.

Read in Chinese

Speakers:

Wang Zhigang, minister of science and technology

Hou Jianguo, president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)

Li Xiaohong, president of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE)

Zhang Yuzhuo, vice president of the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) and chief executive secretary of the Secretariat of CAST

Li Jinghai, president of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC)

Chairperson:

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

Date:

June 6, 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 sixth press conference under the theme of "China in the past decade." Today, we have invited Mr. Wang Zhigang, minister of science and technology; Mr. Hou Jianguo, president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS); Mr. Li Xiaohong, president of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE); Mr. Zhang Yuzhuo, vice president of the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) and chief executive secretary of the Secretariat of CAST; and Mr. Li Jinghai, president of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), to brief you on China's innovation-driven development strategy to build a country strong in science and technology, and to take your questions.

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

Wang Zhigang:

Ladies and gentlemen, friends from the media, good morning. First of all, I would like to thank all friends from the media for your long-term interest, understanding and support for the cause of scientific and technological innovation. I am very glad to meet with you today along with my colleagues from the scientific field and to share with you the developments in sci-tech innovation in the past decade. We are very happy to discuss issues of interest with you.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has taken innovation as the primary driving force for development and put it at the heart of the overall development of the Party and the country. With Chinese characteristics and the overall trend of global development in mind, the CPC Central Committee has created plans and arrangements for sci-tech innovation in the new era based on the features of the current situation. Our goal is to build China into a country of innovators and a country strong in science and technology; our position is to take independent sci-tech capabilities as a strategic support for national development; our strategy is to continuously and fully drive development through innovation; and our path is to firmly follow independent innovation with Chinese characteristics. The blueprint for China's sci-tech undertaking has been drawn, and the cause of sci-tech innovation is being steadily advanced.

Over the past decade, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee, with the concerted nationwide efforts of the scientific and technical field and its personnel, China's sci-tech cause has experienced major historic, holistic and structural changes, turning the country into a nation of innovators and helping it blaze a development path transitioning from strong talent and sci-tech capabilities to strong industries, economy and state. China's total investment in research and development (R&D) increased from 1.03 trillion yuan in 2012 to 2.79 trillion yuan in 2021, and its proportion of R&D spending increased from 1.91% to 2.44% of GDP. China rose to 12th on the World Intellectual Property Organization's Global Innovation Index in 2021, up from 34th in 2012. China's position and role in the global innovation landscape have undergone new changes. China is not only an important participant in cutting-edge international innovation, but also a significant contributor to the resolution of global issues.

Over the past decade, local regions, departments and sci-tech personnel across the country have thoroughly implemented the strategic arrangements of the CPC Central Committee; central and local governments have coordinated their efforts; the eastern, central and western regions have cooperated on innovation; and sci-tech, industries and the financial sector have achieved integrated development. Coordinated efforts have been made to support growth, deepen reform and expand opening-up, gathering the force of the whole country together to press ahead with innovation. 

We have formed a new strategic structure for sci-tech innovation that supports development and ensures security based on four aspects we are faced with. Facing the international frontier of science and technology, we have remained goal-oriented and upheld free exploration at the same time, and made a number of original achievements with international influence in such fields as quantum information, stem cells and brain science. Facing the main battlefield of the economy, we have applied high-quality science and technology to drive industries toward the medium- and high-end, and ensured the safety and stability of industrial and supply chains. The application of emerging technologies such as supercomputing, artificial intelligence, big data and blockchain has accelerated, which has created a boom in the digital economy and other new industries and business forms. Facing major national needs, we have moved faster to make breakthroughs in key, core technologies, and reinforced weak links and strengthened capabilities in priority areas of strategic importance. We have supported the smooth implementation of major projects such as the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and the Sichuan-Tibet Railway. Deep-sea oil and gas as well as coal have been utilized cleanly and efficiently, and new nuclear power technologies have provided strong guarantees for national energy security. Facing people's lives and health, high-level forces have been organized nationwide to make scientific research breakthroughs in pandemic emergency response, and a set of sci-tech innovations have been achieved in vaccines, drugs, testing reagents and other areas, which has strongly supported the pandemic prevention and control work. Innovative drugs, domestic high-end medical equipment, and advanced diagnosis and treatment technologies have allowed people to benefit from more high-quality innovations.

We have remained committed to promoting innovation through reform and fully stimulated the enthusiasm and creativity of innovators and researchers in all areas. People hold the key to sci-tech innovation. Reforms to the sci-tech system over the past decade have made their way into people's lives, and the systems and mechanisms for cultivating, utilizing, evaluating, galvanizing and introducing talent have been improved. Reforms to sci-tech plans and research funding management have relieved the burden on scientific researchers, the development of research integrity has created a good environment for innovation, and the capacities of innovators have been enhanced. The construction of a national laboratory system with Chinese characteristics has been accelerated, the capabilities of high-level research universities and scientific research institutes have been consistently boosted, a group of internationally competitive sci-tech enterprises have been thriving, and the national innovation system has become more efficient and smoother. 

We have remained steadfast in opening wider and developed a new pattern of all-dimensional, multi-tiered and wide-ranging international sci-tech cooperation. Openness and collaboration are intrinsic to development underpinned by science and technology, and indispensable for addressing global challenges. Over the past 10 years, we have pursued a strategy of open, inclusive and mutually beneficial international sci-tech cooperation, and have made constant progress regarding collaborations in the field with 161 countries and regions. Innovation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has been accelerated. Our joint research with other countries in fields including climate change, food security, and people's lives and health have yielded fruitful results. In the future, China will open its science and technology sector even wider. We are ready to exchange and cooperate with sci-tech counterparts from more countries and to make greater contributions to global sci-tech progress and sustainable development.

At the same time, we are keenly aware that there are still many weaknesses and shortages in China's sci-tech innovation in terms of originality, high-end personnel, and key, core technologies. We need to seize important development opportunities while dealing with a series of risks and challenges. We believe that under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, the nationwide sci-tech community will further strengthen its confidence in innovation, strive to overcome difficulties, scale new heights and speed up the promotion of high-level independent science and technology. We will make new strides and achieve new accomplishments on the new journey toward building a country strong in science and technology, and pave the way for a successful 20th CPC National Congress with concrete actions.

Thank you.

Shou Xiaoli:

Thank you, Mr. Wang, for the introduction. Now the floor is open to questions. Please identify your media outlet before raising questions.

Xinhua News Agency:

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, scientific and technological innovation has played an increasingly prominent role in economic and social development. As for implementing the requirements put forward by General Secretary Xi Jinping for developing cutting-edge technologies to spur economic growth, to meet the country's critical needs, and to improve the people's health, what role has scientific and technological innovation played in supporting China's high-quality development? What are the future plans and considerations? Thank you.

Wang Zhigang:

Thank you for your questions. First, we need to identify what high-quality development is. One of the major indicators for high-quality development is to shift the growth model from being factor-driven to innovation-driven, which is also one of the most important features of high-quality development. Second, how does science and technology support high-quality development? Science and technology should play its role in such areas as development of industries, companies, and regions, as well as major projects, and the building of talent pool. We need to promote the role of science and technology, which achieve far-reaching penetration and are of transformational significance and give impetus to high-quality development, offering technical support and nurturing new growth areas. New science and technology always help with the development of new industries. 

First, science and technology have led the development of emerging industries. Application of artificial intelligence, big data, blockchain, quantum communication, and other emerging technologies have created new products and new business models such as smart terminals, remote medical services, and online education. China's digital economy ranks second in the world. Technological breakthroughs have removed impediments to China's emerging industries. China is also among the top in the world in terms of the solar photovoltaic industry, wind power, new-type displays, solid-state lighting, and advanced energy conservation. 

Second, science and technology have helped upgrade traditional industries. With more than 20 years' research and development of battery electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, fuel-cell electric vehicles, and battery and management systems, driving motor and power electronics and internet and intelligent technologies, China has formed a relatively complete layout for scientific and technological innovation in the new energy vehicles (NEVs) sector. NEV production and sales ranked first globally for a seventh straight year. China is rich in coal, which is the country's primary source of energy. Therefore, the country has accelerated R&D on the clean and efficient use of coal. R&D on ultra-supercritical electricity generators with an installed capacity of one million kW has been ongoing for 15 years, with coal consumption falling to the coal equivalent of 264 grams per kilowatt-hour, which is much less than the national average and leads the world. So far, related technology and demonstrative projects have been promoted across the country, accounting for 26% of the total installed capacity of coal-fired power. 

Third, the building of major projects has been underpinned by science and technology. A series of major projects, including an ultra-high-voltage power transmission project, networking of the Beidou navigation satellites, and Fuxing bullet trains, were put into operation in recent years, which are all supported by major technological breakthroughs. The operation of Deep Sea No.1, China's self-developed deep-water gas field, demonstrates the country's capability of ultra deep-water drilling for oil and gas, with its operational water depth exceeding 1,500 meters.

Fourth, science and technology have enhanced the competitiveness of companies. Companies continued to increase their spending on science and technology. Their R&D spending accounted for more than 76% of the country's total. China increased the additional tax deduction for R&D expenses from 50% in 2012 to 75% in 2018, and then increased this deduction to cover 100% of such expenses for small and medium sci-tech enterprises and manufacturing companies. The number of new- and high-tech enterprises grew from 49,000 over 10 years ago to 330,000 in 2021, and their R&D spending accounted for 70% of all companies' spending on R&D in the country. Tax paid by new- and high-tech enterprises increased from 0.8 trillion yuan in 2012 to 2.3 trillion yuan in 2021. New- and high-tech enterprises accounted for over 90% of the companies listed on the sci-tech innovation board of the Shanghai Stock Exchange and Beijing Stock Exchange.

Fifth, science and technology have promoted innovation in regional development. Beijing, Shanghai, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area have played a leading role in pursuing innovation-driven development, with their R&D spending accounts for more than 30% of the total. In Beijing and Shanghai, 70% and 50% of their transaction volume of technology contracts, respectively, were signed with other provinces and cities, demonstrating their role in leading innovation-driven development. A total of 169 national new- and high-tech development zones are home to one-third of the country's new- and high-tech enterprises, with per capita labor productivity in these regions being 2.7 times the national average. These companies provide 9.2% of jobs for college graduates nationwide. From January to April, revenues in national new- and high-tech development zones increased by 7.8% year on year to 13.7 trillion yuan, demonstrating a steady growth momentum. 

Sixth, we have cultivated top sci-tech talents. Well-trained professionals and strong sci-tech capacity are the prerequisite for a country to become great and prosperous. They are also the most enduring driving force and a most important leading force for high-quality development. We attached greater importance to talents and regarded them as the primary resource. We discovered, trained, and cultivated talents in our progress of pursuing innovation. A great number of sci-tech professionals forged ahead together in an unyielding spirit and made major breakthroughs in core technologies, such as manned spaceflight, satellite navigation, and deep water exploration. On Sunday, China launched the spaceship Shenzhou-14, marking the beginning of a new era in the development of its space station. China is also home to a great number of internationally competitive high-tech companies, which have made great contributions to solving critical scientific questions and removing barriers in social and economic development.

Next, we will accelerate and strengthen basic research. Integrated development of applications and technological innovation will be put in place. We will reinforce the principal position of enterprises in innovation, continue to sharpen our competitive edge in development, and build new power engines to achieve high-quality development. Thank you.

CNR:

General Secretary Xi Jinping has put forward that the popularization of science and sci-tech innovation are of equal importance. What progress has China made in improving the science literacy of the people? What are the problems that need to be addressed? What is the focus of our future works? Thank you.

Zhang Yuzhuo:

Thank you for your questions. Over the past decade, thanks to the popularization of science, China has seen significant improvement in the proportion of scientifically literate Chinese citizens. During the 13th Five-Year Plan period, in 2015, the proportion of scientifically literate Chinese citizens was 6.2%. In 2020, the proportion increased to 10.56%. The uptick was mainly caused by the improvement in organizing activities to help people learn more about science. We built an organizational system for popularizing science in which provincial-level authorities integrated policies and working mechanisms, municipal-level authorities established centers for distributing resources, and county-level authorities put measures into practice. Based on the new era civilization practice centers and community service centers, we have established a system for popularizing science at the community level which is carried out through the means of voluntary service. Our organization system covers six aspects, including the brand, platform, mechanism, team, reform, and fronts. China Science Communication is just one of our brand products, which provides online and offline services to help people learn more about science. Files on the China Science Communication platform contained a total of 53 terabytes of data, which can be promoted through 715 distribution channels of all kinds. The total visits of the platform have reached 41.6 billion so far. It has become the most authoritative popular-science platform in the country and also played an important role in epidemic prevention and control works.

In addition, the modern system of science and technology museums with Chinese characteristics has developed rapidly. The number of brick-and-mortar science and technology museums has grown from 118 in 2012 to 408 at present. A noteworthy highlight is our itinerant science and technology exhibition program, an initiative with Chinese characteristics aiming to promote the joint development and sharing of popular science resources and enhance the social benefits of these resources. The program has so far been carried out at 4,944 stops, and the mileage of popular science caravans used for such exhibitions has exceeded 50 million kilometers. Moreover, 1,112 science and technology museums have been built in rural middle schools. The number of users of China's digital science and technology museums has reached more than 15 million. The modern system of science and technology museums has so far served more than 850 million people offline. We have also developed a "Science Facts" platform to refute misinformation about science together with relevant ministries and committees, mobilized 125 well-known domestic institutions to launch the China Alliance for Scientific Literacy, and successfully encouraged 2.13 million science and technology workers to register as science and technology volunteers. International cooperation has also deepened. In line with the spirit of the congratulatory message of General Secretary Xi Jinping to the first World Conference on Science Literacy in 2018, which has now been held for four editions, we have pushed forward the preparations for the establishment of the World Organization for Science Literacy and further developed such initiatives as the Belt and Road Teenager Maker Camp.

Nonetheless, as you just noted, there is still a significant imbalance in science literacy between urban and rural areas and among different regions, and we need to make persistent efforts. First, primarily led by the National Action Plan for Science Literacy, we will strengthen coordination among different ministries and committees and get the whole society more involved so that everyone will be popularizing science for the benefit of all. Second, we will guide the flow of popular science resources and services in favor of less developed areas, especially the western regions. We will vigorously carry out science and technology initiatives in Xinjiang and Tibet to aid their development and bring prosperity to border areas and their residents to narrow the gap among regions. Third, we will continue to promote popular science programs in rural areas as part of the efforts to achieve rural vitalization. Focusing on members of the village branches of the Party and villagers' committees as well as high-caliber farmers, we will push for a general improvement in the science literacy of rural residents. We will further carry out volunteer science and technology service initiatives to help address the imbalance between urban and rural development.

Thank you.

Science and Technology Daily:

In the past decade, from the manned spaceship to the Chang'e lunar probe, from the hybrid rice to nuclear power, a number of major projects and equipment from China have attracted worldwide attention. Could you share with us how engineering technology has supported the high-quality development of the Chinese economy? What is the role of the CAE in it? Thank you.

Li Xiaohong:

Thank you for your questions. I'm Li Xiaohong from the CAE. When attending the International Conference on Engineering Science and Technology on June 3, 2014, President Xi Jinping delivered the speech "Let Engineering Science and Technology to Create a Better Future for Humankind," which, I believe, offers a profound insight into engineering science and technology and fully emphasizes the importance of engineering science and technology in economic development. During the past decade, since the 18th CPC National Congress in particular, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, China made historic achievements in engineering science and technology. It can be said that the past decade has seen China's most significant progress in engineering science and technology and the fastest improvement in scientific and technological strength. I would like to make three points:

First, a large number of world-class projects were completed during the decade. In terms of space exploration, there is the Tianwen-1 Mars probe, the space station core module Tianhe and the Chang'e lunar probe. At sea, there is the Deep Sea No.1, the country's self-operated deep-water gas field. On land, China's high-speed railways, dams, bridges, and ports are all its hallmarks in the world. We all know that China's high-speed railways have attracted worldwide attention. Regarding bridges, the famous Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge is the longest cross-sea bridge in the world. Concerning dams, you probably know the Three Gorges Dam, but we also have the Xiangjiaba Dam, Xiluodu Dam, and Baihetan Dam, among other water conservancy projects. These are all major projects that have been accomplished through development in science and technology in the past decade, and all of them involve efforts from members of the CAE. However, the most important factor behind all these achievements, I think, is that China has given play to its unique new system of concentrating nationwide effort and resources on key national undertakings under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core.

Second, members of the CAE have also contributed to major scientific and technological breakthroughs. Whether it is the development of future vehicles and data ports or the development of industrial and supply chains, 5G, Beidou satellites, new energy, advanced nuclear energy, and UHV power transmission, members of the Chinese Academy of Engineering have all pitched in.

