibitions, online broadcasting, internet livestreaming and immersive experiences have emerged at a faster pace. Mass tourism and smart tourism have continued to develop. Self-drive tours, camping tours, ice and snow tours, health care tours and marine tours have been leading new trends in leisure and vacation. Cultural creativity, intangible cultural heritage workshops and rural tourism have continued boosting rural revitalization. Visits to historical sites with revolutionary legacies and tourism-related artistic performances have flourished, and culture and tourism have become more integrated. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the culture and tourism industries have been seriously impacted. We have made practical efforts to ease the difficulties of enterprises, who have also proactively sought to save themselves rather than "lying flat," which has boosted the confidence of the culture and tourism industries and promoted their steady development.

Fourth, we have achieved remarkable results in protecting, inheriting and carrying forward our cultural heritage, and promoted the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture. We have gradually become clear about the status quo of cultural heritage resources. By the end of 2021, we had 108 million pieces or sets of state-owned movable cultural relics, 767,000 immovable cultural relics, 5,058 cultural relic units under key national protection, and 6,183 museums on record. By the end of 2021, we had more than 100,000 representative items of intangible cultural heritage at all levels, including 1,557 at the national level. There were more than 90,000 representative inheritors at various levels, including 3,062 at the national level. We had 13,026 national rare ancient books and 203 ancient book units under key national protection. We had 56 world heritage sites, ranking second in the world; and we had 42 items inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage List and Register, ranking first in the world. We have fully rolled out projects exploring the origin of Chinese civilization, protecting cultural relics, as well as protecting and utilizing cultural relics with revolutionary legacies. We have carried out the major "Archaeology in China" project and implemented plans to protect ancient Chinese books and revitalize traditional Chinese crafts. Steady progress has been made in the construction of national cultural parks for the Great Wall, Grand Canal, Red Army's Long March, Yellow River and Yangtze River. The recovery and return of cultural relics lost overseas has yielded fruitful results, with more than 1,800 pieces or sets of lost cultural relics returning to the motherland. Cultural heritage has been further brought to life, with enthusiasm for archaeology, museums, intangible cultural heritage and ancient books thriving. Chinese styles have become new fashion trends among young people.

Fifth, we have carried out in-depth exchanges and cooperation with other countries, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, and the cultural and tourism fields have further opened to the outside world. An all-around, multi-level and wide-ranging international exchange and cooperation pattern in the cultural and tourism sector has been gradually established. We have hosted a series of major cultural events that coincided with the head-of-state diplomacy and several major diplomatic events such as the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation and the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations. We have also sped up the efforts to build Chinese cultural centers overseas. We have set up overseas cultural and tourism agencies in 93 countries and signed inter-governmental cultural and tourism cooperation treaties with 157 countries. We have taken an active part in the development of international rules on this front. The system for international trade in culture has gradually improved, and core cultural products and services have been introduced to the outside world, with their export growing rapidly. The culture year and tourism year (festival), as well as some signature events such as "Happy Spring Festival" and "Beautiful China," have great influence and have greatly contributed to the image of China as a trustworthy, lovable, and admirable country. We have also made great efforts to promote culture and tourism in Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan and launched a series of cultural and artistic events with patriotic themes to increase cohesion and mutual understanding among the Chinese people.

These achievements are attributed to the leadership of General Secretary Xi Jinping, the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, the firm leadership of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, as well as the concerted efforts of people working in the culture and tourism field. We will continue to learn important statements made by General Secretary Xi Jinping related to culture and tourism, follow the new development philosophy in the new development stage, serve and integrate into the new development paradigm, and promote the high-quality development of culture and tourism to further contribute to developing a strong socialist culture in China. 

Now, my colleagues and I are ready to answer your questions.

Xing Huina:

Thank you, Mr. Rao, for your introduction. The floor is now open for questions. Please identify the news outlet you represent before raising your questions.

China Central Television:

In recent years, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council have consistently deepened reforms to streamline administration, delegate powers, improve regulation, and strengthen services and coordinated the efforts in the reform of the government review and approval system as well as the business system. In terms of the cultural and tourism field, what has been done to deepen the reform to streamline administration, delegate powers, improve regulation and strengthen services to energize market entities and build a market-based and law-based international business environment? Thank you.

Rao Quan:

Thanks for your question. I'll take this question. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, under the decision and deployment of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, we have deepened these reforms in the culture and tourism sector. By giving play to the roles of both the government and the market, we have taken a series of reform measures to separate permits and certificates from business licenses, accelerate the building of the system for ongoing and ex-post oversight to energize the culture and tourism market, speed up the transformation and upgrade of market entities and promote order and prosperity of the market system. By the end of 2021, there were 191,000 cultural companies nationwide, which employed 1,511,400 people. There were 16,000 art troupes, up by 123.2% compared with 2012. They gave 2,325,000 performances last year, attracting a total of 930 million audience members; the online music market was valued at 62.69 billion yuan ($9.15 billion), or 13.8 times that of 2012; there were 42,000 travel agencies throughout the country last year, compared to 25,000 in 2012. Our work is mainly as follows:

First, intensify efforts to streamline administration and delegate powers. We have delegated the approval of commercial Internet cultural organizations and foreign-related commercial performances to the provincial cultural and tourism administrative departments and delegate the approval of travel agencies invested and established by Hong Kong and Macao companies in the pilot free trade zones to the administrative departments of the free trade zones to provide convenience for companies to go through procedures nearby. Moreover, we have also canceled several administrative approval items like the temporary tour guide.

Second, comprehensively improve the service related to business approval. We have lifted the restrictions on foreign investment in internet services venues, entertainment venues, performance brokerage agencies, and performance companies. In areas such as the pilot free trade zones, notification commitments are implemented for the establishment of travel agencies. The time it takes for approval of the import and export of fine art has been reduced from 20 working days to no more than 13 working days; we have also streamlined the approval procedures for cross-regional performance tours to relieve pressure on companies. We have established a national cultural market technology supervision and service platform and the national service platform for tourism oversight and introduced online approval of all procedures related to access management.

Third, introduce a new model of oversight. We have established and improved the new regulatory mechanism featuring the random selection of both inspectors and inspection targets, the prompt release of results, and the Internet Plus Oversight initiative, focusing on key targets and credit supervision. We have introduced the tourism service quality supervision policy, published the culture and tourism market credit management regulation, and launched special campaigns to regulate the cultural and entertainment sector and address unreasonable low-cost travel to promote the high-quality and diversified development of the cultural and tourism market. With the emergence of new business modes like online tourism, tourist accommodation, online performances, and script entertainment, we have introduced the provisional regulations on the management of online tourism business and strengthened the management of script entertainment venues, drawing a red line to promote the sustainable development of the industry.

Moreover, we have continued to deepen the reform on law enforcement of the cultural market and integrated and organized a comprehensive law enforcement team that fulfills their duties in six sectors, including culture, cultural relics, publications, radio and television, movies, and tourism under the deployment of the central government. As we continue to improve the system and strengthen team building, our law enforcement, with the aid of new internet technologies, has become more standardized and professional. To make our law enforcement more effective and efficient, we have firmly followed a people-centered principle, conscientiously fulfilling the law enforcement and supervision duties, ensuring that law enforcement is strict, procedure-based, impartial, and civil, carrying out special campaigns to address the problems and guarantee epidemic prevention and control, workplace safety, and market order. These efforts are aimed at ensuring stability in the culture and tourism market.

That's all for my answer to your questions. 

Southern Metropolis Daily:

The development of the cultural and tourism industry is closely related to people's well-being. What has the MCT done to promote the high-quality development of the cultural and tourism industry, and what progress has the ministry made in this respect? Thank you.

Rao Quan:

The development of the cultural and tourism industries has drawn wide attention. Let's invite Mr. Miao Muyang from the Industrial Development Department of the MCT to answer this question.

Miao Muyang:

Thank you for your question. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, China's cultural and tourism industries have been a new driver and engine for economic development. They have played an essential role in promoting transformation, upgrading, high-quality national economy development, and meeting people's needs for a better life. The cultural and tourism industries have flourished in the past decade. 

First, the industries have grown with a larger number of market entities. As Mr. Rao introduced just now, the value added by China's cultural and related industries and by the tourism and associated industries in 2019 were 4,436.3 billion yuan and 4,498.9 billion yuan, respectively, accounting for 4.5% and 4.56% of GDP, respectively. The number of China's cultural firms above the designated size grew from 36,000 to 65,000 in the past decade. Their total annual revenue more than doubled from 5.6 trillion yuan to 11.9 trillion yuan. By the end of 2021, China had 42,000 travel agencies, 14,000 A-level scenic spots, and 8,771 star-rated hotels. The cultural and tourism industries have been strong drivers of economic development.

Second, the supply of products has diversified as industrial integration has stimulated consumption. Digital technologies, including 5G, big data, AR/VR, artificial intelligence, and ultra-high definition, have seen more comprehensive applications in the cultural and tourism industries. New forms such as online broadcasting, digital art, and immersive experiences have developed at a fast pace. Several digital artworks with distinctive Chinese features, such as "Big Fish and Begonia" and "Dancing into Spring," have sprouted up. Strong impetus has been injected into the integrated development of the cultural and tourism industries, related products and markets, resulting in booming development of tourism performance, red tourism, village tourism, and cultural heritage tourism. A total of 15 cities were listed as national model cities for cultural and tourism consumption, 115 cities as national pilot cities for culture and tourism consumption, and 243 zones as national night culture and tourism consumption clusters. A promising future has been entailed by the integration of cultural and tourism industries.

Third, industrial investment and financing systems have been improved with fruitful results in foreign trade. As the industry has seen a great variety of investors, the total investment has expanded with more robust support from policy-related and developmental financial instruments. Policy tools such as cooperation between government and social capital and special local government bonds have been popularized and effectively applied in the cultural and tourism sectors. The import and export of cultural products has maintained a surplus for many years, and the inbound and outbound tourism has seen great development. China's volume in foreign cultural trade exceeded $200 billion for the first time of then 2021. Many excellent cultural and tourism firms have gone global as platforms such as cultural and tourism industrial expos are playing a more prominent role and the construction of national bases for international cultural trade is being advanced.

Fourth, more policies for easing the difficulties of businesses have been carried out to shield the industries from the impact of the pandemic. The MCT and relevant departments released Several Policies on Promoting the Recovery and Development of Service Industries in Difficulty and other policies to provide financial support in this regard and promoted the detailed implementation of policies on cutting taxes and fees and stabilizing employment. By doing so, the cultural and tourism firms' sense of gain has been more substantial. The cultural and tourism markets have recovered safely as opening policies of cultural and tourism sites were adjusted according to local conditions in epidemic prevention and control. the application range of the circuit-breaker mechanism for cross-provincial trips has been adjusted precisely to county level. Since the second half of 2022, the cultural and tourism markets have gained robust momentum to recover, demonstrating firms' resilience and the great efforts made by relevant personnel.

That's all for my answer. Thank you.

National Business Daily:

In recent years, visiting museums and cultural relics has become a trend among Chinese people, which reflects China's development in the sector of cultural relics. What achievements have been made in utilizing and protecting cultural relics in the past decade? Thank you.

Rao Quan:

Work related to cultural relics has received public attention in recent years. Let's invite Mr. Jin Ruiguo from the NCHA to answer this question.

Jin Ruiguo:

Thank you for your question and your attention to cultural and museum undertakings. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has attached unprecedented importance to the protection and utilization of cultural relics and the preservation and inheritance of cultural heritage. The work related to cultural relics has realized historical achievements under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee, with coordination among departments, efforts from local governments, broad participation of the society, and hard work from the personnel in the field of cultural relics.

First, people have gained a better awareness of protecting cultural relics. Philosophies have taken roots in people's minds, such as the primary role of protection, cultural relics protection counting as good political performance, and bringing cultural relics to life. The 19th CPC National Congress and the fifth and sixth plenary sessions of the 19th CPC Central Committee all made general plans to utilize and protect cultural relics, and the CPC Central Committee rolled out six relevant documents. For the first time, a national plan for the preservation of cultural relics and related technological innovation during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025) has been issued. A total of 27 provincial governments have included cultural relics safety into their work assessment systems.

Second, efforts have been intensified to preserve cultural relics, which have been better protected. We conducted the country's' first census on moveable cultural artifacts and a survey about grotto temples. We released 5,058 major historical and cultural sites protected at the national level in two batches. The number of historical and cultural sites protected at the national, provincial, and municipal and county levels increased by 115%, 58%, and 88%, respectively. Major projects were finished to protect historical and cultural sites, including the Great Wall, the Grand Canal, the Silk Road, and traditional villages. With precaution and systematical protection, tens of thousands of cultural relics preserved by museums and unearthed were rescued and repaired. The long-term mechanism to ensure the safety of cultural relics has been improved as progress was made in cracking down on crimes and violations of laws related to cultural relics and fire prevention. In general, the safety of cultural relics has been better ensured.

Third, the reform of cultural relics museums has continued to advance, and their influence has greatly improved. A modern museum system with abundant genres, diverse subjects, and equal inclusive benefits has basically been formed. There are 6,183 registered museums nationwide, 91% of which are free of charge, and there's been an increase of 144% in annual exhibition, and a 119% increase in the number of visitors. Exhibitions such as "The Splendor of Asia," "The Eight Great Masters of the Tang and Song Dynasties," "Pursuing Eternity," and "The Making of Zhongguo" have become social and cultural hot topics. TV programs such as "National Treasure," "Every Treasure Tells a Story," "Chinese Archaeology Assembly," and "Gu Yun Xin Sheng (Ancient Rhymes' New Sound)" have ignited big and small screens. Visiting museums has become a new trend in society. The protection and utilization project for revolutionary cultural relics has been implemented in depth, helping poverty alleviation, revitalization of the old revolutionary base areas, and education on the history of Party, the country, the reform and opening up, and socialist development. The Museum of the Communist Party of China and the Memorial Hall for the CPC's Early Revolutionary Activities in Beijing were completed and opened. The NCHA supports and guides the private collection of cultural relics and optimizes inbound and outbound cultural relics supervision and cultural relics identification consulting services. To date, there are 56 World Heritage Sites in China. Sino-foreign joint archaeology is gradually increasing. Cross-border cultural relics protection cooperation has been solidly carried out. The exhibitions of inbound and outbound cultural relics are diverse, colorful, and splendid. There are frequent highlights in the recovery and return of lost cultural relics, with more than 1,800 pieces (sets) of lost cultural relics having been returned to the motherland from overseas. Cultural relics have become a "golden business card" for promoting exchange and mutual learning among civilizations. 

Fourth, the management capacity of cultural relics has been continuously enhanced, and the management level has been continuously improved. The State Council promulgated the Museum Regulations and revised the Regulations Concerning the Protection and Management of Underwater Cultural Relics, while localities have issued more than 200 local regulations on the protection of cultural relics and 113 national and industrial standards in the field of cultural relic protection have also been issued and implemented. The scientific and technological innovation capability for cultural relics has been significantly improved. The technical level of protection of ancient murals, painted pottery cultural relics, water-saturated lacquer woodware, and the environmental monitoring and regulation of the preservation of cultural relics in museum collections have entered the world's top class. The system for cultivating cultural relics and museum talents has become more complete. Cultural relics and archaeology institutions are generally strengthened, and archaeological field allowances will be significantly increased.

Recently, the national conference on cultural heritage and relics was held in Beijing, putting forward the cultural relics work principle in the new era, which is "make protection the top priority, strengthen management, explore the value, make effective use, and make cultural relics come alive," and making clear the goals and tasks. Next, we will thoroughly study and implement the principles of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important expositions and instructions on cultural relics work, and implement the deployment of the national conference on cultural heritage and relics. Through vigorous and determined endeavors, we will work hard to promote the cultural relics cause to foster a new pattern and reach a new level, so that cultural relics and cultural heritages will bloom with new brilliance in the new era. Thank you.

Changjiang Daily:

In recent years, the tourism demands of the people have become more and more strong, and China's tourism industry has developed vigorously, with more and more products, more and more forms of business, and more and more comprehensive benefits. I would like to ask what new features and highlights have been shown in the development of China's tourism industry in the past decade? Thank you.

Rao Quan:

Thank you for your question, I will answer it. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, we have thoroughly implemented the principles of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions and promoted tourism to become an important indicator for improving people's living standards, an important vehicle for inheriting and enhancing Chinese culture, an important driving force for boosting economic growth, an important field for practicing the philosophy of "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets," and an important channel for strengthening foreign exchanges and cooperation and enhancing China's cultural soft power. Here I will elaborate on three highlights:

The first is rural tourism. In the past decade, the supply of rural tourism products has been continuously optimized, the infrastructure has been continuously improved, the service quality has been continuously enhanced, and the interest linkage mechanism with farmers as the main body has been continuously perfected. The comprehensive benefits of rural tourism in socio-economic development are constantly shown outstandingly. We have innovatively rolled out 1,299 key villages and towns for rural tourism across the country, created a number of essential rural tourism routes nationwide with rich connotations and distinctive themes, carried out the work to bring creativity to the countryside, and cultivated rural tourism cluster areas. Rural tourism has increasingly become a good way for people to experience idyllic scenery and heartwarming nostalgia, a new field to promote innovation and entrepreneurship, and a new force for rural revitalization. According to estimates, in 2019, the number of rural tourism visits in China exceeded 3 billion. A number of impoverished villages, such as Shibadong Village in Hunan province and Huamao Village in Zunyi, Guizhou province, have achieved poverty alleviation and increased employment and income through tourism. Yucun Village in Zhejiang province and Xidi Village in Anhui province were selected by the UNWTO into the list of the best tourism villages in the world, becoming bright business cards showing the beautiful image of China.

The second is red tourism. In the past 10 years, the number of China's red tourism classic scenic spots has expanded from 100 to 300. They have formed a red tourism classic scenic spot system that comprehensively reflects the achievements of the period of the new-democratic revolution, the period of socialist revolution and construction, the period of reform and opening up and socialist modernization, and the period of socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era. We have introduced the 100 "excellent red tourism routes" to mark the centenary of CPC's founding. The red resources scattered across the vast land of China are being transformed into red scenic spots that can both entertain and educate the tourists, become an effective vehicle for Party members to carry out Party history study and education and strengthen Party spirit cultivation, and become a vivid classroom for officials and the common people, especially young people, to inherit the red gene and accept the cleansing of the red spirit. In recent years, the average annual growth rate of tourist visits for red tourism has exceeded 11%, reaching 1.41 billion visits in 2019.

The third is leisure tourism. In the past decade, we have actively adapted to the diverse needs of tourists and promoted the improvement of quality, efficiency, and transformation and upgrading of tourist attractions. The number of national 5A-level tourist attractions has increased from 144 in 2012 to 306 in 2021, and the proportion of medium and high-level scenic spots has increased significantly. We have innovatively rolled out 671 tourist resorts above the provincial level and more than 300 tourist and leisure streets and blocks above the provincial level, shaping various types of leisure products such as cultural tourism, eco-tourism, health tourism, industrial tourism, sports tourism, ski resorts tourism, and more to continuously meet the diversified and personalized leisure and vacation demands of the people.

Thank you.

Beijing Radio and Television Station:

General Secretary Xi Jinping stressed that it would be best if a book or piece of art achieves not only success in being thoughtful and artistic but also success in the market. We have noticed the launch of a number of excellent plays in recent years which delivered both good social benefits and economic returns. Could you share achievements in this regard? Thank you. 

Rao Quan:

This is a question about literary and art creation. I'd like to invite Ms. Zhou Hanping from the art department to take it. 

Zhou Hanping:

Thank you for your attention and concern for stage art. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, acting upon the important remarks of General Secretary Xi Jinping on literature and art, we have put people at the center of all our work. We have set art creation and performance as the central task, and improved the mechanism for art creation and distribution to guide literature and art troupes to adopt innovative business practices, expand the market and launch good works that people could love. Achievements can be concluded in the following three aspects:

First, excellent works have come forth in large numbers, which depict the greatness of the new journey in the new era and nourish people's aesthetics and values. Embarking on the new journey in the new era, we have actively guided literary and artists to give an all-dimensional and panoramic presentation of the new ethos of the new era and set the satisfaction of the people as the highest criterion for art creation. A number of select artworks that meet people's intellectual and cultural needs and develop their outlooks have been produced. In addition to such major performances as "The Great Journey," we have also staged a number of other excellent plays. Among them, dance drama "The Eternal Wave" has been staged for 414 performances; "Poetic Dance: The Journey of a Legendary Landscape Painting" was performed 147 times in just one year; many other excellent works were also well received by audiences, such as opera performances "Yimeng Mountain" and "Ma Xiangyang Goes to Work in the Countryside," theater plays "Gu Wenchang" and "Liu Qing," Peking opera film "The Red Army Stories," and Guangxi's Cai Diao opera "Liu Sanjie (New)." These performances have generated both social benefits and economic returns.  

Second, we have carried forward and promoted the fine traditional culture of China through innovative art creation in the new era. Regarding the fine traditional culture of China as the source of art creation, we have produced a number of works deeply rooted in traditional culture. By integrating traditional elements with modern ones, and innovatively using new technologies and means to inspire originality and creativity, increase cultural connotations, and express thoughts and feelings, the fine traditional culture of China has continued to shimmer with charm in the new times. From the lasting popularity of the Kunqu opera show "The Peony Pavilion" and the film adaptation of the Cantonese opera show "The Legend of White Snake" to the growing appeal of the China Opera Gala (Kunshan), more and more excellent artworks with Chinese aesthetics, characteristics, and styles have become the trend of the times and smash hits in the market. Literary and artistic creation in the new era has shown greater depth and potential.  

Third, we have further reformed state-owned literature and art troupes so they can launch more good works, cultivate more talents and generate more returns. Acting upon the Opinions on Further Reforming State-owned Literature and Art Troupes of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council, we have worked to set up a sustainable development mechanism to ensure the production of a great variety of plays and the cultivation of talents from generation to generation. We have encouraged literature and art troupes to embrace the market by staging more performances. According to a sampling survey among 400 art troupes in 2021, they staged over 60,000 performances and earned close to five billion yuan amid routine pandemic prevention and control. We have also made online presentations of offline art performances a regular practice to allow more people to enjoy art. For example, we presented the Spring Festival Special Edition of Art China to netizens through such online platforms as "Voice of Culture and Tourism" and "Art of China" and won wide applause from the public.  

I will stop here. Thank you. 

The Beijing News:

We have noticed that products of intangible cultural heritage have begun to enter people's lives in large numbers in recent years, and public knowledge and understanding of intangible cultural heritage has increased. What achievements has China made in promoting and protecting intangible cultural heritages since the 18th CPC National Congress? How do these achievements contribute to the inheritance and promotion of the fine traditional culture of China? Thank you.

Rao Quan:

Just as you said, intangible cultural heritage is more and more becoming a part of modern life and glowing with new vitality. I'd like to invite Mr. Wang Chenyang from the department of intangible cultural heritage to answer your questions. 

Wang Chenyang:

Thank you for your questions. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has attached great importance to the protection and inheritance of intangible cultural heritages. It has adopted a series of major plans and practical measures to promote the creative transformation and innovative development of intangible cultural heritage so they will shine with greater charm in the new era. 

First, preserving intangible cultural heritage has become an important aspect of retaining China's cultural roots and carrying forward the Chinese civilization. So far, over 100,000 representative projects of intangible cultural heritage have been launched at all levels, among which 1,557 are state-level ones. The number of representative inheritors at all levels has reached over 90,000, 3,062 of whom are state-level ones. And 23 state-level cultural ecology protection areas have been set up to carry out various initiatives, including ones to document intangible cultural heritages, renovate traditional crafts, cultivate inheritors, and inherit and develop folk art forms. So far, over 100,000 inheritors have been trained, and the momentum for inheriting intangible cultural heritages has been constantly boosted.

Second, intangible cultural heritage has become an important source for the Chinese nation in bolstering cultural confidence and forging a strong sense of community. A variety of intangible cultural heritage activities are held on traditional festivals and Cultural and Natural Heritage Day in various places, and have created a stronger sense of passion among the whole of society for our fine traditional Chinese culture. The 24 solar terms performed at the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics showed to the world the cultural heritage and cultural confidence of the Chinese nation. All of our 56 ethnic groups have items incorporated into the country's representative list of national intangible cultural heritage, and the fine traditional cultures of different ethnic groups communicate with, appreciate, and respect each other under the framework of intangible cultural heritage protection. Intangible cultural heritage has become a carrier and bond for promoting interaction, exchange and integration between all ethnic groups and forging a strong sense of community among the Chinese people.

Third, intangible cultural heritage has become an important force to promote high-quality economic and social development, so as to meet people's needs for a better life. We have promoted the revitalization and development of traditional craftsmanship, and enriched the categories of traditional handicraft, significantly improving the quality of products and largely extending their applications into new areas of modern life. In order to boost targeted poverty alleviation and rural revitalization through intangible cultural heritage, more than 2,500 intangible cultural heritage workshops have been established in various places, which facilitated local economic development. Intangible cultural heritage projects related to family education and family tradition, as well as village-level regulations, have played an important role in nurturing good folk customs and fostering the culture of community.

Fourth, intangible cultural heritage has become an important part of displaying China's image and spreading China's voice. To date, 42 intangible cultural heritage items in China have been included on the UNESCO intangible cultural heritage lists, ranking first in the world, contributing our share to global cultural diversity. The joint-applications for Urtiin duu or "long song" and the Wangchuan ceremony and related practices have become important manifestations of promoting exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations. Other items such as acupuncture and moxibustion of traditional Chinese medicine, Lum medicinal bathing of Sowa Rigpa and taijiquan have provided Chinese wisdom for solving human health problems.

Going forward, we will stick to the principles of General Secretary Xi Jinping's major expositions and instructions on the protection of intangible cultural heritage. We will innovate while following fine traditions to find the connection between traditional culture and modern life, and we will revitalize our fine traditional Chinese culture with the spirit of the times to continuously satisfy people's ever-growing needs for a better life. Thank you.

China Daily:

Extensive and in-depth exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations are of great significance in building a community with a shared future for mankind. In the past 10 years, what work has been done and what achievements have been made in promoting exchanges and mutual learning between Chinese civilization and other civilizations? Thank you.

Rao Quan:

Thank you for your question. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has put forward major initiatives such as promoting people-to-people exchanges through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and implementing the Asia tourism promotion plan on the international stage. He also put forward important measures such as hosing the China-France Culture and Tourism Year and China-South Korea Year of Cultural Exchanges. He attended important activities including the China-Egypt Cultural Year and the BRICS cultural festival, and inaugurated China Cultural Centers in countries such as Pakistan, Singapore, Cambodia and Vietnam. He sent messages of congratulations to the BRI-themed 2021 Great Wall International Folk Culture and Arts Festival and the opening ceremony of the exhibition "Tota Italia: Origins of a Nation" and other activities. Under his planning, arrangements and promotion, exchanges and mutual learning between Chinese civilization and other civilizations have been thriving.

First, we contributed Chinese wisdom to international cultural governance. We continued to deepen our cooperation with UNESCO and the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). As I said, China ranks first in the world in terms of the total number of items included on the UNESCO intangible cultural heritage lists, and the Chinese language has become an official language of the UNWTO. International culture and tourism rules are becoming fairer, more just, diverse and open. In 2021, Yucun village in Zhejiang province and Xidi in Anhui province were included among the first group of Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO. The notion that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets has reached consensus in the development of world tourism. The training of culture and tourism human resources is in full swing, and Chinese experience and approaches have served as useful references for developing countries in their cultural development.

Second, we have expressed China's cultural proposals to the world through cultural exchanges. We have promoted the continuous development of 16 multilateral exchange and cooperation mechanisms and 25 bilateral ones, such as the Meeting of BRICS Culture Ministers. We have actively carried out cultural and tourism exchanges with countries with newly-established diplomatic relations, such as Panama, establishing a global network for inter-governmental cooperation. Brand events such as "East Asian Capital of Culture" have deepened inter-city cultural exchanges. Events we hosted, such as the "Meet in Beijing" International Art Festival, have showcased the development of Chinese culture globally. The total number of Chinese cultural centers and tourism offices overseas has reached 45 and 20, respectively. Every year they work together to organize events such as "Mid-Autumn Festival: A Moon-moment to Remember" and "Visiting China Online," serving as an essential window for demonstrating the unique charm of Chinese culture in an all-around way. We have built Hong Kong Palace Museum, launched the "National Art Troupe (Macau) Performance Season," and organized "Joint Love for the Chinese Nation" exchange activities, jointly promoting Chinese culture with Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.

Third, we have shared cultural achievements with people worldwide through cultural exchanges. We have proactively promoted Belt and Road cultural exchanges and cooperation and established alliances for Silk Road, international theaters, museums, art festivals, libraries, and art galleries, with 539 member units. "Happy Chinese New Year" events have been held for years, with about 2,000 events held in over 130 countries each year, and have become an essential bridge for sharing traditional Chinese festivals with people worldwide. Events such as "Beautiful China" and "Discover China Cultural Tour" have been carried out, attracting more and more foreign tourists to experience the unique charm of Chinese culture.

That's all for my introduction.

The Poster News APP:

China's urbanization has been developing rapidly since the 18th CPC National Congress. What achievements have been made in the integrated development of urban and rural public cultural services during this process? What role has it played in strengthening people's sense of gain from culture? Thank you.

Rao Quan:

Public cultural services are closely related to people's lives. Mr. Chen Binbin from the Public Service Department will answer this question.

Chen Binbin: 

Thank you for your question. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, we have implemented in full the guiding principles embodied in General Secretary Xi Jinping's speeches concerning public culture and followed the decisions and arrangements of the Party Central Committee and the State Council. We have redoubled our efforts to promote the integrated development of urban and rural public cultural services, focusing on providing standardized essential public cultural services for urban and rural residents. As a result, equal access to essential public cultural services has significantly improved. People's sense of gain from culture is becoming increasingly more robust, which can be demonstrated in the following four aspects:

First, the institutional system has been refined. Over the last decade, we have rolled out and implemented two laws and one standard. The two laws refer to the Law on the Protection of Public Cultural Services and the Law on Public Libraries. The one standard refers to the national standards to guide the provision of basic public cultural services. At the same time, we have seen that the 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities have worked out standards for providing basic public cultural services. Moreover, 333 prefecture-level cities and 2,846 counties have issued catalogs of essential public cultural services, and the Opinions on Promoting the High-Quality Development of Public Cultural Services has been promulgated. These laws, standards, and policies ensure that we can support the integrated development of public cultural services in both urban and rural areas.

Second, the system of facilities has been improved. Over the decade, the facilities network for public cultural services at the grassroots level has been expanded and improved through deepening reforms. We have advanced the development of facilities for public cultural services at the grassroots level by establishing county-level cultural centers and adopting the central-branch system for libraries. Ten years ago, we mainly relied on the system of service facilities, comprising over 6,000 cultural centers and libraries. Today, we have developed a facilities network for public cultural services at the grassroots level, including 95,000 libraries and service station branches. We have also made good use of social resources to push for the building of new public cultural spaces such as the "City Study Room" and "Cultural Station," which reached 18,000 spaces recently and are growing rapidly. These cultural facilities and spaces are built close to people's' homes. They are accessible and usable and greatly facilitate the cultural lives of the people, improving the convenience and effectiveness of public cultural services.

Third, people have enjoyed a greater variety of cultural activities. With the improvement of living standards, people have increasingly stronger needs for cultural life and activities. To meet these needs, we have actively launched mass cultural activities. developing such brand activities as the "Village Gala" in rural areas, "singing together," and the "square dance," with the number of participants continuing to hit new records. For example, over 118 million people participated in the national "Village Gala" demonstration activity held in 2022. When people engage in cultural activities, they are not only willing to be spectators but also willing to be actors or creators. Therefore, people have become the real subject of culture. We have enhanced the development of mass cultural groups. According to the latest data, the number of such groups has exceeded 450,000, up 50% from 2021.

Fourth, cultural resources have been made available at the primary level. Over the past decade, we have promoted the extension of quality cultural resources from cities to rural areas through standardization and cultural projects and made leapfrog progress in developing public cultural systems in poor areas, border areas with mainly ethnic minority populations, and old revolutionary base areas. For example, we have implemented a cultural talent support program in the above-mentioned areas. Over the past decade, we have dispatched a total of 169,000 cultural workers to primary-level cultural institutions and trained more than 15,000 cultural workers there. As operas are very popular in the rural areas, we have implemented a program to bring more operas to the countryside in recent years. Under the program, 78,000 opera performances are staged in 13,000 towns and townships in the central and western regions each year. Over the past decade, we have also carried out the digital library project and a cultural information resource sharing project, sending a large amount of quality digital resources to the primary level. Now, all the libraries in prefecture-level cities and 99% of county-level libraries across China, even in the most remote places, can provide digital resources amounting to 145 TB, including 300,000 e-books, over 7,700 types of periodicals, and 200,000 types of audio media.

Going forward, we will continue to promote quality development and provide higher quality, more efficient, fairer, and more sustainable public cultural services to enrich the intellectual and cultural life of all people. Thank you.

Cover News:

In recent years, major archaeological discoveries such as those at the Sanxingdui Ruins site, the mausoleum of Emperor Wendi of the Western Han Dynasty, and the Piluo Paleolithic site have attracted much attention. What measures have been taken to facilitate archaeological research, preserve and sustain Chinese civilization, and bolster confidence in our own culture? What achievements have been made in this regard? Thank you.

Rao Quan:

Your questions are about a current hot topic. Let's invite Mr. Jin Ruiguo from the NCHA to answer the questions.

Jin Ruiguo:

Thank you for the questions. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has made important expositions and instructions on archaeological work on various occasions. He emphasized that great importance should be attached to archaeological work to deepen historical research on Chinese civilization and that the CPC and Chinese society as a whole should enhance historical consciousness, bolster confidence in the Chinese culture, work hard to build a modern socialist country in all respects, and realize the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Over the past decade, under the guidance of the decisions and plans made by the central authorities, we have achieved fruitful outcomes in projects that explore the origin of Chinese civilization and archaeology in China, carried out more than 8,800 archaeological excavation programs, made major archaeological discoveries at the Liangzhu relic site, the Taosi relics site, the Shimao ruins, the Erlitou relics site, the Yinxu site, and the Sanxingdui Ruins site, steadily promoted frontier and underwater archaeology, witnessed the rapid development of scientific archaeology, public archaeology, and archaeology involving foreign parties, and obtained evidence for millions of years of human history, 10,000 years of cultural history, and more than 5,000 years of civilization history. All these have provided a rich historical and cultural source of strength for social development.

Going forward, we will continue to implement General Secretary Xi Jinping's important expositions and instructions on archaeological work, explore the unknown, reveal the origins, strive to develop archaeology with Chinese characteristics, style, and values, and better understand the time-honored and profound Chinese civilization.

The first is deepening archaeological research. We will continue to push forward projects that explore the origin of Chinese civilization and archaeology in China, promote academic research on the origins of mankind, agriculture, and civilization as well as the formation and development of a unified multi-ethnic state, and showcase the origins, historical context, and splendid achievements of Chinese civilization, as well as its major contributions to human civilization.

The second is strengthening scientific and technological support. We will promote the joint research of archaeology and history, humanities and natural sciences, strengthen multidisciplinary collaboration, accelerate the establishment of key national laboratories in the field of cultural relics, and build a national science and technology innovation center for cultural heritage. We will implement a national plan to cultivate archaeological talent and promote the development of world-class archaeological institutions.

The third is improving interpretation and publicity. We will make full use of new media, new technologies, and new means to strengthen the research and interpretation of cultural relics, historic sites and ruins, organize activities to publicize the outcomes of the project that explores archaeology in China, and jointly produce and broadcast TV programs such as "Exploring Ancient China" with relevant media outlets to showcase the long history and great creations of Chinese civilization, and educate and guide officials and the public, especially young people, to better understand and identify with Chinese civilization, and become more proud, confident, and assured in their identity as Chinese people. Thank you.

Xing Huina:

Today's press conference is now concluded. Thank you to Mr. Rao and all the other speakers. Thank you to friends from the media. Goodbye.

Translated and edited by Wang Qian, Xu Xiaoxuan, Guo Yiming, Yang Xi, Liu Jianing, Huang Shan, Zhang Rui, Ma Yujia, Yuan Fang, Yan Bin, Xu Kailin, Zhang Liying, Liu Qiang, Liu Sitong, Li Huiru, David Ball, Jay Birbeck, and Tom Arnstein. In case of any discrepancy between the English and Chinese texts, the Chinese version is deemed to prevail.

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Read in Chinese

Speakers:

Zhao Yong, vice minister of the National Ethnic Affairs Commission

Hua Yanlong, director general of the Bureau of Ethnic Work of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee

Zhang Mou, director general of the Bureau of Policies and Regulations of the National Ethnic Affairs Commission

Guo Jianmin, director general of the Bureau of Culture and Publicity of the National Ethnic Affairs Commission

Chairperson:

Xing Huina, spokesperson of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee

Date:

Aug. 17, 2022

Xing Huina:

Friends from the press, good morning. Welcome to this press conference held by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee. Today, we are holding the 20th press conference under the theme of "China in the past decade" to brief you on the achievements and measures on ethnic unity and progress in the new era. Joining us today are Mr. Zhao Yong, vice minister of the National Ethnic Affairs Commission; Mr. Hua Yanlong, director general of the Bureau of Ethnic Work of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee; Mr. Zhang Mou, director general of the Bureau of Policies and Regulations of the National Ethnic Affairs Commission; and Mr. Guo Jianmin, director general of the Bureau of Culture and Publicity of the National Ethnic Affairs Commission.

Now, let's give the floor to Mr. Zhao for his introduction.

Zhao Yong:

Ladies and gentlemen, friends from the media, good morning. First, on behalf of the National Ethnic Affairs Commission, I would like to express my thanks for your interest in the work related to Chinese ethnic unity and progress. Before your questions, please allow me to briefly introduce the development of Chinese ethnic unity and progress in the past decade.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has made overall planning of and promoted the Party's ethnic work in the new era from the strategic perspective of adhering to and developing the socialist system with Chinese characteristics and realizing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, focused on forging a strong sense of community among the Chinese people, and made historic achievements in advancing ethnic unity and progress. These achievements can be summarized from the following five aspects:

First, establishing the new thought. With the broad vision and great wisdom of a Marxist statesman, thinker and strategist, General Secretary Xi Jinping has adapted the Marxist ethnic theory to China's realities and fine traditional Chinese culture, put forward a series of new thoughts, philosophies and strategies, and formed his important thought on strengthening and improving ethnic work. The thought systematically explains the strategic importance, historical position, main focus, important tasks, work paradigm, rules and methods of ethnic work, and gives scientific answers to major theoretical and practical problems of how to forge a strong sense of community among the Chinese people and pool strength to realize national rejuvenation. It profoundly expounds the rules underlying the formation and development of the Chinese national community, and reveals the bright prospects of the Chinese nation striving for a more widely recognized and united community with a shared future. With its theoretical and practical guidance and its positive global influence, the thought sets a clear direction and provides a fundamental guideline for the Party's ethnic work in the new era.

Second, identifying the new focus. Forging a strong sense of community among the Chinese people has been taken as the main task of the Party's ethnic work in the new era. It is the guiding principle and fundamental guideline for formulating policies and plans, a core philosophy integrated into all aspects of the work, and a fundamental criterion and an important aspect in assessing the work. The main task has made our ethnic work focus more on enhancing common ground and building the Chinese national community, and progressed the work to a new stage.

Third, taking on a new look. In the past decade, General Secretary Xi Jinping has personally conducted ethnic work, made multiple visits to ethnic minority areas, and reiterated that no ethnic group should be left behind in the country's fight against poverty, in its building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects, and in its drive toward modernization. Under the care and strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee, all 31.21 million people in ethnic minority areas have been lifted out of poverty. The whole nation, ethnic minority areas included, has achieved a victory in the poverty alleviation fight, and built a moderately prosperous society in all respects. The ethnic minority groups, the places where they live, and ethnic relations have all taken on a new look. Some ethnic groups, who entered the socialist society directly from "primitive society," has once again realized the leapfrog development from poverty to moderate prosperity. We have made many investigations in ethnic minority areas, and seen how people now drink sweet tap water rather than bitter cellar water, and live in new brick houses rather than mud-built dwellings. Expressways and high-speed railways are accessible, children go to nearby schools, and residents have easy access to medical services. People there all wear big smiles and are grateful to the general secretary and the CPC.

Fourth, pooling new strength. In the past decade, people of all ethnic groups went through the hard work of alleviating poverty and building a moderately prosperous society, enjoyed strategic achievements made in epidemic control, and celebrated the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, and the centenary of the CPC's founding. We have realized that the national rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is an irresistible trend. All of these have inspired the patriotism of all ethnic groups and the confidence and sense of pride of all Chinese people, and intensified a strong sense of community among them. The support among all ethnic groups for the country, the Chinese nation, Chinese culture, the CPC, and socialism with Chinese characteristics has reached an unprecedentedly high level. This can be vividly described with the phrase, "The Chinese people are a family jointly realizing the Chinese Dream."

Fifth, forming a new paradigm. Ethnic work is related to all aspects of society. The CPC Central Committee has integrated ethnic work into the five-sphere integrated plan and the four-pronged comprehensive strategy. It has formed a paradigm where ethnic work is carried out under the unified leadership of the Party Committee and managed by the government according to law, with the United Front Work Department responsible for the coordination work, ethnic work departments performing their duties, various departments making joint efforts, and the whole of society participating. Under this paradigm, local Party committees have included ethnic work in the system of responsibility for Party building and ideological work, and in political inspections, disciplinary inspections and government performance assessments, thus forming a strong synergy on this front. In doing so, we have ensured that people of all ethnic groups are participants, contributors, beneficiaries and judges of forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation, and provided a solid political guarantee for the high-quality development of the Party's ethnic work in the new era.

Over the past decade, we have made historic achievements and seen historical changes in ethnic unity and progress, thanks to the leadership of General Secretary Xi Jinping at the core of the CPC Central Committee and the whole Party, and the sound guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. On the new journey to build a modern socialist country in all respects, we will faithfully implement the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee, forge a strong sense of community among the Chinese people, enhance the building of the Chinese national community, promote the high-quality development of the Party's ethnic work in the new era, and contribute to the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

That is all for my introduction. Now, we are ready to answer your questions.

Xing Huina:

Thank you, Mr. Zhao for your introduction. The floor is now open for questions. Please identify the media outlet you represent before raising your questions.

CCTV:

Most countries in the world are multi-ethnic and different countries have different ways of dealing with ethnic affairs. As a unified multi-ethnic country with 56 ethnic groups and a population of more than 1.4 billion, China has followed the policies of ethnic equality, ethnic unity, regional ethnic autonomy, and common prosperity and development of all ethnic groups. What's your opinion on China's path for handling ethnic affairs?

Zhao Yong:

Thank you for your question. You have a rather systematic view on this issue, and you raised a good question. Looking back on the Party's century-long journey, the most outstanding achievement of our work on ethnic affairs is that we have found the right path for managing ethnic affairs with Chinese characteristics. The great practice after the 18th CPC National Congress has enriched and expanded this path. The Chinese characteristics of this path are reflected in several aspects:

The first characteristic is the leadership of the CPC. The CPC is the backbone of the people of all ethnic groups in China. The leadership of the CPC is the essential feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the fundamental guarantee for doing well in our work on ethnic affairs. The practice has proved that only the leadership of the CPC can bring all ethnic groups together and take all ethnic groups toward common prosperity and development.

The second characteristic is equality among all ethnic groups. All ethnic groups in China are equal regardless of population, history, or stage of development. This equality is genuine, comprehensive, and complete. The legitimate rights and interests of all ethnic groups are fully guaranteed, and the human rights situation of ethnic minorities in China is at its best in history.

The third characteristic is the system of regional ethnic autonomy. It is a basic political system of China and an incredible creation of the CPC. Moreover, this system not only fundamentally safeguards national unity and ethnic solidarity, but also dramatically mobilizes the enthusiasm and creativity of ethnic autonomous regions to develop their motherland and hometowns.

The fourth characteristic is the Chinese national community. This path is built on the Chinese national community, which has been formed and developed for over 5,000 years. The relationship between the Chinese nation and ethnic groups is between a big family and family members. The relationship among ethnic groups is among family members of one big family. We need to not only ensure all ethnic groups' development, but also build and develop the community as a big family.

The fifth characteristic is pursuing common prosperity and development. The goal followed by this path is to deliver a better life for all ethnic groups.The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is not a reappearance of any dynasty in history. Instead, it encourages the 56 ethnic groups to move towards socialist modernization together, create a bright future for the Chinese nation and enjoy the great glory of national rejuvenation together. The practice has proved that this path is a road of equality to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of all ethnic groups, a road of unity to promote exchanges and communication among all ethnic groups, and a road toward prosperity that helps all ethnic groups develop together. Ultimately, it is a path of rejuvenation for the Chinese nation toward a community of shared future with greater recognition and cohesion. We will unswervingly follow this path.

N Video from Southern Metropolis Daily:

The CPC Central Committee stressed that it is necessary to promote cultural inheritance, protection, and innovation of all ethnic groups while enhancing their identity with the Chinese culture. What has been done in this regard over the past decade? Thank you.

Zhao Yong:

I will invite Guo Jianmin, director general of the Bureau of Culture and Publicity of the National Ethnic Affairs Commission, to take this question.

Guo Jianmin:

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has made a series of important proposals and instructions on adhering to Chinese culture, bolstering confidence in Chinese culture, fostering shared cultural identity, and promoting the inheritance, protection, and innovation of the cultures of all ethnic groups in China. He has made specific deployments at important conferences including the central conference on ethnic affairs and attended significant cultural events, such as the National Ethnic Minority Arts Festival. During his visits in ethnic minority areas, he has been concerned about developing many ethnic and cultural projects, such as Miao embroidery, the Lunar March 3 Festival, and the Manas opera, which greatly inspired and encouraged the people of all ethnic groups. Government departments at all levels have earnestly implemented the decisions of the CPC Central Committee. With the main task of fostering a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation, we have revised and enacted laws and regulations, such as the Law on the Protection of Cultural Relics and the Law on Guaranteeing Public Cultural Services, and formulated policy plans for cultural development during the 13th and 14th Five-Year Plan periods. A series of major cultural projects have been conducted, including the inheritance and development of fine traditional Chinese culture, the inheritance of revolutionary tradition, and those to benefit the public. A series of major cultural activities have been held, including the National Ethnic Minority Arts Festival, the National Traditional Games of Ethnic Minorities, and the Steed Award for ethnic minority writers. We have actively built unique platforms for festivals and folk customs, exhibitions and performances, and cultural tourism. We have made solid progress in inheriting, protecting, and innovating the cultures of all ethnic groups. People of all ethnic groups in China have become more passionate about, prouder of, and more confident in Chinese culture, and the "five identities" have been greatly enhanced.

In 2019, more than 10,000 athletes, coaches, and referees of all ethnic groups attended the 11th National Traditional Games of Ethnic Minorities. Most of them were farmers, herders, students, and workers, and for many of them, it was the first time they had left home, walked out of the mountains, and come into big cities. Athletes from different ethnic groups participated in the same competitions, such as dragon boat racing and top-spinning. Many excellent elements of traditional Chinese culture were displayed at the opening and closing ceremonies, such as Tai Chi and Kam Grand Choir. Young people of all ethnic groups participated in the activities and enjoyed the beautiful scenery during the performance gala. Therefore, the people of all ethnic groups praised the Games as a grand mass participation sports event promoting exchanges and interaction among all ethnic groups, and a demonstration of the solidarity of the Chinese nation. Thanks.

Cover News:

Ethnic minority areas used to be the difficulty and priority of poverty alleviation. Can you talk about what historic changes have been brought about by poverty alleviation and pursuit of moderate prosperity? What initiatives will be taken to promote all ethnic groups to achieve modernization together? Thank you.

Zhao Yong:

Thank you for your attention to development and reform in ethnic minority areas. Just as you have mentioned, poverty alleviation and pursuit of moderate prosperity have brought historic changes to ethnic minority areas, which can be concluded in the following aspects:

First, the living standards of people of all ethnic groups have been greatly improved. Through poverty alleviation and pursuit of moderate prosperity, people of all ethnic groups have more stable jobs and more satisfactory incomes. And they enjoy better public health services and better living environments. Over the decade, in ethnic minority areas, the average annual growth of per capita disposable income of urban residents is 7.7%, with that of rural residents being 10.2%. Poverty alleviation and pursuit of moderate prosperity have enabled countless people to change fate, realize dreams, and achieve happiness. Now the average life expectancy in ethnic minority areas has increased significantly, with the average life expectancy in Tibet having increased by a full four years over the decade.

Second, great changes have taken place in the mindsets of people of all ethnic groups. Some people used to wait for external assistance in the past, but now they are motivated to rely on their own efforts to strive for prosperity. Some people used to make a living only by farming, but now they leave their hometown and seek jobs elsewhere. Changes in mindsets have profoundly changed people's lifestyles and their way of production. They now have access to flush toilets and the internet. And farming has been mostly mechanized. It can be said that now people of all ethnic groups are more confident and more motivated.

Third, the momentum of development in ethnic minority areas has been greatly enhanced. In the process of eliminating poverty and achieving moderate prosperity, a great number of infrastructures have been built, with an increase of 15,800 kilometers of railway in the five autonomous regions of Inner Mongolia, Guangxi, Tibet, Ningxia and Xinjiang and the three provinces of Guizhou, Yunnan and Qinghai over the decade, which was beyond imagination in the past. With a group of industrial parks built and a number of industrial projects developed, the basis for sustained growth has become increasingly stronger. I visited Jingning She autonomous county of Zhejiang province, and learned that it is relatively backward in Zhejiang. They built an "enclave" industrial park next to Lishui. The tax revenues generated by the industrial park last year accounted for 36% of the tax revenues of the whole county, and the industrial park contributed to nearly half of the whole county's value added of industrial enterprises above designated size. With the development of the "enclave" industrial park, they have pioneered a path of development by drawing on the resources of others. Much of the south Xinjiang used to be sandy and rocky areas. Now by developing modern agriculture, planting, and breeding industry, it has become famous nationwide for producing fruits. I also saw that in the old town of Kashi, some people have led a happy life by developing tourism depending on buildings with Uygur characteristics.

Fourth, the foundation for the Party's governance in ethnic minority areas has become more solid. Last year, I visited Pumajiangtang Township, Shannan City, Tibet, a township with the highest altitude in China. The local people told me that the township used to be inaccessible and people led a very hard life. They lived in adobe houses. What I saw in my visit this time were brand-new residential buildings and clean roads. People's houses were fully-equipped with furniture and were very neat. They have all lived a happy life. There was one household posting a couplet on the door, saying that just as we should never forget the people who dig the well for us to drink water, we should also never forget the CPC for lifting us out of poverty. I believe that the couplet expresses their aspirations. Poverty alleviation and pursuit of moderate prosperity have greatly enhanced the authority of the Party among the people, and built closer relations between the Party and the people and between officials and the people, making the public, social, and political foundation for the Party's governance more solid.

Fifth, socialist ethnic relations have been strengthened. Now the people of all ethnic groups assist, admire, and support each other. Such stories can be found everywhere. Many cities have residents of all 56 ethnic groups, and there are an increasing number of families consisting of members from different ethnic groups. In Xinjiang, 1.1 million officials have paired up with over 1.6 million households of ethnic minority groups as "relatives," writing the touching stories of the Chinse nation uniting as a big family in the new era.

The Chinese nation units as a big family, and all family members must live better lives. Next, we will act upon the decisions and plans of the Party Central Committee and promote ethnic minority areas in the new development stage to follow the new development philosophy and integrate into the new development paradigm. We will focus on three key areas of development of industries, infrastructure, and ecological shields to achieve high-quality development in ethnic minority areas and further refine the differentiated policies in support of regional development to advance rural revitalization in ethnic minority areas. Among the 160 key counties to receive assistance in pursuing rural revitalization, 114 are in ethnic autonomous areas. We will fully carry out the action plan to bring prosperity to border areas and their residents. In particular, we will ensure that all the reforms and development demonstrate a sense of community among the Chinese people. How to implement it? When selecting a project, we should not only focus on its contribution to economic growth but also on its contribution to increasing jobs and improving the people's wellbeing and on whether it is conducive to forging a strong sense of community among the Chinese people. When assessing the feasibility of the project, we should take whether it is conducive to forging a strong sense of community among the Chinese people as an important criterion. When implementing the project, we should provide jobs for local people of all ethnic groups as much as possible to promote exchanges, interactions, and integration among ethnic groups. When evaluating the project, we should focus not only on financial returns and ecological benefits but also if it contributes to forging a sense of community among the Chinese people. In short, concrete and effective measures should be taken to promote all ethnic groups to achieve socialist modernization together. In the past, the toughest mission in poverty alleviation and pursuit of moderate prosperity was in ethnic minority areas. Now the toughest mission of realizing modernization is also in ethnic minority areas. We are confident and capable of cracking this "hardest nut."

Thank you.

Lianhe Zaobao:

In recent years, China has been promoting the use of standard Chinese in ethnic minority areas such as Xinjiang and Tibet. Some people believe that this might be detrimental to the development of ethnic minority languages and cultures. What's your response to that? How does China protect ethnic minority languages and cultures? Thank you.

Zhao Yong:

Thank you for your attention to Xinjiang, Tibet, and ethnic minority areas in general. I have noticed that some Western media have made a lot of interpretations over a period of time, some of which may not know the facts, but it is also possible that some of them may have ulterior motives. In fact, China's Constitution and Law on the Standard Spoken and Written Chinese Language explicitly stipulate the legal status of popularizing modern standard Chinese and protecting the rights of ethnic minorities to learn and use their own languages. While popularizing standard Chinese in accordance with the law, the Chinese government fully respects and protects the freedom of ethnic minorities to use their own languages, creating conditions for them to learn and use their own languages. In terms of learning, we have set courses of standard spoken and written Chinese in primary and middle schools. At the same time, we also set courses of spoken and written languages of ethnic minorities, especially in ethnic autonomous areas. And it is generally the case in areas where ethnic minority populations are concentrated. Ethnic minority people who want to learn their own languages all have the chance to learn and use their own languages. For those who have left school and entered society but have not yet been proficient in standard Chinese, we also offered training on standard spoken and written Chinese language for them and at the same time, guarantee their rights to learn their own languages. We have also created conditions in ethnic minority people's political and social life as well as in the field of press and publishing. Take political life as an example, documents issued during China's NPC and CPPCC sessions are available in ethnic minority languages. In judicial work, we have also provided conditions for ethnic minority people to use their own languages in litigation. Places such as Xinjiang and Tibet have set up radio and television stations in ethnic minority languages and issued a variety of periodicals in ethnic minority languages to facilitate the lives of ethnic minority people. Ethnic minority people can also freely access information, study, and communicate on the internet in their own languages.

And as for how to protect the languages and cultures of ethnic minorities, I think supporting their use is the best method of protection. At the same time, we have also noticed that there are 53 ethnic minorities in our country with their own languages, except the Hui and Manchu ethnic groups who use the Chinese language, and 22 ethnic groups have 28 written languages. So, we are also using modern means to protect such languages and specially designed the Chinese Language Resources Database to collect, compile, develop and utilize these languages. In short, there is absolutely no obstacle for ethnic minorities in learning and using their own languages in their work and lives. And there is absolutely no such thing as the "cultural genocide" smear used by some Western media.

Thank you.

People's Daily:

The central conference on ethnic affairs emphasized that we must adhere to a correct historical view of the Chinese nation. As a unified multi-ethnic country, China has a history of integration of various ethnic groups. How should we understand the correct historical view of the Chinese nation and how do we establish such a view? Thank you.

Zhao Yong:

Let me give the floor to Mr. Hua Yanlong, director general of the Bureau of Ethnic Work of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee.

Hua Yanlong:

Thank you. The central conference on ethnic affairs held in 2021 emphasized that we must adhere to a correct historical view of the Chinese nation and enhance the Chinese people's sense of identity and pride. China is a unified multi-ethnic country with the pluralistic unity of the Chinese nation as a distinctive feature. Chinese history is filled with the integration of various ethnic groups into a diverse and unified Chinese nation, and has been jointly created, developed and consolidated by all its ethnic groups. At the national conference commending model units and individuals for contributing to ethnic unity and progress held in 2019, General Secretary Xi Jinping put forward the important concept of "four commons,"which profoundly elaborated the connotation of the correct historical view of the Chinese nation, that is: China's vast territory is jointly developed by all its ethnic groups; China's long history is jointly written by all ethnic groups; the splendid Chinese culture is jointly created by all ethnic groups, and the great national spirit is jointly nurtured by all ethnic groups. To establish a correct historical view of the Chinese nation involves educating and guiding all ethnic groups to thoroughly understand the origins and historical context of the Chinese civilization, the diversity and unity of the Chinese nation and civilization, the splendid achievements of Chinese civilization, and its major contributions to human civilization. In terms of establishing a correct historical view of the Chinese nation, several key initiatives are underway:

The first is strengthening the compilation of historical materials. This involves further exploring and utilizing historical facts, archaeological objects and cultural relics related to exchanges between various ethnic groups in order to improve the historical narrative of the Chinese nation.

The second is strengthening academic research. We have strengthened the joint research of archaeology and history, humanities and natural sciences respectively in a multi-disciplinary and multi-perspective way to answer major questions related to such areas as the origins, formation and development of the Chinese civilization and laid the theoretical foundation for establishing a correct historical view of the Chinese nation.

The third is strengthening publicity and education.We have incorporated the latest achievements that reflect a correct historical view of the Chinese nation into teaching materials, classrooms and people's lives, and planted the seeds of patriotism in the depths of every child's heart. Various forms of publicity and educational activities have been carried out based on our natural and cultural landscapes, national festivals, and education bases for patriotism and ethnic unity and progress, so that a correct historical view of the Chinese nation can be deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.

Thank you.

Xinhua News Agency:

You just mentioned that "forging a strong sense of community among the Chinese people" is the key work of the Party in the new era, and all the work must focus on it. In the past decade, what work have you done regarding this aspect, and what's your plan for the future? Thank you.

Zhao Yong:

Thanks for your concern on this issue. The fundamental requirement for forging a strong sense of community among the Chinese people is that people of all ethnic groups should foster the following concept: we share a common future, a common stake, and the same destiny, and the rough times and the smooth with each other. Forging a strong sense of community among the Chinese people is necessary for realizing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, safeguarding the fundamental interests of all ethnic groups, consolidating and developing socialist ethnic relations, and starting a new chapter of the Party's work on ethnic groups in the new era.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, we have carried out concrete work to forge a strong sense of community among the Chinese people and achieved positive results. Our work mainly focused on the following aspects:

First, a strong sense of community among the Chinese people is guided by ideological work. We have consistently armed officials and led the people with Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, guided the people of all ethnic groups to take it as their duty to forge a strong sense of community among the Chinese people, and earnestly fulfilled the obligation of safeguarding ethnic unity enshrined in the Constitution to contribute to building the community among the Chinese people.

Second, a strong community among the Chinese people is integrated into education. We have combined the sense of community among the Chinese people with national education, officials education, and social education. In terms of national education, we have introduced the concept of a sense of community among the Chinese people into textbooks, classrooms, and evaluation systems. Many schools are now doing such work. In officials education, we have introduced the sense of community among the Chinese people into learning content of central Party leadership groups at all levels and in training courses of the Party schools and administrative institutes. Regarding social education, we are communicating and guiding 1.4 billion people to let them know the following lessons. The "one community" refers to the community among the Chinese people; the "two visions" are to create a better future for the Chinese nation and share the great glory of national rejuvenation; the "three awareness" means national awareness, civic awareness, and awareness of the rule of law; the "four sharing" means to share a common future, a common stake, and the same destiny, and share the rough times and the smooth: the "five identifications" mean the identifications of the motherland, the Chinese nation, Chinese culture, the Communist Party of China, and socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Third, a strong sense of community among the Chinese people is nourished by culture. To enhance the identification of Chinese culture, which is the most fundamental identification among people of all ethnic groups, we have created and established a series of Chinese cultural symbols shared by all ethnic groups, published a suite of popular literary and art works of Chinese cultural connotations, carried out a bunch of colorful cultural activities of Chinese cultural connotation, and popularized and promoted Mandarin.

Fourth, a strong sense of community among the Chinese people is embodied in development. Just now, I mentioned that we had adopted a series of differentiated support policies, made good use of minority development funds, launched many industrial projects for high-quality development, and further promoted the action plan to boost development in the border regions to benefit the people living there. By doing so, people of all ethnic groups shared achievements of reform and development and realized that only when the country was strong and the Chinese nation was well could we live a good life.

Fifth, a strong sense of community among the Chinese people is enhanced through communication. We have removed all obstacles to the exchanges and integration of all ethnic groups and promoted the orderly movement of all ethnic groups between urban and rural areas and different regions. In the past decade, the depth and breadth of exchanges, communication, and integration among all ethnic groups have never been greater. Through interwoven development, people of all ethnic groups have strengthened their sense of community; we depend closely on each other.

Sixth, the rule of law guarantees a strong sense of community among the Chinese people. We have written the "Chinese nation" into the Constitution, written "forging a strong sense of community among the Chinese people" into the new revision of the laws of the local people's congress and government at all levels, and promoted seven provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities to formulate rules for national unity and progress. We also improved preferential policies for ethnic minority students to get additional scores in the university entrance examination. Through these efforts, forging a strong sense of community among the Chinese people has been gradually brought into the track of the rule of law.

Seventh, a strong sense of community among the Chinese people is fulfilled during opening up. We have used various forms to tell the story of China and the Chinese nation to the world, participated in international dialogue and exchanges on human rights and promoted building a community with a shared future for mankind through building the community among the Chinese people. During my trip to Taijiang county, Guizhou province, not long ago, I met Pan Yuzhen, a 76-year-old inheritor of Miao embroidery. She has visited more than a dozen foreign countries, and traveled to the U.S. 10 times. Once, she performed Miao embroidery and sang Miao songs at the square in front of the White House, attracting tens of thousands of local people to watch. Thanks to her performance, the beauty of Miao embroidery and the beauty of Chinese culture is presented to the world, as well as the unique charm of an increasingly open China and an increasingly prosperous community among the Chinese people.

Of course, forging a strong sense of community among the Chinese people is a long and historical process, which asks us all to make strenuous efforts together. Next, we will focus on the major strategic task of forging a strong sense of community among the Chinese people, continue to take problem-oriented approaches, keep to the right path and make innovations, and pursue progress while ensuring stability. Through these efforts, we will establish a sense of cultural belonging for the Chinese nation, propel people of all ethnic groups to socialist modernization, promote exchanges, communication, and integration among all ethnic groups, and improve the management system and capability of addressing ethnic affairs to a modernized level. We will take tangible, sensible, and practical measures to forge a strong sense of community among the Chinese people. More concrete means will be introduced, and more projects will be launched to generate a strong sense of community among the Chinese. The sense of participation and fulfillment will be enhanced among people of all ethnic groups. The results of our practical work will be reflected in strengthening a strong sense of community among the Chinese people and improving the cohesion of the Chinese nation. Thank you.

Beijing Radio & Television Station:

In recent years, preferential policies for ethnic minority students to get additional scores in university entrance examinations have been abolished in some regions. What adjustments have been made on this issue nationwide? What's the general idea for improving ethnic policies in our country? Thank you.

Zhao Yong:

Mr. Zhang will answer your question.

Zhang Mou:

Thanks for your questions. Since the resumption of university entrance examinations in 1977, China introduced preferential policies for some students to get additional exam scores. To provide better education, ethnic minority students living in less developed areas where education is relatively weak can get additional scores in China's university entrance examination. Recently, we adjusted and reformed the policy mainly for two reasons. On the one hand, equalization of basic education across the country has been significantly improved, which has constantly optimized educational resources enjoyed by ethnic minority students. On the other hand, it's no longer precise to implement preferential policies for all ethnic minority students within several provinces. Therefore, this round of reform is to accurately determine the areas, groups, and conditions of preferential policies to make the policy effectively benefit those students who need help. Reform programs have been carried out based on local differential conditions, including the following cases. First, some provinces with relatively balanced educational resources abolished the policy for ethnic minority students to get additional scores in university entrance examinations. Second, some provinces only add additional scores for those ethnic minorities examinees who transferred to local high schools from the border, mountainous, pastoral areas, and areas inhabited by ethnic minorities. Third, some provinces add additional scores only for ethnic minority students living in compact communities but no longer for those living in diaspora areas. Fourth, some provinces implement such policies for designated regions, where examinees of all ethnic groups can get additional scores, whether Han or ethnic minorities. In addition, additional scores have been reduced in those provinces still implementing such preferential policies.

Next, we will focus closely on forging a strong sense of community among the Chinese people, and improve ethnic work in the direction of enhancing commonality, so as to achieve the dialectical unity of commonality and difference, and organically combine ethnic and regional factors to adjust and improve the relevant ethnic policies step by step. Specifically, we have three principles which we follow in this regard:

First, insist ona fact-based approach, continuing to do what is correct and adjusting what is outdated. Facts have proved that our Party's ethnic theories and policies are good and effective, and must always be adhered to. At the same time, adjustments should be made to keep pace with the ever-changing society since the social conditions on which some specific policies and measures are based and the social problems needing to be solved have changed over time.

Second, adhere to fairness and justice to better tailor ethnic policies to different regions. It is necessary to formulate and implement differentiated regional supporting policies and to focus more on specific regions, special problems and special matters to minimize disparities in public services between different ethnic groups within the same region.

Third, adhere to the law-based governance of ethnic affairs. We will promote effective and qualified policies to be made into laws and regulations and firmly implement the principle of equality of all people before the law to uphold the legitimate rights and interests of people of all ethnic groups and to safeguard ethnic unity with the law.

Thank you.

China News Service:

At present, the populations of ethnic minorities from China's western region to its central and eastern regions are increasing, and contact between the people of various ethnic groups is becoming more and more frequent. What has China done to promote exchanges and interactions between its various ethnic groups in recent years? What achievements have been made? And what measures will be taken going forward? Thank you.

Zhao Yong:

Thanks for your question. I felt the same way. The breadth and depth of exchanges, interactions, and integration among different ethnic groups in the past decade are unprecedented. Of the 125 million ethnic minority population, the migrant population exceeds 37 million. The migrant population of ethnic minorities in Guangdong province alone has reached nearly 3.7 million, more than double the number a decade ago, and the trend is continuing. Someone vividly describes this phenomenon: the Sichuan spicy hot pot is enjoyed by people even in the border area, and the Xinjiang kebab is seen all around the country. We have taken a series of measures in communication and exchanges to meet this trend. First, we made policies to boost exchanges, interactions, and integration among ethnic groups, including the collaboration between eastern and western regions in offering paired assistance and facilitating ethnic minorities to go into the city. Second, we have improved service and management for the migrant populations of ethnic minorities. As ethnic minorities flow into the city, they may encounter problems like language barriers and a lack of skills. They may also fail to adapt to the urban life. We have included them into the urban public service system so that they can enjoy the same treatment as other urban dwellers, and provided various public services to meet their needs. Third, we firmly oppose and have corrected discriminatory practices for certain ethnic minorities in certain areas. After our concerted efforts, the discrimination against ethnic minorities has been effectively addressed to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of the ethnic minorities. This, of course, will be an ongoing effort. Fourth, we have explored new ways to promote exchanges, interactions, and integration among different ethnic groups. We have launched three programs. The first is an exchange program for youth of different ethnic groups, which encourages young people in border areas to attend winter and summer camps in inland cities, and encourages youth in inland cities to visit border areas to conduct exchanges, so as to enhance young people's sense of identity. The second is the development program among different ethnic groups, which promotes people in the border region to start a business or find jobs in the eastern and central parts of the country and vice versa. Many people have left the remote areas in the border regions to find employment and settle down in big cities. The third is the tourism program that facilitates mutual understanding and people's sense of community. The three programs are jointly implemented by the National Ethnic Affairs Commission, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security. Nearly 10,000 youth from ethnic minorities visited inland cities in the exchange program this summer. By the end of the year, over 30,000 youth from ethnic minorities will have completed this exchange program. This will be a long-term project. Through the project, we understand that only by promoting exchanges, interactions, and integration among different ethnic groups can we forge a strong sense of community among the Chinese people. And only by forging a strong sense of community can we further promote exchanges, interactions, and integration among different ethnic groups.

For the next step, we will continue with the three programs, attach more importance to the integration of different ethnic groups and elevate our work in promoting exchanges, interaction, and integration to a new level. We will do the following work to promote integration. First, spatial integration. We will further promote the two-way flow of people of all ethnic groups between urban and rural areas and regions on a larger scale, and encourage people of all ethnic groups to attend the same classes, work on the same production lines, eat in the same cafeterias, and live in the same buildings. Second, economic integration. We will promote the integrated development of the eastern, central, and western regions, and promote the benign interaction between urban and rural areas. In the process of interactive development, we will ensure that the people of all ethnic groups can work in the same industrial parks, in the same enterprises, and share the fruits of development in the same industrial chains so as to form a community of shared interests. Third, cultural integration. We will pass on and protect the cultural heritage of different ethnic groups and make innovations to let them thrive. Each ethnic group should treasure its own distinct heritages, appreciate other cultures and promote shared prosperity. Through cultural integration, people of different ethnic groups can form a community of shared culture in which they can sing the same song and perform the same play. Fourth, social integration. We will further build an environment in which people of ethnic groups are like sisters and brothers and create an integrated demographic structure so that they can start a business in every part of the country and feel at home wherever they go. Fifth, emotional integration. We will encourage people to travel all around the country, exchange with people of different ethnic groups so that they can become friendly neighbors, friends, and even build families together.

Thank you.

Tianmu News:

Relations between different ethnic groups in a multi-ethnic country are critical to the well-being of everyone. We understand that the National Ethnic Affairs Commission is actively promoting the campaign to promote ethnic unity and progress. Since 2012, the commission has named a total of 1,524 demonstration areas and organizations that can set an example in promoting ethnic unity and progress. Could you elaborate on the progress in this campaign and your future plans?

Zhao Yong:

Thanks for your question. As you just mentioned, there are many good examples in promoting ethnic unity and progress. Our efforts to promote ethnic unity and progress started just after the founding of the People's Republic of China and thrived after the reform and opening up. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, it has embraced innovative development and made major breakthroughs. I think our progress in this front can be summarized in the following aspects.

First, the campaign has become part of the efforts for people of all ethnic groups to fulfill their duties in safeguarding ethnic unity. The Constitution stipulates that everyone has the responsibility to safeguard ethnic unity, and our efforts on this front have built a good platform for them to fulfill their responsibilities. Our campaign has expanded to enterprises, villages, government organizations, communities, and even religious venues. No matter where we go, there are activities and organizations that promote ethnic unity and progress. Therefore, people can take part in such activities for ethnic unity and progress.

Second, the campaign has become a platform to forge a strong sense of community among the Chinese people. We have amended the index system for promoting ethnic unity and progress so that we can review the strategic tasks of forging a sense of community among the Chinese people based on several indicators. They work as a guideline to support our efforts to forge a strong sense of community among the Chinese people.

Third, the campaign has facilitated socioeconomic development. Different localities have incorporated the campaign into socioeconomic development and created the "campaign plus" model, such as the "campaign plus poverty alleviation," "campaign plus collaboration of eastern and western region," "campaign plus industrial development," and "campaign plus community governance." These models have promoted economic development, industrial upgrading, improvements to people's lives, and have helped solve many practical problems. It is fair to say that the campaign has contributed to both ethnic unity and development.

We will follow the principles of the Central Conference on Ethnic Affairs and intensify and upgrade our campaign efforts. By upgrading our campaign to a new level, we will attach more importance to forging a strong sense of community among the Chinese people and make it the guiding principle and the evaluation standard in our work. Moreover, we will explore new forms to promote ethnic unity and progress based on the characteristics of different industries and sectors and the conditions of different localities. Last but not least, our work will cover the eastern, central, and western parts of the country, as well as the urban and rural areas. We will also promote the campaign both online and offline, and attach equal importance to policy guidance and legal support. We will strive to attract more people to take part in our efforts for ethnic unity and progress, forge a strong sense of community among the Chinese people, strengthen a community of shared future for the Chinese nation, and contribute our due share to building a modern socialist country in all respects and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Thank you.

Xing Huina:

Today's press conference is hereby concluded. Thanks to all the speakers and journalists.

Translated and edited by Liu Jianing, Wang Wei, Yan Xiaoqing, Zhang Liying, Yan Bin, Lin Liyao, Zhang Rui, Zhou Jing, Ma Yujia, Guo Yiming, Yuan Fang, Xu Kailin, Li Huiru, David Ball, Tom Arnsten, and Jay Birbeck. In case of any discrepancy between the English and Chinese texts, the Chinese version is deemed to prevail.

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Read in Chinese

Speakers:

Chen Xu, deputy director of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee

Zou Jiayi, deputy secretary general of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC)

Zhang Jing'an, vice chairman of the Committee on Proposals of the CPPCC National Committee

Sang Fuhua, head of the Bureau of Non-CPC Political Parties Work of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee

Chairperson:

Chen Wenjun, spokesperson of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee

Date:

Aug. 16, 2022

Chen Wenjun:

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to this press conference held by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee. Today, we are holding the 19th press conference under the theme of "China in the past decade." We have invited Ms. Chen Xu, deputy director of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee, and Ms. Zou Jiayi, deputy secretary general of the CPPCC National Committee. They will brief you on the progress and achievements in upholding and improving the system of CPC-led multi-party cooperation and political consultation in the new era. Also joining us today are Mr. Zhang Jing'an, vice chairman of the Committee on Proposals of the CPPCC National Committee, and Mr. Sang Fuhua, head of the Bureau of Non-CPC Political Parties Work of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee.

Now, let's give the floor to Ms. Chen for her introduction.

Chen Xu:

Ladies and gentlemen, friends, good morning. At the end of last month, from July 29-30, on the centenary of the CPC's clear identification of its united front policy, the CPC Central Committee convened the Central Conference on United Front Work. General Secretary Xi Jinping's important thoughts on advancing the Party's united front work in the new era is the most important theoretical outcome of the conference. General Secretary Xi called for "12 musts" in his speech, which include that we must uphold, develop and improve China's new model of political party system. That is, the system of multi-party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the CPC.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, the new model of political party system has made new progress in line with the new era, demonstrated its unique strengths in the country's political and social spheres, and provided China's wisdom and solutions to the development of global political civilization. I would like to share with you the following aspects:

First, over the past decade, the top-level design regarding the new model of political party system has become clearer. The CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has implemented the strategy of national rejuvenation within the context of global changes of a scale unseen in a century, included upholding and improving the system of multi-party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the CPC into the Party's basic policy. It stated clearly that the system is a new model of political party system; that other political parties are participating parties in state governance under Chinese socialism, with basic functions of participation in and deliberation on state affairs, democratic oversight and CPC-led political consultation; and that multi-party cooperation shall take new momentum, build more consensus and undertake new initiatives to fulfill its duties. Other political parties should act as the advisors, assistants and partners of the CPC. These new theories, ideas and propositions have systematically answered major questions including "what kind of multi-party cooperation system and participating parties should we develop in the new era" and "how should these goals be achieved?" The new model of political party system is clearly oriented, and has become a good system which is making steady progress.

Second, over the past decade, the framework of the new model of political party system has been better developed. To advance the work of political consultation, enhance socialist consultative democracy and improve other political parties' participation in state governance, the CPC Central Committee has formulated specific intraparty regulations and multiple important documents, supported and assisted other political parties in enhancing themselves, and issued a series of important documents concerning the development of the organizations, building of the leadership and internal supervision. Now, we have put in place an institutional framework based on the Constitution, focusing on intraparty regulations and documents, and supplemented by supportive policies. The new model of political party system is working smoothly and has become a well-equipped good system.

Third, over the past decade, the political consensus under the new model of political party system has been consolidated. We have supported other political parties in studying Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, launched initiatives on the theme of "Renewing Cooperation and Forging Ahead Together," and conducted education and learning activities on the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, the centenary of the CPC, and the 70th anniversary of the "May 1st slogans" to uphold the good tradition of multi-party cooperation. In the new era and on the new journey, the CPC has united and led other political parties and prominent figures without party affiliation to overcome various risks and challenges, fight shoulder to shoulder, and build the broadest possible consensus. The new model of political party system has brought harmony and stability and become a good system conducive to building consensus.

Fourth, the new model of political party system has become more effective. Other political parties and prominent figures without party affiliation have kept in mind the country's most fundamental interests, actively fulfilled their duties, shared valuable advice on promoting prosperity for all, pursued the carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals and other important issues, and conducted democratic oversight of poverty reduction efforts and the protection of the Yangtze River ecosystem. They have demonstrated their unique strengths and contributed their wisdom. Many of their opinions and suggestions have been translated into the Party's and the country's decisions and plans. Amid the great transformation of the past decade in the new era, the CPC has exercised strong leadership, while other political parties and prominent figures without party affiliation have stood firmly by and acted together with the CPC. The new model of political party system has pooled wisdom and strength and become a good system with unique charm.

To sum up, history and practice have fully shown that the new model of political party system is a brand-new model of party politics in line with China's realities and featuring unique characteristics. We are fully convinced that under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, the new model of political party system, as a good system with China's distinct vision, style and values, will further demonstrate extraordinary strengths and make more solid progress. Thank you.

Chen Wenjun:

Thank you, Ms. Chen. Let's give the floor to Ms. Zou for her introduction.

Zou Jiayi:

Thank you, Mr. Chen. Friends from the media, good morning. It's a great pleasure to brief you on the new practice and progress of the CPPCC since the 18th CPC National Congress.

Since the congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has attached great importance to the development of the CPPCC's cause, and promoted innovation in theories, practice and institutions. In 2019, the Central Conference on the CPPCC's Work was convened, outlining a clearer direction for the development of the CPPCC's cause in the new era, and enabling the CPPCC to make new historic achievements.

First, we have implemented General Secretary Xi Jinping's important thoughts on strengthening and improving the CPPCC's work and promoted innovation in theories. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping, with the general picture of the Party's and the country's development, expounded on the roles, functions and responsibilities of the CPPCC as well as the requirements of its practice and the focus of its work, which is a development of the Party's theory on the CPPCC. For the first time, General Secretary Xi Jinping made it clear that the CPPCC is an institution specializing in socialist consultative democracy, a key component of China's state governance system, and an institutional arrangement with Chinese features, and that strengthening theoretical and political guidance and building broad consensus is a central part of the CPPCC's work. The CPPCC has thoroughly studied and implemented General Secretary Xi Jinping's important thoughts, made great efforts to make ourselves an important front for upholding and strengthening the Party's leadership in all areas of work, a key platform for uniting, educating and guiding representatives from different sectors with the Party's new theories, and a vital channel for resolving differences and building consensus based on shared ideology and political foundations.

Second, we have effectively supported national governance and promoted innovation in the practices of the CPPCC as a specialized consultative body. The specialized consultative body is a new role of the CPPCC in the new era, and the 13th CPPCC National Committee has taken building in this regard as an overall, basic, and strategic project. Over the past decade, we have convened 18 special meetings of the Standing Committee, 20 special consultative meetings, 140 biweekly consultative symposiums, 16 online remote consultative meetings, and 51 expert consultative meetings centering on the country's most fundamental interests and the people's concerns, constantly innovating and improving consultation methods and platforms. The biweekly consultative symposium, launched by the 12th CPPCC National Committee, has greatly increased the frequency of consultation and enables timely and adequate consultation on some important issues. The remote consultative meeting and the expert consultative meeting, launched by the 13th CPPCC National Committee according to new situation and tasks, have further expanded the depth and breadth of consultation. The remote consultative meeting has extended consultation to companies, campuses, communities, villages, and so on by means of online video. I still remember once when we carried out consultation on the eco-environment protection of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, we got to see the plateau directly and its eco-environment clearly via video. The expert consultative meeting has enabled small-scale prospective studies on some major and complex issues, at which some CPPCC members and experts are invited for in-depth discussions on a single issue, perhaps not once but several times, and provide insights for the Party and the government's decision-making through in-depth consultation. These forms of consultation have become important brands of the CPPCC National Committee in consultation and deliberation. At the same time, the CPPCC has leveraged its distinctive advantage of consultative oversight and exercised democratic oversight over the implementation of the CPC Central Committee's major decisions and plans.

Third, we have improved working systems and mechanisms and promoted institutional innovation of the CPPCC. In 2018, the First Session of the 13th CPPCC National Committee voted to adopt an amendment to the CPPCC's charter, establishing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as the guiding ideology of the CPPCC and the common ideological and political foundation for strengthening unity and motivating hard work. Over the past decade, the CPPCC National Committee has further implemented the regulations of the CPC on political consultation, the guidelines of the CPC Central Committee on strengthening and improving the work of the CPPCC in the new era, and the guidelines on pushing forward the CPPCC's consultative democracy and the guidelines on strengthening and improving the work of the CPPCC at municipal and county levels in the new era issued by the General Office of the CPC Central Committee; it has formulated over 100 working systems, such as consultation rules, and constructed an institutional system covering all aspects of the work of the CPPCC based on the CPPCC's charter and with the consultation systems as the backbone. Recently, we are conscientiously studying and implementing the regulations of the CPC on political consultation promulgated not long ago, further contributing to the system construction of the CPPCC.

Fourth, we have built consensus in an extensive and in-depth manner and strengthened the great unity of the Chinese people at home and abroad. The CPPCC National Committee has adhered to practices promoting democracy and unity, contributed advice to decision-making and efforts to consensus building, improved the working pattern for consensus building covering both within the Party and beyond and both CPPCC members and people in different sectors, promoting harmonious relations among political parties, ethnic groups, religions, social strata, and compatriots at home and abroad. We have focused on leading consensus on the basis of the common ideological and political foundation, carried out in-depth education in the history of the Party, and the history of China, including the PRC, reform and opening up, and the development of socialism, and carried out activities themed "carrying forward the great founding spirit of the Party for still greater glory" in light of actual conditions. We have focused on building consensus amid consultation, integrated consensus building into duty performance activities such as inspections, investigations, surveys, studies, and consultative meetings, and strengthened interactions and exchanges. We have paid attention to building consensus when educating ourselves, established systems of talks with members and a reading platform for all members, and organized themed inspections of members covering 34 sectors for three consecutive years. We have focused on communicating consensus among the public, and set up lecturer teams composed of CPPCC members and lecture platforms for them to publicize policies and answer relevant questions.

That's all I have for now. Thank you.

Chen Wenjun:

Thank you, Ms. Zou. The floor is now open for questions. Please identify the media outlet you represent before raising questions.

CCTV:

The CPC Central Committee issued the regulations of the CPC on political consultation in June this year. Can you brief us on the purpose and the main contents of the regulations? In addition, can you brief us on the impact of the regulations on multiparty cooperation? How will the CPPCC organize and carry out political consultation in accordance with the regulations?

Chen Wenjun:

These questions involve both the United Front Work Department and the CPPCC National Committee. Let's invite Ms. Chen from the United Front Work Department to answer first.

Chen Xu:

Thank you for your questions, and I will make some briefings first. First, we should talk about what political consultation is. Political consultation refers to consultation led by the CPC and conducted between the CPC and other political parties and representatives from all sectors of society on the major policies of the Party and the country, major issues concerning economic and social development, and other important affairs. Therefore, the regulations were promulgated to strengthen the Party's leadership of political consultation and make it more scientific, institutionalized, and standard, uphold and improve the system of multiparty cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the CPC, and consolidate and develop the patriotic united front. The document issued in June this year, on further implementing General Secretary Xi Jinping's important thinking on the Party's united front work in the new era and strengthening and improving the work of the CPPCC under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, made comprehensive regulations regarding political consultation. The regulations consist of 31 articles in eight chapters. The first chapter, general provisions, consists of five articles, mainly clarifying the purpose and basis of the regulations, the definition, role, and basic modes of political consultation, and the guiding and important principles of political consultation. The second chapter, organization, leadership, and responsibilities, consists of four articles, mainly clarifying the specific responsibilities of the CPC Central Committee, local Party committees at all levels, the united front work departments, and the leading Party groups of the CPPCC in political consultation. The third chapter, contents and objects of political consultation, consists of four articles, mainly clarifying some substantive content of political consultation. The fourth to seventh chapters, refer to activity preparation, implementation, outcome application, and feedback, respectively, and guarantee mechanisms of political consultation, consisting of 16 articles in total, mainly clarifying the procedural content of political consultation. The eighth chapter, supplementary provisions, consists of two articles on the final interpretation and the date of implementation of the regulations.

The regulations are the first intra-Party regulations specifically designed by the CPC Central Committee to regulate political consultation and are the guidelines for political consultation in the new era. As for the role and influence of the regulations on multiparty cooperation, the formulation and implementation of the regulations is conducive to strengthening the Party's leadership over political consultation, improving the quality and efficiency of political consultation, upholding and improving China's new type of political party system, and better leveraging the role of multiparty cooperation to consolidate and develop the patriotic united front in the new era. It is also conducive for non-CPC personnel to contributing advice to decision-making, building consensus, pooling wisdom, and making greater contributions to building a moderately prosperous society in all respects.

That's all I have for now. Thank you.

Zou Jiayi:

Let me answer the second part of your question on how we carry out political consultation via the CPPCC. The regulations of the CPC on political consultation work stipulate that consultation of political parties and political consultation of the CPPCC are two basic methods of political consultation. Political consultation of the CPPCC is conducted in the CPPCC by the CPC with other political parties and representatives from all walks of life. It is an integral part of the system of multiparty cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the CPC, with a glorious tradition and political advantages.

Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping has visited CPPCC members many times during annual NPC and CPPCC sessions and participated in the joint group meetings of the CPPCC to discuss state affairs with CPPCC members. Such familiar expositions as fostering a cordial and clean relationship between government and business and upholding and improving China's new political party system were made by Xi in discussing state affairs with CPPCC members. These examples are vivid expressions of the CPPCC's political consultative practice. The CPPCC has attached great importance to the study and implementation of the regulations, performed its duties as stipulated in the regulations, organized its political consultations in accordance with the procedures and methods required by the regulations, and upheld the Party's leadership throughout the whole process and all aspects of its political consultations. All of its efforts are made to better serve the Party's and the country's overall interests.

First, we have implemented the annual consultation plan. We have focused on national principles and policies, important local measures, critical issues of making progress in the economic, political, cultural, social, and eco-environmental fields, and important issues regarding the united front. As a result, we have proposed the agenda for the annual consultation based on soliciting opinions from relevant parties, drafted an annual consultation plan to be submitted to the CPC Standing Committee meeting of the CPPCC for confirmation, and implemented it after it was deliberated and adopted according to procedures.

Second, we have conducted surveys and research. We have innovated survey forms, improved research methods, and promoted research on special topics, joint research, video research, independent research, and commissioned research for in-depth research results to lay a solid foundation for high-quality political consultation.

Third, we have made effective use of multiple consultation forms. In terms of the characteristics of different consultation forms, such as CPPCC plenary sessions, standing committee meetings for political deliberations on special topics, forums on specific subjects, and consultative seminars, we have improved the organizing method for the meetings by matching the forms of meetings with consultation contents to increase the efficiency of political consultation.

Fourth, we have focused on building and enhancing consensus. We need to engage in genuine consultation and deepen interactions and exchanges. We must deepen understanding and build consensus by seeking common ground while shelving and narrowing differences. We work to build consensus among all sectors of the society on the propositions of the CPC and translate them into actions, and rally the strengths of all sectors around the CPC to expand the convergence of interests.

Fifth, we have fully used the achievements from consultation activities and sought feedback. We have reviewed these achievements without delay and promoted their application for the reference of sound decision-making and effective policy implementation. Thank you.

Tianmu News: 

The regulations of the CPC on united front work require governments, courts, and procuratorates at all levels to appoint non-CPC officials to hold leading positions. Could you give us more details about the current appointed non-CPC officials? Do they really have positions with authority? Thank you.

Chen Xu:

Thank you for your question; let me answer it. This is a good question. It is an important institutional arrangement of China's new political party system to appoint non-CPC officials to hold leading positions in government departments and judicial organs at all levels to enhance cooperation between the CPC, other political parties, and non-affiliates. Adhering to the principle of equality, democratic consultation, and sincere cooperation, the CPC supports non-CPC officials in governments and judicial organs at all levels to fulfill their duties and give full play to their roles. Currently, 19 other political party members and the non-affiliates hold leading positions in the Supreme People's Court, the Supreme People's Procuratorate, State Council ministries, commissions and offices, and bureaus directly under the State Council. For instance, Huang Runqiu, vice chairman of the Central Committee of the Jiusan Society and minister of Ecology and Environment, is a non-CPC official working as the head of a department of the State Council. Tao Kaiyuan, vice chairman of the Central Committee of the China Association for Promoting Democracy, is vice president of the Supreme People's Court. Gan Lin, vice chairman of the Central Committee of the China Zhi Gong Party, is deputy head of the State Administration for Market Regulation and commissioner of the State Anti-Monopoly Bureau. Gao Hongjun, a non-affiliate, is vice president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. All of them have fulfilled their duties in their positions and play a good role.

As of June 2021, a total of 29 non-CPC officials served as vice-governors (vice-chairpersons and vice-mayors) in 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities of China, and 380 were members of the leadership of prefectural and municipal governments. Moreover, there were 45 vice-presidents and deputy procurator-generals of provincial people's courts and procuratorates, and 345 vice-presidents and deputy procurator-generals of prefecture-level people's courts and procuratorates. They have the power of command over the administration of the work in their charge following relevant regulations, the power of decision on addressing problems, and the power of proposal on personnel appointment and removal. Non-CPC officials, we can say for sure, have positions, duties, and authority. This is my answer. Thank you.

BRTV:

In recent years, the CPPCC has taken many practical measures to enhance consensus-building, such as organizing reading and publicity activities and lectures by CPPCC members. Could you brief us on this work? Thank you.

Zou Jiayi:

Thank you for your question. It seems that you are familiar with the work of the CPPCC. Unity and democracy are the two major themes of the CPPCC. Unity needs consensus, and democracy enhances consensus. General Secretary Xi Jinping has stressed that ideological guidance and consensus-building are essential to unite people. The CPPCC has recently prioritized building broad consensus by strengthening ideological and political guidance. We have played an active role in innovation for establishing new mechanisms and platforms to make the CPPCC's work of building consensus more targeted, effective, and modern.

For example, we have launched reading activities for CPPCC members, which is a move of the CPPCC to implement the important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping. In the past two years since its launch, we have established a smart reading platform for CPPCC members and the CPPCC National Committee Academy by integrating organized reading with individual reading. We have also combined CPPCC members' reading with their performance of duties, online reading with online communication, and the application of consultation achievements with social spillover effects. The academy is a scholarly place, where we organize reading and discussion activities every week. Meanwhile, on our app, we have set up 129 reading groups on topics such as CPC history, Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, the unity of Chinese people, the Chinese Dream, the origin of Chinese civilization, and building a community with a shared future for mankind for reading exchange. CPPCC members have been highly motivated to participate in the reading activities, with a participation rate of 98%, leaving more than 580,000 comments. They have not only improved the quality of their proposals through reading but also stepped up efforts in building consensus through consultation and exchange. These activities enable the CPPCC members to improve themselves through studying and promote mutual learning and common progress among members of different sectors. We have also invited public participation in the reading activities for CPPCC members, intending to foster a scholarly society through developing a scholarly CPPCC.

Another example is that we comprehensively used various platforms to build consensus, such as through CPPCC members giving lectures and reports, or through "CPPCC Members Talk" short videos. At present, the CPPCC National Committee is carrying out a campaign titled "Forging Ahead in the New Era: 100 Members Talk," in a bid to welcome the 20th CPC National Congress through extensive and cohesive practical action. A large number of CPPCC members who have a great sense of mission, responsibility, achievement and influence actively participated in the campaign. Based on their personal experiences and the performance of their duties, they spoke about China's historic achievements and the historical changes that have taken place during the past 10 years under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with General Secretary Xi Jinping at its core, and also their stories of performing the duties as CPPCC members to serve the country and the people. These efforts have played a positive role in inspiring, bringing together and building confidence among the people.

Not long ago, at the first session of "Forging Ahead in the New Era: 100 Members Talk" held by the CPPCC National Committee, several CPPCC members shared some good stories. Yang Changfeng told the story of China's independent research and development of the Beidou Navigation Satellite System; Li Chenggui shared the efforts made by agricultural sci-tech workers to ensure food security; Liu Bingjiang touched on how China had become the fastest country in the world to tackle air pollution; Cheng Hong reviewed the success and splendor of hosting the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics; and Chen Zhilie demonstrated the confidence and decisiveness of private enterprises in promoting high-quality economic growth. These stories were very well received by the audience. The second and third sessions of the campaign are to be arranged. I would like to invite friends from the media here today to join the event, since the reports made by the members are really impressive. Thank you.

Southern Metropolis Daily:

The proposal-related work has attracted a lot of attention from the public. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, what new measures has the CPPCC National Committee taken to strengthen the work? Thank you.

Zhang Jing'an:

Thank you for your question. The proposal-related work is an overall, comprehensive and regular task of the CPPCC, and is one of the major ways for the CPPCC to perform its functions. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPPCC National Committee has conscientiously implemented the guiding principles of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions, and focused on improving the quality of proposals. Over the past decade, the CPPCC National Committee has received more than 58,000 proposals, of which more than 47,000 have been placed on file following review. These proposals, which pooled the wisdom and hard work of CPPCC members, have been carefully handled, and a large number have been adopted and transformed into policy measures to promote economic and social development. They provide important references for the scientific and democratic decision-making of the Party and the government. The proposals fully demonstrate the important role of the CPPCC as a specialized consultative body in promoting whole-process people's democracy, and reflect the sense of responsibility and performance of CPPCC members. There are four main measures we can take in this regard to do a better job in the new era:

First, attach greater importance to the quality of proposals. We formulated the Opinion on Improving the Quality of Proposals, emphasizing that quality is at the heart of proposals, and it is the quality not the quantity of proposals that matters most. Careful investigation and research should be carried out before making proposals. We encourage members to concentrate on putting forward one or two high-quality proposals every year. We have also created strict standards for the review of proposals, requiring that the opinions and suggestions put forward in the proposals are clear, specific, operable and feasible. We have established mechanisms to evaluate the quality of proposals and to select and commend excellent proposals, so that they can play an exemplary and leading role.

Second, deepen proposal-based consultation. Just as Ms. Zou mentioned, consultation is true consultation, and practically runs through the whole process concerning proposals. We have worked out concrete consultation methods all over the process, from making proposals, reviewing them, and transferring them to relevant departments for handling, to supervising the handling of key proposals, providing feedback, and other links. In addition, these departments responsible for the handling of proposals should take consultation as a necessary step, and promote problem-solving and enhance consensus through consultation.

Third, strengthen the supervision over the handling of key proposals. The Chairperson's Council meeting of the CPPCC National Committee identifies key proposals through research each year. Members of the council take the lead in supervising the handling of the proposals which are of overall, strategic and forward-looking importance, and those that will have a significant influence on the national economy and people's livelihood. Let me give an example. Wang Yang, chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, has supervised the handling of key proposals for four consecutive years, focusing on major themes such as agricultural food safety, consolidating poverty alleviation achievements, ecological protection of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and protection and inheritance of history and culture. Through field research, on-site consultation symposiums, and other means, he has helped to build consultation platforms for those who submitted proposals and the departments responsible for handling them, so that the issues can be well addressed.

Fourth, focus on improving the work mechanism in this regard. We deepened the understanding of the rules of proposal-making, formed a system with the regulations on proposal-related work as the mainstay, and introduced a number of other special supporting regulations. We have formulated a series of measures for regular meetings with non-CPC parties and with those departments responsible for the handling of proposals, so as to leverage the role of proposal-making in advancing the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity. Thank you.

Red Star News:

Democratic oversight is a basic function of non-CPC political parties. Have these political parties effectively carried out democratic supervision in recent years? How specifically have they done so? Thank you.

Sang Fuhua:

Thank you for your interest in multi-party cooperation. The CPC Central Committee attaches great importance to the issue of democratic supervision, and all sectors of society are also concerned about it. In response to your question, I would like to make a brief introduction.

As we know, there is a very important feature in the multi-party cooperation system — the mutual oversight between the CPC and non-CPC political parties, meaning the CPC can supervise the other political parties, and the other political parties can also supervise the CPC. The supervision over the CPC by other political parties is called democratic supervision. How is democratic supervision carried out? According to the Regulations on the United Front Work of the Communist Party of China, the other political parties and prominent figures without party affiliation exercise democratic oversight by expressing views, making criticisms and giving advice as they participate in political consultation, conduct field work, take part in inspection and oversight of the implementation of major policies, decisions and plans of the Party and the state, and carry out targeted scrutiny of major issues as entrusted by CPC committees, while adhering to the "four cardinal principles" (to keep to the path of socialism, to uphold the people's democratic dictatorship, to uphold the leadership of the CPC, and to uphold Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought).

As for the effectiveness of the democratic oversight by other political parties you just mentioned, I can responsibly say that it is both effective and practical. For example, in 2016, entrusted by the CPC Central Committee, the central committees of China's eight other political parties launched a five-year democratic oversight campaign on poverty alleviation in eight provincial-level regions in China's central and western areas where the poverty elimination work was most arduous, focusing on six key issues such as the accurate identification of the poor population, the targeted removal of impoverished households from the poverty list, and the use and management of poverty relief funds and projects. This work was also the first time that the other political parties have conducted targeted supervision over major strategic decisions of the Party and the state. Over the five years, the central committees of the other political parties submitted more than 2,400 critical opinions and suggestions to the CPC committees and governments at all levels of the eight provincial-level regions, and delivered more than 80 targeted supervision reports to the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, playing an important role in winning the battle against poverty. After the democratic oversight campaign of poverty elimination was completed, the oversight focus of China's other political parties shifted to the Yangtze River. The Yangtze River is the mother river of the Chinese nation, and its health has a huge effect on the development of our country and the future of our nation. In 2021, also entrusted by the CPC Central Committee, the eight other political parties and the non-affiliates initiated a five-year targeted democratic oversight campaign of the ecological and environmental protection of the Yangtze River, mainly focusing on eight respects including restoration and protection of water bodies and the prevention and control of pollution of ports. In 2021, the other political parties and the non-affiliates overcame the impact of COVID-19 to organize 45 on-site inspections in various forms, offered more than 250 opinions and suggestions to the CPC committees and governments of the involved provincial-level regions, and submitted six targeted reports to the CPC Central Committee.

We believe that with the launch of a new round of targeted democratic oversight, the democratic supervision by China's other political parties, as an important part of the socialist supervision system with Chinese characteristics, will surely demonstrate new advantages and make new achievements in the new era. Thank you.

Xinhua News Agency:

The CPC is stepping up efforts to develop whole-process people's democracy. How does the CPPCC practice this ideal? What are the strengths of China's new political party system? What role dose it play in developing whole-process people's democracy? Thank you. 

Zou Jiayi:

Thank you for your question. Democracy is a common value of humanity and a pursuit that has always been cherished by the CPC and the Chinese people. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, with a deeper understanding of China's path to democracy, the Party has developed the whole-process people's democracy as a key concept and striven to advance it. Whole-process people's democracy is a combination of electoral democracy and consultative democracy and is applied through a combination of democratic elections, consultations, decision-making, management, and oversight, ensuring that the people's voices are heard, and their wishes are represented in every aspect of China's political and social life. How does the CPPCC practice this ideal? To put it simply, it is mainly through consultation. The CPPCC is an important channel and specialized body for socialist consultative democracy. By conducting consultation in making and implementing decisions, the CPPCC has optimized the decision-making by drawing on collective wisdom, promoted the implementation of decisions by building consensus, and advanced the decisions to take effect by means of democratic oversight. All of them demonstrate the unique advantages of whole-process people's democracy. Let me take the formulation and implementation of the 14th Five-Year Plan as an example. As you know, it is of great significance to overall economic and social development. Before formulating the plan, the national committee of the CPPCC had collected the wisdom of representatives from all sectors through consultations and deliberations, proposals, information on social conditions and public opinions, and organizing thematic online group chats to contribute ideas and suggestions, with many suggestions adopted. After the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee, the national committee of the CPPCC organized study sessions for its standing committee on the Recommendations of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China for Formulating the 14th Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development and Long-Range Objectives through the Year 2035 to develop a deeper understanding, and continued to contribute suggestions through inspections and investigations, proposals, and information on social conditions and public opinions. At the same time, the national committee of the CPPCC also publicized the 14th Five-Year Plan through lectures, publicity groups, and reading activities by the CPPCC members to build and spread consensus. During the implementation of the Plan, the national committee of the CPPCC carried out specialized democratic oversight as planned. That is, 10 special committees focused on the priorities of the 14th Five-Year Plan in various sectors and chose one perspective each year to carry out follow-up oversight. The CPPCC performed its duties throughout the whole process of the formulation and implementation of the 14th Five-Year Plan, which is a vivid reflection of China's democracy as the people's democracy that covers all aspects of the democratic process and all sectors of society. It is an extensive and true democracy that works. Thank you.

Chen Xu:

I will answer the question about the strengths of China's new political party system, which is the system of multiparty cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the CPC we just talked about. 

Viewed from its formation and development, the system is a great political creation of the CPC, the Chinese people, other political parties, and prominent figures without party affiliation and has already become a basic element of China's political framework. It is a new political party system grown out of the soil of China and has many advantages. For example, this new model is an achievement in adapting theories of Marxism concerning political parties to China's realities and can truly, extensively, and constantly represent and ensure the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of the people as well as all ethnic groups and social sectors. It is effective in avoiding the drawbacks of the old political party system that stood for only a small number of people and interest groups. In another example, it unites all political parties and prominent figures without party affiliation towards a common goal, which at present is the national rejuvenation, effectively mitigating the risks of inadequate oversight in one-party rule, and the problems of continual rotation of governing parties and destructive competition in multiparty political systems. For another example, by formulating and following protocols, procedures and standards and norms, it pools ideas and suggestions to ensure science-based and democratic decision-making. It avoids the weakness of old-fashioned political party systems: when making decisions and exercising governance, political parties act in their own interests or the interests of the classes, regions, and groups they represent, provoking division in society.

It is safe to say that this new model has played an indispensable role in developing whole-process people's democracy. First, by adopting institutions regarding inter-party consultations, participation in deliberation and administration of state affairs, and democratic oversight, it has provided smooth and extended channels for the people to express their demands and pooled ideas and suggestions from the people, assisting the governing party to improve their work. Second, it stresses solving problems through consultations. By soliciting opinions from all sectors, it has pooled consensus, wisdom, and strength of the public and motivated all those involved across the country to mobilize resources to accomplish big and great things. Third, by replacing opposition and rivalry with cooperation and consultation, it has minimized internal friction in society and maintained political stability and social harmony. In summary, in the practice of developing whole-process people's democracy, China's new political party system focuses on both the leadership of the CPC and socialist democracy. It has important functions of political participation, interest expression, democratic oversight, social integration, and maintenance of unity and reflects the essence of socialist democracy in which the people are the masters of the country. Thus, its role is critical and irreplaceable. Thank you.

The Poster News APP:

Under our country's new political party system, the other political parties have stood together and maintained good relations with the CPC. What roles have the other political parties played in dealing with major challenges and difficulties in recent years? Thank you. 

Sang Fuhua:

I will take your question. It is really a good question. For a long time, with the support of the CPC, the other political parties have given full play to their unique strengths in the concentration of talent and wisdom and extensive social contacts, making suggestions on overall, strategic, and forward-looking issues concerning the country's politics, economy, culture, and social life, and have played a good role. Especially in recent years, the other political parties have joined hands with the CPC to tide over difficulties and made their important contributions to addressing major risks and challenges. Here are two examples. 

First, responding to the COVID-19 challenge. At the beginning of 2020, facing the sudden outbreak of the pandemic, the other political parties and prominent figures without party affiliation promptly and actively responded to the call of the CPC Central Committee. They together formed a powerful force to fight the pandemic in a very short period, demonstrating their sense of responsibility, and the eagerness to take on challenges at a critical moment. According to incomplete statistics, over 60,000 medical workers affiliated with the other political parties or without party affiliation worked at the forefront of the pandemic prevention and control. The central committees of the other political parties and prominent figures without party affiliation submitted nearly 4,000 suggestions concerning the pandemic prevention and control to the CPC Central Committee and the State Council. Meanwhile, members of the other parties and the non-affiliates also actively donated money and goods worth over 5.1 billion yuan in total. In the fight against the pandemic, some medical workers affiliated with the other political parties have sacrificed at the forefront of the pandemic prevention and control.

Second, supporting the fight against poverty and promoting rural vitalization. The other political parties have actively supported border areas in their efforts in human resources development and boosted public welfare undertakings, such as vocational training, education, donations for disaster relief, and helping the needy. Here is an example of how they assisted the Bijie pilot area in Guizhou province. Since the Bijie pilot area was established in 1988, the other political parties and public figures without party affiliation, including federations of industry and commerce, have supported the development of the area for the past three decades. They carried out six major campaigns involved in the areas of industry, education, medical services, human resources, consumption, and public welfare. Up to now, over 2.3 billion yuan of support funds has been coordinated, 3,115 aiding programs have been implemented, and more than 319,000 personnel of various types have been trained. With the joint efforts of various parties, 1.67 million registered poor households in the Bijie pilot area were lifted out of poverty as scheduled, as were all the seven counties and 1,981 villages classified as poor. The Bijie pilot area presented its wonderful answers to China's fight against poverty and has become a vivid example of the united front and the system of CPC-led multiparty cooperation promoting poverty alleviation and rural vitalization. Thank you. 

China Daily:

As mentioned in the press release, the CPPCC National Committee has done significant work to enhance the responsibility of its members and to help them better play their principal role. Could you give us more details? Thank you. 

Zhang Jing'an:

Thank you, I will answer your question. General Secretary Xi Jinping stressed that CPPCC National Committee members should fulfill their obligations to the country and to the people, keep in mind their cause, shoulder responsibilities, and conscientiously perform their duties. They should understand the CPPCC, be good at consultation and discussing state affairs, and observe discipline and ethical standards. CPPCC members are the subject of the CPPCC's work. They hold advantage, potential, and vitality of the CPPCC's work. The CPPCC National Committee has 2,160 members from 34 sectors, who are representatives of all political parties, people's organizations, ethnic groups, and social sectors. The CPPCC National Committee strengthened member teams and performance management, focusing on strengthening their awareness, responsibility, and capacity to perform their duties for the country and the people, guiding them to stay true to the founding mission through exemplary actions to show the responsibility of CPPCC members in the new era and represent their new look. 

First, we strengthened CPPCC members' political responsibility. Guidelines for strengthening CPPCC members' responsibility were rolled out and implemented, with an aim to educate CPPCC members and guide them in taking a clear stance in maintaining political integrity, educating them about the Party's new theories to acquire 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. Their highest priority is to firmly uphold Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and uphold the Central Committee's authority and its centralized, unified leadership. They should keep a consistent and clear position on major issues of principle and be committed to the development of socialism with Chinese characteristics. 

Second, we stepped up efforts to improve CPPCC members' ability to perform their duties. The study and training of CPPCC members have been strengthened and improved, which are carried out through multiple batches with special focuses and emphasis on effectiveness. We ensure that each CPPCC member can participate in at least one collective training program during their term to improve their political awareness and ability, their ability to investigate and research, and the ability to maintain ties with the people and work with others. 

Third, we have actively created conditions for CPPCC members to perform their duties. A multilevel mechanism for contacting and serving CPPCC members has been improved, and a system for CPPCC members attending meetings of the Standing Committee of the CPPCC National Committee in batches has been established. We have also invited local CPPCC members to participate in activities regarding inspection and research. In addition, we organized Hong Kong and Macao CPPCC members to visit the Chinese mainland every year, and regularly convey the spirit of meetings of the Standing Committee of CPPCC National Committee. We also actively established platforms and provided guarantees for CPPCC members to perform their duties, and explored more convenient channels to perform duties in the information age. For example, the application of the performance platform we developed is very convenient to use on mobile phones and computers. We have improved integrated services, establishing an internet channel connecting 31 provincial level people's political consultative conferences and linking all the CPPCC National Committee members, which has greatly improved the participation and convenience of CPPCC members in performing their duties. 

Fourth, we have established standards for CPPCC members to perform their duties. We formulated and implemented working rules of CPPCC members and established a performance appraisal system for evaluating their performance. We have also worked to improve the filing system and calculating method of CPPCC members' performance, the mechanism that requires members of the Standing Committee of the CPPCC National Committee to submit work report, and the mechanism on commenting on the performance of the Party members of the Standing Committee of CPPCC National Committee, in a bid to guide CPPCC members to be responsible and better perform their duties. Awards for outstanding performance of CPPCC members have been established to commend those who make outstanding contributions. Meanwhile, we have also strengthened management on CPPCC members' performance in accordance with the CPPCC's charter and other related rules. Thank you. 

Chen Wenjun:

The last two questions, please. 

China News Service:

We have noticed that, over the last decade, the CPPCC has made great efforts to strengthen the Party and as a result has greatly enhanced political awareness and leadership, improved performance of duties, and promoted unity. Could you please introduce the work in this regard? Thank you.

Zou Jiayi:

Thank you for your question. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPPCC has adhered to its essential nature as a political organization, regarded the Party's leadership as a fundamental political principle, and given top priority to strengthening the Party in all our work. We have enhanced our Party's political awareness as the overarching principle, promoted Party building in all aspects. We have acquired 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, and boosted our consciousness of the need to maintain political integrity, think in big-picture terms, follow the leadership core, and keep in alignment with the central Party leadership. We have remained confident in the path, the theory, the system, and the culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics. We have firmly upheld Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and upheld the Central Committee's authority and its centralized, unified leadership. We have given full play to the important role of the leading Party groups of the CPPCC in guiding the direction, managing the overall situation, and ensuring the implementation of all our work. Therefore, the role of primary Party organizations can now be seen as solid battle fortresses and play an exemplary and vanguard role for all CPC members in all CPPCC organizations. 

Firstly, we have resolutely followed the Party's leadership in all our work. We have formulated and implemented the system of the Party's overall leadership over the work of CPPCC, improved supervision mechanisms to ensure the implementation of major decisions and plans made by the CPC Central Committee and important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping, advanced the system of reporting major issues, such as the work report of the Standing Committee, annual consultation plans, and political resolutions, to the CPC Central Committee, in a bid to ensure that all major policies and decisions made by the CPC Central Committee are faithfully implemented in all of the CPPCC's work. We have also held Party-building symposiums and undertaken sharing meetings, summed up experiences, and conducted in-depth discussions. We have earnestly implemented the general requirement of the Party building in the new era and carried out the Guidelines on Strengthening Party Building in the CPPCC for the New Era. The leading Party group of the CPPCC has put forward eight key tasks, including participating in the dual organizational life system, establishing the Party-building leading group of CPPCC, and enhancing Party building at all levels of leading party groups among the CPPCC, government organs, and special committees, in a bid to ensure that all Party members of the CPPCC can be covered by Party organizations and all CPPCC members can be covered by the Party's work.

Secondly, we have concretely enhanced our political awareness. We have put the study and implementation of the Party's innovative theory as the top priority of ideological armament, established the system of study symposium on Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, improved the learning system led by the theoretical learning center of the Party leading group, adopted the forms of group study at chairman's meetings and Standing Committee meetings, and upheld theory-discussing meeting system at chairman's meetings so as to learn the spirit of the latest important speeches delivered by General Secretary Xi Jinping in a timely manner and promote the normalization and institutionalization of theoretical learning. We have also actively launched reading activities among CPPCC members to promote the integration between studying and performing duties. During major events such as the ones in celebration of the 70th anniversary of the founding of New China and the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC, we creatively adopted new forms of activities based on the characteristics of the CPPCC, and guided the members to strengthen their ideals and faiths throughout the experiential learning process in a bid to march forward hand in hand under the flag of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.

Thirdly, we have given full play to the exemplary and vanguard role of CPC members at the CPPCC. We have encouraged and supported our CPC members to make efforts in the Party's united front work and mass work, keep political principles in mind, perform duties diligently, take responsibilities, and set good examples through multiple measures such as building mechanisms, enhancing guidance, and strengthening management. For example, we have established multiple systems represented by an independent research system led by members of the Party group and CPPCC members, as well as the performance evaluation system of the CPC members of the Standing Committee, to guide our Party members to play a leading role in political guidance, promoting democracy, building consensus, working together, and performing duties in a clean and honest manner. Over recent years, a large number of our Party members have not only provided advice and wisdom in the fields of poverty alleviation, epidemic prevention and control, the "six stabilities" and "six guarantees," and scientific and technological self-reliance, but also bravely undertook heavy tasks and overcome difficulties, demonstrating the exemplary role and responsibility of CPC members of the CPPCC in the new era.

Thank you.

Changjiang Daily:

At present, the global economy's recovery remains sluggish, turbulence and conflicts in some regions continue to flare up, and there are myriad other intensifying global issues. In the face of these problems, some Western scholars have said that they should learn political wisdom from the East. My question is, what enlightenment can China's new political party system provide for the political advancement of mankind? Thank you.

Chen Xu:

I will answer this question. Thank you for your question. As we introduced before, China's new type of political party system has distinctive Chinese characteristics and Chinese cultural deposits, showing unique advantages and strong vitality in China's political and social life. At the same time, the reason why China's new type of political system has attracted the attention of the world is that it can provide a useful reference for the development of the world's political party system, enrich theoretical political party systems, and make great contributions to the political advancement of mankind. This has been demonstrated in the following aspects.

Firstly, it has created a new political party system model. China's political party system is neither a rival multiparty system, arbitrary one-party system, nor the so-called multiparty coalition system. It is a new system of multiparty cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the CPC. The organic integration of the leadership of CPC and multiparty cooperation has demonstrated the unity of purpose and direction, the expansion of political unity and orderly participation, developed unique advantages in a one-party leadership rather than autocracy, multiparty cooperation rather than confrontation, and mutual supervision rather than constraints, and guaranteed the right direction and vigorous vitality of multiparty cooperation.

Secondly, it has invented a whole new kind of political party relationship. In China's political party system, the CPC has formed a relationship featuring cooperation and harmony with other political parties. As the leading and ruling party, the CPC has actively created conditions for other political parties to participate in governance. As the participating parties, the other political parties have vigorously assisted the ruling party to better revitalize the country and benefit the people. The CPC and the other political parties supervise each other rather than constrain. The CPC and the other political parties are close and serious friends who offer each other unreserved advice and criticism. The harmonious political party relationship has helped to form a political situation in which the ruling party is single-mindedly pursuing development, and participating parties are working together to advance development.

Thirdly, it has generated a whole new kind of mode of governance. As the ruling party, the CPC has encouraged other political parties to participate in government affairs, conduct democratic supervision, and engage in political consultation under the leadership of the CPC so as to give full play to the characteristics of their respective sectors and the advantages of their talents, allow them to extensively participate in national political and social affairs, and help the CPC to govern the country in a better way. In the multiparty cooperation system, opinions and suggestions are pooled in accordance with institutionalized, standardized, and procedural arrangements to make decision-making scientific and democratic.

The practice has proven that as an institutional model unique to China and suited to China's national conditions, the new political party system has created a brand new model of party politics in the history of world political parties. It is the Chinese wisdom that China has provided to the development of the world political party system and a major contribution that China has made to the political advancement of mankind. We are fully confident that we will provide China's solution to humanity's exploration for a better social system. Thank you.

Chen Wenjun:

Thank you to all speakers and friends from the media. Today's press conference is now concluded.

Translated and edited by Duan Yaying, Huang Shan, Yan Bin, Wang Wei, Xu Kailin, Liu Sitong, Yang Xi, Li Huiru, Qin Qi, Liu Qiang, Wang Qian, Zhang Liying, Yuan Fang, Zhang Tingting, Zhang Jiaqi, David Ball, Tom Arnsten, and Jay Birbeck. In case of any discrepancy between the English and Chinese texts, the Chinese version is deemed to prevail.

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Read in Chinese

Speakers:

Sun Yeli, deputy director of the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC)

Sheng Ronghua, deputy director of the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission and vice minister of the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC)

Lu Yingchuan, vice minister of culture and tourism

Meng Dong, vice minister of the National Radio and Television Administration of China (NRTA)

Chairperson:

Chen Wenjun, spokesperson of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee

Date:

Aug. 18, 2022

Chen Wenjun:

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to this press conference held by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee. Today, we are holding the 21st press conference under the theme of "China in the past decade." We will be briefing you on the publicity and cultural work in the new era and answering your questions. Next, I would like to introduce the speakers taking part in today's press conference. They are: Mr. Sun Yeli, deputy director of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee; Mr. Sheng Ronghua, deputy director of the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission and vice minister of the CAC; Mr. Lu Yingchuan, vice minister of culture and tourism; and Mrs. Meng Dong, vice minister of the NRTA .

Sun Yeli:

Friends from the press, good morning. I am very pleased to have this opportunity to brief you on the publicity and cultural work in the new era. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, we have upheld socialism with Chinese characteristics, rallied public support, fostered a new generation with sound values and ethics, developed Chinese culture and built a positive image of China. We have also tackled problems at their roots, kept to the right path and made innovations. Adhering to a people-centered approach, we have pressed ahead with developing a strong socialist culture in China and improved the quality of cultural works. The Party and people of all ethnic groups have greater confidence in Chinese culture, social unity has been intensified, and the ideological field has changed fully and fundamentally. All these have provided an ideological guarantee, public support, motivation and cultural prerequisites for breaking new ground in the great cause of the Party and nation. I will introduce our work from the following four aspects:

First, the whole Party and the whole nation have stronger belief and convictions. We have upheld the guiding role of Marxism, educated the whole Party and the people in the latest achievements of adapting Marxism to China's realities, and guided them to further study Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. We have promoted the study of books related to the thought. We have edited and published four volumes of "Xi Jinping: The Governance of China," as well as an outline of the thought and Q&A book. We have improved the performance and efficiency of Party committees and Party leadership groups in theoretical study, and created a fine atmosphere in the Party and society for studying the thought. We have also created new ways and methods for publicizing theories. We have published articles such as "Socialism Has Not Failed China" and "China Has Not Failed Socialism," created special TV programs such as "Historic Journey" and "Making a New China," compiled reference books to interpret the theories, and made good use of the Xuexi Qiangguo platform, thus promoting the Party's innovative theories among the people. Additionally, we have strengthened the research and publicity of theories. Utilizing the project on researching and developing Marxism, we have built key Marxist colleges across China, established research institutes on Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and generated a series of important studies providing in-depth analysis. By doing so, officials and the people can understand why our Party is capable, why Marxism works and why socialism with Chinese characteristics can benefit the people. This has given them greater faith and confidence in realizing the Chinese national rejuvenation by upholding socialism with Chinese characteristics. 

Second, the sphere of public opinion has been made cleaner, more positive and more inspiring. We have coordinated domestic and overseas publicity, both online and offline, and publicized and explained the Party's guidelines, principles and policies. Officials and the people have greater consensus on and appreciation for the CPC Central Committee's major policies, have greater trust and confidence on the CPC Central Committee, and mainstream opinion has grown more robust and positive. We meticulously planned celebrations for the centenary of the CPC's founding, the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, the 40th anniversary of reform and opening-up, the successful building of a moderately prosperous society in all aspects, and the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. By doing so, we have bolstered the morale of the Chinese people to unite and work hard. The core socialist values have taken root in the people's minds, been protected by laws and regulations, and integrated into people's daily lives. We have launched themed publicity campaigns for the public, established New Era Civilization Practice Centers, and selected and publicized a number of role models to guide people to learn from them. Focusing on media integration, significant changes have taken place in the various methods of spreading content at different levels. Major state media outlets have transformed using innovative methods, 2,585 county-level integrated media centers have been put into use, and the penetration, guidance, influence and credibility of the media have been strengthened. We have improved our ability in international communication in a bid to tell China's stories well, to make China's voice heard, to deepen exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations, and to promote the common values of humanity. In this way, we can present an image of a reliable, loveable and respectable China, and boost the influence of Chinese culture. 

Third, the cultural undertakings and industries have flourished. We have deepened cultural reform to meet people's increasing demands for cultural products. We have strengthened planning, compiled and implemented the Outline of Building a Strong Socialist Culture in China (2021-2035) and the 13th and 14th five-year plans for cultural development, and deepened supply-side structural reform in the cultural sector to guide high-quality cultural development. We have also launched major cultural projects, and built the Museum of the Communist Party of China and the National Archives of Publications and Culture. We have set up national parks under the themes of the Great Wall, Grand Canal, Long March, Yellow River and Yangtze River, and developed cultural programs such as the "Library for National Rejuvenation," the third edition of "Encyclopedia of China" and the new edition of the "General History of China." Additionally, we have created excellent cultural works such as the film "The Battle at Lake Changjin," the TV series "The Age of Awakening" and "Minning Town," which were well-received and went viral. China produces the largest number of books, TV series and animations worldwide. The scale of its film market has broken records several times, with its number of films screened and box office returns both ranking first in the world. Meanwhile, we have focused on creative evolution and development, launched the project of inheriting fine traditional Chinese culture, and launched explorations into the origin of Chinese civilization. We have promoted the major "Chinese Archaeology" project, established the Chinese Academy of History, and made progress in utilizing and protecting cultural relics and ancient books, and inheriting intangible cultural heritage. 

Fourth, governance of the publicity and cultural sector has been advanced. We have upheld CPC leadership over publicity and ideological work, and the Party's leadership over publicity and culture has grown ever stronger. We have focused on innovating cultural institutions and mechanisms, and established a framework for cultural reform, so as to successfully reform publicity organizations. We have also rolled out Party regulations such as the CPC regulations on publicity and communication work, made and revised laws including the Law on Guaranteeing Public Cultural Services, the Film Industry Promotion Law and the Copyright Law. The legal system for socialist culture with Chinese characteristics has been improved. Additionally, we have improved our abilities and conduct. We have arranged campaigns to help those working on publicity to improve their ability to reach the grassroots, observe clearly, think profoundly and write powerfully. We have launched campaigns to encourage them to produce works drawing inspiration from everyday life and the experiences of the people. We have implemented plans to build talented teams in the fields of theory, literature, art, press and publication. Our purpose is to forge a workforce that is politically upright, highly competent, innovative and practical-minded. 

That is all for my introduction. Thank you.

Chen Wenjun:

Thank you, Mr. Sun Yeli. The floor is now open for questions. Please identify the media outlet you represent before raising questions.

CCTV:

After completing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects, people's living standards and intellectual and cultural lives have been greatly improved. What work has been done in promoting the construction of public cultural services and meeting the people's ever-growing intellectual and cultural needs? Thank you.

Sun Yeli:

Thanks for your question. This question involves the Publicity Department, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the National Radio and Television Administration, and the like. I will brief you on some information first, and my colleagues from other departments will deliver supplements.

Over the years, continuous efforts have been made to standardize and equalize public cultural services, including improving the coverage of public cultural service facilities in both urban and rural areas to provide the people with more diversified, more convenient, and more targeted cultural products and services. We have mainly done the following work:

First, we have launched cultural projects to benefit the public. The outlines of the 13th Five-Year Plan and 14th Five-Year Plan have made clear arrangements to construct public cultural services. We have focused on promoting a series of projects such as national cultural information resources sharing, radio and television services to every household in rural areas, building libraries for farmers, and projecting free films in rural areas. All these projects aim to make the public cultural services system more robust. By the end of 2021, there were 2,542 radio and television broadcasting agencies, 3,215 public libraries, 3,316 cultural centers, 6,183 museums, and more than 40,000 townships (sub-district) cultural stations, and about 570,000 village-level cultural service centers, and over 580,000 farmers' libraries across China. So far, all public libraries, cultural centers, art galleries, cultural stations, and most museums have been opened to the public for free.

Second, we have improved the provision of cultural products and services. We have built a national public cultural cloud, smart radio and television systems, libraries, museums, and digital farmers' libraries. In 2021, the number of licensed readers in public libraries nationwide reached 103 million, and the public cultural service institutes served more than 800 million people. Museums across the country held 36,000 exhibitions and 320,000 educational activities, receiving nearly 800 million visitors, with relevant website page views reaching 4.1 billion. We have also carried out extensive public cultural activities such as "Bringing Culture into Thousands of Families," Heart-to-Heart Art Troupe's performances, "Introducing Opera Art to Campuses," "Taking Operas to the Countryside," and so on. Programs such as "Chinese Poetry Conference" and "Nostalgia in Mind" have been well received by the public.

Third, we have innovated the operating mechanism for public services. We have guided and encouraged private actors to participate in the operation and service providing of public cultural service facilities and formed a new model of diverse social supply. We have also accelerated the construction of the central-branch system of cultural centers and libraries. As of June this year, a total of 2,674 counties, cities, and districts across China have built the central-branch system of cultural centers, and 2,642 counties, cities, and districts have established the central-branch library system. 

I will now give the floor to my colleagues from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the National Radio and Television Administration.

Lu Yingchuan:

Thanks for Mr. Sun Yeli's introduction to public cultural services. I will add a few more points. Over the past 10 years, our policy focus has mainly been on improving the quality of public cultural services based on the initial realization of the equalization of basic public cultural services. In the past, we were discussing "whether there are public cultural services or not," and now we are focusing on "whether the services are good or not." As for the specific policy measures, we have grasped the following aspects:

First, we have strengthened the construction of the legal system in public cultural services. For example, over the past 10 years, we have rolled out several new laws and regulations, such as The Law on Guaranteeing Public Cultural Services, the Law on Public Libraries, and the Regulations on Museums. At the same time, we have formulated and introduced relevant national standards for basic public cultural services and promoted local governments to develop implementation standards and corresponding guidance catalogs to further clarify the coverage of basic public cultural services, all of which have effectively ensured the popularization and promotion of public cultural services.

Second, we have advanced comprehensive and deepening reform to promote further the vitality and the expansion of the coverage of public cultural services through mechanism innovation. For example, as Mr. Sun Yeli mentioned just now, we have implemented the central-branch system of county-level cultural centers and libraries. At present, more than 92% of the counties in China have established a central-branch system of cultural centers and libraries. In the past, there were about 6,300 libraries and cultural centers in such areas. By 2021, the number had reached 95,000, which significantly improved the efficiency of public cultural services and expanded its coverage.

Third, we have actively and extensively carried out public cultural activities. We have always seen public cultural activities as our key task and continued strengthening and improving the construction of public cultural performing troupes. Currently, there are more than 450,000 public cultural performing troupes across China, growing by 50% compared to 2012. We will continue to organize and launch performances that are widely welcomed by the people, such as singing and square dancing of the general public, as well as the "village gala" in the countryside, to create an artistic stage exclusive to the general public. During the 2022 Spring Festival, about 118 million online and offline participants attended the Spring Festival Gala demonstration activities nationwide. It should be said that these cultural activities have become prevalent events among the Chinese people.

Fourth, we promoted digital public cultural projects to further improve cultural services. In the past 10 years, with the support of the central budget, we created and provided a total of 3,844 terabytes of digital resources including e-books and videos, which equals the total amount of digital resources from 10 provincial-level libraries. This greatly enhanced the convenience and accessibility of the services. 

That's all I have to add, thank you.

Meng Dong:

I have some additional information to provide. Over the past 10 years, public broadcasting and television services have also achieved historic accomplishments, which can be summarized in three aspects:

First, we realized accessibility of radio and TV programs in every village and every household. In these years, we pushed forward with the digital renovation of cable TV networks and radio-transmitting stations and the application of direct broadcasting satellites in remote rural households, focusing on filling the blanks. As of the end of 2021, radio and television programs nationwide had covered 99.48% and 99.66% of China's population, respectively. 

Second, we moved from providing content to providing quality content. We implemented a series of projects to benefit the people, ensuring their rights and interests in enjoying radio and television services. And we are now pushing programs that are aimed at offering convenient and quality radio and television services for all people to enjoy at any time and any place via different end devices and mobile devices. 

Third, we upgraded services from single to comprehensive ones. In 10 years, smart radio and television networks and platforms, and emergency broadcasting systems, have played a positive role in local Party committees and governments improving policy promotion and disaster prevention and reduction. During the pandemic, emergency broadcasting, which is all over rural areas, spread knowledge regarding epidemic prevention across farming fields in various dialects. Broadcasting and television networks helped students continue with their learning when schools suspended classes. Broadcasting and television and the online video sector supported the development of the agriculture industry, agricultural population, and rural areas by enabling live-streaming e-commerce, which makes product sales industrialized, and turns online traffic into sales. 

That's all I have to add, thank you.

People's Daily:

The socialist core values were raised at the 18th CPC National Congress as an important concept. And 10 years later, the values have been deeply rooted among the people, fully demonstrating the mainstream values of society. Can you tell us the measures taken to promote a deep understanding of these values? Thank you. 

Sun Yeli:

Thanks for this question. I just introduced some relevant information and will now add some more. Fostering and practicing core socialist values is the fundamental work for strengthening our cohesion and consolidating foundations. The values describe what kind of country and society we aim to build and what kind of citizens we aim to cultivate. Such values cannot be cultivated overnight, rather, it requires continued efforts. Over the past 10 years, we have focused on fostering new generations to shoulder the great task of national rejuvenation. We made solid efforts in a thorough and integrated way, with a focus on details, in a bid to further cultivate these values. 

First, we enhanced the top design. We established and improved the system of Party and state awards and honors. Important ceremonies were held to highlight China's spirit and China's values, including the ceremony marking the centenary of the CPC. These hugely inspired people's devotion to the Party, the country, and society. We issued and implemented policies regarding the promotion of citizens' morals, fostering patriotism, and strengthening and improving the political beliefs in the new era. We pushed the formulation and revision of laws on the national anthem, the national flag, the national emblem, and the protection of heroes and martyrs. These provided institutional guarantee and legal support for promoting the socialist core values. 

Second, we laid emphasis on the exemplary vanguard role. We let individuals and groups with outstanding performance to set the examples. We awarded the ‘Models of the Times' title to 136 groups and individuals. A total of 299 people received the title of national model of high morality, 300 were honored as beautiful and hardworking, 736 as the most beautiful, and 11,585 as ‘Good Samaritans of China.' We have created an atmosphere for people to respect virtues and good deeds and learn from virtuous persons. We also organized thematic educational activities for the public to participate in, which are titled "faithfully follow the Party" and "join the efforts of building a strong country and national rejuvenation." We hosted lectures on the core values and rolled out public service ads, short films, and micro-videos in a bid to bring change gradually. 

Third, we paid attention to practicing and cultivating the values. We promoted cultural and ideological progress through public activities. We selected and commended a total of 256 civilized national cities (districts), 4,625 civilized villages and towns, 7,444 civilized entities, 799 civilized families, and 1,135 civilized schools. These efforts have paid off. We enhanced the work in building centers for improving cultural life in the new era. We carried out public benefit activities to help the poor and those in need, raise funds for charity, and organized volunteer teachers, and offered aid to students. We pushed the systemization of volunteer services in the name of Lei Feng. We tackled prominent moral issues, promoted the improvement of the social climate, practiced austerity, and prevented waste of food by promoting campaigns such as "Clear Your Plate" and "be a decent diner". The level of civilization of society has remarkably improved thusly. Thank you.

Bloomberg:

In 2022, the Cyberspace Administration kicked off the Qinglang campaign that removed online content from short videos, live streams, blogs, newsletters, and content feeds created by algorithms. Could you give us more details about what the results of the campaign were? Moreover, going forward, will the Cyberspace Administration focus on similar operations? How will China's digital content space evolve in the future? Thank you. 

Sheng Ronghua:

Thank you for your questions. In recent years, the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission has fully implemented General Secretary Xi Jinping's important thought on building China's strength in cyberspace, as well as the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee. We have upheld the development philosophy of putting people first to continue and deepen the Qinglang campaign addressing prominent online issues of great concern to netizens and the public. We have taken comprehensive measures in the campaign and required website platforms to shoulder primary responsibility. These efforts have improved the online environment, enhanced primary responsibility, and refined details of institutional norms. 

We have improved the online environment. In recent years of the campaign, we have focused on cracking down on illegal information and content of porn, ugliness, weirdness, fakery, vulgarity, extravagance, and gambling through 16 major live-streaming and short video platforms. Since 2022, we have cleaned up more than 2.35 million illegal short videos and punished more than 220,000 illegal anchors and short video accounts, addressing such prominent problems as giving exceptional rewards, making norms and functions ineffective, and conducting malicious marketing. We have also strengthened the management of online users' accounts, regulated the information and content released by self-published media, and guided all website platforms to improve their algorithms. We have also stepped up efforts to address prominent problems, including information silos, algorithm discrimination, and big data discriminatory pricing against existing customers, to safeguard internet users' legitimate rights and interests, and promote the overall development of the online environment.

We have enhanced primary responsibility. Through these years of efforts, we have strengthened supervision by taking comprehensive measures to get website platforms to play an active role in shouldering their responsibility. Website platforms have further supported their primary responsibility, improved management rules, promoted information identification, optimized algorithm model parameters, and cracked down on some illegal and harmful information as well as illegal accounts. Particularly prominent are institutions like Multi-Channel Network (MCN), where the responsibility was unclear in the past, and its regulation is loose. Over these years of regulation, MCN institutions have paid more attention to their accounts' information and content security, increased efforts in content review, and subjected themselves to public supervision. In addition, public accounts and content anchors can release high-quality content and products, becoming a significant force in promoting positive energy. 

We have refined the details of institutional norms. During the governance process, we have worked with relevant departments to elaborate operational and practical rules by fields, links, and scenes. We have issued several regulations, including the Opinions on Further Regulating the Profit Activities of Online Live Streaming for Sound Development, to make the efforts permanent and targeted.

Next, we will focus our work on "three entities" and "three aspects of regulation." Three entities refer to website platforms, information and content producers, and MCN institutions I just mentioned. Website platforms must review the information and content first and manage key products and links well. Information and content producers and MCN institutions must adhere to the correct guidance and comply with the regulation requirements. Those with prominent problems and without effective rectification will be given strict punishment and exposed in groups for warning. We will regulate the settings of functions. We will make an overall regulation of settings of key functions like lists, rewards, and livestreamer "battles" to curb problems and chaos. We will regulate the application of technology, urge the platforms to implement the management regulations on recommendations based on algorithms, and improve the mechanism for human intervention and choice of users to ensure content security through technical standardization. We will regulate chain management. We will strengthen the whole process and whole chain management of information and content to find the root cause of chaos, especially to cut off the chain of interests, to promote the sound development of the industry. In the future, while strengthening regulation, we will pay more attention to developing several brands for the practice of cyber civilization so that the wave of positive energy felt throughout cyberspace continues to build, and the underlying values hold greater appeal than ever before. Thank you.

The Cover:

The 13th China Art Festival is just around the corner. Many works of art on stages or in exhibition halls have recently overwhelmed WeChat Moments. What are the new trends, changes, achievements, and developments in stage art and fine art in recent years? Thank you.

Lu Yingchuan:

Thank you for your question and your concern about the issue. As you have mentioned, the 13th China Art Festival will kick off at the same time in Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei with the theme of Embracing the 20th CPC National Congress for a New Journey. The festival will showcase several excellent works and development achievements from stage art and fine art over the years. The preparatory work for the festival is underway, and I hope you can stay tuned for it.

Over the past decade, under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics, China has seen its literary and artistic creations flourish, reflecting the ethos of the times. We can find the following features:

First, a series of major cultural and artistic performance events have been held to celebrate the themes of our times. Since the 18th CPC national congress, we have held a series of major cultural and art performances celebrating the anniversary of several major historical events. Last year, under the deployment and guidance of General Secretary Xi Jinping, an art performance entitled "The Great Journey" was created in celebration of the CPC's 100th anniversary. The epic show reviewed the glorious journey the Party has traveled over 100 years of struggle and vividly demonstrated the historical achievements and evolution made in China since the 18th CPC National Congress. The classic performance marked the culmination of the artistic creations for the CPC's centennial celebration. We also staged a gala entitled "Victory and Peace," commemorating the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, and a grand gala called "Our 40 Years" in celebration of the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening up. We also staged an art performance entitled "Stride Forward, the Nation" to celebrate the 70th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China (PRC). They reflect the new era's themes and are the best artistic shows of the time.

Second, a great number of artistic works have been created depicting the features of the new era. We have launched a national stage art creation program, a stage art creation program celebrating the CPC centenary, and an exhibition and performance series themed on the new era. These programs revolve around the themes of poverty alleviation, rural revitalization and high-quality development, ecological development, and ethnic unity. By depicting the development and breakthroughs of the time, we have seen many artistic works depicting the new development of our times and introducing China by telling Chinese people's stories. For example, the dance drama "The Eternal Wave," the theater play "Liu Qing," and the opera "Ma Xiangyang Goes to the Countryside" are all classical plays favored by the masses. Moreover, some art pieces like the Chinese painting "The Chinese Dream," the oil painting "The Ladder to the Sky," and the statue "Banner" are all popular among the people.

Third, the creative transformation and innovative development of excellent traditional Chinese culture have achieved fruitful results, demonstrating China's cultural confidence. Literary and artistic workers continue to make innovations while actively passing on traditional Chinese and revolutionary cultures. In the fields of music, dance, and opera, we have seen many new classic works. For example, the Pingju Opera "Mother" vividly depicts a heroic character, while the dance drama "A Panorama of Rivers and Mountains" demonstrates the essence of Chinese art and culture. These excellent works not only provide cultural products to the people but also vividly display the cultural and artistic image of a major country.

Fourth, new technologies are widely used to promote the high-quality development of the art sector. Guided by the new development philosophy, we have actively promoted both online and offline performances and broadcasts, broken the time and spatial barriers of stage performances, and adopted digitalized methods like live streaming that are popular among young people. Stage performances enabled by new technologies have enriched the way of expression and distribution, injecting new momentum into the high-quality development of the creative sector.

At the same time, many prominent problems in the art field have also been effectively addressed, which helped promote the formation of a healthy and clean literary and artistic ecosystem.

The above is just a brief introduction. I believe you have also noticed many of these new developments in the sector. In the future, we will continue to uphold the principles of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important statements related to the literary and artistic sectors, summarize and scale up the best practices and experience in the past decade to advance further the high-quality development of the literary and creative industries, and create more popular work to meet people's cultural needs. Thank you.

Tianmu News:

In the past 10 years, China has produced several patriotic and uplifting TV dramas and movies. TV dramas with realistic themes such as "Mining Town" and "A Lifelong Journey" have been top-rated among audiences. What role do these high-quality literary and artistic works play in leading people and pooling their strength to make breakthroughs? Are there any good works that we should expect soon? Thank you.

Meng Dong:

Thanks for your questions. In the past 10 years, we have made great strides to produce a growing number of high-quality audiovisual works on radio, TV, and the internet to enrich people's cultural activities. They have played a positive role in the following three aspects:

First, these literary and artistic works of patriotic and uplifting themes have met people's cultural needs. Centered on significant events of the Party and the country, we have produced many excellent audiovisual programs on the radio, TV, and the internet. Take TV dramas as an example, "Diplomatic Situation" was made to meet the 70th anniversary of the founding of the PRC, "Mining Town" was created centered on the theme of poverty alleviation, and "The Age of Awakening" and "Medal of the Republic" are produced in celebration of the CPC's centennial. "The Age of Awakening" answers many young people's questions about why the CPC succeeded in China. It is so popular that some wonder if there is a second season for the show. Many young people have replied over the internet that our happy lives are the show's follow-up. Inspired by the TV drama "Mining Town," many people would like to be part of the town.

Second, works of realism have generated uplifting power. Products with realistic themes have always been the mainstream of audio-visual creation in radio, television and the internet. For example, in the field of television dramas, the percentage taken up by realistic works increased from 56% in 2012 to 74% in 2021. High-quality television dramas, represented by "The Ordinary World" and "Romance of Our Parents," have always been popular and continue to be rebroadcast. Excellent television series such as "Feather Fly" and "A Lifelong Journey" have drawn on real life. Over the last decade, realistic works have recorded the development of the times, written great epics of the people, and provided strong spiritual strength for millions of viewers. 

Third, innovative expressions of the fine traditional culture have inspired cultural confidence among people nowadays. Radio, television, and online audio-visual literature and art have always creatively transformed and developed the fine traditional culture and brought it onto the screen. For example, "National Treasure" and "China in Ancient Books and Records" showed the profound Chinese culture. The TV program "The Traditional Chinese Festivals" has resurrected a series of classic scenes and images, such as "Shangyuan Lantern Festival" and "The Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River." The widespread popularity of these kinds of cultural television programs has generated cultural confidence of viewers, especially among teenagers.

As part of our efforts to welcome the upcoming 20th CPC National Congress, we have planned the creation of themed works. A set of television drama series represented by "The People by the Canal," cultural programs such as "The Future of China," and a series of online audio-visual projects such as "The Last Decade," have been released. A number of upcoming high-quality works such as the theory program "The Thoughts Shine Through the Land," television drama series including "Our Times," "Bright Future" and "The Big Examination," the cultural program "New Generation" and the documentary "The Ten-Year Dream Chasing Road" are also worth looking forward to.

Thank you.

Lianhe Zaobao:

Hollywood movies occupy a large market share in China. However, over the last couple of years, some Hollywood films have achieved great popularity overseas, but have not been able to enter China. Some people believe that the Chinese government has tightened its censorship on foreign films. What is your response to that? Will tensions between the U.S. and China affect the entry of Hollywood movies into China? Thank you.

Sun Yeli:

Thank you for your questions. Watching movies is a common hobby for many of us, and the topic of movies is indeed a good one for discussion. I will answer your questions. 

Over recent years, Chinese movies have made notable progress in terms of both quality and quantity as well as box office returns and public recognition. While meeting people's spiritual and cultural needs, movies have become a big market with huge potential and broad prospects. As far as I know, China has become the largest overseas market for American movies. Over the last decade, we have introduced many American movies, with the percentage taken up by those movies of the total number of imported movies reaching 41%, which is a really high number. These American movies have gained great box office returns in China as well. According to relevant statistics, 33 imported American movies have earned over 1 billion yuan in box office earnings in China, and five of them have earned over 2 billion yuan. Some American movies have even made bigger profits in China than in their home market. Therefore, it is understandable that people are concerned about this issue.

We have also noticed that the performance of American movies in the Chinese market has declined recently. I believe this could be due to many factors. For example, due to the impact of COVID-19, the production and distribution of films in various countries have been affected to varying degrees, slowing down the pace of exchanges of films around the world. This is a factor that cannot be ignored. Additionally, as China's socio-economic development has rapidly improved, Chinese audiences' cultural appreciation, quality of life and aesthetic standards have also risen. The public have put forward new and higher requirements for film works. As a socialist market economy, we have been open to all countries around the world. We introduce films from whichever countries produce films that are better and more suitable to the aesthetic tastes of Chinese audiences. Therefore, we also hope that American films will continue to improve their quality on the basis of respecting cultural customs and audience habits, so as to better meet the expectations of Chinese audiences for more diverse and higher-quality films. 

I would like to stress that we have always been consistent in our principles, positions and attitudes toward exchanges on Chinese and foreign films. We have always been committed to cultural diversity, openness and inclusiveness, and actively introduce high-quality films that reflect the achievements of the world's civilizations. This is our clear and unwavering promise. Thank you.

Kyodo News:

Section four of the Resolution of the CPC Central Committee on the Major Achievements and Historical Experience of the Party over the Past Century put forward promoting the integrated development of media, and working to strengthen the penetration and credibility of the media and its ability to guide and influence. The CPC Central Committee has made it clear that failure in the cyberspace domain will spell disaster for the Party's long-term governance. Could you please explain these words and point out specifically where the problems lie? Thank you.

Sun Yeli:

Thank you for your questions. These are really good questions demonstrating your great concern about innovations in CPC theory. Thank you for your interest. I will answer your questions.

"Failure in the cyberspace domain will spell disaster for the Party's long-term governance" is an important proposition put forward by General Secretary Xi Jinping, as well as a new understanding obtained in the practice of promoting the healthy development of the internet since the 18th CPC National Congress. From what I understand, the importance of this question lies in the following aspects:

First of all, serving the people wholeheartedly is the mission of the CPC and exercising power in the interests of the people is one of the Party's most important concepts. Our governance relies on the people. Disengagement from the people will make us lose the foundations of the Party's governance, which determines that our work should be done wherever the people are, and our response should be made wherever the people's voices are. At current, internet usage rate has reached 73%, with over 1 billion netizens. Under such circumstances, we will become disengaged from the people if we do not study the internet, have a good knowledge of the internet, and have good use of the internet. Due to that, we have made great efforts over the years and have achieved great progress in these aspects. We have solicited public opinions extensively online regarding the formulation of the 14th Five-Year Plan the year before last and the upcoming 20th CPC National Congress this year and have got very good results.

Second, the fundamental task of the Party's governance is to release and develop the productive forces and advance modernization so as to keep realizing the people's aspiration for a better life. As things stand, with the rapid development of the internet and information technology, new technologies, new forms of business, and new industries keep emerging. The application of information technology and the internet have become important driving forces for the development of productivity. If we miss such opportunities, we will fall behind in the latest round of technological revolution and industrial transformation. Instead, if we seize the opportunities brought about by digitalization, the internet, and artificial intelligence and advance high-quality development and industrialization by making full use of information technology, modernization will be accelerated. We have seen that the emergence and development of new forms of business and new industries such as mobile payments, digital yuan, logistics, express delivery services, and internet consumption are facilitated by the internet. In this sense, the internet is both a challenge and an opportunity for us.

Third, for a party to achieve long-term governance, it must keep improving the governance capacity and modernizing the country's system and capacity for governance. Today we can see that internet is ubiquitous in a way that it is widely applied in people's daily lives as well as protecting the security of the country's important infrastructures. It can be said that the modernization of the system and capacity for governance would not be achieved without the modernization of internet governance. At the same time, the modernization of internet governance would effectively promote the modernization of the system and capacity for governance. A secure, stable, and prosperous cyberspace is of increasingly greater significance to the peace and development of a country and the world. Cyberspace is a place that connects us all. It is imperative for us to strengthen governance of cyberspace in accordance with the law and improve the provision of content on the internet out of a strong sense of responsibility to society and to our people so as to create a clean environment in cyberspace for netizens, especially teenagers. 

These are some of my understandings of this question. Just for your reference. Thank you.

Phoenix Satellite Television:

My question is about the online environment for minors. We noticed that on July 18, the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission launched a campaign to clean up the online environment for minors during the summer holidays. And the campaign had been carried out for years. What are the salient problems online that endanger the growth of minors? What targeted measures have been taken to address these issues? And what has the effect been? Concerning the protection of minors online, what will be done next? Thank you.

Sheng Ronghua:

Thank you for your questions. The online protection of minors is a hot issue with increasingly greater attention from society and also a key and difficult issue regarding the regulation of cyberspace. At present, there are three salient problems in the online environment for minors. 

The first is the problem of unhealthy and harmful information online, such as erotic, vulgar, violent content, and extravagant displays of wealth and worship of money, which are harmful to the healthy growth of minors both mentally and physically. There are also problems such as cyberbullying and cyber hunting, which seriously violate the legitimate rights and interests of minors.

The second one is the problem of online addiction. We have worked out ways to resolve this problem, and online platforms have also made great efforts. Some progress has been made in addressing the problem of online addiction, but there are still some shortcomings. For instance, the functional design of some online platforms is not reasonable enough and the protection mechanism still needs to be improved. Therefore, the problem of online addiction has been curbed to some extent, but has not been comprehensively and completely solved. 

The third problem is inducing minors to commit crimes and committing crimes against minors. For example, some people use the internet to incite and lure minors to commit violence, fraud, and even suicide. Some people conduct illegal activities targeting minors, including sexual seduction and online molestation, which are all very serious in nature.

The Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission has attached great importance to the protection of minors online. To be specific, we have done the following work.

First, we have launched special campaigns to thoroughly clean up the online environment. In our campaign to purify the environment, every year we would carry out special actions to address the issues the people are strongly concerned about, one of which is the protection of the online environment for minors. This year, the campaign kicked off on July 18. The launch of the campaign intends to address the problems mentioned above when they crop up, strike them hard, and maintain high pressure, aiming at thoroughly cleaning up harmful information online concerning minors.

Second, we have prevented minors from online addiction by strengthening the application of teen modes. We have guided major online platforms to launch teen modes, with limitations on online hours and interactive functions for teens, effectively preventing online addiction.

Third, we have protected the legitimate rights and interests of minors through online reporting. We have organized key online commercial platforms to set up specific reporting channels for issues concerning minors, safeguarding the online rights and interests of minors.

Fourth, we have traced the origin of and combated crimes through cooperation with other departments. We have worked with public security organs to crack down on illegal and criminal activities, cut channels for the transmission as soon as possible, and traced and dealt with those users of the accounts who posted the information.

Next, we will strengthen two areas of work. One is to improve juvenile online protection, and the other is to enhance the efficiency of our protection work. I can summarize our future measures into two sentences in four aspects: "We have the law, and we have penalties. We can manage, and we can manage well."

"We have the law" means improving laws and regulations. We have been speeding up introducing the Regulations on the Protection of Minors Online, improving the supporting system of the Law on the Protection of Minors, and providing more robust legal safeguards for the online protection of minors.

"We have penalties" means ensuring offenders are punished. We will continue strengthening daily supervision and increasing online law enforcement and penalties. In particular, we need to pay close attention to websites and platforms frequently used by minors and their favorite product functions and platform sections. In special campaigns, those illegal website platforms and accounts should be exposed to the public and be punished strictly to form a strong deterrent. The penalties should be in accordance with the laws and regulations. The penalties should also have a purpose and be painful to make online law enforcement and supervision more effective.

"We can manage" means strengthening management, especially moving protection to the beginning of the whole cycle. Two aspects of work should be done well: One is to supervise the signs, and the other is to prevent risks from the source. To supervise the signs is to promptly discover the signs and tendencies of minor-related problems on the internet and manage and prevent threats and hidden dangers. To prevent risks from the source is to find out the chain of interests and profits in chaos on the internet and solve problems from the root. In fact, there has been a common and prominent problem in online disorder: the chain of interests and profits is very long. Cutting off the chain of interests and profits will enable us to address the symptoms and root problems and control the chaos on the internet.

"We can manage well" means improving protection measures, such as optimizing the effectiveness of the youth model and the recommendation algorithm. Through such efforts, harmful information can be prevented from being promoted to minors, so minors will be reassured online and parents can be more relieved. Thank you.

Red Star News:

The audience could not get into the stadiums during this year's Winter Olympics to watch the games. Still, they could enjoy a new immersive audiovisual experience through the screen. We have also noticed that China's radio and television 5G service was launched on June 27. Could you introduce more details about what new experience the development of radio and television technology has brought to us in the past decade? Moreover, what further changes can we expect in the future? Thank you.

Meng Dong:

Thank you for your questions and interest in the development of radio and television technology. As you mentioned, just like everyone else during this year's Winter Olympics, I enjoyed the stunning scenery made possible by new audiovisual technologies. 

We could use our 5G smartphones to switch angles and enjoy a 360-degree view of the games. Meanwhile, watching the Winter Olympics in 8K ultra-HD also became a reality. The micro-expressions of athletes, their rotating movies in slow motion and even the splashing snowflakes were visible on the screen, providing a different visual impact. During the Winter Olympics, the application of cloud computing helped us broadcast the Winter Olympics worldwide amid the pandemic. As a result, we enabled watching the Winter Olympics on cloud TV. Especially on the stage of the opening and closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympics, the super-large LED screen presented a 16K ultra-HD video for the first time, and the technology enabled thousands of actors to merge into the video and created a passionate virtual scene full of imagination.

Behind the brand-new audiovisual experiences were the practice of technological innovation and the application of integrated development in radio and television during the past decade. We can summarize the development of radio and television technology as high-definition presentation, multi-dimensional communication, and smart services.

Over the past decade, radio and television have broadcasted in high-definition. Currently, 1,045 HDTV channels and 10 UHD TV channels are operating nationwide. More high-quality audiovisual content has been presented to the audience. Moreover, there is plenty of virtual reality (VR), interactive and immersive high-tech content, and new advanced audiovisual forms. These developments have enriched people's daily lives and significantly improved people's sense of gain and happiness in audiovisual areas.

Over the past decade, the transmission of radio and TV programs has become multifaceted. We have made great efforts to promote the coordinated development of wired, wireless, satellite, internet, 5G, and other technical means, thus realizing all-media, integrated and multi-channeled communication. People can not only listen to the radio or watch TV programs at home but also enjoy various audio-visual radio and TV programs in cars, trains, ships, and other mobile environments.

Over the past decade, radio and TV services have become intelligent. We have explored how radio and TV are used innovatively for government services and for civil and commercial uses. While watching TV, people can obtain comprehensive information services in a convenient way, including e-commerce, online education, medical and health care, social security, government services, and grassroots governance. This year, China Broadnet officially launched its 5G services, and it will bring more distinctive application scenarios and services in the future. It's fair to say that smart radio and television are integrated into people's digital life in all aspects.

In the future, television will be more than just "TV." We are vigorously promoting the research and innovative development of "future TV," which will bring us richer audio-visual enjoyment, a more convenient interactive experience, and more ubiquitous intelligent services.

That's all from me. Thank you.

Chen Wenjun:

Due to time constraints, we are open to two more questions. 

China Daily: 

I want to ask a question about tourism. We have noticed that with the improvement of our living standards, tourism has become a necessity for many people. Despite being affected by the pandemic, many people still have great enthusiasm for travel in the past two years. So, can you share with us the overall development of China's tourism sector? What role has it played in promoting social-economic development? Thank you.

Lu Yingchuan:

First of all, thank you for your questions. In the past decade, along with the country's leapfrog development and the changes in people's living needs, the tourism industry has seen rapid development, with the scale continuously expanding and its quality improving. Tourism has become an important indicator of the improving living standards as well as a significant way of living in a well-off society. Its status as a pillar industry of strategic importance in our national economy has also been further consolidated. This can be seen in the following aspects:

First, its industrial scale continues to expand. Since 2012, revenue from domestic tourism has seen an average annual growth of about 10.6%. In 2019, the total revenue registered 6.63 trillion yuan, and the added value of tourism and relevant industries reached 4.5 trillion yuan, accounting for about 4.56% of the country's GDP. In the past two years or so, although tourism suffered significant fluctuations due to the severe impact of COVID-19, its position as a pillar industry in the national economic structure has not changed generally.

Second, from the perspective of product supply, tourism products have been further optimized and diversified in the past decade. For example, the number of national A-level tourist attractions jumped from 6,042 in 2012 to 14,332 in 2021, increasing 1.37 times. At the same time, we have also launched 671 national and provincial-level tourist resorts, 1,299 key villages and towns for rural travel, and 300 classic historical sites with a modern revolutionary legacy across the country, basically shaping a tourism product supply system with extensive coverage, rich business forms, and multiple choices. Moreover, in addition to traditional sightseeing tours, there are many emerging forms in the tourism sector. These include industrial tourism, health tourism featuring traditional Chinese medicine, sports tourism, leisure vacation tourism, ice and snow tourism, and camping tourism, offering people more diversified choices.

Third, we have shaped tourism through culture and highlighted culture through tourism. Cultural tourism has been continuously enriched and its cultural quality has continued to improve. We promote China's fine traditional culture, inherit revolutionary culture, develop advanced socialist culture, and promote the core socialist values. The number of historical and cultural scenic spots has nearly doubled from 2,064 in 2012 to 4,111 last year. Red tourism has been further developed, which has become a vivid classroom to carry forward revolutionary traditions. 

Fourth, we developed people-oriented tourism and made tourism a driving force. The rapid development of tourism has played an important role in promoting poverty alleviation and rural vitalization. To promote rural tourism, we have built quality products, improved service, and developed key areas, quality tourism routes, and cluster areas for rural tourism. As we all know, tourism has transformed many poor villages into beautiful and happy villages. The number of tourists has grown at an average annual rate of about 20% since 2012. 

Since the outbreak of the pandemic in 2020, the tourism industry has suffered a huge impact and encountered many difficulties. We resolutely implemented arrangements of the central government, coordinated development and safety, and rolled out a series of relief policies and assistance and support measures. Next, we will continue to implement these measures, develop people-oriented tourism, make tourism a driving force, and promote the recovery of the tourism industry and its high-quality development to make greater contributions to satisfying the people's needs for a better life and economic and social development. Thank you. 

Xinhua News Agency:

In 2016, General Secretary Xi Jinping highlighted at a forum on philosophy and social sciences the necessity of constructing a system for philosophy and social sciences with Chinese features, and advancing the development of the discipline system, academic system, and discourse system with Chinese characteristics. What have we done in constructing the three major systems, and what progress has been made in this regard? Thank you. 

Sun Yeli:

Thank you for your questions. The construction of the three systems is an important focus in promoting the development of philosophy and social sciences. I will answer your questions. 

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping and the CPC Central Committee have attached great importance to the development of philosophy and social sciences. The CPC Central Committee established a leading group for philosophy and social sciences development and issued the Guideline to Advance Constructing a System for Philosophy and Social Sciences with Chinese Features and the Plan for the Development of Philosophy and Social Sciences during the 14th Five-Year Plan Period. We have duly implemented decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and made major progress in building the three systems, with the cause of philosophy and social sciences enjoying positive, healthy, and prosperous development. 

In terms of building the discipline system, the construction of the first-level discipline of Marxist theories has been continuously strengthened, and the guiding role of Marxism in the field of philosophy and social sciences has been enhanced. Catalogs of disciplines and majors have been continuously optimized, forming a discipline system covering eight major disciplines and 28 first-level disciplines. After years of efforts, advantages of basic and key academic disciplines have become more distinct, breakthroughs have been made in innovative platforms such as liberal arts laboratories, fresh innovations have been made in the interdisciplinary field, and support for those rare and unpopular subjects has been strengthened. 

In terms of building the academic system, the interpretation, academic expression, and systematic construction of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era have continued to advance. Major platform programs, including innovative projects for philosophy and social sciences, cultural programs to keep Chinese culture thriving, and projects supported by the National Social Science Fund of China, have been further carried out. The innovative academic capability has been enhanced. The national social science fund increased from 1.2 billion yuan in 2012 to 2.8 billion yuan this year, contributing to a large number of valuable and influential research achievements. The new think tank system with Chinese characteristics has improved, with 29 national high-end think tanks and 16 candidates established, which play an important role of the think bank for decision-making of the Party and governments. 

In terms of building the discourse system, we have continued to promote the theorization of political discourse, popularization of academic discourse, and internationalization of Chinese discourse, and extracted many conceptions with Chinese characteristics and world influence. International academic exchange and cooperation have been strengthened. Chinese academic research expanded its overseas presence, with a batch of international discourse innovative research bases and overseas Chinese academic research centers established. A batch of leading talents good at telling China's stories were trained, and the international influence of Chinese theories and academic research has increased significantly.

That's all I have to say about your questions. Thank you. 

Chen Wenjun:

Thank you to the speakers and friends from the media. That's all for today's press conference. Goodbye! 

Translated and edited by Yan Bin, Huang Shan, Liu Sitong, Wang Yanfang, Xu Kailin, Zhou Jing, Yan Xiaoqing, Zhang Rui, Zhang Tingting, Wang Wei, Yang Xi, Li Huiru, Liu Qiang, Ma Yujia, Duan Yaying, Guo Yiming, Wang Qian, Liu Jianing, Qin Qi, David Ball, Tom Arnsten, and Jay Birbeck. In case of any discrepancy between the English and Chinese texts, the Chinese version is deemed to prevail.

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Read in Chinese

Speakers:

Tang Yijun, deputy director of the Office of the Rule of Law Commission of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and minister of justice

Xu Anbiao, a member of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) and deputy director of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee

Gao Jinghong, justice and vice president of the Supreme People's Court (SPC)

Chen Guoqing, grand prosecutor and deputy prosecutor general of the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP)

Xiong Xuanguo, a member of the Office of the Rule of Law Commission of the CPC and vice minister of justice

Gan Lin, vice minister of the State Administration of Market Regulation and commissioner of the State Anti-Monopoly Bureau

Chairperson:

Chen Wenjun, spokesperson of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee

Date:

July 28, 2022

Chen Wenjun:

Ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon. Welcome to this press conference held by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee. Today, we are holding the 18th press conference under the theme of "China in the past decade." We will brief you on China's achievements in promoting the rule of law in the new era and answer your questions.

Advancing the rule of law is an important part of the four-pronged strategy, which consists of legislation, law enforcement, administration of justice, public legal education and other work. Specifically, the Office of the Rule of Law Commission of the CPC is responsible for researching major issues concerning the rule of law, and coordinating and supervising the implementation of relevant major decisions and arrangements. The Legislative Affairs Commission of the Standing Committee of the NPC, the State Administration of Market Regulation, the SPC, the SPP, and the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) are responsible for legislation, law enforcement, administration of justice, and public legal education.

The authorities attending today's press conference are very representative, including the State Administration for Market Regulation, which is an extremely important law enforcement agency in this field and concerns the vital interests of the common people. Next, I would like to introduce the speakers who are attending today’s press conference. They are: Mr. Tang Yijun, deputy director of the Office of the Rule of Law Commission of the CPC Central Committee and minister of justice; Mr. Xu Anbiao, a member of the NPC Standing Committee and deputy director of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee; Mr. Gao Jinghong, justice and vice president of the SPC; Mr. Chen Guoqing, grand prosecutor and deputy prosecutor general of the SPP; Mr. Xiong Xuanguo, a member of the Office of the Rule of Law Commission of the CPC and vice minister of justice; and Ms. Gan Lin, vice minister of the State Administration of Market Regulation and commissioner of the State Anti-Monopoly Bureau.

Now, I would like to give the floor to Mr. Tang for his introduction.

Tang Yijun:

Ladies and gentlemen, friends from the press, good afternoon. Welcome to the press conference. I would like to extend my sincere thanks for your long-term attention, interest and support regarding the work concerning rule of law.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has integrated the rule of law into the four-pronged strategy and pushed ahead with it. The fourth plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Committee rolled out more than 180 major reform measures. For the first time, a plenary session of the CPC Central Committee was dedicated to researching comprehensive law-based governance. The 19th CPC National Congress drew up a grand blueprint for basically building a country, government and society based on the rule of law by 2035. The third plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Committee decided to set up the Office of the Rule of Law Commission of the CPC to strengthen the centralized and unified leadership of the Party on law-based governance in China. The central conference on work related to overall law-based governance held in November 2020 marked the first time research was conducted into and deployments were made related to law-based governance in the form of a Party central conference, recognizing the status of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law as the guiding thought for law-based governance in China. In the past decade since the 18th CPC National Congress, thoughts on law-based governance have taken shape, led the way and contributed to China's progress. 

The guiding position of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law has been fully established. 

In the practice of leading the whole Party and the whole country to advance rule of law, General Secretary Xi Jinping, with the profound insight and theoretical creativity as a Marxist statesman, thinker and strategist, combined the Marxist theory of the rule of law with China's reality and China's excellent traditional legal culture, and proposed a series of original and representative new concepts, new ideas and new strategies, which led to the formation of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law. A new leap has been made in adapting Marxist theory of the rule of law to the Chinese context and the needs of the times. Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law has pointed the way forward and provided the fundamental guidelines for the overall rule of law in the new era.

The Party's leadership over the comprehensive law-based governance has been stronger.

We have adhered to and strengthened the Party's centralized and unified leadership of comprehensive law-based governance, and established and improved the system and mechanism for the Party to lead the work related to the rule of law. General Secretary Xi Jinping serves as the head of the Rule of Law Commission of the CPC, researching and solving major issues in comprehensively advancing rule of law. Centralized leadership, efficient decision-making, unified deployments and coordinated advancements have been made. We have strengthened top-level design. A plan to build the rule of law in China (2020-2025), an outline on promoting the building of a rule of law government (2020-2025), and an outline on promoting the building of a rule of law society (2020-2025) were rolled out. The primary Party and government officials are the first to be held accountable for law-based governance. Offices of rule of law commissions at the provincial, city and county level have been set up to strengthen the organization, leadership and overall coordination in advancing the rule of law in all regions, and to ensure the implementation of all major decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee on comprehensively advancing law-based governance.

Significant progress has been made in comprehensively advancing law-based governance. 

We have upheld law-based governance, law-based exercise of power and law-based government administration, and adopted a holistic approach to promote rule of law across the nation, in government and throughout society. We have endeavored to ensure that a well-conceived approach is taken to legislation, that the law is strictly enforced, that justice is impartially administered, and that the law is observed by everyone. We have accelerated the building of a socialist rule of law system with Chinese characteristics, comprehensively strengthened the implementation and supervision of the Constitution, compiled the Civil Code, formulated the Law on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and revised and improved the Hong Kong election system. By the end of June 2022, more than 730 laws and administrative regulations have been formulated and revised. With 292 currently valid laws and 598 administrative regulations, the socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics is constantly being improved. We have deepened the reform of the administrative system and promoted the implementation of the "three systems" of administrative law enforcement publicity system, law enforcement process record system, and review system for major law enforcement decisions, in order to set examples and strengthen inspection. The building of a law-based government has been steadily advanced. We have deepened the reform of the judicial system, with a focus on the judicial responsibility system, advanced the reform of the criminal litigation system centered on court trials, and promoted the separation of the handling of complex and simple civil lawsuits. We have strictly implemented the three provisions to prevent judicial interference, and carried out a special campaign to crack down on organized crime and local mafia. We have overturned wrongful verdicts in accordance with the law and safeguarded social fairness, justice and the rule of law more effectively. The "seventh five-year" public legal education plan was fully implemented, the "eighth five-year" plan has been solidly advanced, and awareness of the rule of law throughout the whole society has been significantly improved. We have continued to promote the resolution of outstanding problems in the field of the rule of law, and the people's sense of gain, happiness and security under the rule of law have been continuously enhanced.

Law-based governance has supported reform and development, achieving remarkable achievements.

We have improved laws and regulations and introduced guiding opinions to strengthen the legal guarantee of major national development strategies. These include the comprehensive deepening of the reform and opening up in Hainan province, the coordinated development of Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei province, the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and the construction of the Shenzhen pilot demonstration zone. We have adhered to the principle of preventing and controlling the epidemic in accordance with the law, ensuring the coordinated development of the epidemic response and socio-economic development. Legal systems have been improved to forestall and defuse major financial risks, legislation and law enforcement of ecological environment protection have been strengthened, and rural construction under the rule of law has been advanced. These efforts have provided a robust legal guarantee and effective legal service to ensure the success of the three critical battles against major risks, poverty, and pollution. We have followed the spirit that the rule of law can provide the best business environment and have taken stronger actions against monopolies and unfair competition. We have taken a coordinated approach to advance the rule of law at home and in matters involving foreign parties, accelerated the strategic planning for the rule of law on issues related to foreign parties, and applied law-based thinking and approaches to safeguard China's sovereignty, security and development interests effectively.

Team building capacity has been continuously improved. 

We have implemented the guiding principle of important speeches of General Secretary Xi Jinping and carried out activities for in-depth study of the CPC's history and improving the team's conduct. We have strengthened the capacity building of the legislative and law-enforcement units, and promoted the personnel quota system for judges and procurators as well as separate post ranks for the police, making our team more regularized, professional, and dedicated to the revolution. We have continued to promote the construction of the public legal service system and see that our legal service teams of lawyers, notaries, judicial authenticators, arbitrators, and mediators, among others, have continued to grow. As of June 2022, there were 605,000 lawyers and more than 37,000 law firms across the country. We have improved China’s unified qualification exam system for legal professionals. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, a total of 1.029 million persons have been certified for a legal professional qualification, further strengthening the education and theoretical research on the science of law and fostering many high-quality personnel and reserve forces.

We have made historical achievements and seen historical changes in comprehensively promoting law-based governance in the new era. Such achievements were obtained because of the leadership of General Secretary Xi Jinping at the core of the CPC Central Committee and the whole Party and the sound guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, especially Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law. Going forward on the new journey, we will continue to strive and forge ahead, providing a solid legal guarantee for achieving the second centenary goal and national rejuvenation.

That's my brief introduction to law-based governance in the new era. Now, we are ready to answer your questions.

Chen Wenjun:

Thanks, Mr. Tang. The floor for questions is open now. Please identify the media outlet you represent before raising questions.

China Media Group:

You mentioned that since the 18th CPC National Congress, historic achievements have been made, and changes have taken place in the law-based governance in all respects. What is the most significant landmark achievement over the past decade? How does it influence the rule of law in China? Thanks.

Tang Yijun:

Thanks for your questions. You raised a very important question. I just said that since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has positioned, arranged, and enforced the rule of law from an overall and strategic perspective. This has led us to a new development of law-based governance in all respects. The most significant landmark achievement is the establishment of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law, which was established as the guiding principle of law-based governance in all respects. Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law is a major theoretical innovation established per the requirements of the national rejuvenation and the latest achievement in adapting the Marxist theory of the rule of law to the Chinese context and the needs of the times.

Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law has combined Marxist theory of the rule of law with the practices of the law-based governance in China and the exemplary components of Chinese traditional legal culture. It has made comprehensive, systematic, and profound theoretical creation and practical innovation based on inheriting and developing. It proposed a series of new and landmark concepts and strategies with originality and integration. It has made significant original and historical contributions to the development of the Marxist theory of the rule of law, clarified the way forward, and provided fundamental guidance for further promoting the rule of law in all respects in the new era.

First, it has put forward and systematically discussed the fundamental ideas such as the CPC's leadership being the soul of the rule of law under socialism with Chinese characteristics and upholding the rule of law under socialism with Chinese characteristics being the only correct path. This will promote law-based governance in all respects in the new era to constantly develop in the right direction. 

Second, it has put forward and systematically discussed our stance and position, such as committing to a people-centered approach and insisting on promoting rule of law for the people and by the people. It helps our people feel more fulfilled, secure, and happier in the field of the rule of law in the new era.

Third, it has put forward and systematically discussed strategic issues. It argues that comprehensively promoting law-based governance is an extensive and profound revolution in national governance. It also argues that we should give full play to the critical role of the rule of law in consolidating the foundations, stabilizing the expectations, and maintaining long-term development. It has included comprehensive law-based governance in the new era into the Four-pronged Comprehensive Strategy and put it into excellent practice.

Fourth, it has put forward and systematically discussed the issues concerning overall development, such as the overall goal, the overall starting point, primary tasks, work plans, and critical tasks of the law-based governance in all respects. It drew up the general blueprint, road map, and working plans for comprehensively promoting law-based governance in the new era.

Fifth, it has put forward and systematically discussed key issues, including building a high-quality working team with integrity and ability, and giving full play to the role of the leading officials, to ensure that law-based governance in all respects in the new era advances in a sound and sustained manner.