Third, engineering science and technology have delivered more benefits to the people. As we all know, food security would be impossible without academician Yuan Longping. Academicians Zhong Nanshan, Zhang Boli, and Chen Wei have contributed to the Healthy China initiative and the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Engineering science and technology have also helped win the battles against air, water, and land pollution and strongly supported the continuous improvement of the ecological environment. In addition, the CAE has made an important contribution to the west-to-east gas transmission project, the south-to-north water transfer project, the Sichuan-Tibet Railway project, the east-to-west computing resource transfer project, as well as poverty alleviation through science and technology and the realization of the first centenary goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. That's all I would like to say. Thank you.

Global Brazilian Newspaper:

The recent measures of the State Council to boost the economy highlight incentives to the technology sector. Which specific areas of the technology industry could have most in the recovery of the economy from the COVID lockdowns? Do the recent measures mean an ease on the regulatory restrictions that were applied on the sector last year? 

Wang Zhigang:

Thank you for your questions. While having important roles to play when the economy and industry develop smoothly, science and technology have greater roles to play when economic and industrial development encounter problems or challenges. You asked about the specific areas of technology or disciplines that will provide more support to economic development or have the potential to solve bigger economic problems. In fact, in terms of science itself, disciplines cross each other. To truly form economic activities, industrial scales, and products requires the organic combination of different disciplines and different fields. Only in this way can the development of the economy be supported. As far as economic or industrial fields are concerned, multiple economic or industrial fields need to develop in tandem. Of course, the structures of various industries are not necessarily the same. Some account for a higher proportion, and some for a lower proportion. There are underlying reasons for this. We need to use the methodologies and ways of thinking of the system theory to study how to promote the scientific and technological elements in economic development.

Regarding science and technology restriction or supervision you just mentioned, in fact, any government's management consists of two aspects: incentive and restriction. There is no case of incentives only or restrictions only. Instead, incentives and restrictions are applied as is necessary. The most important thing is to judge how many positive benefits they can bring to economic and social development and see whether they are in line with scientific and technological development laws and corporate development and comply with laws and regulations. This is the case in all countries. Our country places incentives in a more important position more often, believing that our entrepreneurs and enterprises can make more positive contributions to the entire economy, society, and people's wellbeing while achieving corporate development in line with regulations. This is the foremost criterion. Under this criterion, we make adjustments as circumstances change. Given different times, targets, occasions, and fields, we adopt different adjustments and make the right choice.

Thank you.

China Media Group (CMG):

China has forged ahead and overcome challenges in reforming the science and technology management system. What progress has been made in this regard since the 18th CPC National Congress? What are the priorities for future reforms? What hard measures will be adopted? Thank you.

Wang Zhigang:

Thank you for your question. It is an important issue. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the reform of the science and technology management system has been an essential component in China's reform efforts and has always been given a top priority. The development of science and technology should support scientific and technological activities and provide the driving force for development. We have always pursued the innovation of science and technology and that of systems and institutions. The innovation of systems and institutions means reform. Productivity decides relations of production, which are both subject and conducive to productivity. Science and technology are productive, and their reform is mainly to improve the relations of production. Through the reform, key players, activities, and environment in China's innovation will be enhanced to encourage more people to devote themselves to science and technology and to stimulate the enthusiasm and creativity for innovation, which has been reflected in laws, policies, culture and the spirit of our nation's scientists.

The 143 reform tasks set out in the Implementation Plan for Deepening Scientific and Technological System Reform have been completed. Recently, we have introduced a three-year action plan to advance the reform of the science and technology management system. That is to say, in addition to the 143 tasks, further reforms are needed to deal with some tough issues.

We have introduced new rounds of interlocking reforms one after another to go deeper. The reform will not stop. The changing development situation requires us to deepen reform to make China's systems, institutions, and social and cultural atmosphere better meet the needs of scientific and technological development and the demands of scientists and technicians.

First, we have deepened the reform of evaluation and incentive systems for science and technology. Using evaluation as a baton, we can evaluate them by praise and criticism, or by reward and punishment and other means. How to classify them is key in evaluation. Basic research, technological innovation, the application of scientific and technological advances, and high-tech industries have different evaluation methods because each has a different target despite being interrelated. The national science and technology regulators should have an overall plan and detailed classifications for innovation entities, focusing on both the interplay between different types of innovation entities and their differences, which is an important aspect of science and technology evaluation. The evaluation aims to arouse people's enthusiasm for and enduring dedication to sci-tech research, having their research focus on the major needs of economic and social development as well as those of national security, and identify scientific and technological issues more accurately to shore up the weak links in China's development.

Second, we have further reformed research programs' management and funding. Funds serve researchers, and the program management should be oriented to the frontiers of science and technology, the main battleground of the economy, the major national needs, and the people's lives and health. Management of science and technology projects should make funds more efficient and standardized. The majority of the sci-tech personnel in China are good and trustworthy. The management should be based on the trust that they can devote themselves to scientific research and properly use funds, with many of them bound to deliver.

Meanwhile, we must use institutional means to better manage the funds. Some scientists need to take responsibility for their research, and some young scientists need to be given opportunities. All of these need to be achieved by managing program funds so that the funds can truly serve people's creative activities.

Third, we have solved the problem of applying for scientific and technological advances. We have revised the Law on Promoting the Application of Scientific and Technological Advances to grant as much as possible the right to use, dispose of, and benefit from the application of scientific and technological achievements to the entities and individual innovators, giving rise to several supporting chains and platforms, including makers' spaces, incubators, and accelerators for tech firms. Whoever wants to make the application will be provided with services and supports from the government in different stages. In 2021, the transaction of technology contracts nationwide reached 3.73 trillion yuan, exceeding the country's total R&D expenditure of 2.79 trillion yuan, which is 5.8 times that of ten years ago.

Fourth, we have championed the spirit of our nation's scientists. Their spirit is an important part of China's science and technology culture. We should foster the spirit to guide the development of science and technology and form scientific values. We have issued a special policy document in this regard to promote the spirit. Just now, Mr. Li Xiaohong mentioned that many scientists had made remarkable achievements in major programs during the fight against COVID-19. They tend to be prompt in action and prudent in speech, bury themselves in their work and make great contributions. We should pass on the spirit from generation to generation to attract young generations to join the scientific research community, so that China's science and technology will have a promising prospect.

Next, we will continue our reform efforts. Reform lends momentum to innovation; innovation drives development. We will continue to promote sci-tech innovation to support the country's socio-economic development, national security, and people's health. Thank you.

China Daily:

In recent years, we often see in the media that the CAS has made world-renowned achievements, such as the submersible Deep Sea Warrior, quantum computing prototype, and synthetic starch from carbon dioxide. Mr. Hou, could you please introduce the representative achievements the CAS has made over the past ten years as a national strategic scientific and technological force? Thank you.

Hou Jianguo:

Thank you for your question. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has required the CAS to take the lead in achieving leapfrog development in science and technology, building innovation talent centers, developing national high-level think tanks for science and technology, and establishing world-class research institutions. The CAS is also required to accelerate building sources of innovation and making breakthroughs in key and core technologies and strive to seize an advantageous position in sci-tech development. We feel honored to take the mission and are aware of the heavy responsibility. Over the past ten years, the research staff of the CAS has been committed to this mission, overcome difficulties, and scaled new heights to deliver a slew of global leading landmark achievements.

First, we have stuck closely to national strategic needs, playing a key role in guaranteeing major national projects and breaking through technical bottleneck problems. For example, during the manned space flight projects, the CAS has taken charge of space application systems and developed hundreds of sets of payloads. Amid the lunar exploration programs, we have mainly undertaken tasks including ground application systems and payload subsystems, providing crucial technical support for the "Chang'e" lunar probe to conduct scientific explorations. During the construction process of the BeiDou-3 Navigation Satellite System, we have undertaken the task of researching and developing a total of 12 satellites. Centering on the commanding heights in the fields of deep space and deep sea, a batch of science satellites, including "Wukong," "Mozi," "Huiyan," "Taiji" and "Guangmu," developed by CAS, have helped boost China's standing in space science international competitions. We have successfully developed a set of spectral deep-sea equipment such as those manned submersibles "Shenhai Yougshi," "Fendouzhe," and "Haidou-1," marking the ability for China's deep-sea scientific research to reach depths of 10,000 meters. Focusing on major needs for components and parts such as aviation engine blades, super-resolution lithography machines, bionic synthetic rubbers, high-end bearings, and special high-performance materials, we have given full play to the advantages of a systematic and institutional system, made breakthroughs in a number of core technologies, and provided strong technical support to ensure the safety of industrial chains.

Second, we have developed cutting-edge technologies and strengthened fundamental research, constantly improved initial innovation capabilities, and accelerated the construction of original innovation sources. We have produced a set of major high-level original achievements in frontier fields of condensed matter physics, molecular science, nanometer materials, and stem cells, such as iron-based superconducting materials, nano-confined catalysis, quantum computer prototype, and artificial method of synthesizing starch from carbon dioxide, helping China to become a leader of such technologies in the world. In a nature index ranking that measures the quality of fundamental research, the CAS has ranked first among all global science institutions for nine consecutive years. The CAS has researched and developed an array of world-leading major sci-tech infrastructures that are known to all, such as the "China Sky Eye," large, high-altitude air shower observatory, and the Chinese "artificial sun." Those products have become tools for us to conduct fundamental research and scientific breakthroughs and supported us in producing a batch of major original achievements in the fields of pulsar research, neutrino oscillation, magnetic confinement fusion, and so on. At this point, I would like to clarify that all infrastructures mentioned above are open to scientists at home and abroad. At present, the "China Sky Eye" has provided scientific observation services for 27 scientific programs from 14 countries.

Third, we have promoted scientific research achievements to go commercial, transformed approximately 110,000 scientific results into commodities over the last decade, and boosted the high-quality development of China's enterprises. For example, the "Shuguang" supercomputer, artificial intelligence chips, stem cells to repair technology, and carbon ion cancer treatment devices developed by the CAS have promoted the development of related emerging industries. Multiple CAS-branded technologies, including producing ethanol and low-carbon olefin from coal, have successfully achieved commercialization and provided technology-driven solutions to promote clean and efficient utilization of coal resources and energy security. We have actively conducted scientific research to combat the epidemic, separated the world's first novel coronavirus strain, and developed multiple kinds of vaccines, detection reagents, and medicines to support the battle against COVID-19 with science and technology. In a bid to reinforce the protection and utilization of black soil, together with local provinces, we have mobilized over 1,000 scientists from 40 research laboratories to conduct the "Science and Technology Battle of Black Soil Granary" in the three provinces in Northeast China and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. This battle has gained initial success. Please refer to the handout for more detailed information on our latest sci-tech achievements.

Thank you.

Guangming Daily:

Over the past few years, the NSFC has thoroughly carried out systematic reform, constantly improved fund performance, and been widely acknowledged among the scientific research community. I would like to ask, what measures have been taken to promote science fund reform, and what achievements have been made over the last few years? Thank you.

Li Jinghai:

Thank you for your attention to the science fund reform. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has attached great importance to fundamental research. In the face of the critical historical period, interweaving global challenges and research-based reforms, the NSFC has intensely realized that deepening science fund reform and constantly improving fund performance is our mandatory historical mission and the responsibility of an era. Therefore, we have adhered to the concept of "science as the root, fairness as the life," and established the goal of building a science fund management system of the new era, featuring advanced concepts, normative systems, fairness, and high efficiency, and confirmed systematic reform schemes regarding three core tasks, including clarifying funding orientations, improving our appraisement mechanisms, and optimizing discipline layouts. I would like to point out that, any science funding institutions will focus on these three tasks.

After five years of constant efforts, our reforms have been rolled out in a gradual manner. I will briefly introduce the situation to you all. In terms of the fund management strategy reform, we have clarified our funding orientation, conducting classified applications and reviews according to the attributes of different scientific issues. The four types are: first, encouraging exploration and highlighting originality, known as the zero-to-one scientific breakthroughs; second, focusing on the cutting edge and opening new roads; third, being driven by needs and making breakthroughs; fourth, being orientated by universality, accommodation, and cross-connections. We have gradually expanded demonstration areas of classified application and review according to the attributes of four scientific issues. Last year, we accepted a total of 280,000 applications, 85% of which were reviewed using this new method. The quality of subjects selected by researchers has witnessed great progress.

Second, we have improved our appraisement mechanism, encouraging each one of reviewers regardless of whether they are senior reviewers or peer reviewers, to uphold their responsibilities, values, the credibility to make contributions. The demonstration area now covers 61% of the discipline, involving 46,000 evaluation experts. Their awareness of their responsibility and quality of appraisement has greatly improved. Judging from the feedback from applicants, they found that over 85% of these review comments were helpful or extremely helpful.

Third, we have optimized the discipline layout, aiming to solve the issue of excessive subject classification and the underlying problems of isolation and overlap among subjects. We have greatly simplified claim codes. By adjusting the three-tier code system to a two-tier one and reducing the number from over 3,500 to 1,300, we have taken the first step in optimizing the funding layout in accordance with the inherent logic and landscape of the knowledge system. This is not an easy task. Thereby, I would like to express my sincere gratitude for all the understanding and support received from the entire scientific research community.

Regarding fund management mechanism reform: first, we have implemented an originality-prioritized exploration program and established new mechanisms, including in-time acceptance of applications, pre-applications, and trans-disciplinary reviews. Moreover, we have supported innovative ideas in a timely manner. Over the past two years, we have funded a total of 204 applications of this kind.

Second, we have carried out the plan to upgrade the talent subsidy system, improving the funding system for talents who are engaged in fundamental research. The widely concerned National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars has expanded the number of funding projects from 200 to 315 per year. The number of funding projects of the National Science Fund for Excellent Young Scholars has increased from 400 to 630. Over the past four years, a total of 75,000 projects undertaken by young scientists have been funded, enabling a great number of young people to enter the field of fundamental research. The number of funding projects has increased year by year.

Third, we have reformed funds management of cross-disciplinary research. The Department of Interdisciplinary Science established last year has started funding talent-related programs in interdisciplinary fields and organized approval of significant projects.

Fourth, we have improved the mechanism for multiple investments in basic research. We have reformed the joint fund and specified the ratio of investments with different partners. According to the partners' public welfare nature, the ratio with enterprises is 1:4; the ratio with local governments is 1:3; the ratio with departments is 1:2. We have guided all sectors to increase investment and enhanced the ability of basic research to support major social and economic needs. During the agreement term, the joint fund has attracted 12.3 billion yuan of external investment. This year, the external investment attracted by the joint fund is equivalent to nearly 8% of the central financial input, which is quite a large proportion.

Fifth, we have optimized the mechanism for fund and project management. Researchers are given enough autonomy in a project for distinguished young scholars to use funds based on an overall rationing system. Then the system has been applied to projects for youth and outstanding young scholars. We have conducted a paperless application system, simplified the project application process, and carried out an evaluation system on representative works.

In terms of funds management and layout reform, we have integrated the original nine departments into four sections: basic science, technical science, life and medicine, and interdisciplinary science, according to the principle of promoting knowledge-application and cross-disciplinary integrations based on the logical structure of knowledge systems. We have broken disciplinary barriers and realized interdisciplinary integration to use macro-control funds to guide researchers in various fields to work together on major and complex issues.

Next, we will work on transforming the research paradigm and enhancing the capacity to refine scientific issues, which some young scholars are not good at. Besides solving the current problems, we will more actively explore the future to provide solid support in grasping new development stages, implementing new development concepts, building new development patterns, and promoting high-quality development. 

I would like to thank my colleagues in the relevant departments and sci-tech sectors and friends from the media for their attention to NSFC. Thank you.

CNBC: 

I have two questions. First, what particular plan do you have to cultivate high-quality talents? Second, in what fields do you plan to invest so as to build China into a sci-tech power? How much will you invest and how will you guarantee the investment benefits? Thank you.

Wang Zhigang:

I will answer your questions, one is about talents, and the latter is about the use of sci-tech funds. High-quality development seeks to shift from factor-driven to innovation-driven. Innovation activities are human practices by nature, and innovation-driven development is essentially the growth of talent-driven; thus, talent is the most important aspect of implementing an innovation-driven development strategy.

In terms of talents, governments need to create a better environment and ecology so that more people can become talents, especially in the sci-tech innovation aspect, including strategic scientists, leading sci-tech and outstanding young talents, as well as tens of thousands of human forces engaged in scientific research in various fields. We need to provide a favorable environment and conditions in policies, laws, services, and culture. For talents working in basic research, technological innovation, achievement transformation, and high-tech application, we should set up an appropriate environment to make them better adapted and find their positions. We should not use a one size fit all approach to support and serve different talents; for example, talents working in basic research and enterprises should not be valued by a single standard. The structure and quantity of talents in China have been improved. China's number of talents ranks first globally, which is consistent with the country's population base and the all-round and all-system format of scientific research in China, whereas more high caliber talents have emerged in ushering in new fields, conducting leading programs and addressing frontier scientific issues. These talents are crucial in our efforts to build China to an innovative country and a sci-tech power and contribute more Chinese wisdom to the world's sci-tech progress.  

When it comes to the use of funds, we should ensure that it will be used to boost innovation. What kind of innovative activities do we need? What kind of innovation force do we have? What do they need? How to help them better engage in scientific research innovation? We should strengthen resource allocation both for basic research and basic applied research and for technological innovation and application.

Governments should clarify input direction to reflect national development strategy. Moreover, governments should guide enterprises to invest more in scientific and technological innovation. At the same time, we have carried out a series of international cooperation. Some of our scientists take projects as carriers during international cooperation, while others take platforms as carriers. The service and input of these carriers are also what we should support. We need to increase support for basic research because itis turning the unknown into the known, reducing uncertainties and increasing certainties. We need to find laws, methods, and technological paths to promote basic research. We will also focus on key areas that have a bearing on people's lives, health, and livelihood and take them as the emphasis of resource allocation for scientific research.

Shenzhen Satellite TV:

In the past 10 years, what exploration has the CAS made to deepen the sci-tech system's reform and cultivate innovative talents? What are the good practices and experiences? Thank you.

Hou Jianguo:

Thanks for your questions. Mr. Wang introduced China's reform of the sci-tech system. In the past decade, the CAS has continued to deepen reform and made efforts to fully activate all factors, including institutions, talents, facilities, funds, and projects, so as to form a joint force for innovative development.

First, we have optimized the layout of scientific research. We have strengthened the strategic, leading, and collaborative nature of the scientific research layout and coordinated the layout among regions, fields, and innovation platforms. We have implemented the national strategy for regional development. We have actively participated in constructing comprehensive national science centers in Huairou of Beijing, Zhangjiang of Shanghai, and Hefei of Anhui province, and in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Several new research institutes have been established to meet major national strategic needs such as cyber security, aerospace information, rare earth resources, and ecological security. We have expanded international sci-tech cooperation in an active way with 10 science and education cooperation centers established overseas.

Second, we have promoted the reform of scientific research management. The CAS should strengthen the directional and systematic basic research work as a national strategic scientific and technological force. In other words, our basic research should refine scientific issues from the sci-tech frontier and meet the country's major needs. Therefore, we issued 10 basic research principles to reform topic selection mechanism, management methods, resource allocation, assessment and evaluation, and other aspects.

In order to ensure the smooth implementation of research tasks for key and core technologies, we have formulated the "eight-point policy" to guarantee key scientific researchers can concentrate on their research tasks and their other worries will be addressed. Just as Mr. Wang Zhigang mentioned, tackling bottleneck problems for key and core technologies requires the long and hard work of scientists and their great concentration and constant breakthroughs are needed. Therefore, we must institutionally ensure that our scientists can focus on their research tasks in the long term.

We have in particular given play to the institutional advantage of the CAS and strengthened interdisciplinary research and the coordination among different units as in a big corps. For example, in the formation of the Action Plan for Science and Technology to Support the Dual Carbon Goals, we have coordinated the strengths of the entire academy and made a full-chain plan from basic research, key and core technology breakthroughs and comprehensive demonstration.

Third, cultivating innovation talents. We have followed the guiding principles of the central conference on talent-related work, upheld the strategy of building an academy of talents, and pursued coordinated development of all talents. We continued to reform the academicians system to make it more academic and honor-oriented, optimize the structure of academicians, and encourage them to set good examples in four aspects. In order to encourage researchers' immersion in scientific research, we have established a system of specially hired researchers to offer them relatively stable support. We have created a plan to support young teams in basic research to encourage top young talents to tackle scientific challenges and conduct original research. Just now, Mr. Li Jinghai introduced that some of the research subjects of the NSFC are selected independently by scientists. For the young team support plan, the CAS first chooses generally-recognized major scientific conundrums and then selects through an open competition mechanism the best young candidates and their innovation teams to undertake long-term research on these conundrums.

We have also expanded the reserves of young scientific talents by recruiting more than 12,000 special research assistants who are mainly engaged in postdoctoral studies. In the past decade, the affiliated University of Science and Technology of China and the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences have nurtured and produced nearly 150,000 graduates. At the same time, we have vigorously carried forward the spirit of scientists and given full play to such fine traditions of the old-generation scientists as patriotism, dedication and truth-seeking to constantly enhance academic integrity and cultivate a clean and clear scientific research environment.

Next, the CAS will continue to follow the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and aim to take national lead in achieving leapfrog sci-tech development, building a national hub of innovation talents, establishing a national high-level sci-tech think tank, and building an internationally first-class research institute. We will also aim to step up original innovation, strengthen research on key technologies, and strive to gain the high ground for science and technology. It will focus on its principal responsibility and major tasks and further play its central role in China's strategic vision for building strength in science and technology to score more major innovation achievements and make new contributions to China's efforts to become a country strong in science and technology and improve its independent scientific and technological capabilities at a faster pace. Thank you.

China Youth Daily:

The CAE has set the aim to build a national high-end think tank that serves both national and local needs. Could you share with us the specific plans for this? What specific measures have been taken to promote high-quality development and build up China's strength in science and technology? Thank you.

Li Xiaohong:

Thank you for your questions. The CAE has recently set the aim to build a national high-end think tank that serves both national and local needs. The aim is based on the functions given to the CAE by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council. Nationally, the think tank will make suggestions, including many suggestions from academicians, to the CPC Central Committee and the State Council for reference when making major decisions. Locally, the think tank will offer strategic advice for local socio-economic development.

We have some considerations on how to build our team and the high-quality think tank in the future. According to the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, and as General Secretary Xi Jinping said at the meeting conflating the general assemblies of the members of the CAS and the CAE last year, the CAS and the CAE are China's strategic sci-tech forces, which determines the positioning and mission of the two academies.

There are several things in consideration: First, we will continue to build up China's strategic strength in science and technology. We will continue deepening the reform of the academicians system, further optimize the structure and academic disciplines of academicians and promote them to play a greater role in major national projects and core and key technologies.

Second, we will build a national high-level think tank for engineering science and technology that serves both national and local needs. The think tank will be first-rate in China and renowned in the world. Nationally, the think tank will more actively make suggestions to the CPC Central Committee and the State Council. Locally, it will contribute more wisdom and strength to local socio-economic development. We have made specific plans for this.

Third, we will advance research on key and core technologies. The CAE can bring together academicians working at different places and units around the country. The nine academic divisions of the CAE have covered almost the leading figures of all areas of engineering science and technology. We can organize academicians and experts from different disciplines and fields to carry out joint research and serve national strategies, which is both our mission and our advantage.

Fourth, we should tell China's stories well in regard to global engineering science and technology governance. We should be more open-minded, promote innovative cooperation in global engineering science and technology with concrete measures, and improve the country's international stature in this field.

We will make more efforts to implement the strategic layout to be mapped out at the upcoming 20th CPC National Congress. 

China News Service:

Over the past decade, China's hard power in science and technology has developed rapidly. The major projects mentioned by CAS President Mr. Hou and CAE President Mr. Li are of great international influence. In contrast, our sci-tech soft power, embodied by sci-tech journals, grows slowly. Many sci-tech personnel choose to submit their research papers to Western journals such as Nature and Science. I'd like to know your opinions on this, as well as what kind of progress has China made in terms of developing its sci-tech journals? Is there a detailed plan to improve our sci-tech soft power? Thank you.

Zhang Yuzhuo:

I'd like to take your questions. They are very professional, thank you. In recent years, the number of papers published by Chinse sci-tech personnel has skyrocketed, and as many as 680,000 were published in English journals in 2021. However, relatively few papers were published in domestic English journals, which has severely concerned the CPC Central Committee. In November 2018, General Secretary Xi Jinping presided over a meeting of the Central Commission for Comprehensively Deepening Reform, and a guideline on fostering world-class sci-tech journals was adopted. Since then, domestic sci-tech journals have witnessed notable development. The number of domestic sci-tech journals indexed in global influential retrieval systems has jumped from 152 to 257, with the average impact factor increased 2.9 times, from 1.13 to 4.42. A batch of journals have ascended to the top global rankings. Among them, 25 are listed in the top 5% of their respective subjects in terms of impact factor, 20 are top three in subject ranking, and three are among the global top 100. Despite noteworthy growth in domestic English journals, which have increased from 244 to 436, we still lag far behind, nowhere near satisfying the demand of Chinese sci-tech personnel in getting their papers published in journals of much higher impact factor. 

We have implemented an action plan for nurturing the finest sci-tech journals with the aims of increasing the quantity of leading journals, improving the quality of reserve journals, and ultimately producing more world-class journals. More than 50 new journals will be launched this year, and some English journals registered abroad can be registered at home if they meet certain requirements. Our next step is to speed up the cluster development and digitalization of sci-tech journals. We will cultivate a certain number of competitive publishing agencies and establish a digital publishing service platform of international stature as well as an open resource platform so as to attract more prominent scientists to contribute to the development of China's sci-tech journals and promote thesis and data sharing. Thank you. 

Li Xiaohong:

Mr. Zhang has made a very good point. I'd like to take the CAE's journals as an example to illustrate the development of China's sci-tech journals in the past decade. The structure of CAE's journals is "1+9+1." We have one flagship journal Engineering; nine affiliated journals covering such areas as energy, machinery, and information; and one Chinese journal. Our ambition is to make Engineering an equivalent to Science and Nature. Its impact factor has grown from less than one to close to 12 by the first half of 2022, the first among the world's comprehensive journals on engineering science and technology. It is remarkable progress widely acknowledged by the world. The nine affiliated journals also played their roles in their respective areas. Like what Mr. Zhang has said, we will endeavor to refine these journals to excellence. Thank you.

Shou Xiaoli:

Due to time constraints, we will take the last question.

Sansha Satellite TV:

With every passing year, we have a more profound sense that science and technology have changed people's lives for the better. Concerning the role of science and technology in improving people's wellbeing, what specific measures have been taken, and what progress has been made? What has been done to ensure food security, support rural vitalization and benefit people's lives and health? And what are the next key tasks? Thank you.

Wang Zhigang:

Thank you for your question. Bringing benefits to the people through science and technology is an important mission. General Secretary Xi Jinping has mentioned four missions of scientific and technological development. He said 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. The last mission includes all aspects related to people. The contributions of science and technology to people's health and quality of life mainly include the following aspects.

First, science and technology are improving food security in two aspects. One concerns the land. In addition to arable land, there is development space for land in China. Science and technology are about making the impossible possible. China has been working hard for more than 10 or even 20 years to conserve and utilize arid and semi-arid lands, saline-alkali lands, red and yellow soil, and chernozem soil and has made great achievements. For example, targeting arid and semi-arid lands, the Yangling Agricultural High-tech Industrial Demonstration Zone has developed innovative planting methods and crop varieties over the past 20 years, which have been promoted nationwide, covering over 1 million hectares. For another example, concerning the development of saline-alkali lands, the Agricultural High-tech Industrial Demonstration Area of the Yellow River Delta, through six or seven years of hard work, has developed crops including rice and soybeans that can grow in lands with a salinity of 0.3% to 0.4%, with more than 6,667 hectares of rice having been planted. Furthermore, the Ministry of Science and Technology and the CAS have done a lot of work together to conserve chernozem soil. There are about 70 million hectares of arid and semi-arid lands and 103 million hectares of saline-alkali lands nationwide. One-third or one-fourth of these lands can be transformed into fertile farmland utilizing science and technology.

The other aspect concerns the seed industry. China has developed its own varieties of wheat, corn, hog, and poultry. In particular, all staple crops in China are of these varieties. China has lands and seeds, which are adapted to each other. Thus, science and technology strengthen food security.

Second, science and technology are ensuring energy security. Coal usage takes up the largest proportion of energy consumption in China. Therefore, science and technology play a crucial role in strengthening energy security and making energy consumption more environmentally friendly and energy-efficient to achieve peak carbon emissions and carbon neutrality. China has achieved a series of breakthroughs in ultra-supercritical power generation and has taken a leading position in ultra-high voltage transmission. Based on the resource endowment of coal, new scientific and technological advances will make it possible to reduce the impact of coal usage on the environment. As Mr. Hou has mentioned, coal-to-olefins technologies, coal-to-oil technologies, and an artificial method of synthesizing starch from carbon dioxide, are all important products of scientific and technological advances to ensure energy security and reduce carbon emissions.

Third, science and technology improve people's lives and health. In early 2020, at the very beginning of the outbreak of COVID-19, China isolated the virus strain within seven days and identified it as a novel coronavirus, which is much faster than SARS in 2003. The test reagent was developed seven days later, without which the development of an effective screening method would have been impossible. Therefore, General Secretary Xi Jinping has noted that as science played a decisive role in defeating the pandemic in history, we now need to rely more on science to fight COVID-19 by adopting science-based measures to prevent and control the pandemic and seek its origin through scientific research. It is by means of test reagents, medicines, and vaccines that we could build strong lines of defense, with the vaccine serving as one line of defense, Chinese traditional medicine being another line of defense, and the neutralizing antibody-drug and the small-molecule drug functioning as the third line of defense. These three lines of defense formed the scientific basis for the nine versions of diagnosis and treatment plans formulated successively.

Fourth, science and technology help address uneven and inadequate development in China. Some underdeveloped areas have paired up with Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen to receive scientific and technological guidance and support in an attempt to tackle uneven development between urban and rural areas and among different regions through scientific and technological means. Moreover, scientific and technological support is needed to advance poverty elimination and rural vitalization. In conclusion, benefiting the people through science and technology is an important mission, and we still have a great deal of work to do. I mainly focus on these four aspects to give you an introduction. Thank you.

Shou Xiaoli:

Thank you to all speakers and friends from the media. Today's briefing concludes now. Goodbye.

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

.

Read in Chinese

Speakers:

Sheng Qiuping, vice minister of commerce

Wang Lingjun, vice minister of the General Administration of Customs

Pu Chun, vice minister of the State Administration for Market Regulation

Chairperson:

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

Date:

May 20, 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 fifth press conference under the theme of "China in the past decade." Today, we have invited Mr. Sheng Qiuping, vice minister of commerce; Mr. Wang Lingjun, vice minister of the General Administration of Customs; and Mr. Pu Chun, vice minister of the State Administration for Market Regulation, to brief you on integrating domestic and foreign trade and fostering dual-circulation development, and to take your questions.

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

Sheng Qiuping:

Ladies and gentlemen, friends from the media, good morning. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the Leading Party Members Group of the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) has been working under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, strengthening the Party's overall leadership in commerce work, and resolutely implementing the decisions of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council. As a result, China has made historic achievements and transformations in developing its domestic and foreign trade.

In the past decade, new progress has been made in expanding domestic demand and boosting consumption. Consumption represents the final demand. MOFCOM has firmly implemented the strategy of expanding domestic demand to boost consumption as a driving force for economic circulation. In 2021, the total retail sales of consumer goods stood at 44.1 trillion yuan, up 110% from 2012, with an average annual growth rate of 8.8%. Consumption has become the primary driving force of economic growth over previous years. The consumption structure has been continuously optimized. In 2021, the per capita consumption of services accounted for 44.2% of total per capita consumption, growing by 4.5 percentage points from 2013. The number of motor vehicles per 1,000 people reached 214, an increase of 1.4 times over 2012. The consumption model has been constantly innovated. In 2021, online retail sales stood at 13.1 trillion yuan, a nine-fold increase over 2012. Rural e-commerce has been booming. The consumption platform has been continuously consolidated, international consumption center cites have been created, and platforms such as the China International Consumer Products Expo have been established to better meet the needs of the people for a better life.

In the past decade, new breakthroughs have been made in developing a modern distribution system. Developing a modern distribution system is a strategic task in the building of a new development paradigm. From day one, MOFCOM has been working hard to advance a modern distribution system and has achieved remarkable results. Weak links have been addressed in rural areas. Under the comprehensive demonstration project of bringing e-commerce to rural areas, support has been offered to a total of 1,489 counties, 1,212 county-level logistics distribution centers have been built, and the online retail sales of agricultural produce reached 422.1 billion yuan in 2021. The construction of county-level commercial service centers has seen initial progress. New features have been fostered in urban commerce. A total of 428 15-minute community life circles have been built, which have created over 500,000 jobs, helped more than 8 million people and pooled 13.5 billion yuan of private investment. Pilot projects for the renovation of pedestrianized shopping streets have been launched. In 2021, the 23 pilot streets saw a year-on-year growth of 10.2% in visits and 16.7% in revenue. Distribution efficiency has been improved. In 2021, the ratio of total social logistics cost to GDP stood at 14.6%, down 3.4 percentage points from 2012.