Sixth, it has put forward and systematically discussed major issues such as accelerating the strategic layout of law-based governance in matters involving foreign parties and speeding up the construction of the extraterritorial application of the legal system of China, safeguarding China's sovereignty, security and development interests by law-based thinking and approaches.

Marching on the new journey towards the goals to achieve the second centenary goal and national rejuvenation, we must thoroughly study and implement Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law and unswervingly uphold the rule of law under socialism with Chinese characteristics. We believe that under the scientific guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law, we will push forward the rule of law under socialism with Chinese characteristics to new stages. Thank you.

Red Star News:

The protection of property rights is an important gauge of the rule of law. The property rights system is the cornerstone of the effective operation of the socialist market economy. What progress has been made by the people's courts in recent years? Are there any typical cases? Thank you.

Gao Jinghong:

Thank you for your question. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the people's courts have implemented General Secretary Xi Jinping's requirements for strengthening the protection of property rights in trial and law enforcement, promoting judicial protection of property rights to make further progress.

First, relevant judicial policies have been improved. A series of normative documents, including Opinions on the Judicial Protection of Property Rights and Guidelines on Supporting Development in Micro-, Small-, and Medium-Sized Enterprises have been introduced, integrating the idea of law-based, equitable, and comprehensive protection of property rights into judicial interpretations and trial cases. The people's courts have worked hard to prevent and stop taking economic disputes as criminal offenses when handling cases and turning civil liability into criminal responsibility, making property more secure and rights better protected.

Second, the exemplary role of typical cases has been fully played. Twenty typical cases concerning the protection of property rights and the lawful rights and interests of entrepreneurs have been issued in three groups, telling profound lessons through small cases and sending positive messages to the whole of society to strengthen the protection of property rights in a more vivid and direct way.

Third, the people's courts have given full play to the role of the judiciary in the protection of intellectual property rights (IPR). The reform on IPR adjudication has been consistently deepened and innovation has been protected in accordance with the law, pioneering a path for judiciary protection of IPR with Chinese characteristics. Since 2013, 21 judicial interpretations of IPR, such as punitive compensation and 21 judicial policies, have been adopted, and a series of typical cases have been issued. Malicious infringements of IPR have been punished in accordance with the law. All these efforts have contributed to fostering an open, fair, and equitable environment for the development of science and technology.

Fourth, the idea of kind and civil execution has been thoroughly implemented. The people's courts have combined compulsory execution with procedure-based execution and legal punishment with judicial care and have adopted coercive measures that have as little impact on debtors as possible so as to achieve win-win outcomes for all through reined execution.

Fifth, misjudged cases have been identified and corrected in accordance with the law. The people's courts have acted in accordance with the requirement that convictions that are totally wrongful should be rectified totally; the convictions that are partially wrongful should be rectified partially; and all the mistakes should be corrected accordingly. Shouldering the responsibility of law and history, since 2017, the people's courts have identified and corrected wrongful convictions of 287 people and 231 criminal cases concerning property rights in accordance with the law, including major cases such as the case of Zhang Wenzhong, yielding favorable results.

Thank you.

Southern Metropolis Daily:

Strengthening the rule of law in the healthcare sector is of great significance to its healthy development. Our weaknesses in this regard have been exposed by COVID-19. What has been done to strengthen legislation in the healthcare sector and provide legal safeguards for public health? What progress has been made? Thank you.

Xu Anbiao:

Thank you for your questions. Prosperity for all is impossible without health for all. Health is the common pursuit of the people. The rule of law is a strong guarantee for the development of healthcare. Over the past decade, China has proactively advanced legislation in healthcare and strengthened legal safeguards for public health. The Coordination Team under Central Committee for Comprehensive Law-based Governance has fully played its role as a coordinator for legislation, actively coordinating and promoting legislation in healthcare and introducing important legislation in a timely manner.

First, the Law on the Promotion of Basic Medical and Health Care, the fundamental and comprehensive law in healthcare, has been enacted. The idea of big health and big healthcare has been fully implemented, and basic principles, major systems, and measures of safeguards of healthcare have been developed. The practical experience of medical reform has been summarized; the tiered diagnosis and treatment system and family doctor services have been promoted; the primary-level healthcare service system has been established and improved; and the career development mechanism linking counties, townships, and villages has been developed. All of these efforts have contributed to channeling quality medical resources down to the community level. 

Second, the Pharmaceutical Administration Law has been revised, and the Vaccine Administration Law has been enacted. These two laws have fully implemented General Secretary Xi Jinping's requirement of applying the most rigorous standards and taking the strictest supervision and the harshest penalties and accountability for violations, giving top priority to the safety and health of the people. By improving the evaluation and approval systems for medicine, boosting the reserve and supply systems, and strengthening whole-process supervision over research, production, and distribution of vaccines, these two laws have ensured the safety, effectiveness, and accessibility of medicines and vaccines.

Third, the Law on Traditional Chinese Medicine has been enacted. The management system, in accordance with characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine, has been built; the uniqueness and advantages of traditional Chinese medicine have been preserved and exploited to the fullest; and the development of the traditional Chinese medicine service system has been advanced. 

These laws have been tested in the practice of fighting against COVID-19 and have played critical roles.

In the wake of COVID-19, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress has made work plans for the enactment and revision of laws to strengthen the system of legal guarantees for public health. Great progress and achievements have been made to strengthen the enactment and revision of laws, which can be summarized into three "a group ofs.”

A group of important laws have been formulated, revised, and introduced. The formulation of the Biosecurity Law has improved the prevention and control system for biosecurity risks, including outbreaks of new infectious diseases and major animal or plant epidemics. The Physician Law has been enacted, protecting the most admirable people in the new era with the rule of law; the decision has been made for a complete ban of illegal wildlife trade; and the Animal Quarantine Law has been revised. As public health covers a lot of ground, specific regulations have been made regarding the enactment and revision of other relevant laws.

A group of draft laws have been submitted for the deliberation of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, including the Emergency Response and Management Law, the Wildlife Protection Law, and the amendment of the Stock-breeding Law. 

A group of important laws are being drafted and revised. The enactment and revision of laws, including the Law on the Prevention and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, the Law on Preparedness for and Response to Public Health Emergencies, and the Frontier Health and Quarantine Law, are being proactively advanced. Thank you.

Cover News:

The sentence bargaining system has attracted great attention from the public since arrangements were made during the 4th Plenary Session of the 18th Party Central Committee. What changes have been brought about by the sentence bargaining system to the criminal justice system? What achievements have been made in advancing the modernization of national governance? In the application of the system, how can the judiciary strike a balance between punishment and deterrence and tolerance and incentive to ensure fairness and justice? Thank you.

Chen Guoqing:

Thank you for your questions. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, as the economic society has developed comprehensively, China's public security has continuously improved. The pattern of crimes committed across the country has changed remarkably with a continuous decrease in serious crimes and a constant increased proportion of 80% taken up by misdemeanor cases. Since the formal establishment of the system of sentence bargaining in the October of 2018, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee and the close coordination between procuratorial organs and other political legal organs, we have actively implemented the system. At present, the application rate of this system has maintained above 85%. It's fair to say that we have achieved normalized application of such a system, which has played a major role in accelerating the upgrading of the mode of criminal procedure to be collaborative and the transformation from focusing on "criminal punishment" to "good governance" so as to promote the modernization of national governance.

The effects of this system have been mainly demonstrated in the following aspects. Firstly, the punishment of crime has been implemented in a more effective and timely manner. Since the suspects and defendants pleaded guilty and accepted their punishments, judicial organs could ascertain the facts of the crimes in a timely manner. It has also been helpful to divide and disintegrate crimes. Secondly, it has played an important role in promoting social harmony and stability. The system of sentence bargaining is conducive to resolve social problems and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of victims. At present, it has become a norm for defendants to plead guilty as the appeal rate reduced to 3.8 percent after the first trial, 15.4 percentage points lower than that of other criminal cases. Thirdly, the rights of the concerned parties have been better protected. A total of 3.339 million suspects and defendants have received legal assistance from duty lawyers in accordance with the law. The application rate of non-custodial coercive measures has continuously increased. Procurotorial organs have provided judicial aid to 72,000 victims who live in trouble resulting from criminal violations. Fourth, fairness and justice have been promoted in a better and faster way. We have shortened the time from investigation to trial for misdemeanor cases that are suitable for the system of sentence bargaining. Among those cases, the percentage taken up by the ones that are applicable to quick judging procedure and summary procedure reached 74.6%, greatly improving the efficiency of litigation and saving judicial resources. 

Certainly, it should be emphasized that the system of sentence bargaining doesn't mean uniform leniencies for all cases. In dealing with sentence bargaining cases, procurotorial organs should fully and accurately implement the criminal policy of combining punishment with leniency. For those crimes that seriously endangered national security and public security, serious violent crimes, gang crimes, crimes harming vulnerable groups such as women and children, and other crimes with strong subjective malignancy and egregious circumstances, we should implement severe punishments regardless of a guilty plea or punishment acceptance. For those misdemeanor cases with circumstances of severe publishment, we should deal with those strictly and cautiously grasp the scope of lenient punishment. Thank you.

Economic Daily:

Law enforcement is an important part of achieving the rule of law. The starting points of many law enforcement tasks are highly relevant to the interests of the people. I would like to ask, over the past decade, what efforts has the State Administration of Market Regulation made in strengthening market supervision and law enforcement to better protect the interests of the people? Thank you. 

Gan Lin:

Thank you for your question, as well as the concern and support for the field of market supervision and law enforcement from media friends. Mr. Tang has introduced the reforms and effects made by the State Administration of Market Regulation since the 18th CPC National Congress. The State Administration of Market Regulation was established in 2018 after institutional reforms, demonstrating the transformation of government functions as well as an important reform achievement in building a modern market system. It has achieved the integration of 600,000 market supervision personnel in the fields of law enforcement resources, institutions, and functions, streamlining to one team law enforcement team and further enhancing synergy brought by reforms. I would like to cite a set of statistics to demonstrate the effects of reforms. 

According to the statistics, this year, the average time period to settle a complaint on the well-known platform, 12315, was cut to 10 days, a 70.6% reduction compared to 2018. The success rate of mediation grew by 30%. The customer satisfaction score increased from 71.7 in 2017 to 80.6 in 2021, up by nine points within four years, which is not an easy task. To be specific, I will answer the question from the following three aspects, known as "three insistences."

Firstly, we have insisted on systematic thinking, building modernized supervision and law enforcement system in a holistic and integrated manner. We have integrated law enforcement resources. Given the wide range covered by law enforcement items in the field of market regulation, we have implemented a total of 258 laws, regulations, and rules. We have formulated 71 relevant laws and regulations over the past five years since the reform, basically realizing "six unifications" of directory of law enforcement guidance, the procedure of administrative execution, report and complaint platform, and so on. At the same time, we have carried out joint supervision and punishment mechanism featuring the basic approach of "random selection of cases and market inspectors and timely results publication." We have rolled out targeted regulations towards various credit risks of different levels, fully implemented information publicity of law enforcement, recording of the whole process of law enforcement, and legal review of major law enforcement decisions. Meanwhile, we have promoted digital reforms such as smart supervision and handheld law enforcement. Moreover, we have advanced the three sets of combination of prevention and governance, punishment and education, and law enforcement and popularization of law, comprehensively utilizing multi-tiered monitoring tools. Some local departments have explored new law enforcement methods such as "no penalty for the first breach" and "exemption from penalty for minor breaches" in a bid to ensure the coordination of legal effects and social harmony.

Secondly, we have insisted on serving overall interests and strengthening law enforcement in key areas. We have resolutely maintained the market order related to the epidemic in accordance with the law. Since the outbreak of the epidemic, we have seized a total of 138 million problematic masks and cracked down on 15,900 price gouging cases. We have fully banned the wildlife trade, provided solid support to the overall situation of epidemic prevention and control, continuously carried out anti-arbitrary charge campaigns and returned over 320 million yuan of fees back to enterprises, and played a part in stabilizing the macro-economic market. Moreover, we have actively participated in a set of campaigns such as a crackdown on gang crimes, a fishing ban in the Yangtze River basin, and a fight against pornography and illegal publications. In all major political activities of the Party and country, we have firmly held the bottom line of safety supervision and vigorously regulated marketing behaviors and advertising orientations in a bid to build a sound and orderly market environment.

Thirdly, we have insisted on the people-oriented law enforcement concept and taken combined measures to ensure the implementation of comprehensive law enforcement. As part of our efforts to carry out the "four most" requirements, which are the strictest standards, supervision, punishment, and accountability, we have launched a set of campaigns to address food safety issues in campuses and rural areas as well as improve food qualities. Our case handling efficiency has increased by 60% over the past five years, playing a part in ensuring that every bite of food we eat is safe. At the same time, we have focused on the "key matters" around people and continuously carried out "iron fist" campaigns in the field of livelihood. We have severely cracked down on 16 kinds of illegal activities such as false advertising of "magic medicine," refurbishment of gas cylinders, and so on. We have severely investigated and dealt with malpractices of bottomless advertising, producing inferior children's toys, illegal measuring with glasses, and so on, in a bid to protect the health and safety of minors. Meanwhile, we have carried out campaigns to address the issues in the health care market and pension fraud issues so as to protect the property security of the elderly.

For the next step, the State Administration of Market Regulation will regard Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law as our guidance, ensuring that all areas and the whole process of market supervision and law enforcement reflect people's interests and wishes, safeguard their rights and interests, and improve people's well-being. We will further improve the efficiency of regulations and law enforcement in a bid to constantly enhance people's sense of fulfillment, happiness, and security. Thank you. 

Bloomberg: 

I have two questions to ask. The first question is China implemented the Personal Information Protection Law last year. Can you share with us some information as to how these cases are progressing? What areas are you focusing on in enforcing this law? Do you have other legislation plans to protect people's privacy? The second question is on the anti-foreign sanction law that was put in place last year, have there been any specific cases yet? Thank you.

Xu Anbiao:

Thank you for your interest in China's promotion of the rule of law. You raised two important questions. The first one is about legislation on personal information protection. The internet has become a new space for production and life, a new engine for economic growth, and a new link for exchange and cooperation. The collection and use of personal information in cyberspace are pervasive, affecting everyone and attracting a great deal of attention. China attaches great importance to personal information protection. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the NPC and its standing committee have adopted the Decision on Strengthening Online Information Protection, formulated the Cybersecurity Law and the E-commerce Law, and revised the Law on the Protection of Rights and Interests of Consumers, thus establishing the basic rules for personal information protection. In addition, through adopting the Criminal Law Amendment, the provisions on punishing crimes that jeopardize personal information have been improved. Moreover, in the Civil Code, "personal information is protected by law" is recognized as an essential civil right.

The NPC Standing Committee deliberated over and passed the Personal Information Protection Law in August 2021, which went into effect on Nov. 1. Based on China's realities and international experiences, the law focuses on the outstanding problems and major public concerns in personal information protection. Based on existing laws, it further refines and improves the principles for personal information protection and also the rules for processing personal information. It clarifies the boundaries of rights and obligations in personal information processing and improves the working mechanisms for personal information protection. Furthermore, it stipulates strict legal liabilities for violating personal information protection rules, all in a bid to protect citizens' personal information effectively. For many articles of the Personal Information Protection Law to be implemented, there need to be supporting regulations, such as managing the collection of images in public places, managing personal information security, and evaluating the security of cross-border flows of personal information. Relevant departments have already introduced or are in the process of swiftly formulating such regulations. Apart from the Personal Information Protection Law, the NPC Standing Committee also passed the Data Security Law. In general, personal information protection involves a wide range of areas. We will further improve relevant rules and regulations to make the legal system for personal information protection tighter and sturdier.

Your second question is about the Law on Countering Foreign Sanctions. The law was adopted by the NPC Standing Committee and went into effect on June 10, 2021. Focusing on the unilateral sanctions of foreign countries in their attempt to interfere in China's internal affairs, the law reaffirms China's basic foreign policy, principles, and positions. It clarifies the circumstances, targets, and measures for countering foreign sanctions, thus providing a solid legal guarantee for China to take corresponding measures against foreign sanctions and oppose hegemonism and power politics. Since its adoption, China has countered foreign interference in its internal affairs under various pretexts based on it and firmly safeguarded its sovereignty, security, and development interests.

Thank you.

The Poster News APP

Raising public awareness of the law is of fundamental importance for comprehensively advancing law-based governance and building a country of the socialist rule of law. Could you share efforts in this regard with us? How effective are the efforts? What steps will be taken next? Thank you. 

Xiong Xuanguo:

Thank you for your concern and support for raising public awareness of the law, a work that needs strong support from news media. 

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has continually raised public awareness of the law and observance of law by all as a long-term work of fundamental importance to comprehensively advancing law-based governance. It has taken solid measures to strengthen Party leadership over efforts in this regard and continued to improve top-level designs. The seventh five-year plan for raising public legal literacy has come to a successful conclusion, and the eighth five-year plan has been started, which brought about continuous improvement in the public awareness of the law. The number of people resorting to law when they or their families are faced with unfair treatment is the highest compared with those choosing other means of solution, pointing to a marked rise in citizens' recognition of the rule of law, as shown by an analysis report about a national survey on public state of mind published by the National Bureau of Statistics. 

In June 2021, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council distributed the eighth five-year plan for raising public legal literacy. To promote the plan's in-depth implementation, we will focus on three aspects of work.

First, we will give prominence to the study and promotion of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law. The study and promotion of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law, as the primary guidance and priority of the eighth five-year plan, will be one of the responsibilities of law enforcement personnel to promote legal awareness among the public. Efforts will be strengthened to explain Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law in simple terms. The role of the local teams in raising public legal literacy under the eighth five-year plan, the 73 national bases for heightening public awareness of the rule of law, and the numerous legal knowledge promotion services in villages and communities will be leveraged to promote regular study and promotion of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law and increase its public appeal.

Second, we will support efforts to raise the legal awareness of leading officials and young people. We will compile a list of laws and regulations that top officials should grasp. Together with relevant departments, we will continue to include education on the rule of law into the general education plan for leading officials, the national education system, and the senior high school entrance and senior high school examinations. 

Third, we will emphasize efforts to strengthen citizens' awareness of the rule of law. We will work to ensure that the pilot initiatives in Zhejiang province and seven other localities to improve citizens' legal literacy are successfully carried out. We will also study and draft the indicators for evaluating citizens' legal literacy. We will continue to strengthen citizens' perception of rights and obligations, their public awareness, and their awareness to safeguard rights in accordance with the law and make the rule of law a social consensus and basic norm. Thank you.

Kyodo News:

The concept of law in China is different from that in Western countries. Is China's modern vision of law the same as that of Han Feizi, the great Legalist philosopher from ancient China? Thank you.

Xiong Xuanguo:

Thank you for your interest in the rule of law in China. I will give a brief answer to your question. 

Due to the differences in economics, social systems, historical traditions, and cultural heritage in ancient and modern China and foreign countries, concepts often vary in recognition and understanding by people of different countries, ethnic groups, and times. As far as the concept of law is concerned, the first sentence of the Plan to Build the Rule of Law in China is perfect. "The rule of law is an important symbol of the progress of human civilization, the basic way of governing the country, and the unremitting pursuit of the Communist Party of China and the Chinese people." Therefore, for people from all over the world, good laws and good governance are common expectations and pursuits. 

You just mentioned Han Feizi, a representative figure of the Legalist school of philosophy in ancient Chinese history. He represents the culmination of Legalist theories and puts forward many insightful propositions and viewpoints. More than 2,000 years ago, he said, "the country must be ruled by law, and the law must not favor the powerful," which means that everyone is equal before the law. He also proposed "teaching the law to the country," which means laws can't just be formulated but also must be taught to ordinary people. These points are insightful. Therefore, he significantly influenced the Chinese legal system and the Chinese rule of law culture.

In the historical process of comprehensively advancing law-based governance, we must vigorously carry forward the excellent traditional Chinese legal culture and actively learn from the outstanding achievements of human civilization on the rule of law. We must take root in Chinese culture and solve China's problems based on China's national conditions. We must unswervingly follow the path of the socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics, and accelerate the building of such a system and the improvement of socialist rule of law in China. Thank you.

Legal Daily:

Over the past two years, the Plan to Build the Rule of Law in China (2020-2025), the outline in pursuit of building a law-based society (2020-2025), and the an outline on promoting the building of a rule of law government t (2020-2025) have been issued and implemented. We'd like to know how the relevant departments promote the implementation of these three policies? In particular, how do they advance the building of a government based on the rule of law? Thank you.

Tang Yijun:

Thank you for your questions. Formulating these three policies, like establishing the beams and pillars of a house for the building of the rule of law in China, is a significant decision and arrangement made by the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core to promote comprehensive law-based governance in the new era. The formulation and implementation of the policies mark the basic formation of the overall pattern of comprehensive law-based governance in the new era. Building a rule-of-law China with good laws and governance has begun a new journey.

The CPC Central Committee attaches great importance to implementing these policies. In February and September 2021, the Rule of Law Commission of the CPC Central Committee formulated and issued three division of labor plans for carrying out major measures involved in the policies. The Office of the Rule of Law Commission of the CPC Central Committee pushed to divide various important tasks and measures between relevant annual work plans and important missions. It has formulated and issued important supporting documents and measures such as the index system for better building law-based municipal and county governments, the index system for building law-based society, the opinions on strengthening the building of socialist legal culture, and the opinions on further strengthening the building of rule of law in cities and counties. The implementation of the three policies is being vigorously and effectively advanced, and the progress is generally smooth.

You specifically asked about building a government based on the rule of law just now, which is an excellent question. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that forming a law-based government is the key task and main project of comprehensive law-based governance, and it is necessary to take the lead in making breakthroughs. The Office of the Rule of Law Commission of the Central Committee of the CPC, together with relevant departments, has taken a series of important measures to promote building a rule-of-law government.

First, we have promoted the improvement of the law-based administrative system. We strengthened legislation in key areas, emerging areas, and foreign-related areas and promoted the filing review of laws and regulations. We also cleaned up laws and regulations in areas like institution reform, free trade zone construction, and the implementation of the Civil Code. In the past decade, we have promoted the formulation and revision of more than 420 administrative regulations and abolished 59 after review.

Second, we have deepened reforms to streamline administration, delegate powers, improve regulation, and strengthen services. We have strived to create a market-oriented, law-based, and international business environment. All non-administrative approval items have been canceled, while administrative approval items have been greatly reduced. The governments of all provinces, cities, and counties have formulated and published lists of powers and responsibilities and continued to carry out the campaign of "reduction of certificates and more convenience for the people." We have pushed various localities and departments to clean up more than 21,000 certification items, effectively solving the problems of "absurd certification" and "repeated certification."

Third, we have actively promoted decision-making in accordance with the law. We formulated the interim regulations on major administrative decision-making procedures, comprehensively promoted the system of government lawyers and legal counsels, and further strengthened the review of the legality of administrative decisions.

Fourth, we have further promoted strict, standardized, impartial, and civilized law enforcement. We fully implemented the "three systems" of administrative law enforcement (regarding making the process public, recording the whole process, and legality review of major decisions) and organized and carried out pilot projects to build an administrative law enforcement coordination and supervision work system at the provincial, city, county, and township levels. Comprehensive law enforcement reforms in market supervision, ecological environment, agriculture, cultural markets, and transportation have been completed. We have strengthened the supervision of administrative reviews. Over the past ten years, administrative review agencies at all levels have handled more than 1.9 million administrative review cases, with an error-correction rate of 13.6%.

Fifth, we have deployed two batches of activities to construct rule-of-law demonstration governments nationwide. We selected 40 comprehensive demonstration areas and 24 single demonstration projects in the first batch, and the selection of the second batch is progressing in an orderly manner. All regions and departments attach growing importance to comprehensively building law-based governments. The efforts are increasing, and the results are becoming more impressive. 

Sixth, we have conducted inspection work on building law-based governance nationwide. This work has achieved full coverage at the provincial level. We have summarized and promoted 24 typical experiences, such as Beijing government's regulations on quickly responding to people's appeals, and Ma'anshan city's ten-year fishing ban for ecological preservation along Yangtze River Basin. We have promoted the resolution of more than 80 typical issues, such as governmental departments' long-lasting non-payment of compensation, entrapment and administrative penalties that violate regulations. We also solved more than 820 various problems. So, the work has effectively made pressure felt, had responsibilities fulfilled, and promoted building a rule-of-law government. Thank you.

China News Service:

The difficulty of filing lawsuits was an issue the people were strongly concerned about in the past. What measures have the people's courts taken to address this problem over the past decade? And what progress has been made? Thank you.

Gao Jinghong:

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the people's courts have implemented reform of the case-filing registration system, meaning that the longstanding difficulty people had filing lawsuits is now history. In order to help people resolve their disputes in a more convenient, inclusive and cheaper way and give them more diverse choices, the people's courts have created a "one-stop, diversified service system for dispute resolution and litigation," which is unique worldwide, blazing a new path with Chinese characteristics that can ensure justice for the people.

First, we have shaped a model of coordinated governance and dispute resolution under the leadership of the Party committee to highlight China's advantages. Relying on the leadership of the Party, we have built the world's most interconnected dispute resolution mechanism. We invited NPC deputies, CPPCC members, administrative organs, all kinds of mediation organizations, lawyers, experts and scholars, as well as community-level organizations to establish a "court + society" system for solving disputes, providing people with a menu of services. The numbers of mediation organizations and mediators connected with the courts have increased from 1,264 and 14,000 in early 2018 to 83,000 and 335,000. A total of 29.62 million disputes have been mediated, with an average of 51 successfully mediated per minute. Diverse channels for dispute settlement not only help realize justice in a timely manner, but bring about mutual understanding and accommodation.

Second, we have opened online and offline integrated and sharing platforms, and established a one-stop service system for resolving disputes, thus creating a Chinese model. Courts at four levels have built one-stop litigation service centers, with the scope of services expanded from simply providing guidance for case filing in the past to now more than 50 items. All types of litigation cases are addressed in the centers, which have become "lawsuit service supermarkets." Last year, courts nationwide resolved more than 80% of civil disputes in litigation service centers, and the average time taken was 43% less than that of civil cases of first instance. The four levels of courts leveraged the unified online service platform to support the public in filing lawsuits and handling the whole process online, with total visits exceeding 2.7 billion. Online dispute resolution has become standard practice. The 12368 Litigation Service Hotline has helped address disputes at any time, with an average of 35,000 calls being received and handled per day and satisfaction rate exceeding 96%, which has greatly reduced the cost for people to resolve disputes.

Third, we have improved the service mechanism for addressing disputes in both urban and rural areas to provide a Chinese-style model. "Cross-region filing services" have been fully realized, with more than 13,000 service centers being established. Cases can be filed nearby and handled nationwide. A special service window for the elderly and a unified code service channel for lawyers have been fully implemented. Bilingual judges and a litigation guide written in Braille have helped various parties during lawsuits. Mediation platforms have entered rural areas and communities and gone online, connecting 9,852 people's courts and more than 70,000 community-level governance units, thereby providing people in both rural and urban areas with access to more high-quality legal services and allowing them to resolve their problems at home. In remote areas, judges go to villages to provide services in people's homes and conduct circuit case handling, making judicial services "zero-distance." Through these efforts, the public deeply feel the warmth and convenience of the socialist judicial system. 

Thank you.

Tianmu News:

My question is concerning antitrust regulation. This June, the NPC Standing Committee adopted an amendment to the Anti-Monopoly Law, which will take effect on Aug. 1. The new Anti-Unfair Competition Law is also being revised. What achievements have been made in the fields of anti-monopoly and anti-unfair competition work? And going forward, what will be the future considerations? Thank you.

Gan Lin:

Thank you for your interest in competition supervision, especially the enforcement of anti-monopoly and anti-unfair competition laws. The more the market economy develops, the more important fair competition is. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, we have worked unswervingly both to consolidate and develop the public sector and to encourage, support and guide development of the non-public sector. We have pursued standardization in development while seeking development in standardization, creating a better environment for competition and broader space for development for all types of market entities. Just now, you asked about our achievements in the past decade. I will elaborate on them from the following four aspects:

Over the past decade, China has formulated more equitable, transparent, and predictable competition rules. The country has completed an amendment to the Anti-monopoly Law to make it more compatible with the socialist market economy. This is the first time that a law was amended for the first time after 14 years of implementation. The amended law will come into force on August 1, 2022. Today's press conference provides a valuable opportunity for us to intensify publicity in this field. Therefore, I would like to express my appreciation to all the law enforcement authorities present here. In recent years, China has twice amended the Anti-Unfair Competition Law and formulated seven supporting regulations and eight anti-monopoly guidelines in areas such as platform economy and IPR protection. The CPC Central Committee has formulated a guideline document for the first time on strengthening anti-monopoly and further promoting the implementation of fair competition policies, which clarifies the top-level design and strategic direction for fair competition. Meanwhile, we have enhanced policy explanation, publicity, and guidance to improve the transparency and predictability of supervision and law enforcement.

Over the past decade, China has embarked on a new stage in building efficient and orderly market competition. During this period, we have investigated and handled in accordance with the law 794 cases involving monopolistic practices and 234,000 cases related to unfair competition and concluded 3,822 cases involving the consolidation of operators. As a result, illegal competition in areas such as platform economy, medicine, and public utilities has been prevented and curbed in time. We have also fully implemented the review system to ensure fair competition, reviewed 4.68 million policy documents, and corrected and abolished 53,000 ones that eliminate or stifle competition. By doing so, we have strongly boosted the development of a unified domestic market and created a favorable system to promote the coordinated development of enterprises under all forms of ownership of all sizes.

Over the past decade, China has made progress in promoting the reform of the regulatory system and mechanisms. Just now, Mr. Tang introduced me to you as commissioner of the State Anti-Monopoly Bureau. Following the reform of the regulatory system and mechanisms, China established the State Administration for Market Regulation to realize the unification of anti-monopoly law enforcement. Last year, the State Anti-Monopoly Bureau was set up in the same building as the State Administration of Market Regulation to further strengthen anti-monopoly supervision and improve the working mechanism of the Anti-Monopoly Commission of the State Council. Also, we set up the inter-departmental joint meeting mechanism for combating unfair competition and applying fair competition reviews. All the ministries and ministerial-level commissions present here are our members. Meanwhile, we have strengthened coordination between central and local governments to increase the overall effectiveness of anti-monopoly supervision.

Over the past decade, China has scaled new heights by participating in global competition governance. The country has signed cooperation documents with 35 countries and regions, including the United States, the European Union, Russia, and Japan, and has added a separate chapter for competition policy in 10 free trade agreements (FTAs), including RCEP and the China-ROK FTA. Last year, we successfully held the 7th BRICS International Competition Conference. China now ranks among the world's top three anti-monopoly jurisdictions, together with the US and the EU.

Next, we will fully implement the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council and strike a good balance between strengthening supervision and promoting development. We will also improve high-quality competition supervision and enforcement to translate soft power into hard power and fair competition into innovative development.

Thank you.

China Daily:

We notice that in recent years procuratorial organs have worked hard to advance the public hearing system. What kind of cases will be publicly heard? What role do public hearings play in procuratorial work? Thank you.

Chen Guoqing:

In recent years, procuratorial organs have deepened procuratorial reform by carrying out public hearings on difficult and complicated cases to encourage extensive public participation in social governance. This represents a major measure taken by the people's procuratorates to conduct whole-process democracy and effectively resolve the troubles and pains of the people. 

During handling cases of various types, procuratorial organs should take measures to ensure that all cases in need could be publicly heard as appropriate. For non-prosecution cases, criminal appeal cases, civil and administrative litigation supervision cases, and public interest litigation cases, if they are in dispute over the findings of fact, the application of law, and the handling of cases, or if they have huge implications, public hearings should be held for prosecutors to hear opinions directly from litigants and other personnel involved.

Since 2020, procuratorial organs have carried out public hearings on more than 216,000 cases that covered four major procuratorial functions regarding criminal, civil, administrative, and public interest litigation and 10 major procuratorial activities (including those against commonplace criminal offenses, serious criminal offenses, work-related offenses, economic offenses, juvenile delinquency, and those involving inspections of the enforcement of penal decisions, civil litigation, administrative litigation, public interest litigation, and accusation and appeal). The public hearing system has effectively enhanced judicial transparency and justice and helped illustrate the law and defuse social tensions so as to better achieve our purpose of administrating justice for the people.

In particular, the procurators-general of the people's procuratorates at all levels have taken the lead in chairing public hearings and releasing information on the judicial process and the legal basis. By doing so, they were able to illustrate the law in a way that people can see and understand.  

Since 2020, leading officials of the SPP have chaired public hearings on 15 major and difficult cases. For example, a criminal appeal case in Fujian province was very difficult and complicated because it involved both civil and criminal litigation. SPP Procurator-General Zhang Jun chaired a public hearing on this case, conducted deep and profound communication, and illustrated the law in person with the appellant, the person not to be prosecuted, and their attorney agents. After the hearing, both parties signed a conciliation agreement. In this way, appeals and complaints could be resolved as appropriate with cases settled and conciliation reached. 

Of the public hearings held by the three levels of local procuratorates, 10.2% are chaired by the procurators-general. As a result, the handling rate of social problems and disputes has risen significantly. In 2021, the rate of procuratorial organs nationwide preventing and handling social problems and disputes through public hearings reached 95.6%. We have successfully settled many cases that were long on the agenda but never resolved. Thank you.

Chen Wenjun:

Thanks to our speakers as well as friends from the press. Today's press conference concludes here.

Translated and edited by Zhou Jing, Liu Sitong, Yuan Fang, Zhang Rui, Zhang Tingting, Zhang Junmian, Ma Yujia, Xu Kailin, Qin Qi, Li Xiao, Wang Qian, Wang Yiming, Li Huiru, David Ball, Tom Arnsten, and Jay Birbeck. In case of any discrepancy between the English and Chinese texts, the Chinese version is deemed to prevail.

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Read in Chinese

Speakers:

Sun Maoli, member of the Party Committee of the Ministry of Public Security (MPS)

Wu Deqing, director general of the Personnel Training Bureau of the MPS

Qiu Baoli, director general of the Public Order Bureau of the MPS

Liu Zhongyi, director general of the Criminal Investigation Bureau of the MPS

Wang Yingwei, director general of the Cybersecurity Bureau of the MPS

Li Jiangping, director general of the Traffic Management Bureau of the MPS

Chairperson:

Shou Xiaoli, spokesperson of the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC)

Date:

July 25, 2022

Shou Xiaoli:

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to this press conference held by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee. Today, we are holding the 17th press conference under the theme of "China in the past decade." We are joined by Mr. Sun Maoli, member of the Party Committee of the MPS; Mr. Wu Deqing, director general of the Personnel Training Bureau of the MPS; Mr. Qiu Baoli, director general of the Public Order Bureau of the MPS; Mr. Liu Zhongyi, director general of the Criminal Investigation Bureau of the MPS; Mr. Wang Yingwei, director general of the Cybersecurity Bureau of the MPS; and Mr. Li Jiangping, director general of the Traffic Management Bureau of the MPS. They will brief you on the achievements of public security authorities in building a peaceful China at a higher level and answer your questions.

Now, let's give the floor to Mr. Sun for his introduction. 

Sun Maoli:

Ladies and gentlemen, friends from the press:

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, public security authorities across the country have further promoted the building of a peaceful China. We are focused on strengthening public participation and rule of law in social governance, and making social governance smarter and more specialized. We have worked to help people feel more satisfied, happier and more secure. The sense of security among the Chinese people has risen from 87.55% in 2012 to 98.62% in 2021, and has remained at a high level for the past 10 years. It is internationally acknowledged that China is one of the safest countries in the world.

First, we have unswervingly adhered to the Party's leadership as the fundamental principle of building a peaceful China. We have been loyal to the Party. We have increased our awareness of the need to maintain political integrity, think in big-picture terms, follow the leadership core and maintain alignment with the central Party leadership. We have stayed confident in the path, the theory, the system and the culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics. We have firmly upheld Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and upheld the Central Committee's authority and its centralized, unified leadership. We have thoroughly implemented the decision-making and deployments of the Party Central Committee, and ensured that the Party exercises leadership in an all-round way in building a peaceful China. We are on the right track politically, and the political and institutional advantages can be leveraged to help build a peaceful China.

Second, we have unswervingly taken the safeguarding of national political security as the primary task of building a peaceful China. We have kept a close eye on the prominent political security risks and are focused on maintaining security of the state power and system, strictly guarding against and severely cracking down on acts of infiltration, subversion, disruption and sabotage by hostile forces at home and abroad. We have thoroughly implemented the Party's guideline for governing Tibet and Xinjiang in the new era, and stepped up the fight against terrorism and separatism. There have been no violent terrorist incidents in the country for more than five consecutive years. We have resolutely safeguarded the security and stability of Hong Kong and Macao, and promoted the realization of long-term stability in Hong Kong and Macao, and the steady and long-term implementation of "one country, two systems."

Third, we have unswervingly taken the maintenance of social stability as the primary goal of building a peaceful China. Playing the role as the main force in building a peaceful China, we have kept a close eye on major economic and financial risks. Since 2013, we have solved 908,000 cases of economic crime and recovered 477.46 billion yuan of economic losses. We have further promoted the protection of the Yangtze River, and earnestly safeguarded the national biological and ecological security. We have strengthened the management of railways, civil aviation, ports, shipping and road traffic, and effectively served the domestic and international dual circulation. We provide security services for major events such as the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC, as well as the Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics, all of which have been successful. We have put the people and their lives first and made every effort to prevent and control COVID-19. On ensuring stability on the six key fronts and security in the six key areas, we have introduced a series of measures to facilitate the people and enterprises in household registration, traffic control, immigration and overseas travel, among others. We have contributed to the achievement of the goal of helping 100 million people with rural household registration obtain urban residency ahead of schedule, and more than 100 million people enjoyed services such as taking driving tests, inspection of vehicles, and replacement of licenses, on an inter-provincial basis. 

Fourth, we have unswervingly pursued the protection of people's peaceful lives in building a peaceful China. We have cracked down hard on gang activities. Since 2018, a total of 16,600 gang-related criminal groups have been destroyed. The crackdown on organized crime and local gangs has been one of the campaigns that received people's support since the 19th CPC National Congress. We have maintained a tough stance against eight major types of criminal crimes. The number of registered cases in 2021 dropped by 64.4% compared with 2012. The homicide clearance rate reached 99%. China has long been ranked among the countries with the lowest murder rate in the world. We have focused on frequent cases related to pornography, gambling, drugs, theft, robbery, fraud, food, medicine and environment-related crimes and other crimes such as the abduction of women and children, and cracked major cases faster and more small cases. Since June 2021, the number of telecommunications and internet fraud crimes registered has decreased year-on-year for 12 consecutive months.

Fifth, we have unswervingly improved the crime prevention and control system to support the building of a peaceful China. We have built an integrated working mechanism featuring intelligent guidance, reasonable dispatch, prompt actions and attention to people's concerns. Supported by big data and smart technology, the crime prevention and control system has taken shape, covering all places, units and elements in the cities. We have pushed ahead with the building of "model cities" and 256,000 smart safe communities were built. We have launched campaigns to study from Fengqiao Police Station. We have created many models, such as "one comprehensive command room and two teams of police officers working in the communities and as law enforcers," "one police officer responsible for one district (grid)" and "one auxiliary police officer responsible for one administrative village under the police station's jurisdiction." A "three-dimensional grid" for crime prevention and control system at the grassroots level has taken shape. We have continued to deepen the building of peaceful campuses and hospitals. Compared with 2012, the number of school and hospital-related cases dropped significantly in 2021, and the number of related cases decreased by 38.4%.

Sixth, we stayed committed to safeguarding cybersecurity as part of the efforts to build a peaceful China. While upholding the principle that "cybersecurity is essential to national security," we have consistently conducted our special campaign to clean up the online environment. Since 2017, we have resolved 255,000 such cases and arrested 385,000 suspects. We have also implemented rules for the graded protection of cybersecurity and the critical information infrastructure security plans, engaged in cybersecurity supervision in accordance with the law, and safeguarded the security of critical information infrastructure, major networks, and data.

Seventh, we have stayed committed to deepening institutional reform in the police force as the drivers for building a peaceful China. By following the standards and requirements for improving combat effectiveness, we have deepened the institutional reform in the police force and improved our organizations, police categories, grassroots structure, and foundations. As a result, the reform has brought historical transformations, systematic reshaping, and holistic restructuring of the police force. We have improved the capacity to safeguard China's political security and social stability, laying a solid foundation for our efforts to fulfill our duties in the new era.

Eighth, we have stayed committed to building a police force as strong as iron in their belief, faith, discipline and sense of responsibility, which is the solid foundation for constructing a peaceful China. We have always considered the general requirements of loyalty to the Party, serving the people, impartial law enforcement, and strict discipline. We have strengthened the police force by following political principles and deepened reform to build a strong police force. We have improved practical training under actual combat conditions, exercised strict team management, and explored new ways to provide preferential treatment to the police force. The political ecosystem and the capabilities and disciplines of the police force have further improved. Over the past decade, more than 3,700 police officers have lost their lives and over 50,000 injured on their duties across the country. One person was posthumously awarded the national honorary title of "People's Hero," one person was awarded the title of "Reform Pioneer," one person was awarded the "July 1 Medal," and one was awarded the "August 1 Medal." Meanwhile, posthumously, nine individuals and one team were awarded the "Model of the Times," and a large number of police officers and teams were awarded provincial and ministerial-level honors. Individuals and teams were honored with more than 2.4 million and 240,000 awards respectively because of their services.

For the next step, the public security organs across the country will continue to follow Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, bear in mind the country's fundamental interests, and be loyal to their services and perform their responsibilities diligently. All of this will continue to contribute to the new chapter of China's miracle of long-term social stability and set the stage for the 20th CPC National Congress.

That's all for my introduction. Thank you.

Shou Xiaoli:

The floor is now open for questions. Please identify the news organization you represent before raising your questions.

Beijing Radio & Television Station:

We have noticed that, with the development of social informatization, internet technologies have bred new crimes in cyberspace. As a major force to safeguard cybersecurity, what have the public security organs done to combat cybercrimes and clean up the online environment? Thank you.

Sun Maoli:

This is a very realistic question that reflects the changes of our times. I would like to ask Mr. Wang Yingwei to answer this question.

Wang Yingwei:

Thanks for your question. In recent years, the rapid development of internet technologies and the industry have brought convenience to the people but also bred new kinds and new ecology of crimes in cyberspace. By focusing on various kinds of illegal activities on the internet, the public security organs of all levels strived to crack down on those crimes across the whole chain and clean up the internet ecology through clampdowns, management, and governance, contributing to the security of cyberspace and the stability of order in cyberspace. In 2018, the MPS began a five-year campaign to clean up the online environment. Through both cluster operations and targeted rectifications, we have launched powerful offensives against illegal online activities, intending to meet people's satisfaction and stabilize the online order.

First, we have cracked down on illegal activities in cyberspace. Focusing on illegal and criminal acts that seriously endanger online order and the rights and interests of the people, we have introduced concrete measures to crack down on individuals and gangs. These crimes include the infringement of personal information, hacker attacks, black properties on the internet, online gambling, online pornography, and false online information. Since the campaign started, we have resolved 255,000 cybercrimes and arrested 385,000 suspects.

Second, we have clamped down on the ecology of cybercrime. By focusing on the key elements of cybercrime, including material supply, technical support, advertisements, and payments and settlements, the public security organs insisted on hitting where it hurts, cracking down on the whole value chain and the criminal ecology, and strictly controlled and dealt with the individuals, gangs and enterprises involved in cases in accordance with the law, effectively cutting off their interest chains. In 2021, we had cracked down on over 6,000 gangs related to illegal payments and settlement and arrested over 73,000 suspects.

Third, we have strengthened regulations regarding online order. The public security organs attach equal importance to cracking down on crimes and rectifying the order, effectively strengthening the source management of online platforms, constantly strengthening security supervision and inspection and administrative law enforcement, and rectifying internet application services with prominent illegal and harmful information in accordance with the law as well as various internet services used to commit crimes. These efforts aim to promote the healthy and orderly development of the internet industry and its ecology. At the same time, we have deepened the "double investigations of one case" and strictly investigated the enterprises involved in cybercrime cases that fail to fulfill their security management obligations. Since the campaign was launched, a total of 162,000 internet enterprises and organizations have been given administrative penalties following the law.

Next, the public security organs will continue to administer and govern cyberspace in accordance with the law, continue cracking down on all kinds of online criminal acts, and thoroughly addressing illegal and illicit behavior and disorder online, so as to constantly purify the cyber ecology and guarantee the construction of the Peaceful China initiative. Thank you.

Xinhua News Agency:

In recent years, there have been frequent cases of telecom and internet fraud, which are deeply abhorred by the public. Many of these fraudsters hide abroad. What are the difficulties in cracking down on such crimes? And what targeted measures have the public security organs taken to address the matter? Thank you.

Sun Maoli:

Thank you for your questions. In recent years, with the rapid development of the information society, huge changes have taken place in the structure of crimes, with traditional crime declining and new types of cybercrimes represented by telecom and internet fraud flourishing. Cybercrime has grown rapidly in every country around the world. Especially in the context of the pandemic, the shift of public life and production from offline to online has accelerated, which has further increased such crimes. Telecom and internet fraud has become a global problem that is difficult to combat and govern. First, it is more difficult to combat transnational organized crime. Groups of fraudsters overseas are well organized, have clear division of work and are characterized by multi-industry support, industrialized distribution, collectivized operation and fine division of labor. Second, methods of fraud are quickly updated and changed. Fraud groups usually keep up with social hotspots and continuously update their criminal tools and fraud techniques through new technologies and new forms of business, including blockchain, metaverse, virtual currency, artificial intelligence (AI) and GSM over IP (GoIP), which has made such crimes more hidden and deceptive. Third, there are restrictions on cross-border crackdowns. Currently, 80% of crimes involving telecom and internet fraud originate overseas, but cracking down on them across borders has become more difficult during the pandemic. Fourth, more efforts are needed to control the sources of crime. Because of incomplete territorial responsibilities in some key areas, fraudsters cannot be controlled or persuaded to return. A large number of key personnel involved in fraud crimes are still hiding overseas. Fifth, international cooperation needs to be strengthened. Framework agreements for international police cooperation in combating such crimes need to be improved, as it is difficult to launch investigation procedures in a timely manner to conduct cross-border crackdowns or collect evidence.

In response, the MPS has earnestly implemented the decisions and deployments of the CPC Central Committee, focused on special research, special teams, special investigations and professional equipment, and joined together both internal and external forces. Relying on the inter-departmental joint meeting mechanism of the State Council, we worked with the National Immigration Administration and other departments and actively overcame the impact of the epidemic. We have mainly worked on the following aspects: First is promoting international law enforcement cooperation by all means. China has sent several working groups to Southeast Asia, the Middle East and other overseas regions to conduct international law enforcement cooperation. Nearly 1,000 suspects have been repatriated from other countries, which has formed a powerful deterrent to overseas fraud groups. Second is combating cross-border crime based on domestic efforts through multiple measures. We have repeatedly launched campaigns against crimes involving telecom and internet fraud. Bank card traffickers were cracked down on, which squeezed the space for criminals to operate. Domestic and foreign criminal gangs were investigated and punished, cutting off smuggling channels. Key leaders and targets of criminal gangs both domestically and overseas were pursued and arrested. Third is intensifying source control. Relying on the inter-departmental joint meeting mechanism of the State Council, the responsibilities of local Party committees and local governments at all levels have been strengthened. We stressed persistent efforts not only in intercepting and dissuading but also in education and persuasion, so as to reduce the number of fraudsters committing crimes abroad and squeeze the operating space of fraudsters overseas as much as possible.

That's all from me. 

CCTV:

In recent years, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council have made many arrangements regarding the crime prevention and control system. Just now, Mr. Sun mentioned that the system has become an important measure in promoting the construction of the Peaceful China initiative. Could you please introduce details of the important measures and achievements in promoting the system? Thank you.

Sun Maoli:

The crime prevention and control system is a basic measure and support for the Peaceful China initiative. Regarding this question, Mr. Qiu will give you a more detailed introduction.

Qiu Baoli:

Thank you for your interest in this issue. The CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has attached great importance to the construction of the crime prevention and control system, and the CPC Central Committee and the State Council have made decisions and deployments many times. In order to earnestly implement these arrangements, the MPS regards the system as a foundation for the higher level of the Peaceful China initiative, and an important carrier for enhancing the capability of dealing with the complex security situation. To improve the integrality, collaboration and precision of crime prevention and control, we are continuously optimizing top-level design and improving the institutional mechanism. We also guide public security organs across the country to coordinate the allocation of forces, consolidate construction of the fulcrum, strengthen scientific and technological support and optimize the prevention and control mechanism. By doing so, the system has played an important role in maintaining the overall stability of social order, ensuring safety for major events and combating COVID-19.

Since the 19th CPC National Congress, in order to further implement the construction of the crime prevention and control system, the MPS has launched a campaign to build demonstration cities under the national crime prevention and control system. We guided local public security organs across China to establish demonstration cities as the key point, provided models and demonstrations as the guide, conducted crime prevention and control work with strong professionalism, and extensively carried out crime prevention and control with public participation and explored ways to promote intelligent crime prevention and control. We have built 21,000 police posts on streets, 136,000 police offices in communities, and 5,026 smart police checkpoints. We have built 256,000 intelligent security communities, including 778,000 intelligent security housing estates, and fostered 21,000 social organizations regarding safety. Through the above measures, we have effectively improved the three-dimensional and intelligent level of crime prevention and control system. Compared with 2012, the number of China's snatch and robbery cases decreased by 96.1%, and theft cases dropped by 62.6% in 2021. Approximately 218,000 housing estates have maintained a zero-crime rate. In particular, the enthusiasm of people to participate in social security governance ran unprecedentedly high. Beijing's Chaoyang district as well as the cities of Shenyang, Hangzhou, Suzhou, Xiamen and Shenzhen have become famous for social-wide efforts in preventing and controlling crimes. It has promoted integrated prevention and control mechanisms through public participation, created "peaceful community" by combining the efforts of both police and the people, and given a strong boost to sound governance.

Going forward, the MPS will earnestly implement the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and pursue a holistic approach to national security. We will organize the public security organs across China to build a "demonstration cities" campaign as leverage, promote the development of the crime prevention and control system to a higher level with wider coverage and scope, and continue to improve the overall efficiency of the crime prevention and control system. We will strive to help our people have a sense of gain, happiness, and security that is stronger, more secured and more sustainable and make greater contributions to reaching a higher level in building a peaceful China. Thank you.

CNR:

China's total number of motor vehicles and length of roads open to traffics already rank first in the world. How is our country's current road traffic safety? Has there been any change in our country's road traffic safety index in recent years? Thank you.

Sun Maoli:

Thank you. Road traffic safety is important to millions of families. We have done a lot of work and achieved good results. I'd like to invite Mr. Li Jiangping, director of the ministry's traffic management bureau, to answer these questions.

Li Jiangping:

Thank you for your questions. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the public security organs across China have adhered to putting people and their lives first and closely focused on the principles of preventing accidents, ensuring safety, and smooth traffic, and have done our best to ensure the continuous and steady improvement in road traffic safety. By the end of June, China has seen the motor vehicle ownership and the number of drivers reaching 406 million and 492 million respectively, with an increase of 160 million in the former and 227 million in the latter compared with 2012. The various indicators of road traffic safety continued to improve. The number of major traffic accidents dropped from 25 in 2012 to four in 2021, with no serious traffic accidents for 33 consecutive months. The number of traffic accidents involving three or more deaths has declined 59.3%. First, we strengthened top-level design. We submitted the opinions on strengthening road traffic safety to the State Council for them to be issued and issued the 12th and 13th Five-Year Plans for road traffic safety. We will also release the 14th Five-Year Plan for road traffic safety to implement road traffic safety tasks and major projects in an orderly manner. Second, we improved the legal and institutional system. We promoted law-based governance; established a system of laws, regulations and technical standards with the road traffic safety law being the most important part of it; and pushed serious traffic violations such as drunk driving to be integrated into the scope of criminal law. Third, we strengthened risk prevention and control at the source. We promoted the implementation of highway safety and life protection projects and had nearly 700,000 kilometers of dangerous roads treated. We continued to tackle the potential risks regarding four types of vehicles, namely tourist charter buses, shuttle buses to and from nonadjacent counties or covering even longer distance, special vehicles conveying dangerous cargoes, and heavy trucks, and joined with relevant departments to tackle the illegal refitting, gauge-exceeding and overloading of freight cars. We strictly managed the order of road traffic and investigated and severely punished traffic violations that were prone to cause accidents and troubles. Fourth, we strengthened foundational work at the primary level. We improved the rural traffic management mechanism with the principle of "led by the county, managed in the township, and extended to the village." We made efforts to establish traffic control stations and traffic safety persuasion stations and station traffic safety officers and traffic safety assistants in rural areas. We upgraded and remodeled the public security traffic management platform, strengthened the construction and application of the highway traffic safety prevention and control system, and promoted the transformation and upgrading of traffic management to be more IT-based and smarter. Fifth, we continued to strengthen publicity and education on traffic safety. We pushed the designation of December 2 every year as "National Traffic Safety Day" to raise the public's awareness of traffic safety. We also comprehensively popularized an internet service platform and a mobile application for traffic management, which provided an average of 331 million safety warnings and critical business tips for drivers point-to-point every year.

At present, China's road traffic safety faces many new situations and problems, with plenty of security risks and hidden dangers. Next, public security organs across the country will focus on the prevention of road traffic accidents by reducing the volume of traffic accidents and controlling the occurrence of major traffic accidents, and launch a 100-day campaign to address prominent traffic violations in the summer to create a safer and smoother road traffic environment for people to travel. Thank you.

Red Star News:

It is known that the MPS launched a special nationwide campaign to crack down on the abduction and trafficking of women and children in March. Could you please brief us on the campaign? Thank you.

Sun Maoli:

Thank you for your question. For details, I'd like to invite Mr. Liu Zhongyi to answer the question.

Liu Zhongyi:

Thank you for asking this question. In March, the MPS, together with the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the National Health Commission, and the All-China Women's Federation, launched a one-year nationwide special campaign to crack down on the crimes of abducting and trafficking women and children, making all-out efforts to clear up pending cases of abducting and trafficking women and children, arrest suspects, and search for missing and abducted women and children. So far, a total of 906 cases of abducting and trafficking women and children have been solved, 1,198 missing and abducted women and children have been searched, and 1,069 suspects of abduction have been arrested. The campaign has made initial progress.

To ensure the success of the special campaign, the MPS has attached great importance to it by holding a number of special studies and making unified plans. Local public security organs have made solid efforts by leveraging the strengths of modern science and technology, and reforming the working methods to ensure that all measures for the campaign were effective.

First, we have delivered a solid performance in tracing clues and collecting information. The MPS has deployed local public security organs to carry out special tracings of abduction clues. They focused on missing abducted women, children, and their parents, as well as those suspected of having been abducted and trafficked, as well as those of unknown identity, for tracing clues and collecting DNA. The MPS Criminal Investigation Bureau has collected the addresses and telephone numbers of more than 5,000 free blood collection sites of public security organs around the country and released them through the bureau's official WeChat and Weibo accounts to make it convenient for the public to quickly contact public security organs for free blood collection nearby.

Second, we have held an intense contest to analyze criminal techniques. The MPS has selected a group of criminal technique and intelligence analysis experts around the country to launch a criminal technique competition online. We have pooled the wisdom of experts, gathered data resources, strengthened professional collaboration, innovated the application of methods, and comprehensively applied new technologies and means to facilitate special campaigns.

Third, we have intensified the investigation of major cases. The MPS has supervised the handling of 116 major cases regarding the abduction and trafficking women and children, and guided local authorities in organizing competent strengths to solve crimes. Seven A-level warrants and 19 B-level warrants were issued. The MPS and the Supreme People's Procuratorate, as well as the Supreme People's Court have jointly issued a circular urging suspects of abduction and trafficking to turn themselves in so as to eliminate the breeding ground for trafficking crimes to the maximum extent.

Fourth, we have continued to take comprehensive measures against the crimes. The State Council has enacted China's Action Plan against Human Trafficking (2021-2030). At present, the MPS, as the lead organ of the inter-ministerial joint conference on anti-trafficking under the State Council, is promoting 35 members to formulate detailed rules to implement the action plan so as to form a joint effort in the comprehensive social governance of anti-trafficking, gradually establish and improve a long-term anti-trafficking mechanism integrating prevention, combating, aiding, and recovering, and create a favorable social atmosphere for anti-trafficking. Thank you.

People's Daily:

Cybersecurity matters to the national security, social stability, and people's well-being and is a key part in building a safer China at a higher level. What measures have public security organs taken to protect cybersecurity? Thank you.

Sun Maoli:

Thank you for your question. I'd like to invite Mr. Wang Yingwei to answer. 

Wang Yingwei: 

Thank you for your question. In recent years, information construction and its applications in China have accelerated, and the deep integration of the digital economy and real economy demands more from cybersecurity. As the cybersecurity regulatory department, public security organs have fulfilled their duties and guided and supervised other organs and departments to implement the requirements of the national cybersecurity hierarchical protection system and key information infrastructure security protection system as well as continued to improve China's cybersecurity and data security protection capabilities so as to protect the growth of the digital economy.

First, we have improved the cybersecurity protection system. We have promoted the establishment of a hierarchical cybersecurity protection system and earnestly implemented it. We have refined the security protection system for key information infrastructure, organized the formulation of supporting policies and technological standards, guided and supervised network operators to fulfill their primary responsibilities, and strengthened cybersecurity management and technical protection to raise the level of security protection.

Second, we have conducted regular cybersecurity supervision, inspection, and administrative law enforcement. Public security organs organize cybersecurity supervision and inspection of key information infrastructure and important information systems every year. Through on-site scrutiny and technological testing, potential dangers are quickly detected, rectification is urged, and network operators are supervised to fulfill their security protection responsibilities and obligations in accordance with the law. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, hundreds of thousands of police officers have been deployed to supervise and inspect nearly 100,000 entities and more than 300,000 information systems, identifying and eliminating more than 2.2 million potential cybersecurity and data security risks of various types.

Third, we have strengthened the capacity of cybersecurity notification, early warning, and incident handling. We have ameliorated the national information updating mechanism on the network and information security, organized real-time monitoring, updating, early warning, and response regarding cybersecurity, and addressed several incidents promptly, effectively safeguarding national cybersecurity.

Next, the public security organs will comprehensively promote cybersecurity in a practical, systematic, and regular manner and carry out dynamic, active, deep defense, accurate protection, and integrated and coordinated prevention and control. We will upgrade the comprehensive cybersecurity prevention and control system to fully safeguard the security of national key information infrastructure, vital information systems, and data. Thank you.

China News Service:

In recent years, what has been done by the public security organs to strengthen political training, promote the training of all police officers under real combat conditions, and continuously improve the quality and ability of the public security team? What are the achievements?

Sun Maoli:

Thank you. The public security organs are the main force in building a peaceful China. The public security team is the foundation and guarantee to get our work done well. Now, Mr. Wu Deqing will answer your questions.

Wu Deqing:

Thank you for your care and support in cultivating the public security team. In recent years, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee, the MPS Party Committee has organized public security organs nationwide to study and implement General Secretary Xi Jinping's important expositions and instructions on public security for a new era. It has firmly taken strengthening political training and real combat training for all police officers as a fundamental way to enhance their combat effectiveness. Since 2019, in particular, the public security organs have focused on practical and effective results and organized a three-year real combat training program for all police officers based on strict, challenging, and high-level standards. This has effectively improved the political quality, professional ability, and practical skills of the public security team.

First, we have strengthened political rotation training. The public security organs at all levels have taken thoroughly studying and implementing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as their primary political task and as the top topic of their Party committees. It is also the first major compulsory course for theoretical study groups, police education, and training of all types and levels, as well as public security colleges and universities. Coupled with Party history study and themed education activities, we have organized more than 75,000 sessions of political rotation training classes of various kinds with more than 6.023 million attendees. Through our efforts, we have helped consolidate the public security team's ideological foundation to hold the banner high, obey the Party's command, and stay true to their mission.

Second, we have enhanced professional training under real combat conditions. Focusing on combat effectiveness standards and based on real combat requirements, the public security organs nationwide have held more than 300,000 sessions of various police skill and tactic training classes and professional training classes to improve their professionalism. To effectively prevent and defuse major risks and challenges and increase the ability to deal with and navigate complicated situations, more than 250,000 confrontational contests and real combat drills of various types have been conducted. We have organized and carried out three rounds of exchanges and cooperation among public security organs across the country to improve police officers' quality. Through paired-up assistance, exchange for training, and sending teachers to localities, we have trained many elites for public security organs in the western region.

Third, we have intensified real combat teaching reform. Public security organs at all levels have always focused on training professional personnel in public security colleges and universities and highlighted political standards and professional capabilities. We have continuously deepened the reform of the recruitment and training mechanism of police officers and refined the coordination mechanism between admission of public security colleges and universities and recruitment of public security organs. We have promoted the reform of real combat teaching in public security colleges and universities and upgraded the mechanism of schools cooperating with public security organs for collaborative education and the talent training model integrating teaching, training, and combat. We have further developed majors, courses, teaching materials, and teachers that meet the needs of real combat and constantly improved the quality of personnel training.

Fourth, we have strengthened basic guarantee for real combats. The public security organs at all levels have made unremitting efforts to build up grassroots and fundamental capacities and made further progress in the guarantee of instructors, bases, teaching materials, and IT application. At present, public security organs across the country have recruited more than 90,000 full-time and part-time instructors of police techniques and tactics and professional police instructors. Provincial and municipal public security organs have all built their public security training bases. Over half of the county-level public security organs have built their own or jointly built public security training bases. At the same time, public security organs across the country organized the compiling and release of 984,000 training manuals, case compilations, and micro-courses. We also organized the setup of an online college for public security education and training to build a full-coverage and modern online training system. Thank you.

Southern Metropolis Daily:

In the past decade, the public security system has been vigorously promoting standard law enforcement. What have been the main efforts in ensuring impartial, standard and civilized law enforcement? What substantive results have been achieved? Thank you.

Sun Maoli:

Public security organs are law enforcement organs in terms of their basic responsibilities. Therefore, law enforcement and case handling are public security organs' main responsibility and business as well as the basic means and method of performing services for the people. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, public security organs across the country have thoroughly studied and implemented Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law, firmly grasped the requirements that law must be enforced in a strict, standard, impartial, and civil manner, focused on the goal of achieving rule-of-law-based public security, and continued to deepen efforts to promote standard law enforcement.

First, the institutional framework for law enforcement is more improved and complete. In contributing to public security legislation in key areas, we worked with the legislature to formulate such important laws and regulations as the Anti-Terrorism Law and the Cybersecurity Law. At the same time, we continued to improve law enforcement norms and standardize law enforcement procedures. We revised and improved the provisions on the procedures for handling criminal and administrative cases by public security organs, and formulated detailed law enforcement rules and on-site law enforcement guidelines, providing clear and specific norms and procedures for law enforcement and case handling at the grassroots level and reducing the arbitrariness of law enforcement.

Second, law enforcement is supervised and managed more systematically and strictly. We continued to deepen the reform of the law enforcement supervision and management mechanism and strive to build a systematic, strict and efficient system. We deepened the reform of the system for accepting and filing cases, and promoted the unified review of key law enforcement links in criminal cases by the legal department of public security organs and their unified connection with the procuratorial organs. We implemented the legal personnel system in grassroots law enforcement units such as police stations to strengthen law enforcement and case handling quality control. We improved the coordination and supervision mechanism between public security organs and procuratorial organs and consciously accepted supervision in all aspects.

Third, law enforcement service guarantee is more intelligent and efficient. We have standardized the setting of case handling areas of all grassroots law enforcement sites such as police stations. At the same time, following the principles of pursuing safe, standard, intensive, intelligent and efficient operation, we have built one-stop law enforcement and case-handling management centers in public security organs at the city and county levels and integrated the guarantee of management and supervision services for law enforcement and case handling. Up to now, public security organs across the country have built 2,994 law enforcement and case-handling management centers, or 97.4% of the planned number. We have fully promoted online case handling so that law enforcement and case handling have become more standard, transparent and efficient while law enforcement supervision is more precise. Relying on information technology, we have established and improved the entire law enforcement process record system, and achieved traceability and retrospective management of the entire process of law enforcement activities.

Fourth, law enforcement capability has achieved remarkable progress. We carried out in-depth study, education and publicity on Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law, strengthened education on the socialist idea of the rule of law, deepened real combat training among all policemen, organized textbook law enforcement training, and promoted law enforcement qualification exams, all in a bid to constantly improve the legal literacy of policemen and their ability to apply the law. Up to now, more than 1.9 million police officers still at work in public security organs across China have obtained basic law enforcement qualifications, and 60,000 have obtained advanced law enforcement qualifications. Thank you.

China Daily:

Since drunk driving was criminalized in 2011, the public security organs have continued to strictly rectify driving under the influence (DUI), which has led to a good atmosphere in the whole society that "If you are to drive, do not drink; if you drink, don't drive." How would you comment on the results achieved since drunk driving was criminalized? Thank you.

Sun Maoli:

This is an issue of great concern to the whole society. The criminal penalty for drunk driving is a successful example of China's preventive criminal legislation. "If you are to drive, do not drink; if you drink, don't drive" has also become one of our public security organs' most successful examples of law enforcement and law popularization. Regarding the specific situation, I would ask Mr. Li Jiangping, head of the Traffic Management Bureau, to answer your question.

Li Jiangping:

Ok, I'll take this question. Since drunk driving was criminalized in 2011, the public security organs across the country have maintained a strict rectification momentum against DUI. We worked closely with procuratorates and courts in this regard and achieved unification of political, legal and social effects on rectifications against DUI. Judging from the practical results of the past 11 years, the rectification against drunk driving is a successful practice of making full use of the rule-of-law thinking and the rule-of-law approach to solve the problems in traffic safety management and ensure traffic safety.

First, the incidence of DUI has dropped significantly. For example, the proportion of drunk driving found in every 100 vehicles inspected during law enforcement has decreased by more than 70% compared with that before the drunk driving criminalization. For another example, from the choice of the way people travel after drinking, most people can consciously choose chauffeur driving, and the average annual number of orders for chauffeur driving after drinking has reached 200 million.

Second, the number of casualties caused by DUI has been greatly reduced. Since China criminalized drunk driving in 2011, the number of motor vehicles in the country has risen by 89% and drivers by 123%, but the road safety situation nationwide has generally been stable for the past 11 years. Tens of thousands of alcohol-related traffic accidents have been reduced, preventing tens of thousands of families from breaking up or returning to poverty, which fully demonstrates the original aspiration of putting lives first behind China's criminalizing drunk driving.

Third, not DUI has become a consensus among society. It has become a conscious behavior of more and more people, as well as a rule of civility and a regulation universally identified and supported by society. Judging from public opinion surveys, people fully recognize the effectiveness of enforcing the law, and support continuous severe crackdowns on DUI.

Fourth, criminalizing drunk driving has been hailed as a model of the rule of law in China. In cleaning up DUI, we have been upholding the principle that everyone is equal before the law, and that the law is the only standard. "Managing other issues related to people's lives as dealing with drunk driving" has become a model of governance, setting a good example for promoting the development of the country under the rule of law, as well as law-based government and society.

Fifth, cleaning up DUI has effectively improved Party conduct and integrity. Strictly dealing with cases of DUI involving Party and public officials has become an important part of the current clean government building, effectively raising Party and public officials' awareness of discipline and helping them hold the discipline in awe and respect, and not cross the line. All these efforts have played a positive role in addressing the practice of formalities for formalities' sake, bureaucratism, hedonism and extravagance.

Good law and good governance will achieve final success. DUI has repetitive, stubborn and long-term features, so any relaxation will lead to a rebound in cases. I would like to take this opportunity to call on people from all walks of life to join hands and remind relatives and friends to resolutely resist the illegal and criminal offence of DUI, and together create a safe and civilized road traffic environment. Thank you.

Shou Xiaoli:

There are still two journalists with their hands raised. We'll take those two final questions.

Cover News:

The recent Tangshan assault case has aroused widespread concern among the public. What has the MPS done following the incident? What future steps will you take in combating organized crime and rooting out local gangs to safeguard public security? Thank you.

Sun Maoli:

As you said, the Tangshan assault incident is a criminal case that caused a high degree of concern among society. I would like to invite Mr. Liu Zhongyi, director general of the Criminal Investigation Bureau of the MPS, to introduce the work done following the incident.

Liu Zhongyi:

Thank you for your questions. The assault at the barbecue restaurant in Tangshan has attracted widespread attention and caused negative social impact. The MPS has attached great importance to it, promptly sending a working team and dispatching experts nationwide to guide investigation of the case. At present, the investigation is progressing smoothly, and the specific circumstances will be announced to the public.

We fully understand the great attention of the whole society to the investigation and handling of the case. Because of that, the task force has gone all out to carry out investigation on every clue of illegal and criminal activities involved so as to ensure that the facts are clear and the evidence is conclusive. Please believe that public security organs will thoroughly investigate the entire case and severely punish the crime in accordance with the law.

In response to issues of the crackdown on gang crimes and public security that the people are strongly concerned about, the public security organs nationwide, under the arrangement of the MPS, recently carried out the "100-Day Campaign" to crack down on illegal and criminal activities in summer, which is required by the task, the situation, and the people. Strictly cracking down on illegal and criminal activities that the people are strongly concerned about in accordance with the law enables the people to feel that safety is within reach and that protection is close by. We have been adhering to the policy of fiercely cracking down on crimes in accordance with the law. Not only should we solve major cases quickly, but we also solve more small cases. Not only should the campaign bring a deterrent effect, but it should also resolve issues effectively. Up to now, in the 100-day campaign to crack down on major crimes and reduce security risks this summer, criminal investigation departments have solved a total of 49,000 criminal cases of various types and arrested 72,000 criminal suspects, effectively maintaining the overall stability of public security.

At the same time, we will follow the arrangements and requirements of the CPC Central Committee and continue to crack down on organized crime and root out local criminal gangs on a regular basis. The Party Committee of the MPS has issued opinions of the MPS on regular crackdowns on gang crimes, which comprehensively summarized and solidified the experience and practices of the campaign, improved the working mechanism, and launched a series of campaigns in response to the new situations of gang crimes, focusing on cracking down on organized crimes in traditional areas such as "village tyrants," "sand tyrants," and "mine tyrants," and severely punishing organized criminal activities on internet, including those that involve loan traps and "naked chat" blackmail. Extensive action has been taken to carry out the campaign to catch "fishes that slip through the net" in an effort to hunt down criminal fugitives involved in organized crimes. Since the launch of the crackdown on gang crimes on a regular basis, public security organs have destroyed 249 gang-related organizations, 1,486 criminal groups, and arrested 22,000 criminal suspects, effectively consolidating the achievements of the campaigns.

Next, the public security organs will seize the opportunity of promoting and implementing the Anti-organized Crime Law and resolutely implement the decisions and plans made by the CPC Central Committee. We will create a new landscape in anti-organized crime in which we reshape the situation through crack down on crimes, combine punishment with prevention, make proactive efforts, actively detect crimes, make comprehensive crack downs, carry out targeted prevention and control, fight crimes in an integrated way, and cooperate efficiently so as to constantly enhance the rule of law, standardization, and professionalism in crackdown on gang crimes and to help people feel more satisfied, happier, and more secure. Thank you.

Tianmu News:

In the 1960s, Fengqiao, a town in Zhuji city, Zhejiang province, developed the well-known "Fengqiao Experience." What has been done in the new era by public security organs to adhere to and develop the "Fengqiao Experience" and promote diverse solutions for resolving conflicts and disputes? And can you share with us any good experiences and practices? Thank you.

Sun Maoli:

The "Fengqiao Experience" is a vivid example of socialization of social governance and participation of the whole of society in building a peaceful China and has delivered very good results. Mr. Qiu Baoli, will introduce specific experiences and practices. 

Qiu Baoli:

Thank you for your attention to this issue. The MPS has always attached great importance to identifying and defusing conflicts and disputes. Thoroughly implementing Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law, the MPS has guided public security organs to adhere to and develop the "Fengqiao Experience" in the new era, rolled out special programs in this regard, and actively engaged in a comprehensive mechanism to prevent, mediate, and resolve conflicts and disputes with diversified methods. We also strived to ensure that no conflict is passed on to higher authorities, and ensure a peaceful society and adequate services entailed.

In 2019, in order to earnestly implement the important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping that the "Fengqiao Experience" should be adhered to and developed, and the mass line of the Party should be adhered to and thoroughly implemented, with the approval of the CPC Central Committee, the MPS launched the program of building Fengqiao-style police stations in public security organs nationwide, which served as an important part of public security organs adhering to and developing the "Fengqiao Experience" in the new era and actively engaging in resolving conflicts and disputes with diversified methods. At the same time, facing new situations and new problems since the outbreak of COVID-19, the MPS guided public security organs nationwide to carry out the program of police officers providing door-to-door services. With a focus on COVID-19 related and other conflicts and disputes, we made efforts to address people's concerns and difficulties, and prevented different types of conflicts from being intertwined. We also did our best to solve problems at the primary level, at the local level, and at the initial stage. Police stations have gained a better understanding of social conditions and popular feelings, through door-to-door visits, department briefings, and talks with the public, as well as in the process of receiving and disposing calls to the police, investigating and handling cases, and stationing in communities. We strived to achieve early detection, full intervention, and timely mediation of conflicts and disputes. The diverse solution for resolving conflicts and disputes has been fully promoted by means of synergy between police stations and courts, people's mediation at police stations, and lawyers providing services at police stations. According to incomplete statistics, in 2021, police stations nationwide investigated and resolved 6.05 million conflicts and disputes and addressed 3.88 million safety hazards, effectively preventing the occurrence of a large number of cases. 

Next, the MPS will guide public security organs nationwide to adhere to and develop the "Fengqiao Experience" in the new era, continue to promote the program of building Fengqiao-style police stations, strengthen foundational work at primary level with a priority on police stations, thoroughly resolve conflicts and disputes, and prevent and control risks and potential dangers so as to provide strong support for reaching a higher level in building a peaceful China. Thank you.

Shou Xiaoli:

Thank you to all the speakers and friends from the media. Today's briefing is hereby concluded. See you!

Translated and edited by Guo Yiming, Zhang Rui, Lin Liyao, Zhou Jing, Dong Qingpei, Liu Sitong, Xu Xiaoxuan, Zhang Tingting, Li Huiru, Xu Kailin, Ma Yujia, Duan Yaying, Wang Qian, Wang Yiming, Yuan Fang, David Ball, Tom Arnsten, and Jay Birbeck. In case of any discrepancy between the English and Chinese texts, the Chinese version is deemed to prevail.

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Read in Chinese

Speakers:

Tong Jianming, grand prosecutor and first deputy prosecutor general of the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP)

Zhang Xiaojin, head of the Fourth Procuratorial Office of the SPP

Hu Weilie, head of the Eighth Procuratorial Office of the SPP

Gao Jingfeng, head of the Law Policy Research Office of the SPP

Chairperson:

Chen Wenjun, spokesperson of the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC)

Date:

July 18, 2022

Chen Wenjun:

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to this press conference held by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee. Today, we are holding the 16th press conference under the theme of "China in the past decade." We have invited Mr. Tong Jianming, grand prosecutor and first deputy prosecutor general of the SPP, who will brief you on the progress and effect of legal supervision of the people's procuratorates in the new era and answer your questions. Also present at the press conference today are Mr. Zhang Xiaojin, head of the Fourth Procuratorial Office of the SPP, Mr. Hu Weilie, head of the Eighth Procuratorial Office of the SPP, and Mr. Gao Jingfeng, head of the Law Policy Research Office of the SPP.

Now, let's give the floor to Mr. Tong for his introduction.

Tong Jianming:

Friends from the press, good morning. I'm very glad to be attending this press conference held by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee under the theme of "China in the past decade." First, I would like to express my thanks for your interest in and support for the work of the people's procuratorates.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has attached great importance to the legal supervision of the people's procuratorates. General Secretary Xi Jinping has made a series of important instructions, pointing out the direction for the development of the Party's procuratorial undertakings in the new era. Under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee, the people's procuratorates have adhered to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and thoroughly implemented Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law. We have acquired 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, and increased our awareness of the need to maintain political integrity, think in big-picture terms, follow the leadership core, and maintain alignment with the central Party leadership. We have stayed confident in the path, the theory, the system and the culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics. We have firmly upheld Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and upheld the Central Committee's authority and its centralized, unified leadership. We have conscientiously implemented the Opinions of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Strengthening the Legal Supervision of Procuratorial Organs in the New Era. Keeping in mind the political guidance, we have taken into account the big picture, sought development and focused on self-improvement, and actively exercised our four major functions regarding criminal, civil, administrative and public interest litigation in accordance with the law. We have provided a strong judicial guarantee for high-quality economic and social development. Our work has mainly focused on the following five aspects:

First, we have coordinated development and security, serving the overarching tasks of the Party and the country. The procuratorates have always regarded serving high-quality economic and social development as their fundamental mission. Adopting a holistic approach to national security, we have punished all types of criminal offenses in accordance with the law, and created a harmonious and stable social environment for economic and social development. From 2013 to June this year, 8.58 million criminal suspects were arrested and 14.9 million were prosecuted. We have carried out a three-year special campaign against organized crime, adhering to "not letting a single criminal involved in gang activities remain at large and not wrongly convicting any innocent persons." 230,000 gang-related criminals and 2,987 people acting as "protective umbrellas" have been prosecuted. Through continuous efforts, the Party has led the people in sustaining rapid economic development and long-term social stability. From 2013 to 2021, the number of people prosecuted for suspected serious violent crimes dropped from 108,000 to 59,000. Given the notable changes in the structure of crimes, such as the continuous decline of serious crimes and the increase in the proportion of misdemeanors year by year, we have exercised the policy of being prudent when making arrest decisions and reducing the numbers of arrests and detentions. The ratio of criminal cases without arrest and without prosecution climbed from 17.9% and 4.9% in 2013 to 39.2% and 23.5% in the first half of this year. The percentage of pre-prosecution custody made by procuratorial organs has dropped from 61.1% in 2013 to 32.7% in the first half of this year, marking notable judicial progress. Leveraging the procuratorial function, we have actively created a law-based business environment. The punishment of economic crimes has been intensified. From 2013 to June this year, 1.03 million people were prosecuted for crimes that undermined the order of the market economy. We have also protected intellectual property rights in an all-round way by overseeing criminal, civil and administrative proceedings to serve innovation-driven development. In 2021, 14,000 people were prosecuted for intellectual property infringement, an increase of 59.3% over 2013. A procuratorial office was established in the China Securities Regulatory Commission to facilitate the healthy development of the capital market. We have explored and carried out pilot reforms for enterprise compliance. When handling cases involving enterprises, procuratorial organs can choose not to approve arrest or prosecute to the full extent in accordance with the law and urge the enterprises involved to make commitments to comply and rectify. Through both "lenient practice" and "strict regulation," we worked to prevent the situation whereby "cases are handled but the businesses are shut down," and a group of companies involved have transformed themselves and embarked on the track of operating in compliance with laws and regulations. 

Second, following a people-centered approach, we have worked to resolve the most pressing difficulties and problems that are of great concern to the people. We have strived to handle every case directly affecting the people with concentrated attention. At the "two sessions" in 2019, the SPP promised that "all letters from the masses will be provided with a procedural reply within seven days and the handling process or result reply within three months." As of June this year, the procuratorial organs have received 3.16 million letters and visits from the people, and responded to nearly 95%. We have earnestly implemented the Law on the Protection of Minors, and exercised zero tolerance for crimes against minors, prosecuting 256,000 people from 2018 to June this year. The mandatory reporting and background check systems of people who mistreat minors established in conjunction with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Public Security have been included into laws.

Third, we have actively exercised our four major functions and strived to make the people feel a sense of fairness and justice in every judicial case. According to the adjustment of procuratorial functions, a systematic, holistic and radical reform was made to the internal institutions, while the four major functions regarding criminal, civil, administrative and public interest litigation were decided. Over the past few years, we have worked hard in criminal prosecution and promoted the supervision system "integrating arrest and prosecution" to enhance the quality and efficiency of case handling. In response to the people's strong complaints about "sentences not being served" and "payment for early release," we have established an innovative circuit procuratorial system to ensure justice in prisons and detention centers. On civil proceedings, we have paid attention to precise supervision, and handled typical cases with guiding significance for economic and social development in accordance with the law. From 2013 to June this year, 41,000 protests were filed against civil judgments deemed erroneous. Efforts have been made to carry out supervision on administrative prosecution, with 1,762 protests filed against administrative judgments that were deemed erroneous. While handling administrative appeal cases, we have carried out in-depth substantive resolution of administrative disputes, and have resolved 21,000 administrative disputes, including 1,258 disputes that have lasted more than 10 years. Efforts have been made to do a good job in public interest litigation. We have focused on prominent problems that harm public welfare in the fields of ecological environment, food and drug safety, and increased the intensity of case handling. 169,000 cases were filed in 2021, the first year after the public interest litigation system was officially established, which was 1.5 times that in 2018. Following a win-win approach, 98% of administrative public interest litigation procuratorial proposals have been effectively implemented before litigation, and the "China solution" for public interest judicial protection has been continuously improved.

Fourth, reform of the judicial system has been deepened to improve the socialist procuratorial system with Chinese characteristics. We have made the judicial accountability system a top priority and continued to advance the reform measures of the category-based management of procuratorial personnel and the case handling liability system of prosecutors. We have committed to a scientific management model to enforce judicial accountability. We have introduced an index to evaluate the performances of prosecutors in the wake of the fact that some cases have to go through repeated processes, thereby leaving the litigants in litigation fatigue. Thanks to the evaluation index, we can ensure that prosecutors will do their best at the very beginning of each case. As a result, 864,000 judicial processes, which couldn't decide disputes, were condensed or reduced between 2020 and 2021. The index system has been called the "green GDP" of the judicial system to evaluate the efficiency and effect of case handling. 

Fifth, we have been working ceaselessly to keep ourselves competent to cement the foundation for the long-term development of procuratorial work. We have launched the campaign on Party history learning and education on an ongoing basis, and activities have also been carried out to rectify and consolidate the ranks of procuratorial organs. Training programs have been launched to improve staff members' political awareness and competence. Stepped-up efforts have been made to improve the evaluation system for procuratorial personnel to promote their political caliber, professional competence, and work ethics in a synergized manner. To foster a healthy judicial atmosphere of integrity, we have made great efforts to implement the three sets of regulations on preventing interference with judicial procedures and make greater efforts to ensure prevention and control of judicial interference. 

Going forward, the procuratorial authorities will follow the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law, implement the opinions issued by the CPC Central Committee, and practice the people-centered development philosophy, to improve the efficiency and effect of legal supervision in the new era. We will make further contributions to building a modern socialist country in all respects to set the stage for the 20th National Congress of the CPC with concrete actions. 

That concludes my introduction. Next, my colleagues and I would like to take any questions you are concerned about. 

Chen Wenjun:

Thank you. Now the floor is open for questions. Please identify the media outlet you represent before asking your questions.

Zhonghongwang.com:

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee has attached great importance to the rule of law and political and legal work. In June 2021, the CPC Central Committee released the opinions on strengthening legal supervision of the procuratorial organs in the new era. What efforts have the procuratorial organs made to implement the opinions over the past year? What measures have been adopted to ensure legal supervision and management to achieve high-quality development in the new era? What achievements have been made? Thank you. 

Tong Jianming:

Thank you for your questions. I'll answer this question. Last year, ahead of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC, the CPC Central Committee issued opinions on strengthening the legal supervision of procuratorial organs in the new era, showing the firm resolve of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core to advance law-based governance in all aspects further, and it also shows that the CPC Central Committee has attached great importance to the progress on legal supervision of procuratorial organs. According to our understanding, the opinions aim to use Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law to deal with specific problems concerning legal supervision of the procuratorial organs, which serves and will serve as the guidelines for the procuratorial work at present and for the time to come. 

The opinions pointed out that the people's procuratorates serve as the state organs to perform legal supervision and ensure unified and proper enforcement of state laws. They serve as crucial forces in protecting national and public interests. It identifies roles, responsibilities, and missions that the procuratorial organs need to play and fulfill in the new era. The opinions made 19 specific requirements for the procuratorial organs to ensure that they will serve the overall interests and for the sake of the people; that they need to make comprehensive efforts to improve efficiency and effect of legal supervision; and that they should ramp up efforts to build a stronger team and offer effective organizational support for legal supervision, all of which thereby has charted the course for procuratorial work. 

Over the past year, the Supreme People's Procuratorate and procuratorial organs have always taken the study and implementation of the opinions as a prominent political task and made great efforts to ensure its implementation in the following five aspects. First, the Party's leadership has been the major impetus. Procuratorial organs at all levels report to their respective Party committees and political and legal affairs commissions to ensure that the implementation of the opinions is involved in the work of local Party committees. As many as 30 provincial-level Party committees have issued implementation measures, providing effective guidance and great support for procuratorial organs in fulfilling their duties. Second, implementation measures have been specifically identified. We have set up 54 items of tasks and 222 specific measures, and leading Party members groups need to deal with the difficulties and problems in implementation every two months. Third, we have worked with other political and legal affairs organs to address the difficulties in legal supervision. The Supreme People's Procuratorate and the Ministry of Public Security have jointly issued a guideline and set up a task force to ensure supervision of investigations and facilitate cooperation, starting legal supervision of investigations at an earlier stage. We have also worked with the Supreme People's Court to establish a mechanism to share information regarding legal supervision over civil enforcement. Fourth, our focus has been on improving the efficiency and effect of legal supervision. The Supreme People's Procuratorate has made improving procuratorial work a top priority for this year, aiming to enhance the political building and improve the professional competence of the staff members to ensure that legal supervision can be efficient and effective. Fifth, we have made great efforts to promote the development of local procuratorates with the spirit of conducting poverty alleviation work. Last year, we adopted targeted measures to help 129 local procuratorates to give better play of their roles. As a result, 82 of them have become more functional to fulfill their responsibilities better.