In the past decade, great strides have been made in the high-quality development of foreign trade. The CPC Central Committee and the State Council attach great importance to foreign trade. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, we have taken solid steps and used innovative means to maintain the stability of foreign trade, and have reached historic milestones in its development. In 2021, China's trade in goods reached $6.05 trillion and trade in services surpassed $800 billion, up 56% and 70% respectively from 2012. The trade structure has been optimized. In 2021, the proportion of emerging markets, central and western regions, private enterprises, and general trade in exports increased by 6.2, 5.9, 20.1 and 12.7 percentage points respectively from 2012. Trade in knowledge-intensive services increased by 122.1% compared with 2012 and the deficit in trade in services hit a record low level for the past 10 years. Innovative growth drivers have been boosted. Imports and exports via cross-border e-commerce grew nearly 10 times in five years and the market procurement trade export volume rose by seven times in seven years. The integration of domestic and foreign trade has steadily improved. The China International Import Expo (CIIE) has achieved greater success. We have held four successful sessions of the CIIE, with deals totaling $272.27 billion. A variety of high-quality consumer goods and advanced technology products have been introduced through this platform. With a focus on both the supply and demand sides, the CIIE has greatly enhanced the healthy interplay of domestic and international circulations.

That is all for my brief introduction, thank you.

Shou Xiaoli:

Thank you, Mr. Sheng. Now, Mr. Wang please.

Wang Lingjun:

Ladies and gentlemen, friends from the media, good morning.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, China has expedited the building of a new system of an open economy and made historic achievements in terms of foreign trade. Customs statistics show that the volume and quality of China's foreign trade have both increased.

In terms of the volume, China's foreign trade in goods kept hitting new highs over the past decade. The volume has increased from 24.4 trillion yuan in 2012 to 39.1 trillion yuan in 2021, up by 14.7 trillion yuan. The increment is close to the total volume of foreign trade in 2009. China's foreign trade in goods exceeded 30 trillion yuan in 2018 and approached the 40-trillion-yuan threshold level in 2021. China's global market share increased from 10.4% in 2012 to 13.5% in 2021, further consolidating the country's role as the world's largest trader of goods. Since 2017, China has been the world's largest trader in goods for five consecutive years. The rapid growth of China's foreign trade in goods in the past decade fully reflects that China is not only the "world's factory" but also the "world's market." It has provided the global market with a great variety of high-quality and affordable goods while offering tremendous opportunities for other countries through the vast Chinese market.

In terms of quality, China continues to make progress in ensuring high-quality development of foreign trade. Foreign trade entities have been further invigorated. The number of enterprises dealing in imports and exports in China increased by 1.7 times in the past decade. China's "circle of friends" in foreign trade has been expanded. Its trade with countries along the route of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) keeps improving with higher connectivity, and its development priorities of domestic regions are better aligned. Foreign trade in the central and western regions accounted for 17.7% of China's total in 2021, up 6.6 percentage points compared to 11.1% in 2012. China's foreign trade structure in goods has been further optimized, and the new growth momentum of foreign trade keeps emerging. In the past decade, the high-quality development of foreign trade speaks vividly of the transformation and upgrade from "made in China" to "intelligent manufacturing in China." China's foreign trade has demonstrated a stronger capacity in participating in international competition, played a bigger role in fueling the global economy, and seen a stronger foundation for long-term growth.

Over the past decade, customs authorities across China have worked to serve national economic and social development, enhance regulation and improve services, which has promoted the high-quality development of foreign trade. First, the business environment at ports has been continuously optimized. The number of documents required for imports and exports was reduced from 86 to 41. The overall time needed for customs clearance has been reduced by more than half over the past four years, and every minute saved can translate to enterprises' economic benefits. Second, the establishment of platforms for opening up has been advanced. We have promoted the innovative development of integrated bonded areas. Currently, there are 156 such areas nationwide. We have also innovated the customs supervision system of pilot free trade zones (FTZs). Under the principle of opening up wider while ensuring effective supervision, we have developed the customs control framework for the Hainan Free Trade Port. The imports and exports of integrated bonded areas, pilot FTZs and Hainan Free Trade Port have increased significantly. Third, we have supported the development of new business forms of foreign trade. We have introduced customs supervision modes such as "bonded import," "business-to-business (B2B) direct export" and "overseas warehouse." These have met the needs of cross-border e-commerce enterprises and turned global shopping into a reality. Fourth, we have comprehensively strengthened international cooperation with customs authorities overseas. We have implemented General Secretary Xi Jinping's "Smart Customs, Smart Borders and Smart Connectivity" initiative and established friendly and cooperative ties with customs authorities in 171 countries and regions. We have extensively participated in the formulation of rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the World Customs Organization (WCO), engaged in negotiations for free trade agreements such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), and proactively played our part in globally coordinated governance of customs. We have supported the joint construction of the BRI. From 2013 to 2021, more than 100 kinds of quality agri-food products have entered the Chinese market. We also fostered cooperation on the mutual recognition of Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) status. More than 4,000 Chinese companies with high-level AEO status enjoy the same convenient clearance procedures abroad as in China. This has reduced trade costs and provided a favorable external environment for China's foreign trade.

China's foreign trade got off to a generally stable start this year. However, due to various impacts from home and abroad, the country is under growing pressure to ensure stable performance in foreign trade. The CPC Committee of the General Administration of Customs will firmly follow the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council and keep innovating the customs control system, thus contributing to the overall development of foreign trade and setting the stage for the 20th CPC National Congress with outstanding achievements.

Shou Xiaoli:

Thank you. Next, I'll give the floor to Mr. Pu Chun.

Pu Chun:

Friends from the press, good morning. "Integrating domestic and foreign trade and fostering dual-circulation development" is an inherent requirement for China to give full play to the advantages of its super-large market and expand high-level opening-up.

Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the market regulation authorities, following the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, have fully implemented the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, and continued to deepen reform, optimize regulation and improve services, providing strong support for fostering a new development paradigm. We have continued to refine the business environment and stimulate the vitality of market entities to improve the market system and promote stable economic growth long into the future. We have worked steadfastly to consolidate and develop the public sector and encourage, support, and guide the development of the non-public sector, pressed ahead with the reform of market access, operation, and exit systems, and fully boosted entrepreneurship and innovation dynamism across the society. The number of market entities has reached a historic high of 150 million, and the number of self-employed individuals has hit a new level of 100 million. This has helped lay the most important economic foundation for promoting development, stabilizing employment, ensuring people's livelihood, and balancing development and security, as well as accumulate the most valuable, reliable, and predictable strategic resources for steady and long-term economic growth.  

We have thoroughly implemented the fair competition policies and prioritized safeguarding fair competition to give play to the role of market mechanisms and build a unified domestic market. We have resolutely implemented the decisions and deployments of the CPC Central Committee about fair competition policies, coordinated efforts to improve competition rules and strengthened related law enforcement, and integrated online and offline supervision in a coordinated way. We have paid more attention to following the general rules of the market, intensifying law-based measures, and preventing and defusing risks of competition disorder to effectively maintain fair market order.  

We have comprehensively enhanced the protection of consumers' rights and interests and regulated the market to improve people's well-being. We have firmly adopted the "four strictest measures (the strictest standards, supervision, penalties, and accountability)" and reinforced the whole-chain oversight in key areas, which has steadily bettered food and drug safety. Supervision has been stepped up over the quality of vaccines against novel coronavirus and pandemic-related products, as well as the prices of goods critical to people's livelihoods, to serve the national anti-pandemic efforts. Channels for consumers to make complaints and reports have been smoothed, and efforts have been redoubled to address people's trivial but essential matters in their daily lives, thus creating a safe and reassuring market environment for expanding domestic demand.  

We have worked hard to build China into a manufacturer of quality and focused on promoting quality improvement for high-quality development. We have established and improved policies for quality betterment and steadily bolstered the quality of products and services. The quality infrastructure, including measurement standards, certification and recognition, and inspection and testing, has been refined and has become an important part of the market system. This has promoted efficient operation and fair trading in the market and served as significant, fundamental support for scientific and technological innovation, industrial upgrading, green development, and trade facilitation.  

Friends from the press, it takes great responsibility to well regulate such a super-large market with an economic size of 114 trillion yuan, 158 million market entities, and 1.4 billion consumers. On the new journey of building a modern socialist country in all respects, we will always follow the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and apply the new development philosophy in full, in the right way, and in all fields of endeavor. We will take a strategic perspective to cultivate a new development paradigm, promote high-quality development and facilitate common prosperity, continue to energize the market, and strive to maintain the market order by pioneering forth and making innovations while upholding what is proven successful so as to contribute to the prosperous, sound, and orderly development of China's super-large market. Thank you!

Shou Xiaoli:

Thank you, Mr. Pu, for the introduction. Now the floor is open to questions. Please identify your media outlet before raising questions.

21st Century Business Herald:

In the past decade, China's foreign trade has grown rapidly, and the country has become the largest trader in goods with such status gradually stabilized. However, due to the pandemic, the global economic recovery is slow, and foreign trade is faced with grim challenges. What will China do next to promote the high-quality development of foreign trade? Thank you.

Sheng Qiuping:  

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, historic achievements have been made in high-quality trade development, making important contributions to our national economic growth and global economic recovery.  

First, China's status as a major trading nation has been consistently strengthened. China became the largest trader in goods in 2013, and its trade in goods and services increased to the world's largest in 2020. Last year, China's total value of imported and exported goods grew by 30% year-on-year in U.S. dollar terms, surpassing the two levels of 5 trillion yuan and 6 trillion yuan to hit a record high. The international market share of China's exports reached 15.1%.  

Second, the trade mix has continued to improve. The proportion of imports and exports of the central and western regions has increased significantly, and private companies are playing a more prominent role in driving growth. High-tech and high-value-added products such as automobiles and ships have gradually become new driving forces of growth. Auto exports increased by 150% compared with 2012.

Third, remarkable progress has been made in the innovative development of trade. New forms and models of trade have sprung up. The number of integrated pilot zones for cross-border e-commerce  has reached 132, and companies in the zones have set up more than 2,000 overseas warehouses. The number of pilot programs for market procurement trade methods  has increased to 31.

Fourth, the markets of trade have become more diversified. China has actively expanded its trading partners in Asia, Latin America, Africa, and other emerging markets, progressively improving its market distribution. It has signed 19 free trade agreements with 26 countries and regions, and its trade volume with them now accounts for 35% of the country's total.

Fifth, trade has massively contributed to national economic development and world economic recovery. Foreign trade is one of the three driving forces for economic growth and a sector that has created 180 million jobs. Last year, imports and exports of goods and services drove GDP growth by 1.7 percentage points with a contribution rate of 20.9%. Meanwhile, China's imports contributed 13.4% to global import growth, a strong boost to the recovery of the world economy.

As foreign trade now faces challenging and complex circumstances both in and outside of China, we will act on the general principle of pursuing progress while ensuring stability, further implement various policies on stabilizing foreign trade, and spare no effort to stabilize the overall performance of foreign trade and foreign investment and promote high-quality development of foreign trade to contribute to the building of a new development paradigm.

First, we will improve the quality and efficiency of foreign trade. We will continue to promote the quality of imports and exports, vigorously develop trade in high-tech, high-quality, and high-value-added products, and make labor-intensive products more high-end and refined. We will support the export of brand-name products, increase the import of energy and resource products and high-quality agricultural products, and foster demonstration zones for the creative promotion of import trade.

Second, we will support the innovative development of foreign trade. We will actively support the development of new forms and models of business, such as cross-border e-commerce, overseas warehouses, market procurement trade methods, and comprehensive foreign trade services . We will vigorously develop digital trade, enhance trade digitalization, and empower the whole trade system with digital technologies at a faster speed. We will establish the standard and certification system for green and low-carbon trade, foster green and low-carbon trade entities, and accelerate the development of green trade.

Third, we will promote the integrated development of domestic and foreign trade. We will improve the regulation system fit for both domestic and foreign trade, promote the coordination of laws, regulations, supervision systems, and quality standards, foster platforms for both domestic and foreign trade, ensure that products sold domestically are produced on the same production lines, meet the same standards, and are of the same quality as exported products, and encourage foreign trade companies to expand the domestic market through multiple channels.

Fourth, we will do our best to ensure stable foreign trade industrial and supply chains. As COVID-19 continues to impact global supply chains, we will step up efforts to mitigate disruptions in global industrial and supply chains, improve the business environment, and facilitate trade.

Fifth, we will further strengthen international cooperation. We will ensure the success of major trade fairs such as the CIIE, the China Import and Export Fair, and the China International Fair for Trade in Services, firmly uphold the multilateral trading system, actively participate in the reform of the WTO, make good use of the RCEP free trade agreement, actively promote China's accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA), and get deeply involved in the international cooperation on green and low-carbon development and digital economy. Thank you.

Southern Metropolis Daily:

I have noticed that as the guideline on accelerating the building of a unified national market was issued recently, "unified market" has become a buzzword. What is the relationship between building a unified national market and developing a new development paradigm featuring dual circulations? Thank you.

Sheng Qiuping:

Ok, let me take your question first. It is a very important question, and I would like to share my views on it from our work on commerce.

In my view, the building of a unified national market is not only the basic support for smoothing the domestic circulation but also the inherent requirement for promoting domestic and international circulations. On the one hand, building a unified national market clears up barriers and smoothens the circulation and is thus conducive to forming unimpeded and efficient domestic circulation in which supply and demand mutually reinforce, production and sales are advanced in parallel. On the other hand, as the market is the world's scarcest resource, the building of a unified national market will help maintain and enhance its strong attraction to global companies and resources, better boost market connectivity, industrial integration, innovation promotion, rule alignment, and consequently promoting domestic and international circulations.

Commerce is an important part of the domestic circulation and an important hub linking domestic and international circulations. It plays an important role in the construction of a new development paradigm. In recent years, we, together with relevant departments, have achieved remarkable progress in promoting domestic and foreign trade integration, integrated development of online and offline businesses, the coordination of urban and rural areas and among regions by fully leveraging the advantages of commerce in connecting domestic and foreign trade, urban and rural areas, and coordinating production and sales, contributed to building a unified national market.

Steady progress in integrating domestic and foreign trade has been made. Since reform and opening up, and especially since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, China has made significant progress in the integration of domestic and foreign trade. First, the market for domestic and foreign trade has been growing. China has become the world's second-largest consumer market and the world's biggest trader in goods. Second, the management system of domestic and foreign trade integration has taken shape, and China established a domestic economic management system in line with international economic and trade rules. Its laws and regulations of domestic and foreign trade have been continuously improved, barriers to access to domestic and foreign trade markets and cross-border flow of goods have been greatly reduced, and public services have continued to improve. Third, the connection between domestic and foreign trade markets has been active. Several large companies and numerous micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises engaged in both foreign and domestic trade have grown up.

Integrated development of online and offline businesses has been accelerated. In recent years, China has made notable progress in the e-commerce business with accelerated integrated development of online and offline businesses. According to statistics from the National Bureau of Statistics, the sales volume of online retail reached 13.1 trillion yuan last year. China has been the world's largest online retail market for nine consecutive years since 2013, and its number of online shoppers has seen explosive growth in the past decade. The number of online shoppers in China reached 812 million by June last year. The express industry has grown rapidly. More than 100 billion packages were handled last year, nearly 20 times that of 2012, ranking first in the world. 

The commercial distribution system has supported the coordinated development between urban and rural areas and regions. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, China has actively promoted an upgrade of the agricultural product market and improved the distribution system of agricultural products. There are 44,000 agricultural product markets nationwide. Since 2014, China has developed e-commerce programs targeted at rural areas. 2400 county-level e-commerce public service centers and logistics distribution centers were built, and 148,000 village-level e-commerce service facilities were built, which have increased the income of 6.18 million poor rural residents and helped lift people out of poverty. Meanwhile, we have upgraded pedestrian streets in major cities, built 15-minute community service circles, developed brand chain convenience stores, and promoted the linkage of business, travel, and culture to make shopping and leisure activities more convenient and diversified. 

Here, I would also like to share a typical case of integrating domestic and foreign trade and fostering dual-circulation development. That is the experience of Yiwu. China has carried out a comprehensive pilot reform for foreign trade, a pilot reform for the distribution system of domestic trade, and a pilot program for free trade zone since 2012. In the past decade, Yiwu's exports have increased by 5.4 times, imports by 10 times, and e-commerce transactions by 6.1 times. From "buying and selling in China" to "buying from the world and selling to the world," Yiwu has made solid progress in building itself into the world's capital of small commodities. Next, we will focus on promoting consumption, improving distribution, and ensuring stability in foreign trade, and make our contribution to building a unified domestic market and establishing a new development paradigm. Thank you. 