It is an important and long-term political task to implement the opinions. We will further enhance our political awareness and the awareness in advancing the rule of law and procuratorial work to further integrate the implementation of those deployments and requirements identified in the opinions with specific procuratorial work. As such, we can better leverage the role of legal supervision and contribute more to the modernization of China's system and capacity for governance. Thank you. 

China Media Group:

In the new era, security means much more than before, and the people have a higher demand for security. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, I wonder how procuratorial organs have grasped the fundamental requirement of coordinating development and security to safeguard national security and social stability? What efforts have procuratorial organs made to meet the people's higher demand for security? Thank you.

Tong Jianming:

Thank you for your questions. I invite Mr. Zhang Xiaojin, head of the SPP's fourth procuratorial office, to answer your questions. He had long worked in the first procuratorial office before working as the head of the fourth procuratorial office.

Zhang Xiaojin:

Security is the foundation of development, and development provides a guarantee for security. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, procuratorial organs, while upholding the people-centered philosophy, have fulfilled greater political responsibilities and met higher requirements on safeguarding national security, social stability, and the people's wellbeing. On the one hand, we have adhered to a holistic approach to national security and severely cracked down on crimes threatening national security, institutional security, economic security, cyber security, and social stability. We have taken multiple coordinated measures to guard against and defuse various risks and hidden dangers affecting social and economic development. On the other hand, we have thoroughly combined punishment and clemency in handling criminal cases and implemented the judicial policy of reducing the number of arrests and being prudent when making prosecution and custody decisions for criminal cases and a system of sentence bargaining in criminal cases, minimizing social antagonism and promoting social stability.

The safeguard of security is inseparable from constructing standardized and efficient law enforcement and judicial mechanism. In November 2021, the Supreme People's Procuratorate and the Ministry of Public Security jointly issued the Opinions on Improving the Mechanism of Investigation Supervision and Collaboration. Procuratorial and public security organs at all levels have greatly promoted the construction of offices for investigation supervision and collaboration. So far, the offices have covered all the cities and counties. We have promoted standardized law enforcement and impartial administration of justice. In the first half of this year, procuratorial organs supervised the filing of 87.1% of cases and the withdrawal of 95.9% of cases, and 97.3% of written corrections against illegal investigation activities have been adopted. Procuratorial organs and public security have cooperated more closely, effectively improving the quality and efficiency of case handling.

"A case weighs more than a pile of documents." We have put forward new and higher requirements for procuratorial organs on safeguarding security and attached great importance to the guiding and leading role of cases in case handling. From 2019 to 2021, the SPP publicized 44 guiding cases concerning criminal prosecutions in 11 batches, up 183% and 120% over the previous three years, respectively. 490 typical cases in 81 batches were released. 

On your second question, procuratorial organs have worked to meet the people's higher demand for security. They have tried their best to perform procuratorial duties and ensure the people's sense of security.

First, we have tried for three years to crack down on organized crime and root out local criminal gangs. We have handled, following the law, hundreds of major and complex organized and gang-related crime cases, including the Sun Xiaoguo case in Yunnan province, the case of the buried body in the playground in Hunan province, and the Huang Hongfa case in Hainan province, effectively deterring organized crime. We have made it an ongoing effort and achieved steady progress.

Second, in accordance with the law, we have continued to crack down on serious violent crimes that endanger the people's sense of security, crimes against vulnerable groups such as women and children, and other heinous crimes. We have prosecuted and cracked down on criminals severely and resolutely safeguarded people's safety and social stability.

Third, we have strictly punished crimes such as illegal fundraising, telecom and internet fraud, and pension fraud. More than 206,000 people were prosecuted from 2019 to 2021, a powerful deterrent. At the same time, we have guided and urged those involved in cases to take the initiative to pay compensation or surrender ill-gotten gains and done our best to recover the losses for the people. Thank you.

Beijing Radio & Television Station:

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee has made major plans to comprehensively deepen judicial system reform. What measures have procuratorial organs taken to ensure the reform of the judicial responsibility system and the proper exercise of procuratorial power? What has been achieved? Thank you.

Tong Jianming:

I would like to invite Mr. Gao Jingfeng to answer your questions.

Gao Jingfeng:

Thank you for your questions. The judicial responsibility system plays a fundamental role in the reform of the judicial system and is what we must firmly focus on in deepening the reform. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the SPP has continued to consolidate and deepen reform measures such as the category-based management of procurators and the procurator responsibility system for handling cases and actively translated the achievements of reforming the judicial responsibility system into legislation. Some mature practices in this regard have been translated into the provisions of the Organic Law of the People's Procuratorates and the Procurator Law. At the same time, a series of systems for the selection, withdrawal, evaluation, accountability, and punishment of procurators have been established to ensure the implementation of the Organic Law of the People's Procuratorates and the Procurator Law, basically forming a supporting system for the reform of the judicial responsibility system. Procuratorates at all levels have earnestly implemented various working mechanisms and facilitated the smooth implementation of the new judicial mechanism for handling cases, showing new vigor and vitality in all procuratorial work. It is shown in the following aspects.

First, a virtuous circle has gradually formed in the team of prosecutors. The quota system for procurators has been implemented, and procurators are selected regularly. By the end of June this year, there were 69,000 quota-based procurators in procuratorial organs across the country. We implemented a merit-based system. Since 2018, more than 1,300 people have voluntarily quit their posts due to pressure from case handling, assessment, and personal reasons. More than 440 people have been dismissed because they failed the assessment.

Second, the primary role of procurators in judicial case handling has been more prominent. Through the reform of the judicial responsibility system, the principle of "those who handle a case and who decide to assume full responsibility for it" has been implemented, and the scope of powers and responsibilities of procurators, chief procurators, and procuratorial committees has been defined in the form of a list. Procurators exercise powers in accordance with the law within the scope and assume full responsibility for cases they handle. Their enthusiasm, sense of responsibility, and quality and efficiency in handling cases have been significantly improved. Of course, while delegating power, we also paid special attention to strengthening supervision and restraint, and by implementing rules for handling criminal, civil, administrative, and public interest litigation, we have further promoted the fair, standardized, and efficient exercise of procuratorial powers in accordance with the law.

Third, we have given full play to the role of leading officials. To ensure that leading officials, though few in number, play a key role in implementing the judicial responsibility system, the SPP has issued specialized guidelines which require qualified leading officials to handle cases and set a strict bar on the types, numbers, and standards of the cases. We stress that they must read case files. We have improved relevant mechanisms and set up a system for reporting information on leading officials directly handling cases. From 2019 to 2021, qualified leaders of procuratorial organs nationwide handled more than 1.88 million cases of various types, accounting for 11.8% of the total.

Fourth, we have further implemented the accountability system for miscarriages of justice. The Party leadership group of the SPP clearly stated that granting state compensation does not mean the completion of error correction, and the responsible entities must be held accountable. In 2021, the SPP conducted a comprehensive investigation of 246 retried criminal cases since 2018 and supervised the correction of 22 cases where the wrongly convicted had been in custody for 10 years or above to ensure the implementation of the accountability system.

Going forward, procuratorial organs will deepen the reform of the judicial accountability system and ensure that prosecutors more faithfully perform their duties to improve the quality and efficiency of the judicial system. Thank you.

People.cn:

The whole society pays great attention to the protection of minors. The SPP set up a specialized procuratorial office in 2018. What are the developments and changes regarding its work over the past four years? As the amended Law on the Protection of Minors and the Law on the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency have been implemented, what measures will you take to better protect the minors? Thank you.

Tong Jianming:

Thank you for the questions. I have been tasked with the work at the Ninth Procuratorial Office to protect minors. So, I will answer your questions.

The Party and the country attach great importance to the healthy growth of minors. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has made instructions on different occasions, emphasizing that "the whole of society should understand, respect, care for, and serve children, and create a sound environment for their development." The presence of procuratorial organs can be seen throughout the judicial protection of minors. Furthermore, the CPC Central Committee approved the establishment of a specialized procuratorial office for minors. This means that we have an important political duty. We've come to understand more deeply that the protection of minors is a sacred cause. What we are doing today will benefit generations to come. So, we can't stress the importance of the work strongly enough. Here I would like to brief you, using three phrases, on our work protecting minors.

The first is "two-way protection." When we handle cases, we do our best to educate, persuade, and rehabilitate juvenile offenders and care for and assist underage victims. We should protect both juvenile offenders and underage victims. That's what we call "two-way protection." For juvenile offenders with less malicious intentions and accused of minor offenses, we are prudent when making arrest and prosecution decisions and try to reduce the number of arrests. In the first half of this year, the non-arrest, non-prosecution, and conditional non-prosecution rates for juvenile crimes reached 63%, 54%, and 36%, about 29, 30, and 24 percentage points higher than the same period in 2018, respectively. The figures reflect the principle of "education, persuasion and rehabilitation" for juvenile offenders. At the same time, we should punish serious juvenile crimes without connivance. From 2018 to the first half of this year, we indicted 46,000 juvenile criminal suspects. To fully protect underage victims' legitimate rights and interests, we issued guidelines on offering assistance to them. We set up more than 1,600 one-stop case handling sites in collaboration with public security organs. The sites facilitate inquiry and evidence collection and prevent secondary harm to underage victims. 

The second is "comprehensive protection." Complex and diverse factors cause criminal cases involving juveniles, often closely related to the lack of protection of their legal rights and interests, such as civil guardianship and administrative rights. Last year, the SPP started centrally handling criminal, civil, administrative, and public interest litigation cases concerning juveniles. When handling the cases, the specialized procuratorial offices, organizations, and procurators integrate various functions to improve the quality and effectiveness of the protection for minors. For example, we found that tattoos are prevalent among juveniles involved in criminal cases and called for the prohibition of tattoos for juveniles through public interest litigation. We also submitted a special report to the leading group on protecting minors of the State Council. The leading group took it very seriously and issued guidelines on regulating underage tattooing to address the problem at the source.

The third is "six-dimensional protection." The newly revised Law on the Protection of Minors has developed a new model of protecting minors with efforts from six dimensions: family, school, society, cyberspace, government, and judicial authorities. The procuratorial organs have actively performed their duties of legal supervision and brought a "chemical reaction" to the six-dimensional protection to achieve a better effect of "one plus five is greater than six." For example, to ensure school safety, the SPP sent the No. 1 SPP proposal to the Ministry of Education (MOE) in 2018. Since then, the two departments have worked jointly to implement the proposal with local procuratorial organs and education and administrative authorities. In the first half of this year, the number of indictments for crimes related to school violence and bullying dropped by 84.6% compared with the same period of 2018. Also, we have fully implemented the mechanisms mentioned above, including mandatory reporting and employment-based criminal record checks, which developed through practice and have been incorporated into the law. By doing so, procuratorates have handled over 2,800 cases of infringement on minors that were found via a mandatory reporting mechanism. Authorities have conducted employment-based criminal record checks for over 7.4 million people engaged in industries with close contact with minors. More than 2,900 people with criminal records were removed from their posts. These measures have offered minors concrete protection by preventing many "Big Bad Wolves" from engaging in occupations that have close contact with them.

This October, the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee will hear the SPP's specific report on juvenile-related procuratorial work. Taking it as an opportunity, we will continue working with other related departments to jointly implement the Law on the Protection of Minors and the Law on the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency. We will promote integrating and implementing the six-dimensional protection to perform our duties better and help our motherland's flowers grow well. Thank you.

Thecover.cn:

In recent years, public interest litigation has drawn wide attention from the public. What progress has been made since procuratorial organs started the work of public interest litigation on a full scale in 2017? What features does the mechanism have? Thank you.

Tong Jianming:

Thank you for your questions. They will be answered by Mr. Hu Weilie, head of the SPP's Eighth Procuratorial Office, which is in charge of public interest litigation.

Hu Weilie:

I would like to express my appreciation to you and all the friends from the media who have continued giving attention and support to the procuratorial organs' work of public interest litigation.

Public interest litigation is indeed a brand new procuratorial function. It is a major judicial reform measure decided and planned by the Party Central Committee and General Secretary Xi Jinping after the 18th CPC National Congress. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that procurators shoulder important responsibilities as representatives of the public interest and that Chinese procuratorial organs are important players in protecting the national and public interest. In October 2014, the Fourth Plenary Session of the 18th Party Central Committee proposed exploring a litigation system for filing public interest lawsuits by procuratorial organs, launching the reform for filing public interest litigation. Later, with the authorization of the NPC Standing Committee, the SPP launched a two-year pilot program for public interest litigation in several regions and has made remarkable progress. On July 1, 2017, the Civil Procedure Law and the Administrative Procedure Law revised at the 28th Session of the Standing Committee of the 12th NPC officially went into effect, establishing the mechanism for procuratorial organs to file public interest lawsuits.

During the past five years, procuratorial organs have followed a people-centered approach, placed public interest protection at the core, and executed their duties of legal supervision in the form of litigation. The number of public interest lawsuits filed by prosecutors has increased steadily, and the quality and efficiency of handling cases have improved. Prosecutors have filed over 670,000 public interest litigation cases. As a result, about 7.86 million mu (about 524,000 hectares) of damaged farmlands, forests, wetlands, and grasslands have been restored, over 45.84 million metric tonnes of garbage and solid waste recycled or cleared, and 9.35 billion yuan (about $1.38 billion) recovered for ecological restoration and environmental improvement. Also, under the watch of procuratorial organs, approximately 1.82 million kg of counterfeit and substandard food and 60,000 kg of counterfeit and smuggled drugs have been investigated, tackled, and recalled. Meanwhile, state assets, national rights and interests worth about 15.95 billion yuan have been protected and recovered. About 33.72 billion yuan of transferring fees of state-owned land use rights has been retrieved, and 58,000 mu (about 3867 hectares) of illegally appropriated state-owned land has been recalled.

Based on developments over the past five years, the procuratorial public interest litigation system has demonstrated the fundamental characteristic of turning the Party's leadership and the advantages of socialism with Chinese characteristics into governance efficacy. In practice, the system has shown the following specific characteristics: First, a people-centered approach has been adopted and thorny issues concerning livelihoods have been addressed. The SPP has successively launched specialized programs, including those under the themes of "safeguarding the food safety of households," "protecting living standards with public interest litigation" and "doing practical work and solving long-standing thorny issues," with a focus on issues close to people's everyday lives, such as ecology and the environment, workplace safety, and food and drug safety. Second, efforts have been made to improve legislation and promote the development of the rule of law. Provisions for procuratorial public interest litigation have been successively added to the Civil Procedure Law, Administrative Procedure Law, Organic Law of the People's Procuratorates, Procurators Law, Law on the Protection of Heroes and Martyrs, Law on the Protection of Minors, Law on Workplace Safety, Law on the Protection of Status, Rights and Interests of Military Personnel, Personal Information Protection Law, and Anti-monopoly Law, among other laws. The Supreme People's Court and the SPP issued judicial interpretations; the SPP formulated rules for handling cases; and the standing committees of local people's congresses adopted special decisions to strengthen public interest litigation. The system of laws and regulations for procuratorial public interest litigation in China has been continuously enriched. Third, coordinated efforts have been taken to protect public interest and the advantages of the system were demonstrated. During the handling of cases, the procuratorial organs have adopted a tiered approach, including consultation, pre-litigation procuratorial suggestions and litigation, to urge administrative organs to fully perform their duties in accordance with the law, so as to promote the building of a law-based government. At the same time, coordination with administrative organs has been strengthened to create strong synergy for the protection of public interest. Fourth, supporting mechanisms have been improved to raise the quality and efficiency of protection. For example, improving the trans-regional coordination mechanism and promoting systematic governance of harm to public interest through integrated case handling, using satellite remote sensing, unmanned aerial vehicles, big data, rapid detection and other technologies to strengthen investigation guarantees, and promoting pre-litigation roundtables, hearings and other methods to strengthen public participation. All of these measures have greatly raised the quality, efficiency and credibility of the handling of public interest litigation cases. Thank you.

Changjiang Daily:

In recent years, the SPP and provincial procuratorates have handled public interest litigation cases directly, drawing much attention from the public. Why were these cases directly handled by the SPP and provincial procuratorates? What role did they play? Thank you.

Hu Weilie:

Thank you. In recent years, the SPP and provincial procuratorates have focused on major decisions and arrangements of the Party and the state, and have directly filed some public interest litigation cases involving extensive areas and serious harm, which cannot be handled effectively by lower-level procuratorates. You are a reporter from Changjiang Daily. So, for example, some trans-river and trans-regional cases involving major rivers and lakes which have harmed public interest cannot be handled effectively by a single local procuratorate, and so the SPP and provincial procuratorates have directly handled the cases. In 2021, the two levels of procuratorates handled a total of 110 cases, giving full play to the unique value of the system that direct handling of cases contributes at a higher level with wider coverage and scope to raising the efficiency of national governance and serving and safeguarding high-quality development. The public interest litigation cases directly filed and handled by the SPP and provincial procuratorates are major and complex cases extending nationwide or across a province, involving entities of oversight at a relatively high level, and important cases across administrative divisions of provinces and cities, or across river basins. For example, the SPP directly handled the exemplary cases of Wanfeng Lake and Nansi Lake concerning ecological and environmental damage, fully demonstrating the power of the rule of law in handling cases by higher-level procuratorates. As far as the exemplary case of Nansi Lake is concerned, the Nansi Lake basin involves 34 counties and cities across Shandong, Jiangsu, Henan and Anhui provinces. According to the water area, the Nansi Lake basin is divided into different regions that are managed separately. As the priorities, methods and specific standards of management vary greatly, no one province or place can address the issue alone. The task force of the SPP focused its efforts on the root causes such as inconsistent pollution treatment standards in the basin and inconsistent tempo of treatment of river sections in different places. It filed 205 exemplary cases, urging the whole river basin to work together to reverse the problem of pollution treatment, restoring clear water to the lake, and promoting the eastern routes of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project to be put into operation. In the exemplary case of Wanfeng Lake, the SPP overcame the stubborn problem that illegal cage culture caused pollution in river basins. At the same time, it proactively extended its function of handling cases and worked with the departments of ecology and environment, water resources, agriculture and rural affairs and so on to address problems concerning people's livelihoods in areas lifted out of poverty, removing the last crucial hurdle in turning lucid waters and lush mountains into invaluable assets.

As things stand now, the SPP and provincial procuratorates' direct handling of these cases has shown unique value.

First, the advantages of the integration of procuratorial organs have been better utilized and the different advantages of the four levels of procuratorial organs in handling cases have been given full play. The higher-level procuratorial organs conducted in-depth demonstrations and strong supervision. Meanwhile, the lower-level procuratorial organs made use of advantages in human resources and geographical advantages, conducting thorough investigations and implementation to better solve the trans-river and trans-regional problems harming public interest.

Second, systematic governance has been enhanced. In handling public interest litigation cases, the procuratorial organs do not work alone. Instead, they take win-win and all-win as their goals and coordinate all forces to forge synergy for protecting public interest by performing legal supervision, activating the administrative regulation system, and strengthening regulation efficiency. The handling of cases by the SPP and provincial procuratorates is conducive to promoting the solution to common problems in the field, industry and region from a higher level and making up for weak links in social governance.

Third, overall efficacy of case handling has been improved. By handling cases directly, higher-level procuratorates obtained a deep understanding of the problems and difficulties in the case handling process and so can issue guidance to lower-level procuratorates that is more targeted and effective. By participating in the handling of major, difficult and complicated cases of the higher-level procuratorates, primary-level procurators could also improve their professionalism. Therefore, those working in primary-level procuratorates received training and improved their quality, thereby raising the quality and efficiency of case handling.

Thank you.

Beijing News:

Market entities are the carriers of economic strength. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has been highly concerned about the growth and development of market entities, and has emphasized the fostering of a market-oriented and law-based international business environment. In recent years, what specific measures have the procuratorial organs taken to protect the legitimate rights and interests of market entities and foster a law-based business environment? Thank you.

Tong Jianming:

Thank you for your question. I will give the floor to Mr. Zhang Xiaojin, director-general of the SPP's Fourth Procuratorial Office responsible for economic crime cases,to answer this question. 

Zhang Xiaojin:

As she said, General Secretary Xi Jinping has attached great importance to the development of enterprises. General Secretary Xi has pointed out that the rule of law is the best business environment. The procuratorial organs are duty-bound to optimize the law-based business environment. In recent years, the procuratorial organs have thoroughly carried out the new development philosophy and actively taken multiple measures to ensure equal protection for the private economy.

First, we have rolled out a set of normative documents to materialize the legitimate rights and interests of private enterprises. The SPP has introduced multiple opinions and measures represented by those aiming to promote the sound development of the non-public sector of the economy in accordance with the law, strengthen judicial protection of property rights, and build a legal environment that protects the legitimate rights and interests of entrepreneurs to further support their innovation and startups. In November 2018, the SPP issued 11 law enforcement and judicial standards. In July 2020, the highest procuratorial organ of China issued the Opinions on Fully Exercising Procuratorial Functions to Serve and Ensure Stability on Six Fronts and Security in Six Areas, especially making plans to ensure the security of market entities.

Second, we have prudently handled criminal cases involving private enterprises in accordance with the law. On the one hand, we have strictly cracked down on crimes such as embezzlement, misappropriation of funds, IPR violations, and other acts that disrupt normal business order, as well as those violating personal or property rights and operational independence of business owners. Moreover, in accordance with the law, we have strictly punished gang-related crimes such as illegal loan sharks, market monopoly, forcible contracting of projects, and meddling in civil disputes to seek illegal profits that polluted the business environment and threatened the survival and development of private enterprises. On the other hand, in handling business crimes involving personnel such as those in charge of private enterprises, managerial staff, and key technical staff, we have fully considered the characteristics of the development of private enterprises, reduced the number of arrests and exercised prudence in making prosecution and detention decisions in accordance with the law. In meting out punishment, we use clemency in accordance with the law to avoid unnecessary arrests, unnecessary prosecutions and unnecessary sentencing. Compulsory measures, such as the sealing, seizure, and freezing of assets, have also been carried out in a more prudent manner.

Third, we have strengthened lawsuit supervision over criminal cases involving enterprises. In addressing the issue of longstanding unresolved cases, the SPP has screened out a total of 9,815 unsettled cases under joint efforts with the Ministry of Public Security since 2019. Under the supervision of the two departments, 8,707 unsubstantiated cases were closed in accordance with the legal principle of "Presumption of Innocence until Proven Guilty," further stimulating the vitality of enterprises. Over the past years, the procuratorial organs have continuously carried out special supervision campaigns on criminal cases involving the non-public sector of the economy, conducting clean-up and supervision activities over complaint cases. We have set up pilot schemes and granted those well-performed enterprises subject to community corrections, with permission to conduct business activities in other cities temporarily. 

Particularly, to better play the role of procuratorial organs in advancing the high-quality socioeconomic development, procuratorial organs have piloted reforms among enterprises involved in criminal cases to urge them to make compliance commitments and follow through on their promises. While sticking to the policy of reducing the number of arrests and exercising prudence in making prosecution and detention decisions in accordance with the law, the pilot reform has not only put involved enterprises back on the track of rules compliance and law abidance but also effectively warned those that potentially lack regulatory constraints to operate in full compliance with relevant laws and regulations. The SPP conducted two-stage pilot reforms in both 2020 and 2021. It started to extend the reforms across the country in early April. At present, we have built a third-party supervision and evaluation mechanism with 12 departments, including the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council and All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce. Local procuratorial organs have stepped up efforts to integrate with the third-party mechanism in handling criminal cases involving enterprises. As of the end of this June, procuratorial organs across the country had dealt with a total of 2,382 compliance cases, 1,584 of which were applicable to the third-party mechanism. As for those 606 enterprises subject to corrections, 1,159 people were exempt from prosecution in accordance with the law, which produced favorable results. For example, under the supervision and urge of a local procuratorial department, a suspected private enterprise of Hunan was confirmed to be qualified by the third-party mechanism after a six-month-long rectification period. Then the local procuratorial department made the decision not to prosecute. Therefore, the regenerated company has returned to the right track, increased investment by hundreds of millions of yuan, and created jobs for hundreds of people.

Southern Metropolis Daily:

The speaker mentioned that procuratorial organs have carried out the criminal policy of fewer arrests, cautious prosecution and detention, and the system of sentence bargaining. What is the background of these policies and what is their significance? How are they implemented in reality? Thank you. 

Zhang Xiaojin:

The all-around social and economic development has led to remarkable changes in the pattern of crimes committed across the country, with the continuous decrease in robbery, murder, and other serious violent crimes but the sharp rise of crimes endangering economic and social management order such as drunk driving and disturbing market order. I would like to introduce the two "90%'s": first, about 90% of cases are misdemeanors, involving individuals sentenced to fewer than three years of imprisonment or non-prosecution; second, the application rate of sentence bargaining has also been close to 90%. Most of the cases are misdemeanor cases. For the suspects and defendants who pleaded guilty and accepted their punishments, their subjective malignancy and social harm were greatly reduced, and. therefore, there is no need to put them in custody for trial. In the face of such major changes, the philosophies and policies behind case handling should keep pace with the times. Against this historical background, following the reform of sentence bargaining proposed at the Fourth Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, the CPC Central Committee established the criminal policy of fewer arrests and cautious prosecution and detention last year, giving full play to the legal, political, and social effect of cases handling and accelerating the transformation from focusing on "criminal punishment" to "good governance" so as to promote the modernization of national governance. 

Procuratorial organs conscientiously implemented the sentence bargaining system and the policy of "fewer arrests, prudent prosecution and detention" Since then, remarkable achievements have been made. By far, the complaint rate of cases involving the sentence bargaining system stands at 0.046%, 6.45 percentage points lower than other criminal cases. The custody rate before litigation dropped to 59.3% in 2020 from 91.4% 20 years ago. By June, the rate further lowered to 32.7%. I'd like to stress that sentence bargaining does not equal uniform leniency, and "fewer arrests, prudent prosecution and detention" doesn't mean no arrests, no litigation, and no custody. While implementing the system and policy, procuratorial organs shall consider specific cases and public opinion and prescribe clemency or severity according to the law. Severe punishments must be meted out while handling crimes seriously undermining national security and public security, violent crimes, gang-related crimes, crimes against vulnerable groups such as women, children, the elderly, and the disabled, and other serious crimes committed with malicious intent. Misdemeanors with aggravating circumstances shall also be punished severely. Supervision could be realized through high-tech means such as electric bracelet wearing and big data analysis for suspects of misdemeanors who are not subject to arrest. Suspects who will not be prosecuted but shall receive administrative punishment will be transferred to competent authorities. All the efforts are aimed to combine punishment with clemency in criminal prosecution and ensure the severity of the administrative penalty. Thank you.

Red Star News:

The SPP issued its eighth procuratorial suggestion this year, attracting public attention. What role does procuratorial suggestion play in promoting the correct implementation of laws and advancing social governance? Thank you. 

Gao Jingfeng:

Thank you for your question. Procuratorial suggestion is an essential way of exercising supervision guaranteed by the Organic Law of the People's Procuratorates. Since 2018, the SPP has conscientiously implemented the important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping on rule of law advancement, which stresses both problem solving and preemptive prevention. We actively fulfilled our duties in accordance with the law and issued procuratorial suggestions on social governance to relevant administrative authorities. So far, eight suggestions have been issued to help tackle major problems in campus security, judicial notice service, financial supervision, management of underground pipeline covers, fraud litigation, cyberspace governance, and safety in express delivery and the workplace. All levels of procuratorial organs and relevant departments worked together to put the suggestions into practice, providing a solid legal guarantee for modernizing social governance. 

First, we pooled efforts with procuratorial suggestions to promote social governance. Take our first suggestion on campus security. Right after its issuance, the SPP and the All-China Women's Federation promoted family education in cases involving minors. They advocated a notice urging guardians to fulfill their duties. Together with the Communist Youth League of China Central Committee, the SPP launched demonstration workshops on minor supporting systems in 80 places. It also collaborated with the Ministry of Education to formulate a regulation on procurators serving as vice school principals to promote the rule of law. Synergized protection from judicial departments, families, schools, society, cyberspace, and the government was fostered and strengthened.

Second, we focused on preemptive prevention and addressed problems at the source. For example, the SPP issued its seventh procuratorial suggestion to relevant departments, targeting the problems of loose package inspection and lack of oversight over new business forms in the express delivery service. A plan for tightening up security of express delivery was later jointly introduced by the SPP and the State Post Bureau. During a special campaign jointly organized by the Ministry of Public Security and the State Post Bureau from last October to this May, more than 2,100 cases involving the delivery of drugs, guns and ammunition, explosives, wildlife, and related products were resolved. A joint mechanism was established between procuratorial organs in Jiangsu, Hubei, and Yunnan provinces with local post bureaus and public security departments. Together they strengthened postal oversight, cut off contraband goods' circulation, and prevented the illegal and criminal behaviors of transporting contraband goods through postal channels.

Third, we adopted a systematic approach to bolster systematic governance. While implementing the fourth procuratorial suggestion on plugging loopholes in the management of underground pipeline covers, all levels of procuratorial organs worked with the broader vision of ensuring public safety. The People's Procuratorate of Tianjin Municipality launched a three-year campaign together with the city's urban management bureau to improve safety in pipeline and well operations along the urban roads. Procuratorial organs in Shanghai and Jiangsu issued a guideline on establishing a mechanism to synergize criminal and public interest prosecutions regarding public safety. They also built a mechanism to facilitate the transfer of clues concerning public safety. 

In the future, procuratorial organs will refine the quality of procuratorial suggestions and take concrete steps to advance their implementation and strengthen litigation source governance. Thank you.

Legal Daily:

Some say that the judicial system is the ultimate protector of social equity and justice, and procurators play an important role in it. Could you share with us the practical measures for training procurators to take on their responsibilities and promote social equity and justice? Thank you. 

Tong Jianming:

Thank you for your question. I will answer it. As you said, the judicial system is the ultimate protector of social equity and justice. To ensure its soundness, the caliber of judicial personnel is a matter of great importance. General Secretary Xi Jinping remarked insightfully: "To comprehensively advance law-based governance, it is essential to develop a high-caliber body of skilled and upright legal professionals." The SPP has regarded the development of a high-caliber body of procurators as a task of fundamental importance and has carried out integrated training to raise their political integrity, professional competence, and work ethics. Specifically, efforts cover the following aspects. 

First, we are integrating political awareness improvement into professional training. Seeing political awareness as the foremost requirement of professionalism, we have kept deepening the study of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era among all procurators. Moreover, we have carried out intensive education among Party members to stay true to the Party's original aspiration and founding mission and better understand Party history, among other initiatives. These efforts have ensured procurators' absolute loyalty, purity, and reliability. At the same time, we have set professional ability as the basic ability for carrying out supervision over case handling from a political perspective. We have compiled a series of textbooks on studying and implementing Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law and performing procuratorial duties. We have also brought procurators, judges, and police officers together for the same training sessions. So far, nearly 2,000 such sessions have been held, with the number of participants reaching over 380,000. The legal professionals participating in such sessions can update their judicial understanding and enhance their professional competence. 

Second, we are improving the basic capacity for legal supervision and pursuing qualitative changes in the work through integrated efforts. To improve the basic capacity for legal supervision, we have required procurators to pursue excellence at work. As mentioned a moment ago, we have introduced the ratio of a case and the relevant litigation procedures it must go through to measure the quality of case handling. We have also improved the mechanism for evaluating the performance of procurators. With these measures, we hope procurators will be more conscientious about serving China's big-picture interests and work for the people. To pursue qualitative changes, we are embracing the trend of digitalization. The SPP held a special meeting to discuss procuratorial digitalization. Plans have been made for further carrying out the procuratorial big data strategy so that big data will be made full use of to promote smart supervision and scientific management and address the disputes at their sources. The "digital revolution" is expected to improve the quality and effectiveness of legal supervision in the new era.

Third, we show great care for procurators by being strict with them. It takes a good blacksmith to make good steel. Procuratorial organs, tasked with the responsibility of legal supervision, must have the courage to carry out self-supervision. Regarding strict management and supervision as the biggest and most genuine care for procurators, we have continually reformed the mechanism for exercising procuratorial power. We have adopted rules for handling criminal, civil, administrative, and public interest litigations and introduced a list of procuratorial power to ensure that procuratorial power is exercised according to law. We have obliged procurators to be responsible by holding them accountable for any misconduct committed. Just as Mr. Gao Jingfeng said when answering a question about the judicial responsibility system, we must give effect to the responsibility system. We have initiated the process of holding the procurators accountable for their misconduct in the 246 misjudged criminal cases for which we have changed verdicts since 2018.

Moreover, 511 procurators have been held strictly to account. The judicial responsibility system has been implemented in real earnest. Some of them had retired for more than 10 or 20 years before being held accountable, which reflects lifelong accountability. Always upholding strict management and with the courage of self-reform, we have worked to fulfill the political responsibility of strictly governing Party members and procurators. Furthermore, we have already consolidated the achievements in educating procurators and rectifying their misconduct. We have carried out seven rounds of full-coverage disciplinary inspection tours and follow-up inspections, continually implemented the three rules for preventing interference in judicial activities, and coordinated action to raise the awareness, ability, and resolve to resist corruption.

Developing a body of high-caliber procurators is a never-ending journey. We will follow the requirements of General Secretary Xi Jinping that officials must be politically strong and highly competent, have a strong sense of responsibility, strictly observe disciplines, and maintain excellent conduct to unremittingly improve ourselves and strive to develop a loyal, upright and responsible army of procurators.

Thank you.

Chen Wenjun: 

Thank you to all speakers and friends from the media. Today's press conference is now concluded.

Translated and edited by Wang Yiming, Zhang Liying, Gong Yingchun, Liu Sitong, Zhang Jiaqi, Zhou Jing, Xu Kailin, Qin Qi, Liu Qiang, Yuan Fang, Yang Xi, Li Xiao, Li Huiru, David Ball, Tom Arnsten, and Jay Birbeck. In case of any discrepancy between the English and Chinese texts, the Chinese version is deemed to prevail.

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Read in Chinese

Speakers:

Ms. Tao Kaiyuan, justice and vice president of the Supreme People's Court (SPC)

Ms. Yang Linping, justice and vice president of the SPC

Mr. He Xiaorong, justice and vice president of the SPC

Mr. Shen Liang, justice and vice president of the SPC

Chairperson:

Chen Wenjun, spokesperson of the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC)

Date:

July 12, 2022

Chen Wenjun:

Friends from the press, good morning. Welcome to this press conference held by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee. Today, we are holding the 15th press conference under the theme of "China in the past decade" to brief you on working measures and effect of people's courts in the new era. Joining us today are Ms. Tao Kaiyuan, justice and vice president of the SPC; Ms. Yang Linping, justice and vice president of the SPC; Mr. He Xiaorong, justice and vice president of the SPC; and Mr. Shen Liang, justice and vice president of the SPC. 

Now, let's give the floor to Ms. Tao for her introduction.

Tao Kaiyuan:

Friends from the press, good morning. First, I would like to express my thanks for your interest in and support for the work of the SPC. My colleagues and I will brief you on the work of the SPC in the past decade.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, the people's courts have adhered to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and thoroughly implemented Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law. We have acquired 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, and increased our awareness of the need to maintain political integrity, think in big-picture terms, follow the leadership core, and maintain alignment with the central Party leadership. We have stayed confident in the path, the theory, the system and the culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics. We have firmly upheld Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and upheld the Central Committee's authority and its centralized, unified leadership ("Two Upholds"). We have focused on the goal of making the people feel fairness and justice in every judicial case, and adhered to the principle of justice for the people and enhancing judicial justice. We have worked to provide powerful judicial services and guarantees for building a modern socialist country in all respects. The number of cases accepted and heard by the people's courts increased from 14.217 million in 2013 to 33.516 million in 2021. The total value of closed cases reached 46.7 trillion yuan.

First, we have adhered to the absolute leadership of the Party over judicial work, always taken the Two Upholds as the highest political principle, and unswervingly followed the path of socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics. We have always upheld Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole, stayed absolutely loyal to the leadership core, obeyed the Party's command, shouldered our responsibilities, studied, believed in and put into practice Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law, and thoroughly implemented the decisions and arrangements of the Party Central Committee in judicial work.

Second, we have safeguarded national security and social stability in accordance with the law. We have adopted a holistic approach to national security, punished criminals in accordance with the law, and resolutely safeguarded national political security and overall social stability. We have worked to crack down on organized crime and root out local criminal gangs on an ongoing basis. From 2018 to 2021, Chinese courts concluded 36,000 gang-related cases, involving 244,000 suspects. Murder, arson, kidnapping and other crimes were severely punished, and serious violent crimes were in smaller numbers. We have punished epidemic-related crimes in accordance with the law, and effectively ensured order in the epidemic prevention and control work. We have adhered to the principle of seeking truth from facts, and resolutely corrected a number of major wrongful convictions, such as those of Hugjiltu and Nie Shubin, to ensure more powerful judicial protection of human rights.

Third, we have served the high-quality economic development in accordance with the law. We have applied the new development philosophy in full, in the right way and in all fields, and performed our duties and responsibilities on major issues. We have strengthened judicial protection of property rights, corrected the case of Zhang Wenzhong in accordance with the law, and provided equal protection to state-owned and private enterprises, domestic and foreign-funded enterprises, and micro, small, medium-sized and large enterprises, in order to create a market-oriented, law-based and international business environment. We have promulgated 20 practical and tough measures to promote the development of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, substantially resolving their disputes and helping these market players solve difficulties, in a bid to ensure stability on six key fronts (employment, finance, foreign trade, inbound investment, domestic investment, and market expectations) and security in six key areas (jobs, basic living needs, operations of market entities, food and energy security, stable industrial and supply chains, and the normal functioning of primary-level governments). We have strengthened judicial protection of intellectual property rights to serve innovation-driven development. The number of first-instance cases related to intellectual property increased from 101,000 in 2013 to 577,000 in 2021, with an average annual growth rate of more than 20%. Judicial interpretations such as provisions on issues concerning representative actions arising from securities disputes have been introduced to promote the healthy and stable development of finance. We have protected the ecological environment with the strictest rule of law in order to serve the building of a beautiful China. We have worked to ensure the legitimate rights and interests of both Chinese and foreign parties receive equal protection. In addition, we have improved judicial policies in terms of Belt and Road cooperation, and the construction of free trade pilot zones and free trade ports, in order to serve high-level opening up.

Fourth, we have protected the legitimate rights and interests of the people in accordance with the law. We have safeguarded the bottom line of ensuring people's safety, and promptly published judicial interpretations and typical cases of crimes related to issues close to people's lives, such as telecommunications and internet fraud, infringement of citizens' personal information, and throwing objects from height. We have strengthened judicial protection, implemented the Civil Code, and deepened the reform of family trial rules and mechanisms. In the past 10 years, more than 36 million cases involving education, employment, medical care, elderly care, housing, marriage and other family issues have been concluded in accordance with the law. After achieving the phased goal of basically resolving difficulties in the execution of court rulings, we have continued to consolidate the results. In 2021, a total of 8.642 million cases were enforced and concluded by courts across the country, involving sums of 1.94 trillion yuan. We have vigorously promoted the building of a one-stop system that offers both litigation services and alternative dispute resolution services. In 2021, 10.84 million disputes were mediated by courts across the country online. From January to June 2022, 5.773 million disputes were mediated online. China has established a one-stop system that offers both litigation services and alternative dispute resolution services with Chinese characteristics, which can mobilize the vast number of resources, provide the most complete online mediation, and resolve a wide variety of cases.

Fifth, we have accelerated building a fair, efficient, and authoritative socialist judicial system. We have fully implemented the judicial responsibility system and the quota system for judges, improved the category-based management of judicial personnel, and the judicial restraint and supervision system to ensure that adjudicators and those who judge are held accountable. We have deepened the reform of the trial-centered litigation system and completed pilot reform practices to separate the handling of civil litigation cases by complicated and simple procedures. We have improved the trial-level functions of four-level courts, improved the organizational system of the people's courts, and comprehensively improved the quality and effectiveness of trials. We have deepened the building of smart courts, and introduced three major rules respectively for online litigation, online mediation, and online operation of the people's courts, as well as guidelines on strengthening the judicial application of blockchain. There are now broad prospects for technology to empower justice.

Sixth, we have developed a committed, disciplined, and responsible professional team of courts. We have accelerated team building to make it more revolutionized, standardized, specialized, and professional, strictly governed the Party and the police in all areas, and solidly carried out team education and improvement. By doing so, we have continuously improved the political ecosystem, discipline observance, and staff capabilities of courts throughout the country. Among them are many progressive role models of justice for the people and fair justice in the new era, such as Zou Bihua, Fang Jingang, Zhou Chunmei, and Teng Qigang.

On the new journey, the people's courts will, under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law, stride forward along the path of the socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics and better perform our duties and missions, to let the people genuinely feel that fairness and justice are permanently close by and welcome the 20th CPC National Congress with practical actions.

That is all I have for now. Thank you.

Chen Wenjun:

Thank you. Now the floor is open to questions. Please identify the media outlet you represent before raising questions.

Economic Daily:

My questions are about foreign investment. Over the past decade, tremendous changes have taken place in China's foreign investment management system, providing institutional support for better building a high-level open economy. What has the SPC done in handling the disputes involving foreign-invested companies, and what has been achieved? What are the goals and directions for the work in the future? Thank you.

Tao Kaiyuan:

Thank you for your questions. Since I am in charge of foreign-related commercial and maritime trials, I am glad to take your questions, which I think are very specific. Over the past decade, the people's courts have resolutely implemented the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee and actively supported high-level opening up. By handling disputes involving foreign-invested companies fairly and efficiently based on the Foreign Investment Law, we have protected the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese and foreign investors equally in accordance with the law and continuously improve the law-based and international business environment. I would like to brief you on the work in four aspects.

First, we have participated in and promoted the formation of an institutional system for foreign investment in the new era. You mentioned in your questions that some historical changes have occurred in the foreign investment management system. What are they? Simply put, we have changed from the previous system of examination, approval, and record filing to a system of pre-establishment national treatment plus a negative list. It is a significant change. Under such circumstances, the SPC promptly formulated and amended supporting judicial interpretations and implemented them simultaneously with the new Foreign Investment Law to maintain the validity of investment contracts that do not fall into the negative list. Investment contracts are valid if they do not fall into the negative list. We have facilitated trials involving foreign-invested companies into a new stage where they are conducted in accordance with the system underpinned by law, a regulations document, and two interpretations documents. In simple words, they are the Foreign Investment Law and regulations on its implementation, as well as judicial interpretations on the trial of cases on disputes involving foreign-invested companies and judicial interpretations that apply to the Foreign Investment Law to support it. Thus, we have formed the system, which is one aspect of our work.

Second, we have constructed a specialized adjudication architecture for all cases of disputes involving foreign-invested companies. The SPC issued a notice in 2017 on level-specific jurisdiction standards and unified handling of foreign-related civil and commercial cases of the first instance, requiring that disputes concerning the establishment, investment, and confirmation of shareholder qualifications of foreign-invested companies all be heard in foreign-related courts, thus forming a specialized adjudication architecture for such disputes. The minutes formed after a national conference on foreign-related commercial and maritime adjudication of courts held by the SPC in Nanjing last June clarified such disputes and unified the application of the law. At the same time, the minutes also made provisions for simplifying the procedures of entrustment of foreign parties and notarization and certification of extraterritorial evidence to facilitate their participation in litigation.

Third, we have made China's contribution to improving the whole international commercial transaction rules. Our efforts were mainly as follows: To hear cases fairly and efficiently during the COVID-19 outbreak, the SPC issued four guidelines on the trial of civil cases related to COVID-19, the third of which is specifically related to the trial of foreign-related commercial and maritime cases. It received great attention from the U.N. after being released, and the U.N. General Assembly reached a special resolution to include the guidelines in the system of Case Law on the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law Texts, a commendable achievement for us.

Fourth, we have launched a package to ensure that investment liberalization and facilitation principles are implemented in detail. The package includes: First, the SPC issued the guiding opinions on people's courts providing services to guarantee further opening-up. The SPC and the NDRC jointly issued the opinions on providing judicial services and safeguards to accelerate the improvement of the socialist market economy in the new era. Second, the SPC carried out special surveys on serving the building of free trade pilot zones, the Hainan free trade port, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and Beijing's "two zones" (the Integrated National Demonstration Zone for Opening Up the Services Sector and the Beijing Pilot Free Trade Zone), and issued guiding opinions respectively. Some media friends here may have attended relevant press conferences and learned about the situation. We have publicized relevant typical cases, and worked to strengthen the protection of foreign-invested enterprises and promote cross-border investment. Third, local courts have heard several representative cases of disputes involving foreign-invested enterprises in accordance with the law, such as the shareholder qualification confirmation cases of Shanghai New Star Imp. & Exp. Inc. and Rugao Jinding Real Estate Co., Ltd. If interested, you can visit the SPC website to check the relevant cases. While handling these cases, we strictly followed the provisions of the Foreign Investment Law and its judicial interpretations, and implemented the pre-entry national treatment plus negative list system, in an effort to effectively protect foreign-invested enterprises' market expectations.

Next, the people's courts will act on the new development stage, fully and faithfully apply the new development philosophy, and actively serve and be integrated into the new development pattern. We will focus on building a new higher-level opening-up economic system, effectively improve the quality and efficiency of foreign-related justice, and contribute more to promoting the liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment. Thank you.

China Media Group:

The 18th CPC National Congress report proposed that ecological conservation should be placed in a prominent position. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, significant steps have been taken in building a beautiful China, and China's eco-environmental protection has undergone historic, transformational, and overall changes. In promoting ecological advancement, what kind of wisdom and strength has the judiciary contributed? Thank you.

Tao Kaiyuan:

Ms. Yang Linping will answer this question. She's our justice and vice president of the SPC, and she is in charge of trials of cases related to the environment and natural resources.

Yang Linpin:

Regarding the judicial protection of the ecological environment, it's fair to say that ecological advancement is a major pillar of the country that is related to the people's happy life. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee has promoted ecological advancement with unprecedented strength. China's eco-environmental protection has undergone historic, transformational, and overall changes, and the achievements of building a beautiful China have attracted worldwide attention. In May last year, the SPC and the United Nations Environment Programme successfully held the World Judicial Conference on Environment. In his congratulatory letter, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that China has continued to deepen the reform and innovation of environmental jurisdiction and has accumulated useful experience in judicial protection of the ecological environment. Based on their duties in hearing cases related to the environment and natural resources, the people's courts have been implementing the concept that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets. Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization has been vividly practiced in the judicial field.

First, we have heard several landmark cases and promoted the rule of law in eco-environmental protection. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, courts across the country have tried and concluded 1.929 million cases related to the environment and natural resources. Among them, there were 285,000 criminal cases, 1.284 million civil cases, and 360,000 administrative cases. We heard cases such as public interest litigation concerning the Tengger Desert pollution, in a bid to help win the battle for pollution prevention and control. We heard cases concerning preventive protection of green peacocks or illegal fishing of eel fry in the Yangtze River, and worked to promote the protection of biodiversity. We also tried cases concerning illegal sales of artifacts that can cheat annual car inspections for automobile exhaust, in an effort to help reduce pollution and carbon. Our judicial work in the environmental field has always resonated with the country's efforts to promote ecological advancement at the same frequency. With fair judgment on each case, we have been working to promote the rule of law and build a beautiful China.

Second, we have formulated and improved a series of judicial interpretations and judicial policies and weaved a dense network of judicial protection for the ecological environment. We formulated 21 judicial interpretations on the punishment of pollution crimes, forest resource protection, injunction for environmental infringement, and punitive damages, and issued 13 judicial documents, including the opinions on comprehensively strengthening judicial protection of the ecological environment in the new era and the opinions on the implementation of the Yangtze River Protection Law. We publicized 26 guiding cases. Please note that the guiding cases released by the SPC have the force of law. We also released 260 typical cases in 24 batches, which responded to the people's yearning for a better life with a blue sky, green land, and clear water. Local courts have innovatively applied judicial measures for ecological restoration. For example, violators who illegally cut down trees are required to replant more trees for re-greening in legal bargaining; fish fry are released into lakes and rivers to help restore these populations and improve the community structure of the waters; people responsible for environmental infringement are allowed to deduct the technological transformation costs from their compensation for environmental damage. In this way, local courts have built a number of ecological restoration bases based on judicial protection, in an effort to guide the public to protect the ecological environment, just like they protect their own eyes.

Third, we have deepened judicial reform and innovation regarding the environment and established an adjudication system with Chinese characteristics for cases involving the environment and resources. A total of 2,426 judicial organs for environmental and resource cases have been established by courts across the country, and courts handling environmental and resource cases have been put in place one after another in Nanjing, Lanzhou, Kunming and Zhengzhou, demonstrating that the judgment level has been advanced to a new high. The SPC and 29 higher courts exercised their three-in-one functions of criminal, civil and administrative trials related to environmental and resource cases, established a coordinated judicial mechanism of environmental cases on the Yangtze River, Yellow River, Grand Canal and other basins, ensured centralized jurisdiction of trans-regional cases based on national parks and other ecological function zones, thus significantly improving the judicial capacity of the eco-environmental conservation system.

Fourth, we have strengthened international exchanges and cooperation regarding environmental judicial issues to promote global ecological conservation. We held the World Judicial Conference on Environment, and the participating countries and international organizations reached the Kunming Declaration of the World Judicial Conference on Environment to address the three major crises in global environmental pollution, namely climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental pollution. We hosted a number of international judicial conferences on tackling climate change and conserving biodiversity. China's judicial adjudications on environment-related cases have been included in the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) database. China's concepts, systems, principles and practices on environment-related judicial issues have attracted increasing international attention, contributing Chinese wisdom and solutions to promote the development of international environmental rule of law and build a clean and beautiful world.

Thank you.

Tianmu News:

The rapid development of the digital economy has impacted our daily lives and work, while bringing brand new legal problems. For example, with the rise of such e-commerce festivals as "Double 11" and the "618" shopping gala in recent years, how do we solve disputes in e-commerce? Thank you.

Tao Kaiyuan:

Your question is very important as e-commerce remains a field of great concern. I'd like to invite Mr. He Xiaorong, who is in charge of the civil cases, to answer this question.

He Xiaorong:

I am very pleased to answer this question. We often say that cyberspace is not beyond the rule of law. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has attached great importance to the development of the digital economy and made it a national strategy. In recent years, along with the fast growth of China's internet industry, the number of e-commerce disputes has also risen rapidly. We have always attached equal importance to encouragement and restriction, and tried various cases involving e-commerce in accordance with the law. In March 2022, the SPC issued Provisions on a Certain Number of Issues Concerning the Application of Laws on Cases of Disputes over Online Consumption (I). The release of the judicial interpretation has prompted strong reactions from all parts of society, providing responses to the public addressing issues related to online consumption. We will strengthen the protection of consumers' rights and interests to promote the healthy development of the cyber economy.

First, as for standard clauses, "the quality of commodities shall be deemed to meet the requirements upon receipt by the recipient" is a standard clause we often see. Another instance is "the operator has the right of unilateral interpretation or final interpretation." Such clauses are often seen in online consumption. As prescribed in the Civil Code, standard clauses that are provided by sellers to impose fewer liabilities on themselves and excess liabilities on consumers shall be deemed invalid according to law.

Second, in terms of online consumption fraud, the judicial interpretation stipulates that contracts signed by e-commerce operators and others for false publicity by fabricating transactions, clicks, and user comments shall be deemed invalid according to law.

Third, in terms of non-standard promotions in online consumption, the judicial interpretation stipulates that e-commerce operators whose prize items, giveaways, or exchange products cause damage to consumers shall take the responsibility for compensating for damages, and shall not claim liability exemption on the grounds that prize items or giveaways are provided for free, or that goods are purchased in exchange. 

Fourth, as for livestreaming marketing, the judicial interpretation stipulates the self-management responsibility of the livestreaming sales platform operators, their prepayment responsibility when they are unable to provide real information and effective contact information of the livestreaming studio operators, their responsibility to review the operation qualification of livestreaming studios for selling food, and their joint and several liabilities for failing to take necessary measures when they know or should have known that the livestreaming studio infringed upon the legitimate rights and interests of consumers. It also stipulates the legal obligations and liabilities of online catering service platform operators for failing to review real-name registration and licenses, as well as the rights and obligations in commissioned processing. It is known that takeaway food and drink involves every citizen's right to health, so we have formulated stricter regulations in this regard. 

Next, we will continue to pay close attention to new developments and new problems in the trials of e-commerce cases, enact the second judicial interpretation on online consumption at an appropriate time, and actively respond to public concerns. We will also take solid measures to protect the legitimate rights and interests of the people so that they can be assured of using e-commerce to buy safely, facilitating the sustained and sound development of e-commerce in China. On the other hand, we will take active measures to adapt to the development needs of e-commerce, apply accurately online litigation rules and online mediation rules, step up efforts to improve electronic certification and other digital application infrastructure, and protect the rights of the parties involved to choose the litigation mode and to dispose of procedural interests so as to improve the quality and efficiency of online e-commerce dispute resolution. Thank you.

Cover News:

According to this year's work report of the SPC, the number of major criminal cases in eight categories has remained low, and their proportion in all criminal cases has steadily declined. Could you tell us what efforts the people's courts have made since the 18th National Congress of the CPC to give full play to criminal trials and contribute to building a Peaceful China and advancing the rule of law in China? Thank you.

Tao Kaiyuan:

I'd like to invite Mr. Shen Liang, justice and vice president of the SPC in charge of criminal trials, to take this question.

Shen Liang:

I'm glad to answer your question. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, guided by Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law and focusing on the aim to ensure that the people can see that justice is served in every judicial case, the people's courts throughout the country have faithfully performed their duties of criminal trials to punish crimes and protect the people, playing an important role in safeguarding the national political security, ensuring overall social stability, promoting social fairness and justice, and ensuring that people enjoy peace and contentment in work and life. 

Over the past decade, the people's courts have resolutely implemented the criminal policy of combining punishment and clemency and severely punished serious criminal offenses in accordance with the law. They have cracked down on major violent and terrorist crimes that seriously endangered national security and social stability and punished crimes that seriously affect people's sense of security, including those of hijacking buses, killing innocent people, and injuring doctors with violence. For the crimes that seriously challenge the bottom line of law and ethics, such as harming minors, sexual assault on children, and trafficking of women and children, severe punishment or death sentence, if applicable, shall be meted out. The people's courts have severely punished in accordance with the law financial crimes and fundraising fraud to maintain financial security, as well as embezzlement and bribery crimes to deepen the fight against corruption. They have continued the ongoing efforts to combat organized crime and root out local criminal gangs. A number of criminals involved in these crimes, including Liu Han, Liu Wei, Sun Xiaoguo, and Huang Hongfa, as well as their "protection umbrellas," have been severely punished in accordance with the law. The number of serious violent crimes handled by the people's courts, including murder, robbery, kidnapping, arson, and explosions, dropped from 75,000 cases involving 95,7000 criminals in 2013 to 49,000 cases involving 56,800 criminals in 2021. Meanwhile, lighter punishment shall be meted out for those cases caused by civil conflicts with statutory or discretionary mitigating circumstances. In 2021, the number of criminals sentenced to imprisonment of not more than three years accounted for 84.6% of all the criminals in effective sentences. That is to say, 84.6% of criminal cases sentenced by the people's courts were light punishment cases with imprisonment of not more than three years, showing that China's social order continues to improve.

Over the past decade, the people's courts have been committed to putting people at the center. We have performed our duty through criminal trials and worked to enhance people's sense of security, contentment, and happiness. We have taken firm action against telecom and cyber fraud, infringement upon women and children, and drug-related crimes, etc. We have carried out special campaigns to crack down on pension scams and severely punished crimes that infringe upon the people's immediate interests. These include crimes such as endangering food and drug safety, harming epidemic prevention and control, environmental pollution crimes, infringements of personal information, throwing objects from height, and identity theft in school or college enrollments. In particular, the people's courts have stepped up protection for women, children, the elderly, and people with disabilities. We have worked to protect people's safety in all respects, from food to drug, from head to toe, and from offline to online.  

In the past 10 years, the people's courts have placed equal importance on punishing crimes and protecting human rights, working to deepen the reform of an adjudication-centered litigation system. We have strictly followed the principles of legality, the presumption of innocence, and evidence-based verdict and prevented and redressed miscarriages of justice. We have taken a fact-based approach and corrected a batch of wrongly adjudicated cases, including the cases of Hugjiltu for rape and murder, Nie Shubin for rape and murder, Zhang Wenzhong for bribery and fraud, the "Zhang Hui, Zhang Gaoping rape and murder case," and "the case of Wang Lijun for his unlicensed corn purchasing business." We have drawn a clear line between crime and non-crime, between economic disputes and economic crimes. The criminal punishment is prohibited in civil disputes and turning civil liability into a criminal liability is prevented. We worked to standardize commutation, parole, and execution of sentences outside the prison. We cracked down on violations of regulations related to such activities to ensure justice and fairness in executing punishment.

Over the past decade, the people's courts have valued promoting social fairness and justice and adhered to the principle that responsibility and punishment must suit the crime during criminal trials. We dealt with cases in strict accordance with the laws while considering society's rules and people's feelings. When handling cases with close social attention and diversified public opinions, the people's courts have maintained law-based focus and stood by the law. Working to integrate professional judgment based on the law with people's simple aspiration for fairness and justice, the people's courts have made the judicial process of cases with close public attention into open courses for the public to learn about the rule of law, enabling people to see that justice is served in every judicial case.

Thank you.

People's Daily:

At the Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, China set the reform goal of improving the system of judicial protection of human rights. How has this goal been implemented? What progress have we achieved? Thank you.

Shen Liang:

Thank you for your questions. Over the past decade, the people's courts have integrated punishing crimes and the protection of human rights. The socialist criminal justice system with Chinese characteristics has been improved, and efforts have been strengthened for the judicial protection of human rights over the years.

First, we have deepened the reform of an adjudication-centered litigation system. We have implemented the decisions made at the Fourth Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, published the opinions on the reform of an adjudication-centered litigation system, and worked to establish a criminal litigation mechanism in which litigation is centered on the judicial process, judicial process centered on court trials, and court trails centered on evidence. We have strictly enforced the principle of the evidence-based verdict, improved the mechanism for witnesses, authenticators, and investigators to appear in court, and increased the witness attendance rates in court. We have firmly followed three procedures for handling criminal cases: conducting pretrial conferences, excluding illegal evidence, and conducting courtroom investigations. These efforts allowed us to fully play the decisive role of courts in finding out the truth, identifying the evidence, protecting the right of action, and ensuring fair adjudication. 

Second, we have worked to prevent miscarriages of justice. The people's courts have been admitted to a fact-based approach and resolutely took actions to correct those wrongly-adjudicated cases in history. In addition, we have made innovations on judicial concepts and strictly enforced the principles of legality, the presumption of innocence, and evidence-based verdict, to prevent and redress miscarriages of justice. In first-instance or second-instance trials, due to lack of evidence or the existence of major doubts, the people's courts acquitted some defendants who had committed crimes before, which prevented the wrongly-adjudicated cases from happening in a timely and effective manner.

Third, we have worked to improve the mechanism to ensure procedural fairness. We have made new judicial interpretations to the Criminal Procedure Law, focused on strengthening the protection of litigious rights, and worked to fully implement the litigation system involving the public trial and right to defense. Efforts have been made to fully protect the litigious rights of the defendants, defenders, and victims and implement in earnest the principle of respecting and protecting human rights. We have carried out pilot programs to achieve full legal defense coverage in criminal cases, improved the mechanism that makes it more convenient for lawyers to participate in litigation, and guaranteed defense lawyers exercise their rights in accordance with law and better play their roles, to ensure that judges sentence convicted criminals and no one should be prosecuted without criminal evidence. 

Fourth, we have worked to step up the protection of the rights and interests of minors. We have improved the socialist juvenile justice system with Chinese characteristics and published opinions on strengthening the trial of cases involving minors. China now has 2,181 juvenile courts, which follow the principle of "putting education first and imposing punishment only if necessary" and adhere to the guideline of "education, persuading and rehabilitating juveniles." More efforts have been made to promote the sentence of non-custodial penalties to minors. The people's courts have taken an active part in preventing and deterring juvenile delinquency. The number of cases involving minors dropped for years in a row. Thank you.

Red Star News:

My question is, how will the people's tribunals, standing at the frontier for solving conflicts and disputes and serving the public, play a role at the new development stage in serving rural vitalization, primary-level social governance, and preventing and addressing disputes at the source? Thank you.

He Xiaorong:

I will answer this one. The people's tribunals stand at the front line for serving the public and solving disputes, and for boosting social governance and rural vitalization. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the people's courts have paid more attention to systematic concepts, law-based thinking and building a strong foundation. Two national people's tribunals working conferences were convened. Concrete and practical measures were taken to spearhead relevant works. Last year, a guidance was issued to clarify working principles of people's tribunals in the new era: to provide strong judicial services and guarantee for rural vitalization, national rejuvenation, and common prosperity. 

First, to serve the comprehensive advancement of rural vitalization. The rural areas are China's lifeline. Focusing on comprehensively boosting rural vitalization, we optimize the distribution of the tribunals with continued efforts. We properly solve agriculture-related disputes in accordance with the law. Through specialized tribunals, we try cases regarding industrial development and ecological preservation justly and efficiently, ensuring the agricultural and rural development and serving the deepening of rural reforms. People's tribunals specializing in environmental protection and tourism have emerged nationwide to facilitate the development of characteristic industries in rural areas. The people's tribunals also actively try out to facilitate the trials of new urbanization, offering targeted judicial services for boosting high-quality urbanization. 

Second, to serve primary-level social governance. When the primary level of a society is well-governed, society can live in peace. From 2016 to 2021, people's tribunals concluded 25.377 million cases nationwide, accounting for approximately 25% of the cases concluded by primary people's courts. We push for people's tribunals to work in rural areas, communities and grid units, relying on local Party committees' leadership and focusing on the city- and county-level governance requirements. A diversified dispute-solving mechanism is thriving. The number of medication organizations and mediators invited to be stationed at tribunals has risen remarkably. The justice departments fully play the role of participating in advancing, regulating, and supporting social governance. We build the Fengqiao model of people's tribunals and three defense lines for preventing and defusing conflicts and disputes - addressing problems at the source, before litigation, or through judicial adjudication, to effectively solve conflicts and disputes at the local and primary level. 

Third, to facilitate people's needs for a high-quality life. Cases concerning people's livelihood are adequately tried in accordance with the law, including the ones involving marriage and family, labor disputes, property disputes, and adjacent relation disputes. Right relief is enhanced. People's rights and interests are protected. Circuit trials are conducted in the ways of vehicle-carried tribunals, horseback tribunals, and backpacked tribunals, smoothing the last kilometer of judicial service. The achievements of one-stop solution and smart court development are integrated and applied in people's courts. The one-stop service, being equal and inclusive, convenient and efficient, and intelligent and targeted, offers more convenience for people to solve conflicts and disputes and realize justice. Thank you.

CNR: 

We have found in many interviews that some victims in criminal cases or in civil cases were dragged into financial difficulties because those criminal defendants or tortfeasors could not afford compensation. As a result, they need help from the state judicial assistance. As such, what new progress has been made regarding the scope of the assistance and measures over the past decade? What steps are expected to be adopted to ensure more applicants can get the help? Thank you.

Tao Kaiyuan:

Thank you for your questions and your concern about judicial assistance. I'd like to answer your questions, as I'm responsible for the work regarding state compensation jurisdiction and judicial assistance.

Judicial assistance serves as human rights guardian to help those most in need. The third plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Committee decided to improve the state judicial assistance system. Then, the fourth plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Committee decided to enhance such systems further. Against this background, the SPC established a working group to improve the state judicial assistance system in 2014, adopting a series of measures to ensure the implementation and efficiency of the reforms and deployments made by the CPC Central Committee.

First, the assistance targets have been specifically identified, so we have clarified who is eligible to obtain the judicial assistance. We have issued working guidance for the people's courts to strengthen and regulate state judicial assistance. We have made it clear that people struggling with difficulties can obtain judicial assistance if they are as follows: those who are victims, informants, witnesses, and forensic appraisers of criminal cases; the party seeking alimony and child support; those who suffered injuries in civil cases, such as traffic accidents. 

Second, a "unified" working mechanism has been established in terms of six aspects. We have incorporated judicial assistance cases into judicial procedures to ensure that the cases can be admitted in a unified manner and made sure that the judicial assistance practices are unified in terms of scope, procedures, standards, fund guarantee measures, and fund distribution. We have thereby solved such problems as vague separation of duties, complicated procedures, and different standards which used to exist in judicial practices before reforms. As such, we can ensure that relief funds can be distributed in a more targeted and efficient manner to those involved in litigations with difficulties. 

Third, judicial assistance cases have been handled in a more regulated procedure. The SPC has released regulations on procedures and document style for the people's courts while handling judicial assistance cases, which have provided detailed regulations on all steps while handling a case, including case filing and admitting, case handling, the ruling, and funds application and distribution. Moreover, specific deadlines have been made for each step. Thanks to all these efforts, judicial assistance has become remarkably efficient. 

Going forward, the people's courts will uphold the people-centered development philosophy and improve the judicial assistance system. We will ensure that cases related to judicial assistance can be addressed in a high-quality and efficient way to make sure that judicial assistance can play its protective role in helping those most in need. Thank you. 

People's Daily Online:

We notice that some prominent concerns of the people, such as the protection of rights of laborers, women, and children, have been included in the people's courts' annual major tasks. Can you detail some specific judiciary services and guarantee the people's courts will offer? Thank you.

He Xiaorong:

I will take this question. Public wellbeing is the most significant test of political efficacy and the greatest concern of the people and all walks of life. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the people's courts have always observed the people-centered philosophy and constantly improved judiciary guarantee for people's wellbeing. Various civil cases were adequately settled, and a series of judicial interpretations and policies were issued. This way, people genuinely feel that fairness and justice are close by.

First, we have worked to ensure our people live in peace and contentment. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, we have handled more than 36 million civil cases covering education, employment, healthcare, and housing in accordance with the law. We also rolled out judicial interpretations on issues ranging from food and drugs, and consumer rights protection to labor disputes and medical malpractice, nourishing the public sense of liability and consciousness to respect procedures, rules, and contracts. Next, the people's courts will fully exercise jurisdiction, serve the high-quality social and economic development and protect the rights of consumers based on law. We will implement the "four strictest requirements"- the strictest standards, the strictest supervision, the strictest punishment, and the strictest accountability - to ensure people's "safety on the tongue." We will formulate judicial policies regarding new business formats, safeguard laborers' legitimate rights and interests and promote sound and orderly development of the platform economy. 

Second, we worked to protect people's personality rights. We issued a judicial interpretation on facial recognition, unified personal injury compensation standard in urban and rural areas. We adopted the causes of action regarding equal rights to employment and dispute over liability for damage caused by sexual harassment. Cases of injunction on personality right infringement and employment discrimination against graduates over gender or locality were subject to legal procedures. Next, we will formulate a judicial interpretation of the article of tort liability of the Civil Code, enhance privacy and personal information protection, and punish cyber infringements in accordance with the law. 

Third, we worked to protect people's property rights. We issued a judicial interpretation of the article of property rights of the Civil Code. We handled typical cases such as installing elevators in old residential buildings and people who forcibly live off their parents losing their right to habitation, which protected the public's legitimate rights. Next, we will intensify judicial protection for property rights, energize mass innovation and entrepreneurship, and process cases such as land acquisition compensation in accordance with the law. We will contribute our share to the national drive for rural vitalization and new urbanization by protecting the legitimate rights of former rural residents who now hold urban residency. 

Fourth, we worked to promote the cultivation of family virtues. We promulgated judicial interpretations of the Civil Code's laws on marriage, family, and inheritance and severely punished the trafficking of women and children. We heard cases of divorcing spouses seeking housework compensation and issued nearly 11,000 personal protection orders to fight against domestic violence. Next, we will advance the reform of family courts and formulate a judicial interpretation of personal protection orders to explain such cases' standard of proof and criminal penalties over violations. Through these efforts, the legitimate rights and interests of women, children, and the elderly will be safeguarded. 

Fifth, we worked to advocate core socialist values. We nourished integrity and promoted truthfulness, kindness, and beauty, and spoke against hypocrisy, villainy, and ugliness through the law-based trial of cases like infringements of reputation and honor of the Five Heroes of Langya Mountain and academician Yuan Longping, a man occupied sleeping berth in a high-speed train filing lawsuit against media supervision, and a scalper claiming compensation for injury while escaping from security staff. Next, we will further integrate core socialist values into judicial policy and adjudication and cultivate adjudication-oriented rules and rule-oriented social conduct. Thank you.

Chen Wenjun:

Last question, please.

Legal Daily:

Over the past decade, we have witnessed continuous changes in the litigation mode. The development of smart courts has brought some digital benefits to people. Can you talk about in what ways the integration of judicial work and digital technologies has brought convenience to the people? Thank you.

Yang Linping:

I will take this question. The reporter's question is a significant issue regarding the deep integration of science and technology and the rule of law as well as serving the people. In the digital era, modernization could not be achieved without digitalization. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the people's courts have thoroughly implemented Xi Jinping Thought on Building China's Strength in Cyberspace, seized the great opportunity of launching the Digital China Initiative, and concentrated on the goal of "working to ensure that the people feel fairness and justice prevails in every judicial case," and taken deepening the reform on the judicial system and the building of smart courts as the two wings of a bird or the two wheels of a cart for the development of the people's judicial cause. Smart courts that enable online handling of all business, whole-process public disclosure by law, and all-around intelligent services have been built. The mode of internet-based justice with Chinese characteristics has been set up. The mode of trial and enforcement has been totally reshaped. All these efforts have effectively promoted fairness and justice and brought great convenience to the people, mainly reflected in three aspects.

First, online services have effectively enhanced people's sense of judicial fulfillment. The people's courts have made solid efforts to implement the people-centered development philosophy. They have built the online services platform of the people's courts, which covers courts at four levels and provides one-stop litigation services, including online mediation, electronic document delivery, and entrusted examination. People can get access to whole-process litigation services on cellphone applications. Instead of making nearly six trips to the court to complete a lawsuit in the past on average, now a litigant need only make one or two trips or even no trip at all. There are 78,000 organizations and 320,000 mediators on the mediation platform of the people's courts, with 51 disputes successfully resolved online every minute. In this way, people's litigation rights are protected effectively and conveniently in accordance with the law, relieving burdens on the people of filing lawsuits. The big data platform dynamically collected the information of cases and released judicial statistical statements regarding hot issues such as high-rise littering, telecom fraud, and online shopping disputes to respond to the people's concerns and advance social governance. Four platforms for the openness of judicial process information, court trials, judgments, and enforcement information have been established. An open, dynamic, clean, and convenient mechanism of transparent justice has been developed, enabling people to feel fairness and justice in a visible way.

Second, handling cases through online channels has significantly improved the efficiency of realizing justice. The in-depth application of the internet, AI, and blockchain technology has been promoted in trials. Judicial assistance systems such as speech recognition in trials and accurate push of laws and similar cases have improved the efficiency of trials by over 20%. This has made it more efficient and convenient for people to resolve disputes and achieve fairness and justice. At the stage of enforcement of judicial decisions, smart courts have played an indispensable role in basically resolving difficulties in the execution of court rulings. The most challenging part of enforcement is person and property searching. Smart courts have fully utilized the capabilities in person and property searching, seizure and freezing, punishment against bad-faith acts, and online auctions, and brought people a true sense of gain. I would like to take a set of figures as an example. The total amount of funds frozen through the information monitoring network has exceeded 2 trillion yuan. Online judicial auctions alone have saved 61.9 billion yuan in commissions for the parties. Smart courts have ensured that trial and enforcement are carried out without interruption amid the COVID-19 epidemic. Although the epidemic has affected people's life, we have managed to deliver our work.

Third, the model of internet-based justice has been leading the world. Internet courts in Beijing, Hangzhou, and Guangzhou have acted as pathfinders of internet-based justice and set exemplars of resolving new types of disputes in the digital era through trials of a series of the internet–related cases with the significance of rules setting. The SPC has introduced the "Three Major Rules" of online litigation, online mediation, and online operation of the people's courts. It has taken the lead in issuing opinions of the SPC on strengthening blockchain applications in the judicial field. China's internet-based justice has developed from being a world leader in technology to the world leader in rule setting. Property rights and human rights have been protected by rules in accordance with the rule of law, demonstrating that democracy, the rule of law, fairness, and justice are delivered.

Smart courts and the mode of internet-based justice are the vivid practice in the digital era of the principle that the people's courts are for the people. Digital technology has empowered judicial work, improved judicial efficiency, and brought convenience to the people, enabling the people to better enjoy the benefits of digital justice in the digital era.

Chen Wenjun:

Thank you to the four speakers and friends from the media. Today's news conference is concluded. Goodbye.

Translated and edited by Wang Yiming, Wang Wei, Zhang Jiaqi, Ma Yujia, Zhang Rui, Zhang Tingting, Wang Yanfang, Duan Yaying, Liu Qiang, Cui Can, Gong Yingchun, Huang Shan, He Shan, Xu Kailin, Yang Xi, Liu Sitong, Li Huiru, David Ball, Tom Arnsten, and Jay Birbeck. In case of any discrepancy between the English and Chinese texts, the Chinese version is deemed to prevail.

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Read in Chinese

Speakers:

Wang Jianxin, director of the Publicity Department of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the National Supervisory Commission

Qi Jiabin, member of the Ministerial Board of the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee

Tian Peiyan, deputy director of the Policy Research Office of the CPC Central Committee

Chairperson:

Shou Xiaoli, spokesperson of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee 

Date:

June 30, 2022

Shou Xiaoli:

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to this press conference held by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee. This is a press conference under the theme of "China in the past decade." Today, we're joined by Mr. Wang Jianxin, director of the Publicity Department of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the National Supervisory Commission; Mr. Qi Jiabin, member of the Ministerial Board of the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee; and Mr. Tian Peiyan, deputy director of the Policy Research Office of the CPC Central Committee, to brief you on upholding the Party's overall leadership and ensuring full and rigorous self-governance of the Party. They will also take your questions.

Now, let's give the floor to Mr. Wang for his introduction.

Wang Jianxin:

Ladies and gentlemen, friends from the media, good morning. I'm very glad to be attending today's press conference. Now, I will briefly introduce the relevant information to you.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era. Over the past decade, we have forged ahead with resolve and made remarkable achievements. General Secretary Xi Jinping has led the whole Party to successfully offer the second solution to avoid history's cycle of rise and fall under the conditions of long-term governance, and put forward strategic thoughts on the Party's self-reform.

Entering the new era, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has continued to carry out self-reform and promote full and rigorous self-governance of the Party with a strong historical initiative. Being strict with itself, the CPC Central Committee has advanced the great new project of Party building in the new era with a firm will to live up to the people's expectations. Top priority has been given to strengthening the Party politically. The CPC has strict discipline and rules, with members united with ideals and convictions. It also fights corruption and punishes wrongdoing. It continuously enhances the political function and cohesiveness of Party organizations, and builds institutional norms featuring self-purification, self-improvement, and self-reform. Through the full, rigorous and revolutionary self-governance of the Party, the CPC has become a Party with strict discipline and strength under the unified leadership of its Central Committee; a Party that keeps close ties with the people, serves the people, shares weal and woe with the people, and is wholeheartedly supported by the people; a Party with a pioneering spirit and vitality that is ahead of the times.

As an important force in promoting the Party's self-reform, officials for discipline inspection and supervision have consistently studied and implemented Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and consistently urged the entire Party to boost consciousness of the need to maintain political integrity, think in big-picture terms, follow the leadership core, and maintain alignment with the central Party leadership; to stay confident in the path, theory, system and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics; and to firmly uphold Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the CPC Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and uphold the Central Committee's authority and its centralized, unified leadership ("Two Upholds"). We have continued to ensure full and rigorous self-governance of the Party. The roles of inspection and supervision have been given full play to ensure implementation and promote improvement and development. Officials for discipline inspection and supervision have pursued high-quality development to serve the modernization of the country. Under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee, from the 18th CPC National Congress to the end of April this year, the discipline inspection and supervision organs have investigated 4.39 million cases and 4.71 million officials nationwide. Disciplinary organs handled more than 723,000 cases of violations of the eight-point rules on improving Party and government conduct, with more than 644,000 people punished.

Now, we have embarked on a new journey toward the second centenary goal of building a modern socialist country in all respects. The discipline inspection and supervision organs will more accurately interpret and shoulder our due responsibilities and tasks in carrying out the Party's self-reform, actively respond to the new situation and new challenges in the fight against corruption, work ceaselessly to improve Party conduct and fight corruption, promote the full and strict Party self-governance, and ensure that the Party will always be a powerful leadership core in the development of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Thank you.

Shou Xiaoli:

Thank you. Now, let's give the floor to Mr. Qi for his introduction.

Qi Jiabin:

Friends from the media, good morning. I will briefly introduce the work related to the Party organizations in the past decade.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, we have thoroughly implemented the general requirements of Party building and guiding principles for work related to Party organizations in the new era. We have adhered to the Party's overall leadership and full and strict Party self-governance, focused on the main responsibilities and work priorities, adopted problem-oriented approaches, and fulfilled responsibilities. As a result, new progress and new achievements have been made.

First, we have pressed ahead with the study of the Party's theories. Taking the in-depth study and practice of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as the primary political task, we have carried out five themed education programs within the Party, successfully held seminars for leading officials at the provincial and ministerial levels, and training classes for young and middle-aged officials. We have conducted systematic training for Party members and officials in stages and in batches, guided Party members and officials to acquire a deep understanding of the decisive significance of the establishment of both Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the CPC 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 to firmly implement the "Two Upholds." In the past decade, 214,000 training opportunities have been provided by the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee.

Second, the Party's organizational system has become more strong. As of Dec. 31, 2021, the number of CPC members reached 96.71 million and that of primary-level Party organizations amounted to 4.94 million. Over the past decade, to uphold the authority of the CPC Central Committee and its centralized, unified leadership, we have built an organizational system featuring unimpeded communication and effective policy implementation at all levels and worked continuously to strengthen primary-level organizations and other foundational aspects. We strengthened party building to help reduce poverty, promote rural revitalization, and facilitate urban primary-level governance. Primary-level Party organizations in all sectors have seen progress on all fronts. We also worked to recruit new Party members and strengthened the guidance and management of Party members. Campaigns have been launched to strengthen Party leadership in primary-level communities and bring tangible benefits to the public. The Party's organizational strength has been fully demonstrated in major tasks such as epidemic prevention and control and poverty alleviation, and the vanguard and exemplary role of Party members has been given full play.

Third, we have trained a contingent of competent and professional officials. In accordance with the standard of developing outstanding candidates in the new era, we coordinated efforts in five aspects, namely, training professional skills, developing the capacity to know the world and put people in suitable posts, selecting and appointing officials, carrying out strict Party official management, and incentivizing officials. To train a contingent of officials who are politically strong and are able to lead the country's modernization drive, we have improved the selection and appointment of officials, prioritized the evaluation of their political integrity, selected talented people of integrity and ability while putting integrity as the priority, and appointed officials in accordance with the cause of the Party and the country. As a result, a group of loyal, honest, and upright officials has been selected and appointed. We have been both strict and caring to Party officials. We strengthened the daily management and supervision toward them and introduced incentive plans and specific measures to encourage them to take new responsibilities and make new contributions in the new era. We have earnestly carried out the Civil Servant Law and established and implemented a salary system for public servants based on both position and rank in a bid to increase Party members' enthusiasm, initiative, and creativity.

Fourth, talent development has seen new breakthroughs. We implemented the strategy to develop a quality workforce in the new era and expedited the building of a global hub for talent and innovation. Currently, China has about 220 million people with professional skills.

Fifth, reforms on the system of Party building have made further progress. We continue to further reform the Party's organizational system, official system, primary-level organization system, and the talent development system and mechanism. The Party's organizational work has seen sounder institutions and standards.

Thank you.

Shou Xiaoli:

Next, I'll give the floor to Mr. Tian Peiyan.

Tian Peiyan:

Friends from the media, good morning. Next, I'll briefly introduce the key achievements made in the past decade about upholding and strengthening Party leadership on all fronts.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has taken a series of strategic moves to uphold and strengthen the overall leadership of the Party and worked to address the problems that rendered Party leadership weak, ineffective, and marginalized. As a result, we have seen major progress on political, theoretical, and institutional fronts and related practices.

The highlight of political achievements is that people have embraced the decisive significance of the establishment of both Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the CPC 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. The sixth plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Committee thoroughly reviewed the great endeavor of building socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era and put forward the establishment of both Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the CPC 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. This reflects the will of all members of the Party, all members of the armed forces, and all the people of China and has decisive significance to the development of the Party and the country in the new era and to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. This key judgment has become a universal consensus among all Chinese people.

The highlight of theoretical achievements is that a series of new thinking, ideas, and judgments on the Party's overall leadership have been put forward. For example, the leadership of the Party is the defining feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics and constitutes the greatest strength of this system, and the Party is the highest force for political leadership. The leadership of the Party is comprehensive, systematic, and holistic and must be implemented in all fields, aspects, and processes of the cause of the Party and the country. The CPC Central Committee's centralized and unified leadership is the top principle of the Party's leadership, and strengthening and upholding it is a common political responsibility for the whole Party. A clear political stand must first be taken in order to uphold the Party's leadership. The whole Party must obey the Central Committee. These theoretical achievements have further enriched and developed operational theories for a Marxist party and deepened the CPC's understanding of governance by a communist party.

The highlight of institutional achievements is that a set of relatively sound mechanism concerning the leadership of the Party has been put in place. For example, the Party's leadership system has become the country's fundamental leadership system. The mechanism for upholding the CPC Central Committee's centralized leadership has seen further improvement. We have also improved the systems concerning the Party's leadership over the people's congresses, the government at all levels, the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference committees, oversight bodies, courts, procuratorates, the armed forces, people's organizations, enterprises and public institutions, primary-level people's organizations for self-governance, and social organizations. The CPC Central Committee's role in decision-making, deliberation, and coordination has been further strengthened, which helps further improve the mechanism by which the CPC Central Committee's major decisions are implemented. These institutional arrangements offer strong support to ensure the Party's role in exercising overall leadership and coordinating the efforts of all involved.

In terms of practical achievements, it is embodied in the Party's leadership becoming stronger. The whole Party's political awareness of boosting the consciousness of the need to maintain political integrity, think in big-picture terms, follow the leadership core, and maintain alignment with the central Party leadership; staying confident in the path, theory, system and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics; and firmly upholding Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the CPC Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and upholding the Central Committee's authority and its centralized, unified leadership has been unprecedentedly improved. The authority of the CPC Central Committee and its centralized leadership have been strengthened on all fronts. The Party's ability to lead politically, to guide through theory, to organize the people, and to inspire society has been remarkably improved. The status and role of the Party as the most reliable backbone of the people when responding to risks and challenges have been fully demonstrated.

Thank you.

Shou Xiaoli:

Thank you. Now the floor is open for questions. Please identify the media outlet you represent before asking your questions.

CCTV:

My question is for Mr. Qi. According to your introduction, by the end of 2021, the number of primary-level Party organizations had reached nearly 4.94 million, with more than 96.71 million members. The CPC has become the largest political party in the world. How can such a large party with so many members be managed? How do members play their roles? Thank you.

Qi Jiabin:

Thank you for your questions. What you just mentioned is of great concern to society. Yesterday we released a statistical bulletin regarding Party member admission and the work of primary-level Party organizations. I believe you have all already seen it. As the reporter mentioned, there are more than 96.71 million Party members and nearly 4.94 million primary-level organizations. As the world's largest political party of major international standing, the management of its members is of great significance. The CPC has always attached great importance to the education and management of Party members. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has further promoted the full and rigorous self-governance of the Party, strengthened education, management and oversight of Party members in a strict and practical manner, and made solid efforts to maintain the progressive nature and integrity of Party members. I will introduce them from the following aspects.

First, we have better armed Party members with the Party's theoretical innovations. We have made earnestly studying and putting into practice Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era the primary political task. We have carried out both themed and regular education programs and adopted various forms including rotation training, study groups for leading officials, reading classes and Party lectures on specific topics to guide Party members to study original texts, read classic works and understand the basic tenets of Marxism, enabling them to acquire a deep understanding of the decisive significance of the establishment of both Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the CPC 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 to firmly uphold Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the CPC Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and to uphold the Central Committee's authority and its centralized, unified leadership, so that the whole Party maintains a unified thought, firm will, coordinated action and strong ability.

Second, we have strictly organized the regular activities of the Party organizations. The system of holding Party branch general meetings, Party branch committee meetings, Party group meetings, and Party lectures and the organizing of the themed day for Party organizational activities have been fully practiced. Meetings for criticism and self-criticism have been organized and the assessment of Party members by the public has been carried out. We also require making good use of the tool of criticism and self-criticism. Through organizational activities, Party members have been forged into resolute Communists.