Pu Chun:

I have something to add. A unified domestic market is a key marker of a mature market economy and basic support and an intrinsic requirement of establishing a new development paradigm. 

First, building a unified domestic market is an important foundation for stimulating market vitality and boosting internal momentum for economic development. Accelerating the establishment of rules in a unified market system will help stabilize market expectations, strengthen market confidence, form a strong domestic market, and provide a stable, open, transparent, safe, law-based, and predictable institutional environment to promote stable economic development. 

Second, building a unified domestic market is an important precondition for promoting smooth domestic circulation and fully leveraging the super large Chinese market. Building a unified market of factors and resources is conducive to equal and easy access to market resources for all types of market entities, promoting an orderly flow of all types of production factors on a wider scale and providing favorable conditions for unleashing the potential of the super large market. 

Third, building a unified domestic market is an important measure for unleashing the potential consumption and expanding consumer demand. Promoting high-level integration of markets for goods and services is conducive to boosting consumer confidence, expanding consumer demand, and providing basic support for implementing the strategy of expanding domestic demand and reinforcing China's economic resilience.

Fourth, building a unified domestic market is important for high-standard opening-up and forging new advantages in international cooperation and competition. Moving ahead with institutional opening-up of standards and rules is conducive to enhancing attractiveness to advanced international resources, promoting the connection of domestic and international markets to enable China to gain new advantages in international competition and cooperation. 

Next, the State Administration for Market Regulation will fully implement the tasks put forward in the Opinion in the following aspects:

First, we will diversify institutional supply for market regulation. We will study and explore mechanisms and policies that align with regulation requirements for a mature market economy to provide a stable, orderly, secure, and trustworthy market environment for all market entities.

Second, we will accelerate efforts to build a market-oriented, law-based, and internationalized business environment. We will continue with further measures to push forward the institutional reform for market entities to access and exit the market and get business permits. We will continue to introduce all kinds of facilitation measures to better play the role of business environment reform in stabilizing market expectations.

Third, we will further the implementation of policies to ensure fair competition. We will move faster to do away with all regulations and practices that impede the functioning of a unified market and fair competition. We will further regulate unfair competition and market intervention and take solid steps to improve the stability and predictability of regulation.

Fourth, we will focus on improving the quality and safety of products and further protecting consumers' rights and interests. Focusing on major areas related to the quality and safety of products, we will deepen regulations and management to ensure product quality and market order and work to improve the market environment for consumers and boost their consumption confidence. Thank you all.

China News Service:

Our attention is now more focused on the quality of foreign trade, rather than just the volume. In terms of statistics, how can we see high-quality development of foreign trade? What are the changes happening to the trade mix? Thanks.

Wang Lingjun:

Thank you for your questions. Over the past decade, China's foreign trade has witnessed a high-quality development both in the improvements of volume and quality and also the composition of trade. This can be described in the following aspects:

First, we improved the composition of export products. The machinery and electronic products took a large share of our exports. In 2021, China's exports totaled 21.73 trillion yuan. The trade volume of mobile phones, computers, integrated circuits, and other machinery and electronic products reached 12.83 trillion yuan, accounting for nearly 60% of the total. However, the export of labor-intensive products such as clothing, shoes and hats, bags, and toys only totaled 3.94 trillion yuan, accounting for 18.1% of the total. This shows that China's primary export products have shifted from labor-intensive ones to technically more advanced ones, which fully demonstrates a continued improvement in the quality, grades, and added value of export products. 

Second, we expanded the imports and achieved win-win results in international economic and trade cooperation. In 2021, China's imports totaled 17.37 trillion yuan, up 51.2% over 2012. China has become the world's second-largest importer, with the import of advanced technology and equipment, key spare parts, and quality consumer goods continuing to expand, which better meets the needs of production and people's lives. A more open market lets the world share more benefits of China's economic growth and booming consumption sector. 

Third, we diversified our trading partnership and made the global market layout more reasonable. China maintains a stable relationship with the EU, the U.S., Japan, the ROK, and other traditional trading partners. China's foreign trade volume with these countries accounts for 38.3% of the total. At the same time, China is actively expanding cooperation with ASEAN, Africa, Latin America, and other emerging markets. Its share in total trade volume with these countries increased from 22.2% in 2012 to 26.2% in 2021. ASEAN has consecutively been China's largest trading partner for the last two years. In particular, trade between China and countries along the Belt and Road continues to expand, with its share in total trade volume up from 25% in 2013 to 29.7% in 2021. 

Fourth, the number of foreign trade firms registered rapid growth, unleashing more dynamism in market entities. In 2021, the number of companies engaged in foreign trade reached 567,000, including 476,000 private companies and 82,000 foreign-invested enterprises. In terms of foreign trade volume, private companies have become the most important players in China's foreign trade. Their share in foreign trade volume reached 48.6% in 2021, nearly half of the total. Over the past decade, China has continued to create a business-friendly environment at the port, stepped up support to SMEs, and worked to build an environment that is good for all market entities to compete and develop to inspire companies to become more confident and assured in exploring new markets and facilitating their global layout. 

Fifth, we continued to energize a new driving force for foreign trade development and accelerated efforts to create new advantages in competition. Major platforms for opening up have played a significant role. In 2021, imports and exports of comprehensive bonded zones, free trade pilot zones, and the Hainan Free Trade Port grew by 23.8%, 26.4%, and 57.7%, respectively. In terms of new forms and trade models, the scope of cross-border e-commerce and market procurement trade expanded quickly. In 2021, China's trade volumes via cross-border e-commerce totaled 1.92 trillion yuan, up 18.6%. The export volume through market procurement trade increased by 32.1%, demonstrating a rapid growth trend. Thank you.

CGTN: 

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has put forward the BRI. My question is, over the past 10 years, how has the trade between China and countries along the Belt and Road been going? According to some foreign media, since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries have cast doubt on the prospect of the BRI. What's your comment on that? Thank you.

Sheng Qiuping:

I'll answer the questions first. After deep consideration of the future of humanity and the development trend of China and the whole world, General Secretary Xi Jinping put forward the BRI, which is a significant collaboration initiative to promote common prosperity and build a community with a shared future for mankind. Since it was put forward in 2013, the BRI has been constantly refined with growing influence and appeal and has become a popular international public product and cooperation platform in the world. The MOFCOM, together with related departments, has continuously enhanced Belt and Road economic and trade cooperation and achieved solid and fruitful accomplishments, based on the principles of consultation, cooperation and benefit for all.

First, we have promoted unimpeded trade along the Belt and Road. From 2013 to 2021, the annual trade volume between China and countries along the Belt and Road increased from $1.04 trillion to $1.8 trillion, growing by 73%. New forms of trade have developed rapidly, with "Silk Road E-commerce" being a highlight and cross-border e-commerce imports and exports increasing at high speeds. A number of overseas warehouses have been constructed and put into operation. The trade routes have been facilitated steadily, with the China-Europe Railway Express completing over 50,000 services and reaching more than 180 cities in 23 European countries. The construction of new land-sea transit routes has achieved new progress. The construction of free trade zone network covering Belt and Road countries has been accelerated, with seven free trade agreements signed with 13 countries along the Belt and Road.

Second, by stepping up investment cooperation, we have notably improved the integration of industrial and supply chains. From 2013 to 2021, China's direct investment in countries along the Belt and Road totaled $161.3 billion, while 32,000 enterprises were established in China by these countries, with a combined investment of $71.2 billion. By the end of 2021, Chinese enterprises have invested $43.08 billion in overseas economic and trade cooperation zones established in countries along the Belt and Road, creating 346,000 local jobs and playing a crucial role in propelling international capacity cooperation.

Third, the connectivity level has been greatly improved by advancing project construction. From 2013 to 2021, China signed new contracts worth about $1.08 trillion with countries along the Belt and Road for engineering projects in transportation, electricity and other areas, with a $728.6-billion business volume completed. A number of major cooperation projects have been completed and implemented, with the China-Laos railway put into operation, the Budapest-Belgrade railway under construction, and the Piraeus port in good operation. A number of handy and practical projects in agriculture, healthcare and poverty reduction have been carried out in succession, delivering tangible benefits to people of countries along the Belt and Road. 

Fourth, by improving mechanisms and platforms, we have raised communication and cooperation efficiency. The bilateral economic and trade mechanisms have been improved continuously, with over 100 mechanisms established to promote unimpeded trade, investment cooperation, service trade and e-commerce cooperation. The platforms for opening up, represented by large-scale exhibitions and forums, have enjoyed robust development, with four sessions of the CIIE, the China-ASEAN Expo, China-Eurasia Expo, China-CEEC Expo, and China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo successfully held.

Over the past eight years, the BRI has witnessed fruitful achievements, focused on mutual benefit and boosted common development of participating countries, and improved people's wellbeing. Currently, the pandemic is still ongoing, and the international situation is complex and volatile. However, the Belt and Road cooperation still displays resilience and vitality, injecting strong impetus to global openness, cooperation and economic recovery. Next, the MOFCOM will implement the guiding principles of General Secretary Xi Jinping's speeches on promoting Belt and Road cooperation, and work with all sides to ensure the BRI continues building momentum and producing concrete outcomes, promote high-quality development of the BRI through joint efforts and contribute to building a community with a shared future for mankind. Thank you.

Wang Lingjun:

Since the launch of the BRI, China has greatly facilitated trade with countries along the Belt and Road. The trade volume between China and BRI countries accounted for 29.7% of China's total foreign trade in 2021, from 25% in 2013. In the first four months of this year, China's exports and imports with BRI countries totaled 3.97 trillion yuan, growing by 15.5% year-on-year, 7.5 percentage points higher than the country's total foreign trade growth rate. China's foreign trade with Vietnam, Malaysia, and some other countries exceeded 1 trillion yuan each; its foreign trade volume with countries including Thailand and Indonesia surpassed 800 billion yuan each.

Regarding the high-quality development of the BRI, China has further deepened its cooperation with BRI countries in foreign trade security and customs clearance efficiency, particularly in promoting AEO mutual recognition, the China International Trade Single Window scheme, the establishment of a network of certificates of origin, and so on. Among the 48 countries and regions that have signed AEO agreements with China, 32 are involved in the BRI. The Partnership Program of Customs-Railway Operators for Promoting the Safety and Rapid Customs Clearance of China Railway Express (PPCR) has been put into trial operation at the Alashankou Port and Horgos Port on the China-Kazakhstan border. Meanwhile, China has continuously expanded import access to high-quality agricultural products and foods produced by BRI countries.

In 2021, General Secretary Xi Jinping put forward the cooperation vision of "Smart Customs, Smart Borders and Smart Connectivity." The General Administration of Customs of China has swiftly responded by launching 78 pilot programs. Of those programs, 22 involve international cooperation, mainly between China and BRI countries. The pilot programs aim to decrease the customs clearance costs for enterprises and raise customs clearance efficiency by increasing the level of intelligence. At present, many international organizations and multilateral frameworks represented by the WCO, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, and Asia-Europe Meeting have adopted the vision of "Smart Customs, Smart Borders and Smart Connectivity" into their strategic documents and multilateral agendas. Thank You.

Red Star News:

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) has repeatedly stressed the importance of further implementing policies aiming to ensure equal opportunities, fair access and orderly competition of all kinds of capital. I would like to ask, what achievements have been made in China in terms of safeguarding fair competition? What measures will be taken for the next step? Thank you.

Pu Chun:

Those are very good questions. Since the 18th National Congress of CPC, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has attached great importance to protecting and promoting fair competition and made major decisions and arrangements to strengthen the fundamental role of fair competition policies. The State Administration for Market Regulation has further implemented fair competition policies, continued efforts to optimize fair competition management, and created an increasingly better market environment for fair competition in China.

First, the fair competition institutions and mechanisms have been constantly improved. For example, we have accelerated the amendment of the Anti-monopoly Law and the Anti-Unfair Competition Law, formulated seven supporting regulations, released seven guidelines in some major industries and fields such as platform economy and the compliance of operators, and launched the Detailed Implementing Rules for the Fair Competition Review System. Following the reform of Party and state institutions in 2018, China's anti-monopoly function was integrated into SAMR. With the launch of an anti-monopoly bureau in 2021, China has realized the unification of the anti-monopoly law enforcement system. At the end of 2021, a guideline document issued by the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council on strengthening anti-monopoly and further promoting the implementation of fair competition policies marked China's first top-level design in policy framework for fair competition.

Second, the ecology of market competition has made constant progress. The SAMR has laid equal stress on standard supervision and promotion of development; given play to various kinds of laws and regulations on anti-unfair competition, price supervision, and advertisement supervision; carried out guidance by rules, administrative guidance, follow-up law enforcement, and conditional approval; promoted major law enforcement campaigns in an orderly and stable manner. With these efforts, such outstanding competition disorders as e-commerce platforms requiring businesses to choose one platform over another have been solved. Over the past decade, we have investigated and handled 195 cases involving monopoly agreements and 82 cases related to abuse of market dominance, and concluded 3,822 cases involving consolidation of operators. As a result, the market environment has become increasingly favorable for fair competition.

Third, we have further promoted the development of a unified domestic market. The fair competition review system has covered all the four administrative levels of government in China to prevented the adoption of policies that are destructive to building a unified domestic market and fair competition from the root. Over the last ten years, we have sorted out a total of 3.402 million policy documents, reviewed 1.278 million newly released policy documents, and corrected and abolished 53,000 ones. We have further strengthened law enforcement to fight the abuse of administrative power to preclude and restrict competition. We have investigated and handled 363 cases hindering the free movement of commodities. At the same time, we have furhered institutional opening-up in the field of competition and shared China's practice in global competition governance.

We must ground our work in this new stage of development, practice the new development philosophy, and foster a new development paradigm. We urgently need to accelerate efforts to improve the fair competition governance system suitable for our national conditions. With more attention paid to applying systematic and law-based thinking, we will continue to enhance the mechanism of fair competition, make red-light and green-light policies, and step up efforts to establish a comprehensive, tiered, and multi-dimensional system to regulate all stages, from start to finish, in all sectors. We will regulate and guide the sound and well-ordered development of capital in accordance with the law and continue to improve the effectiveness of competition regulation. We will strengthen advocacy for competition and enhance enterprise compliance to spur the development of a market environment that values, protects, and promotes fair competition. Thank you.

Haibao News:

Today is World Metrology Day, observed on May 20. As we know, quality infrastructure such as measurement standards, certification, accreditation, inspection, and testing are an important support for facilitating international trade. What efforts have been made by the market regulators to strengthen the alignment of standards and rules and promote the integration of domestic and foreign trade? And what achievements have been made? What are the ideas and measures for promoting the integrated development of domestic and foreign trade in the future? Thank you.

Pu Chun: 

Today is May 20, a special day for love in China. It is also World Metrology Day. Measurement standards, certification, accreditation, inspection, and testing are not only an essential infrastructure for the domestic market system but also important content of international economic and trade rules. Market regulators have played an active role in providing technical support for quality infrastructure and strengthened the alignment of market rules and standards, thus giving strong impetus to the integrated development of domestic and foreign trade.

First, we have worked to align market regulation rules with international economic and trade rules. Under the framework of the BRI and the RCEP, we have promoted coordination of standards and cooperation on mutual recognition of conformity assessment results, boosted the development of foreign trade, strengthened research on technical trade measures and response to them, and reviewed foreign technical trade measures that affect Chinese enterprises in export industries, which has given a significant boost to safeguarding the lawful and reasonable rights of Chinese enterprises.

Second, we have actively promoted to align standards certification. In terms of standardization, the consistency of major consumer goods in nine key areas, including household appliances and consumer electronics, with international standards rose to 96.15% from 81.45% in 2016. The average international standard conversion rate across all industries has reached 75%, and the international standard conversion rate in many important industries, including equipment manufacturing, important consumer goods, and next-generation information technology, has exceeded 90%. All of these have boosted the integration of domestic and foreign trade. In terms of certification and accreditation, China has signed 127 documents on cooperation and mutual recognition arrangements with more than 30 countries and economies and joined 21 certification and accreditation international organizations, greatly facilitating the economic and trade development between China and her trading partners. We have simplified the China Compulsory Certification (CCC) procedures for domestic sales of export-oriented commodities, where the CCC certificate will be issued in seven working days if application documents are complete.

Third, we have boosted the alignment of domestic and foreign trade products with the same production lines, standards, and quality. We have stepped up efforts in this regard by guiding enterprises to produce products that meet the requirements of specific target markets abroad and can be sold at home as well based on the same standards and quality requirements. At present, the application scope of the alignment has been extended to cover general consumer goods and industrial products. There are nearly 10,000 products of this kind from around 3,000 enterprises on the public information service platform of the alignment.