Third, we have given more incentives, solicitude and assistance to Party members. As part of the celebrations for the Party's centenary, the CPC Central Committee awarded the July 1 Medal to 29 comrades, and honored 400 outstanding Party members, 300 exemplary Party workers and 499 advanced primary-level Party organizations. Commemorative medals were also awarded for the first time to those who have been Party members for 50 years or more and have consistently performed well in their roles. All these measures have created a strong atmosphere of inspiring role models and promoting a sense of righteousness.

Fourth, we have developed strict systems to expel Party members with serious failings. We have prudently handled Party members that do not meet the mark to ensure the Party's health. Through these efforts, we have strengthened the education, management and oversight of Party members.

Just now, the reporter asked about how to give full play to the exemplary role of Party members. This can be generally summarized in a few words. That is, they are the vanguards and role models in daily life and work; they are the first to step forward at critical junctures; and they are fearless and ready to give their all for the country and the people in times of crisis. That is the vivid reflection of the exemplary roles that Party members play. 

First, Party members have performed their duties in their daily work. Based on individual cases of Party members, we have set vanguard posts and areas of responsibility to reflect the progressive and excellent qualities and traits of Party members in specific posts of production, operations, management and services.

Second, Party members have taken the initiative to serve the people. We have established and improved the mechanism for Party members to make and put into practice promises and to provide volunteer services. We have organized in-service Party members to report to communities, and launched activities with the theme of "doing practical work for the people," so as to resolve the difficulties and problems that concern people the most, and allow the people to feel that Party members are always close by and that the Party is the backbone of the people.

Third, Party members have led from the front in major tasks. Faced with the urgent, difficult, hazardous and arduous tasks related to epidemic prevention and control, poverty alleviation, emergency rescue and disaster relief, and research on major projects, Party members have shouldered responsibilities and risen to the challenge to tackle tough problems, fully demonstrating the vanguard image of Communists in the new era. For example, in 2020, in winning the battle to prevent and control the epidemic, more than 29.77 million Party members marched straight to the front lines to fight the virus. It should be said that in all these aspects, Party members have fully played an exemplary role.

That's all from me. Thank you.

Xinhua News Agency:

My question goes to Mr. Wang. Exercising full and strict self-governance of the Party is a notable feature of the CPC's governance of the country in the new era. How do you interpret the historic and groundbreaking achievements in ensuring full and strict self-governance of the Party? Thank you.

Wang Jianxin:

Thank you for your question. I will answer this question briefly. To have the courage to carry out self-reform and conduct strict self-governance: this is the most distinctive part of our Party's character. It has been 10 years since the 18th National Congress of the CPC. Just as a blacksmith in the past would spend 10 years forging the perfect sword, a great endeavor takes years to make significant progress. In accordance with the strategic vision of the Two Centenary Goals and realizing the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has placed the full and rigorous self-governance of the Party as part of the Four-pronged Comprehensive Strategy and pushed forward the campaign to improve Party conduct, build a clean government, and fight corruption with tremendous political courage and strategic focus. In the past decade, full and rigorous self-governance of the Party has played its due role in providing political guidance and political guarantees, the problem of lax and weak governance over the Party organizations has been addressed at the fundamental level, and the Party has grown stronger through revolutionary tempering. I'd like to brief our achievements in the following four aspects.

First, we have upheld and strengthened the Party's overall leadership. Firmly upholding Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the CPC Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and upholding the Central Committee's authority and its centralized and unified leadership has become the highest political principle of the Party. The leadership by the Party is the defining feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the greatest strength of the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and the Party is the highest force for political leadership. Under the firm leadership of the CPC Central Committee, we have completed the transformation of the system of exercising full and rigorous self-governance of the Party, its strategic goals, organizations, workforce, and responsibility system. The Party's strong leadership, organizational and executive capacity make it the most reliable backbone of the Chinese people. 

Second, the Party has played its leading role in political construction and its basic role in ideological work and preserved its political character in complex and severe struggles. From the political point of view, we have strictly enforced the Party's political rules and discipline, tightened political oversight over the issues related to the country's most fundamental interests, regulated political activities, improved the political ecosystem, and acquired a deep understanding of the decisive significance of the establishment of both Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the CPC 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. We also boosted our consciousness of the need to maintain political integrity, think in big-picture terms, follow the leadership core, and keep in alignment with the central Party leadership. We stay confident in the path, the theory, the system, and the culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics and conscientiously uphold Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the CPC Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and upholding the Central Committee's authority and its centralized and unified leadership. We have insisted on combining regular education with intensive education. We keep consolidating the basis and fostering vitality through lofty beliefs, equipping ourselves with the Party's new theories, nourishing our minds, and solidifying our faith by following the Party's inspiring principles.

Third, we have steadfastly improved Party conduct, enforced Party discipline and fought corruption to eliminate any viruses that would erode its health. By practicing rigorous self-governance, we have carried out work to enhance the Party spirit, improve Party conduct, strengthen Party disciplines, and oppose the Four Malfeasances [the practices of favoring form over substance, bureaucratism, hedonism, and extravagance], corruption, and any sense of entitlement. I will present you with some figures. From the 18th National Congress of the CPC to the end of April this year, the discipline inspection and supervision departments have criticized, educated, and helped 11.344 million people by conducting four forms of oversight over discipline compliance, in which 6.951 million, or 61.3% of the violators were criticized and educated through the first form, 3.341 million, or 29.4% of the violators, through the second form, 565,000, or 5%, through the third form, and 487,000, or 4.3%, through the fourth form. The anti-corruption campaign saved the Party, the anti-Four Malfeasances reshaped the Party, and the anti-entitlement helped improve the engagement between CPC members and the people and between cadres and the people. These efforts have solidified the foundations of the Party's governance.

Fourth, we have enhanced the regulations for the Party's self-reform, and the overall authoritative and effective supervision system under the Party's unified leadership has been constantly improved. Enforcing strict Party discipline requires developing rules and regulations. We have formed an intra-Party regulation system with the Party Constitution as the guiding principle, and the Party's regulations concerning its organization, leadership, self-development, and supervision and oversight have formed a major portion of this system. We have deepened reforms of the discipline inspection and supervision system and set up supervisory commissions at the national, provincial, prefecture, and county levels. Discipline inspection commissions of the Party and supervision commissions of the government at all levels jointly carry out full supervision over all public functionaries who exercise public power to promote the coordination of all types of supervision and create a long-standing synergy for conducting oversight that covers all areas.

The historic and groundbreaking achievements over the past decade have proved that exercising full and rigorous self-governance of the Party is a significant practice of self-reform. It opened a new chapter for self-reforms in the major Party with a 100-year history. Our Party radiates new and strong vitality, the people have more confidence and trust in our Party, and the political foundation of the Party's governance has become more stable.

Thank you.

The Chosun Ilbo:

The business activities of enterprises should be subject to the law. Some people believe that strengthening the overall leadership of the Party will negatively impact innovation and long-term investment of enterprises. What are your views on this? My second question is about low birth rates and the sluggish economy, which are common problems facing the world. Do you think the Party's overall leadership system can address these problems? Thank you.

Tian Peiyan:

I'll take your questions. The leadership of the CPC has been stipulated in China's Constitution and the law. The Party leads the people in formulating and implementing the Constitution and the law, and willingly acts within the scope of the Constitution and the law. Thus, abiding by the law is intrinsically unified with upholding Party leadership. Development is the Party's top priority in governing and rejuvenating the country, and economic development is the central work of the Party. It is natural that the Party's overall leadership will be reflected in the main battlefield of economic development. In an effort to lead and promote the country's sustained and sound economic development, the Party has put forward the development philosophy, formulated major development strategies and plans, clarified major principles and policies, and made major work arrangements. As the micro entities of economic activity, enterprises have been continuously supported by the Party's leadership. The Party's leadership is not only a big boost for enterprises but adds momentum to their development.

As far as state-owned enterprises (SOEs) are concerned, the overall leadership of the Party is the fundamental guarantee and the unique advantage for their development. In 2016, the CPC Central Committee held a national conference on Party building among SOEs. Since then, Party leadership and Party building have been comprehensively strengthened, and the achievements of SOEs have been witnessed by all. In 2021, the total assets, total profits and revenues of SOEs increased by 117.53%, 95.65% and 66.15%, respectively, compared with 2015. In particular, SOEs have played a crucial role in making breakthroughs in core technologies. In terms of non-public enterprises, the Party has unswervingly encouraged, supported and guided their development, and adopted a series of effective policies and measures to promote business development and the healthy growth of entrepreneurs in the non-public sector. At present, more than 570,000 primary-level Party organizations and over 5.9 million CPC members, who are active in private firms, continue to play an irreplaceable role in business production, operation, innovation and creative activities.

In response to the severe impact of COVID-19 on the economy, the CPC Central Committee has taken well-coordinated steps to balance pandemic countermeasures and socio-economic development, and continued to ensure stability on six key fronts (employment, finance, foreign trade, inbound investment, domestic investment, and market expectations) and security in six key areas (jobs, basic living needs, operations of market entities, food and energy security, stable industrial and supply chains, and the normal functioning of primary-level governments) while maintaining effective COVID-19 prevention and control and protecting the life and health of the people to the maximum extent possible. The CPC Central Committee has stepped up efforts to improve people's living standards, implemented a proactive fiscal policy, prudent monetary policy as well as cross-cyclical and counter-cyclical macro-regulation policies, and adopted specific measures in easing the difficulties of enterprises such as tax and fee cuts, in order to ensure overall stable performance in economic and social development to the maximum extent possible. All these efforts have helped to improve the country's economic resilience and consolidate its long-term growth trend.

Population and birth are important to the well-being of the people. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee has improved the childbirth policy in light of China's population development and changes by rolling out supporting policies and measures, including lifting two-child and three-child restrictions, extending maternity leave, and actively developing inclusive child-care services to address people's concerns and help release their potentials of giving birth. The policies and measures are gradually paying off. Thank you.

Cover News:

While addressing the recent 40th group study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, urged coordinated improvement to guarantee that officials do not have the audacity, opportunity, or desire to engage in corruption for a full victory in the anti-corruption campaign. What's your view on the achievements that have been made in the fight against corruption since the 18th CPC National Congress? Thank you.

Wang Jianxin:

Anti-corruption is a matter of great concern to the people. Let me give you a brief overview. The fight against corruption is the most thorough self-revolution of the Party and a key fight in the great struggle of the new era. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee, the CPC has maintained a tough stance on cracking down on corruption with the courage to make painful self-adjustments. Whoever is corrupt, regardless of where they come from, what they do, or whether they are retired, will be challenged or even cleared. It has delivered the promise that those who violate CPC discipline and state laws, no matter how high their position is, will be investigated seriously and punished severely, writing a new chapter in the history of mankind's fight against corruption.

First, the CPC has set up a work system for fighting corruption under the Party's overall leadership. It has strengthened the all-around and full-coverage leadership against corruption throughout the whole process. The Party has improved the institutional mechanism for anti-corruption work which is characterized by the unified leadership of the CPC Central Committee, command and coordination of Party committees at different levels, organization and coordination of discipline inspection commissions and supervision commissions, effective cooperation between functional departments, and participation and support of the people. We have fought corruption under the CPC leadership, severely punished corruption by the socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics, and prevented and controlled corruption by the advantages of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics. We have successfully embarked on an anti-corruption path with Chinese characteristics. 

Second, the CPC has formed a policy of coordinated improvement to guarantee that officials do not have the audacity, opportunity, or desire to engage in corruption. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC central committee has unveiled the establishment of an effective mechanism in this regard. With the fight against corruption deepening, the mechanism of coordinated improvement to guarantee that officials do not have the audacity, opportunity, or desire to engage in corruption has been established as the basic principle in the fight against corruption and an important policy of full and strict Party self-governance. We have implemented the principle of coordinated improvement in tightening discipline, improving Party conduct, and fighting corruption to ensure that Party members and officials are deterred from corruption, are not able to be corrupt as confined by the system, and have no desire to commit corruption because of their awareness.

Third, the CPC has shown no tolerance in its fight against corruption. We have unswervingly taken strictness as a keynote principle in the fight against corruption to resolutely stop the increase in corruption and reduce the amount of existing corruption. The spread of corruption has been effectively curbed, and the fight against corruption has won an overwhelming victory and has been fully consolidated, entering a normal stage where corruption will be punished once it is found. Since the 19th CPC National Congress, a total of 74,000 people across the country have voluntarily surrendered to disciplinary and supervisory authorities, a figure that illustrates this point well.

Fourth, the CPC has built a tight cage of institutions to prevent corruption. We have formulated and revised the code of intra-Party political life, the code of anti-corruption and self-discipline, and intra-Party oversight regulations under the new circumstances. We have revised regulations on disciplinary punishments and regulations on discipline inspections twice. We have enacted the Supervision Law and the Law on Administrative Discipline for Public Officials and revised the Criminal Law and the Criminal Procedure Law to have formed a complete system of intra-Party regulations and anti-corruption laws. We have connected the implementation of disciplines and laws and strengthened institutional strictness to ensure that the laws and systems are rooted and work.

Fifth, the CPC has built an ideological defense against corruption. The whole Party has been unswervingly armed with the Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. We have promoted the formation of a chain of all-around education on Party consciousness, strengthened the fundamentals with ideals and convictions, and cultivated the mind with fine Chinese cultural traditions. We have stepped up efforts in the education of anti-corruption, guided Party members and officials to develop their sense of Party consciousness, and consolidated their ideological and moral defense line.

Sixth, we have strengthened checks on and oversight over the exercise of power and deepened reform of the Party's discipline inspection system and the national supervision system. We have ensured that internal oversight covers the whole Party, that supervision covers everyone working in the public sector, and promoted rectification and governance through punishing corruption cases. Since 2020, a total of 216,000 discipline inspection and supervision suggestions have been put forward, realizing the comprehensive effect of investigating and punishing a corruption case to warn similar ones and reinforce order in a certain area . We have integrated identifying problems, promoting rectification, boosting reform, and improving institutions. We have educated and guided Party members and officials to exercise power impartially, in accordance with the law, with self-discipline, and in the interests of the people and helped them get accustomed to working under supervision. Thank you.

Asahi Shimbun:

We can see in the third resolution on historical issues that "The Party is great not because it never makes mistakes but because it always owns up to its errors, actively engages in criticism and self-criticism, and has the courage to confront problems and reform itself." In countries such as Japan, the people can vote to replace the ruling party when it makes mistakes, but in China, the Communist Party of China (CPC) is the only ruling party, so how exactly does it correct mistakes? If the CPC Central Committee makes mistakes, is there a mechanism to correct them? Thank you.

Tian Peiyan:

I am glad to take your questions. Selflessness makes for fearlessness and honesty. The CPC represents the fundamental interests of all Chinese people, rather than special interests of its own. The progressive character determines that our Party has the courage to confront problems and reform itself. It has successively made three resolutions on historical issues in the course of its century-long struggle, with the first two focusing on distinguishing right from wrong and correcting mistakes, including one Right deviationist and three "Left" deviationist ones during the Democratic Revolution and sweeping ones of the Cultural Revolution after the founding of the People's Republic of China. The third resolution on historical issues adopted at the Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee focused on summing up major achievements and historical experiences over the past century, but did not evade problems. In doing so, the Party aims to draw lessons from history and gain political wisdom from summarized historical experience so as to better move forward into the future.

Our Party has developed a whole set of effective practices to prevent and correct mistakes after a long period of exploration. We have established a mechanism for sound, democratic, and law-based decision-making to prevent and reduce mistakes at the source. Every major decision made by the CPC Central Committee requires in-depth investigation and study, extensive consultation, and repeated deliberation strictly in accordance with procedures. For example, the Party listened to opinions and suggestions from both inside and outside the Party as well as from all sectors of society on the formulation of the 14th Five-Year Plan at the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee and solicited more than 1 million comments online, from which it extracted more than 1,000 suggestions. From April 15 to May 16, major state media outlets conducted a one-month opinion soliciting activity online on the work related to the 20th CPC National Congress and received more than 8.54 million suggestions from netizens, providing a useful reference for the CPC Central Committee's decision-making. In the process of making and implementing decisions, we have followed up on their effectiveness, paid close attention to their implementation, and promptly identified problems and made corrections.

Our Party attaches great importance to and takes the initiative to use criticism and self-criticism as sharp weapons to review problems and correct mistakes. It organizes leading officials and Party members to carry out regular criticism and self-criticism, comprehensively review the shortcomings and mistakes in their own development and work, and formulate targeted measures for improvement at criticism and self-criticism meetings for principal members of leadership teams and members of grassroots Party organizations. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has presided over well-calibrated criticism and self-criticism meetings for the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee every year, where the central leadership has taken the lead in identifying and rectifying problems, setting an example for the whole Party. The Party has also carried out themed education programs, identified problems, analyzed causes in the spirit of rectification, and focused efforts to address prominent problems of great concern to the people, achieving good results in educating Party members and officials and benefiting the people.

In addition, we have continued to improve the Party and state oversight systems. With intra-party oversight as the leading role, we have worked towards integrating and coordinating various types of oversight to promptly identify and resolve problems and strictly hold relevant organizations and individuals accountable, and lifelong accountability may apply in some cases. Thank you.

Red Star News:

In some cases, it has been hard to enforce oversight of top officials in some Party organizations with great power and who have abused their power for personal gain. How should effective oversight be implemented to tackle such problems? Thank you.

Tian Peiyan:

I am glad to take your question. Indeed, some corrupt officials investigated and punished over the years were principal officials of local governments or government departments, but they are merely a small proportion. Rather than holding great power, top officials actually shoulder great responsibilities, with major individuals seeking development, promoting reform, ensuring security, managing and motivating leadership teams, and improving work conduct. In many respects, they are the first person responsible and must be brave to shoulder responsibilities, be good at what they do, and be bold in their decision-making.

Top officials play a key role in a locality or department, so our Party pays significant attention to their oversight. We have shaped an all-around, whole-process, and sound oversight and restriction mechanism, which highlights top officials as the focus of education and guidance, daily management, oversight for discipline observance, and accountability-based restraint.

The CPC Central Committee issued a document on strengthening the supervision of chief officials and leadership teams in 2021, requiring Party committees (Party leadership groups), disciplinary inspection organs, and Party work organs to strengthen oversight of chief officials. The document is part of the efforts to create a powerful synergy for conducting oversight that integrates top-down organizational oversight, peer review or critique, public oversight, and oversight through public opinion. Officials in command must see supervision all the time and exercise their power justly, lawfully, honestly, and for the good of the people.

While stressing external supervision, the Party makes requirements to a higher standard for the leading officials to enhance self-discipline. They should accept supervision willingly and consciously and become used to working and living under oversight. They should hold the Party, the people, the law, and the disciplines in awe and respect, and do not cross the line. They should constantly enhance political orientation, disciplinary and moral strength, and the resolve to fight against corruption. They must remain ceaselessly alert to the harm of corruption, foster integrity, and prevent degradation. Thank you.

Southern Metropolis Daily: 

We found that in recent years, new forms of business represented by the platform economy have flourished, bringing together many new employment groups such as couriers, food delivery workers, and online car-hailing drivers. How is the work going related to setting up Party organizations, carrying out their activities, and expanding their reach in emerging areas, and what are the next steps? Thank you.

Qi Jiabin:

Thank you for your attention to Party building in the new forms of business and among the new occupation population. In recent years, the development of new forms of business represented by the platform economy has accelerated, and many large-scale internet platform companies that are influential have emerged, gathering a large number of new employment groups such as couriers, takeaway couriers, online car-hailing drivers, and truck drivers and gradually being new engines that drive China's economy. Statistics showed that there are now more than 200 million workers in flexible employment, many of whom are in new occupations. They mostly work online or on the road as an indispensable part of people's daily life.

Under the guidance of the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee, Beijing, Zhejiang, Shenzhen, and the Ministry of Transport have carried out pilot projects related to Party building in the new forms of business and among the new occupation population since last year, in a bid to expand the coverage of Party organizations in emerging sectors, and significant results have been achieved.

First, platform companies have been promoted to optimize their Party organizations. To address the problems that the setup of Party organizations is unregulated in these companies, we have guided and encouraged them, which usually develop fast and have frequent structure changes, in pilot regions to adjust and make their Party organizations reasonable in line with their business architectures. We have set up secondary-level Party committees, adjusted "oversize" Party branches, and guaranteed that there are Party organizations in key areas, striving to build an organizational structure that is consistent to the end.

Second, measures have been carried out to bring together Party members among the new employment population. In line with the characteristics of different groups, pilot regions have explored and developed innovative ways to set up Party organizations. For example, couriers and food delivery workers work around communities, so communities and platform businesses have worked with community-based Party and mass services to establish Party branches for Party members among the floating population. Given that ride-hailing drivers always move on wheels throughout the city, we have worked with relevant ride-hailing and car rental companies to establish Party branches for such drivers. Through the efforts to encourage emerging employment groups to report to communities and join trade unions and other people's organizations, we have expanded the reach of the Party organizations.

Third, emerging employment groups have been promoted to integrate into grassroots Party building work arrangements in cities. We have established over 20,000 service centers for emerging employment groups by working with community-based Party and mass service centers and rest stations for outdoor workers. Now a multi-layered practical services system with broad coverage is in place, becoming warm homes to those people. In pilot areas, a mechanism has been set up for emerging employment groups to express their demands mainly through Party branches set up for these groups and Party members. Party members are encouraged to contact a certain number of people belonging to these new employment groups, collect their demands, and help them address issues related to the working environment, protection of rights and interests, and vocational skills. Vanguard posts among other measures have extensively been set up to guide Party members to take the lead in performing their duties and providing quality services. We set up volunteer teams with Party members as the backbone and encourage new employment groups to participate in the work of promoting security, launching morality campaigns, and providing community services. Advanced figures are emerging in multitude.

Next, we will earnestly summarize experiences of pilot areas and promote Party building in new business forms and within new employment groups across the country. Enterprises will be guided to ensure effective coverage of Party organizations and improve Party's organizational system in line with their business development, organizational structure, and the number of Party members. To adapt to different work styles, work radius, and specific needs of different new employment groups, we will give full play to the advantages of localities, industries, and enterprises, explore new ways for setting up primary-level Party organizations, and increasingly improve primary-level Party organizations in emerging fields. By doing so, we can closely unite the new employment groups around the Party and provide a strong guarantee for industries' healthy development.

China News Service:

We are familiar with the expression "targeting both 'tigers' and 'flies'." Mr. Wang introduced some statistics just now. We would like to know what measures have been taken to combat corruption and correct misconduct, which are strongly complained by the people, to make them feel more equity and justice. Thank you.

Wang Jianxin:

Thanks for your question. The CPC's fundamental purpose is to serve the people wholeheartedly. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has vowed to address all issues the people are strongly concerned about, resolutely correct any behavior that undermines the people's interests, and combat corruption and misconduct that occur on the people's doorsteps. We have tightened discipline, improved Party conduct, and fought corruption to constantly increase people's trust and support for the Party. Let me brief you on four aspects.

First, we have investigated and punished violations that harm the people's interests in areas related to public wellbeing. We have combated "micro corruption" on people's doorsteps, corrected misconduct in education, medical care, elderly care, social security, environmental protection, workplace safety, and food and drug safety, and optimized mechanisms for addressing problems that harm the people's interests. Following the 19th CPC National Congress, a total of 496,000 corruption and misconduct cases in areas related to public wellbeing had been addressed, and 456,000 people received Party disciplinary or administrative penalties as of the end of April this year.

Second, we have resolved prominent problems in poverty alleviation and rural revitalization. Ensuring poverty alleviation is an essential task of political supervision. We have made special efforts to inspect, address corruption, correct misconduct, and carry out special supervision over the transition period to guarantee an effective connection between consolidation and expansion of poverty alleviation achievements and rural revitalization. From 2018 to 2020, during a three-year special initiative to combat corruption and misconduct in poverty alleviation, 280,000 cases were investigated and handled, and 188,000 people received Party disciplinary or administrative penalties. In 2021, 19,000 corruption and misconduct cases related to guaranteeing an effective connection between achievement expansion in poverty alleviation and rural revitalization were handled, and 17,000 people received Party disciplinary or administrative penalties. This year, 11,000 corruption and misconduct cases in rural revitalization were addressed, and 11,000 people received Party disciplinary or administrative penalties.

Third, we have thoroughly investigated gang crime-related corruption and the "protective umbrellas" that shelter gangs. Combating organized crime and rooting out local bullies have been combined with "swatting flies" in the anti-corruption effort, and cracking down on "protective umbrellas" and criminal organizations has been combined with education and rectification in the legal and political teams, including procuratorate, court, public security and justice. We caught mafia-like groups and their "protective umbrellas" and made such work a regular practice. During a campaign to combat organized crime and root out local bullies, 101,000 cases of gang crime-related corruption and their "protective umbrellas" had been handled, 92,000 persons had received Party disciplinary or administrative penalties, and 12,000 of them had been transferred to procuratorial organs as of the end of April this year. In particular, we investigated and dealt with a number of significant cases of gang crime-related corruption and their "protective umbrellas", including Sun Xiaoguo crime case in Yunnan province.

Fourth, we have established and improved a long-term mechanism for primary-level supervision. Solid efforts have been made to promote supervision down to the community level to ensure the people can participate. We have continued to reduce the burden on the primary level, with adequate measures taken to eliminate formalism and bureaucratism, and address problems involving some primary-level officials who fail to do their jobs, behave irresponsibly, or act with indifference and prevarication. We have improved the mechanism to make the initiative aimed at "doing practical things for the people" a regular practice, continuously strengthening people's sense of gain, happiness, and security. Thank you.

Beijing Youth Daily:

I have two questions. One is about veteran Party members. Last year, the CPC Central Committee awarded commemorative medals to CPC members bearing five decades of Party membership. The awarding of such honors, the first time within the Party, was widely applauded. Will there be such awards this year? The other question is about young Party members. Each year since the 18th CPC National Congress, young people aged 35 and below account for more than 80% of newly-recruited Party members. What has been done to attract young people to the Party? Thank you.

Qi Jiabin:

Thank you for your interest in the work and life of old Party members and also our work in admitting young people into the Party. As we celebrated the centenary of the Party last year, the CPC Central Committee honored Party members bearing five decades of Party membership with commemorative medals for the first time. Nearly 7.3 million eligible old Party members received the medals. The awarding was applauded by the whole Party and society. This year, the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee issued the Measures on the Awarding and Management of the "Glorious 50 Years as a CPC Member" Medals, establishing a system for regular medal awarding. The document stipulates that the medals are awarded to those who have been Party members for 50 full years or longer and have consistently performed well in their roles. The awarding is slated to take place once a year, usually around July 1. In special cases, the medals will be awarded to old Party members in a timely manner as approved by the organization department of the Party committee (Party working committee) at the county level or above. The measures also set out specific rules in other respects. You can read the document for more details.

At the beginning of this year, we made arrangements for the medal awarding in various regions and organizations. Now, relevant work is underway in an orderly manner. Friends from the press are welcome to report on the medal awarding and the touching stories of the recipients who have stayed loyal to the Party and made contributions throughout their lives. That's the update on the "Glorious 50 Years as a CPC Member" medal awarding.

The other question is about admitting young people into the Party. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, to ensure the continuity of the national rejuvenation endeavor and the vitality of the Party, we have actively admitted young people into the Party. Each year, we receive about 4 million new applications to join the Party, and more than 80% of newly-recruited Party members are aged 35 and below. We have focused on the following aspects when admitting you people into the Party.

First, we have strengthened political guidance. By organizing theoretical lectures, promoting exemplary deeds, and visiting revolutionary education bases, we have guided young people to study the Party's innovation theory, understand the Party's founding mission, deepen their understanding of the Party, and strengthen their attachment to the Party. As we celebrated the centenary of the Party, the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee organized an oath-taking activity at the Museum of the Communist Party of China, involving more than 1,000 newly-recruited Party members. Various localities and departments and grassroots Party organizations also held oath-taking activities to inspire newly-recruited Party members to pass down revolutionary traditions and make contributions in the new era.

Second, we have strengthened education and cultivation in key areas and key groups. We have stepped up efforts to spot and cultivate potential candidates among young workers, farmers, students, high-caliber talent, and workers engaged in new forms of employment.

Third, we have always toughened and tested activists who applied for Party membership. During the fight against COVID-19, many medical workers and volunteers born in 1990s and 2000s expressed their strong will to join the Party, and more than 8,200 of them joined the Party on the front line.

At the same time, we have upheld political integrity as the primary criterion. We have adopted strict standards, procedures, and discipline to ensure that Party members are disciplined through stringent activities of the Party organizations from the very beginning of joining the Party. A large number of progressives, especially outstanding young people, have been attracted to the Party, fully demonstrating the strong vigor and vitality of our Party.

That's all for my answer. Thank you!

Shou Xiaoli:

Thank you for the speakers and the journalists. Today's news conference is concluded. Goodbye.

Translated and edited by Wang Yiming, Zhang Liying, Zhu Bochen, Wang Yanfang, Xu Kailin, Huang Shan, Zhang Tingting, Wang Wei, Duan Yaying, Liu Sitong, Zhang Jiaqi, Ma Yujia, Lin Liyao, Zhang Junmian, He Shan, Yuan Fang, Yang Xi, Li Huiru, Guo Yiming, David Ball, Tom Arnsten, and Jay Birbeck. In case of any discrepancy between the English and Chinese texts, the Chinese version is deemed to prevail.

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Read in Chinese

Speakers:

Wang Tiemin, deputy secretary general of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC)

Song Rui, director general of the Research Office of the General Office of the Standing Committee of the NPC

Chairperson:

Xing Huina, spokesperson of the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC)

Date: 

June 29, 2022

Xing Huina:

Friends from the press, good morning. Welcome to this press conference held by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee. Today, we are holding the 13th press conference under the theme of "China in the past decade" to brief you on the progress and achievements in upholding and improving the people's congress system in the new era. Joining us today are Mr. Wang Tiemin, deputy secretary general of the Standing Committee of the NPC, and Mr. Song Rui, director general of the Research Office of the General Office of the Standing Committee of the NPC.

Now, let's give the floor to Mr. Wang for his introduction.

Wang Tiemin:

Friends from the press, good morning. I'm happy to be invited to today's press conference. I want to express my thanks for your interest in and support for the work related to the people's congresses. First, let me make a brief introduction.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has carried out theoretical and practical innovations in the people's congress system from the strategic perspective of adhering to and improving the socialist system with Chinese characteristics and modernizing China's system and capacity for governance, developed General Secretary Xi Jinping's important thoughts on upholding and improving the people's congress system, and guided the people's congresses to make historic achievements in their work. The people's congress system has become more mature and well-defined.

First, the Party has strengthened its leadership over the work related to the people's congresses. The CPC Central Committee has strengthened its centralized and unified leadership over the development of the people's congress system and the work related to the people's congresses, convened the central conference on work related to the people's congresses, and improved the systems and mechanisms for the Party's leadership over the work related to the people's congresses. The NPC and its Standing Committee have regarded upholding the Party's overall leadership as the primary political principle and taken concrete actions to defend 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 to uphold Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and uphold the Central Committee's authority and its centralized, unified leadership. The NPC and its Standing Committee have stayed committed to the Party's leadership, the people's position as the masters of the country, and law-based governance, enforced the requirements of developing whole-process people's democracy and worked to ensure their work unswervingly adhere to, implement, and reflect the Party's leadership.

Second, we have taken the enforcement of the Constitution to a new level. In 2018, the NPC adopted the fifth amendment to the Constitution, consolidating the legal basis and gathering a mighty force for realizing national rejuvenation. We have boosted the implementation of the Constitution and oversight of constitutional compliance by enacting a national supervision law, a law protecting the reputation and honor of heroes and martyrs, the National Anthem Law, and amending the National Flag Law and other laws related to the Constitution, and implementing the systems for granting medals, awards and amnesty stipulated in the Constitution. We have set up the Constitution and Law Committee. We have promoted constitutionality review in an orderly manner and improved the legislative recording and review system and capability building. We have established a system of pledging allegiance to the Constitution by adopting a related legal document and introduced the national Constitution Day. We have upheld the constitutional order of the special administrative region as prescribed by the Constitution and the Basic Law, promulgated the national security law in Hong Kong, and adopted more than 10 decisions on issues such as improving the electoral system of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, thus providing a firmer assurance for the sound and sustained implementation of "one country, two systems."

Third, we have optimized the socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, faced with heavy legislation tasks, the NPC and its Standing Committee have enacted high-quality laws covering a wide range of areas at a fast pace. We have enacted 69 laws, amended 237 laws, adopted 99 decisions on legal and major issues, and provided nine legal interpretations. So far, there are 292 laws in force.

We have accelerated legislation on the premise of ensuring quality, and successively promulgated or amended a number of laws urgently needed for national governance and in conformity with the people's ever-growing needs for a better life. We have formulated the Civil Code. We have formulated and amended more than 20 laws, including the National Security Law and the Law on Countering Foreign Sanctions, basically forming a legal system for national security. We have formulated and implemented a plan for making and amending laws on strengthening the legal protection of public health. We have formulated and amended laws on vaccine administration and the promotion of family education to address pressing problems of public attention. We have formulated and amended more than 20 laws, including those on Yangtze River protection, black soil protection, and forest, preliminarily forming an eco-environmental legal system and ensuring a legal basis for national development and major reforms. We have formulated the Foreign Investment Law and the Hainan Free Trade Port Law, and amended the Land Administration Law and the Anti-monopoly Law, acknowledging and consolidating reform achievements by means of lawmaking. We have made approximately 30 authorization and reform decisions, ensuring the orderly progress of reform measures, pushing forward lawmaking in a well-conceived and democratic way and in accordance with the law, and better leveraging the leading role of people's congresses in legislation.

Fourth, we have exercised oversight in a correct, effective, and law-based manner. Over the past decade, the Standing Committee of the NPC has listened to and deliberated more than 150 reports on oversight, inspected the implementation of more than 50 laws, and conducted 25 inquiries and 45 surveys on specific subjects to facilitate economic and social development and tackle key tasks of reform. The NPC's oversight focuses on the major decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee and the most pressing difficulties and problems that are of great concern to the people, and helps resolve prominent contradictions and problems constraining economic and social development. That is an outstanding feature of the oversight. The NPC Standing Committee has continuously carried out follow-up oversight in multiple forms in accordance with the law, contributing to poverty alleviation, pollution prevention, and financial risk prevention and defusing, among other aspects. With its oversight function expanded and work streams improved, people's congresses have been able to conduct more effective oversight.

Fifth, the role of deputies to people's congresses has been better leveraged. We have introduced 35 specific measures to strengthen and improve the work related to NPC deputies, improving institutions and standards of the work and the work as a regular practice. We have conscientiously handled deputies' proposals, drawn closer the bonds between standing committees and deputies and between deputies and the people, and engaged deputies more in the work of standing committees and special committees. We have established and put into operation an information platform for the work of NPC deputies.

Sixth, we have served China's diplomacy through the international engagement of people's congresses. We have regarded implementing the diplomatic achievements and consensuses of heads of state as the primary task, consolidated and deepened friendly exchanges with parliaments of other countries, and actively participated in the activities of multilateral parliamentary organizations. We have made use of bilateral and multilateral diplomatic platforms to promote Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and made vivid illustrations of China's path and system. We have leveraged the role of spokesmen of the NPC Standing Committee, the Foreign Affairs Committee of the NPC, and the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee to refute rumors and clarify our positions on topics related to Xinjiang, Tibet, Hong Kong, Taiwan, maritime territory, COVID-19, and human rights.

Seventh, we have made solid progress in developing people's congresses into a political organ that consciously adheres to the CPC's leadership, an organ of state power that ensures the people's status as masters of the country, a working organ that fully undertakes various duties entrusted by the Constitution and laws, and a representative organ that always maintains close contact with the people. We have adhered to the political building as the overarching principle and made continuous efforts to arm ourselves with innovative theories. We have improved work conduct and discipline observance, comprehensively promoted Party building at the NPC and its Standing Committee, made more efforts to enforce the work and the building of people's congresses, and built a team who is politically firm, serves the people, holds the rule of law in the highest esteem, promotes democratic practices, and diligently performs their duties. Thank you.

Xing Huina:

Thank you, Mr. Wang. Now the floor is open. Please identify your media outlet before raising your questions.

Xinhua: 

In 2018, the NPC held a symposium on studying and implementing General Secretary Xi Jinping's important ideas on upholding and improving the people's congress system for the first time. Since then, such symposiums have been held every year. Could you please give a brief introduction of the evolving process and substance of those important ideas and the efforts to study, publicize, and implement them?

Song Rui:

Thanks for your questions. The achievements in developing the people's congress system and in the work related to people's congresses are underpinned by the Party's sound theoretical guidance. General Secretary Xi Jinping's important ideas on upholding and improving the people's congress system derive from the great endeavors made since the 18th CPC National Congress to develop socialist democracy, practice the whole-process people's democracy, and uphold and improve the people's congress system. They are the embodiment of General Secretary Xi's profound thinking on the people's congress system, the work related to people's congresses, and socialist democracy and the rule of law. The evolution of those important ideas indicates that the Party has gained a deeper understanding of the people's congress system and the work related to people's congresses. As an important component of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, those ideas have enriched and developed the Marxist theory of state and theories on socialist democracy, and provided sound guidance for upholding and improving the people's congress system, and for improving the work related to people's congresses. They constitute a scientific, systematic, and innovative theoretical framework, the gist of which has three dimensions. The first dimension is path and direction. General Secretary Xi has elaborated on a series of important principles for developing socialist democracy and put forward the concept of whole-process people's democracy and its development requirements. In particular, Xi has emphasized that we must follow the correct political direction and stick to the path of socialist political advancement with Chinese characteristics in upholding and improving the people's congress system. The second dimension is the people's congress system. General Secretary Xi has expounded the inevitability of China adopting the people's congress system and the system's features and advantages, thus enriching the system itself and expanding the requirements of practice. In particular, at the central conference on the work related to people's congresses last year, General Secretary Xi put forth the major principle of the "Six Musts." They include: we must uphold the overall leadership of the Party; we must provide institutional guarantee to ensure the people run the country; we must advance law-based governance in all fields; we must uphold democratic centralism; we must stick to the path of socialist political advancement with Chinese characteristics; and we must continue to modernize China's system and capacity for governance.

The third dimension is work related to people's congresses. General Secretary Xi has made many specific instructions on the work related to people's congresses. Also at last year's central conference, Xi proposed six major tasks for the work related to people's congresses in the new era. They include: we should implement the Constitution in all fields and safeguard its authority and dignity; we should step up efforts to improve the socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics and apply good laws to advance social development and good governance; we should make better use of the power of oversight granted to people's congresses by the Constitution to deliver proper, effective, and legislative oversight; we should give full play to the role of deputies to people's congresses to ensure that they respond to people's concerns; we should enhance our awareness as political organs and strengthen self-improvement of people's congresses; and we should strengthen the Party's overall leadership over the work related to people's congresses. General Secretary Xi's important ideas and instructions have pointed the direction and provided guidance for developing the whole-process people's democracy, tapping into China's fundamental political system, and improving the work related to people's congresses in the new era. Over the years, the NPC and its Standing Committee, as well as the administrative bodies of the NPC, have made it a "compulsory course" to study and implement General Secretary Xi's important ideas on upholding and improving the people's congress system, and have held symposiums on this topic for four years in a row to spur the people's congresses at all levels to study, publicize, and implement those ideas. The NPC has formulated a five-year plan for studying and implementing General Secretary Xi's important ideas and actively put the plan into practice. In their daily work, the Standing Committee of the NPC has been using Xi's ideas as a guide to solving problems and has translated what they learned from their studies into the driving force behind their work. Thank you!

China Media Group:

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the Party Central Committee has strengthened its leadership over the work related to people's congresses. Last October, a central conference on work related to people's congresses was convened for the first time, a milestone in the history of the people's congress system. In the aspect of adhering to the Party's overall leadership over the work related to people's congresses, what practices and progress have been made by the NPC and its Standing Committee in recent years? Thank you.

Wang Tiemin:

China's people's congress system was created by the Chinese people under the leadership of the CPC, and only under the CPC's leadership can this system be more consolidated, refined, and full of vitality and vigor. The NPC and its Standing Committee have always taken upholding the CPC's leadership, in particular the centralized and unified leadership of the CPC Central Committee, as the primary political principle and the most important political rule. First, we have followed the Party's innovative theory to make overall arrangements and guide the work related to people's congresses. We have improved the systems for group study of the CPC leadership group of the Standing Committee and for Standing Committee seminars. We have regarded studying Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and implementing General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speeches, the CPC Central Committee's important documents, and the guiding principles of important meetings as the primary tasks of the group study. We have readily improved our minds with scientific theories to guide and push forward our work. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC leadership group of the NPC Standing Committee and the Chairperson's Council have convened more than 90 group study meetings, and the Standing Committee has held 61 seminars. Second, we have resolutely and fully implemented General Secretary Xi Jinping's guiding principles and the CPC Central Committee's decisions and deployment. The important legislative items and tasks deployed by the CPC Central Committee and General Secretary Xi have been fully implemented by the NPC Standing Committee. We have set up work ledgers to ensure their implementation, clarifying our duties and detailing relevant measures to push forward our work, ensuring each and every item is implemented and effective. Third, we have strictly implemented the system of seeking instructions from and reporting our work to the Party Central Committee. The CPC leadership group of the NPC Standing Committee has regularly reported its overall work to the CPC Central Committee and readily sought instructions from and reported its major issues and events to the Party Central Committee. Over the past decade, the NPC has reported around 450 such issues and events and carried out relevant work in accordance with the CPC Central Committee's deployment and requirements. Fourth, we have made greater efforts regarding ideological work. We celebrated the centenary of the CPC, the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the People's Republic of China, the 40th anniversary of reform and opening up, the 60th anniversary of the NPC, and other major events. By marking these events, we actively publicized the achievements of China's democracy obtained under the leadership of the Party, the strength and efficacy of China's Constitution and the people's congress system, and new advancements in work related to people's congresses. We have made comprehensive and in-depth reports on the NPC sessions and the NPC Standing Committee meetings and made continuous reports on the work related to NPC legislation, supervision, and its deputies throughout the whole process of our work. For issues involving China's core interests and major concerns, we have carried out public opinion and legal campaigns to respond with effective steps. Thank You.

Guangming Daily:

The key concept of whole-process people's democracy was first raised by General Secretary Xi Jinping when he visited a local legislative information office of Hongqiao in Changning district, Shanghai. General Secretary Xi pointed out that the system of people's congresses is an important institutional support to whole-process people's democracy. Could you explain the system's role in implementing the key concept?

Song Rui:

Whole-process people's democracy is a creation of the CPC in leading the people to pursue, develop and realize democracy, embodying the significant innovation of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core in advancing China's democratic theories, systems, and practices. Whole-process people's democracy is socialist, involves all the Chinese people, and features "whole process" as an advantage. It has complete procedures and practices, ensuring the democratic election, consultation, decision-making, management, and oversight of the people according to law. It is a model of socialist democracy that covers all aspects of the democratic process and all sectors of society. It is a true democracy that works.

Just as you mentioned in your question, General Secretary Xi Jinping noted that the system of people's congresses is an important institutional support to whole-process people's democracy. On the one hand, it works to ensure complete procedures for whole-process people's democracy and, on the other hand, provides a platform for complete practices of whole-process people's democracy. In terms of procedures, the essential thing in ensuring the people's status as masters of the country is that they hold state power and exercise the power of administering the country. The system of people's congresses is a fundamental political system in China. It ensures the people's status as masters of the country. It can strongly and effectively ensure that the Chinese people exercise state power through people's congresses at various levels and manage affairs of the state, the economy, culture, and society according to law. In addition, the constitution and laws formulated and amended under the system of people's congresses provide a sound legal guarantee for whole-process people's democracy. China's constitution specifies citizens' basic rights and obligations comprehensively and systematically. All the systems, policies, and guidelines written into it are intended to realize, safeguard and advance the people's fundamental interests. In addition, the National People's Congress made a series of laws to guarantee, safeguard and develop the political, economic, social, cultural, and environmental rights and interests of citizens, among other areas, in a bid to guarantee people's democracy and increase people's wellbeing with complete laws. In terms of providing a platform for complete practices of whole-process people's democracy, the work related to the people's congresses covers all aspects of democratic election, consultation, decision-making, management, and oversight. I will give several examples here. The just-concluded election of new deputies to the county- and township-level people's congresses is a vivid illustration of whole-process people's democracy in practice, during which over 2.6 million new deputies were elected by over one billion voters casting one vote each. Democratic consultation is reflected in research, seminar, debate, deliberation, and solicitation of public opinions. The people's congresses widely solicit public opinions and fully build consensus before voting on any law, decision and resolution according to law. Supervision by people's congresses represents the people's will and has legal force. It prompts state organs to exercise power following the law and safeguard the legal rights and interests of the people. With whole-process people's democracy, the people's rights to know, to participate, to express views, and to supervise the exercise of power are ensured in all aspects, and the whole process of the work related to the people's congresses and public opinions of various sides are collected to ensure the interests of the majority of people. Thank you.

China Daily:  

As we know, legislation is an important task of the NPC. What has the NPC Standing Committee done over the past decade to promote sound, democratic, and law-based legislation?

Song Rui:

The CPC Central Committee and General Secretary Xi Jinping highly value and have repeatedly stressed the further advancing of the sound, democratic, and law-based legislation. This is also the foundation of and key to doing a good job in NPC's legislative work and improving the quality of legislative work. The core of sound legislation is to respect and reflect objective laws. For example, relying on the collection and demonstration of legislative projects, legislative plans have been formulated and implemented in a scientific way. Following the rules of legislative activities, we have improved legislative techniques. And third-party assessments have been introduced for important and more controversial legislative matters. As for democratic legislation, it mainly adheres to benefiting the people and relying on the people. We have implemented "open-door legislation" through various channels, extensively listened to opinions and suggestions from the people and all sectors of society, and gathered consensus and wisdom from all aspects. As for law-based legislation, we have enacted legislation in accordance with the procedures prescribed by the Constitution and other laws, strictly prevented and corrected violations of the Constitution and other laws, ensured that the legislative activities follow the rules, and safeguarded the unified authority and dignity of the rule of law.

In aiming for sound, democratic, and law-based legislation, a crucial task in recent years has been to give play to the leading role of the NPC in legislative work. The precondition has been to uphold the centralized and unified leadership of the Party over legislative work. We should improve legislative work patterns to ensure that legislative work is under the leadership of the Party Committee, guided by the NPC, and supported by the government, and has participation from all sides, bringing together the synergy of all aspects of legislative work. Specifically, the NPC has played a leading role mainly in the following aspects: First, formulating legislative plans. The NPC have made arrangements for legislative projects in a coordinated way and ensured the legislative work is well planned and implemented in a scientific way. Second, the special committees and working committees of the NPC have taken the lead and drafted important laws that are comprehensive, fundamental, and affect the overall picture. At the same time, for laws drafted by relevant departments, we need to be involved in advance, strengthen organization and coordination, and supervise and urge relevant departments to submit drafts for deliberation in accordance with plans. And we also need to coordinate and resolve major legislative issues and differences among departments and sectors. Third, we give play to the NPC's role as a gatekeeper for deliberation. We need to promote democracy, brainstorm ideas, and build consensus on legislation, especially for preventing departmental interests and local protectionism. Fourth, we need to give play to the important role of the NPC in expressing, balancing, and coordinating social interests. The NPC is the organ of state power. It has always exercised the power of the state on the behalf of the interests and the will of the people. Therefore, we need to safeguard the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of the people while taking into account the legitimate rights and interests of special groups in society. Thank you.

People.cn:

Powers of oversight that are granted to people's congresses are an important component of the Party and state oversight systems. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, what efforts has the NPC Standing Committee made to properly exercise the power of oversight that is granted by the Constitution and the law? What measures have been taken to improve the methods of oversight and the oversight system? Thank you.

Wang Tiemin:

In the past decade, with a view to serving the central task of economic development and the overall interest of the country, focusing on key issues and seeking substantive results, the NPC Standing Committee exercised proper, effective, and law-based oversight and delivered a sound performance to the satisfaction of the people. Focusing on prominent issues concerning the ecosystem and environment conservation, the Standing Committee of the 13th NPC took frequent and targeted actions and carried out inspections of law enforcement for five consecutive years. It has inspected the enforcement of five laws, namely the Law on the Prevention and Control of Atmospheric Pollution, the Law on the Prevention and Control of Water Pollution, the Law on Prevention and Control of Soil Pollution, the Law on the Prevention and Control of Environmental Pollution Caused by Solid Wastes, and the Environmental Protection Law. Li Zhanshu, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, has led teams and carried out site inspections covering 31 provinces and equivalent administrative units across the country. As inspections have been carried out in unison between people's congresses at all levels, our efforts in this regard have seen a sound performance. In the process of law enforcement inspections, we also continue to innovate inspection methods and improve relevant mechanisms. We have taken an integrated approach combining field inspections, random checks, questionnaires, and online surveys and paid both public and unannounced visits. In the meantime, third-party organizations were invited to evaluate law enforcement in a bid to make our inspections more scientific, objective, and authoritative. In addition, we also worked to strengthen the review and oversight of government budgets and final accounts and enhance the management of state-owned assets. These are the new duties assigned to the NPC's oversight work by the CPC Central Committee. The NPC Standing Committee has expedited efforts to improve the institutional arrangements concerning these two fields. We issued a decision on strengthening the oversight of the state-owned assets management, revised a decision on strengthening the review and oversight of central budgets, and introduced documents concerning the oversight of the rectification of pronounced problems discovered in auditing and the review and oversight of local government debt. We earnestly made solid progress in reforms of expanding the focus of budget review and oversight, and carried out reviews on all fronts and oversight on all procedures. We reviewed reports on the allocation and use of fiscal budgets in key areas for four consecutive years. We heard and deliberated reports on the rectification of problems discovered in auditing every year. We also worked to press ahead with the integrated online oversight of budgets. As of now, online budget oversight systems have been established in all provincial peoples' congresses, over 90% of people's congress of cities with subsidiary districts, and more than 80% of county-level peoples' congresses. We formulated and implemented a five-year plan for strengthening the management and supervision of state-owned assets. We have reviewed reports on state-owned assets management for four consecutive years, and developed a clear picture for the total amount of such assets on all fronts. The management of four major categories of state-owned assets is now under oversight. We also strengthened the oversight of supervision and judicial work and safeguarded social equity and justice. In 2018, the NPC Standing Committee conducted inquiries for the first time on the work of the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate. In 2020, it heard and deliberated, for the first time, the report of the National Supervisory Commission on the pursuit of economic and corruption offenders globally. All of these demonstrate the new progress made in overseeing the work of the State Council, the National Supervisory Commission, the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate. Thank you.

Red Star News:

As mentioned in the introduction speech just now, the Standing Committee of the NPC has issued norms such as specific measures to improve the work related to NPC deputies. What other measures has the Standing Committee of the NPC taken to strengthen the ability of deputies to perform their duties and better play their roles? Thank you.

Song Rui:

Supporting and guaranteeing deputies perform their duties in accordance with the law and giving full play to the role of deputies is the foundation for doing a good job in the work related to people's congresses in the new era. The past decade has seen the working mechanism of deputies become more complete, and leap-forward development has been achieved. First of all, solid steps have been taken to build the deputies working mechanism. In addition to the 35 specific measures just mentioned to strengthen and improve the work of NPC deputies, the NPC Standing Committee has also formulated opinions on improving the mechanism for members of the Standing Committee to have communication with NPC deputies, opinions on improving the system for deputies to communicate with the public, opinions on the implementation of the close contact between deputies and the public through online platforms, and opinions on strengthening and improving the study and training of NPC deputies, further promoting the institutionalization, standardization, and normalization of deputies work. For example, members of the Standing Committee communicate with deputies. At present, 156 members of the NPC Standing Committee have direct communication with 439 deputies to the National People's Congress. Various special committees and working committees have also established a mechanism for directly connecting with deputies, basically achieving full connection coverage of grassroots deputies. Second, the breadth and depth of deputies' participation are expanded in the work of the Standing Committee and special committees. NPC deputies are invited to observe meetings of the Standing Committee, and a system of observing deputies' symposium has been created for the 13th NPC Standing Committee, in which the chairman of the Standing Committee and vice-chairmen participate in the symposium, communicate face-to-face with the deputies, and listen to opinions and suggestions. Up to now, 16 symposiums have been held, and more than 730 deputies have participated in the symposiums. More than 530 opinions and suggestions put forward have also been handed over to relevant departments, and the deputies have received responses. Deputies were organized to participate in the Standing Committee's legislative research, law enforcement inspections, and other activities, while important draft laws, plans, and budgets were sent to the deputies for comments, and the opinions and suggestions of the deputies were carefully heard and adopted. Third, in accordance with the requirements of "high-quality content and high-quality handling," the Standing Committee handled 4,648 proposals and 84,028 suggestions put forward by deputies, which equals to the total number of proposals and suggestions made by deputies in the past five years since the debut of the 13th NPC Standing Committee. The Standing Committee has responded to and implemented every proposal and suggestion and has promoted the resolution of a number of outstanding issues of common concern for the people. Fourth, the Standing Committee organizes the NPC deputies to conduct research and inspections every year, supports the NPC deputies to participate in the activities of the deputies' stations and the deputies' liaison station nearby, closely communicates with the people, promotes the resolution of outstanding issues of concern to the people, and strives to ensure that it will respond to what the people are calling for. Fifth, the training of deputies has been further systematic, standardized, and professional. The Standing Committee carefully tailored a variety of training courses for deputies and vigorously promoted the construction of the NPC online academy. At present, more than 150 courses have been recorded and put online by the virtual academy, and more than 2,500 NPC deputies have participated in online learning. Over the past 10 years, 43 training sessions for NPC deputies have been held, and a total of more than 20,000 deputies have participated in the training, which has effectively improved the deputies' ability to perform their duties and boost their efficiency. Thank you.

Cnr.cn:

To improve platforms and approaches through which the people can express their opinions is the requirement set by General Secretary Xi Jinping at the central conference on work related to the people's congresses. What measures have been taken by the NPC Standing Committee in recent years to provide better channels for the people to express their opinions and demands? Thank you.

Song Rui:

The more extensive the practice of the people's democratic participation and the fuller the expression of the people's wishes, the more tangible the realization of the idea of the people being masters of the country and the more vigorous the whole-process people's democracy will be. Over the years, the NPC and its Standing Committee have upheld the principle of serving and relying on the people. They have done a lot of work in improving the democratic platforms and vehicles where the general public can express opinions and refining the working mechanisms for soliciting public comments and collecting ideas from the people. I will introduce the main work as follows:

First, the mechanisms for regularly soliciting public opinion for drafting laws and giving public feedback have been improved. The law drafts for the first and second deliberations of the NPC Standing Committee will be promptly made available to the public to solicit opinion. Over the past decade, public opinion has been solicited on 217 draft laws, receiving more than 3.8 million comments and suggestions from over 1.2 million people. Soliciting public opinion has become an important way for the people to participate in the national legislation directly.

Second, the establishment of the grass-roots legislation contact point has been steadily promoted. The Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee has established 22 grass-roots legislation contact points covering two-thirds of the provinces in China. It has led people's congresses of provinces and cities having subsidiary districts to establish over 5,500 grass-roots contact points. The Budgetary Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee has also set up grass-roots budget review contact points. These grass-roots contact points have effectively served as a "through train" which can take the public opinion directly to the top legislature, ensuring that the work of the people's congresses would better engage with the people, observe public sentiment, gather the people's ideas, and benefit people's lives.

Third, the role as the platform for handling public complaints has been leveraged. The NPC Standing Committee has built and made good use of the NPC's petition window, which provides a reception place to listen to the opinions of the people face-to-face and receive letters and visits of the people. Since 2020, the online petition platform of the NPC administrative bodies has been established, promoting the practice of the mass line through the internet. The current NPC Standing Committee has handled 381,800 public complaints, over 40,000 of which have been submitted through the online petition platform. Furthermore, 780 letters from the people's congress deputies have been handed over to local people's congresses or transmitted to other organs to handle. Issues that concern the people most in their letters and visits have been resolved and responded to in the relevant legislative and oversight work.

Fourth, the NPC Standing Committee has established the information platform for recording and reviewing normative documents, a national database for laws and regulations, and an information platform for the work of people's congress deputies. These platforms and vehicles have made it possible for the opinions and suggestions from the people and all sectors of society to be heard. In addition to these essential platforms and vehicles, in practice, the NPC Standing Committee has also established and refined a series of working mechanisms for soliciting public opinions and collecting ideas from the people, including investigations, workshops, seminars, hearings, questionnaires, and other forms, to widely and deeply heed the aspirations and voices of the people and improve the quality of the NPC's work through various channels and in multiple means. At the local level, people's congresses have generally set up "Deputies' Homes" and deputy contact stations, which have become an important platform for people's congress deputies to listen to the opinions of the people and perform their duties. That is the most important manifestation of the democratic platforms and vehicles of people's congresses through which the general public can express opinions at the local level. Currently, there are over 220,000 deputies' homes (stations) nationwide, which have become fixed, convenient, and effective service platforms for deputies to contact the people, strengthen learning and carry out their duties. Thank you.

Southern Metropolis Daily:

In the past two years, the organic law and procedural rules of the NPC and the Organic Law of the Local People's Congresses and Local People's Governments have been amended. The procedural rules of the NPC Standing Committee were revised again during the session that concluded a few days ago. What is the significance of these amendments to improving the system of people's congresses?

Wang Tiemin:

I will answer your question. Although the people's congress system has incomparable advantages, it still embraces changes. It has been continuously developed and improved in practice, showing that the system has been moving forward and advancing with the times. The organizational systems and work mechanisms have been improved to make them more dynamic and better suit the characteristics of organs of state power, which is an essential epitome of advancing with the times of the system of people's congresses. The NPC and its Standing Committee amended the organic law and procedural rules of the NPC for the first time, amended the procedural rules of the NPC Standing Committee for the second time, and revised the Electoral Law of the National People's Congress and Local People's Congresses and the Organic Law of the Local People's Congresses and Local People's Governments twice, during which plans and requirements of the CPC Central Committee, the concept of China's whole-process people's democracy and mature and efficient practices have been incorporated. 

In terms of improving organizational structures, the 13th National People's Congress set up the Social Development Affairs Committee, the Supervisory and Judicial Affairs Committee, and the Constitution and Law Committee. The organic law of the NPC was revised in 2021, increasing the functions of its special committees from five to 12 to leverage their strengths better. The Organic Law of the Local People's Congresses and Local People's Governments was also revised, according to which, the number of deputies to standing committees of local people's congresses was increased; people's congresses at the county level will set up special committees and their standing committees will set up working bodies in sub-districts; the responsibilities and positioning of presidiums of township people's congresses when the congresses are not in session were clarified. All these efforts have fundamentally laid a solid foundation and strengthened the force for improving the work of local people's congresses. 

In terms of optimizing session organization procedures, to meet the requirements of regular epidemic response, the procedural rules of the NPC were revised based on the practice over the past several years, clarifying that the Standing Committee of the NPC can appropriately advance or postpone sessions of the NPC. Furthermore, provisions were made regarding attending sessions via video link. The NPC's work has been getting heavier in recent years, and it has become customary to hold extra meetings of the Standing Committee of the NPC. The amendment of the procedural rules of the Standing Committee of the NPC stipulates that additional meetings can be held when necessary. Based on the two amendments to procedural rules, several new measures have been rolled out to streamline meeting procedures, improve voting methods and regulate group and joint-group meetings to improve the quality and efficiency of deliberations at the NPC. Thank you. 

Xing Huina:

Today's news conference is concluded. Thank you for the two speakers and friends from the media. Goodbye. 

Translated and edited by Zhang Jiaqi, Zhou Jing, Liu Qiang, Zhang Junmian, Zhang Rui, Yuan Fang, Yan Xiaoqing, Liu Sitong, Xu Kailin, Wang Qian, Zhang Liying, Li Huiru, Yang Xi, Zhu Bochen, Tom Arnsten, and Jay Birbeck. In case of any discrepancy between the English and Chinese texts, the Chinese version is deemed to prevail.

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  Read in Chinese

Speakers:

Deng Xiaogang, vice minister of agriculture and rural affairs

Hong Tianyun, deputy administrator of the National Rural Revitalization Administration

Zeng Yande, chief agronomist of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) and director general of the Department of Development and Planning of MARA

Chairperson:

Xing Huina, spokesperson of the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC)

Date:

June 27, 2022

Xing Huina:

Friends from the media, good afternoon. Welcome to this press conference held by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee. This is the 11th press conference under the theme of "China in the past decade," and we will brief you on China's rural revitalization in the new era and take your questions. Joining us today are Mr. Deng Xiaogang, vice minister of agriculture and rural affairs; Mr. Hong Tianyun, deputy administrator of the National Rural Revitalization Administration; and Mr. Zeng Yande, chief agronomist of the MARA and director general of the Department of Development and Planning of MARA.

Now, I'll give the floor to Mr. Deng Xiaogang for his brief introduction.

Deng Xiaogang:

Ladies and gentlemen, friends from the media, good afternoon. Thank you for your consistent interest in and support for the affairs related to agriculture, rural areas and rural residents. It's my pleasure to attend this press conference. I'll start by briefly introducing the development of agriculture and rural areas in the past decade.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has been centering its efforts on the overall development of the Party and the nation, focusing on achieving the two centenary goals and working to prioritize affairs related to agriculture, rural areas and rural residents. We won the battle against poverty, eradicated absolute poverty, implemented a rural revitalization strategy and made historic achievements and reforms regarding agricultural and rural areas. All of these have provided significant support to making new advancements on all fronts for the cause of the Party and the country.

First, the supply of grain and other major agricultural products remains stable, which provides an increasingly stronger foundation for safeguarding the nation's food security. Ensuring the effective supply of grain and other major agricultural products is the top priority of affairs related to agriculture, rural areas and rural residents. By thoroughly implementing the food crop production strategy based on farmland management and technological application, we have managed to ensure the food supply for the Chinese people. Grain production capacity has increased steadily, with grain output exceeding 1.3 trillion jin (about 650 billion kilograms) for seven consecutive years and reaching another 100-billion-jin threshold in the past decade. The grain output in 2021 hit a record high of around 1.37 trillion jin, and the per capita share of grain reached 483 kilograms, which is above the international food security threshold of 400 kilograms. As a result, we have achieved basic self-sufficiency in cereal grains and absolute grain security. The variety of agricultural products has been diversified. The production of cotton, oilseed, sugar crops and natural rubber have seen stable development, and the supply of meat, eggs, milk, aquatic products, fruit, vegetables and tea is sufficient. The quality of agricultural products continues to improve and be upgraded. More than 97% of agricultural products have met the quality and safety standards during routine monitoring, and a growing number of green and high-quality agricultural products can be found in ordinary Chinese households.

Second, we have secured a complete victory in the fight against poverty, which is a historic achievement. Based on the current standard, all 98.99 million impoverished rural residents have shaken off poverty, and all 832 impoverished counties and 128,000 villages have been removed from the poverty list. With regional poverty being eliminated, we have embarked on a path of poverty alleviation with Chinese characteristics. First, the living standards of people who have been lifted out of poverty have seen remarkable improvements. All of them have adequate food and clothing and enjoy strong support including compulsory education, basic medical care, safe housing and safe drinking water. Second, the once-impoverished regions now have stronger development capacity. Every county that has shaken off poverty has created two or three leading industries with distinctive features and greater capacity to facilitate poverty alleviation efforts. Problems related to transportation, electricity supply and telecommunication services have been solved. Third, achievements in poverty alleviation have been continuously consolidated. We have introduced 33 policies for the transition period after poverty alleviation and established monitoring and assistance mechanisms to prevent people from slipping back into poverty. We have also designated 160 key counties to receive assistance in pursuing rural revitalization and are offering them more support, and managed to ensure that people do not return to impoverishment in large numbers.

Third, agricultural technologies and machinery have seen remarkable advancements, and the modernization of agriculture has been raised to a new level. To develop modern agriculture to its full potential, we have been working to transform the agricultural sector so that it can be less reliant on natural resources and more driven by innovation. There are three sets of figures that speak volumes of our achievements. First, more than 54% of cropland is effectively irrigated. A total of 900 million mu (60 million hectares) of high-standard cropland has been added, with a group of modernized irrigation facilities put in place. This has mitigated the impact of weather conditions on agricultural production. Second, advances in agricultural science and technology have contributed to 61% of agricultural production. We have built 50 modern agrotechnology systems at the national level and set up 47 national laboratories as well as 100 agriculture-related scientific observation and experiment stations. A series of landmark achievements have emerged, such as drought-resistant and water-efficient wheat, super-hybrid rice and white-feathered broiler products. More than 95% of agricultural germplasm resources are self-sufficient. These achievements show that science and technology have become the most important drivers behind the growth of agriculture and the rural economy. Third, the overall level of mechanization in plowing, sowing and harvesting has exceeded 72%, and for wheat production has exceeded 97%, realizing mechanization in almost the entire wheat production process. The level of mechanization in livestock and aquaculture farming and facility agriculture (agriculture making extensive use of polytents and similar equipment) have also seen relatively large improvements.

Fourth, rural revitalization got off to a good start, and rural areas are taking on a fresh look. Rural industries have been experiencing a boom, and accelerated transformation and upgrading have been witnessed in sectors regarding the processing and circulation of agricultural products. New business models such as leisure tourism and livestreaming e-commerce continue to emerge. Thus, a group of modern agricultural industrial parks has been established. Rural living environments have seen remarkable improvement, with more than 70% of rural households now having access to sanitary toilets, and remarkable progress being seen in the treatment of domestic waste and sewage. The countryside thereby looks generally clean, tidy, and orderly. Infrastructure in rural areas has been improved and upgraded, with more projects and facilities being constructed in terms of water and electricity supply, transportation, broadband, schools, and hospitals. The improvement of people's well-being has achieved new progress. Stepped-up efforts have been made to promote rural areas with sound governance. The rural governance model based on self-governance, rule of law, and rule of virtue, is improving. Primary-level Party organizations in rural communities are playing a more crucial role, and cultural and ethical progress in rural areas has been witnessed. Moreover, continued efforts have been made to update outmoded and undesirable habits and customs. Thus, rural governance has been more efficient.

Fifth, all-around rural reforms have been deepened, and development in rural areas has become a new driver of growth. Deepened reform is the most important means to advance all-around rural revitalization, and a system framework and relevant policies to promote rural revitalization have basically been established. First, improvement has been witnessed in the working system and mechanism which ensure the Party's leadership over issues relating to agriculture, rural areas, and farmers. The CPC Central Committee has issued a set of regulations for the rural work, and a law on the promotion of rural revitalization has also been adopted, thus establishing a working mechanism under which central government is responsible for overall planning, provincial-level governments assume overall responsibility, and city and county governments are responsible for program implementation, and the Party secretaries at the five administrative levels of province, city, county, township and village are responsible for rural revitalization. Second, major reforms have been advanced in a steady manner. In order to ensure issues related to farmers' land are handled properly, we have advanced system reforms to separate ownership rights, contract rights, and use rights for contracted rural land, as well as reforms to the rural collective property rights system and the system of land use for rural housing. A series of mature systems thereby have been established, which will tackle fundamental problems and deliver long-term benefits. Third, a basic mechanism for integrated urban-rural development has been established. Rural residents are now covered by basic pension schemes, and a unified basic medical insurance system for urban and rural residents has been established. In 2021, the per capita disposable income for rural residents was 18,931 yuan, more than twice that of 2012, with their working conditions and living standards being greatly improved. 

These achievements are attributed to the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, and the direction set by General Secretary Xi Jinping has been the most crucial factor. He has always used the method of seeing history from a broader perspective when it comes to the issues related to agriculture, rural areas, and farmers, therefore he has personally planned, deployed, and promoted the important work regarding issues related to agriculture, rural areas, and farmers. He has proposed a series of important new thoughts and propositions from a political, strategic, and comprehensive perspective and provided theoretical and practical answers to a series of questions. This has thus offered a program of action and fundamental guidelines for work regarding issues related to agriculture, rural areas, and farmers in the new era. We will earnestly study and put into practice the important remarks made by General Secretary Xi Jinping on the issues related to agriculture, rural areas, and farmers and advance all-around rural revitalization to promote the efficiency and quality of the agricultural sector, make rural areas suitable to live and work in, and ensure that farmers are affluent and well-off.

Now my colleagues and I are ready to take questions. 

Xing Huina:

Thank you. Now the floor is open for questions. Please identify your media outlet before raising your questions. 

Xinhua News Agency:

Food security has always been a matter of concern for the whole society. General Secretary Xi Jinping proposed to implement a new food security strategy at the central rural work conference in 2013. What new measures have been adopted over the past 10 years to ensure the food supply through our own efforts? Thank you. 

Deng Xiaogang:

Thank you for your question. It has always been a top priority in state governance to ensure enough food to feed China's 1.4 billion population. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has attached great importance to food security, establishing a national strategy on food security and introducing a new vision on food security. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out on many occasions that food security is among a country's most fundamental interests. He has given important instructions on this issue, charting the course and providing fundamental guidelines for China's efforts to ensure food security.

Over the past 10 years, all localities and departments have implemented the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council; placed ensuring an effective supply of grain and other important farm products as a priority in their work concerning agriculture, rural areas, and farmers; and have enhanced policy support, and stepped up efforts to consolidate and improve grain production capacity, thus securing food supply for the Chinese people. Our work has mainly followed three "two-pronged approaches."

First, implementing the two-pronged grain production strategy based on farmland management and technological application. We have focused our work on access to arable land and seeds so as to lay a solid foundation for grain production. On the one hand, the agricultural infrastructure, high-standard farmland in particular, has been greatly improved. We have ensured the area of farmland remains above the redline of 120 million hectares; confirmed the establishment of functional zones for grain production and protected areas for the production of major agricultural products, totaling 70.53 million hectares, in specific provinces, counties, or even land plots; constructed 60 million hectares of high-standard farmland; advanced farmland irrigation and water conservation facilities; and launched the project of conserving the black soil, which is dubbed the "giant panda" in arable land. On the other hand, the agricultural science and technology innovation capacity, with focus on the breeding of superior crop varieties, has also been greatly improved. We have bred and applied a batch of new varieties with breakthroughs, featuring high yield, high quality, resilience to many diseases and insects, and wide adaptability to different growing environments. We have basically realized full coverage of superior crop varieties across the country. We also stepped up efforts to build three national seed cultivation and production centers, as well as 216 seed production counties and regional centers for cultivating superior crop varieties. The country's independently cultivated varieties now account for more than 95% of the total crop planting area, making it a reality that Chinese crops are planted mainly with Chinese seeds. 

Second, working to keep farmers and local governments motivated. We have built a mechanism to ensure farmers enjoy benefits from growing grains and local governments fulfill their obligation in grain production. On the one hand, we have enhanced the work to guarantee the earnings of grain growers; steadily raised the minimum purchase prices of rice and wheat; improved the subsidy policies for rice, corn, and soybean growers; and realized full coverage of full cost insurance and planting income insurance for three staple crops (rice, wheat, and corn) in major production provinces and counties. We have stabilized expectations through pricing support, guaranteed costs by income subsidies, lowered risks through the expansion of insurance coverage, and increased income through operating services, thus enabling grain growers to have profits and earn more money. Especially in recent two years, with regards to rising grain-growing costs caused by increasing prices of agricultural supplies, the central authorities have issued one-time subsidies to grain growers three times, all totaling 50 billion yuan. On the other hand, we have implemented the policy that the Party and the government hold the same responsibilities for guaranteeing food security. We have formulated related regulations and performance evaluation measures, and clarified the responsibilities of local Party committees and governments on food security. At the same time, we have assigned the targets and tasks of annual grain production to each province and promoted the main grain-producing areas, main grain marketing areas, and areas with balanced grain production and marketing to share responsibilities and obligations. 

Third, advancing commercial services for farmers and the mechanization of grain production. This two-pronged approach aims to improve the grain operation efficiency and lower grain production costs. To promote commercial services, we have accelerated the building of a convenient and efficient system of commercial services featuring multiple parties and complementary functions; and advanced unified prevention and control for crop diseases and pests, agent plowing, planting, harvesting, and storage; allowed farmers to have access to advanced and appropriate varieties, technologies, equipment, and organization forms; and cultivated more than 950,000 commercialized agriculture organizations, with services covering 113.33 million hectares of farmland and over 78 million farming households. To promote the mechanization of grain production, we have focused our work on improving the whole-process mechanization of grain production and making breakthroughs on weak links like mechanized transplanting and the throwing of rice seedlings. The comprehensive mechanization rates of crop plowing, planting, and harvesting for three major crops - wheat, corn, and rice - have exceeded 97%, 90%, and 85%, respectively. Agricultural machinery has contributed remarkably to grain yield increase. 

In the next phase, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs will implement the instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping, follow the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, and increase input and support to step up grain production capacity. We will ensure stable production and sufficient supply domestically amid uncertainties in the external environment, so that the country's food security always rest in our own hands. This year, under the firm leadership of the CPC Central Committee and through efforts from all sectors of society, we have secured a bumper harvest of summer wheat, laying a solid foundation for a bumper harvest throughout the year. Thank you.

Sannongfabu.ntv.cn:

The rural revitalization strategy was put forward at the 19th CPC National Congress. What major progress has been made during the implementation? Are there any good practices in advancing it? Thank you. 

Zeng Yande:

Thanks for your questions. Implementing the rural revitalization strategy is a significant arrangement made at the 19th CPC National Congress. Over the past five years, General Secretary Xi Jinping has deployed and promoted the strategy personally, made a series of important propositions and instructions, and explained a host of major theoretical and practical issues. He has taken the lead and steered the strategy in the right direction. The central authorities have issued five "No. 1 central documents" successively, laying out specific plans for implementing the rural revitalization strategy and setting clear priorities for gradual implementation item by item and year by year. All localities and relevant government departments have earnestly implemented related decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, upheld the values of developing and building for rural residents, followed the law of rural development in their work, focused on key areas, pooled resources and strength, and made solid progress in implementing the strategy. 

Mr. Deng Xiaogang just gave a comprehensive introduction. I think the achievements of the rural revitalization strategy bear the following three hallmarks. First, grain production capacity has been consolidated and increased. The country's annual grain output has stayed over 650 million metric tons for seven consecutive years, helping to guarantee supply, stabilize prices, and prevent inflation. Second, a complete victory in the fight against poverty has been attained. By the current standard, all of the 98.99 million rural poor, as well as the 832 counties and 128,000 villages classified as poor, have emerged from poverty, historically ending extreme poverty in China. The achievements of poverty alleviation have also been consolidated. Third, rural areas have markedly improved. Roads, water supply, power grids, and other infrastructure have been upgraded. Education, healthcare, and other basic public services have also been enhanced and expanded. All administrative villages where conditions permit have been accessible by paved roads and buses, and tap water coverage has reached 84% in rural areas. In addition, there are more channels for farmers to find jobs and increase their incomes. Rural areas have better ecological environment and enjoy stability and safety, laying a solid foundation for comprehensively promoting rural revitalization and accelerating agricultural and rural modernization. 

China's rural revitalization has achieved positive progress due to the concerted efforts of various factors. We believe that they are mainly manifested as follows.

First, we have strengthened organization and leadership for coordinated advancement. The central authorities have made it clear that it is necessary to establish a leadership responsibility system for implementing the rural revitalization strategy and implement a working mechanism with the central authorities responsible for the overall planning, provincial-level regions assuming overall responsibility, and cities and counties responsible for implementation. Heads of the Party committees and governments take the prime responsibility, and Party secretaries at the five administrative levels (provincial, city, county, township, and village levels) work toward rural revitalization. This is the strength of our system and a potent measure to advance our work. Over the past five years, the leading Party and government officials at all levels have stepped up to their responsibilities, made overall plans, enhanced measures, clarified annual tasks, and divided responsibilities at different levels, promoting the implementation of the rural revitalization strategy in an effective and orderly manner. 

Second, we have upheld the guidance of plans for orderly progress. The central authorities issued the Strategic Plan for Rural Revitalization (2018-2022), defining the development goals, key tasks, and supporting measures for implementing the strategy. Aligning with the national plan, all 31 provincial-level regions have issued rural revitalization schemes, and more than 80% of cities and counties have formulated local plans or implementation measures to promote rural revitalization in their respective regions on a categorized and orderly basis. Relevant departments have drawn up rural industry plans, digital village plans, and special programs for innovation-driven rural revitalization, detailing targets and tasks for rural revitalization based on different sectors and fields. 

Third, we have pooled resources and production factors for efficient advancement. The key is channeling resources and production factors into rural areas to boost agriculture, develop rural areas and help rural residents get rich. To begin with, we have bolstered diverse input. Financial departments at all levels have prioritized rural revitalization in their budget arrangements and encouraged more revenue from land transactions to be spent on agriculture and rural areas. Some provinces have explored setting up rural revitalization funds and inspired more local government bonds to support rural revitalization. Additionally, we have better secured land use. We have introduced land-use policies to ensure and regulate the integrated development of primary, secondary, and tertiary industries in rural areas, standardized the management of land used for facilities, and put rural land held in reserve for construction to good use. Furthermore, we have attracted and cultivated rural talents and devised guidelines in this regard. We have fully implemented the special employment plan for agricultural technology extension, vigorously trained rural craftsmen, and guided urban talents to contribute to rural areas.

Fourth, we have strengthened supervision, inspection, and motivation in promoting rural revitalization. Supervision and inspection play an important role in rural revitalization. On the one hand, we have conducted monitoring and evaluation through an evaluation system that objectively reflects the progress in rural revitalization. We also evaluate the progress of rural revitalization of each region and department through ways of field inspection, written reports, and follow-up investigations. On the other hand, we have been pushing forward performance evaluations by issuing a measure that assesses the progress in rural revitalization made by municipal- and county-level officials. All the 31 provincial-level regions in China have formulated their evaluation measures and established incentive and constraint mechanisms , including bonuses, quotas for land use, and job promotions to better use the evaluation results. This year, we have given incentives to 20 cities and counties that have made notable progress in rural revitalization.

Fifth, we have mobilized efforts across the society to promote rural revitalization. As a systematic project, rural revitalization needs the participation of all social forces like the people's organizations, social organizations, enterprises, and public institutions. We have also launched the "10,000 private enterprises revitalizing 10,000 villages" initiative, and supported private enterprises and industrial and commercial capital to invest in rural areas. Therefore, the government, society, and the market can all play their roles in promoting rural revitalization.

Sixth, we have improved the legal support to promote rural revitalization. We published and implemented the Rural Revitalization Promotion Law, the first basic law that comprehensively promotes the development of rural areas. In accordance with the laws and regulations, related departments are now busy formulating and amending supporting rules and regulations to make operable measures that can facilitate and evaluate the progress in rural revitalization. For example, 13 provinces like Zhejiang, Guangdong, and Jiangxi have introduced specific measures to promote rural revitalization, creating a better legal environment for the development of the rural areas. Thank you.

China Central Television:

The rural reform 40 years ago unveiled the reform and opening up nationwide. Could you elaborate on the progress in deepening rural reform in the past ten years? Thank you.

Deng Xiaogang:

Thank you. I'll take this question. Reform is the key to rural revitalization. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has made a series of plans on its top agenda to systematically and comprehensively promote rural reform. For example, the central government has launched a batch of pilot projects to deepen reform and introduced fundamental and long-term reform measures to promote major breakthroughs in the reform of agriculture, rural areas, and rural residents, as well as other key areas.

First, solid progress has been made in rural land reforms. We have primarily formed a system of contracted rural land that separates rural land ownership rights, contract rights, and use rights, a major institutional innovation in rural reform after the household contract system. We have completed the verification, registration, and certification of land contract and management rights, which helped reassure over 200 million rural residents who had been issued a certificate of their contracted land. We have prudently promoted the policy extending second-round rural land contracts by another 30 years upon expiration, further consolidating and improving the basic rural management system. The management and service system for land transfer is constantly improving, and the appropriately scaled-up agricultural operations are enjoying healthy growth. The three pilot reforms on rural land expropriation, the marketing of rural collectively-owned land designated for business-related construction, and the system of rural land designated for housing have made major progress. A new round of pilot reform on the system of rural land designated for housing have been launched in 104 counties (cities or districts) and three prefecture-level regions.

Second, the reform of the rural collective property rights system has been basically completed. The auditing and liquidation of rural collective assets have been finished; the membership for the collective economic organizations has been identified; and the reform of the joint-stock cooperative system on for-profit assets has been solidly progressing. We have completed verification of 6.55 billion mu (436.7 million hectares) of collective land and 7.7 trillion yuan (US$1.15 trillion) of rural collective assets, including 3.5 trillion yuan of for-profit assets; we have identified 900 million members in around 960,000 rural collective economic organizations. Rural collective property rights have been better clarified, and the rural residents enjoy more property rights. The rural property rights transaction market is operating in an orderly manner, with the types of property rights diversifying and services improving.

Third, the establishment of a new type of system of agricultural operations has been accelerated. We have sped up fostering new agricultural businesses, launched the family farms initiative and the campaign to improve rural cooperatives, introduced trials to encourage commercial services for agriculture, and primarily established a policy system introducing small rural households to modern agriculture. The number of family farms reached 3.9 million, rural cooperatives over 2.2 million, and commercial organizations that provide agricultural services over 950,000.

Fourth, policies and institutions have been further refined to strengthen agriculture, benefit farmers, and raise rural living standards. The pricing mechanism for agricultural products and the market regulation mechanism have been improved. Minimum purchase price policies for rice and wheat have been adjusted in a timely manner, and the system of purchasing and stockpiling corn and policies for guaranteed base prices for soybeans have been reformed and improved. A new mechanism for combining market-based purchases with producer subsidies has been established. Direct subsidies to grain growers, subsidies for purchasing superior crop varieties, and general subsidies for purchasing agricultural supplies have been provided. The policy system for agricultural subsidies, upholding green development and ecological conservation as the guiding principles, has taken shape. Permanent mechanisms for integration and coordinated use of rural development funds have been implemented. The management model of "major projects plus task list" has been implemented. The investment guarantee mechanism of finance for supporting rural revitalization has been gradually established. In addition, more revenues from land sales have been spent on supporting rural revitalization. 

Furthermore, other key rural reform tasks have been organized in a coordinated way. For example, the comprehensive reform of supply and marketing cooperatives has been deepened to form closer ties with farmers, develop an array of service functions for agriculture, rural areas, and rural people, and provide more efficient market-oriented operation. Remarkable achievements have been made in the collectivization of land reclamation zones and enterprise-oriented reform of farms. The reform to relieve state-owned farms of social service responsibilities has met the targets. The certification rate of reclaimed land has exceeded 96%. Moreover, over 50% of the state-owned farms have been converted into standard companies. Positive achievements have been made in various reform tasks regarding the collective forest tenure system, state forestry farms and areas, water conservation management system, and coordinated administrative law enforcement in agriculture. At the same time, 66 experimental zones for rural reform have been built across the country, and more than 400 trials and experiments tasks have been carried out, serving as pioneers and pacesetters in the reform. Thank you.

China County Times:

Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the Party Central Committee has prioritized poverty elimination in the governance of China and has made a historic achievement in poverty alleviation. What are the theoretical contributions of the poverty alleviation endeavor? What will be done to consolidate and build on the achievements in poverty elimination? Thank you.

Hong Tianyun:

I am glad to answer your question. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has led the whole Party and Chinese people of all ethnic groups, bearing in mind China's reality and understanding the status of poverty alleviation, in issuing a series of bold policies and measures and establishing a whole set of effective policies, work, and institutions. These efforts created a successful path of poverty eradication with Chinese characteristics and formed an anti-poverty theory with Chinese characteristics.

The kernel of the anti-poverty theory with Chinese characteristics is to uphold the seven principles. The first principle is to uphold the Party's leadership to provide solid political and organizational support for poverty alleviation. The second principle is to uphold the people-centered philosophy and unswervingly pursue common prosperity for all. The third principle is to take advantage of one of the strengths of its socialist system, that is, the ability to pool resources on major endeavors, mobilizing all society to unite with a common purpose and act in unison to fight poverty. The fourth principle is to adopt targeted measures and stay committed to eradicating poverty through development. The fifth principle is to stimulate the enthusiasm, initiative, and creativity of the people in poverty and inspire them with the motivation to fight poverty. The sixth principle is to carry forward the great tradition of working together and offering mutual support, fostering a strong atmosphere where the whole society helps the poor and the needy. The last one is to adopt a down-to-earth and pragmatic style of work and ensure that poverty alleviation reaches those who truly need it and delivers genuine outcomes and that poverty must be fully eliminated. These important experiences and understandings represent the theoretical crystallization of poverty alleviation in China and the latest achievement in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and must be adhered to and steadily developed on a long-term basis.

After the victory in the battle against extreme poverty, it is a major concern of the Party Central Committee to consolidate and build on achievements in poverty elimination and prevent people from returning to impoverishment in large numbers. Since last year, after joint efforts of all parties, we have effectively aligned efforts to consolidate and expand the achievements in poverty alleviation with efforts to promote rural revitalization and ensure that people do not sink back into poverty in large numbers. Next, we will take the following five major steps.

First, we will implement better monitoring and assistance mechanisms to prevent people from slipping back into poverty. We will conduct screenings to identify households at risk of returning to or falling into poverty as monitoring targets, to ensure that all those in need are included and assisted and that the assistance is fully provided to eliminate risks.