Next, the State Administration for Market Regulation will continue to play its functional role in promoting the integrated development of domestic and foreign trade. First, we will enhance the alignment of standards and rules, continue to strengthen the design, implementation and promotion of national standards in key and hot areas of trade, keep improving the consistency of domestic and international standards, and give better play to the important role of standardization in promoting trade growth and facilitating trade. Second, we will continue to deepen international cooperation of mutual recognition of quality certification, carry out bilateral and multilateral cooperation of mutual recognition in key areas, and expand the participation of domestic enterprises and relevant institutions to get more benefits from international cooperation of mutual recognition. We will step up efforts to promote compulsory certification of products for the target market of China's exports, facilitating the export of Chinese products. Third, we will accelerate the alignment of domestic and foreign trade products with the same production lines, standards, and quality, enhance policy guidance for the alignment, work to improve the quality, and ensure service guarantee. We will support enterprises to meet the requirements of the alignment by means of self-declaration or third-party evaluation. Thank you.

CCTV:

Consumption is a direct reflection of people's demands for a better life. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, Chinese people's lives have become better and better, and their consumption level has improved day by day. China now has become the second largest consumer market in the world. How do you see the development of consumption in the past ten years, and what are your plans for promoting consumption? Thank you.

Sheng Qiuping:

Thanks for your questions. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, the national commerce system has firmly implemented the strategy of expanding domestic demand and done a solid job of promoting consumption. By doing so, the scale of consumption has expanded steadily, its structure has upgraded continuously, and its mode has continued to innovate, which provided strong support for boosting high-quality development, creating high-quality life, and fostering the new development paradigm.

First, the scale of consumption has expanded steadily. As you just said, China has become the second largest market for commodity consumption globally, and its advantages of a super-large market have become more obvious. The final consumption expenditure rose from 27.5 trillion yuan in 2012 to 56.1 trillion yuan in 2020, and its proportion to GDP up to 54.7% from 51.1%. The rapid development of China's consumer market has not only improved Chinese people's lives but also provided more development opportunities for other countries. Last year, China's import volume of consumer goods reached 1.7 trillion yuan, more than double that of 2012, accounting for about 10% of the total imports.

Second, the structure of consumption has continuously upgraded. Residents' consumption has changed from quantity satisfaction to quality improvement, from commodity consumption to both commodity and service consumption, and from imitation to individuation and diversification. Last year, the Engel coefficient, a measure of food expenditure as a proportion of total household spending, was 29.8%, down 3.2 percentage points from 2012. New car sales ranked first worldwide for 13 consecutive years, and the number of cars per 1,000 people increased 1.4 times from 2012.

Third, new-type consumption has been booming. New commercial forms, models, and scenarios such as online retail, cross-border e-commerce, and mobile payments emerge constantly. Traditional commercial enterprises have sped up their digital and intelligent transformation and integration of online and offline consumption, becoming an important engine for economic growth and profoundly changing the daily lives of Chinese people. Last year, online retail sales of physical goods reached 10.8 trillion yuan, accounting for 24.5% of total retail sales of consumer goods, ranking first in the world. Green, healthy and intelligent consumption has become popular. In 2021, the sales volume of new energy vehicles reached 3.52 million, with one out of every eight new cars sold being new energy vehicles. The number of new energy vehicles reached 7.84 million, accounting for about half of the total global volume. Meanwhile, 266 million 5G mobile phones were shipped, accounting for 76% of the total shipment of mobile phones.

Fourth, urban and rural consumption has developed coordinately. Urban retail sales of consumer goods grew from 18 trillion yuan in 2012 to 38.2 trillion yuan in 2021, with an average annual growth rate of 8.7%; while retail sales in rural areas rose to 5.9 trillion yuan from 2.6 trillion yuan, with an average annual growth rate of 9.8%. Last year, retail sales of consumer goods in rural areas accounted for 13.4% of the total retail sales of consumer goods, up nearly 1 percentage point from 2012. Steady progress has been made in developing cities as international consumer centers, and its radiation effect and leading role have been strengthened. In 2021, the total retail sales of consumer goods in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Tianjin, and Chongqing accounted for 13.8% of the country's total volume.

Fifth, the contribution of consumption has increased steadily. The fundamental role of consumption in economic development has been increasingly strengthened and so have its roles as a stabilizer and anchor. Last year, the contribution rate of consumption to economic growth was 65.4%, up 10 percentage points from 2012.

Next, the MOFCOM will further implement the decisions and deployments of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, coordinate epidemic prevention and control and consumption promotion, carry out a series of consumption promotion activities, and create a platform for consumption upgrading. We will improve traditional consumption capacity, accelerate the development of new-type consumption, and promote the sustained recovery and upgrading of consumption so as to better serve the new development paradigm and better meet people's demands for a better life. Thank you.

Zhinews of Shenzhen Satellite TV:

We have noticed that Chinese customs recently issued 10 policies and measures to deal with the impact of the pandemic on foreign trade. We know that foreign trade enterprises have always been concerned about the business environment. So, what changes have taken place in the business environment of China's ports since the 18th CPC National Congress? Thank you.

Wang Lingjun:

This is a very good question because the business environment matters. As the saying goes, "plant a Chinese parasol tree, and phoenixes will follow." In the past decade, we have focused on facilitating customs clearance and have made sustained efforts. We have introduced an array of policies and measures and adopted a series of tough and practical means. The business environment at ports continues to be optimized, and the level of cross-border trade facilitation has been greatly improved. They are mainly reflected in the following aspects:

First, promote streamlining administration and delegating power, and make great efforts to cancel matters requiring government approval. Up to now, only 10 matters requiring government approval have been retained. We have improved the online customs platform for obtaining government approval, making it more convenient for enterprises to go through the procedures. We promote the oversight model of randomly selecting inspectors to inspect randomly selected entities and requiring the prompt release of results, which has covered the customs' 28 matters concerning the inspection of administrative law enforcement.

Second, carry out a special campaign for cross-border trade facilitation. Reduce time, documents and costs, and create a market-based, rule-of-law, and internationalized business environment at ports. "Reducing time" means greatly shortening the customs clearance time for goods. In 2021, the overall customs clearance time for imports was 32.97 hours, which is more than 60% shorter compared to that in 2017. The time for exports was 1.23 hours, a decrease of more than 80% compared to 2017. "Reducing documents" means streamlining the supervision certificates that need to be verified in imports and exports. The customs actively coordinated with relevant competent departments to streamline the documents and basically realized the online verification. "Reducing costs" refers to reducing compliance costs in imports and exports, and we have realized the full disclosure of the list and standards of fee-charging items at ports of the country.

Third, comprehensively promote the "single window" for international trade. Meeting enterprises' "one-stop" business processing needs, the "single window" extends from law enforcement at ports to logistics, trade, services, and other fields. With the improvement of the digital and smart level of customs clearance at ports, enterprises can inquire and track the real-time status of the customs clearance process and logistics at any time.

There is no end to the improvement of the business environment. We will, as always, persevere in promoting the continuous improvement of the business environment at ports with practical and feasible measures. Thank you.

Shou Xiaoli:

Last two questions.

CNBC:

Are there any special opportunities and prospects for cross-border e-commerce? Thank you.

Sheng Qiuping:

Thank you for your question. In recent years, with the advancement of internet technologies and the development of the digital economy, major changes have taken place in international trade, and cross-border e-commerce has developed rapidly from scratch. Cross-border e-commerce breaks through the limitations of time and space, reduces the intermediate links of trade, solves the problem of information asymmetry between the supply and demand sides, and provides new development opportunities for more countries and more small and medium-sized enterprises, reflecting the inclusive and universal development of trade. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to changes in consumer behavior. With a surge in online shopping demand from consumers in various countries, cross-border e-commerce has gained momentum. In this context, China's cross-border e-commerce continues to grow rapidly. Since 2015, the State Council has approved the establishment of 132 comprehensive pilot zones for cross-border e-commerce in six batches, covering 30 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities across the country. In 2018, China innovatively introduced cross-border e-commerce retail import supervision policies and gradually expanded the pilot scope to 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities across the country. Together with various departments and localities, the MOFCOM has replicated and promoted nearly 70 mature experiences and innovative practices across the country. We also actively participate in international cooperation. We have put forward China's solutions on multilateral occasions such as the meetings of the WTO, G20, APEC, and the WCO, and signed e-commerce cooperation memos with 23 countries. At present, many countries and regions have their own local cross-border e-commerce platforms. Relying on the advantages of the manufacturing industry and the market, local Chinese enterprises have developed rapidly, accumulating a lot of practical experiences. A number of world-leading cross-border e-commerce platforms have emerged. According to customs statistics, China's import and export through cross-border e-commerce grew nearly elevenfold in 5 years. The volume reached 1.92 trillion yuan in 2021, up 18.6% year on year. Cross-border e-commerce has greatly lowered the access threshold for international trade, enabling many small and micro entities that once didn't know how to do it, could not make it, or were not able to do it become operators of the new type of trade. So far, more than 30,000 companies have registered on the online comprehensive service platforms of cross-border e-commerce comprehensive pilot zones. At the same time, cross-border e-commerce companies have better met the personalized and customized needs of overseas consumers by creating a flexible supply chain that brings together factors and responds quickly.

China's cross-border e-commerce covers not only global sales but also purchases, enriching the supply for the domestic market, better meeting the people's needs for a better life, and injecting new momentum for the global trade investment. In recent years, many ambassadors in China have proactively promoted their own country's products through livestreaming platforms. Special local products such as Pakistan's pink salt and Bulgaria's rose water have become internet sensations and widely accepted by the consumers. Some quality brands have since entered the Chinese market via e-commerce and settled down, bracing their new development opportunities. 

We hope foreign countries will step up exchanges and mutual learning to play their part in the healthy development of the cross-border e-commerce sector and the recovery of the global economy in the post-COVID era. We also hope that governments of other countries and business organizations can actively participate in international cooperation and continue to improve the business environment so as to guide and serve cross-border e-commerce enterprises in a better way. Thank you.

Wang Lingjun:

I would like to add several points from the customs perspective. Cross-border e-commerce makes an important part of China's emerging trade forms. The General Administration of Customs has actively performed its functions and always adhered to the "inclusive, prudent, innovative and coordinative" regulatory concept to promote the new business forms to grow in an orderly manner.

First, we have innovatively improved our regulatory modes. As the cross-border e-commerce businesses will meet different clearance procedures, we have rolled out targeted and customized regulatory modes, such as "online shopping bonded imports," "direct purchase imports," "general exports," "special region exports," "B2B direct exports," and "overseas warehouse of the cross-border e-commerce exports," among others.

Second, we have smoothed the cross-border e-commerce trade channels. In particular, we have worked through the problems in returning cross-border retail goods, reassuring domestic consumers making overseas purchases.

Third, we have promoted the international regulatory cooperation of the Customs in regard to cross-border e-commerce. We hosted the Global Cross-Border E-Commerce Conference in Beijing together with the WCO, adopted the Beijing Declaration, and formulated the WCO Framework of Standards on Cross-Border E-Commerce, promoting the healthy development of the cross-border e-commerce worldwide.

Thank you.

The Paper:

Statistics show that the total number of China's market entities has reached 158 million, and 100 million of them have been established in the last 10 years. The robust growth of market entities is benefited from the sustainable improvement of the business environment, so my question is, what efforts have the market supervision authorities made in improving the business environment? What pragmatic measures will be adopted going forward? Thank you.

Pu Chun:

Thank you for your questions. To market entities, a sound business environment is like the sunshine, water, and air, each of which is a must-have. The State Administration for Market Regulation has worked to promote the stability and prosperity of the economy through improving the business environment and advanced, in-depth reforms of streamlining administration and delegating power, improving regulation, and upgrading services. Thanks to these efforts, we have effectively energized market entities of various kinds.

First, we have improved the market access system. We have introduced a regulation on the registration and administration of market entities, which for the first time set out unified provisions for the registration of market entities of all types, providing fundamental institutional guarantee for equal access, flexible transfer, and convenient exit of market entities.

Second, we have deepened reforms of systems on market access, business operating permission and market exit. We have replaced the paid-in capital registration system with subscribed capital registration system, and changed from issuing business licenses before operating permits to separating operating permits from business licenses. Efforts have been made on various issues from access of market entities to access of products, from highly efficient market access to convenient market exit, and from registration facilitation to operating permission reform for enterprises. In addition, the practice of enterprises "running back and forth" and handling matters on-site has been replaced with online access to all services and promoting application for electronic licenses and certificates. By doing so, government-imposed transaction costs can be effectively reduced when people make investments and start businesses.

Third, we have moved faster to build a new type of oversight mechanism, which is centered on oversight of credibility. Oversight conducted through the random selection of both inspectors and inspection targets and the prompt release of results has been implemented nationwide. We have also conducted inter-departmental inspections for several matters through a single visit to the same target, avoiding excessive intervention in normal business production and operations. Annual business inspections have been canceled in favor of annual information disclosures. A national enterprise credit information publicity system has been established. Also, a blacklist system for enterprises seriously violating the law or acting in bad faith has been established and improved, as has a category-based management system of corporate credit risks, to make the oversight mechanism more timely, targeted and effective.

Fourth, we have helped market entities overcome difficulties. We have taken further steps to adjust regulations for the levying of charges on enterprises, promoted the implementation of nationwide preferential policies, responded actively to price rises of bulk commodities, keep supply and prices stable in key sectors, and improved technological services for product quality to help raise the quality and performance of enterprises. Meanwhile, the establishment of an inter-departmental joint meeting mechanism to support self-employed individuals has been submitted to the State Council for approval, in order to study and draw up policies and measures to promote the healthy development of the self-employed.

Fifth, we have strengthened intellectual property rights (IPR) protection. We have stepped up IPR protection and set up a punitive damages system for IPR infringement to significantly increase the cost of infringement. We have also enhanced the protection of trade secrets by conducting trials nationwide, to protect the lawful rights and interests of enterprises.

Through ongoing reform and innovation, the average time taken to set up a business has been shortened from more than one month to within four working days. Meanwhile, the average time taken to cancel a market entity has been reduced from 100 days to 60 days. In addition, it now only takes around 20 days to deregister an enterprise through simplified procedures. The total number of market entities has reached 158 million, compared with 55 million in 2012, providing a solid micro-foundation for the stable, healthy and sustainable development of the economy. Next, the market regulation authorities will further advance reform of market access system, and improve business operating permission regulations and market exit system, so as to give better play to the role of underlying systems related to enterprises in keeping market expectations stable. We will also work hard to improve and implement supporting policies for enterprises, and study and improve the policy system for supporting self-employed individuals, so as to help ease the difficulties and support the healthy development of market entities.

Thank you.

Shou Xiaoli:

Thank you to the three speakers as well as friends from the media. Today's press conference ends here.

Translated and edited by Chen Xia, Zhou Jing, Zhang Rui, Wang Wei, Lin Liyao, Duan Yaying, Liu Sitong, Yuan Fang, Qin Qi, Mi Xingang, Huang Shan, Cui Can, Ma Yujia, Yang Xi, Wang Yiming, Zhang Jiaqi, Xu Xiaoxuan, Zhang Junmian, Zhu Bochen, Li Huiru, Wang Qian, Li Xiao, David Ball and Jay Birbeck. In case of any discrepancy between the English and Chinese texts, the Chinese version is deemed to prevail.

.

Read in Chinese

Speakers:

Xu Hongcai, vice minister of finance

Wang Lujin, deputy auditor general of the National Audit Office

Wang Daoshu, vice minister of the State Taxation Administration

Chairperson:

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

Date:

May 17, 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 fourth press conference under the theme of "China in the past decade." Today, we are joined by Mr. Xu Hongcai, vice minister of finance; Mr. Wang Lujin, deputy auditor general of the National Audit Office; and Mr. Wang Daoshu, vice minister of the State Taxation Administration. They will first brief you on China's fiscal and taxation reforms and development and then take your questions.

Now, I'll give the floor to Mr. Xu Hongcai.

Xu Hongcai:

Ladies and gentlemen, friends from the media, good morning. It's my pleasure to attend today's press conference and introduce the reforms and development of China's fiscal and taxation sector. First, on behalf of the Ministry of Finance (MOF), I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to friends from the media for their ongoing interest in and support for China's fiscal and taxation sector.

The CPC has always attached great importance to its leadership of China's fiscal sector and is continuously working to reinforce it. The third plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Committee stipulated that public finance is the foundation and an important pillar of governance. This has chartered a new historical course for public finance in China. Over the past decade, the MOF has worked under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, followed the guiding principles of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and implemented the new development philosophy. The MOF has been earnestly implementing proactive fiscal policies and continuously improving macro regulation. It strengthens financial support and policy measures for projects concerning the country's most fundamental interests, promotes reforms of fiscal and taxation systems and gives full play to its roles as the "driving force" and "pioneer" of the country's deepening reforms. It has also worked to keep the major economic indicators within the appropriate range and contribute to the country's high-quality development.

The capacity of China's fiscal sector kept improving in the past decade. With the steady and sound growth of the Chinese economy, the country's fiscal revenue maintained a rapid growth rate, and the fiscal "cake" has also grown larger. Revenue under the national general public budget grew from 11.73 trillion yuan in 2012 to 20.25 trillion yuan in 2021, with an average annual growth rate of 6.9%. The total amount in the past decade reached 163.05 trillion yuan, which has provided solid funding support for China to realize its first centenary goal. Fiscal spending also increased every year. Expenditure under the national general public budget increased from 12.6 trillion yuan in 2012 to 24.63 trillion yuan in 2021, with an average annual growth rate of 8.5%. The total amount in the past decade amounted to 193.64 trillion yuan, which has effectively promoted the comprehensive development of China's economy and society.

Macro regulation through fiscal policy continued to be optimized in the past decade. General Secretary Xi Jinping stressed that macro regulation must adapt to the features of development at certain stages and to changes in the economy, and that tailored efforts should be made to expand demand or adjust supply where necessary. From 2012 to 2021, the MOF has followed the decisions made by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, continued implementing proactive fiscal policies and made timely and appropriate adjustments. These efforts have effectively mitigated the impact of periodic economic fluctuations and provided strong support for high-quality economic and social development. The MOF has maintained the growth rate of mandatory government expenditures to support the implementation of the country's major strategic tasks. The MOF has carried out targeted tax and fee cuts. It has reduced the burden on businesses to the value of 8.8 trillion yuan from 2013 to 2021, with market vitality continuing to improve. The MOF rearranged public debt in a science-based manner. From 2015 to 2021, a total 12.2 trillion yuan of local government special-purpose bonds were added, and efforts have been made to expand effective investment. The MOF has also followed the requirement of living on a tight budget and strictly controlled general expenditures in a bid to allocate more fiscal resources to key sectors and weak areas. The MOF has established and regularly implemented a mechanism to directly allocate budgetary funds to prefecture- and county-level governments, guided the flow of financial resources toward lower levels of government, and supported the sound and long-term economic and social development.

Fiscal support became more targeted and effective in the past decade. Promoting the development of the Party's undertaking requires sufficient funding. Following the view of better serving the central task of economic development and the overall interests of the country, the MOF has strengthened financial support, allocated fiscal capacity to major tasks and boosted self-reliance in terms of sci-tech. It also strengthened support for people's basic livelihoods, promoted regional coordination between urban and rural areas, helped secure victory in the battle against poverty, fought against pollution, dealt with imbalanced and inadequate development, and worked to establish a new development paradigm and realize high-quality development. Sci-tech expenditure in the general public budget amounted to 7.1 trillion yuan in the past decade. Government spending on education from 2012 to 2020 was 28.88 trillion yuan, with statistics for 2021 yet to be published. Government spending on social security and employment totaled 23.11 trillion yuan.

Reforms to China's fiscal and taxation system were carried out in the past decade. General Secretary Xi Jinping underscored that good fiscal and taxation systems are the institutional guarantee for optimizing resource allocation, maintaining market unity, promoting social equity and realizing lasting peace and stability. Focusing on building a modern public finance system, the MOF has expedited reforms in key fields. It has deepened reform of the budget management system and introduced a performance-based budget management system covering the whole budget process. It has released reform plans defining the respective fiscal powers and expenditure responsibilities of central and local governments for major sectors. The MOF continued carrying out reforms of value added tax (VAT) and corporate income tax. It took initial steps to establish an individual income tax system based on both adjusted gross income and specific types of income. It also steadily improved local tax systems and promoted reforms of state capital, state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and finance. The MOF has strengthened supervision of financial accounting and tightened fiscal disciplines. As a result, fiscal governance capacity has seen steady improvement.

Financial cooperation was implemented in the past decade. General Secretary Xi Jinping noted that we need to hold high the banners of peace, development, cooperation and mutual benefit, forge a new form of international relations, and promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. The MOF has carried out pragmatic cooperation in the financial sector and strengthened multilateral communication using such platforms as the Group of Twenty (G20), BRICS, "1+6" Round Table Dialogue and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). The MOF proposed establishing the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), worked to establish the New Development Bank (NDB), and prepared to establish the Multilateral Development Finance Cooperation Center, in a bid to implement the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The MOF has taken the initiative and lowered China's overall tariff from 9.8% in 2010 to 7.4%. It also proactively supported the building of high-standard pilot free trade zone (FTZ) networks and worked to introduce a new system of open economy with higher standards.

Ladies and gentlemen, friends from the press, this year is of special significance in the new journey and new era of China as our Party will convene its 20th national congress this year. The MOF will more closely rally around 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; 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; stay confident in the path, the theory, the system, and the culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics; 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. Bearing in mind the country's most fundamental interests, we will give better play to the fundament and pivotal role of finance in state governance, and continue to implement the proactive fiscal policy under the principle of pursuing progress while ensuring stability in order to serve the overall cause of the Party and the country and set the stage for the 20th CPC National Congress with concrete actions.

Thank you.

Shou Xiaoli:

Thank you, Mr. Xu Hongcai. Next, I will give the floor to Mr. Wang Daoshu.

Wang Daoshu:

Ladies and gentlemen, friends from the press, good morning. First, please allow me to extend my heartfelt thanks to the friends from the press for your long-term concern and support for the taxation work on behalf of the Party committee of the State Taxation Administration and the head of the administration Wang Jun. We would also like to take this opportunity to express our sincere thanks to the tax and fee payers for their long-term contribution to the country's tax revenue and their understanding and support for the taxation work.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, historic achievements and changes have been made for the cause of the Party and the country thanks to the efforts of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core. During the decade, the taxation system has upheld Party leadership and strengthened the building of specialized political staff. We have followed the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era; thoroughly studied and implemented the important discourses and instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping on taxation; 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; 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; stayed confident in the path, the theory, the system, and the culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics; 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. The building of specialized political staff has been continually pushed forward, and Party leadership over the taxation work has been strengthened comprehensively.

During this decade, tax reforms have been furthered comprehensively. The taxation system has thoroughly implemented the major decisions and deployments of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council and worked with the finance department to continue to advance the tax system reform and endeavor to implement law-based taxation at a faster pace. The reform to transfer the responsibility of the collection of social insurance premiums and non-tax revenue was launched in a steady manner. The reform of the administration system for tax collection, which started from a cooperation of different services and moved toward their merging and integration, has led to an optimized, efficient, and unified administration system for the tax system and thus ensured a better play to the fundamental, pivotal and safeguarding role of tax in state governance.

During this decade, the taxation department has borne in mind the big picture and served development. Always committed to doing a good job in managing Party affairs, handling taxation work, and building a good team, the taxation system has achieved marked results in actively serving the overall economic and social development and played an increasingly notable role in serving the state governance system and the modernization of the governance capacity, and the international influence of China's taxation has kept growing. Here I would like to introduce several sets of data to demonstrate the achievements of the taxation department in serving economic and social development during the decade.

The first set of data: During the last decade, the taxation department organized the collection of 110 trillion yuan in tax revenue, providing a solid financial guarantee for high-quality development. The taxation department has all along followed laws and regulations in organizing tax collection and resolutely opposed the excessive collection of taxes and fees. It has fulfilled the targets of budget revenue for years in a row. The national tax revenue collected under the organization of the taxation department rose from 9.5 trillion yuan in 2013 to 15.5 trillion yuan in 2021, not including export rebates, tariffs, and taxes collected in the process of imports. The accumulated total tax collection during the period was 112 trillion yuan, with an average annual growth of 6.8%. The function of tax in contributing to the fiscal revenue has been effectively brought out.

The second set of data: During the last decade, the taxation department handled 8.8 trillion yuan in further tax and fee reductions. China's tax rate decreased from 18.7% in 2012 to 15.1% in 2021. Due to a larger scale of tax and fee reduction in 2019, the tax rate that year was 1 percentage point lower than that of 2018.

The third set of data: During the last decade, the number of new market entities for which we have provided taxation services exceeded 90 million, and the vitality of market entities was effectively unleashed. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, due to the combined effect of a number of macro policies such as tax and fee reduction ones, the innovation and entrepreneurship vitality of the whole society has been constantly stimulated. The number of new market entities for which we have provided taxation services reached 93.15 million, with an average annual addition of over 10 million. The number of general taxpayers of value-added tax rose from 5.44 million at the end of 2015 to 12.38 million at the end of 2021. The effect of tax and fee reductions in nurturing business growth has continued to show.

The fourth set of data: During the last decade, the number of countries and regions covered by China's network of taxation agreements reached 112. The Belt and Road Initiative Tax Administration Cooperation Mechanism, the world's first multilateral taxation platform, was established and ranked by the International Tax Review magazine among its 2021-2022 selection of the most influential events in the tax world.

Ladies, gentlemen, and friends, we know well that the taxation department needs to continue to strengthen efforts in order to meet the people's aspiration for a better life, meet the expectation of the tax and fee payers, and particularly help businesses ease difficulties and serve the big picture of ensuring stability on six key fronts and security in six key areas in the face of the current downward economic pressure. Next, guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, we will continue to strive to do a good job in taxation with stronger determination and tougher measures and in a more solid manner, and set the stage for the 20th CPC National Congress with concrete actions. Thank you.

Shou Xiaoli:

Thank you, Mr. Wang Daoshu. Next, the floor goes to Mr. Wang Lujin.

Wang Lujin:

Good morning, everyone! First of all, I would like to thank friends from the media for your care and support for our auditing work.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has attached great importance to auditing. With a focus on the overall development of the Party and our country, reforms have been taken in the auditing management system, the audit system has been improved, and the significant role of auditing work in the Party and the country's supervision system has been given full play. Now, I would like to give a brief introduction to the achievements we have made in the following three aspects:

First, the CPC Central Committee's overall leadership over the auditing work has been strengthened, pushing us to achieve the constant and new progress in building an audit-based oversight system that is centralized, unified, authoritative, efficient and with complete coverage. At the 19th CPC National Congress and the 19th CPC Central Committee's third plenary session, decisions were made to reform the auditing management system, and the central auditing committee was established. These efforts have effectively strengthened the top-level design, overall planning, and coordination, progressing on all fronts, overseeing the execution of major work in the auditing field, and giving better play to the work of the audit-based oversight.

Second, bearing in mind the country's most fundamental interests and focused on the central work of the Party and the country, we have made constant and new progress in reinforcing the audit-based oversight. The auditing organs at all levels have firmly implemented the decisions and deployments of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, followed the principle that "the audit-based oversight is first and foremost economic supervision," and fully performed their duties of the audit-based oversight in accordance with the law. Over the past 10 years, more than 1.09 million units across the country were audited, resulting in an increase in revenue and decrease in expenditure, and over 4.3 trillion yuan of losses recovered.

Third, the audit team has been managed strictly to promote the self-building of the audit and make sustainable and new progress. The auditing organs at all levels have adhered to the political guidance and requirements throughout the whole process of auditing, followed the principle of carrying out the auditing work in accordance with law and being objective and fair, strived to shape the professional spirit of daring to take on responsibilities and build the professional ability with solid and excellent expertise, and been able to ensure to seek for the truth, tell the truth and report the actual situation.

Carrying out supervision of the financial auditing work is a fundamental responsibility given by the Constitution of the People's Republic of China and the Audit Law of the People's Republic of China to audit authorities. Over the years, we have prioritized the financial auditing work and continued to intensify our efforts in the audit of the implementation of fiscal policies and the management and use of fiscal funds. We have promoted the in-depth reform of fiscal and taxation systems, strengthened the overall planning of fiscal resources, and improved the effectiveness of the use of fiscal funds. With these endeavors, we will bolster financial support for major strategic tasks of the country.

At present, due to the impact brought by the COVID-19 and many other factors, our country is pursuing its economic development in an environment of increasing complexity, severity, and uncertainty. Thus our economy is facing new challenges. The auditing organs across the country will firmly implement the decisions and arrangements of the Party Central Committee and the State Council and adhere to the principle of making stability our top priority and pursuing progress while ensuring stability. We will solidly perform our duties of audit-based supervision, promote the efficiency of proactive fiscal policies, and do a good job in ensuring the "six stabilities" and the "six guarantees" to achieve stable macroeconomic performance and keep major economic indicators within the appropriate range. These efforts will enable us to pave the way for a successful 20th National Party Congress.

That's all I want to say. Thank you.

Shou Xiaoli:

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

Southern Metropolis Daily:

Could you tell us what achievements have been made in China's continuous tax and fee reduction efforts over the past decade? Facing the current downward pressure on the economy, what new tax and fee-related measures will be introduced by the finance departments, and how will the taxation departments ensure that these tax and fee reduction measures are implemented? Moreover, how about the situation of the implementation of the new package of tax-and-fee supporting policies this year? Thank you.

Xu Hongcai:

Thank you for your questions. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, and in accordance with the requirements of handling taxes in a scientific way, optimizing the structure, improving relevant laws, and fostering a procedure-based fair system, the finance departments have continued to deepen the reform of the tax system and promote tax cuts and fee reductions.

First, we have continued to deepen the value-added tax reform ensuring that tax burdens went down in all industries. In 2012, we introduced the trials to replace business tax with VAT. In 2016, the trials were practiced in all sectors of society. In 2017, the 13%-tax-rate was canceled, and the structure of VAT rates was simplified from the four tax brackets into three. In 2018 and 2019, the VAT rates continued to decrease, and the standard tax rate of 17% was reduced to 13%. Meanwhile, we have increased business VAT deductions, and established a system to refund end-of-tax-period VAT credit. While having basically established a modern VAT system, we ensured that tax burdens in all industries were reduced instead of increased, significantly easing the tax burden on taxpayers.

Second, we have improved the corporate income tax system and supported the innovative development of enterprises. We have implemented preferential tax policies covering all aspects regarding innovation, including venture capital, innovators, and R&D activities. In particular, we have continued to enhance the policy on granting additional tax deductions for R&D costs and focused on fostering new drivers of economic growth.

Third, we have implemented the individual income tax reform and lowered the tax burden on low-and-middle-income groups. Such efforts include raising the individual income tax threshold, clarifying the scope of gross income tax collection, setting up special additional deductions, and improving and adjusting the tax rate structure. Thanks to these efforts, we have established a system for taxing personal income based on both adjusted gross income and specific types of income.

Fourth, we have steadily promoted the reform of other taxes and improved the modern tax system. These efforts include improving the consumption tax system, promoting the reform of the resource and environmental tax system, and improving the local tax system, among others.

Generally speaking, in the past decade, our tax system reform has the following three features:

First, we have kept firmly in mind the major decisions and arrangements of the Party Central Committee and served the major national strategies. We have paid equal attention to both improving the tax system and the tax reduction to bolster high-quality social and economic development. Newly added tax and fee cuts between 2013 and 2021 totaled 8.8 trillion yuan, which helps reduce the financial burden on market entities and accelerate their development.

Second, we have always pushed to see that our tax system reform becomes better matched with the external environment of economic globalization and strived to build a community with shared interests. We have focused on the development trend of the international tax system, introduced a series of reform measures to promote inclusive growth and a green tax system, actively participated in the research and formulation of international tax rules for the digital economy, and effectively safeguarded China's tax interests. With such efforts, China's overall tariff rate has been cut from 9.8% in 2010 to 7.4%.

Third, we have been focused on the development of a standardized and law-based taxation system. A modern taxation system has taken shape, with taxation playing an increasingly significant role in national governance and the structure of the taxation system continuously optimized. In 2021, the national tax revenue totaled 17.3 trillion yuan, accounting for 85.5% of the revenue in the national general public budget. In 2021, the share of direct taxes stood at 36%. In addition to the domestic tax revenue, the national tax revenue of 17.3 trillion yuan I mentioned also includes customs duties and taxes.

Acting in accordance with the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, we will carry out new combined supporting policies through tax and fee cuts. Tax refunds and cuts this year are expected to total 2.5 trillion yuan, and 1.5 trillion yuan of this sum will come from VAT credit refunds on a large scale, which will be realized after the introduction of new policies. The MOF will work with the State Taxation Administration and other relevant departments to accelerate the implementation of the VAT credit refund policies to improve the cash flow of enterprises and ease their burdens and difficulties through solid measures.