Second, we will intensify policies to stabilize and expand employment. We will ensure that over 30 million people who have emerged from poverty have stable employment this year.

Third, we will promote the development of industries. More than 55% of the central budget's subsidy funds for promoting rural revitalization will be spent on the development of industries, focusing on supporting the industries that are integrated with farmers' interests, leading and benefiting farmers. At the same time, multiple measures will be taken to increase household operative income for the people.

Fourth, we will promote the implementation of projects and the use of funds. We will give full play to the role of the project pool in consolidating and expanding the achievements in poverty elimination and rural revitalization. We will accelerate the use of funds for dovetailing new measures with rural revitalization, promoting the projects to be implemented, and delivering results as soon as possible.

Fifth, we will strengthen social assistance and resident assistance. We will further promote collaboration between eastern China and western China, targeted assistance from the central Party and government departments, and the "10,000 private enterprises revitalizing 10,000 villages" initiative. Furthermore, we will supervise and guide resident first secretaries and working teams to make concrete and meticulous efforts in their assistance.

Thank you.

Science and Technology Daily:

We have noticed that in recent years, environment-friendly, low-carbon, and circular development is becoming a fundamental principle of agriculture. I wonder what measures have been taken by various localities and government departments to promote the green development of agriculture and what achievements have been made so far? Thanks. 

Zeng Yande:

The promotion of green agriculture is profoundly changing the outlook of agricultural development. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has attached great importance to the green development of agriculture, strengthened top-level design, and explored new institutional mechanisms to promote the green transition of agriculture. Various localities and government departments across China have earnestly implemented the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, consciously taken green agriculture as a key part of implementing the rural revitalization strategy, innovated their thinking of work, redoubled efforts, and have thus made headway in green agriculture. Nowadays, mountains in rural areas have become greener, and waters clearer, the countryside has become more beautiful, and environment-friendliness has become a key feature of building a "Beautiful China." The achievements of green agriculture can be summarized as follows. 

First, agricultural resources have been effectively protected. We have established a principle of economical, intensive, and recyclable use of resources over the years, strengthened the protection of arable land, improved the crop rotation and fallow land system, and carried out campaigns to protect and improve the quality of arable land. As a result, the grade of arable land has reached 4.76 on average nationwide, 0.35 higher than that in 2014. We have also pursued higher efficiency of water usage through the implementation of total volume control and quota management system of agricultural irrigation water, as well as the promotion of water-saving through agricultural varieties, technologies, and engineering projects. Therefore, the irrigation water use coefficient has reached 0.568, 0.052 higher than ten years ago, which is a hard-won result. We have also enhanced biodiversity protection. The world's largest standalone state-level farm crop germplasm resource bank has been built with the strongest preservation capabilities. A series of national livestock and poultry genetic resource preservation areas and aquatic germplasm resource preservation zones have also been built. 

Second, agriculture-related pollution has been effectively contained. In the past years, we have expedited green agricultural production and gradually improved the environment of places of production. We have scaled back and made more efficient use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, through organic fertilizers made from fruits, vegetables, and tea, and the promotion of lesser and more efficient use of pesticides. As a result, the usage rate of chemical fertilizers and pesticides has surpassed 40%, and the amount has declined for years. We have also strengthened our capabilities of recycling and reusing the waste from livestock and poultry. All major animal husbandry counties in China have pushed forward comprehensive usage of livestock and poultry waste, and all large-scale livestock farms have been equipped with waste disposal devices. Therefore, the comprehensive utilization rate of livestock and poultry waste has reached 76% nationwide, 16 percentage points higher than that in 2015. We have also made better use of crop straws and agricultural plastic films. As we promoted the usage of crop straw as fertilizers, feed, and energy, its comprehensive utilization rate has reached 87%. We have also strengthened whole-process supervision of agricultural plastic film production, sales, usage, and recycling. The recycle and reuse rate has topped 80%, marking key progress in combating white pollution in farmland. 

Third, the agricultural ecosystem has been effectively restored. We have coordinated the conservation of mountain, river, forest, farmland, lake, grassland, and desert ecosystems and strengthened the recycling capabilities of the agricultural ecosystem. The farm field ecosystem has been protected and restored, the layout and construction of the farm-forest network have been optimized, and the mode of raising fish in rice fields has been promoted to achieve greater stability of the agricultural ecosystem. We have also protected the forest and grassland ecosystems, carried out large-scale national afforestation campaigns, and fully implemented systems of prohibiting grazing and grazing rest, as well as balancing between grassland and livestock. As a result, China's forest coverage rate topped 23%, and the national vegetation fractional coverage of grasslands reached 58%, contributing to the largest newly added greening areas in the world. We have also protected and recovered the ecosystems of key basins. We have worked to steadily contain the overexploitation of groundwater in the Yellow River basin. The ten-year fishing ban on the Yangtze River has made initial progress, and the river's aquatic biodiversity has gradually recovered. 

Fourth, we have accelerated the construction of the green, low-carbon agricultural industry chain. Green agriculture has seen more room for development along the entire industry chain, and a green and low-carbon production mode featuring conservation and moderation has been developed. The agricultural product processing industry has stepped up the green transition, and the standard agricultural product processing system has been improved. We have been pursuing fewer losses and higher efficiency in processing agricultural products, contributing to a steady rise in the capabilities of comprehensively processing and using agricultural products. An environment-friendly circulation system is being established, and the cold-chain logistics network has been improved. About 51,000 cold storage facilities have been built at places of agricultural production, which has significantly improved the capabilities of such places in processing agricultural products at low temperatures and commodifying their farm produce. Green, low-carbon agricultural parks have been steadily built. Modern agriculture industrial parks, demonstration zones for agricultural modernization, and pilot zones of green agricultural development have been pushing forward standardized agricultural production featuring better varieties, qualities, and branding so that they have successfully used their entire chain. Thank you. 

Farmers' Daily, farmer.com.cn:

China's grain output has seen bumper harvests for several consecutive years, with last year's total grain production hitting a record high. China has ensured absolute grain security, but is still facing production shortfalls in soybeans, oil-bearing crops and other varieties. This year, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has also proposed stabilizing the production of grain and corn, and expanding the acreage of soybeans and oilseed crops. What new developments have there been in China's expansion in the cultivation of soybeans and oilseed crops? What measures will be taken next? Thank you.

Zeng Yande:

Thank you for your questions. One of the priorities regarding this year's agricultural and rural work is to expand the planting of soybeans and oilseed crops. Currently, everything is progressing well. It's a foregone conclusion that we will have a bumper summer wheat harvest and increased output, which is a highlight of this year's agriculture and rural development. At present, China has achieved notable progress in its production of soybeans and oilseed crops, marked by two factors: First, there was a significant rise in rapeseed output. Estimates show that the acreage of rapeseed plants will exceed 100 million mu (about 6.67 million hectares) this year, with a stable unit-yield level and a clear rise in yield. Second, the planting of soybeans is expected to expand this year. Currently, the planting area for soybeans for the whole year will be increased significantly after the application of belt-shaped intercropping of soybeans and corns, which is a remarkable result. Generally, we have full confidence in achieving the two goals of expanding the acreage of soybeans and oilseed crops.

Next, we still have work that needs to be continued: ensuring the expansion of the planting area of summer sowing soybeans during the summer harvest, while strengthening post management to achieve the expansion of soybean and oilseed crop cultivation, as well as growth in both the per-unit yield and total output this year, so as to support the effective supply of soybeans and oilseed crops.

Thank you.

Cover News:

For a long time, the gap between rural and urban areas in terms of infrastructure and public services has been relatively large. We know that in recent years, local authorities have stepped up efforts to strengthen the weak links, and have done more to improve the living environment in rural areas. Could you please share with us the progress that has been made in this regard? What steps will be taken to continue these efforts? Thank you.

Hong Tianyun:

Thank you for your questions. Improving the living environment in rural areas is an important task in the rural revitalization strategy. Since 2018, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council have successively deployed and implemented a three-year action plan to improve the rural living environment and a five-year action plan to accelerate the improvement of the rural living environment from 2021 to 2025. All localities and departments have conscientiously implemented the action plans and worked hard for them. The rural living environment has been significantly improved, and the farmers' sense of gain and happiness has been continuously enhanced. On June 20, Vice Premier Hu Chunhua presided over a meeting on national rural construction work in Sanming City, Fujian Province. Various media outlets have made a lot of reports on the improvement of the rural living environment. I am happy and willing to brief you again about the relevant situation.

First, works related tothe rural living environment have been carried out in an all-round way. , and the three-year action plan goals and tasks have been completed as scheduled. By the end of 2021, the penetration rate of sanitary toilets in rural areas across the country will exceed 70%. Among them, the penetration rate of hygienic toilets in rural areas in the eastern region and the suburban areas of central and western cities with suitable foundations and conditions have exceeded 90%. Since 2018, more than 40 million rural household toilets have been renovated. The proportion of villages nationwide that can collect, transport, and treat rural domestic waste has remained stable at over 90%; the treatment rate of rural domestic sewage has reached about 28%.

Second, the appearance of dirty, chaotic, and poor rural areas has been significantly improved, and the village environment is now clean, tidy, and orderly. More than 95% of the villages across China have carried out cleaning actions, guiding farmers to focus on cleaning up for sanitation, cleaning up garbage, and cleaning up the environment, while promoting the resource utilization of livestock and poultry manures and crops straws. The rural countryside has been clean, tidy, and orderly, and localities have built more than 50,000 beautiful and livable villages as typical models based on their actual conditions.

Third, the philosophy of civilized life of farmers has been significantly elevated, and the quality of life has generally improved. The inside and outside of the farmer's houses are cleaner, the inside and outside of their courtyards are more beautiful, the farmer's living habits are cleaner, and the lifestyle is greener. It can be said that the improvement of the rural living environment has changed farmers' health philosophy, changed a new look of rural life, and established a new style of civilization in rural areas.

To achieve rural revitalization, it is necessary to improve agricultural and rural infrastructures according to local conditions and promote agricultural and rural modernization with infrastructure modernization. Next, we will focus on the following work: First, we will adhere to taking measures adapted to local conditions. We will fully consider the regional resource endowment conditions and economic development level and implement policies by division and classification. We will not match in the same step or hold that one size fits all. The second is to highlight the masses as the main body of the countryside. We will extensively mobilize the farmers to participate in the revitalization actions and form a good governance atmosphere where rural grassroots Party branch organizations, Party members, and cadres take the lead, and farmers participate. Third, we must focus on overall planning and promotion. We will advance key tasks such as developing rural industries, constructing infrastructures and ecological protection, coordinating planning and construction, and facilitating coordinated development. Fourth, we must strengthen the promotion of models and use them as reference and guidance. There are already many good examples and good experiences all over the country, such as Zhejiang's experience of its program to improve 10,000 villages and make 1,000 being models and Guangdong's experience of the "three cleanups, three demolitions, and three rectifications" campaign. It is necessary to establish several demonstration examples to drive the overall boost of the improvement work in the rural living environment. Thank you.

21st Century Business Herald:

We all know that industrial revitalization is the first of the five major revitalizations, and it is also an important channel to promote farmers' employment and income. What is the current development of rural industries? Next, which aspects will you focus on to promote rural industries' development and increase farmers' employment and income? Thank you.

Deng Xiaogang:

The growth of industries is crucial to rural revitalization. General Secretary Xi Jinping attaches great importance to the development of rural industries. He has delivered important speeches and instructions on various occasions, setting clear direction and priorities for the development of rural industries.

Over the past decade, agriculture and rural affairs departments at all levels have carefully studied and understood the principles of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions. With clear focus, we have strengthened guidance, increased investment, and made every effort to promote the development of rural industries and consolidate the material foundation for rural revitalization. Remarkable progress has been achieved in this respect.

First, the agricultural product processing and circulation industry has developed rapidly. We have launched an initiative to upgrade the agricultural products processing industry, shifted the industry's focus to counties, central towns, and logistics nodes, and improved key logistics networks and cold chain systems. We have built 156,000 primary processing facilities and more than 50,000 cold storage facilities in production areas. Now, 70.6% of farm produce is processed into commodities. Agricultural product processing enterprises have earned revenues of nearly 25 trillion yuan. The ratio of the output value of the agricultural product processing industry to the total agricultural output value reached 2.5:1.

Second, rural leisure tourism has developed steadily. We have worked to implement excellent projects for leisure agriculture and rural tourism, perform multiple functions of agriculture, and realize the diversified values of rural areas. We have built a number of leisure agricultural attractions and promoted more than 1,000 quality travel routes. Now there are over 300,000 leisure farms, tourist farms, and agritainment resorts nationwide, generating revenues of more than 700 billion yuan annualy.

Third, new industries and business forms have achieved vigorous growth in rural areas. We have made a big push to develop rural e-commerce and fostered more than 30,000 agriculture-related e-commerce platforms. Rural online retail sales exceeded 2 trillion yuan, and online retail sales of agricultural products reached more than 420 billion yuan. We have actively developed new services to make production and life in rural areas more convenient. Based on the special resources in rural areas, we have fostered distinctive industries according to local conditions and created several brands.

Fourth, the integrated development of rural industries has gradually become a trend. We have promoted the integrated development of the primary, secondary, and tertiary industries in rural areas and allocated agricultural and modern industrial factors across sectors. We have built 140 characteristic industrial clusters, 250 national modern agricultural industrial parks, more than 1,300 towns with agricultural strengths, and over 3,600 model villages and towns with special products of their own. These are all high-quality and efficient engines driving rural industry development with distinctive local characteristics and prominent leading industries.

Fifth, rural entrepreneurs and innovators are dynamic. We have improved supportive policies to bolster employment and entrepreneurship by attracting returnee rural migrant workers, secondary and tertiary specialized school graduates, demobilized military personnel, and scientists and technicians to pursue business and other innovative ventures in rural areas. We have built more than 2,200 innovation and start-up parks and incubation bases in rural areas. A total of 11.2 million people have returned to their hometowns to pursue business and other innovative ventures, each creating six to seven stable jobs and 15-20 flexible ones.

Going forward, we will act on the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, prioritize helping rural residents find employment and increase their income and focus on performing multiple functions of agriculture and realizing the diversified values of rural areas, on ensuring farmers enjoy more job opportunities and share more benefits from the growth of industries. The four major tasks are as follows. The first is to develop industries that can drive rural prosperity, especially county-level industries with a large capacity for employment, continue to upgrade rural industries, extend the industrial chain, foster supply chains, and improve value chains. The second is to promote entrepreneurship in rural areas by guiding returnee migrant workers to start businesses in their hometowns and villages, supporting secondary and tertiary specialized school graduates, demobilized military personnel, and scientists and technicians to pursue business in rural areas, and encouraging rural craftsmen and talent to engage in entrepreneurial activities, to create job opportunities and increase farmers' income. The third is to attract investment by optimizing the rural business environment and guiding industrial and commercial capital to invest in building green and high-quality product bases, setting up processing plants, and promoting industrial integration to help local farmers gain prosperity. The fourth is to create employment opportunities for farmers by building several platforms such as modern agricultural parks and promoting the integration of industries into villages to enable rural residents to get jobs locally or in nearby regions. At the same time, we will strengthen skills training for farmers and continue to support and guide farmers to find employment in other places.

Xing Huina:

Due to the time limit, today's press conference is now concluded. Thank you to all speakers and friends from the media. Goodbye.

Translated and edited by Gong Yingchun, Huang Shan, Mi Xingang, Wang Wei, Xu Xiaoxuan, Guo Yiming, Zhou Jing, Zhang Lulu, Wang Yanfang, Zhang Rui, Ma Yujia, He Shan, Xu Kailin, Zhang Liying, Wang Qian, Zhu Bochen, Yang Xi, Zhang Tingting, Li Huiru, David Ball, Jay Birbeck, and Tom Arnstein. In case of any discrepancy between the English and Chinese texts, the Chinese version is deemed to prevail.

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Read in Chinese

Speakers:

Mr. Zhao Chenxin, vice chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC)

Mr. Su Wei, deputy secretary-general of the NDRC

Mr Ou Hong, deputy secretary-general of the NDRC

Mr. Yang Yinkai, deputy secretary-general of the NDRC

Chaiperson:

Ms. Shou Xiaoli, spokesperson of the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC)

Date: 

June 28, 2022

Shou Xiaoli:

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to this press conference held by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee. Today, we are holding the 12th press conference under the theme of “China in the past decade.” We have invited Mr. Zhao Chenxin, vice chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) to brief you on fully and faithfully applying the new development philosophy on all fronts and promoting high-quality development and take your questions. Also joining us today are deputy secretary-generals of the NDRC: Mr. Su Wei, Mr. Ou Hong and Mr. Yang Yinkai.

Now, let's give the floor to Mr. Zhao Chenxin for his introduction.

Zhao Chenxin:

Friends from the media, good morning. It is a great pleasure for me to attend the press conference with my colleagues and brief you on China's economic development over the past decade.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, faced with an ever-changing global environment and many risks and challenges, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has united and led the whole Party and Chinese people of all ethnic groups in following the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, moving forward in a coordinated manner with the Five-sphere Integrated Plan and the Four-pronged Comprehensive Strategy, acting on the general principle of pursuing progress while ensuring stability, grounding our efforts in the new development stage, fully and faithfully applying the new development philosophy on all fronts, fostering a new pattern of development, promoting high-quality development, deepening supply-side structural reform, pursuing development and safeguarding security, responding calmly to drastic changes and a pandemic both unseen in a century, and working hard to accomplish tasks related to domestic reform, development and stability. We have seen new historic changes in the cause of the Party and the country, and secured historic achievements in reform and opening-up and Chinese modernization. We have realized the first centenary goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. This means that we have brought about a historic resolution to the problem of absolute poverty in China. We have embarked on a new journey to build China into a modern socialist country in all respects and advance toward the second centenary goal.

Over the past decade, China's economic strength has reached a new high. During the transition to high-quality development, China has developed new and better approaches to macro regulation, thus appropriately expanding and steadily upgrading its economic output. China's GDP grew from 53.9 trillion yuan in 2012 to 114.4 trillion yuan in 2021, its share of the global economy rose from 11.3% to 18%, and its per capita GDP grew from $6,300 to more than $12,000. Fruitful results have been achieved in building China into a country of innovators. In 2021, China's ranking on the “Global Innovation Index” rose to 12th, with historic changes in key areas. Major regional strategies have been steadily advanced and steady progress has been made in rural revitalization. The standard and quality of new urbanization have been improved, and the potential has been unleashed for more balanced development between regions and between rural and urban areas.

Over the past decade, new advances have been made in China's reform and opening-up. The country has comprehensively deepened reform with a focus on economic reform. The socialist market economy has become more mature and sophisticated. Steady progress has been made in building a high-standard market system. The systems and mechanisms for the market-based allocation of production factors have been improved. A unified national market is being developed at a faster pace. Positive progress has been achieved in developing the systems underpinning the market economy, such as those for property rights protection, market access, fair competition and social credit. The building of an all-round higher-standard open economy has been accelerated. Joint efforts to pursue the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) have yielded fruitful results. China has signed more than 200 BRI cooperation agreements with 149 countries and 32 international organizations. The China-Laos Railway has opened, and solid progress has been made in a large number of projects including the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway. China has promoted trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, with its total stock of overseas investment increasing from less than $600 billion to more than $2.6 trillion. China has actively participated in global economic governance, contributing its wisdom and strength to building a community with a shared future for humanity.

Over the past decade, Chinese people's lives have improved on all fronts. China has scored a complete victory over extreme poverty. The 98.99 million people in rural areas who were living below the current poverty threshold all shook off poverty — a miracle in the history of humankind. Putting the people and their lives first, China has strengthened the policy of preventing imported cases and domestic resurgences of COVID-19, adhered to targeted protocols across the chain of pandemic response and dynamic zero-COVID approach, thus making a major strategic achievement in fighting the virus. The quality of employment has been significantly improved, with more than 13 million new urban jobs being created each year on average. Education has developed vigorously, with the average number of years of schooling received by the working-age population reaching 10.9. China has been transforming from a country with a large labor force to one with strong human resources. Rural and urban residents' access to basic public medical care services has become more equitable. Chinese people's average life expectancy ranks among the top of middle- and high-income countries. A public service system for fitness and sports is basically in place. The social security system has benefited everyone, and the net to ensure the people's basic needs has been consolidated.

Over the past decade, China has made remarkable achievements in ecological conservation. The great notion that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets has taken root in people's minds, and the system for developing an ecological civilization has taken shape. China has made a solemn commitment to achieving peak carbon emissions before 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060, and has put in place a "1+N" policy framework for carbon peaking and carbon neutrality. We have vigorously promoted the green transformation of industries and the adjustment of energy structures, accelerated the construction of large-scale wind power and photovoltaic bases, and resolutely stopped the blind development of energy-intensive projects with high emissions and backward production capacity. With such efforts, energy consumption per unit of GDP dropped by around 26.2%. We have continued working to keep our skies blue, waters clear, and lands pollution-free, and met the phased goals for the critical battle of pollution prevention and control. We have also carried out holistic conservation and systematic governance of our mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes, grasslands, and deserts.

In the past decade, China's economic security has been comprehensively strengthened. For seven consecutive years, the country has maintained its annual grain output above 1.3 trillion jin (650 million tonnes), ensuring basic self-sufficiency in grain and absolute security in staple food, and firmly securing the food supply for the Chinese people. China's capacity to guarantee energy supply has continued to be strengthened, and its production, supply, storage, and marketing systems for coal, electricity, petroleum, and natural gas have continued to be improved. China has also continued to enhance its capacity to ensure the security and stability of industrial and supply chains, and accelerated its pace to make breakthroughs in core technologies of key fields such as 5G, basic software, industrial machine tools, new energy vehicles and smart cars, and renewable energy development, among others. Significant progress has been made in preventing and defusing major risks.

Reflecting on the glorious course of economic and social development since the 18th CPC National Congress, under the guidance of Xi Jinping's economic thought, our country is accelerating its steps to march on a road towards development that is of higher quality, higher efficiency, fairer, more sustainable, and more secure. China's economic strength, scientific and technological strength, comprehensive national strength, and international influence have continued to increase. Therefore, our achievements, which have won the approval of our people and global recognition, will be remembered in history.

As China is experiencing the combined impacts of major changes and a pandemic, both unseen in a century, it is facing many new challenges in pursuing its economic and social development. However, China is still in an important period of strategic opportunity for development, when opportunities outnumber challenges. Under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, with the institutional strength of socialism with Chinese characteristics, supported by the solid foundation established through economic and social development since reform and opening up, especially since the 18th CPC National Congress, and being capable of addressing various kinds of risks and challenges with rich experiences, we have the confidence, resolve, a foundation, and conditions to promote steady, healthy, and sustainable growth of the economy.

That's all for my introduction. Next, I would like to answer your questions with my colleagues. Thank you.

Shou Xiaoli:

Thank you for your introduction, Mr. Zhao. Next, we'll move on to the question-and-answer session. Please identify the media outlet you represent before asking a question.

China Development and Reform News:

Currently, the internal and external environment for China's development is becoming more complicated and severe, while economic development is facing new downward pressure. Can our country achieve this year's GDP growth target of around 5.5%? How will the government facilitate the policy toolbox to effectively stabilize economic performance? Thank you.

Ou Hong:

Since March, the COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukrainian crisis have led to more risks and challenges, thus China's economy has seen increasing complexity, severity, and uncertainty in pursuing growth and also faced new challenges in ensuring its stable growth, stable employment, and stable prices. In the face of new downward pressure on the economic performance, we must resolutely implement the Party Central Committee's requirements of containing the epidemic, stabilizing the economy, and keeping development secure, focusing on fully implementing all policies that have been introduced. We must also effectively coordinate the epidemic response with economic and social development and effectively coordinate both development and security.

First, we should fully implement all policies that have been introduced. This year's economic work was outlined at the Central Economic Work Conference and in the government work report. Recently, the State Council has also introduced a package of policies and measures to stabilize the economy. We should speed up the implementation of various established policies to deliver results, focus on removing all impediments that restrict the flows of the economy, and actively expand effective demand. We should intensify our efforts to help enterprises ease their difficulties, adopt multiple measures to stabilize employment and work to ensure the supply of essential commodities related to people's livelihoods and stabilize their prices. We should further unleash the policy effect, effectively stabilize the economic performance, and keep major economic indicators within an appropriate range. In the near future, we should, in particular, accelerate the promotion of a number of projects covering water conservancy, transportation, underground utility tunnels, and other areas that secure both short-term and long-term benefits, so that related work can begin as soon as possible. We should implement multiple policies to promote consumption in such areas as automobiles and home appliances and accelerate the release of the consumption potential. 

Second, we should take well-coordinated steps to respond to COVID-19 and pursue economic and social development. As the ongoing pandemic situation remains grave and complex, we must never falter in our commitment to the overall strategy of preventing imported cases and domestic resurgences as well as the general principle of dynamic zero-COVID, and intensify efforts to boost our capacity to control COVID-19 with targeted and science-based measures in all fields in an all-round manner. We must act quickly to review good experiences and practices and apply them on a broad scale, and adjust and improve the response measures in view of the evolving COVID-19. We must resolutely avoid an oversimplified and one-size-fits-all approach, and allow local governments to take excessive policy steps. Meanwhile, we must race against time to further smooth transportation and logistics, and accelerate the resumption of work and production to meet people's basic living needs. We must step up efforts to carry out regular COVID-19 controls and maintain normal production and everyday life to protect people's lives and health to the maximum extent possible and minimize the impact of COVID-19 on social and economic development.

Third, we should balance development and security imperatives. We should firmly maintain bottom-line thinking, manage risks in key sectors and forestall systemic risks. In particular, we should further ensure food and energy security as well as the security and stability of industrial and supply chains. At present, our main task is to accelerate efforts to implement the food crop production strategy based on farmland management and technological application, and improve production, supply, storage and marketing systems. Ensuring safe, clean and efficient utilization, China will release high-quality production capacity of coal in an orderly manner, accelerate the construction of large wind power and photovoltaic bases primarily located in sandy areas, rocky areas and deserts, and promote breakthroughs in core technologies in key sectors.

At the same time, to deal with more complex and difficult situations, we will take into consideration solving difficulties, expand and improve reserved policies regularly, and issue them promptly based on new developments. In view of recent economic developments, we have coordinated the COVID-19 response with economic growth and security in accordance with the requirements of the central leadership. We have brought COVID-19 under control in key regions, boosted the resumption of work and production, and exerted the role of policies to stabilize growth. The economy showed marginal improvement in May, with the main indicators picking up. More importantly, China's economy remains resilient with strong potential and ample room for growth. We have full confidence in overcoming difficulties and challenges in economic operation, and have the ability to cope with changes possible beyond expectations to ensure steady, sound and sustainable economic development.

CCTV: 

Steady and sound economic development cannot be achieved without the support of policies, and macro-control is particularly important. My question is, what experience has been gained in innovating and improving macroeconomic regulation over the past decade? As we enter a new stage of development, how will macro regulation work to better promote high-quality economic development? Thank you.

Zhao Chenxin:

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, in the face of changes in the international environment and new developments and features in economic performance, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has made coordinated efforts to advance the Five-sphere Integrated Plan and the Four-pronged Comprehensive Strategy, and carry out the general principle of pursuing progress while ensuring stability. We will uphold and improve socialism with Chinese characteristics and the country's governance system so that the market can play a decisive role in resource allocation, and the government can play a better role. We are refining macro regulation with Chinese characteristics that follows a general rule of the market economy, and making it more forward-looking, targeted and effective.

In terms of innovating and refining macro regulation, we have increased focus on the following five aspects: first, clarifying the philosophy of macro regulation, second, innovating the approach to macro regulation, third, identifying the focus of macro regulation, fourth, expanding regulatory tools, and fifth, enhancing synergy in regulation.

In terms of clarifying the regulation philosophy, we have continually implemented the new development philosophy in a complete, accurate and comprehensive manner, and promoted high-quality development. We have given full play to the strategic guiding role of national development plans and strengthen macro guidance of annual plans. In particular, we have paid more attention to coordinating development and security, and ensured we avoid systemic risks.

In terms of innovating the approach to regulation, we have continued to seek truth from facts and proceed from reality to make economic stability our top priority and pursue progress while ensuring stability. We have enhanced targeted, well-timed and precision regulation on the basis of range-based regulation. We have refrained from resorting to a deluge of strong stimulus policies, relying more on reform and innovation, and making greater use of market forces.

In terms of identifying the focus of regulation, we have accurately grasped the changes to the principal contradictions facing development, and accelerated the establishment of the new development paradigm. With intensifying supply-side structural reform as the main task and expanding domestic demand as a strategic measure, we have stepped up efforts to improve the quality of the supply system and smooth out internal and external economic circulation, and worked toward a higher level of dynamic balance in which supply creates demand and demand guides supply.

In terms of expanding regulatory tools, we have made coordinated efforts to maintain stable growth, advance reform, make structural adjustments, improve living standards, guard against risks and ensure stability. We have ensured that policies are consistent and stable. We have cut taxes and fees on a larger scale, innovated structural monetary policy tools, and reformed the mechanism for setting quoted interest rates on loans. We have focused on structural problems, and improved policies related to science and technology, industries, regions and environmental protection.

In terms of enhancing synergy in regulation, we have integrated central and local efforts, promoted cross-departmental collaboration, and coordinated domestic development with international cooperation. We have also enhanced the policy coordination between different sectors and ensured the evaluation, pre-study and preparation of policies. The worth of any plan lies in its implementation, thus we have made great efforts to ensure that major plans, reforms, and policies have a specific timetable and roadmap, with detailed responsibility division so as to encourage accountability and action. 

Going forward, we will make more effort to develop new ideas and methods for macroeconomic regulation in light of changes in the domestic and international environment so as to promote economic growth in a stable, sound, and sustainable way. 

Red Star News:

Reform of the economic system is the top priority of comprehensively deepening reform. What achievements and progress have been made in economic system reform since the 18th CPC National Congress? What will be the focus of the following-up efforts? Thank you. 

Su Wei:

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, reforms of the economic system, which aim to balance the relationship between government and market, have been advanced in a comprehensive and systematic manner, with milestone achievements being made in key areas and at key links. As such, the socialist market economic system has become more systematically perfected and mature, and the modernization of the country's system and capability for governance has been advanced in an effective way. New achievements have been witnessed in the following four aspects:

First, new achievements have been made in reforms to spur the vitality of market entities. Top-level design for the state capital and state-owned enterprises (SOEs) reforms has been put in place. The layout and structure of the state-owned sector have been steadily advanced, and breakthroughs have been made in building the modern corporate system with distinctive Chinese features. The mixed ownership sector has witnessed solid development, and the system of state capital supervision by focusing on capital management has been improved. Market-oriented reforms of competitive links in major sectors have steadily advanced. A better development environment has been created for the non-public sector. The number of private enterprises in the country has quadrupled in the past decade from 10.85 million to 44.57 million. 

Second, new achievements have been made in the reform of the market system. An all-around property rights protection system in terms of law-making, law enforcement, and justice is taking shape. We have comprehensively implemented a negative list system for market access and established a fair competition review system to sort through and do away with regulations and practices that impede the development of a unified market and fair competition. We have improved the social credit system, setting up a new-type credit-based supervision mechanism. Accelerated efforts have been made to improve the market-based production factor allocation system where prices are determined by the market, the flow of factors is self-decided and in an orderly manner, and the allocation is efficient and fair. Therefore, a strong domestic market has been created, with its economy surpassing 100 trillion yuan, its population reaching 1.4 billion, and its middle-income earners hitting around 400 million.

Third, new achievements have been made in macroeconomic governance reforms. Continued efforts have been made to improve the macro regulation system that coordinates policies regarding employment, industries, investment, consumption, environmental protection and various regions, with national development plans as the strategic guidance and fiscal and monetary policies as the main methods. New methods for macro regulation have been developed. Regulation practices have been made more flexible and efficient, including range-based, targeted, and well-timed regulations, as well as counter-cyclical and cross-cycle adjustments. As the result, the economy has been running within an appropriate range. We have intensified reforms to streamline government administration, delegate power, improve regulation, and upgrade services, issuing regulations to improve the business environment. We have promoted reforms to the government approval system, greatly cutting the number of items that require government approvals. By doing so, China's business environment has remarkably improved, with its global ranking jumping to 31st from 96th in 2013. 

Fourth, new progress has been made in the reform of the new system for a high-level open economy. A total of 21 pilot free trade zones have been established thanks to coordinated efforts, and more than 260 institutional innovation outcomes have been replicated and applied elsewhere. The Hainan Free Trade Port has gotten off to a good start. The system of pre-entry national treatment plus negative list management for foreign investment has been implemented. We have adopted the foreign investment law. The single-window system for international trade has been established and implemented in the ports nationwide, thus greatly facilitating international trade. 

Going forward, we will step up efforts to promote reforms in four aspects. First, we will strive for the high-level systems underpinning the market economy to ensure full and equal protection for various property rights in accordance with the law. We will refine the negative list system for market access, improving the policy framework and implementation mechanism for fair competition. We will also ensure a law-based social credit system. Second, we will strive to create high-quality market entities. Continued efforts will be made to improve the modern corporate system with distinctive Chinese features. We will deepen the mixed ownership reform in a proactive and steady manner and reform the structure of private enterprises at a faster pace, offering support and guidance to promote the well-regulated and healthy development of capital. More efforts will be made to help Chinese companies become world-class outfits with global competitiveness. Third, we will strive for a high-standard market system. We will advance reforms for the market-based allocation of production factors and pilot a comprehensive reform on the market-based allocation of production factors. We will improve the systems underpinning data-driven factors and build a unified national market at a faster pace. Fourth, we will strive to establish a high-efficiency system of macroeconomic governance. We will improve the system of macroeconomic policies and intensify the synergies of various policies. We will also improve the mechanisms for cross-cycle macro policy adjustment and improve our expectation management system in a bid to keep the major economic indicators within a proper range. 

CNBC:

I have two questions. The first question is, what achievements have been made in terms of foreign investment in the effort to promote high-quality development, and what will be your focuses in the future? My second question is, as the unemployment rate among young people continues to grow higher, people worry that the Chinese economy may come to a halt. What measures are being used to improve the employment of young people and prevent the economy from stagnating in a bid to promote high-quality development? Thank you.

Zhao Chenxin:

Let us invite Mr. Su and Mr. Yang to answer these two questions, respectively. 

Su Wei:

I will answer the question about foreign investment. During the past 10 years, China has unswervingly expanded its opening up and scored significant achievements in utilizing foreign investment. First, utilized foreign investment has increased steadily. China has ranked first among developing countries in attracting foreign investment. China's actual utilized foreign investment in 2021 stood at 1.15 trillion yuan, ranking second worldwide, and up 62.9% compared to 2012. Second, laws for foreign investment have been improved. Coming into effect in 2020, the Foreign Investment Law upholds the basic principle of opening up and stipulates the basic institutions for promoting, protecting, and governing foreign investment. It has provided an all-around and powerful legal guarantee for protecting the rights and interests of foreign investors, reflecting a high-standard opening up. Third, the level of opening up has seen marked improvement. We have shortened the negative list for foreign investment for five consecutive years from 2017 to 2021. The number of restrictive measures nationwide and in pilot free trade zones have been cut to 31 and 27 respectively in 2021. We have introduced a series of major measures to open up manufacturing, mining, agriculture, and finance sectors and attracted more foreign-funded companies to do business in China. Fourth, the environment for foreign investment has been improved. We have conducted a review of laws, regulations, and normative documents that do not conform to the Foreign Investment Law for three years straight. By enacting, revising, and repealing a total of 500 documents, we have guaranteed that foreign-invested companies enjoy fair competition. As one of the largest and fastest-growing markets worldwide, China has a well-organized industry support system, rich human resources, a sound environment for innovation, and unparalleled potential of domestic demand. Foreign-invested companies have been upbeat about China's economic outlook and are willing to deeply integrate into the Chinese market and grow with China's economy. 

Next, the NDRC will continue to implement measures of opening up and stabilizing foreign investment. 

First, we will revise and enlarge the catalog of encouraged industries for foreign investment. In May this year, we issued its draft to solicit opinions and received many suggestions from all areas of society. Now, we are amending and improving the catalog. We will expand the scope of encouraged industries and channel foreign investment into manufacturing, producer services, and other major sectors, as well as into central, western, and northeastern regions.

Second, we will advance major foreign investment projects. The first five batches of foreign investment projects have seen accelerated implementation. Smooth progress has been made in major foreign investment projects like the Sino-Saudi Gulei Ethylene Complex Project in Fujian and the third plant of the BMW Brilliance Automotive in Shenyang. We are identifying the reserves of foreign investment projects in all regions and will release a new batch of major foreign investment projects that can drive development.

Third, we will intensify foreign investment services. We will organize and launch activities to promote international industrial investment and cooperation and build platforms to facilitate the investment of multinational companies and aid local governments to attract investment. We will improve a direct contact mechanism for foreign-invested companies and smooth communication channels, solve the prominent problems companies report in time and meet their reasonable needs, and provide excellent services for foreign-invested companies to expand investment in China.

Fourth, we will improve the environment for foreign investment. We will continue to implement the Foreign Investment Law so that all policies are equally applied to foreign-funded companies to ensure their national treatment. Limitations, except ones on the negative list for foreign investment, will be further removed and protection of intellectual property rights will be strengthened. We will continue to build a market-oriented, law-based, and internationalized business environment. 

Yang Yinkai:

I will answer the question about the employment of young people. Employment is a social and economic issue. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has been committed to a people-centered philosophy of development, implemented the employment-first strategy, and intensified policies in this regard. In so doing, we have made historic achievements in promoting employment. More than 130 million urban jobs have been added in the past 10 years. As a developing country with a population of 1.4 billion, China has achieved relatively full employment. 

Since this year, amid the complex international situation and domestic COVID-19 resurgence, the surveyed urban unemployment rate, especially the unemployment rate of young people, has increased, with young people, including college graduates, facing mounting employment pressure. Since May 2022, positive changes have been seen in employment, as the package of policies to stabilize the economy delivered initial results and relevant policies to promote youth employment and entrepreneurship were implemented.

Next, we will fully implement the decisions and plans of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, continue to intensify macro policy adjustments to promote employment, adopt detailed and effective measures for an employment-first policy, make every effort to expand market-oriented and socialized employment channels, and make efforts to boost the employment of young people, including college graduates.

First, we will strengthen the economic foundation of the employment of young people. We should continue to promote the implementation of policies to stabilize the economy and make new engines of growth. We should develop advanced manufacturing, modern service industries, and strategic emerging industries to create more knowledge-based technical jobs to give full play to the intellectual advantages of young people. We should advance rural vitalization on all fronts, promote new urbanization with a focus on county seats, and encourage college graduates to find employment at the primary level in urban and rural areas or start their own businesses in rural areas.

Second, we will promote employment stability and broaden employment channels by keeping the operations of market entities stable. We will implement policies for easing the difficulties of businesses to promote the resumption of full-capacity production of enterprises and enhance employment in the market. We should guide local governments to implement subsidy policies to support micro, small, or medium-sized enterprises to offer more jobs to college graduates. Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises that hire a certain amount of college graduates and meet relevant conditions will be favored when allotting bail-out funds or offering discounted loans for technological transformation use. 

Third, we will support young people who pursue innovations and start businesses. We will continue to improve the environment for starting businesses, carry out special actions to stimulate employment through entrepreneurship, give play to the path-finding role of innovation and entrepreneurship demo centers, and encourage college students to actively start businesses and find flexible employment. We should guide local governments to implement relevant policies that support college graduates to start their businesses. About 30% of the space provided by government-invested venture carriers will be free for college graduate entrepreneurs.

Fourth, we will strengthen employment services for young people. We will provide continuous employment services to college graduates and other young people and accelerate the recruitment of local civil servants; public institutions; preschool, primary, and secondary school teachers; and community-level employment projects. We should deepen the integration of vocational education with industries, explore the integration of technical training and industrial production, focus on young people, and launch vocational skills training programs on a large scale. We should give greater employment support for young, urban jobseekers facing difficulties in securing employment.

21st Century Business Herald:

My question is about investment. What achievements and progress has China made in the field of investment in the past 10 years? In recent years, China's investment growth rate has shown a downward trend. Where is the further investment space in China? Thanks.

Yang Yinkai:

Thank you for your questions. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, we have fully implemented the decisions and plans of the Party Central Committee and the State Council to proactively expand effective investment, deepen institutional reform in investment and financing, promote private investment, and fully leverage the key role of investment. The steady growth of fixed asset investment has played an important role in the sustained and healthy development of the economy. We have achieved four remarkable results.

First, the scale of investment has grown steadily, and the investment structure has been improved. Accumulative investment in fixed assets in the country totaled 409 trillion yuan from 2013 to 2021, with an average annual growth rate of 7.8%. Over the past 10 years, the investment structure has been continuously optimized. For example, the growth rate of investment in the tertiary industry is faster than the growth rate of overall investment. The investment in the tertiary industry grew at an annual average rate of 8.9% between 2013 and 2021. The share of investment in the tertiary industry grew from 61.7% in 2012 to 66.6% in 2021. In addition, investment in new growth drivers showed bright spots, with investment in high-tech industries growing at an annual average rate of 15%. Also, investment in the social sector has been growing rapidly, with a double-digit growth rate in recent years.

Second, the construction of key areas has achieved remarkable progress, and a number of major projects have been successfully implemented. New infrastructure and new urbanization initiatives and major projects have been accelerated. The construction of new infrastructure, covering fields like 5G and data centers, has been sped up. The construction in the fields of water conservation, railway and energy has been enhanced. We have strengthened the building of weak areas and weak links. The central government invested to increase the area of high-standard cropland by 900 million mu (60 million hectares), providing a solid foundation for ensuring national food security. Investment in fields such as education, medical care, government-subsidized housing, and ecological conservation grew rapidly. Major projects such as the Beijing Daxing International Airport, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, and the Beijing-Xiongan intercity railway were completed smoothly, and the Sichuan-Tibet Railway and the Baihetan hydropower station have made smooth progress.

Third, the reform of the investment and financing system continued to deepen, and the level of investment and development facilitation was significantly improved. Administrative regulations such as the regulations on government investment and the regulations for managing the approval and recording of business-invested projects have been issued, and the investment management system has been improving. The Party Central Committee and the State Council issued the guidelines on deepening reform of the investment and financing systems, revised the catalog of investment projects requiring government review three times, substantially canceled and delegated approval items, and established a new approval and notification filing system for business-invested projects. An online investment approval and supervision platform connecting 62 State Council departments and covering the national, provincial, city and county levels has been built, facilitating investment approval through a single portal. Hence, businesses need to make fewer visits to deliver their demands to government departments, and can turn to online channels. The investment approval process has been improved remarkably. 

Fourth, the investment environment for the private sector has been continuously optimized, and investment vitality has been further enhanced. We have continued to deepen and refine specific measures to encourage the sustainable and healthy development of the private investment. The State Council has issued a series of policies and measures to promote social investment, stimulate private investment, and put idle assets to use. Over the past 10 years, China's private investment has grown steadily, making great contributions to economic and social development. Since 2012, the proportion of private investment in China's total investment has remained above 55%, making it the mainstay of investment growth.

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that it is necessary to actively expand effective investment and give full play to the key role of investment in improving the supply structure. In the next step, we will conscientiously implement the important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping, focus on three areas, and actively expand effective investment. First, we will comprehensively strengthen infrastructure construction. We will accelerate the construction of new infrastructure, improve traditional infrastructure, and make a proactive infrastructure layout conducive to leading industrial development and urbanization as appropriate. Second, we will expand investment in manufacturing and high-tech industries. We will increase the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries to enhance the core competitiveness of the manufacturing industry. We will strengthen the capacity for innovation, promote breakthroughs in core technologies in key fields, and advance the industrialization of new technologies and products. Third, we will shore up weak links in areas that are important to people's lives. We will strengthen the building of affordable housing projects and supporting infrastructure, accelerate the renovation of aging urban gas pipelines and the construction of drainage facilities, and focus on strengthening construction in the social sector.

Cover News:

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, China has rolled out major regional development strategies, such as the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and the development of the Yangtze Economic Belt. May I ask what role the implementation of these major development strategies played in promoting coordinated regional development? And what are the considerations for promoting coordinated regional development in the next step? Thank you.

Ou Hong:

Thank you for your question. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has looked beyond the horizon, coordinated the overall situation, and accurately grasped the overriding trends at home and abroad. He has personally planned, deployed, and promoted a series of major regional development strategies, such as the coordinated regional development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze Economic Belt, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta, and ecological conservation and high-quality development in the Yellow River basin. These efforts have led to historic changes and achievements in China's regional development.

First, a driving force to drive China's high-quality development has been cultivated and formed. The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region has firmly relieved Beijing of functions nonessential to its role as the capital, promoting regional coordinated development. The construction of Xiongan New Area promotes high standards and quality requirements, and the area is filled with tower cranes and construction is in full swing. Many central government enterprises have started building their new headquarters in Xiongan New Area. The construction of major projects in Beijing's sub-center has achieved remarkable results. The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area has taken further steps to deepen cooperation. In 2021, the total GDP of Guangdong province's nine cities situated in the GBA exceeded 10 trillion yuan. The vitality of innovation and development in the Yangtze River Delta continues to increase. Meanwhile, the construction of a demonstration zone for integrated ecological and green development in the Yangtze River Delta region and the new area of the Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone has also yielded impressive results.

Second, China has embarked on the regional development path which prioritizes ecological conservation and green development. Efforts to protect and restore the Yangtze Economic Belt's ecological environment are progressing steadily. For example, the 10-year fishing ban on the Yangtze River has been fully implemented. Moreover, the Yangtze River Protection Law, the first river basin law in China, was promulgated and implemented. The flood prevention system in the Yellow River Basin has been continuously improved, and the excessive water consumption growth has been effectively contained. The mainstream of the Yellow River has constantly flowed for more than 20 consecutive years.

Third, we have built a regional economic layout featuring mutual complementarity and high-quality development. Under the general requirement of "to make use of the water and mountain resources, grow crops, and develop agriculture, industry or business where conditions permit," all regions have taken the road defined by rational division of labor and optimized development in accordance with their own conditions. The carrying capacity of central cities, city clusters and other advantageous areas for economic development has been further enhanced. The supporting capacity of major agricultural production zones, key ecosystem service zones, energy and resource-rich areas, and border areas has been further improved. New steps have been taken to revitalize and develop regions with unique features. Moreover, recent achievements have been made in the development of the marine economy.

We will further implement major regional strategies for the next step and promote coordinated regional development. First, we will relieve Beijing of functions nonessential to its role as China's capital, develop the Xiongan New Area with high standards and high quality, and bring the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region to a higher level. Second, we will step up the conservation of the Yangtze River and stop its over-development. We will continuously strengthen the protection and restoration of ecological and environmental systems and strive to build the Yangtze River Economic Belt into the main battlefield for green development by prioritizing ecological protection. We will turn it into the artery for smooth domestic and international dual circulation and the main force leading the high-quality development of the economy. Third, we will actively advance the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area in a steady manner, integrate Hong Kong and Macao into the country's overall development, and build a world-class Bay Area and city clusters full of vitality and international competitiveness. Fourth, we will bring the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta to a higher level and strive to make breakthroughs in several key areas. Fifth, we will promote the ecological conservation and high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin and conduct the conservation of mountain, river, forest, farmland, lake, grassland, and desert ecosystems and address their degradation at the source in a coordinated way, to fundamentally improve the ecological and environmental quality of the Yellow River Basin. 

Yicai.com:

I have two questions. First, how can we evaluate the progress and effectiveness of price mechanism reform over the past 10 years? What areas can be further improved in the future? Secondly, as we have noticed, prices in Europe and the United States have skyrocketed. What should we do to guard against imported inflation risks? How can we keep the supply and prices of bulk commodities and other commodities essential for people's livelihood stable in the future? Thank you.

Yang Yinkai:

Thank you for your questions. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, China's reform of price mechanism has been further advanced and scored a series of noticeable achievements in accordance with the deployments and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council. That progress has been mainly manifested in the following four aspects. 

First, we have substantially narrowed the scope of government-set pricing. A mechanism whereby the market largely determines prices has basically taken shape. We have further promoted market-orientated pricing reform in key areas such as agricultural products, energy and resources, and transportation. Currently, the market decides the prices of all agricultural products, 80% of electricity, 50% of natural gas, and 90% of air passenger transport. By the end of 2021, the marketization of goods and services prices in China had reached 97.5%. The price reform targets set at the third plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Committee have been basically achieved.

Second, we have constantly improved price control mechanisms to ensure the long-term basic stability of the overall price level. We have comprehensively taken measures, including monitoring and early warning, reserve adjustment, guidance on expectations, and market regulation to ensure supply and price stability. We have established price range regulatory mechanisms, including setting a floor, ceiling, and upper- and lower-limit prices for key varieties such as rice, wheat, hogs, refined oil products, and coal to effectively cope with abnormal price fluctuations. From 2012 to 2021, the average annual rate of China's consumer price index (CPI) stood at around 2%, which was essential for promoting long-term and sound economic and social development.

Third, we have strengthened price and cost supervision and established a scientific and reasonable government pricing mechanism for those areas where government pricing is still needed. First, we have listed all relevant prices, included all items for which the central government sets the prices in the pricing catalog and made it public. Second, we have promoted the standardization process of pricing, revised the rules of government pricing, procedures for hearings and methods for monitoring and reviewing costs, and constantly improved the procedures of government pricing. Third, we have accelerated the science-based supervision process, introduced measures for price management and cost supervision and examination in areas such as power transmission and distribution and gas pipeline networks, and established a price supervision system combining constraints and incentives for monopoly industries.

Fourth, we have continuously improved the price mechanism for promoting green development in line with the "polluter pays" principle while benefiting conservationists. First, focusing on the economic and intensive use of resources, we have comprehensively established a tiered price system for residential use of electricity, water and gas, and a progressive pricing system for non-residential use of water exceeding quotas, and implemented a tiered electricity price policy based on energy consumption for the electrolytic aluminum, cement, and steel industries. Second, regarding green and low-carbon energy transformation, we have constantly improved the on-grid pricing policies for wind power and photovoltaic power generation to support the leapfrog development of the industry. Third, focusing on reducing the discharge of pollutants, we have improved the charging mechanism for sewage and garbage treatment and made reasonable adjustments to charging standards.

I will briefly answer your question about preventing imported inflation and ensuring supply and price stability.

Since this year, global inflation continues to rise from an already high level, and the year-on-year increase in CPI in many European and American countries has hit a 40-year high. Relatively speaking, prices in China have been kept within the appropriate range. In May, China's CPI rose by 2.1% year on year, which was significantly lower than those of other major economies. This has fully demonstrated China's resilience in economic growth, effectiveness in macro regulation and precision in price regulation.

For some time to come, geopolitical conflicts and other factors may bring to China relatively large imported inflation pressure. However, with generally sufficient market supply and policy tools, China has all the necessary conditions, capability and confidence to keep prices stable. General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized that it is essential to ensure the supply and price stability of important livelihood commodities and bulk commodities and to keep the overall price level basically stable. Next, following the important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping, we will focus on three respects in our work. First, we will do our best to ensure the supply and price stability of livelihood-related commodities, stabilize production and supply, strengthen the coordination between production and sales, and leverage the buffering role of reserves and adjusting role of imports and exports. We will keep the supply and prices stable of livelihood-related commodities such as grain, oil, meat, eggs, milk, fruits and vegetables, and especially better regulate hog production to prevent price fluctuations. Second, we will continue to redouble efforts to ensure bulk commodities' supply and price stability. We will improve the production, supply, storage and marketing systems for coal, accelerate the release of high-quality production capacity, improve the coal market price-setting mechanism, and guide coal prices to be kept within the appropriate range. We will make more efforts to explore and develop domestic mineral resources, strengthen the adjustment of imports and exports, and enhance the ability to guarantee supply. Third, we will continue to strengthen market supervision, closely track market changes, maintain a high level of supervision, severely crack down on activities violating laws and regulations, such as hoarding and profiteering, as well as price gouging, and resolutely curb excessive capital speculation.

Zhonghongwang.com:

We have noticed that uncertainties have mounted in the current international grain market. How will this impact China's food security? In addition, what measures will the NDRC take to ensure the safe and stable supply of grain and other critical agricultural products? Thank you.

Ou Hong:

Thank you for your questions. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has presented a series of important proposals on ensuring national food security and emphasized that we must always have control over our own food supply, with the main supplier being China itself. China's annual grain output has increased by nearly 70 million tonnes in the past decade, remaining above 650 million tonnes for seven consecutive years.

Since this year, due to various factors, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine conflict, international food prices have risen sharply, which has inevitably affected our domestic food prices. However, the increase in domestic food prices is significantly lower than that in the international market. China's grain supply is fully guaranteed, and this year's summer grain is bound to have a good harvest. We are faced with many risks and challenges in achieving the goal of ensuring the basic self-sufficiency of grains and absolute food security. Still, through hard work, we have the foundation and conditions to achieve it. The NDRC will work with relevant departments to unswervingly promote the implementation of the grain production strategy based on farmland management and technological application. We will focus on increasing production, optimizing structure, enhancing capabilities, and guiding consumption, and ensuring national food security at a higher level to better meet the people's ever-growing needs for a better life. 

First, we will increase production. We will increase support for grain production, adhere to and improve the minimum purchase prices policy for rice and wheat and the grain-growing subsidy system, speed up efforts for grain insurance, and ensure reasonable income for grain growers and keep their enthusiasm. We will prioritize limited water and soil resources to produce rice, wheat and other food and consolidate and increase corn production capacity. We will vigorously promote the strip-shaped composite planting of corn and soybeans and further focus on producing soybeans, rapeseed, peanuts and other oilseed crops to improve production levels.

Second, we will optimize the structure. We will implement the "big food" concept (developing food resources in an all-round and multi-channel way), adhere to the principle of growing grain, developing the economy and grazing in light of actual conditions, and foster a modern agricultural production structure and regional layout that are compatible with market demand and carrying capacity of resources and the environment. We will, on the premise of ensuring national food security, promote the combination of land use and land fertility improvement, take more decisive action to address agricultural pollution from non-point sources, and realize the green development of agriculture. We will actively cultivate new types of agribusiness entities, vigorously develop producer services, develop appropriately scaled agribusiness operations of various kinds, and continuously make grain production more modernized.

Third, we will strengthen capacity. We will enhance the protection of cropland and scale up the development of farmland. We will work to properly implement the plan for developing high-standard farmland and continuously upgrade low- and medium-yield cropland. We will also accelerate the development of high-efficiency water-saving irrigation and construct or upgrade a number of medium and large irrigated areas in regions with suitable water and soil conditions. We will further carry out chernozem soil conservation projects and turn suitable saline-alkali lands and other land reserves into cropland in a proper and orderly manner. We will strengthen the development of the modern seed industry and other supportive technological measures, launch the initiative on seed industry vitalization, make efforts to improve the modern seed industry, and speed up construction of the systems concerning grain production, purchasing, storage, processing and sales.

Fourth, we will provide more guidance to the consumption side. We will guide the orderly development of intensive grain product processing, and avoid the situation where people and animals compete for food due to intensive grain product processing. We will work to better ensure the supply of corn that is used for animal feed and develop intensive corn processing in a reasonable manner. We will proactively promote moderate processing technologies that reduce food loss and waste. We will also implement the Anti-Food Waste Law, carry out the action plan on saving food, ramp up efforts to promote the consumption of health services, and guide food consumption from excess toward being healthy and nutrition-centered. We will work to develop a science-based and sound diet structure and a social atmosphere that features diligence and frugality. Thank you.

ThePaper.cn:

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, China's energy industry, and especially the new energy sector, has registered rapid growth. What are the plans for securing China's energy security? In addition, recent reports state that China plans to build over 200 pumped-storage hydroelectric projects in more than 200 cities and counties during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025). Could you explain the development plans for the nation's pumped-storage hydropower industry? Thank you.

Zhao Chenxin:

Thank you. I'll take these questions. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the NDRC has followed the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and earnestly implemented the decisions made by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council. Focusing on safeguarding energy security, the NDRC has expedited its efforts to carry out the new strategy on energy security and strived to create a clean, low-carbon, safe and highly efficient energy system. As a result, our systems for energy production, supply, storage and marketing keep improving, which has offered robust and reliable energy guarantees for building a modern socialist country in all respects.

First, the energy production capacity has improved significantly. By phasing out outdated production capacity at an accelerated pace and developing quality production capacity, we have continuously optimized the structure and distribution of the coal production capacity. In 2021, the size of single wells of the average coal mine has increased by more than one time compared with 2012, and the output of large-scale coal mines with an annual yield of over 1.2 million metric tons accounts for more than 80% of the total. In terms of electricity, electricity production capacity has increased rapidly, especially wind power and photovoltaic power. By the end of 2021, China's total installed power generation capacity reached 2.38 billion kilowatts, double that of 2012, with an average annual growth rate of 8.4%. Specifically, the total installed capacity of wind and photovoltaic power reached 635 million kilowatts, nearly 90 times that of 2012. In terms of petroleum and natural gas, by continuously boosting exploration efforts, China's output of crude oil in 2021 amounted to 199 million metric tons, and the annual output has remained at around the 200-million-threshold for a decade. China's output of natural gas reached 207.58 billion cubic meters, nearly 100 billion cubic meters more than that in 2012, nearly doubling in amount.

Second, the capability of guaranteeing energy supply has improved significantly. Coal transport capacity has seen great improvements. With railway lines such as the Haoji Railway and Watang-Rizhao Railway being completed and put into operation, China's cross-regional coal transport capacity, namely from north to south and from west to east, has been greatly enhanced. Power transmission from large-scale clean energy bases has been carried out in an orderly manner, and more channels are being built for cross-provincial and cross-regional power transmission. By the end of 2021, electricity transmission lines of 220 kilovolts and above in China totaled 843,000 kilometers, and the capacity of substation equipment reached 4.94 billion kilovolt-amperes, 1.7 times and 2.2 times that of 2012, respectively. The distribution of petroleum and natural gas pipelines has also continued improving, and the infrastructure network in this regard is taking shape. By the end of 2021, the length of China's petroleum and natural gas pipelines reached 180,000 kilometers, double that of 2012. All these figures are fairly convincing.

Third, the energy storage capacity has improved significantly. Coal storage facilities of enterprises keep improving, and coal-related emergency response capability is enhancing. The adjustment capacity of China's power sector has seen great improvements, and its peak-shaving ability is increasing steadily. Flexible manufacturing and renovation of coal-fired power plants have been rolled out in a comprehensive manner. Power storage technologies continue to be developed, and related industrial applications keep being upgraded. We are also continuously optimizing the reserve system for petroleum and natural gas, and have established a stable and highly efficient system in this regard.

Fourth, the energy market system keeps improving. We have built a unified domestic coal trading market and are continuously working to optimize it. We have also rolled out market-oriented reforms in the electric power sector and developed a market-oriented mechanism to coordinate the prices of electricity and fuel. Mr. Yang has already briefed you on the issues concerning prices earlier. In 2021, the amount of electricity traded in the domestic market reached 3.7 trillion kilowatt hours, accounting for 44.5% of total electricity consumption. This is a remarkable achievement. We have also ramped up regulation in the petroleum market and built a natural gas market system featuring orderly competition and efficient supply. Institutional reforms concerning petroleum and the natural gas sector have seen tangible progress.

In general, over the past decade China has quickened the step to establish and improve the systems for energy production, supply, storage, and marketing, and the country's capacity to provide a safe and stable supply of coal, electricity, oil, and gas has continued to increase, providing solid support for economic and social development.

In addition, I would like to give a brief response to the development of China's pumped storage hydropower industry you mentioned just now. With the increasing scale and proportion of renewable energy in China, it is more and more important to improve the peak-shaving ability of power systems through pumped storage hydropower plants. In recent years, the construction of pumped storage hydropower stations in China has been accelerating, the number of projects has increased significantly, and distribution areas have constantly expanded. China has successively built a number of world-leading pumped storage hydropower stations, which have played a very good and effective role in the field's development. By the end of 2021, the installed capacity of pumped storage hydropower stations nationwide had reached 36.39 million kilowatts, an increase of nearly 80% over 2012, with an average annual growth rate of 6.7%. In 2021, the nationwide pumped storage hydropower generation reached 39 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh), an increase of more than three times that of 2012, with an average annual growth of 17.3%, which indicates that the operation efficiency of such plants is very good. Next, the NDRC will organize local governments and enterprises to further strengthen efforts to promote the development of pumped storage hydropower stations across the country, improve guaranteed energy supply capacities, boost the level of absorbing electricity generated from renewable energy sources, and accelerate the construction of a new power system.

China News Service:

Data shows that the scale of high-tech industries has doubled in the past decade. What has the NDRC done in the field of innovation and high-tech development? What's the next move to improve the level and competitiveness of industrial technologies? Thank you.

Yang Yinkai:

Thank you for your questions. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has made a series of major arrangements for firmly establishing a new development philosophy and deeply implementing the innovation-driven development strategy. Over the past decade, China's scientific and technological innovations have undergone historic, overall, and structural changes. China has risen from 34th place 10 years ago to now ranking 11th on the Global Innovation Index 2022 list and has successfully entered the ranks of innovative countries. China has made great achievements in innovative and high-tech developments in four aspects.

First, the high-tech industry is now larger. Over the past decade, the business revenue of high-tech industries has doubled from 9.95 trillion yuan in 2012 to 19.91 trillion yuan in 2021. The proportion of high-tech manufacturing in the added value of industries above designated size increased from 9.4% in 2012 to 15.1% in 2021. The number of high-tech manufacturing industrial enterprises above designated size has increased from 24,600 in 2012 to 41,400 in 2021, and many leading innovative enterprises with international competitiveness have emerged.

Second, the quality of high-tech products is better. Over the past decade, the R&D investment intensity of the high-tech industry has increased from 1.68% in 2012 to 2.67% in 2021, realizing a significant transformation of "from 0.23 percentage points lower than the R&D investment intensity of the whole society to 0.23 percentage points higher." Flatscreen TVs, drones, smartphones, solar photovoltaic modules, and other products are greatly favored by the international market, while China's high-speed trains, third-generation nuclear power plants, manned space flights, BeiDou navigation tools, and other pillar projects have become new national business cards. The international image of China's high-tech products has fundamentally changed.

Third, the high-tech industry has a stronger foundation. Over the past decade, we have always placed basic research and cutting-edge technology development in a prominent position; laid out and built more than 40 major scientific and technological infrastructures, including the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility (SSRF); and made every effort to build international scientific and technological innovation centers in Beijing, Shanghai, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, as well as building comprehensive national science centers in Beijing's Huairou District, Shanghai's Zhangjiang Town, Hefei City, and the Greater Bay Area. Basic research funds increased three-fold, and the number of domestic invention patents and PCT (Patent Cooperation Treaty) international applications jumped to number one in the world. China has built the world's largest 5G network, with the number of internet users reaching 1.032 billion in 2021, helping it maintain the title of the world's largest online retail market for nine consecutive years.

Fourth, the vitality of innovation, entrepreneurship, and creativity is stronger. Over the past decade, we have vigorously deepened the reform of the system and mechanisms and created a good environment for innovation. China has become a fertile soil for vigorous innovation and entrepreneurship in the world. The number of newly established entities in the market per day is constantly increasing, and the tax amount of newly increased tax-related entities since 2013 has reached 4.76 trillion yuan. China's digital economy is booming, and its scale ranks second in the world. The development and application of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, quantum communication, and intelligent driving are at the forefront of the world's industries. Express delivery, telehealth service, online offices, the "new individual economy," the "unmanned economy," and other new business formats and models continued to emerge, creating hundreds of millions of flexible jobs.

Next, we will continue to follow the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, implement the innovation-driven development strategy, regard innovation as the primary driving force for development, and strengthen our science and technology to provide strategic support for China's development. We will coordinate development and security, give full play to the advantages of the nationwide pooling of efforts and resources on key national undertakings, boost our strategic scientific and technological strength, and reinforce the principal position of enterprises in innovation. We will focus on major, cutting-edge, and basic technologies and continue to improve the ecology of innovation, entrepreneurship, and creation. In these ways, we will strive to become one of the leading innovative countries and a global power in science and technology at an early date.

Thank you.

Phoenix TV:

How has the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) progressed over the past eight years since it was proposed? In addition, this year marks the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland. How can Hong Kong better participate in and contribute to the BRI?

Su Wei:

In 2013, General Secretary Xi Jinping proposed the pioneering initiative of jointly building the Belt and Road. Over the past nine years, we have upheld the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, stayed committed to the vision of open, green and clean cooperation, and pursued the goal of high-standard, people-centered and sustainable development. The BRI's international cohesion, appeal, and influence have continued to increase and solid new achievements have been made.

First, our circle of friends has grown bigger. Jointly building the BRI has continuously consolidated and expanded the scope of cooperation. Up to now, China has signed more than 200 cooperation documents with 149 countries and 32 international organizations, and the coordination of development plans has been promoted. Jointly building the BRI has been included in documents of major international institutions, including the United Nations, the G20, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. 

Second, infrastructure connectivity has yielded fruitful results. A large number of cooperation projects have been implemented. The China-Laos Railway has been officially implemented, and the passenger turnover and freight transport volume have grown steadily. The Beno section of the Hungary-Serbia railway in Serbia has been successfully opened to traffic. The longest tunnel of the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway has been finished. Gwadar Port has become a regional logistics hub and industrial base. Moreover, the China-Europe Railway Express has opened up a new channel for land transportation between Asia and Europe. As of May 2022, 55,493 China-Europe Railway Express trips had been made, transporting 4.8 million standard containers. This provided strong support for ensuring that the international supply and industry chains were stable and unimpeded. In particular, during COVID-19, the freight volume bucked trends and increased, showing strong development resilience, and becoming a flagship project of jointly building the BRI.

Third, economic and trade exchanges and cooperation have continued to develop. The international market for the BRI has been continuously expanded. As of May 2022, the total volume of trade in goods between China and countries along the routes had reached approximately $11.8 trillion, and non-financial direct investment in countries along the routes had exceeded $140 billion. China has signed Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) mutual recognition agreements with 32 countries and regions, and trade liberalization and facilitation have been continuously enhanced.

Fourth, international cooperation in emerging areas has continued to expand. There are many highlights in digital and innovative international collaboration. China has actively participated in the global response to COVID-19 and cooperated with the BRI countries in vaccine production, contributing to bridging the immunization gap. China has implemented the philosophy of green development and issued and implemented policy documents such as the Opinions on Promoting Green Development in Jointly Building the Belt and Road.

Fifth, the diversified investment and financing system has been continuously improved. The investment and financing channels for jointly building the BRI have been constantly expanded, and the "Guiding Principles on Financing the Development of the Belt and Road" and "Green Investment Principle for the Belt and Road Initiative" have been steadily promoted, effectively expanding the financing integration of the BRI countries. The transaction volume and influence of China's Cross-Border Interbank Payment System (CIPS) are steadily increasing. 

Sixth, people-to-people and cultural exchanges and cooperation have continued to expand. Jointly building the Belt and Road has promoted diverse cultural and people-to-people exchanges. More than 10 flagship cultural exchange and educational cooperation projects, including the Luban Workshop, have been established. Moreover, organizations such as the Silk Road International Leagues of Theatres, Museums, Arts Festivals, Libraries and Art Galleries, and the Alliance of International Scientific Organizations are all operating well. These projects effectively enhanced exchanges, understanding and recognition among different cultures.

Now, I will address Hong Kong's participation in the joint building of the BRI. This year marks the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland, and the practice of One Country, Two Systems has entered a new stage. The central government and all walks of life in Hong Kong have high expectations for the new Hong Kong SAR government. To implement the Outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) and support Hong Kong's participation in and contribution to the BRI, we will give full support to Hong Kong in leveraging its strengths, consolidating and enhancing its competitive edge, deeply participating in jointly building the BRI, and achieving prosperity and development while better integrating and serving the overall development of the country.

Shou Xiaoli:

Thank you, Mr. Zhao, Mr. Su, Mr. Ou, Mr. Yang and all the journalists for your participation. That's all for today's press conference.

Translated and edited by Zhou Jing, Zhang Rui, Gong Yingchun, Liu Sitong, Liu Jianing, Yuan Fang, Wang Mengru, Yan Bin, Huang Shan, Qin Qi, Wang Yiming, Xu Xiaoxuan, Li Huiru, Liu Qiang, Wang Yanfang, Ma Yujia, Duan Yaying, Wang Qian, Zhang Liying, Yang Xi, Zhu Bochen, David Ball, Jay Birbeck, and Tom Arnsten. In case of any discrepancy between the English and Chinese texts, the Chinese version is deemed to prevail.

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Read in Chinese

Speakers:

Chen Yulu, deputy governor of the People's Bank of China

Xiao Yuanqi, vice chairman of the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission

Li Chao, vice chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission

Wang Chunying, deputy administrator and spokesperson of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange

Chairperson:

Shou Xiaoli, spokesperson of the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC)

Date:

June 23, 2022

Shou Xiaoli:

Ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon. Welcome to this press conference held by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee. This is the 10th press conference under the theme of "China in the past decade." Today, we're very glad to be joined by Mr. Chen Yulu, deputy governor of the People's Bank of China (PBC); Mr. Xiao Yuanqi, vice chairman of the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC); Mr. Li Chao, vice chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC); and Ms. Wang Chunying, deputy administrator and spokesperson of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE), to brief you on the reform and development of China's financial sector since the 18th CPC National Congress and take your questions.

Now, let's give the floor to Mr. Chen for his introduction.

Chen Yulu:

Friends from the press, good afternoon. China's financial sector has made historic achievements during the past decade since the 18th CPC National Congress. Under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, the PBC has followed the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, fully applied the new development philosophy, consistently deepened supply-side structural reform in the financial sector, steadily increased financial openness, balanced development and security, and advanced high-quality economic development.

Over the past decade, we have prudently implemented a monetary policy independent of undue external influence. On the basis of a comprehensive assessment of the complex and volatile economic and financial situation at home and abroad, we have used monetary policy tools to adjust both the monetary aggregate and structure, prospectively strengthened cross-cyclical adjustments, and weathered the impact of COVID-19 and other domestic and external challenges. In doing so, we have ensured steady growth, kept price rises under control, stabilized employment, and maintained a balance in international payments. We have effectively managed money supply, refrained from indiscriminate and massive stimuluses, and protected the purchasing power of the RMB. Since 2012, M2 money supply has seen an average annual growth rate of 10.8%, basically in line with nominal GDP growth, thus providing a monetary foundation for steady economic growth.

Over the past decade, guided by the new development philosophy, we have provided financial support to the real economy for its high-quality development. We have vigorously promoted green finance and the transition to green and low-carbon development. Green loans and bonds in China ranked among the largest in the world. We have formulated international rules and standards for green finance with other countries and spearheaded green finance across the world. We have upheld innovation-driven development, with medium- and long-term loans for high-tech manufacturing increasing by nearly seven times compared with 10 years ago. We have improved financial inclusiveness to boost coordinated economic and social development. By the end of the first quarter of this year, the balance of inclusive loans to micro and small businesses exceeded 20 trillion yuan, supporting more than 50 million micro and small enterprises and self-employed individuals. We have supported targeted poverty alleviation and rural revitalization with innovative financial services. We have expanded the opening-up of the financial sector by basically setting up the management system for pre-establishment national treatment plus negative list. Domestic RMB financial assets held by overseas entities are 2.4 times higher than 10 years ago. The Chinese yuan has been added to the Special Drawing Rights (SDR) basket of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and its weight has risen from 10.92% to 12.28%, the third largest in the basket.

Over the past decade, we have focused on both development and security and forestalled systemic financial risks. We have achieved important progress in preventing and defusing major financial risks. We have properly addressed risks in key sectors and kept financial risks overall within a controllable range.

Over the past decade, we have continuously developed financial infrastructure for the era of digital economy and broken new ground in building a modern financial service system. With forward-looking and coordinated plans, we have prudently advanced the R&D and pilot programs for the digital yuan, upgraded the RMB cross-border payment system, built a credit system covering all citizens, and created the world's biggest financial credit information database. We have strengthened financial security defense lines against money laundering and fraud, and enhanced financial consumer protection.

Going forward, the PBC will continue to follow the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, firmly stick to the path of financial development with Chinese characteristics, and contribute more to building a great modern socialist country and achieving the second centenary goal.

Thank you.

Shou Xiaoli:

Thank you. Now, let's give the floor to Mr. Xiao for his introduction.

Xiao Yuanqi:

Friends from the press, ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, we have made impressive achievements in the financial sector and achieved new leapfrog growth in the banking and insurance industries.

A virtuous circle of the real economy and the financial system has taken shape. Over the past decade, the average annual growth of bank loans and bond investments were 13.1% and 14.7%, respectively, roughly matching the growth of nominal GDP. Interbank financial products and trust products were substantially reduced compared with the historical peak, and the trend of financing activities straying from the real economy was reversed. The insurance depth rose from 2.98% to 3.93%, and the insurance density increased from 1,144 yuan per capita to 3,179 yuan per capita. The serious disease insurance system has covered 1.22 billion residents in urban and rural areas since its establishment in 2012, and long-term care insurance now covers nearly 150 million people. The risk protection provided by agricultural insurance for agricultural households increased from 0.9 trillion yuan in 2012 to 4.4 trillion yuan in 2021, providing critical funding support for post-disaster reconstruction. The annual average growth of inclusive loans for small and micro enterprises was 25.5%, and that of loans for supporting agricultural production, development of rural areas, and agricultural population was 14.9%, both much higher than the average loan growth. In addition, per capita bank accounts stands at about 9.5, and a significant increase has been seen in both the coverage and accessibility of inclusive finance.

Important achievements have been made in forestalling and defusing major financial risks. Departments of financial supervision and regulation resolutely took actions to prevent and resolve financial risks, with the blind expansion of financial assets fundamentally reversed. High-risk shadow banking has been reduced by about 25 trillion yuan compared with the historical peak, while a total of 16 trillion yuan of non-performing assets have been disposed of in the past decade. Many prominent risks were defused, and illegal activities and corruption in the financial sector were severely punished.

Reform and opening up in the banking and insurance sectors have taken on a new look. Continuous efforts have been made to improve the corporate governance of financial institutions and the reform of small and medium-sized banks and rural credit cooperatives has been deepened. Major progress has been made in the pilot reform of the third-pillar pension system, with the exclusive commercial endowment insurance piloted nationwide and the pilot scope of pension wealth product expanded to ten institutions in ten places. By the end of May, more than 60 billion yuan in pension wealth products had been subscribed. Over the past ten years, we have adopted more than 50 policies to expand opening-up in the banking and insurance sectors. In 2021, the total capital and assets of foreign banks in the Chinese market both increased by more than 50% in comparison with ten years ago, and those of foreign insurance companies in China have grown 2.3 times and seven times, respectively, over the past ten years. Many professional banking and insurance institutions, such as foreign wealth management companies and foreign assets management companies, have been actively participating in the development of China's financial market.

An environment of strict supervision and regulation has been fostered. We have formulated and revised more than 70 laws and regulations. Substantial results have been made in legal construction of financial sector. Marked improvement has been seen in our capacity for supervision and regulation in accordance with the law. So far, the identities of a total of 124 stockholders who breached laws or regulations have been disclosed to the public. Through various ways, we severely punished the activities violating laws or regulations committed by banking and insurance institutions and persons responsible, so as to address the prevention of financial risks and crack down on financial corruption through a systemic approach.

Under the guidance of the Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, the CBIRC will uphold and strengthen the Party's overall leadership over finance. We will safeguard 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 boost our consciousness of the need to maintain political integrity, think in big-picture terms, follow the leadership core, and keep in alignment with the central Party leadership. We will stay confident in the path, the theory, the system, and the culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics. We will firmly uphold Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and uphold the Central Committee's authority and its centralized, unified leadership. We will steadfastly follow the path of financial supervision and regulation with Chinese characteristics and embrace the successful convening of the 20th National Congress of the CPC with concrete measures. Thank you.

Shou Xiaoli:

Thank you. Now, let's give the floor to Mr. Li Chao. 

Li Chao:

Ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, we have been conscientiously implementing the spirit of the important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping on the capital market and implementing the arrangements of the CPC Central Committee. We have comprehensively deepened the reform and opening up in the capital market and worked harder to develop the underlying institutions. As the result, a profound structural change is taking place in the capital market. The inclusiveness of the market system significantly improves and the investment and financing functions are greatly enhanced. A healthy market ecosystem gradually forms. Over the past decade, the sizes of the stock market and the bond market have expanded by 238.9% and 444.3%, respectively, both ranking second in the world. The stock market, attracting more than 200 million investors, is making a great contribution to the country's high-quality development. 

Over the past decade, our support for the real economy has covered a wider range and gone deeper. We improved the multi-tiered market system, established the "New Third Board" and the science and technology innovation board (STAR), and set up the Beijing Stock Exchange. As the capital market becomes more adaptive to the real economy, the accumulated financing from bonds and equities has reached 55 trillion yuan. A smooth and highly developed relationship between science and technology, capital, and the real economy has taken shape, and the STAR has nurtured an effect of industrial agglomeration centering on "hard science and technology". The exchange bond market has become an important financing channel for non-financial companies, with future and option products covering the main sectors of the national economy.

Over the past decade, significant breakthroughs have been made in comprehensively deepening reform. Focusing on deepening the supply-side structural reform in finance, we have further advanced the reform in the capital market and the underlying institutions have become more mature and well-defined. We have realized the transformation from an approval-based system to a registration-based system which has been piloted steadily. The issuance became more market-oriented and the approval and registration more efficient and predictable. Critical systems regarding trading and delisting have been systemically upgraded, and the overall reform is in line with market expectations. 

Over the past decade, market entities have made new progress in terms of high-quality development. The profits of listed companies in the real economy accounted for nearly 50% of the profits of industrial enterprises above designated size. While ten years ago, the proportion was 23%. Their status as the backbone of the national economy has been consolidated. Over the past ten years, the total assets of securities and futures companies have increased 6.5 times and the scale of public funds has grown 9 times to 26 trillion yuan. The industry has grown significantly. 

Over the past decade, the Chinese capital market has become more appealing to the world with an ever-increasing influence. We coordinated opening-up with security and ushered in a new chapter of institutional opening up. We thoroughly eased restrictions on the share of foreign capital in institutions of the industry and launched the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect, the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect as well as the Shanghai-London Stock Connect. The A share stocks were added to international indexes and continued to weigh heavier. As for the foreign capital, we have seen its net inflow for years in a row.

In the past decade, the legal system has basically formed a pillar to support the capital market. We saw the introduction of the new Securities Law and Amendment XI to the Criminal Law. The General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council have released a document that aims to crack down on illegal activities in the securities market. The introduction of the Law on Futures and Derivatives has paved a sound legal foundation for high-quality development of the futures market. Through these efforts, the deterrence of the law has notably increased as we impose "zero-tolerance" on related illegal activities. Breaking the law or regulations with zero or little consequences has become a thing of the past.

The past decade has seen China's stronger market resilience to counter risks. We continue to improve efficiency in governance through reform, improve internal stability and external constraint mechanism, stabilize market expectations timely, to ensure that the market risks have been reduced at a basically controllable level. In recent years, we have also withstood various unexpected shocks both from within and outside of the country, with our major indicators remaining stable and the development momentum kept consolidating.

Next, we will continue to build a strong mechanism, make no unnecessary interventions and have zero tolerance for illegal activities in order to create an orderly, transparent, open, dynamic, and resilient capital market. These efforts will enable us to pave the way for a successful 20th CPC National Congress.

Thank you!

Shou Xiaoli:

Thank you. Next, I will give the floor to Ms. Wang Chunying.

Wang Chunying:

Good afternoon. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, China has moved further toward high-quality development, and its economy has opened further to the outside world under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core. The SAFE has conscientiously followed the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, and much progress has been made in our work to reform, develop and stabilize the foreign exchange market.

First, the international balance of payments has maintained its basic equilibrium and become more stable, demonstrating the progress in China's efforts to foster a new development paradigm. Specifically, China's economic development is more balanced, with the surplus of its current account to the GDP within a proper range. Cross-border trade and investment are more dynamic, cross-border balance of payments enjoys relatively rapid growth, and the renminbi exchange rate is more flexible, which has served as an automatic stabilizer in adjusting the international balance of payments.

Second, China's capital account is steadily opening and enjoys relatively high convertibility. Specifically, direct investment is basically convertible, and businesses can independently finance across borders within the framework of macro-management; securities are now open for multi-channel and multi-level investment across borders; residents in China's mainland now enjoys wider channels to invest foreign assets; the renminbi's appeal has grown notably; the volume of overseas investment in China's securities has exceeded US$2 trillion; and the IMF also increased the weighting of the renminbi in the SDR currency basket.

Third, we facilitate cross-border trade, investment, and financing, and notable progress has been made in the reforms to streamline administration, delegate powers, improve regulation, and strengthen services. Specifically, current account transactions that are real and meet regulatory requirements have been fully supported; procedures in capital account transactions like cross-border investment and finance have been constantly streamlined; technology is empowering the administration of foreign exchange through digitalization; and the diversified needs of businesses and individuals have been better satisfied.

Fourth, we continue to improve the unified and open foreign exchange market that features orderly competition and effective regulation, creating a sound environment to effectively allocate foreign exchange resources and control foreign exchange risks. Over 40 currencies, a three-fold increase since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, can be traded in the foreign exchange market, covering all the international mainstream products. The total trade volume hit $ 36.9 trillion in 2021.

Fifth, we have ensured the safety of our foreign exchange reserve, made sure it flows, and kept protecting and increasing its values. The operation and management system of the foreign exchange reserve with Chinese characteristics has constantly improved. In recent years, our foreign exchange reserves have stayed above $3 trillion. By the end of May, the reserve hit $3.1 trillion, securing its first place in the world for 17 consecutive years. It has played its due role in stabilizing China's economic and financial security.

In the next step, the administration will continue to follow Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, better coordinate development and security, accelerate the building of a foreign exchange management system that is commensurate with the modern governance system and capacity, and further contribute to the efforts of building China into a great modern socialist country. Thank you.

Shou Xiaoli:

Thank you, Ms. Wang, for your remarks. The four speakers have made a general introduction of the reform and development of the finance sector in the past decade. For more information, please refer to the handouts with more figures and graphs we distributed here today.

Now the floor is open for questions. Please identify the media outlet you represent before raising your questions.

Reuters:

I have a question on the three policy transmission. What progress has the People's Bank of China made in recent years in improving its policy transmission mechanism? Recently, the central bank has rolled out a series of structural policy tools to cope with economic shocks from COVID and to support green development as well as tech innovation. But some are worried that the overuse of structural tools could weaken the role of aggregate tools. While relying on quantity-based tools would affect the transition to a price-based monetary policy framework. What is your view on this? Thank you.

Chen Yulu:

Thank you for your professional questions, which have also drawn much attention from many experts recently. Over the years, the PBC has followed the decisions and plans made by the Party Central Committee and the State Council, stuck to a prudent monetary policy, and adopted innovative and a variety of monetary policy tools. Meanwhile, the PBC attached importance to getting interest rates and prices to fully play a leveraging role in order to promote the forming of a positive cycle between the financial sector and the real economy. Practice proves that, over this period, there has been a significant improvement in the transmission effects of our monetary policies, which are as follows:

First, we improved the mechanism to control the money supply. As I mentioned before, we have ensured the valve on aggregate monetary supply is well controlled and maintained reasonably sufficient liquidity at the same time. The increases in M2 that you just mentioned and aggregate financing have been in general step with nominal GDP growth, facilitating the national economic operation to achieve a development featured with relatively high growth, low inflation, and sound employment. 

Second, in the past decade, we have gradually established a structural monetary policy toolkit that matches China's national conditions. We focused on supporting key areas and weak links in the national economic development, such as inclusive finance, green development, and sci-tech innovation. With the structural monetary tools, we effectively responded to the impact caused by COVID-19 pandemic and fully implemented the new development paradigm, pushing forward the national economy to achieve high-quality development.

Third, we gradually improved the market-based interest rate mechanism and the adjustment and transmission mechanism. We focused on reforming the loan prime rate (LPR) and established a new transmission mechanism in which the market interest rates and the PBC influence the LPR, which then influences the loan interest rates. In terms of deposits, we also established a market-based mechanism to adjust deposit rates so that the changes to deposit rates are in step with that of LPR and the government bond yields in order to push forward the formation of market-based deposit rates.

I want to point out that structural monetary policy tools serve the purpose of adjusting aggregate money supply and structural adjustment as well. That means, by leveraging structural monetary tools, we could funnel more targeted support and adjust the aggregate money supply at the same time. On the one hand, in terms of making structural policy tools, the PBC followed the trend of the times, which is to build a mechanism featured with incentive compatibilities in line with the principle of consistency of objectives. The central bank will pump cash into the financial institutions that give credit supply to specific areas and industries in order to keep these financial institutions fully motivated. In this way, the credit structure will be further improved. On the other hand, structural monetary policy tools are also a way of increasing the monetary base, which will help to maintain reasonably ample liquidity in the banking system and the steady growth of credit supply.

The PBC has applied structural monetary policy tools under the aggregate framework and made relevant adjustments to match the focuses of economic development at different stages, which means keeping the number and scale of structural monetary policy tools we adopted at an appropriate level and coordinating them with policy tools used to adjust the monetary aggregate. The market may also have noticed that the interest rates of structural monetary policy tools bear no big difference from that of the market. Therefore, such tools will not have a big impact on market-based interest rates.

Thank you.

Economic Daily:

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, especially as the capital market deepened reform across the board at a faster pace in recent years, there has been a significant improvement in the efficacy of the market, the market ecology has continued to improve, and the capabilities to serve the real economy has kept growing. What are the structural changes that have occurred regarding the capital market in the past decade? Would you like to give us an introduction? Thank you.

Li Chao:

Thank you for your question. Structural problems are a key issue impeding the high-quality development of the capital market. Over the years, we have relied on reforms to address structural difficulties. It is fair to say that, with the past 10 years' efforts to develop and reform, there have been many positive structural changes, which are as follows:

First, the structure of a multi-level market system has changed greatly. With continuous efforts, the multi-level market system improved with increasingly prominent characters in each market and board. For example, the main boards of the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges highlighted the positioning of "main boards for blue chips." China's Nasdaq-style sci-tech innovation board, also known as the STAR market, is characterized by "hard technology." The ChiNext board continues to provide services for innovative start-ups and companies. The Beijing Stock Exchange and the "new third board" focus on serving innovative small and medium-sized enterprises. In addition, venture capital and private equity funds have played an increasingly important role in the capital market.

Second, the structure and quality of listed companies saw significant changes and improvements. In terms of the industries, there have been fundamental changes in the structure of listed companies. The number of companies listed in strategic emerging industries totaled nearly 2,200, and the number of listed companies in strategic emerging industries valued at over 100 billion yuan has increased from zero to 46. Listed companies have become an important driver for economic transformation and upgrading. In terms of performance, the asset size of listed companies has increased two-fold compared to 10 years ago. Revenues and net profits have maintained relatively high growth. The accumulated cash dividends in the past three years totaled 4.4 trillion yuan, increasing by nearly 50% compared to the previous three years. In terms of governance effectiveness, the listed companies have seen their operations increasingly standardized and addressed a series of deep-rooted problems in the capital market through collective efforts, such as the occupation of funds by large shareholders and illegal guarantees. 

Third, the effect of the market law of "survival of the fittest" is shown quickly. With a distinct feature of an A-share market's differentiation being more evident, investors from various fields prefer the leading stocks and good performance stocks. A regular delisting mechanism has been gradually established, with its process being significantly streamlined. From 2019 to 2021, the number of firms experienced compulsory delisting was more than three times the total of the previous decade, and a sound ecosystem that provides a two-way access for getting listed and delisted is taking shape faster.

Fourth, the investor structure has been gradually optimized. The professional, institutional investors continued to grow. By the end of this May, the market value of stocks in circulation owned by domestic professional, institutional investors and foreign shareholders accounted for 22.8 percent, up 6.9 percentage points from 2016. In 2021, the proportion of individual investors' transactions decreased to less than 70% for the first time, and the concepts of value investment, long-term investment, and rational investment were gradually developed.

Fifth, the structure of the product supply system has also been changed and diversified. We continued optimizing the mix of equity, bond, and future products, enriched risk management tools to meet residents' demands for wealth management, and have better served major national strategies. We timely launched products such as asset securitization, sci-tech innovation bonds, and green bonds, as well as pilot public offering of REITs in the infrastructure sector. The access system for public fund products has been greatly simplified, the scale of equity funds has kept reaching new highs, and the participation of public funds in elderly care financial services has been continuously deepened.

Sixth, the guidance of respecting integrity and abiding by the law as well as punishing evil-doers and praising good-doers has continued to be strengthened. With the improvement of the all-around insurance system and the mechanism of "zero tolerance" in cracking down on crimes, the market operations are conducted in a more honest and law-based way. For example, we had inflicted much heavier criminal punishment for crimes such as fraudulent issuance and fraudulent information disclosure. For another example, the right safeguarding channels for small and medium investors were unblocked and the first securities class-action suit against Guangzhou-based Kangmei Pharmaceutical was resolved, with 52,000 investors reclaiming losses of 2.459 billion yuan, demonstrating that a diversified mechanism for rights exercise and protection focusing on resolving disputes through varied ways, supporting litigation, and representative litigation is taking effect.

Thank you!

China Media Group: 

My question is: what is the current state of macro leverage ratio? In addition, following the change of macro leverage ratio in recent years, what has been the effect of macro-control policies? Thanks.

Chen Yulu:

Thanks. The change of macro leverage ratio is an important indicator to measure the effect of macro-control. In recent years, the PBC has constantly improved the financial macro-control system as well as innovated and optimized the way of macro-control. Given the generally stable macro leverage ratio, the PBC has supported the development of the real economy and effectively ensured China's national economy operates within an appropriate range.

Chronologically, China's macro leverage ratio was 272.5% by the end of 2021, up 23.9 percentage points from the end of 2016, or an average annual increase of about 4.8 percentage points in the five years. Between 2016 and 2021, China's annual growth of GDP was about 6%, and that of CPI about 2 percent, with more than 13 million new urban jobs being created per year. In other words, the growth of China's moderate and controllable macro leverage ratio has supported an optimal combination of "higher growth, lower inflation, and more jobs," achieving great results in macro-control.

From a horizontal perspective, since the outbreak of COVID-19, China has supported the rapid recovery of the economy with relatively few new debts, and the increase in the macro-leverage ratio was significantly lower than in other major economies. After the outbreak of the pandemic, countries have generally adopted ultra-loose stimulus policies to deal with the recession, causing a substantial increase in the macro-leverage ratio. At the end of 2021, the average level of the leverage ratio of all reporting countries was 264.4%, 18.3 percentage points higher than at the end of 2019, according to the Bank for International Settlements. In comparison, China's figure is 16.5 percentage points, which reflects our macro policy orientation of not resorting to a deluge of strong stimulus policies, not over-issuing currency, and not over-drafting the future. While stabilizing the leverage, China's economic performance continued to lead, and inflation was generally under control. From 2020 to 2021, the average two-year growth rate of China's economy is 5.1%, which is 4.1, 6.6, and 5.7 percentage points higher than that of the United States, Japan, and the euro area, respectively. The inflation level is also significantly lower than that of major developed economies.

Therefore, in general, China's macro-control policies in recent years have been powerful, measured, and effective. The macro-leverage ratio has generally achieved stability as our top priority, ensuring that the national economy operates within a reasonable range, and has also made positive contributions to global economic growth, becoming an important power source and stabilizer for the global economy.

Thank you.

Yicai: 

Since the beginning of this year, we have observed that the US Fed's monetary policy adjustment is an important factor affecting the international financial market and China's foreign exchange market. We have also seen that, in recent years, the external environment has always been complex and volatile. Faced with such risks and challenges, how do you evaluate the operation of the foreign exchange market and cross-border capital flows over the past decade? Thank you.

Wang Chunying:

In recent years, the external environment has been quite complicated, which has brought great challenges to the operation of China's foreign exchange market. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, China's economy has achieved high-quality development, laying a solid foundation for the stable operation of the foreign exchange market. During this process, the forex market has continuously strengthened its resilience and successfully responded to multiple rounds of external shocks. The scale of cross-border transactions increased significantly, foreign exchange reserves were generally stable, and the RMB exchange rate remained basically stable at a reasonable and balanced level. In general, in the past decade, China's forex market has shown more mature development characteristics. I would like to elaborate on it from the following five aspects.

First, the balance of international payments has a more stable structure. The current account surplus has always been in a reasonable and balanced range. The structure of China's external financial assets and liabilities has been gradually optimized, and the scale of assets held by the private sector has continued to increase. Foreign direct investment continues to increase, and foreign debt growth is mainly due to the long-term overseas funds' allocation to Chinese bonds. The external debt structure has been optimized, and risks are controllable.

Second, the financial market is more open. Cross-border securities investment channels are further expanded, and convenience is further improved. Domestic stocks and bonds are gradually included in mainstream international indices, and the scale of cross-border investment and financing transactions has increased. The depth and breadth of the forex market continue to expand.

Third, the automatic stabilizer function of the exchange rate to adjust the balance of payments is more visible. The two-way volatility and enhanced flexibility of the RMB exchange rate can release external pressure in a timely and effective manner and help stabilize market expectations. At the same time, the proportion of RMB in global foreign exchange reserves and international payments and settlements continue to increase, which helps reduce risks such as currency mismatches in China's cross-border transactions.

Fourth, forex market participants are more rational. We have seen that market players have gradually adapted to the two-way exchange rate fluctuations and have generally maintained a rational trading model. Enterprises' exchange rate risk neutrality awareness is increasing, and their ability to manage exchange rate risk is constantly improving.

Fifth, the forex market management framework of "macroprudential approach plus micro-regulation" has been improved. Cross-border capital flow monitoring, early warning, and response mechanisms continue to improve. Macroprudential tools are more substantial, and micro-regulatory enforcement standards remain consistent, stable, and predictable across cycles.

Looking ahead, the fundamentals of China's long-term sound economic growth have remained unchanged. With the reform and opening-up going further, China's cross-border trade, investment, and financing activities will remain active, and the stable operation of the forex market will have a more solid foundation.

Thank you!

China News Service:

Mr. Xiao, you just introduced the reform of China's banking and insurance industries. Could you please elaborate on the major changes in the development pattern and comprehensive strength of the two industries in the past 10 years? In particular, what progress has been made for the banking industry in international financial services and the insurance industry in terms of risk protection? And what are the next moves? Thank you.

Xiao Yuanqi:

Thank you for your questions. Over the past decade, we have taken several approaches. At present, the entire development pattern of the banking and insurance industries has undergone some changes.

First, the comprehensive strength has been reinforced. Thus far, the total assets of China's banking industry are 344.8 trillion yuan, as compared to 133.6 trillion yuan at the end of 2012. It has now become the world's largest banking market. The total assets of the insurance industry increased from 7.4 trillion yuan at the end of 2012 to 24.9 trillion yuan at the end of 2021, making it the second-largest insurance market in the world. In the ranking of the world's top 1,000 banks, nearly 150 Chinese banks are on the list. China's four major banks -- the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), the Agricultural Bank of China (ABC), the Bank of China (BOC), and the China Construction Bank (CCB) -- have become global systemically important banks. The total capital of China's banking and insurance industries has increased from 9.5 trillion yuan at the end of 2012 to 32.4 trillion yuan at the end of 2021, so the capital strength has been greatly reinforced.

Second, the financial structure has been continuously optimized. The proportion of indirect financing and direct financing is much better suited for serving economic and social development and financial needs. The allocation of urban and rural financial resources has become more reasonable. At present, there are 8.8 banking institutions and 15.8 insurance institutions on average in each county. More financial resources have been channeled to counties and the countryside. The concentration and decentralization of financial resources have become more balanced. The financial assets of the top five banks account for 38% of the total. Such a proportion is relatively reasonable, which is conducive to the rational allocation of financial resources and the maintenance of financial stability. Also, we have a relatively appropriate share and deployment of large, medium, small, and micro banking and insurance institutions. A financial institution system has been formed, within which the institutions facilitate and complement one another. At present, China's financial structure is basically consistent with China's economic system, economic development stage, prevailing financial practice, and financial needs.

Third, the financial governance system with Chinese characteristics has been continuously improved. The centralized and unified leadership of the Party over financial work has been comprehensively strengthened, the Party's leadership has been included in all aspects of corporate governance, the share structure has been optimized, and shareholding regulation has continued to be enhanced. The operation mechanism featuring shareholders' meetings, board of directors, supervisory board, and senior management structure has been more reasonable. The checks and balances within the financial institutions and external supervision have had a positive effect on each other.

You also asked about inclusive finance and insurance industry's risk protection. Regarding inclusive finance, all villages have access to basic financial services. The loan interest rate for inclusive loans of micro and small businesses has dropped by more than 2 percentage points, and the availability of rural financial services has continued to increase. At the end of 2021, agriculture-related loans exceeded 43 trillion yuan, an increase of 25.6 trillion yuan over the end of 2012. Large and medium-sized banks have also generally established inclusive finance departments or other specialized institutions. Inclusive financial services stayed ahead internationally.

Regarding risk protection of the insurance industry, we know that the insurance industry can serve as an economic "shock absorber" and a social "stabilizer," and can play an important role in many fields. For example, we have provided insurance for more than 3.3 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccination. Environmental pollution liability insurance has also covered more than 20 industries with high environmental risks. Technology insurance has strongly supported innovation and development. In addition, catastrophe insurance, agricultural insurance, and other insurance have provided a very important source of funds and protection against risks for post-disaster reconstruction and enterprises and residents to quickly return to normal life and work after a disaster.

In general, the world has marveled at the achievements of China's banking and insurance sector in the past decade. In the next step, we will continue our efforts mainly from the following aspects:

First, we will continue to optimize the financial structure. Second, we will continue to deepen the reform of banking and insurance institutions, and strengthen the construction of corporate governance, especially the reform of rural credit cooperatives, urban commercial banks, and the insurance marketing system. Third, we will further strengthen risk prevention and control and emphasize the improvement of the endogenous capabilities of banking and insurance institutions in preventing and controlling risk. Fourth, we will build a financial supervision system with Chinese characteristics to ensure all financial activities are supervised across the board and establish a full-chain and all-round supervision mechanism arrangement before, during and after the event.

Thanks!

Bloomberg:

My question is about the banking system. What's the latest assessment risks associated with the nation's smaller banks? Some rural banks in Henan were found to be a part of a suspected financial scam involving tens of billions of yuan. Do you have any comment on this? This specific case and on the broader risk field of the smaller banking sector. Also, to what extent has the property market slowdown impacted banks' asset quality? And what measures do you plan to resolve these risks? Thank you. 

Xiao Yuanqi:

Thank you for your questions. This issue also concerns us. We are paying a lot of attention to the healthy development of small and medium-sized banks, especially small banks. There are currently 3,991 small and medium-sized banks in China, including 147 city commercial banks (including private banks), 2,196 rural credit cooperatives (including rural commercial banks and rural cooperative banks), and 1,651 village and town banks. The total assets of these banks reached 92 trillion yuan, accounting for 29% of the whole banking sector, mainly focusing on providing financial services for small and micro enterprises and services related to "agriculture, rural areas, and rural residents." Related loans accounted for 47% and 40% of the total banking sector.

Concerning the non-performing loans (NPLs) you just asked about, we have made great efforts in disposing of 5.3 trillion yuan of NPLs at small and medium-sized banks in the past five years. On the whole, small and medium-sized banks in China are operating smoothly and developing in a healthy way. Generally speaking, the risks are completely manageable, though there are still some problems, in particular, certain individual institutions are relatively high-risk, and some are suspected of crimes. The legitimate rights and interests of financial consumers are protected in accordance with the law, and the financial regulatory authorities will spare no effort to do a good job in related work.

We have taken the following measures to deal with non-performing assets and relevant risks.

First, we have taken coordinated action to advance reform and risk-defusing. In our efforts to advance reform and defuse risks for small and medium banks in a coordinated way, we have focused on corporate governance and mechanism building. We have also given priority to fostering their internal momentum for development, prevention, and control of risks, and ensuring the delivery of the duties of all parties. For individual key institutions, we adopted tailored policies for each bank to make plans for deepening reforms and defusing risks.

Second, we have strengthened our efforts to deal with non-performing assets. We have carried out the classification of non-performing assets of the small and medium banks, improved the provision coverage ratio, and stepped up efforts and taken more measures to dispose of non-performing loans. At the same time, we have also provided policy support for small and medium banks to dispose of non-performing loans.

Third, we have worked to replenish capital through multiple channels. We have taken coordinated steps to aid the internal capital replenishment of small and medium banks and the external capital replenishment of the market, including both domestic and overseas markets. At the same time, under the guidance of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, we have launched a mechanism to make good use of the special bonds issued by local governments to replenish capital, which is currently being advanced prudently and has yielded positive results and which has greatly enhanced the capital strength of small and medium banks.

Fourth, we have improved corporate governance. We have explored and advanced the integration of Party leadership and corporate governance in small and medium banks and to build a simple and practical corporate governance arrangement that is in line with the reality of small corporations. As the scales of some small banks are very small, with assets and liabilities of only hundreds of millions of yuan or billions of yuan, when it comes to corporate governance, it is necessary to construct simple and effective corporate governance arrangements based on the characteristics of these institutions, including scale, complexity of business, and requirements for risk control and prevention. In the meantime, we have actively developed a professional manager market and improved professional thinking, professional expertise, and professional methods. In terms of shareholder behavior and equity management, it is necessary to further strengthen supervision, especially to restrain the behavior of major shareholders, strictly prevent illegal affiliated transactions, and severely crack down on illegal and criminal activities.

Fifth, we have strengthened the empowerment of science and technology. We have promoted the digital transformation of the small and medium banks and made use of technology to consolidate the traditional advantages of small and medium banks in supporting agriculture and small enterprises.

Six, we have improved the layout of institutions. We have advanced the development of a differentiated, distinctive institutional system where institutions cooperate and compete with each other to meet the increasingly diverse financial needs of the people and to enhance the capacity of the small and medium banks to serve the real economy, effectively preventing and controlling risks and achieving sustainable development.

Regarding the issue of some village banks in Henan province, local police authorities and financial sector regulators have recently informed the media about that issue. At present, the police are investigating the cases and has detained a group of criminal suspects and seized a number of assets involved in the cases. The CBIRC will offer its coordination with local CPC committees and governments to ensure relevant work is done to good effect. We have instructed Henan Banking and Insurance Regulatory Bureau to perform its oversight duties and protect the legitimate rights and interests of the people in accordance with the law.

Thank you!

The Beijing News:

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the capital market has launched a series of measures in implementing the innovation-driven development strategy and supporting scientific and technological innovation, which has achieved positive results. For example, since its establishment three years ago, the STAR Market has supported over 400 sci-tech companies in getting listed. Can you give us a detailed introduction?

Li Chao:

Thanks for your question. The capital market has special advantages in supporting scientific and technological innovation. Apart from establishing the STAR Market, we have worked on giving full play to the special function of the capital market in providing full support for scientific and technological innovation, which has achieved notable success. For example, during the trial for the registration-based IPO system, we made some institutional arrangements and reforms regarding the STAR Market and the ChiNext stock market. The establishment of the Beijing Stock Exchange is also a very important step in supporting innovative small and medium enterprises. And we also made some institutional arrangements for the reasonable operation of a delisting system for venture capital and private equity. The bond market has developed new types of bonds for innovation and business startups and scientific and technological innovation, giving strong support to sci-tech companies. As for the stock market, we have set diversified and inclusive issuance and listing qualifications to allow sci-tech companies that meet the requirements, such as pre-revenue sci-tech companies and sci-tech companies of special shareholding structure, to get listed. And we have implemented a more flexible equity-based incentive mechanism. All of these measures have played a significant role in promoting the development of sci-tech companies. 

In the meantime, their financing capability has been continuously improved. In the past two years, the number of IPO companies on the STAR Market and the ChiNext stock market accounted for over 70% of the domestic market over the same period. And private equity funds have invested a total of over 10 trillion yuan in unlisted companies, with the investment into the field of scientific and technological innovation taking up a considerable proportion. The support of the capital market for scientific and technological innovation comes from not only the financing but also incentive mechanisms. The capital market has provided unique, diversified, and effective incentive mechanisms for sci-tech companies. Demonstration and agglomeration effects have gradually come into being. A group of technologically advanced and market-recognized sci-tech companies has successively entered the capital market, with sectors such as integrated circuits and biomedicine much preferring the STAR Market.

Based on the sci-tech companies listed on the STAR Market in recent years, technology breakthroughs and independent innovation have been speeding up. In 2021, the ratios of the R&D expenditure to operating revenues of the companies listed on the STAR Market and the ChiNext stock market were 9.6% and 4.6%, respectively, much higher than other boards and unlisted companies, which has played a positive role in creating a favorable atmosphere for scientific and technological innovation throughout society.

Thank you.

Financial News:

General Secretary Xi Jinping has made it clear once and again that China's door will never be closed. It will only open still wider. Over the past decade, what have we done to deepen reform and opening-up in the foreign exchange sector? What progress has been made in promoting the facilitation of cross-border trade, investment, and financing? Thank you.

Wang Chunying:

Thank you for your questions. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, with a commitment to the general principle of pursuing progress while ensuring stability, the SAFE has kept deepening reform and opening-up in the foreign exchange sector and strived to enhance the level of cross-border trade, investment and financing facilitation to serve the high-quality development of the real economy. To answer your questions, I would like to give an introduction through the following three aspects:

First, we have made steady progress in promoting high-standard opening up of capital accounts. On the one hand, we coordinated trading and exchanging and further opened up non-convertible items under the capital account in an orderly way while facilitating those already convertible items. After basically realizing the convertibility of direct investments, we promoted the connectivity of cross-border securities markets with a focus on the financial market opening up and improved qualified institutional investor programs which are familiar to us, such as QFII, RQFII, and QDII. In addition, we worked together with relevant departments to launch the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect, the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect, and the Mainland-Hong Kong Mutual Recognition of Funds to open up China's bond market in an orderly manner. As a result, Chinese government bonds have been included in the three major global indexes. Also, we established a management system of cross-border financing within the framework of macro-management, enriched financing channels of market entities, and lowered financing costs. On the other hand, we actively served regional openness and innovation, promoted Shanghai as an international financial center based on RMB financial assets, supported the development of the Hainan Free Trade Port and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and supported pilot free trade zones and other leading opening-up areas in piloting foreign exchange management innovation. We also carried out trials of high-standard opening up of cross-border trade and investment to explore safer and more open institutions and mechanisms for managing foreign exchanges. 

Second, we have continued promoting the reform to facilitate cross-border trade, investment, and financing. I would like to introduce the following aspects: The first is to uphold the principle of current account convertibility. We continued deepening the reform of trade and foreign exchange management, shortening the average time for certain services by over 75% and cutting human costs by more than one-third. Competitive trade firms could get immediate foreign exchange settlement soon after application. The second is to actively serve the healthy development of cross-border e-commerce and other new trade types. We encouraged financial institutions to provide entities of new business types with secure, efficient, and low-cost service of cross-border currency settlement. In 2021, 1.9 billion settlements were completed. The third is to take several measures to facilitate the use for foreign exchange capital, such as those facilitating payments by capital account revenue and trials to facilitate cross-border financing.

Third, we have deepened innovative development in the foreign exchange market. The first is to enrich market participating entities. China's foreign exchange market now sees 773 participating institutions, including 136 foreign institutions. The second is to launch more trading products to form a relatively mature international system for forex products. I just said in my opening speech that more than 40 currencies are tradable in our foreign exchange market. The third is to support enterprises to improve exchange rate risk management. During the first five months of this year, the hedge ratio for foreign exchange enterprises doubled that of 2012. 

Next, we will unswervingly promote reform and opening-up in the foreign exchange sector and further facilitate cross-border trade, investment, and financing to better serve the new development paradigm with domestic circulation as the mainstay and domestic and international circulations reinforcing each other. Thank you.

21st Century Business Herald:

Preventing and defusing financial risks is the eternal theme in the development of the financial industry. What progress has been made by the CBIRC in preventing and defusing financial risks since the 18th CPC National Congress? How about the overall risk of the financial industry? What are your next plans in this regard?

Xiao Yuanqi:

Thank you for your questions. As we all know, preventing and defusing financial risks is the eternal theme in the development of the financial industry. We have always adhered to rational thinking and been prepared for worst-case scenarios to defuse risks in key institutions, key links, key business areas, and key regions. In the past decade, we have handled a multitude of outstanding risks. First, the infectivity and spillover of outstanding risks have shrunk sharply. Risks of illegal financial groups have been prudently defused and dismantled; risks of small and medium-sized banks and insurance institutions have been handled, and their reforms and restructuring have been advanced. In the past decade, we have restored and dealt with over 600 high-risk small and medium-sized institutions. We've just mentioned what has been done to deal with risks of small and medium-sized banks. Thanks to these measures, the operation of these banks is quite stable, their development is sound, and their risks are completely controllable. In addition, we have also dealt with a multitude of risks of big companies which involved a wide range of debts in large amounts. For example, debt-to-equity swaps conducted in a way consistent with market principles and the rule of law had reached nearly 2 trillion yuan by the end of last year. 

Second, the trend of financial assets being diverted out of the real economy has been reversed. We have resolutely cleared activities of diverting financial assets out of the real economy, raising leverages in a disorderly manner, and using funds for speculation. For some time in the past, especially in the past five years, the total assets of banking and insurance sectors saw an average annual growth of 8.1% and 11.4%, respectively, lower than that of credit loans and bond investments during the same period, which has fundamentally reversed the momentum of funds circulating solely within the financial sector. Funds entering the real economy have increased substantially, intermediate chains have been greatly reduced, and financing costs have also decreased. 

Third, the financial order has been largely improved through governance. We cracked down on illegal financial activities, released guidelines on preventing and dealing with illegal fundraising, and stepped up efforts to launch campaigns to regulate P2P online lending. More than 5,000 P2P lending institutions have been closed, and regular campaigns have been launched to regulate equity transactions and connected transactions of banks and insurance institutions, with focus on cracking down on illegal shareholders and executives who maliciously hollow out financial institutions.

Fourth, the long-term mechanism for preventing and defusing financial risks has been improved. We have continued to strengthen the Party leadership over the financial system, accelerated the establishment of a regular mechanism for dealing with financial risks, improved corporate governance of financial institutions, especially strengthened management of equity transactions and connected transactions, and given full play to the role of the financial stability guarantee fund and industry guarantee funds, in an effort to build a strong shield for preventing and fending off financial risks. 

Fifth, efforts to crack down on corruption in the financial sector and deal with risks have been stepped up in tandem. We resolutely investigated and handled corruption behind risks and severely punished all kinds of illegal and criminal acts. A number of major cases with bad market impact were investigated and dealt with decisively, and corrupt officials who maliciously hollowed out financial institutions, or were involved in transfers of interests and illegal occupation, were brought to justice. 

Sixth, the level of transparency and the rule of law in financial regulation has been improved. In particular, we have continued to improve the regulatory framework, the principle of prudent regulation, and made oversight more digital and intelligent. Meanwhile, we have strengthened the training of supervisory teams and improved their regulatory capacity so as to build an iron team that is loyal, clean, and responsible. 

Next, the CBIRC will strike a balance between ensuring stable growth and preventing risks in accordance with the fundamental principles of maintaining overall stability, ensuring coordination, implementing category-based policies, and defusing risks through targeted efforts, so as to ensure that no systemic or regional risks arise. Thank you. 

CNBC:

I have two questions. First, what are the priorities of reform and opening up in the financial sector? Second, fund management companies should establish Party organizations, as stated by the newly revised Measures for the Supervision and Administration of Managers of Publicly Offered Securities Investment Funds, which took effect on June 20. With recent changes to the international political environment, foreign companies will worry more about data security and ties to the Party. Meanwhile, Premier Li Keqiang noted again in May that China will continue its reform and opening up; and he has also mentioned financial reforms and opening up over the past years. In this context, how will the above-mentioned requirements be implemented in foreign fund management companies? 

Chen Yulu:

I'll take the first part of your questions, and the rest will be taken by Mr. Li Chao.

Regarding financial reform and opening-up, I believe that reform and opening-up is a sure path for financial modernization. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, China has seen remarkable progress in reforming and opening up its financial sector, and its financial system remains robust, providing strong support for the high-quality development of the national economy and the country's modernization process.

Looking forward, China's financial system will resolutely follow the path of financial development with Chinese characteristics, strive to achieve the sector's long-term stability, and stay committed to continuous reform and opening-up. To further carry out financial reform and opening-up, we need to focus on the following aspects:

First, we need to always uphold the CPC Central Committee's centralized and unified leadership in the financial sector and improve the financial administration system. Regulatory bodies' roles should be given full play in fulfilling their responsibilities for regulation and risk management, and negligence and the dereliction of duty shall be held to account. We will speed up introducing regulations on local financial supervision and administration, specify the duty and power of local financial regulatory bodies, and achieve high-level compatibility in financial regulation between central and local governments.

Second, we should ramp up efforts to improve the governance of financial data and improve our fintech capacity. Dynamic monitoring shall be rolled out comprehensively toward financial operations and risk conditions.

Third, the market access threshold of financial institutions should be refined. Regulatory efforts will be made to further look through financial institutions' shareholders and strengthen the work to identify and crack down on illegal financial activities.

Fourth, we need to improve the compatibility between financial systems and the real economy, optimize direct and indirect financing, and promote the reform and restructuring of small- and medium-sized financial institutions. Illicit cross-regional and out-of-scope financial activities shall be eliminated.

Fifth, we need to improve the finance-related rule of law and remedy the weak points of our institutions. All financial activities will be kept consistent with the rule of law, and more efforts should be made to expedite the introduction of the law on financial stability. 

In terms of expanding high-quality financial opening-up, on the premise of keeping things safe and under control, we need to align with international standards, promote higher-level opening-up based on the negative list, and realize systemic and institutional openness.

First, we will further improve the management model based on pre-establishment national treatment and negative list. We will carry out the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and align with high-level international financial rules. We will also make preparations to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA).

Second, we will provide more convenience for overseas investors in investing activities in China's financial market. We will offer more asset types for them to invest in, improve relevant systems and rules, and keep optimizing the business environment.

Third, we will introduce a regulatory system that meets the requirements of high-level financial opening-up. We will improve the professionalism and efficacy of financial regulation, introduce various "firewalls," and resolutely forestall systemic financial risks.

Thank you.

Li Chao:

I'll take your second question. In accordance with the decisions being made by the CPC Central Committee on opening up the financial sector, we have seen positive progress over the years in the opening-up of the capital market and securities and fund industry, including the market itself and its access threshold.

In terms of the market access threshold, for example, the foreign capital limit in China's public offering funds was raised to 51% in 2018, and the limit was completely removed in 2020. Currently, there are 48 public offering funds in China that have foreign investors holding or controlling shares. Forty-five of these funds are joint ventures, and the remaining three are owned wholly by foreign investors. In this sense, fund management companies that are invested by foreign businesses are a very important part of China's public offering funds sector.

Recently, the CSRC issued the measures for the supervision and administration of publicly offered securities investment fund managers and the relevant supporting rules. This set of measures mainly aims to clarify regulatory requirements at every link for full coverage, which is an international standard. The measures included the requirement for such funds to establish Party organizations, which is in accordance with China's relevant laws and regulations, including the company law. So, we think this requirement is in line with the principles regarding company governance, rather than being against them or becoming their replacement. As for the data security issue you just mentioned, I can say responsibly that you need not worry at all because the establishment of Party organizations and data security are not associated with each other. Before the issuance of the measures, some publicly offered funds had set up Party organizations. In practice, Party organizations play a very positive role in the healthy and regulated development of companies. Going forward, we will continue to insist on reform and opening up and make more efforts unswervingly. Thank you. 

Shou Xiaoli:

The last question. 

Red Star News:

My question is about micro and small businesses. The development of such businesses affects the national economy and people's livelihood while contributing to the resilience of the economy and employment. What the financial sector has done in recent years to facilitate such businesses, and how is the effect? What kind of measures will be taken next to better support and serve such businesses? Thank you.

Chen Yulu:

I will answer this question. This question is asked almost every time when I participate in news conferences hosted here. This shows people are deeply concerned with the difficulties and high costs of financing of micro and small businesses. The PBC and other financial regulatory departments have made continued efforts to tackle this issue in recent years. And we may say that we have made great progress and achieved remarkable results. 

As you just mentioned, micro and small businesses are a dynamic force driving the development of China, a major way of securing employment, and a key player in innovation. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the PBC, along with other financial regulatory departments, has earnestly implemented the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, made the service for such businesses a top priority, made serious efforts in the planning and design of supportive financial measures, and improved the policy framework. In summary, we have taken on four major tasks: 

First, innovative tools, or innovative structural monetary policy tools, have been an effective driving force. In particular, the PBC launched two direct tools to tackle the pandemic's huge impact on micro and small businesses. The amount of deferred repayments of principal and interest of loans taken out by micro, small and medium businesses has reached 13.1 trillion yuan, and the amount of inclusive credit loans taken out by micro and small businesses has reached 10.3 trillion yuan. 

Second, the financing costs of micro and small businesses have been reduced by deepening the market-based interest rate reform. Since 2013, the PBC has eased regulation on loan and deposit interest rates, established and refined the mechanism for setting the LPR, and pushed for reducing the financing costs of the real economy. The interest rate of loans newly issued in April to micro and small businesses was 5.13%, lowering by nearly 1 percentage point over the past five years. 

Third, a long-term mechanism has been established for financial institutions to serve micro and small businesses, with a focus on tackling difficulties and bottlenecks. We pushed financial institutions to set up inclusive financing departments, improved the mechanism for inclusive financing to be conducted by specialized institutions, pushed for the establishment of provincial-level credit platforms in most provinces, and pushed for the shared use of credit information of micro and small businesses. The coverage of financing of micro and small businesses have extended remarkably. As of the end of April, 51.32 million micro and small businesses have accessed inclusive credit granting, accounting for one-third of all market entities. 

Fourth, the channels for diversified financing have been broadened so as to improve the availability and convenience of financing of micro and small businesses. As of the end of April, a total of 1.78 trillion yuan in financial bonds have been issued with the aim of facilitating such businesses. The accounts receivable financing service platform has supported micro, small and medium businesses through 280,000 financing deals, with the amount totaling 12.5 trillion yuan. 

The difficulties and high costs to access financing for micro and small businesses have been tackled through common effort and remarkable results have been achieved. As of the end of April, the balance of micro and small business loans nationwide was 38.8 trillion yuan, 3.35 times that at the end of 2012.  

Going forward, the PBC will stay committed to consolidating and developing the public sector of the economy and to encouraging, supporting, and guiding the non-public sector of the economy. We will continue to offer supportive policies at an earlier time and with moderately enhanced efforts. We will systematically build a long-term mechanism so that financial service providers are confident, willing, able and efficient to grant loans to micro and small businesses. With these efforts, the continued and healthy development of the national economy will be boosted. Thank you. 

Shou Xiaoli：

Thank you for the speakers and the journalists. Today's news conference is concluded.  

Translated and edited by Zhang Liying, Wang Qian, Guo Yiming, He Shan, Cui Can, Yuan Fang, Zhang Tingting, Liu Sitong, Zhang Rui, Liu Qiang, Wang Yiming, Xu Kailin, Huang Shan, Li Xiao, Ma Yujia, Yang Xi, Wang Wei, Zhu Bochen, Zhou Jing, Li Huiru, David Ball, and Tom Arnstein. In case of any discrepancy between the English and Chinese texts, the Chinese version is deemed to prevail.

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Read in Chinese

Speakers:

Weng Jieming, vice chairman of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC) of the State Council

Peng Huagang, secretary general and spokesperson of the SASAC of the State Council

Chairperson:

Xing Huina, spokesperson of the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC)

Date:

June 17, 2022

Xing Huina:

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to this press conference held by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee. This is the ninth press conference under the theme of "China in the past decade." Today, we have invited Mr. Weng Jieming, vice chairman of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC) of the State Council and Mr. Peng Huagang, secretary general and spokesperson of the SASAC of the State Council, to brief you on the reform and development of state-owned assets and state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in the new era and take your questions.

Now, let's give the floor to Mr. Weng for his introduction.

Weng Jieming:

Thank you. Friends from the press, I'm very glad to meet with you all here. I would like to take this opportunity, on behalf of the SASAC of the State Council and chief of the SASAC Hao Peng, to express my thanks to the media and all sectors of society for their long-term interest in the reform and development of state-owned assets and SOEs.

As we all know, SOEs help lay an important material and political foundation for socialism with Chinese characteristics. They serve as a crucial pillar and reliable force for the CPC's governance of the country and an important part of the CPC-led national governance system. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has attached great importance to the work related to state-owned assets and SOEs. General Secretary Xi Jinping has delivered a series of important speeches, made a series of important instructions, and launched a series of major deployments. In particular, a national meeting on building the role of the Party within SOEs was held on Oct. 10, 2016. General Secretary Xi Jinping attended the meeting and made an important speech. He answered important questions both on theoretical and practical matters such as whether SOEs are necessary, whether SOEs should strengthen Party building and how that should be achieved, and expounded on why and how SOEs could be made stronger, bigger and better. General Secretary Xi Jinping's important exposition on the reform and development of SOEs and Party building is a chapter dedicated to SOEs of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. It has pointed the way forward and provided fundamental guidelines for the work related to state-owned assets and SOEs in the new era.

Over the past decade, we have thoroughly studied and implemented General Secretary Xi Jinping's important expositions on the reform and development of SOEs and Party building, resolutely implemented the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, and promoted fundamental, transformative and major changes in SOEs across the board. Over the past decade, a modern enterprise system with Chinese characteristics has taken shape and matured. Over the past decade, SOEs have achieved the most comprehensive development with significant improvements in vitality, efficiency and optimization of structure.

Over the past decade, progress in the reform and development of SOEs has made important contributions to the historic achievements and changes of the Party and the country in the new era. They are mainly as follows:

First, the Party's overall leadership over SOEs has been fundamentally strengthened, and high-quality Party building has effectively guided and guaranteed the high-quality development of enterprises. We have adhered to the "two upholds" as the highest political principles and fundamental political rules, that is, firmly upholding Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole, and upholding the Central Committee's authority and its centralized, unified leadership. Guided by the political development of the Party, we have vigorously promoted the study and implementation of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and continued to thoroughly implement the spirits of the important speech made by General Secretary Xi Jinping at the national meeting on building the role of the Party within SOEs. We have launched five themed special campaigns, each lasting a year, to enhance the Party leadership and Party building in SOEs — for example, the year of Party building work implementation. By doing so, we have provided a strong safeguard for the reform and development of enterprises.

Second, concrete measures have been taken to pursue the high-quality development of SOEs, and remarkable results have been achieved in fostering world-class enterprises. We have been following the new development philosophy in a complete, accurate and comprehensive manner, and put more emphasis on the requirements for high-quality development. We have oriented more toward high-quality development by introducing an indicator system featuring net profit, total profit, profit margin of operating income, asset-liability ratio, R&D investment intensity, and labor productivity. In the past, the central SOEs prioritized extensive growth that emphasized scale and speed of development. Now they have shifted to intensive growth with a greater focus on quality and efficiency. We have put more emphasis on encouraging self-reliance and self-improvement in science and technology, and provided necessary support as much as we can. We have scaled up policy support and stepped up the building of pacesetters for promoting key scientific and technological breakthroughs, original technologies, training talents in the scientific and technological sector, and technological innovation special zones with preferential policies. In these ways, we have boosted high-quality development through technological innovation. We have focused on the real economy, promoted strategic restructuring and professional integration, vigorously enhanced the upgrading of traditional industries, and developed emerging industries with strategic importance. The operating income of businesses involving national security, the lifeblood of the national economy, and people's lives in central SOEs accounts for more than 70% of the total. By optimizing the structure, we have effectively promoted high-quality development.

Third, major breakthroughs have been made in the reform of SOEs, and the vitality and efficiency of enterprises have been effectively enhanced. We have thoroughly implemented the "1+N" document system for the reform of SOEs and the three-year action for SOE reform. We have adhered to the Party's leadership over SOEs as a major political principle and continued to carry out SOE reform to establish a modern enterprise system. We have strived to build and improve the modern enterprise system with Chinese characteristics, and promoted the Party's leadership in corporate governance to be more institutionalized, specific and law-based. Efforts have also been made to build a transparent and coordinated governance system with checks and balances. We have followed the direction of the socialist market economy reform, completed corporate system reform in an all-round manner, and relieved enterprises of their obligation to operate social programs and solve their longstanding problems in this regard. We have comprehensively deepened three institutional reforms in SOEs, and actively and prudently pushed forward mixed ownership in SOEs. By doing so, we have removed several institutional obstacles and solved many crucial and tough problems that were long on the agenda but never resolved. SOE reform in the new era has strongly promoted SOEs to become modern new SOEs with new corporate governance, new operating mechanism and new structure.

Fourth, the state-owned assets supervision and administration system has become more mature and established, thus effectively ensuring the safety of state-owned assets and preventing their loss. With a good grasp of our responsibilities, we have further promoted the transformation of the functions of state-owned assets supervision and administration agencies and dynamically improved the lists of supervision and administration powers and duties. We have integrated the fulfillment of our three roles as the investor of central enterprises, the specialized supervisor and administrator of state-owned assets, and the department in charge of Party building of central enterprises to make the supervision and administration of state-owned assets more professional, systematic and law-based. We have actively promoted the centralized and unified supervision of for-profit state-owned assets and worked hard to foster a big landscape for state-owned assets supervision and administration to firmly protect and develop the commonwealth of all the people. The average proportion of centralized and unified supervision of provincial-level state-owned assets supervision and administration commissions has surpassed 98%.

Fifth, the strategic support of the state-owned sector has been brought into full play, and its political nature to uphold the Party and serve the people has been fully demonstrated. Keeping in mind the overall work of the Party and the country, we have actively served major regional strategies such as those for the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta region, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao region, and solidly promoted cooperation between central and local SOEs. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, SOEs have signed 3,849 projects and participated in more than 900 projects in the Xiong'an New Area. We have further promoted the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative, and the overseas assets of central enterprises have reached nearly 8 trillion yuan, distributed among more than 8,000 projects in over 180 countries and regions. Following the people-centered development approach, we have made every effort to help win the battle against poverty, and all the 248 key counties to which SOEs provided targeted assistance have been lifted out of poverty. In the fight against the pandemic and in disaster relief, we have put people's lives first and have come forward, fought at the forefront and gone all out to safeguard the safety of people's lives and property, and done everything possible to ensure the stability of market supply, thus serving as a pillar and ballast stone at critical points. 

The achievements of the past decade are encouraging and have not come easy. At the fundamental level, all the achievements must be attributed to the steering of General Secretary Xi Jinping as the core of the Party Central Committee and of the Party and the scientific guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. At the same time, the achievements also embody the hard work and contributions of the state capital and SOEs sector. It would not have been possible without the keen concern and strong support from people of all walks of life, particularly our friends from the media.

Along the new journey, we will rally even closer around the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core and follow the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. We will acquire 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, and boost our consciousness of the need to maintain political integrity, think in big-picture terms, follow the leadership core, and keep in alignment with the central Party leadership. We will stay confident in the path, the theory, the system, and the culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics. We will firmly uphold Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and uphold the Central Committee's authority and its centralized, unified leadership. We will put in place the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, unswervingly improve the strength, quality, and scale of SOEs, and accelerate the efforts to build world-class enterprises. We will strive to make greater contributions to the fulfillment of the second Centenary Goal of building a modern socialist country and the realization of great national rejuvenation and set the stage for the 20th CPC National Congress with concrete actions.

Now, my colleague Mr. Peng and I would like to take questions from our friends from the media.

Xing Huina:

Thank you. Now the floor is open for questions. Please identify the media outlet you represent before raising questions.

Xinhua News Agency:

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, historic achievements and changes have been made in the cause of the Party and the country. Would you please introduce the role of SOEs in that process? Thanks.

Weng Jieming:

Thank you for your question. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, historic achievements and changes have been made in the cause of the Party and the country. SOEs have played an important role and made important contributions to it.

First, SOEs have served as a pillar in promoting the high-quality development of the Chinese economy.

In terms of economic scale, SOEs have strongly enhanced China's economic strength. By the end of 2021, the total assets of the enterprises under the supervision and administration of the SASAC and its local commissions had reached 259.3 trillion yuan, an increase of 2.6 times over the end of 2012, with an average annual increase of 15.4%. From 2012 to 2021, these enterprises achieved 11.14 trillion yuan in value-added with an average annual growth rate of 9%, 2.3 percentage points higher than the average annual growth rate of GDP.

In terms of economic quality, SOEs have strongly improved high-quality development. Most of the enterprises under the supervision and administration of the SASAC and its local commissions are in important industries and key areas that concern national security, are important to the economy and people's lives, and protect the lifelines of the Chinese economy. In recent years, through continuously deepening reform and strengthening innovation, the enterprises have constantly enhanced development quality and returns and strongly led and driven the high-quality development of the enterprises in related industries. They have fostered a number of advanced manufacturing clusters in such fields as electronic information and rail transport. Meanwhile, these enterprises undertook about 80% of the country's task of easing steel overcapacity. The energy conservation and emission reduction targets of the 13th Five-Year Plan period were met ahead of schedule and surpassed. In 2021, the comprehensive energy consumption per 10,000 yuan of the output value of central enterprises decreased by about 33% compared with 2012.

In terms of economic opening-up, SOEs have strongly promoted the better integration of the Chinese economy into the world economy. Focusing on the high-quality joint development of the Belt and Road Initiative, SOEs have continued to enhance their capabilities to allocate resources globally. Central enterprises currently have over 8,000 overseas agencies and projects, with their total assets reaching nearly 8 trillion yuan. Several signature projects have been launched, such as the Piraeus port in Greece and the China-Laos railway, and are doing well. A number of high-quality products such as the high-speed rail and nuclear power have been expanded overseas and strongly led upstream and downstream companies in the industrial chain to make overseas presence together. 

Second, SOEs played a primary role in ensuring the implementation of major strategies of the Party and the state.

In terms of implementing China's major regional development strategies, SOEs focused on supporting the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta, the building of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt and the ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River basin. We further promoted coordination and cooperation among SOEs at the central and local levels. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the SOEs have signed a total of 3,849 projects, and they have participated in more than 900 projects in Xiong'an New Area, which I just introduced.

In terms of ensuring the security of basic public services, central SOEs built the world's largest and leading internet infrastructure nationwide and actively carried out a series of infrastructure projects with large investments and thin returns, such as the Sichuan-Tibet power grid interconnection project, the central Tibet power grid interconnection project and the power grid interconnection project in Tibet's Ngari prefecture. They pushed forward a new round of work to upgrade rural power grids and extended the grid coverage to all villages. They have effectively supported China to build itself into a leader in manufacturing, cyberspace, and transport, and the building of Digital China, and firmly safeguarded national security, energy and resource security, food security, and information security.

In terms of providing support for major events and tasks of the country, SOEs stuck to the highest level of standards, in accordance with strict requirements, and took effective measures to ensure the construction of projects and provide related services. They have made great contributions to the successful holding of major events, such as the ceremonies marking the centenary of the CPC and the 70th anniversary of the founding of the PRC, and the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games and the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games.

Third, SOEs played a leading role in pushing forward efforts in achieving sci-tech self-reliance and self-strengthening at higher levels.

SOEs boosted their sci-tech strength of national strategic importance. In the past ten years, central SOEs built more than 700 national R&D platforms and seven innovation consortia. They have spent a combined total of 6.2 trillion yuan on R&D, registering an annual growth rate of over 10%. At the end of 2021, SOEs have a total of 1.07 million R&D personnel, up 53% from the end of 2012, and 241 academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, which accounts for one-seventh of the total in the country.

SOEs made breakthroughs in the bottleneck of critical technical problems. They focused on enhancing capabilities to make innovations independently, ramped up efforts to make breakthroughs in core technologies, and filled the gaps in many sectors. Progress has been made in solving the bottleneck of technical problems in the sectors of integrated circuits, 5G communication, high-speed rail, large aircraft development, engines, machine tools, energy, and power, among others.

SOEs achieved world-class scientific and technological advances. In recent years, central SOEs saw a constant stream of major sci-tech achievements in manned spaceflight, lunar exploration, deep-sea exploration, the Beidou Navigation Satellite System, 5G applications, and the self-developed aircraft carrier. They constructed a series of landmark projects, including the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, the Baihetan hydropower station, the Deep-Sea No.1 gas field, and the nuclear power unit using the Hualong One reactor, and the demonstration project of the Shidaowan nuclear power plant with high-temperature gas-cooled reactor technology. All of these greatly inspired people to become more proud, confident, and assured in their identity as Chinese.

Fourth, SOEs played a significant role in living up to people's aspirations for a better life.

SOEs played an exemplary role in making greater contributions to society. Over the past decade, taxes paid by central SOEs totaled 18.2 trillion yuan. They turned over 1.3 trillion yuan of profits from the state capital operations to the government and appropriated 1.2 trillion yuan worth of state capital to replenish social security funds. They also carried out policies to ease difficulties for other companies. By taking measures such as cutting the price of gas and electricity and lowering rates for internet service, toll fees, and rent, SOEs have greatly reduced the pressure on SMEs to run businesses.

SOEs shouldered the responsibilities to improve people's lives. Central SOEs spared no effort in support of winning the fight against poverty. Since 2016, the fund from central SOEs for poverty reduction reached nearly 100 billion yuan. A total of 248 poverty-stricken national counties received assistance from the central SOEs and have been removed from the country's poverty list. They also helped lift 12,000 poor places out of poverty.

SOEs took the initiative to protect the safety of people. In 2020, faced with the sudden attack of COVID-19, SOEs reacted swiftly to the Party's command and shouldered heavy responsibilities, and built Huoshenshan and Leishenshan hospitals quickly. They turned to produce or expanded the production of anti-COVID-19 material supplies at all costs. This year, the sporadic resurgence of COVID-19 was reported nationwide. SOEs stepped up efforts in supporting the fight against the pandemic in Jilin province and Shanghai, demonstrating their loyalty to the Party and serving the people with actual actions. 

Over the past decade, SOEs have made significant contributions to and played an important role in supporting the cause of the Party and the people, which made us feel more confident in developing the SOEs and more assured in overcoming challenges ahead. We will make further contributions to the development of our new journey. Thank you. 

CCTV:

The reform of SOEs is an important part of economic structural reform. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, especially after the release of the guideline on deepening reforms of SOEs and its related documents and the implementation of the three-year action plan, China has pushed forward the reform of SOEs into a new phase. What are the major achievements and breakthroughs we have made over the past decade? Thank you.

Weng Jieming:

Thank you for your question. The reform of SOEs has drawn much attention from all parties. In the past 10 years, especially after implementing the three-year action plan, we have effectively removed several institutional barriers and solved many tough problems that were long on the agenda. We have conducted thorough and systematic restructuring in many important sectors and key processes. As a result, a number of new modern SOEs with more vitality and dynamism are thriving. The achievements are as follows.

First, we have built a more sophisticated modern corporate structure of SOEs with Chinese characteristics and a system of state capital regulation. The reform to convert SOEs into standard companies has been completed, which has clarified the responsibilities of the government and SOEs both in legal and institutional terms. SOEs have thus become independent market entities. Party leadership and corporate governance have been integrated. Party leadership has been written into the agenda of SOEs. A majority of the SOEs have formulated a major management list that needs its Party committee in the company to provide contributions before decisions are made. Basically, all SOEs have set up their board of directors, with a majority of members being outside directors. A governance mechanism featuring statutorily-defined and transparent rights and responsibilities, coordinated operations, and effective checks and balances inside SOEs are taking shape. The system of state capital regulation is becoming more established. It unifies the responsibilities of the investors, the assets supervision, and Party building to ensure that state-owned assets are soundly managed while Party building progresses, the investors fulfill their responsibilities while the state-owned assets are being supervised, and intra-Party supervision and the supervision from its investors go hand in hand. It gives full play to the advantages of professional, systematic, and legal supervision, creating a "three-in-one" investor supervision closed loop that highlights supervision of the business and accountability. We will build a national state-owned assets supervision pattern so that each party can perform all of their duties efficiently.

Second, we have made visible progress in improving and restructuring the state-owned economy. The state-owned sector should focus mainly on helping to ensure strategic security, promote industry leadership, bolster the national economy, raise people's living standards, improve public services, and other functions. We have restructured or merged 47 central SOEs and founded or took over nine, reducing the number of central SOEs from 117 to 97. Over 70% of the income from the fields that I just mentioned is generated from central SOEs. Central SOEs are cutting their size to be more competitive by disposing of disadvantaged or non-core businesses and less efficient properties. We have completed addressing "zombie enterprises" and helped improve those enterprises in particular difficulty. We have established a long-term downsizing mechanism for SOEs, which has helped cut company numbers by 38.3% and condensed the management levels to no more than five. We have relieved enterprises of their obligation to operate social programs and solved their longstanding problems in this regard. The duties of managing over 20,000 public service facilities, as well as the obligation to provide water, electricity, heating, gas, and property management services for 15 million employees' homes, have been relieved from SOEs. Over 20 million retirees from SOEs are basically under socialized management. These efforts have effectively solved longstanding problems caused by blurred boundaries between the government and SOEs.

Third, we have made visible progress in increasing the vitality and efficiency of SOEs. The reform of labor, personnel, and distribution in SOEs has broken new ground. We have launched the tenure and contract-based management among managers, introduced the policy of open recruitment, competition for positions, and the termination of uncompetitive employees, and improved the distribution system based on performance and contributions. Moreover, we have widely adopted the medium- to long-term incentive policies. The mixed-ownership system reform has promoted the transition to better business models. Since 2013, the reorganization and reform of SOEs have financed over 2.5 trillion yuan from various types of nongovernmental capital. The number of central SOEs and local SOEs under mixed ownership accounted for over 70% and 54% of the total, respectively. Many SOEs sought new changes through mixed-ownership reform and improved their corporate governance and operations, which greatly improved their vitality and efficiency.

The above-mentioned aspects are both the original target and the achievements of SOE reform. They have laid a solid foundation for SOEs to better play a significant role in serving major national strategies and socioeconomic development and to address the unbalanced and insufficient development of SOEs.

What's worth mentioning is that the Party leadership and Party building have also been strengthened during the reform process. State-owned enterprises have followed the principles of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech at the national meeting on building the role of the Party within SOEs, and placed Party building a major political duty. We have promoted the unity of the Party committee to play a leading role and the company's other governance bodies to exercise power and perform their duties in accordance with the law. In human resources management, both the Party and the market play their respective roles. Inside an SOE, there is both a Party organization and a corporate organization structure. The ideological and political work also goes hand in hand with the construction of corporate culture; the intra-Party supervision goes hand in hand with the internal supervision of the enterprise; and the Party building goes hand in hand with corporate management. As a result, the responsibility and awareness of the management of state-owned assets and state-owned enterprises have been continuously enhanced, the quality of party building work has been continuously improved, and the strong leadership of high-quality Party building has ensured the high-quality development of SOEs.

In the next step, in accordance with the requirements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, we will uphold and strengthen the Party's overall leadership over SOEs, further advance their reform, improve the structure of the state-owned economy, continuously improve the market-oriented mechanism, fully stimulate the vitality and efficiency of SOEs, and accelerate the building of world-class SOEs with global competitiveness so that they can play a leading and strategic supporting role in the national economy.

Thank you.

ThePaper.cn:

Mixed-ownership reform is one of the priorities of SOE reform. What efforts have been made in this regard since the 18th CPC National Congress? How effective are they? What measures will be adopted in the future? Thank you. 

Peng Huagang:

Thank you for your questions. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the SASAC has been resolved to implement the decisions and deployments made by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council. In accordance with the overall requirement of improving governance, strengthening incentives, highlighting the main business, and raising efficiency, we have endeavored to advance mixed-ownership reform in an active yet steady way and facilitate diverse forms of ownership to learn from each other and stimulate one another for common development. We have stepped up efforts in the following aspects:

First, we have coordinated efforts to set the direction for mixed-ownership reform and exercise oversight on it. We have been committed to strengthening overall Party leadership in the whole process of the reform, adhered to the basic economic system, and worked unswervingly both to consolidate and develop the public sector and to encourage, support and guide development of the non-public sector to ensure that mixed-ownership reform steers in the right direction. We have fully demonstrated the necessity and feasibility of mixed-ownership reform in accordance with functional orientations of every enterprise. We made targeted plans and policies for them, making sure that those plans and policies will not be implemented until they are demonstrated to be reasonable and mature. Moreover, we have strengthened supervision over the whole process of the mixed-ownership reform to effectively prevent the loss of state-owned assets. 

Second, we have continued to improve the system of mixed-ownership reform. We have stepped up efforts to improve the top-level design of mixed-ownership reform and formulated and launched more than 20 regulations and supporting policies, establishing a system that covers all links of mixed-ownership reform to strictly standardize key links and procedures of the reform. We have worked with related authorities to address the common difficulties in treating idle land, financial tax, and asset pricing, improve operational standards, remove the roadblocks and mitigate burdens for the reform.

Third, we have expanded market-based channels for attracting capital. We have endeavored to leverage the role of the capital market in allocating resources and set up a market platform that is fair, impartial, and open, in order to ensure that all transactions and transfers of state-owned assets will be carried out openly through the capital market. Since 2013, more than 2.5 trillion yuan of social capital has been introduced through reforms and restructurings of SOEs. Since 2019, the SASAC has worked with the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce for three consecutive years to jointly hold the event on promoting the mixed-ownership reform of centrally-administered SOEs, which aims to boost synergies between central SOEs and private companies. The event has greatly facilitated in-depth mixed-ownership reform. More than 70 percent of centrally administered SOEs and 54 percent of local SOEs are now mixed-ownership ones. 

Fourth, we have stepped up efforts to deepen the reform of mechanism in a systematic manner. We have upheld systematic thinking and adopted a coordinated way to make sure that the mixed-ownership reform is more than just a mix, and given full play to advantages of integrated capital of mixed-ownership enterprises and encourage those enterprises to be vanguards and play an exemplary role in improving corporate governance and market-oriented operating mechanisms. In terms of strengthening the Party leadership, Party organizations have been established in the majority of the mixed-ownership enterprises where conditions allow. In terms of corporate governance, 70% mixed-ownership enterprises have directors from outside of the companies. State holding listed companies have continued to introduce those strategic investors with a shareholding ratio of over 5%, while their shareholding structure and corporate governance have been optimized. In terms of the market operation mechanism, all enterprises involved the mixed-ownership reform have basically achieved full coverage of managers' tenure system and contractual management. Medium- and long-term incentives have also been in place, with more than a hundred listed companies adopting equity incentives and 200 sci-tech enterprises adopting equity and dividend incentives. 

Thanks to mixed-ownership reforms, a large number of companies stand out for their outstanding major business, good corporate governance, strong innovation capacity, and high efficiency. Going forward, we will adhere to the principles of implementing mixed-ownership reform based on local conditions, specific industries and enterprises. We will adopt corporate forms of sole proprietorship, majority control, or equity participation only if conditions allow. We need to ensure that companies are not forced to merge. The reform does mean full coverage, and no specific timetable will be set. We will instead make active and prudent efforts to deepen mixed-ownership reform. In order to push ahead with mixed-ownership reform in SOEs by radically transforming the operating mechanism, we will ramp up efforts to help enterprises improve corporate governance structure and facilitate strategic investors to play their proactive roles so as to effectively protect shareholders' rights. We will also improve the flexible and efficient market-oriented operating mechanism, and promote the mixed-ownership reform to achieve substantial results. Thank you.

CNR:

According to the information presented today, SOEs have made major achievements in economic effectiveness and quality of development. What do you think of the high-quality development of SOEs in recent years? What remarkable changes have SOEs made?

Weng Jieming:

Thank you for your questions. High-quality development is a prominent index to evaluate the outcome of SOE reform. SOEs have been playing a crucial role in boosting high-quality development and serve as a strong pillar of the socialist economy with the Chinese characteristics. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the state capital and SOEs have strived for full and faithful implementation of the new development philosophy and firmly committed to a high-quality development path. Their achievements can be summarized in the following four aspects: 

First, we have always stuck to high-quality development. We have given full play to the role of business performance evaluation and set up a high-quality development indicator system based on "two profits and four rates." "Two profits" are total profit and net profit. "Four rates" are the profit margin of operating income, the asset-liability ratio, the research and development intensity (R&D intensity), and total labor productivity. These four indicators are very clear and show our focus on high-quality development. We will guide enterprises to effectively change their methods of development, shift the focus from pursuing the scale and speed of development in the past to improving the quality of development today, and strive to achieve high-quality growth on a solid footing.

Second, high-quality development has gained more momentum. We have given top priority to scientific and technological innovation, conscientiously implemented the strategy of innovation-driven development, and insisted on the principle of offering as much as we can and as much as we should. We have implemented a series of supportive policies, such as annual assessment bonus points, regarding R&D expenses as profit, capital injection, and separating total payroll. We adopted a mechanism of inspiring the most capable enterprises to undertake projects. We have also encouraged enterprises to step up innovation and activate their potential for innovation and creativity, thus gaining a large number of independent innovation achievements. It has provided SOEs a stronger impetus and momentum for development.

Third, the foundation of high-quality development has been more solid. Taking the deepening of supply-side structural reform as the main task, we strived to overcome the shortcomings that restricted high-quality development of SOEs. We have promoted strategic reorganization and professional integration with unprecedented intensity and sped up the disposal of assets that are outside the core business, lack competitive advantages, and are inefficient or ineffective. And we have completed the disposal of "zombie enterprises," basically stripped out social functions of the enterprises, and solved historical problems. These have increased enterprises' efficiency, enabled them to focus more on their main responsibilities and business to develop the real economy, and further laid a solid foundation for enterprises' high-quality development.

Fourth, the vitality of high-quality development has been fully stimulated. We have insisted on propelling development through reform, vigorously promoted market-oriented reform, and strived to build up a lean and efficient organizational structure. And we have fully carried out the fixed-term appointment system and contractual management for the members at the managerial level, and actively explored a professional manager system. We have further reformed three systems and promoted mixed-ownership SOEs to accelerate the transformation of operating mechanisms. We have implemented special reform projects, such as "double-hundred actions," "regional comprehensive reform experiments," and "scientific reform demonstration action." Thanks to the deepened reforms, mechanisms have been reinvigorated and improved, helping to regenerate a number of SOEs, and accelerate their growth.

A key mark for SOEs' achievements in high-quality development is their substantial steps in building a world-class enterprise. The development of the modern economy shows that a country will be strong if its enterprises are strong. To build a modern socialist country in all respects, we must build up world-class enterprises, which is also the strategic task of SOEs in the new era. The number of SOEs entering the world's top 500 increased from 65 in 2012 to 96 in 2021, covering shipbuilding, steel, energy, construction, water transportation, equipment manufacturing, and other sectors.

In general, significant progress has been made in state-owned assets and SOEs by implementing the new development concept and promoting high-quality development. We are more determined to further speed up the building of world-class enterprises. Thank you.

Beijing Daily:

In October 2016, General Secretary Xi Jinping stressed the CPC's unswerving leadership over state-owned enterprises (SOEs) during a national meeting on strengthening Party building within SOEs. Please let us know what progress and achievements SOEs have made in upholding the leadership of the Party and strengthening Party building? What role does upholding and strengthening the Party's leadership play in the reform and development of SOEs?

Weng Jieming:

Thank you for your questions; these questions are fundamental ones. Upholding the Party's leadership and strengthening Party building are the "root" and "soul" of SOEs and their unique advantages. Since the national meeting on strengthening Party building within SOEs was held, central SOEs as well as the entire domain of SOEs, have continued to thoroughly implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech. SOEs have launched one special themed campaign every year, and five special actions have been taken to promote the Year of Implementation of Party Building Work, the Year of Quality Improvement for Party Building, the Year of Promoting Grass-roots Party Building, the Year of Consolidating Party Building, and the Year of Innovation and Expansion for Party Building. SOEs take the implementation of the requirements of full and strict self-discipline of the Party as the main task and take solving problems as a breakthrough in order to increase the awareness and responsibility of state-owned enterprises to enforce Party self-discipline. The weakening of the Party's leadership, the lack of Party building, and the poor implementation of strict self-discipline of the Party have been significantly rectified, and the reform and development have achieved remarkable results. The development of the enterprise and the spiritual outlook of cadres and workers have taken on a brand-new look.

First, SOEs are more determined to achieve the "two upholds" – uphold General Secretary Xi Jinping's core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and uphold the Party Central Committee's authority and its centralized, unified leadership. SOEs insist on taking the Party's political building as the fundamental building, and acquire 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. We adhere to the system of "first issue," which refers to taking the study of the relevant theories, thoughts, and instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping and the CPC Central Committee as the first priority issue of various Party meetings in different levels. We have established a working mechanism to supervise its implementation and constructed a closed loop of learning, research and deployment, implementation, tracking and supervision, and reporting feedback to ensure that the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee and General Secretary Xi Jinping are being implemented.

Second, the Party's comprehensive leadership over SOEs is more powerful. SOEs have fully implemented the "two consistencies," which means it must be consistent for an important political principle of adhering to the Party's leadership over SOEs, while it must also be consistent for the establishment of a modern enterprise system as the direction of SOEs reform. The building of a modern enterprise system with Chinese characteristics has been accelerated. We have strengthened the Party's leadership in improving corporate governance and fully implemented the systems of "incorporating general requirements for Party building into a company's articles of association," "one-shoulder stand," which means an SOE's chairman should also be the company's Party secretary. We have also "listed the pre-research items for the Party committee of SOEs" to ensure that the Party's leadership is institutionalized, has due procedure and is well exercised. We adhered to the principle that the Party supervises cadres and the Party manages talents and built a loyal, clean, and responsible team of high-quality professionals.

Third, the grassroots foundation for Party building is firmer and more stable. We insist on strengthening the grassroots Party organizations of SOEs without slackening, insisting that Party building and business operations are simultaneously planned, deployed, implemented, and assessed, and actively promote the standardization of grassroots Party building. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, central SOEs have added more than 40,000 Party organizations and absorbed 1.148 million new Party members. The grassroots Party organizations have been established as they should, and their political functions and organizational capabilities have been continuously enhanced.

Fourth, the responsibility of enforcing Party self-discipline has been strengthened. We have established and implemented three systems for the Party committee (Party group) of central SOEs to report the annual Party building work to the party committee of the SASAC, that the secretary of the Party committee (Party group) to report to the party committee of the SASAC on-site, and that the secretary of the grassroots Party organization to review and evaluate the work of the Party building. We have formulated measures for the implementation of the responsibility system for Party building work in central SOEs, continuously improved the assessment and evaluation system for Party building, and consolidated corporate Party building responsibilities.

Fifth, the corporate political ecology is more optimized. We continue to work to improve Party conduct, build clean governance, and fight corruption. We worked ceaselessly to address the practice of formalities for formalities' sake, bureaucratism, hedonism, and extravagance, persistently investigate and deal quickly with problems that violate the guiding principles of central Party leadership's eight-point decision on improving conduct, increase the anti-corruption efforts within SOEs, ensuring that officials do not dare to be, are denied the opportunity to be, and have no wish to be corrupt so as to foster a healthy political atmosphere of integrity.

The Party leadership and Party building of SOEs have been fundamentally strengthened, providing a strong guarantee for the reform and development of enterprises. We will continue to thoroughly study and implement the spirit of the national meeting on strengthening Party building within SOEs, rev up efforts to strengthen our "roots" and "souls" to make sure the high-quality development of enterprises is led and guaranteed by high-quality Party building.

Thank you.

Science and Technology Daily:

As new sci-tech revolution and industrial transformation advance rapidly, they pose both a challenge and an opportunity for China's industrial development. In terms of promoting industrial transformation and upgrading as well as planning emerging industries, what have SOEs done, and can you share with us the results? Thanks.

Peng Huagang:

Thank you for your questions. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, according to the decisions and deployments of the CPC Central Committee, SOEs have actively grasped the opportunities brought by new sci-tech revolution and industrial transformation, deepened supply-side structural reforms as the main task, and made reforms and innovation the primary driving force in our endeavor to step up the transformation of traditional industries and the development of new emerging industries. A lot of work has been done in this regard, with focus on ensuring strategic security, promoting industry leaders, bolstering the national economy, raising people's living standards, and improving public services.

On the one hand, we have continued to deepen the transformation of traditional industries, mainly to ensure the "priorities" in the following aspects. First, priority was given to supply in technology innovation. We expanded investment in equipment upgrading, intensified technical reform, and comprehensively improved technological skills, product quality, and safety levels so as to promote advanced technologies and high-end products in traditional industries. Second, priority was given to efficiency in employing digital and smart technologies. With focus on smart manufacturing, we launched an action plan for the digital transformation of SOEs. More than 70% of centrally administered SOEs have established high-level industrial internet platforms, and over 40% have set up AI technology R&D institutions to accelerate an advanced production model, including flexible production and real-time manufacturing. Third, priority was given to ecological conservation in green transformation. We vigorously promoted the energy conservation and carbon reduction of enterprises in the steel, non-ferrous metal, building materials, petrochemical, and other industries. As leaders of green and low-carbon transformation, power grid enterprises carried out pilot green power trading, electric power enterprises actively participated in the building of a mechanism for the carbon emission reduction market, and building material enterprises created a zero-emissions demonstration line for glass production.

On the other hand, we have continued to expand the layout of emerging industries, mainly to ensure "fast speed." First, investment grew fast in emerging industries. We gave full play to the role of the state-owned enterprises restructuring fund, and continued to increase investment in emerging industries. The investment exceeded 1.3 trillion yuan in 2021 from less than 700 billion yuan in 2017, with an average annual increase of over 20%. Second, coordinated development platforms were built fast. We have promoted the building of a number of digital innovation platforms in fields of new energy vehicles, the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, e-commerce, and blockchain, established collaborative innovation platforms concerning logistics big data and marine equipment, and created the independent and controllable Tianyi cloud, thus giving full play to their leading role in industrial development. Third, the layout of the new infrastructure was fast. More than 700 subsidiaries of nearly 70 centrally administered SOEs have increased investment in new infrastructure, with more than 400 billion yuan in 2021. And over 1,300 projects are scheduled to launch during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), with a forecasted total investment of over 10 trillion yuan.

As you mentioned just now, new sci-tech revolution and industrial transformation are advancing rapidly, and they pose both a challenge and an opportunity for the country's industrial development. We believe that SOEs, including central SOEs, will surely seize the opportunity to accelerate the development of new growth drivers and shape new advantages so as to provide strong support for the building of a modern industrial system.

China News Service:

The nature of socialism is to achieve common prosperity. The CPC Central Committee is committed to achieving common prosperity for everyone by the middle of the 21st century. What have SOEs done to promote common prosperity? How can they work better? Thank you.

Peng Huagang:

Thank you for your questions. The state-owned assets belong to and are the common property of all the people. Ensuring the sustained and steady development of the SOEs and maintaining and increasing the value of state-owned assets are the foundation for common prosperity for everyone. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, resolutely implementing the instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping and the decisions and deployments of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, SOEs have fully carried out their economic, political, and social duties and promoted common prosperity by protecting and growing the common wealth of the people, mainly including the following aspects:

First, SOEs have been committed to releasing and developing their productive forces, constantly increasing the common wealth of all the people. By the end of 2021, the asset value of the central SOEs totaled 75.6 trillion yuan, an increase of 141.1% over the end of 2012, and successively passed the 40 trillion, 50 trillion, 60 trillion, and 70 trillion yuan marks. From 2012 to 2021, the accumulated profits of the central SOEs totaled 15.7 trillion yuan, with an annual increase of 8%. The development of central SOEs has made great contributions to the sustained and steady growth of the national economy, continuously making the "cake" bigger and better.

Second, SOEs have been actively engaged in income distribution reform, playing an exemplary role in wealth distribution. In primary distribution, SOEs have upheld an income distribution system under which distribution according to work is the mainstay while multiple forms of distribution exist alongside it and improved the market-based incentive and constraint mechanism. Respecting the fruits of the hard work of employees, the SOEs have made appropriate increases to the pay packages for them. In redistribution, SOEs pay taxes in accordance with the law, serving as an important source of national fiscal revenue. During the 13th Five-Year Plan Period, SOEs paid a total of 17.6 trillion yuan in taxes and fees, accounting for about a quarter of the national tax revenue in the same period. Seventy-six central SOEs transferred their state capital of 1.2 trillion yuan to replenish the national social security fund. In tertiary distribution, SOEs have actively participated in public services, making every effort to provide assistance and support for those in poverty, taking the initiative to strengthen charitable donations, and earnestly fulfilling their social responsibilities, thus acting as an example for the whole of society.

Third, the SOEs have made every effort to serve and improve people's livelihoods, consolidating the foundation for common prosperity. Consciously subordinating to the arrangement of macro regulation, SOES have made solid efforts to ensure the supply and prices of key supplies such as coal, petroleum, natural gas, and electricity that are essential to social stability and people's wellbeing; strengthened operational management of infrastructure networks, including communications, railways, and aviation; undertaken the construction of infrastructure and livelihood projects with large investment and low profits such as the Sichuan-Tibet, Central Tibet, and Ngari Prefecture power grid interconnection projects; and further advanced a new round of rural power grids upgrade and Dynamic Electricity for Each Village Project. By making all these efforts, people's work and lives have been effectively improved. SOEs have done their utmost to help win the battle against poverty. Since 2016, the SASAC and the central SOEs have sent a total of 37,000 temporary poverty relief officials and invested hundreds of billions of yuan in assistance funds. Under their paired assistance, all of the 248 counties that are key targets of the government's development-oriented poverty-reduction work have been lifted out of poverty. 

Fourth, the layout of the state-owned sector of the economy has been continuously improved and adjusted, contributing to addressing imbalances and inadequacies in development. In terms of the layout of industries, SOEs have mainly focused on basic industries, public service industries, and strategic industries, with over 70% of the revenues in sectors that concern national security and are essential to social stability and people's wellbeing coming from central SOEs. In terms of the layout of capital, SOEs have leveraged their strength to play a leading role in taking active and prudent steps to push forward mixed-ownership reform. They have strengthened collaboration in industrial chains and coordination in supply chains with enterprises under all forms of ownership to achieve a win-win for mutual benefit and common development. In terms of regional development priorities, SOEs have fully implemented major regional development strategies, taking an active part in addressing development disparities among the eastern, the central, and the western regions and those between the northern and the southern regions. SOEs have also earnestly implemented the rural revitalization strategy, providing strong support for narrowing the gap between urban and rural areas and between regions.

It is the glory mission and important duty of state-owned assets and the SOEs to take a new and distinctively Chinese path to modernization and promote common prosperity. Striving for the fundamental goal of meeting the growing expectation of the people for a better life and working on resolving imbalances and inadequacies in development, we will spare no effort to promote more development gains of the SOEs to better trickle down to all the people to make greater contributions to and play a better role in delivering prosperity to all the people. First, SOEs will continue to make the "cake" bigger, serving as the creator of common prosperity. Second, SOEs will contribute to the distribution of the "cake", serving as an example of the scientific distribution of wealth. Third, the SOEs will protect the "cake", serving as the defender of the security of state-owned assets.

Thank you.

Beijing Office of Changjiang Daily:

State-owned assets belong to and are the common property of all people. What has the SASAC done over the past decade to strengthen the supervision of state-owned assets? What achievements and progress have been made? Thank you.

Weng Jieming:

Thanks for your questions. It is the mission entrusted by the CPC Central Committee and the SASAC to strengthen the supervision over state-owned assets and protect and grow the common wealth of the people. Fully grasping and putting into practice the important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping on strengthening the supervision over state-owned assets, we have been working on improving the supervision system for state-owned assets and constantly enhanced the effectiveness of supervision. By doing so, we have effectively safeguarded the security of state-owned assets and rights and the interests of the state capital and prevented the loss of state-owned assets. 

First, we established and improved the state-owned assets supervision and administration system. Bearing in mind the responsibilities of the SASAC, we fully advanced the function transformation of the state-owned assets supervision organs, constantly refined lists of supervisory power and responsibility, and integrated the fulfillment of obligations of funders and the oversight of state-owned assets with Party building. The practices of managing capital while overseeing Party building, executing funders' duties while supervising and administrating state-owned assets, and conducting inner-Party supervision while introducing funders' supervision have guaranteed deep supervision over and an effective administration of state-owned assets. 

Second, we gave full play to a professional, systematic, and law-based supervision and administration. Exploring a regulatory approach, under which professionals, rather than those of industry authorities or social governance departments, played the role of supervision and administration. We strengthened supervision over planning, investment, evaluation, and allocation and enhanced basic administration such as property rights management and financial regulation. We coordinated multiple regulatory objectives covering stabilizing economic growth, advancing reform, strengthening innovation, promoting development and preventing risks, and realized an all-around, whole-process, systematic supervision and administration. We also improved the legal system and work system regarding state-owned assets supervision, promoted the rule of law in centrally administered SOEs, and bolstered our law-based state-owned assets supervision and administration capacity.

Third, we fostered a general environment for state-owned assets supervision and administration. We continued the reform of separating government administration from both enterprise management and state-owned assets management and sped up the centralized and unified supervision over for-profit state-owned assets. We launched an online supervision platform for state-owned assets and SOEs. We also strengthened guidance for and oversight over local state-owned assets supervision and administration commissions so as to improve the general efficiency of the overall supervision and administration work.

Practices have proved that with Chinese characteristics, the existing state-owned assets supervision and administration system is an important institutional arrangement that ensures the safety of state-owned assets and prevents their loss. It conforms to the laws of market economy and corporation development and shall be steadfastly upheld and constantly improved.

Thank you.

Zhonghongwang.com:

Restructuring is important for SOE reform. How have reforms progressed since the 18th National Congress of the CPC? What kind of role is it playing in advancing corporate reform? Will more effort be made to further restructure and integrate centrally administered SOEs so as to accelerate the general SOE reform? Thank you.

Weng Jieming:

Thank you for your questions. As I just mentioned, since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, we have completed the reorganization of 47 centrally administered SOEs in accordance with the decision and arrangement of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council and established nine centrally administered SOEs, including PipeChina and China Satellite Network Group, in order to meet national strategic needs and promote industrial development. The restructuring and professional integration carried out last year were very impressive. Significant achievements in this regard were heard of almost every month except February, and these efforts all worked well. 

Thanks to these efforts, centrally administered SOEs have become more prominent in their primary responsibilities and core businesses and more efficient in resource allocation. As their core competitiveness substantially increased, centrally administered SOEs are playing an ever-bigger role in such areas as supporting the implementation of national strategies, promoting innovation-driven development, facilitating industrial circulation, and ensuring people's well-being.

Centrally administered SOEs served as both backbone and ballast in supporting the implementation of major national strategies. We reorganized resources from both central and local SOEs and established the China Rare Earth Group, greatly strengthening our administration of the resource and enhancing our international influence. We established the China Electric Equipment Group to advance the systematic integration of power transmission and distribution equipment manufacturing and significantly improved our capabilities to provide comprehensive solutions. We also founded China Logistics to expedite the construction of a modern logistics system and better maintain the stability and safety of the industrial and supply chains. 

Centrally administered SOEs contributed significantly to the improvement of resource allocation efficiency and optimization of the layout and structure of the state-owned sector. We established the China Baowu Steel Group by reorganizing the former Baosteel Group and Wuhan Iron & Steel Group and rapidly promoting the rate of industrial capacity utilization and corporate performance. The company also took the initiative to cut 15,420,000 metric tons of steel overcapacity. We integrated the assets of the oil and gas pipeline network and established PipeChina, reducing redundant investments and improving operation efficiency. We founded the China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC) through the merger of CNR and CSR and expanded investment in research and development, making the country much more competitive in rail transit equipment manufacturing.

Centrally administered SOEs boosted development quality and sharpened their competitive edge in the global market. Sinochem Holdings was formed by merging Sinochem Group Co., Ltd. and China National Chemical Corporation Ltd. Its total assets and revenue have both exceeded one trillion yuan, making it the largest comprehensive chemical company in the world. China State Shipbuilding Corporation was established through the merger of two shipbuilding corporations. In 2021, its shipbuilding output, newly received orders, and orders on hand – three major indicators of the shipbuilding industry – all topped the global list with each accounting for more than 20% of the world's total. As for the China COSCO Shipping Group, its container fleet capacity leaped to the third-highest in the world and ranked first in the total fleet, dry bulk fleet, tanker fleet, general and specialized cargo fleet, and terminal operation as well as crew management. 

Aiming to build world-class corporations, we will continue deepening supply-side structural reforms and advance strategic reorganization and professional integration. We will pay more attention to overall planning with concerted efforts in major areas, attach more importance to market principles and the rule of law in the whole process, and forge synergy in restructuring and integration, and ensure one plus one is more than two.

Friends from the media, Mr. Peng and I would like to take this opportunity to express our appreciation for all you've done, and you are welcome to do more in-depth reports on state-owned assets and SOEs through various means. Thank you, everyone.  

Xing Huina:

That concludes today's briefing. Thank you to the two speakers and friends from the media.

Translated and edited by Yuan Fang, Ma Yujia, Cui Can, Wang Yiming, Guo Yiming, Gong Yingchun, Yang Xi, Zhou Jing, Zhang Rui, Liu Qiang, Zhang Tingting, Wang Wei, Xu Kailin, Li Huiru, He Shan, Yan Xiaoqing, Wang Qian, David Ball, Jay Birbeck, and Tom Arnstein. In case of any discrepancy between the English and Chinese texts, the Chinese version is deemed to prevail.

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Read in Chinese

Speakers:

Xin Guobin, vice minister of industry and information technology

Xu Xiaolan, vice minister of industry and information technology

Han Xia, chief engineer of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT)

Chairperson:

Shou Xiaoli, spokesperson of the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC)

Date:

June 14, 2022

Shou Xiaoli:

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to this press conference held by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee. This is the eighth press conference under the theme of "China in the past decade." Today, we have invited Mr. Xin Guobin and Ms. Xu Xiaolan, vice ministers of industry and information technology, and Ms. Han Xia, chief engineer of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), to brief you on China's achievements in industrialization and IT application since the 18th Party Congress, and to take your questions.

Now, let's give the floor to Mr. Xin for his introduction.

Xin Guobin:

Ladies and gentlemen, friends from the media, good morning. I would like to thank you for your long-term interest in and support for the development of China's industrialization and IT application. I am very glad to meet with you today along with my two colleagues to share with you the developments in China's industrialization and IT application over the past decade.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has attached great importance to the development of the real economy, especially the manufacturing sector, and made the major strategic decision to build China into a country strong in manufacturing and cyberspace. Under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, major achievements have been made in the development of China's industrialization and IT application, the advancement of new industrialization has been accelerated, the industrial system has been improved, the industrial chain has become more complete, and the overall strength, quality and efficiency of industries as well as their innovation, competitiveness and resilience have been significantly enhanced. China has achieved a historic leap from a major manufacturing country and a major cyberspace country to a strong manufacturing country and a strong cyberspace country, laying a solid foundation for completing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects and embarking on a new journey of building a modern socialist country in all respects. 

Over the past decade, we have made great efforts to strengthen, improve and expand the manufacturing sector. The overall strength of the sector and its international influence have been greatly bolstered. From 2012 to 2021, the added value of industries increased from 20.9 trillion yuan to 37.3 trillion yuan, with an average annual growth rate of 6.3%. The added value of the manufacturing sector increased from 16.98 trillion yuan to 31.4 trillion yuan, with its share of the global total rising from around 20% to nearly 30%. China's output of more than 40% of the 500 main industrial products ranks first in the world. China has 41 major industrial categories, 207 intermediate industrial categories and 666 small industrial categories, with its strength in having a complete industrial system further consolidated, and the resilience and competitiveness of its industrial and supply chains constantly improved, effectively enhancing the economy's ability to cope with external shocks. The development of the manufacturing sector has greatly boosted the people's sense of gain. Intelligent and energy-efficient home appliances have been popularized across the country, and cars have quickly entered the homes of ordinary people. The number of vehicles per 1,000 people has increased from 89 in 2012 to 208 in 2021, indicating a great improvement. As opening-up and cooperation have been deepened, China's share of the trade in manufactured intermediate products now accounts for around 20% of the global total. Since the pandemic began, China has provided a large number of vaccines and medical supplies to the international community, strongly supporting the global fight against the pandemic, as well as economic recovery and development. 

Over the past decade, we have worked hard to improve the quality of the supply system, and the industrial structure has been further optimized. Emerging industries have been developing at a faster pace. Products including service robots and smart wearable devices have registered strong growth, the production and sales of new-energy vehicles have topped the world for seven consecutive years, and the output value of the new materials industry has doubled. The transformation and upgrading of traditional industries have been accelerated, and progress has been made across the board in digital and green transformation. Intelligent manufacturing in some sectors is at an advanced international level. The high-tech manufacturing industry and equipment manufacturing industry accounted for 15.1% and 32.4% of the added value of industries above designated size in 2021, up from 9.4% and 28% in 2012, respectively. Regional development priorities have been continuously refined, the leading role of key regions has been boosted, and a large number of advanced manufacturing clusters have been formed in such fields as electronic information and rail transit. 

Over the past decade, we have focused on implementing the strategy of innovation-driven development, with significant progress having been made regarding innovation in key areas. A large number of major landmark innovation achievements have led China's manufacturing industry to new heights, including the Fendouzhe (Striver) deep-sea manned submersible diving to a depth of more than 10,000 meters, the C919 large passenger aircraft being granted airworthiness certificates and delivered, the Chang'e lunar probes, the Zhurong Mars rover, the Xihe solar exploration satellite, the construction of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System global network, the successful development of unmanned agricultural electric tractors, the clinical application of orthopedic surgical robots in hospitals, the first five-axis processing machine of industrial and mining enterprises, the successful development of 8.8-meter super-large intelligent mining equipment, and the operation of million-kilowatt generating units in Baihetan Hydropower Station.

Over the past decade, we have taken stronger steps to foster high-quality enterprises, and the strength and competitiveness of manufacturing enterprises have been remarkably enhanced. A large number of leading enterprises have stood out. Seventy-three industrial enterprises have been listed among the world's top 500 companies, and the assets of industrial enterprises above designated size have doubled. More than 40,000 specialized and sophisticated small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) producing new and unique products, 4,762 "little giants" (China's top novel SMEs that engage in manufacturing, specialize in niche markets and boast cutting-edge technologies), and 848 "champion manufacturing businesses" (companies with world-class strength in niche markets) have been cultivated. Enterprises have continued to strengthen innovation, and total investment in research and development (R&D) made by industrial businesses above designated size have multiplied. Sales of new products have increased from 11.9% to 22.4% of business revenue. More than 570 industrial enterprises have made the list of the 2,500 companies that have invested the largest sums in R&D worldwide. 

Over the past decade, we have improved our capacity to support social and economic development, and the information and communication technology (ICT) sector has seen leapfrog development. We have built the world's largest internet infrastructure with advanced technology, and the access bandwidth of the optical fiber networks has registered exponential growth from a transmission speed of 10 megabits per second (Mbps) and 100 Mbps to 1,000 Mbps. China has also made great strides in developing its mobile network by making breakthroughs in 3G, keeping pace with the rest of the world in 4G, and securing a leading position in 5G. All administrative villages across the country now have access to broadband internet, which is a historic achievement and greatly contributes to completing all poverty eradication targets and tasks. The internet has played a bigger part in both the consumption and production sector. 5G networks, industrial internet, big data, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence (AI) have been further integrated with the manufacturing industry, which continues to expedite the digitalization of industries and develop the digital sector. The digital economy has seen robust growth momentum. In the meantime, we stay conscious of the existing problems in the industry and information technology sector. For example, our supply system could not fully meet the needs for consumption upgrades. There are many weak links in the key fields of our industrial and supply chains, and some SMEs face new difficulties and challenges in production and business operation.

Standing at a new starting point, the MIIT will work under the stronger leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, firm up confidence, and continue to make efforts. The MIIT will firmly implement the decision and deployments made by the CPC Central Committee and speed up the pace of building China's strength in manufacturing and cyberspace to make new and greater contributions toward building a modern socialist country in all respects.

That concludes my introduction. Next, my colleagues and I will take questions from the media. Thank you.

Shou Xiaoli:

Thank you, Mr. Xin. Now the floor is open for questions. Please identify your news outlets before raising questions.

China News Service:

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, what measures has the MIIT taken to bolster the manufacturing industry? What is the progress like so far? What are the plans next? Thank you.

Xu Xiaolan:

Thank you for your questions. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, China's economy has shifted from high-speed growth to high-quality development. Transforming the growth model, optimizing the economic structure, and shifting to new growth drivers have become urgent and pivotal. Given the manufacturing industry's foundational role in the real economy, the MIIT has been implementing the new development philosophy in a complete, accurate and comprehensive manner and further prioritizing the high-quality development of the manufacturing industry. Focusing on the supply-side structural reform, the MIIT has coordinated efforts to strengthen the economic foundation, promote industrial upgrades, develop new growth drivers and improve growth quality to enhance the overall capacity of China's manufacturing sector.

First, the industrial foundation has seen steady improvement. Projects designed to strengthen and reengineer industrial foundations have been carried out. Infrastructure products and materials, such as urban rail transit and electrical equipment, have met domestic needs. We have established 22 national manufacturing innovation centers focusing on power batteries, additive manufacturing, and other fields. We also built two manufacturing innovation centers out of central-local collaboration, more than 200 provincial manufacturing innovation centers, 125 public service platforms for industrial foundations, and 29 key platforms for new materials. 

Second, traditional industries have been transformed and upgraded. We have been proactively and steadily addressing overcapacity and strictly implementing the equivalent or reduced replacement of production capacity. We have cleaned up 140 million metric tons of substandard steel products and cut almost all backward production capacity in industries such as electrolytic aluminum and cement manufacturing. Projects on technology transformation and upgrading have been carried out to support enterprises to transform toward a high-end, intelligent, and green development model. Since 2012, investment in technology transformation has remained stable by consistently accounting for over 40% of the total industrial investment, becoming a crucial force boosting the latter.

Third, emerging industries have been given more support. We formulated a development plan for emerging industries and ramped up support in the fields of technologies, industrial standards, and policies. High-tech and equipment manufacturing has played a bigger part in supporting the manufacturing sector. Key industries, such as new energy vehicles (NEV), smartphones, and consumer drones, have ranked high globally. Service robots have been rolled out in the household services and the medical rehabilitation industry. Orthopedic surgical robots have successfully carried out some 20,000 surgeries.

Fourth, the quality of industrial products has been improved. A special campaign has been launched to increase product variety, improve quality and build brands, and the supply of middle- and high-end products have been remarkably increased. In terms of increasing product variety, products such as functionalized and bio-based fibers are accessible to thousands of households. Smart devices and home appliances not only meet the diversified needs domestically but also gain popularity in overseas markets. In terms of improving product quality, more than 95% of the industrial standards of domestic home appliance and shoe-making sectors meet the international standard. In terms of brand-building, a total of 24 domestic brands in the industry and information technology sector made to the list of the World's 500 Most Influential Brands in 2021, 14 more than in 2012.

Looking forward, the MIIT will ground our efforts in the new development stage, apply the new development philosophy, and work to create a new development pattern. The MIIT will double the efforts to consolidate China's long-established supply chains, complete the industrial system, and stabilize the manufacturing industry's contribution to the economy. The MIIT will coordinate efforts to shore up weak links and give full play to industrial strength, upgrade the industrial base, modernize industrial chains, and steer the manufacturing industry toward the high-end, intelligent upgrade and green transformation.

Thank you.

Xinhua News Agency:

As China's economic development entered a new normal and risks and challenges mounted in recent years, how did we achieve steady and rapid growth of the industrial economy? And what's your view on its prospects? Thank you.

Xin Guobin:

Thank you for your question. The industrial economy is the mainstay and core growth engine for the national economy. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, with a commitment to the general principle of pursuing progress while ensuring stability we have implemented the strategies of building China into a leader in manufacturing and cyberspace, thus promoting the industrial economy to achieve steady improvement in quality and an appropriate increase in size.

China's value-added industrial output expanded from 20.9 trillion yuan in 2012 to 37.3 trillion yuan last year. The average annual growth rate stood at 6.3 percent in real terms, much higher than the global rate of around 2 percent. Despite the impacts of the pandemic, the average growth rate for 2020 and 2021 reached 6.1 percent, giving a strong boost to the steady and sustained development of the Chinese economy and playing an important role in stabilizing the global industrial and supply chains and promoting the recovery of the world economy.

Over the past 10 years, we have taken the following measures to develop our industrial economy. First, we highly valued planning. Aiming for the goals set in both the medium-long term plans and five-year plans, we formulated annual targets and arrangements in time, thus forming a mixed, scrollable goal system for the development of the industrial economy. 

Second, we highly valued policy support. Over the years, thanks to the joint response of the central authorities and local governments and coordination between relevant departments, a series of policies have been adopted to expand investment, promote consumption, ensure unimpeded channels, and upgrade the working environment, providing strong support for the steady growth of the industrial economy.

Third, we highly valued the transformation of growth drivers. We sped up upgrading technology and equipment, prompted enterprises to be smart, green, and high-end, and accelerated modernization of the industrial system, all in a drive for high-quality development. 

Fourth, we highly valued the vitality of market entities. We fully implemented reforms in key sectors and took solid steps to streamline administration and delegate power, improve regulation, and upgrade services. We continued supporting micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), fostered competitive enterprises in a gradient manner, endeavored to ease enterprises' burdens, and made every effort to sustain enterprises – the foundation of the industrial economy.

Fifth, we highly valued international cooperation. We coordinated global and domestic industrial circulation and expanded opening up at a higher level. We attracted global high-end factors and advanced manufacturing to the domestic market while encouraging homegrown enterprises to explore the international market so as to foster a new development paradigm. 

Sixth, we highly valued the prevention and defusing of risks and challenges. We worked hard to make breakthroughs in core technologies in key fields, kept the industrial and supply chains safe and stable, and effectively prevented and defused risks and challenges. 

Impacted by geopolitical conflicts and new waves of COVID-19 infections, our development climate is becoming increasingly complex, severe, and uncertain, and the downward pressure on the industrial economy is mounting. Even so, we consider these shocks and impacts temporary, as our manufacturing system is complete, of strong resilience, and has great potential. Its fundamentals sustaining long-term growth remain unchanged. The central government recently issued a package of supporting policies to stabilize the economy, which is very much needed and reassuring. Enterprises are resuming work and production in an orderly manner and gearing up for design capacity. Continuously boosted by various policies, the industrial economy is expected to return to normalcy in the near future. 

Following the general principle of controlling the COVID-19 pandemic while stabilizing the economy and pursuing a sound and safe growth, we will take well-coordinated measures to contain the pandemic, facilitate smooth flows, protect market entities, expand demands, and stabilize expectations. We will spare no effort to keep the performance of the industrial economy within an appropriate range and embrace the convention of the 20th National Congress of the CPC with concrete measures.

Thank you.

China Economic Information Service (CEIS, affiliated with Xinhua News Agency):

In recent years, China has paid increasing attention to and offered greater support for SMEs, and more and more SMEs have reached a consensus on following a development path characterized by specialization, refinement, uniqueness and innovation. As a leading department of the State Council in promoting the growth of SMEs, how does the MIIT view this phenomenon? What supportive measures will be taken to tackle the difficulties facing SMEs?

Xu Xiaolan:

Thank you for your questions. General Secretary Xi Jinping said, "SMEs can make great achievements," and stressed many times that we should work unswervingly to consolidate and develop the public sector and to encourage, support and guide development of the non-public sector, which motivated a large group of enterprises featuring specialization, refinement, uniqueness and innovation. The annual Central Economic Work Conference and government work report always make plans to promote the growth of SMEs. In the past decade, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee, China has provided unprecedented support for SMEs, rolling out a host of policies with higher value than ever before. The system and mechanism driving the growth of SMEs are continuously being improved, the business environment is being significantly optimized, and the concept of SMEs focusing on specialization, refinement, uniqueness and innovation has taken root in people's minds. The core competitiveness of China's MSMEs has significantly increased, contributing greatly to the country's economic and social development. This can be seen from the following three main aspects.

First, SMEs have grown rapidly. By the end of 2021, the total number of enterprises nationwide reached 48.42 million, 2.7 times that in 2012. Among them, over 99% were SMEs. In the industrial sector, the number of China's SMEs above designated size reached 400,000, operating revenues exceeded 75 trillion yuan and total profits reached 4.7 trillion yuan, up 23.5%, 38.7% and 37.1%, respectively, compared with 2012.

Second, SMEs have made great contributions. Data from the fourth national economic census showed that the number of people working in SMEs accounted for 80% of the total number of employees. In 2021, the total number of people working in China's private sector reached 400 million, about 200 million more than in 2012. Private firms, mainly MSMEs, are the largest foreign traders in China, contributing more than 58.2% to the growth of foreign trade in 2021. Research shows that the correlation coefficient of SMEs and regional economic growth exceeds 0.8. Regions with SMEs actively engaged in business are also the popular locations for job hunting and have witnessed greater economic development.

Third, SMEs have demonstrated vitality. Taking the development path of specialization, refinement, uniqueness and innovation has been a distinctive feature of SMEs in China in recent years. More than 60% of little giants are engaged in the basic field of industry, over 70% have been deeply immersed in industry for more than 10 years, more than 80% have entered strategic emerging industrial chains, and over 90% are experts supporting well-known large enterprises at home and abroad. The average R&D intensity of little giants has reached 10.3%, which is 1.8 percentage points higher than that of listed companies. Therefore, it is fair to say that SMEs featuring specialization, refinement, uniqueness and innovation boast a strong capacity in innovation, have great growth potential, and play an indispensable role in strengthening, completing and stabilizing industrial chains.

Only if SMEs prosper can China's economy maintain sound momentum. Going forward, the MIIT will continue to implement preferential policies in a comprehensive way, make full use of various means, and do everything possible to help MSMEs overcome difficulties. We will support them to keep raising their innovation ability and professional level and ensure the stability of these market entities, in an effort to lay a solid foundation for the stability of China's economy. 

Thank you.

zhonghongwang.com:

We notice that the digital transformation of the manufacturing industry has drawn much attention from the government and enterprises. Would you like to introduce the achievements China has made in the digital transformation of the manufacturing industry? Also, what did we achieve in terms of developing smart manufacturing and the industrial internet? What are the policies that will be taken into consideration in the future? Thank you.

Han Xia:

Thank you for your questions. Digital transformation is a general trend in current global economic development. In recent years, the integration of China's new generation of information and technology in the manufacturing sector has greatly improved. We worked to lay a solid foundation for integrated development and pushed development to a new level. The work was mainly as follows:

First, we deepened the digital transformation. By the end of 2021, the numerical control rate of key processes and the penetration rate of R&D and design tools for digital transformation in industrial enterprises nationwide reached 51.3% and 74.7%, respectively, up 30.7 percentage points and 25.9 percentage points over 2012. With the help of new technologies and applications, China's manufacturing sector has undergone rapid changes in its production methods, enterprises forms, business models, and means of employment, effectively helping the manufacturing sector to improve quality, lower costs, increase efficiency, and pursue a green and safe development. 

Second, we promoted smart manufacturing projects with great effort. We released 42 international standards and more than 300 national standards for smart manufacturing. The penetration rate of national standards, which are fundamental, generally applicable, and are for key technologies, reached 97.5%. We built over 700 digital workshops and intelligent factories. The average production efficiency of smart manufacturing demonstration projects increased by 48%, and the R&D period of products was lessened by 38% on average, with the non-performing rate of products dropping by 35% on average. So far, China has fostered more than 6,000 smart manufacturing system solution suppliers. China now leads the world in the smart manufacturing of refining, printing, and dyeing, as well as home appliances and other sectors. 

Third, we carried out industrial internet innovation and development action plans. We accelerated the building of three systems covering internet, platform, and security. The industrial internet has been applied in 45 major national economic categories. So far, more than 300 cities in China are connected to the high-quality extranets of the industrial internet. An analysis system for industrial internet identification has been basically constructed. The five major top-level nodes have operated steadily. The second-level nodes have almost covered all provincial-level regions in China. More than 150 large industrial internet platforms have been established, connecting over 78 million units (sets) of industrial equipment. A technical monitoring system has been established to coordinate the works at the national and provincial level and that of enterprises. 

Fourth, we made great efforts to enhance the supporting capacity of industries. From 2012 to 2021, the industry scale of China's electronic information manufacturing sector increased from 10.7 trillion yuan to 14.1 trillion yuan, and that of the software industry from 2.5 trillion yuan to 9.5 trillion yuan, both ranking high among the industries in the national economy, playing a fundamental role. The number of industrial apps exceeded 600,000, with those related to operation and management accounting for 70% of the total. The stability and reliability of products have been steadily improved.

Next, we will focus on smart manufacturing, promote breakthroughs in core technologies, continue to improve the policy system for integrated development, and push forward actions for developing industrial internet and smart manufacturing. Efforts will be made to push forward digital, internet-powered, and smart development. Thank you. 

Thank you.

ThePaper.cn:

China is committed to green development. Especially after China proposed the "dual carbon" goals, we have further accelerated the transformation towards green and low-carbon development. So, what measures has the ministry made to conserve resources, reduce carbon emissions, and promote green transition in the industrial sector? What are the future considerations?

Xin Guobin:

Thank you for your questions. The industrial sector is a major energy consumer and carbon emitter in China. Over the past decade, we have firmly established and acted on the principle of "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets" and pursued a green, low-carbon, and circular development. We have achieved remarkable progress in the green development of the industrial sector. Here are some data I want to share with you.

In terms of energy and water consumption, the energy consumption per unit of the added value of industries above the designated size fell by 28% and 16%, respectively, during the 12th Five-Year Plan period and 13th Five-Year Plan period. On that basis, it dropped by 5.6% in 2021. The water consumption per 10,000 yuan of the value-added of industry dropped by 35% and nearly 40%, respectively, during the 12th Five-Year Plan period and 13th Five-Year Plan period. On that basis, it dropped by 7% in 2021. In terms of the comprehensive use of resources, in 2020, the comprehensive utilization rate of general industrial solid waste reached 55.4%, and China recycled 380 million tonnes of renewable resources. In terms of fostering new engines for green development, since 2012, the compound annual growth rate of the total output value of the environmental protection equipment manufacturing industry has exceeded 10%. These all demonstrate that China has made remarkable progress in this aspect. 

In pursuit of the goal of energy conservation, reducing carbon emissions, and completing a green transition in the industrial sector, our work over the past decade has mainly given priority to the following aspects. First, we have carried out green manufacturing programs. We have taken solid steps to advance the development of the system of policies and standards for green manufacturing, building a group of green factories, green industrial zones, and green supply chain management enterprises. In the meantime, we have further deepened industry-finance integration, working with relevant financial institutions to build a key project recommendation mechanism to support the transformation of industrial enterprises towards green development.

Second, we have increased the supply of green technological equipment products. We have promoted breakthroughs in technology, attached greater importance to standards, and gradually built a supply system composed of entirely green product chains that cover everything from raw materials to terminal consumer goods. Since the 12th Five-Year Plan period (2011-2015), a total of over 20,000 types of green products and more than 4,000 kinds of technological equipment for energy and water conservation and comprehensive utilization of resources have been promoted.

Third, we have actively advanced the recycling of industrial resources. We have built a group of demonstration bases for comprehensive utilization of industrial resources, implemented standardized management of scrap iron and steel, waste plastics, and other renewable resource industry, and promoted the system for extended producer responsibility. We have built more than 10,000 service outlets for recycling new-energy vehicle batteries and plan to develop a recycling and utilization system for solar photovoltaic cell modules. 

Next, we will fully implement Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, launch an campaign to peak carbon emissions in the industrial sector, vigorously promote green manufacturing, and resolutely stop the blind development of energy-intensive projects with high emissions. We will keep advancing the steady development of wind and photovoltaic power and continue to encourage green consumption. By doing so, we are striving to make greater contributions to building a beautiful home with blue sky, green vegetation, and clear rivers.

Thank you.

Science and Technology Daily:

What are the characteristics of the development of the information and communications industry over the decade? What achievements have been made? And what are the future plans for the development of 5G technology? Thank you.

Han Xia:

Thanks for your question. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, the information and communications industry has made leap-frog development, with its strategic, fundamental, and pioneering role in the overall economic and social development having become increasingly prominent, providing a solid foundation and strong support for building China's strengths in manufacturing and cyberspace and for building a digital China, which is mainly demonstrated in the following five aspects:

First, with the infrastructure developing from copper wire to optical fiber, from the popularization of 3G technology to the commercial application of 5G technology, the comprehensive capacity has been improved by leaps and bounds. We have built the world's largest internet infrastructure with world's leading technologies. We have completed the transformation from narrow band connectivity to broadband connectivity and from copper wire networks to fiber-optic networks, with fiber-optic networks covering all prefecture-level cities. The number of users enjoying services at speeds of 100Mbps or above accounts for 93.4% of all users, and the number of users enjoying services of gigabit fiber-optic networks has exceeded 50 million. The number of 4G base stations accounts for more than half of the global total, and the number of 5G base stations has reached 1.615 million, with over 400 million 5G mobile phone users.

Second, major breakthroughs in core technologies in key fields have been achieved, and the strength of the technology industry has been significantly enhanced. Mobile communications technology has developed from "making breakthroughs in 3G technology" to "keeping pace with the world in the development of 4G technology" and to "becoming the world leader in the development of 5G technology." And the proportion of 5G standard essential patents declared by our enterprises has reached 38.2%. China has built the world's largest and most complete optical communication industry system, with some key technologies such as optical communication equipment, optical module devices, and optical fiber cables having reached the advanced international level and a number of global-leading companies having emerged.

Third, the innovative application of digital technology has been expanding from areas of consumption to areas of production, and the world's largest and most active digital service market with the greatest potential has been created. Internet applications have been fully popularized. The annual transaction volume of mobile payments has reached 527 trillion yuan. More than 20 million flexible jobs have been created by new industries and new business forms. And the cumulative number of applications in the 5G industry has exceeded 20,000. The innovative development strategy for the industrial internet has been fully implemented, creating China's approach based on the development stage of its manufacturing sector and working on addressing inadequacies, shoring up points of weaknesses, and making innovations at the same time. 

Fourth, information services are of better quality, lower price, and are now a digital service convenience shared by the public. Broadband connection covers all administrative villages in China. The proportion of primary and secondary schools connected to broadband has risen from 25% to 100%, and telemedicine has covered all impoverished counties. We have continued to speed up broadband and lower internet rates, with the average download rate of broadband networks increasing by nearly 40 times and the average rates for mobile internet services dropping by over 95%. Digital travel records have provided nearly 60 billion free inquiry services, strongly supporting regular epidemic prevention and control and the smooth travel of the people.

Fifth, the industry management and safety guarantee system were continuously optimized. A new regulatory mechanism based on credit management has been gradually established, and business operation compliance, the industry's ecosystem openness, and users' satisfaction levels have all been significantly improved. Hotspot and difficult issues such as telecommunication network fraud were effectively dealt with, and the number of complaints from users about spam in the form of short messages dropped to the lowest level in history. The national network infrastructure's security guarantee capability has been comprehensively enhanced, the data security management system in the industry and information fields has been initially formed, and the comprehensive strength of the network security industry has increased rapidly.

Next, we will thoroughly implement General Secretary Xi Jinping's important idea on building China's strength in cyberspace, comprehensively strengthen the construction of new information infrastructure, promote the extensive coverage of 5G networks, implement the "Set Sail" action plan for 5G applications, accelerate the large-scale application of emerging technologies such as 5G, and continue to expand industrial openness and cooperation to contribute to high-quality economic development and continuous improvement of people's livelihoods.

Thank you.

CNBC:

First, I would like to know how the resumption of work and production of enterprises going in key development regions such as Shanghai and the Greater Bay Area? Second, in terms of chip R&D, what important progress has China made in recent years? In the next step, what are your plans for attracting talent and foreign investment? Third, what is the frequency of accidents in autonomous driving tests? From the policy level, how to balance the safety and commercialization of autonomous driving? Thank you.

Xin Guobin:

Thank you for your questions. You are concerned about many issues, mainly on the resumption of work and production, autonomous driving, and the development of integrated circuits. Let me first answer the questions about the resumption of work and production and autonomous driving.

The Yangtze River Delta and the Pearl River Delta are the most economically developed regions in China, and the resumption of work and production in these regions is our top priority during this period. In our work, we focus on key regions, key industries, and key enterprises, establishing a white list system for key industrial-chain and supply-chain enterprises, enhancing cross-regional and cross-departmental coordination, and are doing everything possible to support enterprises to reopen, stabilize production, and reach their target output. Positive results have been achieved so far. All 22,500 ministerial- and provincial-level whitelisted enterprises have resumed work, and the vast majority of enterprises have returned to their pre-epidemic production levels. In terms of the Yangtze River Delta region, industrial enterprises above designated size in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui provinces have resumed work and reached production capacity better than expected. The work resumption rate of industrial enterprises above designated size in Shanghai also reached 96.3%, and the rate of reaching target output exceeded 70%. During the epidemic prevention and control course in Shanghai, key enterprises in the integrated circuit field have maintained a high capacity utilization rate of more than 90%, and the rate of reaching target output in the automotive field has been steadily increasing.

I made a point of checking on them this morning. SAIC Motor's production in early June achieved a year-on-year increase of nearly 60%, and Tesla has achieved full production. Looking at the situation in the Greater Bay Area, industrial enterprises in Guangdong province have basically resumed normal production. At present, the resumption rate of industrial enterprises has exceeded 98%, and key industries such as auto and telecoms, which were greatly affected by the epidemic in the early stage, have basically returned to normal. Many companies expressed their will that they would try to regain the output delayed in March and April through two months of efforts in May and June.

Next, we will follow the general requirements of "the epidemic must be prevented, the economy must be stabilized, and development must be safe," and encourage enterprises to shift from reopening to stabilizing production and reaching target output to ensure that industrial and supply chains are stable and unimpeded.

Regarding the question that you raised about autonomous driving tests, here I have the data of an Intelligent Connected Vehicle (ICV) test demonstration area, and I will introduce some information. In 2021, the total mileage of real road tests in autonomous driving modes in this demonstration area was about 3.08 million kilometers, and there were 21 accidents that were counted, with an average of one accident per every 147,000 kilometers. Such a number is also at an advanced level in the world.

Next, we will continue to coordinate development and safety, adhere to the bottom line of public safety, and make concerted efforts in management policy, technological innovation, standard systems, testing, and demonstrations, etc., and introduce important standards such as functional requirements and information security for autonomous driving. We will also launch market access pilots at the right time to promote the stable and long-term development of the ICV industry.

Vice Minister Xu Xiaolan will now answer your question about chips.

Xu Xiaolan:

I would like to answer the question about chips. China is an important integrated circuit market in the world. In recent years, thanks to the joint efforts of domestic and foreign-invested enterprises, the scale of China's integrated circuit industry has been growing, and the technological innovation capacity in the industry has been sharply enhanced. In 2021, the sales of the whole industry exceeded one trillion yuan for the first time. The compound growth rate from 2018 to 2021 stood at 17%, more than three times the global growth rate over the same period. Upholding the principle of open development, the Chinese government is committed to building global industrial chains and supply chains with close cooperation. In 2020, China issued a package of policies for promoting high-quality development of the integrated circuit and software industries in the new era, treating domestic and foreign-invested enterprises equally. We welcome integrated circuit enterprises around the world to set up R&D, production, and operation centers in China. We encourage more outstanding entrepreneurs and high-quality technical and management talents to come to China for development and share the benefits of the growing market demand. We will focus on policy implementation, step up talent recruitment and education efforts, deepen international cooperation pragmatically, strengthen intellectual property protection, create a fair and equitable market environment to promote high-quality development of the integrated circuit industry. Thank you.

CCTV:

Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, several world-renowned super projects have emerged in China, including the Fuxing bullet trains, the Baihetan hydropower project, and the C919 large passenger aircraft. Major technological equipment is an effective means to build super projects. Could you introduce the development of major technological equipment in China? What steps will be taken next to build more major projects in China?

Xu Xiaolan: 

Thank you for your questions. The development of major technological equipment is vital to the lifeblood of the national economy and strategic security. It is an important indicator of a country's overall strength and sci-tech progress. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, China has taken major technological equipment as a key area in building itself into a manufacturing powerhouse. It has made breakthroughs in a number of high-quality equipment and nurtured industrial clusters with their respective strengths and characteristics. A number of leading enterprises and related sophisticated enterprises that produce new and unique products are thriving, and the international influence of their brands continues to improve. All of these provide a solid guarantee for the construction of major projects, the development and utilization of energy and resources, and the improvement of people's well-being. For instance, Fuxing bullet trains are well-connected all over China, becoming a faster and more comfortable choice for travel. The manned deep-sea submersible "Fendouzhe," which means "striver" in Chinese, landed on the Mariana Trench, topping the world in terms of the number of 10,000-meter deep-sea diving operations and people involved in the operations. A major breakthrough has been made in developing the C919 large passenger aircraft, which will get a certificate for delivery. The hydroelectric generating set, with the world's largest single-unit and a capacity of 1 million kilowatts, was put into operation at the Baihetan hydropower station, generating electricity to meet the needs of 75 million people a year. The super-sized tunnel boring machine Jinghua was launched to cut through mountains and into the ground to build a well-connected transportation network. A few days ago, the Shenzhou-14 manned spacecraft sent a crew of three astronauts to China's space station, where a national space laboratory will be built, marking that mankind has taken another solid step forward in exploring space. Every time I talk about this, my heart is filled with pride.

Next, we will attach equal importance to the innovation of integration and upgrading of the basis, strive to build an innovation and application ecosystem, and promote the high-end, intelligent, green, and international development of major technological equipment. First, we will strengthen the top-level design and implement plans for major technological equipment and accelerate the building of a major technological equipment system that matches supply and demand with high quality and efficiency. Second, we will strengthen policy coordination to play a leading role in the application, promote the synergy between supply and demand, and increase application. Third, we will enhance openness and cooperation and carry out mutually beneficial cooperation with global innovation resources and industrial factors on a larger scale, in broader fields and at deeper levels, to foster a collaborative and efficient industrial development ecosystem. Thank you.

Southern Metropolis Daily:

Nearly a decade ago, the MIIT issued China's first regulations on the protection of personal information. This year, regulations on protecting personal information of telecom and Internet users will be revised for the first time. We note that personal information protection has also experienced a process from dispersive legislation to special legislation over the past ten years. What are the priorities and changes of the MIIT's work in protecting personal information against the backdrop of special legislation? Thank you.

Han Xia:

Thanks for your question. Protecting personal information is taking center stage as the internet rapidly develops and various online applications and services are emerging. The MIIT has attached great importance to the protection of personal information. We are thoroughly implementing the Personal Information Protection Law and applying legal norms, administrative supervision, technical support, social co-governance, and other measures to effectively protect personal information.

First, we have actively adapted to technological development and changes and studied and improved the legal system in a timely manner. In 2013, the MIIT issued the first domestic departmental regulation on personal information protection, namely the Provisions on Protecting the Personal Information of Telecommunications and Internet Users. Last year, we drafted the Interim Provisions on the Protection and Management of Personal Information of Mobile Internet Applications. At present, we are revising the Provisions issued in 2013 to determine the liability, enhance application management, and further improve the personal information protection system.

Second, we have focused on the people's concerns and strengthened the governance of prominent issues in protecting personal information in the telecommunications and internet industries. We have launched several special campaigns to crack down on applications' infringement on users' rights and interests and made known and removed nearly 3,000 illegal applications. As a result, the applications' infringement on users' rights and interests was effectively curbed. Next, we will protect users' rights and interests by supervising all existing apps, various terminals, application stores, and software development kit (SDK), among other key entities and areas. 

Third, we have accelerated the improvement of governance capacity by applying more technologies. We launched a national technology platform to detect applications. A total of 3.22 million applications have been detected. Next, a public service platform for detecting and certifying mobile internet programs will be set up to improve automatic detection, big data analysis, monitoring and early warning, certification signature, and ability to provide public services. These measures will provide stronger support for industry governance.

Fourth, we have fostered a favorable governance environment by creating synergy. We have strengthened coordination with relevant departments and ensured the active role of all sectors of society is given full play, forming a co-governance pattern featuring government supervision, corporate self-discipline, social supervision, and user participation. In the future, we will continue to look into new situations and new problems, summarize the new practical experience, refer to successful international practices, strengthen supervision and inspection, and urge enterprises to take their responsibilities and improve their compliance, in order to create a safe, sound and orderly environment for the application of information and communication. Thanks.

Cover News:

China's new energy vehicles (NEVs) have made rapid progress in the past decade, and the market size has grown to a new high. What are the motivating factors behind this development? How about the construction of NEV charging infrastructure? Where are the bottlenecks that need to be broken down to achieve high-quality development of NEVs in the future, and what is the plan of the MIIT for this? Thanks.

Xin Guobin:

Thanks for your question. NEVs have developed rapidly over the past 10 years. General Secretary Xi Jinping noted that developing NEVs is a sure path to turning China from a large automotive manufacturing country to a country with great strength in the automobile industry. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, China has further promoted the national strategy for developing NEVs and strengthened top-level design and innovation. Its automobile industry has grown from small to large, from weak to strong, becoming an important force for the transformation and upgrading of the global automobile industry.

In terms of production and sales volume, the cumulative sales of NEVs have soared from 20,000 at the end of 2012 to 11.08 million at the end of May this year. Since 2015, China's production and sales of NEVs have ranked first globally for seven consecutive years.

On the technical front, Chinese enterprises in the automobile industry have mastered the underlying control technology based on forwarding engineering, increasing the energy density of NEV power batteries by 1.3 times compared with 2012, and axing their prices by 80%.

Regarding corporate brands, six of the top 10 best-selling electric vehicles in the world in 2021 were produced by China's automakers. Chinese companies occupy six seats among the top 10 companies in terms of power battery shipments.

To create an industry-supporting environment, we have built the world's most significant charging and battery-swapping network for NEVs, with 2,617,000 charging piles and 1,298 battery-swapping stations across the country by the end of last year.

Looking back to the past decade, we deeply understand that the rapid development of the NEV industry is attributable to the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core. We have given full play to the advantages of socialism with Chinese characteristics and stimulated enthusiasm across the society to solve significant problems that restrained industrial development. We have created a unified, open, competitive and orderly market environment. To sum up, we have mainly done the following work to promote the sector's development.

First, we made strategies to lead the coordinated development of the sector. Since 2012, we have worked out two medium- and long-term development plans to navigate the sector's growth based on the facts that it was in initial and early development periods. The first plan spanned from 2012 to 2020, and the second spans from 2021 to 2035. The State Council has founded an inter-departmental joint meeting mechanism led by the MIIT and participated by 20 departments to promote the development of the NEV industry.

Second, we have been improving our policies to nurture the NEV market. The central and local governments have launched over 600 policies covering technology innovation, promotion, application and security oversight to support the NEV industry. For example, consumers can enjoy NEV purchase subsidies, be exempt from particular driving and purchasing restrictions, and use special license plates. These measures have promoted the rapid formation of the NEV market.

Third, we made enterprises into key players in the market and made innovations and breakthroughs in the sector. We implemented an NEV technology innovation campaign and built national manufacturing innovation centers for power batteries and intelligent connected vehicles. The innovation center for power batteries is China's first national manufacturing innovation center. We have also supported enterprises in the upper and lower industry chain to increase R&D spending and create new business models to drive the internal momentum of the sector.

Fourth, we have stuck to open cooperation and facilitated regulated development. We have been promoting the opening up of auto industry in a well-planned way and have built multilateral and bilateral exchange and cooperation platforms such as those with Europe, Japan, and Britain. Several foreign-funded or joint venture NEV businesses have begun operating or manufacturing in China. We also established and improved a management system of the investment approval and production access for NEVs in the country to guide and regulate the sector's orderly development.

We clearly understand that China's NEV industry still has its weakness in some key technologies and supporting capabilities. In the next step, we will study and solve these problems as soon as possible. For example, we are now trying to make decisions through further consultations with related departments on whether the tax exemption for NEV purchasing, which is due to expire by the end of this year, should be extended. Moreover, we will improve the existing dual-credit policy, strengthen R&D and breakthroughs in new batteries and the car's operating system, and launch pilot programs in some cities to electrify all public transportation. We will constantly improve the system of standards and strengthen security oversight. Safety is the prerequisite for the sector's long-term and sustainable development.

That's all. Thank you!

Shou Xiaoli:

Thanks to the three speakers and friends from the media. Today's briefing is now concluded.

Translated and edited by Xu Xiaoxuan, Wang Qian, Zhu Bochen, Li Huiru, Ma Yujia, Zhang Tingting, Wang Wei, Cui Can, Zhou Jing, Xu Kailin, Huang Shan, Zhang Rui, Liu Qiang, Duan Yaying, Yang Xi, Wang Yiming, He Shan, Guo Yiming, Li Xiao, David Ball, Jay Birbeck and Tom Arnstein. In case of any discrepancy between the English and Chinese texts, the Chinese version is deemed to prevail.

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Read in Chinese

Speakers:

Xu Chengguang, vice minister of transport

An Lusheng, vice administrator of the National Railway Administration of China

Dong Zhiyi, vice administrator of the Civil Aviation Administration of China

Dai Yingjun, deputy director general of the State Post Bureau of China

Chairperson:

Xing Huina, spokesperson of the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC)

Date:

June 10, 2022

Xing Huina:

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to this press conference held by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee. This is the seventh press conference under the theme of "China in the past decade." Today, we have invited Xu Chengguang, vice minister of transport; An Lusheng, vice administrator of the National Railway Administration of China; Dong Zhiyi, vice administrator of the Civil Aviation Administration of China; and Dai Yingjun, deputy director general of the State Post Bureau of China to brief you on the progress in accelerating the building of China's strength in transportation in the new era, and to take your questions.

Now, let's give the floor to Mr. Xu for his introduction.

Xu Chengguang:

Ladies and gentlemen, friends from the media, good morning. First, I would like to thank all friends from the media for your long-term interest in and support for China's transportation sector. I am very glad to meet with you here along with Mr. An Lusheng, Mr. Dong Zhiyi and Mr. Dai Yingjun, to brief you on the progress made in China's transportation sector. 

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has attached great importance to the work on transportation, and issued important instructions on several occasions. In particular, the report of the 19th CPC National Congress proposed building China's strength in transportation, which lays out methods for developing transportation in the new era. The CPC Central Committee and the State Council have successively issued the Outline on Building China's Strength in Transportation and Outline of the National Comprehensive Three-dimensional Transportation Network Planning, creating a strategic blueprint and a bright vision for the medium- and long-term development of China's transportation industry. In October last year, President Xi Jinping pointed out in his keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the second United Nations Global Sustainable Transport Conference that generation after generation of Chinese people have worked in the spirit of opening roads through mountains and building bridges over rivers, turning China into a country with vast transportation infrastructure. Today, we are redoubling our efforts to build a country with great strength in transportation. Transportation has become a frontier in China's modernization drive. The important instructions of the general secretary fully affirmed the achievements of China's transportation sector, pointed out the new goal of building China's strength in transportation, and created a new historical mission for the transportation sector. 

Looking back over the past decade, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, China's transportation industry has made historic achievements and seen historic transformations. We have accomplished many things that we were previously unable to accomplish, and have completed a host of major projects that were on the agenda but we had been unable to complete. We have achieved a historic leap from a country with a vast transportation infrastructure to building a country with great transportation strength, which has effectively fulfilled the first centenary goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects.

Over the past decade, China's comprehensive three-dimensional transportation network has taken shape, which has effectively promoted the connection of domestic and international transportation channels. We have built the world's largest high-speed railway network, expressway network, and world-class port clusters. We have opened air and sea routes that reach all parts of the world. China's high-speed rail, roads, bridges, ports and express delivery have become calling cards for the country. A large-scale and smooth integrated transportation network has supported the operation of our country, the world's second largest economy and the largest trader in goods. Transportation has shortened distances and saved time. It has accelerated the flow of goods and people, profoundly transformed the faces of urban and rural areas, and effectively boosted integrated rural-urban development. It not only effectively guarantees smooth domestic and international circulation, but also makes important contributions to the development of the world economy.

Over the past decade, our comprehensive transportation service capacity has been greatly improved, and people have a greater sense of fulfillment. The country has seen its key transportation indicators — including passenger and freight volume of railway, road, waterway and civil aviation, cargo throughput of ports and business volume of postal and express services — rank top in the world for many years. China has become one of the world's busiest countries in terms of transportation. In 2021, ports reported an average of over 69,000 ship entries and exits, airports saw some 26,800 take-offs and landings, and nearly 300 million parcels were handled on a daily basis. In the peak traveling season, passenger trains made more than 10,000 trips and expressways saw more than 60 million trips made by vehicles on average per day in 2021. The easier movement of people and smooth flow of goods have been achieved. Transportation has become one of the sectors to which people have the strongest sense of fulfillment. Well-developed transportation networks have contributed to China's increasing vibrancy.

Over the past decade, the fundamental, leading and strategic role of transportation has been given full play, strongly underpinning the implementation of national strategies. We have worked to ensure that all villages, townships and towns with the right conditions are accessible by paved roads and bus services, and delivered on our solemn commitment that no place will be left behind on the road to prosperity due to transportation issues. Transportation has effectively served the critical poverty eradication battle and the implementation of the rural revitalization strategy. The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Yangtze River Delta and other regions have been connected into the transportation network, which has promoted continuous improvements to coordinated regional development. Fixed-asset investment in transportation has been kept at a high level. Last year, it hit a record high of 3.6 trillion yuan, which played an important role in stabilizing the economy and ensuring stabilities on six key fronts (employment, the financial sector, foreign trade, foreign investment, domestic investment, and expectations) and security in six key areas (job security, basic living needs, operations of market entities, food, and energy security, stable industrial and supply chains, and the normal functioning of primary level governments). We've served to connect China with the world and keep the country in tune with the times. We have been vigorously promoting transportation connectivity, and better serving the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative. During the pandemic, while ensuring coordinated epidemic containment efforts, we have gone all out to ensure the smooth flow of logistics. The China-Europe Railway Express and ocean-going cargo vessels have been running day and night to maintain the stability of global industrial and supply chains, showcasing China's sense of responsibility in the global community.

As we embark on a new journey, we will adhere to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, continue to seize the day and forge ahead in building China's strength in transportation at a faster pace, and strive to be a pioneer in China's modernization drive.

That's all for my introduction. Now, I would like to invite Mr. An, Mr. Dong and Mr. Dai to brief you on the railways, civil aviation and postal services.

An Lusheng:

Good morning, friends from the media. I would like to add some words on the railway industry. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the railway industry has upheld Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as its guide and fully implemented the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, making historic achievements.

The railway network has improved substantially in scale and quality over the past decade. Investment in railway fixed assets exceeded 7 trillion yuan, contributing to a mileage increase of 52,000 kilometers. China had 150,000 kilometers of railways in operation by the end of 2021, including 40,000 kilometers of high-speed railways. Railways have covered 81% of Chinese counties, and high-speed railways have covered 93% of cities with a population of 500,000 or more. A well-organized, extensive, multi-level, safe, and efficient railway network has basically taken shape.

Transportation services have also been comprehensively improved. China ranks first in the world in passenger turnover, cargo shipment, freight turnover, and transportation density by rail. Its railways have remained safe, and the green and low-carbon advantages have been given full play. Railway passenger transportation services have been upgraded. Fuxing high-speed electric multiple unit (EMU) trains have run through 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government. Transportation products have become increasingly diverse, and new services, including online ticket purchase, e-tickets, and online seat selection, have been introduced, making it more convenient and comfortable for people to travel and fundamentally resolving difficulties in getting tickets. Freight volume by rail reached 4.774 billion metric tons in 2021, an increase of 22.3% over 2012. The longstanding bottleneck of railway transportation has been effectively addressed, significant progress has been made in turning from highways to railways in freight transportation, and the transportation of key materials such as grain, fertilizer, and thermal coal has been effectively guaranteed.

Railway equipment and technologies have been improved. Railway equipment has been upgraded. Fuxing EMU trains have covered different speed levels and adapted to various operating environments, and intelligent EMU trains have achieved automatic driving at 350 kilometers per hour for the first time globally. China ranks among the world's advanced in terms of railway technology overall, leads the world in technologies for high-speed, plateau, alpine, and heavy-haul railways, and has formed a technological system for high-speed railway construction and equipment manufacturing with independent intellectual property rights.

The past decade has seen new progress in railway reform. Government functions and commercial operations have been separated through the railway management system, the industry supervision system has been constantly improved, and notable achievements have been made in transforming relevant government functions and streamlining administration and delegating power. Reform of the railway investment and financing system has been deepened, and the proportion of investment in railways by local governments and private capital has been increasing. China Railway has completed the introduction of corporate systems, and a number of companies, including Beijing-Shanghai High Speed Railway Co., Ltd., have been listed on the stock market. Important steps have been taken in law-based and market-oriented railway reform.

New prospects have opened up in terms of international cooperation on railway construction in the past 10 years. The China-Laos Railway, the Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway, and the Mombasa-Nairobi Railway have been put into operation successively, and the landmark project, the Jakarta-Bandung High Speed Railway, is progressing in an orderly manner. Railway technological equipment has been exported to more than 100 countries and regions, and the whole industrial chain has gone global. More than 150 Chinese railway technological standards have been published in foreign languages. The China-Europe freight trains have reached 185 cities in 23 European countries, a major achievement and highlight of the Belt and Road Initiative.

Going forward, we will always support key national strategies, uphold a people-centered philosophy, implement the new development philosophy in a sound, accurate, and comprehensive manner, promote high-quality railway development, and be a pioneer in China's modernization drive. Thank you.

Dong Zhiyi:

Ladies and gentlemen, friends from the media, Mr. Xu just now introduced the overall development of the transport sector since the 18th CPC National Congress, and now I would like to make a supplementary briefing on the development of civil aviation from four aspects.

First, civil aviation transportation has grown rapidly in scale. In the past decade, 82 civil airports have been built or relocated, bringing the total to 250; 3,000 new air routes have been added, bringing the total to 5,581. China has been in the top two in the world in terms of passenger traffic for 18 consecutive years. In 2019, the total turnover and passenger volume of civil aviation transportation more than doubled compared with 2012, and the volume of cargo and mail transportation was 1.3 times that in 2012. The air service network has covered 92% of prefecture-level administrative units, where 88% of China's population and 93% of China's economy is sustained.

Second, civil aviation services have been improved in quality and efficiency. The on-time flight rate has increased by 13.17 percentage points compared with 2012 and exceeded 80% for four consecutive years. The service model, featuring an interconnected civil aviation network integrating trunk lines, regional lines, and short-distance transportation of general aviation, has been implemented to promote flight services, especially to stimulate potential market demand in third- and fourth-tier cities. The proportion of passenger throughput of airports in central and western China in the whole industry has increased from 36.5% in 2012 to 45.2% in 2021. Forty-seven new transportation airports have been built in areas lifted out of poverty, with air services covering 83.6% of those same regions, an increase of 13 percentage points over 2012.

Third, civil aviation has played a prominent role in terms of strategic support. The share of civil aviation passenger turnover in the comprehensive transportation system has increased by 18 percentage points to 33.1%. China has vigorously promoted the construction of world-class airport clusters in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and the Chengdu-Chongqing economic zone to support key national and regional development strategies, and four major airport clusters have preliminarily taken shape. Ten major international aviation hubs, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, and Xi'an, and a modern airport system consisting of 29 regional hubs have been basically established in China. At the same time, China has signed bilateral air transportation agreements with 128 countries and regions and opened 895 international routes. Its domestic airlines operate regular international flights to 153 cities in 62 countries under normal conditions. We have promoted the development of international air logistics. There are now about 5,000 international cargo flights every week, reaching 123 cities in 52 countries around the world, which effectively ensures the stability of national industrial and supply chains. At the same time, we have actively integrated into the Belt and Road initiative. We have signed bilateral air transportation agreements with 100 Belt and Road countries and maintained regular passenger and cargo flights with 64 countries, with the number of flights accounting for more than 60% of China's total international flights.

Fourth, new business models and forms in the civil aviation industry are thriving. China has planned and built nearly 80 airport economic zones, including 17 national airport economic demonstration zones. China's civil aviation industry has played a more prominent role in the transformation and upgrading of industrial structures. Our business has maintained rapid growth, with an increasing number of new business models. The average annual flight hours grew by 12.5%. China now has 339 airports for civil aviation and 3,045 general aircraft. The number of registered drones reached around 830,000, with annual flight hours exceeding 10 million. It's fair to say that the aviation industry has become a new growth point for China's economic development.

Going forward, we will earnestly implement the important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping on civil aviation, in accordance with the strategic guidance of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council to push forward the plan for the development of the civil aviation industry during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025). We will coordinate development and security, strengthen our work on risk control and management, and work to defuse potential dangers. We will ramp up efforts to ensure the civil aviation industry grows smarter. We will pursue new progress while maintaining steady growth, promote high-quality development of the civil aviation industry, and promote the building of China's strength in the civil aviation sector to a new level. Thank you.

Dai Yingjun:

Friends from the media, good morning. Now I would like to brief you on the development of China's postal and courier industry. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the State Post Bureau has adhered to Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, fully studied and implemented the important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping on the postal and express delivery sector, and earnestly carried out the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council. We made decisive progress in the three critical battles against poverty, pollution and potential risk, steadfastly deepened supply-side structural reform, and firmly took measures to facilitate smooth flows in the economy and society. The post and express delivery sector has achieved leapfrog development, and a modern postal sector has been built to meet the demands of a moderately prosperous society. China has embarked on a new journey toward building its strength in the postal sector. 

First, we continue to cement the foundation for development. We have built a nationwide postal network that is accessible in rural areas and connects the rest of the world. The delivery capacity through high-speed trains and airlines continues to expand. The application of smart facilities and equipment such as unmanned warehouses, vehicles, and drones has been expedited, with up to around 700 million parcels being handled per day. 

Second, we continue to improve public service. We worked to provide more adequate postal service in equal measures to both rural and urban areas. During the 12th Five-Year Plan period (2011-2015), we built 8,840 postal offices at the town and township levels. As of the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020), all the villages in China were accessible by postal service. The express delivery network covered almost all towns and townships, and 80% of all villages, with the annual parcel volume per capita approaching 77. User satisfaction for postal and courier services stood at a high level.

Third, we continue to enhance governance capacity. We pushed forward the adoption of the amendment to the Postal Law and introduced the Interim Regulation on Express Delivery. We accelerated the making of laws, plans, policies, and standards in the postal and courier sector that matches the high-quality development. We deepened reform to streamline administration, delegate power, and improve regulation. We worked to optimize the business environment and stimulate the vitality of market entities. We enhanced our safety oversight capability, trained a number of high-caliber personnel, and worked to better protect the rights and interests of our employees at a primary level. There was a significant improvement in the sector's culture and soft power.

Fourth, the postal and courier sector has gained more influence on the whole. Over the past decade, revenue for the sector went up from 198.09 billion yuan to 1.26 trillion yuan, registering an annual growth of 22.9%. Its share in GDP went up from 0.37% to 1.11% last year. Parcel volume increased 18 times from 5.7 billion to 108.3 billion, ranking first in the world for eight years in a row. The postal and express delivery sector has played a major role in serving major national strategies, fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, and ensuring a stable and smooth supply chain. It also made contributions to removing impediments to major transportation arteries and facilitating circulation at the primary level. Thank you.

Xing Huina:

Thank you all for the introduction. Now the floor is open to questions. Please identify your media outlet before raising questions.

CCTV:

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, China has built and put into operation a significant amount of major transportation infrastructure, which not only ensured stable economic growthbut also diversified means of transportation for the people. So how has China's comprehensive transportation network developed over the past decade? What are the future work and arrangements? Thank you. 

Xu Chengguang:

Thank you for your questions. Transportation infrastructure provides an important foundation for the Party to govern and rejuvenate the country. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with comrade Xi Jinping at its core, we have adhered to the principle of making investments as appropriate and steadily increased our input in transportation infrastructure, achieving remarkable results. 

First, the comprehensive national transportation network has been improved. We accelerated the development of eight north-south and eight east-west high-speed lines, the "71118" national expressway network, world-class port clusters, and airport clusters. The comprehensive national transportation network has a total length of over 6 million kilometers. From 2012 to the end of 2021, the length of the railway and expressway increased by 1.1 million kilometers, which is equivalent to 27.5 rounds around the equator. High-speed railways and expressways covered more than 95% of cities with a population of over 200,000 in China. 

Second, the capacity of transportation infrastructure to serve national strategies has been enhanced. The development of the rail transit in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region is on a fast track. A comprehensive transportation corridor has taken shape along the Yangtze River Economic Belt. In the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay area, the commute between Guangdong and Hong Kong or Macao has been shortened to one hour. We have stepped up the building of the shipping hub connecting the Yangtze River Delta to the world. A trans-regional grand channel in the Yellow River basin has been built. We further promoted the integrated development of the transportation network in the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle. 

Third, the pace of transformation and upgrading of transport infrastructure has been accelerated. The digitization of transportation infrastructure keeps improving, and a national network of expressways has been put in place. The construction of the digital waterway chart database has covered the trunk lines of the Yangtze River and Xijiang River, and our capacity in core technologies, such as bridge-and-tunnel sea crossings and deep-water channels, are at the world's forefront.

In April, General Secretary Xi Jinping chaired the 11th meeting of the Central Commission for Financial and Economic Affairs. The meeting discussed issues about comprehensively strengthening infrastructure construction and made key plans on speeding up the construction of national integrated multidimensional transportation networks. We will fully implement the principles of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important remarks. We will work in accordance with the targets and tasks set in the outline in building China's strength in transportation and the outline on developing national integrated multidimensional transportation networks, focus on enhancing interconnectivity, shoring up weak links and consolidating strong links, and expedite the building of the modern and high-quality integrated multidimensional transportation networks.

First, a highly efficient framework of the integrated multidimensional transportation networks will be established, which features "six axes, seven corridors, and eight channels." A similar transport hub system will also be developed to ensure economic connectivity in different regions.

Second, transport infrastructure in key regions will be improved to better support the implementation of national strategies. Transportation conditions in old revolutionary base areas, ethnic minority areas, border areas, and rural areas are expected to see further improvement.

Third, a safe and reliable network of logistics and supply chains will be put in place in a bid to smooth domestic transportation, promote the development of global logistics and supply-chain systems, and stabilize industrial and supply chains.

Fourth, the digital transformation and smart upgrading of transport infrastructure will be accelerated, and green transport infrastructure will be further rolled out. We will also boost the integrated development of transport facilities and those concerning energy supplies, waterways, and information.

In the spirit of making appropriate and forward-looking plans, we are currently stepping up the construction of a series of strategic engineering projects, such as the Sichuan-Tibet Railway and its supporting highway project, the passageway between Xinjiang and Tibet, the canal project of the new western sea-land transportation channel, the container terminal in northern Xiaoyangshan island, as well as the waterway and aviation facilities of Ningbo Zhoushan Port and its integrated transport hub. These projects have offered support to stabilize investment, expand domestic demand, boost employment, ensure people's livelihood, and maintain stable macroeconomic performance. Thank you.

Cover News:

Over the past decade, China has built Beijing Daxing International Airport and Chengdu Tianfu International Airport. As an important part of the integrated transportation system and a key infrastructure of air transport, civil transport airports have seen remarkable progress in their construction. What are the major moves next concerning the construction of infrastructure in the civil aviation sector? Are there any highlights that we can look forward to? Thank you.

Dong Zhiyi:

Thank you for your questions. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, China's civil aviation sector has worked to support the implementation of major national strategies and regional coordinated development. We keep strengthening infrastructure construction in the civil aviation sector, and our supporting capacity continues to improve. Over the past decade, China's fixed-asset investment in the civil aviation sector has reached 800 billion yuan. That figure continued to exceed the 100-billion-yuan threshold in 2020 and 2021, hitting a record high. With 67 transport airports built and 15 more relocated in the past decade, the total number of transport airports in the country has been brought to 250. China also added 84 new runways, 8 million square meters of terminal buildings, and 3,000 aircraft stands. The total designed capacity of domestic airports can handle more than 1.4 billion passenger trips, which effectively mitigated the problem of shortage in airport facilities.

In the meantime, we have sped up the construction of modern integrated transport hubs centered around airports. The connectivity of hub airports and rail transit has reached 71.4%. We have also established and put into operation three world-leading air traffic control centers, namely the civil aviation operation management center, the aviation weather center, and the flight information management center. This remarkably improved our capacity to provide related services. In addition, we promoted the building of civil aviation safety test bases and sci-tech demonstration zones, and our ability to support scientific research and innovation saw remarkable improvement.

The 14th Five-Year Plan period is vital for China to upgrade from a single air transport powerhouse to one with civil aviation strength in multiple fields. The construction of civil aviation infrastructure will focus on breaking the bottlenecks in resource capacity, highlight an innovation-driven approach, and improve both quality and efficiency and build up synergy in a bid to establish a first-class civil aviation infrastructure system. The focuses of development are as follows:

First, we need to speed up the efforts to improve the modern and integrated national airport system. Focusing on expediting the building of hub airports, optimizing the layout of non-hub airports, improving the quality and efficiency of existing facilities, and building integrated airport transport hubs, we will continue to scale up investment, increase the supply of high-quality facilities, break bottlenecks in the hub's transport capacity, and further improve the quality of the integrated national airport system.

Second, we need to effectively improve the support and service capacity of air traffic control. With an aim to build a modern air traffic control system featuring great safety, efficiency, intelligence, and coordination, we need to enhance the capacity for air traffic control forces, improve the efficiency of their services, and enhance the traffic control ability of small and medium-sized airports. We also need to expedite the digital transformation of air traffic control and strengthen its leading and supportive role for the entire sector.

Third, we need to enhance the supportive role of science and education facilities. Focusing on the civil aviation industry's major demand and bottlenecks in the development and relevant cutting-edge technologies, we need to launch sci-tech innovation projects, establish sci-tech innovation platforms, improve the education facilities of civil aviation universities, develop key talented personnel for the sector at an accelerated pace, and improve the supply of talented personnel.

Fourth, we will steadily advance the construction of new type of infrastructure. We will further focus on the main task of developing intelligent civil aviation in the Special Plan for Passenger Services of Air Transport during the 14th Five-Year Plan period and implement the road map for intelligent civil aviation construction. Aiming at enhancing capacities for "digital perception, decision-making based on data, lean management, and meticulous services," we will coordinate the development of traditional and new types of infrastructure, build a foundation for a modern air transport system, and foster and develop new forms of business, new services, and new abilities so as to improve the quality and efficiency of the industry and expand the driving force for its development. 

This year marks an important year for fully implementing the 14th Five-Year Plan. The civil aviation industry increased investment in fixed assets and steadily promoted the development of airports, air traffic management, relevant science and education, and other major projects. From January to May, the investment in fixed assets across the whole industry reached 34.32 billion yuan, up by 6.6% year on year. It can be said that we got off to a good start. Thank you.

The Paper.cn:

General Secretary Xi Jinping made important instructions on the good building, management, maintenance, and operation of rural roads in 2014, 2016, and 2017, respectively. How has the Ministry of Transport promoted the high-quality development of the rural roads? Recently, the Commission for Financial and Economic Affairs of the Central Committee of the CPC and a State Council executive meeting made new arrangements for rural road construction and added new tasks to this year's original targets. How will the tasks be implemented next? Thank you.

Xu Chengguang: 

Thank you for your question. The project of building, managing, maintaining, and operating rural roads was summarized, proposed, arranged, and promoted by General Secretary Xi Jinping. The project is vital to improving people's livelihood and delivering good governance, which has gained public support. The implementation of this project will not only boost the economic development of rural areas, especially those in poverty, but also promote equity and shared benefits between urban and rural areas so as to help achieve common prosperity and inclusive development. 

Since the Party's 18th National Congress, the Ministry of Transport has thoroughly implemented General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions on rural roads to promote their high-quality development. 

First, the rural highway network has basically taken shape. Over the past decade, the central government has invested 743.3 billion yuan of vehicle purchase tax in rural highways, 506.8 billion yuan of which has been used in poor areas. A total of 2.53 million km of rural highways have been built or upgraded, making 1,040 townships and towns as well as 105,000 administrative villages accessible by paved roads. The total length of rural highways increased from 3.564 million kilometers at the end of 2011 to 4.466 million kilometers at the end of 2021, a net increase of more than 900,000 kilometers. 

Second, the highway conditions in rural areas have been constantly improved. The system of road chiefs at village, township, and county levels has been established. By the end of 2021, the paving rate, maintenance rate, and rate of rural highways evaluated as excellent, good, and medium increased to 89.8%, 99.5%, and 87.4%, respectively, which is basically equivalent to the service capacity of trunk highways in the country. 

Third, the transport services have been greatly refined. More than 50,000 extra administrative villages have been accessible by bus, and all administrative villages with the right conditions now have bus services. The dream of rural people enjoying convenient bus services has become a reality. In rural areas, the integrated development of passenger, freight and mail routes has also been significantly boosted, and transport services have been basically ensured. 

Fourth, transport has played a remarkable role in alleviating poverty and advancing prosperity. The integrated development of transport and e-commerce, as well as goods exchanged between cities and the countryside have facilitated the flow of people, goods, and capital between urban and rural areas, increasing rural incomes. A total of 774,000 rural highway-related jobs were created, with an average annual income of more than 13,000 yuan, and 381,000 people lifted out of poverty have taken such jobs. It can be said that in the past decade, the good building, management, maintenance, and operation of rural roads have brought about great changes in rural areas, which has made the countryside more prosperous and beautiful, brought vitality and wealth to rural areas, especially poor regions, and helped the Party gain more public support at the primary level. 

Next, we will follow the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council and actively and steadily build, manage, maintain, and operate rural roads. After completing the original annual targets of rural highways ahead of schedule, we will launch a new round of rural road construction and renovation efforts to build or upgrade an additional 30,000 kilometers of rural highways, implement a safety and life protection project along 30,000 kilometers of them, and renovate 3,000 dilapidated bridges on rural roads. With this on top of the original targets, it is expected that 150,000 kilometers of rural highways will be built or upgraded, 80,000 kilometers will see the implementation of a safety and life protection project, and 8,000 dilapidated bridges on rural highways will be refurbished within the year so as to provide more effective transport support for rural revitalization and common prosperity. Thank you.

China News Service:

In the last decade, more and more people have chosen to use postal express services, with the average annual delivery volume per capita exceeding 70 parcels. What role has the postal express industry played in serving production, promoting consumption, and smoothing circulation? Thank you. 

Dai Yingjun:

Thank you for your question. As one of the country's important strategic infrastructures and social organization systems, the postal system has played a positive role in serving production, promoting consumption, and smoothing circulation, which is mainly reflected in the following aspects: 

First, it has provided strong support for implementing national policies, benefiting the people, and facilitating business. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the postal network has been rapidly channeled to lower levels, realizing the establishment of postal offices in every township and the accessibility of postal services in every village. This has effectively guaranteed the smooth transmission and implementation of Party's and national policies, met people's need for postal services, and served poverty alleviation and rural revitalization strategies. At present, China has postal routes (one-way) of more than 10 million kilometers in total, an express service network (one-way) of more than 40 million kilometers in total, and 413,000 postal express outlets. The extensive postal express network has provided an important guarantee for the development of a unified domestic market. 

Second, the postal and courier sector facilitates the integrated development of industries. In terms of integrated development with modern agriculture, it has cultivated over 1,000 "One City, One Product" projects where post and express deliveries serve the transport of agricultural products to the cities, among which there are 100 gold medal projects, defined as those with an annual business volume of over 10 million packages. Among them, there may be projects in the hometowns of our friends from the media here, such as flowers and trees in Suqian, Jiangsu province, luoshifen rice noodles in Liuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, dried seafood in Rizhao, Shandong province, and citrus sinensis in Huaihua, Hunan province. There are also apples in Yan'an, Shaanxi province, and so on. In a word, there are cherries in the north, passion fruit in the south, kiwi fruit in the west, and dried seafood in the east. If you are interested, you can visit the State Post Bureau's website, where we have a post and express delivery map of the agricultural products across the country. In terms of the integrated development with manufacturing, it has developed models such as inbound logistics and the integration of warehousing and distribution, which has improved the service capacity of supply chains. In terms of integrated development with e-commerce, the postal and courier sector has accelerated the commodity circulation and become the main channel for serving e-commerce users. In addition, the online retail sales of physical goods supported by the postal and courier sector have exceeded 10 trillion yuan. 

Third, the postal and courier sector provides a vivid footnote for the "ubiquity" of express delivery. Since the Party's 18th National Congress, benefits of the policies in this sector have been continuously released. Automation and smart technology have been widely adopted. Major reductions in logistics costs have been achieved. And the scale advantage has become more evident. All of these have strongly supported the rapid development of various e-commerce businesses and greatly facilitated people's online shopping. Express delivery has reached thousands of households and has increasingly become a way of life and an important symbol of smooth economic flows.

Fourth, the postal and courier sector provides independent and controllable channels for domestic and international circulations. We are actively promoting the development of international delivery services, advancing the development of cross-border logistics networks, and accelerating the construction of international postal express-delivery hub clusters. By strengthening the cross-border services covering the complete supply chain, the sector is making contributions to the safety of international supply chains and the creation of a new pattern of development. Thank you.

Yicai:

Just now, in the speaker's introduction, he mentioned that by the end of 2021, China's total railway operational length had reached 150,000 kilometers, covering 81% of the counties nationwide. What role has the railway played in underpinning the country's economic and social development and the creation of a new pattern of development? What will be done next to promote the high-quality development of the railway system? Thank you.

An Lusheng:

Thanks for your question. The railway serves as the artery for the national economy. Bearing in mind the country's most fundamental interests, we have given full play to the role of the railway as a pioneer and backbone of development, advancing the implementation of national strategies and socio-economic development, which is mainly reflected in the following three aspects:

First, we have accelerated the construction of railway networks to promote the implementation of major national strategies. To serve poverty alleviation and rural revitalization, we have sped up railway development in central and western regions as well as impoverished areas, and have increased investment to support construction. By the end of 2021, the western region had gained 23,000 kilometers of new railways compared with 2012. To serve regional development, we have optimized the layout of railway networks in key regions such as the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze Economic Belt, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and the Chengdu-Chongqing economic zone to help create city clusters. To serve the Belt and Road Initiative, we have successively opened the Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway, Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway, and the China-Laos Railway; continued to promote cooperation in overseas railway projects; and advanced the high-quality development of the land-sea transit routes for the western region. Over the past decade, the "Four Vertical and Four Horizontal" High-Speed Rail Network has been completed, and the "Eight Vertical and Eight Horizontal" High-Speed Rail Network has started construction, which strongly supports the major national strategies.

Second, we have been strengthening transport capacity to contribute to sound economic and social development. Over the past decade, the railway's transport capacity has seen a marked growth, providing reliable transport guarantee for the steady operation of the national economy. Eighty percent of railway freight is used to transport key materials for the national economy and people's livelihood, such as coal, fertilizer, grain, and oil. At the same time, new freight products, including high-speed rail freight, cold chain transportation, and container trains, have been launched, and an efficient logistics service system has taken shape, which better meets the logistics needs of the people. The number of China-Europe freight train trips totaled 55,000, which has effectively ensured the smooth operation of the foreign trade industry and supply chains, making positive contributions to promoting international and domestic economic flows.

Third, we have improved the transport services to raise public satisfaction. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the number of passenger trains in operation has increased by 1.4 times, solving the severe shortage of transport capacity during the travel rush. Fuxing bullet trains have been covering more train trips, accounting for 73.6 percent of the total passenger trips in 2021. For the people, travel service has developed from "accessible" in the past to "comfortable" at present. Public welfare transportation has been continuously improved, with "slow trains" benefiting people along the railways. With the improvement of railway services, Chinese people have a stronger sense of gain, happiness, and security. Taking high-speed trains to tour China has become emblematic of ordinary people enjoying a better life. 

Next, to promote the high-quality railway development, we will mainly focus on the following three aspects:

First, we will advance railway construction in a scientific and orderly manner. We will launch of a series of major projects in the 14th Five-Year Plan period. The "Eight Vertical and Eight Horizontal" High-Speed Rail Network will be improved, and the layout of the standard railway network will be optimized. The problem of inadequate rail links in western China will be solved. We will vigorously develop intercity railways and urban railways and build integrated comprehensive transport hubs.

Second, we will keep up our efforts to improve the quality of transport. We will comprehensively refine the layout of freight lines, vigorously develop the integrated transport system, and continue to promote the adjustment of the mix of transport. We will ensure the operation of high-speed railways according to design standards and continuously promote the digital and intelligent transport services. 

Third, we will unswervingly promote safety in railway development. We will consolidate the foundation for workplace safety, improve safety management, and strengthen safety governance along the railway lines to ensure the sustained, steady and safe operation of the railway. Thank you.

CNBC:

The recent aircraft and railway accidents are the first domestic accidents to have taken place in several years. What will be done to investigate the cause of the accidents? What measures will be taken, and what investment will be made to ensure passengers' safety? Thank you.

Dong Zhiyi:

Thank you for your question. After the China Eastern Airlines Flight MU5735 aircraft accident on March 21, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) launched a technical investigation of the accident in accordance with China's relevant laws and regulations as well as the Conventions on International Civil Aviation. On April 20, we released a preliminary report and gave a briefing on the investigation of the accident. At present, investigators are carrying out in-depth examination of debris and material evidence, flight-data analysis, experimental verification, and other related work in strict accordance with the investigation procedures. As the investigation proceeds, the CAAC will release the latest progress and relevant information in accordance with laws and regulations in a timely and accurate manner. 

After the aircraft accident on March 21, the CAAC immediately launched the safety overhaul of the civil aviation sector, focusing on six aspects: understanding and thinking; selection of officials; implementation of rules, regulations, and standards; management chains; capacity of logistics; and delivery of duties. Fully implementing the instructions of leaders of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on ensuring safety in the civil aviation sector and organizing study sessions on the guiding principles of the national teleconference on workplace safety, the CAAC divided the rules of workplace safety into 15 hard measures in line with the plans made by the Work Safety Commission of the State Council. Since, we have been strengthening the screening of potential safety hazards in the civil aviation sector, launching a special campaign to prevent and defuse major risks. In particular, the CAAC recently initiated a whistleblower campaign in the civil aviation sector. The campaign aims to strengthen the oversight of officials and staff at all levels involving safety in the civil aviation sector and to fully mobilize workers on the ground to engage in security management and report safety hazards so that risks in aviation operations can be directly identified and prevented in a timely manner. 

Safety is the lifeline of the civil aviation sector. In line with the principle of putting people and their lives first, China will take comprehensive measures to improve safety in the civil aviation sector and proactively forestall major risks to ensure the absolute safety of airline operations and people's lives. 

An Lusheng:

I would like to add a few words. The bullet train D2809 from Guiyang to Guangzhou derailed at 10:22 a.m. on June 4 in a tunnel approaching Rongjiang Station, southwest Guizhou province, leaving one train driver died, and 12 others injured. Among the injured were two train attendants and 10 passengers. We felt deeply distressed to hear the accident. The national railway operator immediately launched an emergency response after the accident, sending a working group to the scene and making all-out efforts to rescue and assist in the aftermath with local governments. A preliminary probe showed that two of the bullet train's carriages came off the tracks at a point that had been covered by mud and rockslides caused by continuous rainfall and short periods of heavy rainfall in the area. The train was traveling at a very high speed.

After the accident, the railway sector launched safety inspections during flood season, with special attention to key areas and routes, such as tunnel entrances and sharp slopes. We also improved the alert system, enhancing monitoring of natural disasters, implementing a reporting system regarding railway safety, and establishing a communication mechanism between the railway and the public security departments, aiming to build a safety barrier during flood season to ensure safe travel. Thank you.

China Transport News:

Waterway transportation plays an important role in China's comprehensive transportation network. In recent years, waterway transportation elements such as China ports, automated terminals, marine patrol ships, and China Rescue and Salvage of Ministry of Transport of the People's Republic of China have been deeply rooted in people's hearts. Would you like to introduce us to the development of China's waterway transportation over the past decade? What will be the next focus? Thank you.

Xu Chengguang:

Thank you for your questions. Waterway transportation has several obvious advantages in terms of being able to transport large volumes of goods at low cost and in a green and low-carbon manner. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, China has developed into a major water transport country of significant influence around the world.

First, the waterway transportation infrastructure system has seen accelerated improvement. Its overall size remains the largest in the world. By the end of 2021, China had 128,000 kilometers of navigable inland waterways, including over 16,000 kilometers of high-grade inland waterways, as well as 20,867 operative berths, including 2,659 10,000-tonne class berths or above, basically forming world-class port clusters. These include the clusters around Tianjin-Hebei Region, the Yangtze River Economic Belt, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, all of which are the most economically dynamic regions in our country.

Second, the scale and structure of transport capacity have been constantly improved. By 2021, China had 126,000 transport vessels with a net load of 284 million tons, a handling capacity of 2.884 million TEUs containers, and 858 million passengers. The large-scale, specialized, and standardized development of ships has accelerated in recent years. The capacity of the shipping fleet controlled by China is 350 million deadweight tons, ranking second in the world. China has more than 1.8 million registered crew members, of which nearly 140,000 are sent abroad every year, ranking among the top in the world.

Third, the service quality has been constantly improved. China's ports for container throughput and cargo throughput are ranked seventh and eighth in the world, respectively. Among them, the Shanghai Port, Ningbo Zhoushan Port, and Shenzhen Port have topped the table in container throughput for several consecutive years. In terms of port loading efficiency, the average operation time of China's main ports is significantly outperformed that of foreign countries. For example, statistics show that in May this year, the average in-port time and berthing time for vessels in domestic container ports were 1.98 days and 1.04 days, respectively, significantly lower than the average 3.3 and 2.4 days in major foreign container ports. There are 10 automated terminals in China and eight under construction, ranking first in the world. The fourth phase terminal of Shanghai Yangshan Port is the largest single terminal in the world, with the highest degree of comprehensive automation and fully independent intellectual property rights. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the supply chain of China's water transportation and logistics has been stable and smooth, ensuring smooth flow of the country's exports and imports, contributing to the stability of the global industry and supply chains.

Fourth, steady progress has been made in waterway transportation. We put people and life first and launched special campaigns to address dangerous cargo operations at ports, ship collisions with bridges, and strengthen prevention and control of safety risks for water transportation and fishing vessels. The number of water traffic accidents, the toll of dead missing, the number of sunken ships, and direct economic losses decreased by 52.2% , 44.8%, 72.1%, and 51.6%, respectively, compared to 10 years ago. In addition, the emergency rescue capability has been continuously improved. In past years, China has properly handled the Eastern Star cruise capsizing, the Sanchi oil tanker collision, and participated in the salvage mission of the sunken ROK Sewol ferry, demonstrating China's responsibility as a major country.

Going forward, we will, in accordance with overall development and security requirements, strive to enhance the safety and resilience of waterway transport, improve its quality, efficiency, and momentum to achieve mutual benefit and win-win results in waterway transportation development, and work to accelerate the building of China's water transportation industry. Thank you.

The Beijing News:

We noticed that smart civil aviation was designated as a main theme of the industry according to plans on civil aviation development in the 14th Five-Year Plan issued earlier this year. What was the thinking behind this? What are the targets and focuses for the future development of smart civil aviation? And, in which aspects will the Civil Aviation Administration of China further promote its smart development? Thank you.

Dong Zhiyi:

That's a very good question. As we know, the new round of the IT-led and smart-based sci-tech revolution and industrial reforms are in full swing, especially in the application of a variety of new technologies, which are completely reshaping the form, model and pattern of the civil aviation industry. For us, we should earnestly uphold the principle of "giving top priority to the people" and "having the people's aviation serve the people." Specifically, we should conform to the historic trend to explore a wise development path in areas from aircraft manufacturing to flight operation, from air traffic to ground security, and from organizational management to providing service and products.

Therefore, based on the research and judgment of the situation and tasks in the coming five years, we made building smart civil aviation a main theme of the industry during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, with the aim of establishing an intelligent system that can "thoroughly perceive, widely interconnect, wisely coordinate and openly share." We will transform its development model, and make the foundation more secure, operation more efficient, transportation service more convenient, and governance system much improved. In particular, this January we issued a roadmap for building a smart civil aviation industry, further proposing smart air transportation and the coordinated aviation industry as our main tasks. Specifically, smart air transportation focuses on "smart travel, smart air traffic control, smart airports and smart supervision," which aims to make security checks more efficient, customs clearance faster, transfers smoother, "filling vacant seats," as well as creating a convenient and comfortable passenger service system and an efficient air logistics service system. It will improve the operation capacity and service level of air traffic featuring a comprehensive, refined and intelligent function, promote coordinated airport operation, people-centered services, intelligent operation, and digital construction and maintenance so as to build an integrated and innovative digital government and supervision platform. Meanwhile, industry coordinated development refers to incorporating 5G, BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, big data, artificial intelligence and other digital industry applications to civil aviation through building a "civil aviation + digital industry" community, "civil aviation + advanced manufacturing" industrial chains, as well as a "civil aviation + green low-carbon" ecosystem to link the whole industry chain of advanced equipment manufacturing, maintenance and operation. We will also use green technologies, sustainable fuels and new energy equipment to realize the deep integration among industries and sectors and pursue the industry's high-quality development.

At present, the building of smart civil aviation has achieved initial success in its mechanism guarantee, top-level design, standard formulation, demonstration and application. For example, 234 airports across the country have provided passengers with paperless travel, and 40 airports with annual passenger numbers exceeding 10 million have brought in "easy security check-in" services, increasing the efficiency of check-in by 30%. In addition, the luggage tracing system has upgraded its network via radio frequency identification. Through these smart functions, the efficiency of civil aviation has been greatly enhanced and its services have been significantly improved. Next, we will continue to push forward the smart development of civil aviation from the following four aspects according to public concerns:

First, we will implement civil aviation's roadmap for smart development and turn specific scenario applications into projects and engineering approaches.

Second, we must pay close attention to and exceed with basic research on key points, tackle the problems hindering development, promote the deep reform of civil aviation, and form a good policy environment to secure the construction of smart civil aviation.

Third, we must improve the management and control of data resources, improve the standards and specifications of data-based governance, smooth the interaction path of data, deepen data analysis capabilities, and effectively unleash the value of data.

Fourth, we must strengthen talent support. We must cultivate versatile personnel suitable for developing smart civil aviation, and cultivate backbone employees, experts and scholars with innovative abilities, so as to build a professional team with strong professional skills and high professional quality. Thank you.

Beijing Youth Daily:

My questions are about the postal and express delivery industry. China has built a modern postal industry compatible with the country's moderately prosperous society. What is the gap between this postal and express delivery industry and the people's new demands and expectations for a fine postal service? What plans do we have, and what measures will we take to address the shortcomings? Thank you.

Dai Yingjun:

Thank you for your questions. With years of rapid development, the postal and express delivery industry has made great achievements. However, we must see that unbalanced and insufficient development is still the main problem faced by China's postal and express delivery industry. It is essentially a problem of low development quality. This is mainly reflected in the following areas:

First, the basic capabilities need to be improved at an accelerated rate. The comprehensive logistics capacity is not strong enough. The cross-border logistics supply chain is not independent and controllable enough. The role of the national strategic infrastructure is not fully played.

Second, the service quality needs to be quickly improved. Some enterprises are relatively extensive in operation and management. They are not deeply embedded in the industrial chain. Their service quality is unstable, their mid-to-high-end supply is insufficient, and their operations remain at the mid-to-low end of the value chain.

Third, the governance capacity needs to be quickly improved. Governance capabilities do not fit the scale and development of the industry, and security and emergency support need to be further improved.

On the new journey, the State Post Bureau will continue to adhere to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and resolutely implement the requirements of "grounding our work in the new stage of development, fully and faithfully applying the new development philosophy, and fostering a new pattern of development, so as to promote high-quality development." We will take it as our responsibility to better meet the needs of the people for a better postal service in life, and focus on promoting the following work:

First, we will speed up the construction of high-level hub networks. We will focus on enhancing the ability to coordinate development with comprehensive transport hubs, promote the building of various postal and express delivery hubs, speed up the pace of building an international mailing and delivery network, and continue to improve the capability and the radiating and driving role of international hubs at home and abroad. We will strengthen the building of sorting and processing centers and intelligent mailing and delivery facilities for the public express delivery industry. We will continue to promote infrastructure construction in the central and western regions, accelerate the integration of the three-level mailing and delivery service system in counties, townships and villages, and build village-level comprehensive mailing and delivery service stations.

Second, we shall accelerate the construction of high-level service capabilities. We will promote the cost division, service hierarchy and product classification of the express delivery business, and steadily realize reasonable pricing, high quality and fair price. We will support the development of precise services such as appointment delivery, relocation delivery, and time-changing delivery, comprehensively use drones and unmanned vehicles, and encourage contactless delivery. We will deeply implement the "two-intos and one-out" program, focusing on continuous improvement of quality and efficiency in terms of "express delivery services launched into villages", accelerating the formation of scale in terms of "express delivery service into enterprises", and ensuring safety and reliability in terms of "express delivery out to the overseas."

Third, we will speed up the building of high-efficiency governance capabilities. We will strengthen the administration of postal services in accordance with the law and improve the regulation and policy system. We will strengthen comprehensive governance and continuously improve the mechanism of departmental coordination, multi-party co-governance, and dual management. We will enrich governance methods, improve the oversight model using randomly selected inspectors to inspect randomly selected entities and requiring the prompt release of results, carry out credit supervision, joint supervision, classified supervision, and list-based supervision, and enhance the ability to supervise the whole chain during and after the event. We will strengthen information disclosure and play a guiding role. We will guide enterprises to improve the modern enterprise system and strengthen standardized internal management. We will conduct strict accountability for safe production and take multiple measures to improve intrinsic safety. At the same time, we will strengthen the construction of an emergency management system and enhance emergency support capabilities.

Through the 14th Five-Year Plan and the construction of the postal industry when building China into a country with great transport strength in the future, we will surely be able to see an enterprising and more satisfactory postal and express delivery industry. Thank you.

Beijing Office of Changjiang Daily:

One of China's successful examples of independent innovation is the high-speed train, an outstanding Chinese business card. What scientific and technological innovations has China's railway achieved in recent years? What measures will be taken in the next step to promote railway technology innovations? Thank you.

An Lusheng:

Thank you for your questions. In recent years, the railway industry has forged a road of independent innovation in promoting scientific and technological innovation, focusing on promoting independent R&D and industrial application of key technologies. At present, the overall technical level of railways has entered the world's advanced ranks, and in some fields, the technologies have reached the world's leading level, which provide all-round scientific and technological support for the development of China's railways. The results can be summarized in three aspects:

First, the equipment technology level is leading the world. We have successfully developed the Fuxing, the China-standard EMU train, with independent intellectual property rights, and formed a product lineup of EMUs at the speeds of 160, 250 and 350 kilometers per hour. The Beijing-Zhangjiakou high-speed railway realized the commercial operation of autonomous driving at a speed of 350 kilometers per hour for the first time in the world. The high-speed maglev transport system with a speed of 600 kilometers per hour, the variable-gauge high-speed EMU with a speed of 400 kilometers per hour, and the high-speed freight EMU with a speed of 350 kilometers per hour have all successfully rolled off the production line.

Second, the project construction technology system is complete. China has mastered a complete set of high-speed railway construction technologies in complex conditions, and framed heavy-haul railway construction technology systems covering various axle load levels. We have resolved problems in key technologies, including the construction of super-long span bridges, and developed a wide-ranging and interwoven railway network.

Third, operational security has been significantly improved. China has mastered high-density cross-line transport scheduling technology for high-speed trains in complex railway network conditions, leading the world in transport density and train punctuality. We have developed a three-pronged security system consisting of personnel, physical and technical protection, providing strong support for continuous railway safety.

Next, the railway department will adopt four measures for sci-tech innovation. First, we will improve our comprehensive strength in survey and design to make breakthroughs in key technologies of project construction in complex and dangerous mountainous areas so as to support the construction of major national projects. Second, we will promote the development of higher-speed smart bullet trains and advanced carrying equipment to frame an advanced, applicable, complete and controllable railway equipment system. Third, we will further integrate the cutting-edge technologies, including the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System and the 5G technology, into the railway sector for convenient passenger transport, freight logistics, and efficient scheduling. Fourth, we will develop and apply key technologies that can reduce comprehensive railway energy consumption, strengthen ecological protection and restoration, reduce pollutant emissions, etc., to build a higher level of green ecological railways. Thank you.

Xing Huina:

The last question, please.

CNR:

Transport is related to each of us. It is a sector where people can have the strongest sense of gain. What efforts has the Ministry of Transport made over the past decade to improve people's travel experience and the quality of transport services? What considerations will come next? Thank you.

Xu Chengguang:

Thank you for your questions. Transport and logistics indeed have a bearing on the national economy and people's livelihoods, connecting both production and consumption. They are closely related to each of us.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the transport industry has acted via a people-centered development philosophy to give priority to serving economic development and improving people's livelihoods, and strived to develop the transport to the satisfaction of the people.

First, we have given priority to improving service supply capability. By the end of 2021, the number of commercial passengers had reached 8.303 billion, and the commercial cargo volume 52.16 billion metric tons. To be specific, high-speed train passengers made 2.53 billion trips, five times the number in 2012. The length of expressways that opened to traffic exceeded 160,000 kilometers, and the density of the highway network reached 55 kilometers per 100 square kilometers, up 24.6% from that in 2012. At roughly 95%, shipping makes up the lion's share of China's foreign trade cargo transport. China's international shipping volume accounts for one-third of the global shipping volume.

Second, we have paid more attention to ensuring equal transport services that benefit everyone. We have stepped up efforts to boost the integration of urban and rural transport. With rural-urban buses, inter-city buses and rural buses, more and more rural residents enjoy the same travel services as urban residents. Public transport services ranked first in the satisfaction score of the national public service quality monitoring in 2021.

Third, we have continued to focus on improving the quality of transport services. By the end of 2021, a total of 51 cities nationwide had operational urban rail transit, the total mileage of which increased by 4.2 times compared with that in 2012. We have promoted paperless travel, with e-tickets basically covering all railways and civil aviation. We have accelerated the improvement of the travel service system for the elderly to help them buy tickets. Ride-hailing services now cover more than 300 cities at and above the prefecture level in China, with average daily orders standing at about 21 million. Customized passenger transport services have been launched in 27 provinces, effectively satisfying people's needs for door-to-door travel services.

Fourth, regarding the supply of transport products, we have paid more attention to providing rich and diversified services. We have promoted one-stop travel services, accelerated the development of air-rail combined transport, and realized mutual recognition of railway and urban rail transit security checks at many passenger transport hubs. We have sped up the development of multimodal transport to ensure full service across the whole process with a waybill once commissioned. In 2021, the rail-water combined transport services delivered 7.54 million TEUs, with an average annual growth of 23.8%.

Next, we will continue to build an express transport network for travels and logistics at home and abroad, accelerate the development of intermodal passenger transport and multimodal cargo transport, and create a convenient, smooth, cost-effective, open and shared, green, smart, safe, reliable, modern, and comprehensive transport service system to improve people's sense of gain, happiness, and security. Thank you.

Xing Huina:

Today's briefing is hereby concluded. Thank you to all speakers and friends from the media. 

Translated and edited by Zhang Jiaqi, Zhou Jing, Zhu Bochen, Zhang Junmian, Xu Xiaoxuan, Liu Sitong, Xu Kailin, Liu Qiang, Ma Yujia, Li Huiru, Zhang Tingting, Wang Yiming, Chen Xia, Zhang Rui, He Shan, Cui Can, Wang Qian, David Ball, Jay Birbeck and Tom Arnstein. In case of any discrepancy between the English and Chinese texts, the Chinese version is deemed to prevail.