Next, the MOF will fully implement supporting policies through tax and fee cuts. We will promote the implementation of the policies of VAT credit refunds for large enterprises; micro and small enterprise are covered by the policies as well. We plan to carry out the policies for large and medium enterprises in advance. By accelerating the implementation of the policies, we will ensure our policies bring benefits to enterprises as soon as possible to ease their burdens and difficulties, strengthen internal momentum for development, and keep the major economic indicators within the appropriate range. Meanwhile, under the guiding principles of the meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, we will make plans proactively on additional policy tools to bolster domestic demands.

Thank you.

Wang Daoshu:

I could add on to that. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council have made efforts to reduce taxes and fees, considering this goal as an important part of deepening supply-side structural reform, planning and implementing an array of tax and fee reduction policies. These policies are implemented on a large scale and cover a wide range of entities previously unseen. They also have played a crucial role in easing the burdens of and energizing market entities.

Fully implementing General Secretary Xi Jinping's instructions and acting in line with the CPC Central Committee and the State Council's decisions and plans, the State Taxation Administration has taken and fulfilled the political responsibility for tax and fee reduction and adopted an innovative approach, i.e., adhering to one guidance, strengthening nationwide coordination, acting in accordance with one timetable, implementing the policy thoroughly, providing one package of services, answering questions from one authority, adopting one measurement, practicing integrated supervision, and uniting as one. We ensure that taxpayers can get tax and fee policies by scanning a QR code, while government services such as consultancies can be accessed online or through cellphone apps to ensure that the benefits of tax and fee reduction policies go straight to market entities fast and efficiently.

Since the start of this year, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council have rolled out new combined supporting policies through tax and fee cuts. As Mr. Xu has mentioned, the tax and fee reductions this year are expected to reach 2.5 trillion yuan, of which the VAT credit refunds will account for 1.5 trillion yuan. Focusing on the critically important policy of tax refunds and cuts on a large scale this year and implementing the requirements of providing high-quality, accessible, and convenient services, adopting a scientific and preventative approach to review enterprises' qualification for VAT credit refunds, harshly combating tax fraud, strictly conducting self-examination, continuously promoting policies, and providing fast, targeted, stable, and quality services, the taxation administrations nationwide have upgraded the information system 12 times and improved the application of contactless online taxation administration websites and apps to ensure faster and more efficient refunds amid the COVID-19. We have launched actions where top officials of the taxation administrations at provincial, municipal, and prefectural levels have taken charge of services directly to give immediate response to taxpayers' appeals. This will help take quick actions to tackle problems once they are spotted, removing the last crucial hurdle for implementing the policies so that taxpayers can enjoy efficient and convenient services. Targeted and immediate actions have been taken to crack down hard on tax fraud. From April 1 to May 16, 2,880 enterprises suspected of defrauding VAT credit refunds have been filed and inspected, and 118 related cases have been publicly exposed nationwide, sending a strong signal that tax fraud will be harshly combated and violators will be strictly punished, while also ensuring that no lawbreaker would take advantage of the tax and fee reduction policies. At the same time, a total of 25 cases of dereliction of duty by tax officials have been exposed, especially the very few cases of tax collusion that have been filed for review, showing that we punish corruption with an attitude of zero tolerance and keep firmly in mind the old adage that it takes a good blacksmith to make good steel.

Concerning the implementation of the new combined supporting policies through tax and fee cuts, as Mr. Xu has mentioned, this year, we have cut taxes and fees and increased cash flow for enterprises by 1.6 trillion yuan, consisting of three parts. First, from April 1 to May 16, a total of 979.6 billion yuan of VAT credit refunds were returned to corporate accounts, in addition to 123.3 billion yuan in refunds from last quarter when the previous VAT credit refund policies were carried out. This year, a total of 1.1 trillion yuan in refunds have been returned to taxpayers' accounts. Second, China introduced more tax and fee reductions in the first quarter, which amounted to 198 billion yuan. Third, 377.8 billion yuan of tax payments were postponed for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in manufacturing. These policies' benefits have played an important role in solving difficulties and rekindled confidence for enterprises, especially MSMEs and self-employed individuals.

Thank you!

CCTV:

Recently, some local governments released their fiscal revenue data for April, and the decline was relatively large. How was the national fiscal revenue and expenditure data, please? Thank you.

Xu Hongcai:

Thank you for your question. I will answer it. Everyone is very concerned about this issue, and I will elaborate on the situation.

Following the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, a new package of tax-and-fee policies was implemented this year. As I said earlier, and Mr. Wang also said just now, this year's tax rebates and cuts are expected to reach 2.5 trillion yuan, among which VAT credit refunds will be 1.5 trillion yuan. On the one hand, this is strong support for enterprises to reduce their burdens and bail them out of difficulties; on the other hand, it will cause a decrease in fiscal revenue. In accounting, our tax rebates are handled by offsetting revenue, rather than by utilizing financial subsidies or increasing financial expenditures. Therefore, Mr. Wang just mentioned that the figure of VAT credit refunds is to be written off based on the existing fiscal revenue. April was the first month for the implementation of large-scale VAT credit refunds. The policy effects were released in a concentrated manner. Enterprises were very active, and tax departments also worked very hard. Over the month, the national VAT credit refunds amounted to about 800 billion yuan, quite beyond our expectation. The 800 billion yuan was treated as a deduction from fiscal revenue, so what's the proportion if compared with the previous year? We compared it with the fiscal revenue in April 2021, and found that 800 billion yuan were equivalent to 37.5% of that month's revenue. That is to say, with the implementation of VAT credit refunds, the revenue in April would drop 37.5%, which is calculated for the whole country. The drop will be more significant in regions with advanced manufacturing, especially in some eastern provinces. That is to say, it will exceed 37.5%. Due to the large impact of VAT credit refunds, the fiscal revenue from January to April cannot be compared with that of the previous year. Of course, in addition to VAT credit refunds, we also have other tax and fee reductions. I just mentioned 1.5 trillion yuan in VAT credit refunds, and there are 1 trillion yuan in additional tax and fee reductions. These tax cuts and some tax deferral measures will also have an impact on the fiscal revenue in the January-April period.

After deducting the 800 billion yuan of VAT credit refunds, the national fiscal revenue increased 5% in the first four months, which was lower than the increase (8.6%) during the January-March period.

In terms of tax types, from January to April, the accumulated domestic VAT increased 1.8% after deducting VAT credit refunds; the domestic consumption tax grew 15.5%; the VAT and consumption tax of imported goods — the VAT and consumption tax collected by the customs — increased 17.8%; the corporate income tax grew 5.4%; and the export tax rebates were 153.3 billion more than the first four months of last year, an increase of 28.4%.

From January to April, expenditure in the national general public budget increased 5.9% over the same period last year, accounting for 30.3% of the budget. Expenditures in key areas such as people's livelihood have been effectively guaranteed. The essential expenditures in science and technology, agriculture, forestry and water conservancy, health, social security and employment, and education increased 15.5%, 12.9%, 7.5%, 4.4%, and 4.1%, respectively. What needs to be pointed out, in particular, is expenditure on the issuance of special bonds in the budget of government-managed funds. The issuance of local government special bonds totaled 1.11 trillion yuan, an increase of 1 trillion yuan over the same period last year. This has played a positive role in expanding effective investment and effectively stabilizing the macroeconomic market. This is the situation in the entire country.

From a local perspective, after deducting VAT credit refunds, local fiscal revenue increased 5.4% during the January-April period. Among the 31 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities), 23 saw increases and 8 witnessed declines.

Of course, it should also be noted that VAT credit refunds will bring a reduction in local fiscal revenue. Although we just calculated and compared it in fiscal statistical methods and dimensions, implementing VAT credit refunds will definitely cause a reduction in local financial resources. For this part of the reduction, the central government makes up for it through transfer payments, and this has been basically compensated. Therefore, local financial resources can be effectively guaranteed.

We have also analyzed the status of the central and local treasury funds, and I would like to talk a little bit about it. The national treasury balance was 4.94 trillion yuan as of the end of April. The balance of this treasury is the money received from the fiscal year minus the money spent, then we have the remaining balance. Of course, this money also excludes VAT credit refunds to enterprises. The total national treasury balance was 4.94 trillion yuan, an increase of about 440 billion yuan or 9.6% compared with the end of April last year. The balance of local treasury funds was 4.56 trillion yuan, an increase of about 500 billion yuan or 12.2% over the same period last year.

In general, the growth rate of fiscal revenue declined in April, as the fiscal and taxation departments at all levels have stepped up efforts to implement the tax reduction and rebate policies of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council. This is an active act of the proactive fiscal policies to deal with the downward pressure on the economy. By subtracting from fiscal revenue, we aim for more corporate benefits and the multiplication of market vitality. At the same time, the fundamentals sustaining China's steady and long-term economic growth remain unchanged. While the coordination of epidemic prevention and control and economic and social development starts to show its effects, fiscal revenue will also rise steadily.

Next, the MOF will continue to thoroughly implement the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on tax rebates and cuts. We will formulate fiscal policies early on, make good use of various policy tools, and act in advance so as to stabilize the macroeconomic market and keep the economy operating within a reasonable range. Thank you.

Thecover.cn:

This question goes to Mr. Wang Lujin. We know that financial auditing is the fundamental responsibility of auditing organs. Could you please give a detailed introduction of the achievements that the auditing organs have made in promoting the reform of the finance and tax systems, improving the efficiency of the use of the fiscal funds, as well as the efforts it has made to ensure the implementation of the eight-point decision on improving Party and government conduct and to ensure the government keeps its belt tightened? Thank you.

Wang Lujin:

Thank you for your question. The priority of the audit authorities is the auditing of public finance.As such, financial auditing is the most important task for which the National Audit Office always strives. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, following the decisions and deployments made by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, auditing organs have been committed to the prominent task of ensuring genuine, legitimate, and efficient financial revenue and expenditure and stepped up efforts to enhance and improve fiscal audit, conduct audit-based oversight, and promote the reform and progress of the finance and tax systems. I'd like to brief you on the following three aspects:

First, we have endeavored to boost the fiscal system reform. Aiming to put in place a comprehensive, procedure-based, transparent budget system that follows well-conceived standards and imposes effective constraints, we have strengthened budget performance and audit of draft final accounts. We have also expanded audits of department budget implementation and strengthened the audit of prominent and special funds. By doing so, we have been able to supervise the entire government budget system, which includes budget allocation, approval, implementation, revision, and the compilation of final accounts so as to ensure a complete and unified government budget system. With the aim of establishing a relationship between the central and local finances built upon clearly defined powers and responsibilities, appropriate financial resource allocation, and greater balance between regions, we have motivated the central and local governments and promoted audit of transfer payments, wherein we have endeavored to ensure that the items eligible for transfer payments are established properly; that the share of fiscal funds between the central and local governments are rational; that the fiscal funds are allocated correctly; that the approval of the budget and appropriation of funds are timely; and that the funds are used efficiently and consistently with compliance requirements. Such efforts are conducive to balancing financial resources and basic public services among regions.

Second, we have made great efforts to improve the efficiency of the proactive fiscal policies. In order to ensure the implementation of proactive fiscal policies, we have strengthened the audit of performance management of fiscal funds, the process of putting idle budgetary funds to good use, and the issuance of local government special-purpose bonds in a bid to improve the efficiency of funds. I'd like to introduce our work in two aspects: The first is about the audit of direct finances. The central government has established a system for the transfer of finances in a bid to allocate the funding to local governments directly. In this regard, auditing organs have inspected every single step throughout the entire process over the past few years, including the allocation, the appropriation, as well as the management and the use of the funds in order to ensure that such fiscal funds will be allocated and distributed in time; that the use of the funds is target-oriented; and that it will be managed in a safe and efficient manner. According to the audit results, the system has enabled fiscal funds to be allocated more quickly, distributed in a targeted way, and supervised more effectively. It has played an important role in advancing stability on the six fronts and security in the six areas, ensuring economic stability and social development. The second is about the audit of the special-purpose bonds. We have strengthened the audit of local government special-purpose bonds in terms of their lend, use, management, and repay so as to ensure the management of special bonds more standard in terms of its quota allocation, declaration, and release, as well as its use and debt repayment. It is also conducive to increasing the benefits brought about by the use of special-purpose bonds, which will thereby further leverage the positive role of special-purpose bonds in improving the efficiency of proactive fiscal policies and expanding effective investments.

Third, we have made great efforts to ensure the implementation of the eight-point decision on improving Party and government conduct and ensure the government keeps its belt tightened. Since the18th CPC National Congress, the audit authorities has made the implementation of the eight-point decision on improving Party and government conduct and the requirement of tightening the belt as a top priority of the audit-based oversight, investigating, and taking stern action in practices regarding the construction of new government buildings and vanity projects in violation of regulations, as well as the release of subsidies in violation of regulations and mismanagement of spending on official overseas visits, official vehicles, and official hospitality.

For example, the General Office of the State Council reported in October of last year some cases of the construction of new government buildings and vanity projects in violation of regulations in some regions despite their financial situation. It urged localities and departments at all levels to raise awareness and conduct self-inspection and self-correction to learn a lesson, demanding them to strictly enforce financial and economic discipline and tighten up accountability for overseeing discipline compliance, which thereby has created a deterrent. Going forward, we will ramp up efforts to investigate similar problems.

Thank you.

CNR:

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, what efforts have the tax authorities made in terms of implementing the new development philosophy and leveraging the role of tax policies in order to promote high-quality economic and social development? What achievements have been made? Thank you.

Wang Daoshu:

Thank you for your question. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the tax authorities have implemented General Secretary Xi Jinping's important remarks on tax work and have practiced the new development philosophy featuring innovation, coordination, green, openness and sharing in a full, accurate, and comprehensive manner so as to ensure that the tax work will serve the overall economic and social development and promote high-quality economic and social development.

First, we are keeping focus on innovation to drive growth. A series of policies have been adopted to support scientific and technological innovation, such as the preferential income tax rate for high-tech enterprises, the R&D expense super deduction policy with broader coverage, and higher deduction rates and accelerated depreciation for fixed assets, all of which spur enterprises to increase their investments in science and technology. In 2020, a total of 53,000 enterprises enjoyed the preferential tax policies for high tech firms, an increase of 82.8% in terms of numbers compared with the level of 2013, with enterprises' income tax deduction and exemptions reaching 259.6 billion yuan. In 2020, 427,000 enterprises enjoyed the R&D expense deduction policy, and the amount of tax deduction and exemption was 429.5 billion yuan, which was 1.9 times the amount of 2013. Enterprises have become more vigorous for innovation, and their R&D intensity has increased from 2.08% in 2013 to 2.44% in 2021.

Second, we are focusing on coordination to serve the regional development strategy. The administration has set up a group on taxation work to consistently implement preferential tax and fee policies to promote large-scale development in the west region and support the construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port. We have launched multiple facilitation measures for the integration of the tax collection and services to support the integrated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the development of the Yangtze Economic Belt, and the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta, thus vigorously enabling regions to complement each other with their respective strengths and facilitating flows of factors of production. From 2016 to 2021, tax revenue's average annual growth rate in the central and western regions was 6.8% and 5.8%, respectively, 1.2 percentage points and a 0.2 percentage point higher than the overall annual growth rate in the eastern region. The proportion of tax revenue in the central and western regions has increased, reflecting a more coordinated development among regions.

Third, we will keep focusing on green development to help build a beautiful China.By thoroughly implementing Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, the administration has established a green tax system featuring the governance of multiple taxes such as resources tax, environmental protection tax, consumption tax, and enterprise income tax. We have introduced tax incentives while offering tax restriction measures simultaneously. Since the introduction of the environmental protection tax in 2018, the pollution equivalent per 10,000 yuan of GDP decreased from 1.16 in 2018 to 0.86 in 2020.

Fourth, we are focusing on opening-up to promote international economic and trade cooperation. Since 2013, the administration has accelerated the negotiation, signing, and revision of tax treaties with key countries, and carried out consultations with tax authorities in relevant jurisdictions, thus eliminating 28.3 billion yuan of double taxation for taxpayers and effectively lowering the tax burden on enterprises. The time for processing export tax rebates was reduced to less than seven working days in 2021. From 2013 to 2021, a total of 10.6 trillion yuan of export tax rebates was granted to enterprises, with an average annual growth rate of 6%, thus stabilizing foreign trade. The policy of deferred tax payment for foreign reinvestment has been earnestly carried out. Since its implementation in 2018, 41.3 billion yuan of deferred tax payment has been handled, which has driven 426.4 billion yuan of dividends reinvestment, thus promoting foreign investment.

Fifth, we will keep focusing on shared benefits to improve people's well-being. The administration has strengthened the policy of giving priority to employment and continued to increase tax support for small and micro-businesses. The VAT threshold for small-scale taxpayers has continuously increased from 30,000 yuan to 150,000 yuan, and the income tax threshold for small and low-profit enterprises has been lowered several times in a row. We have continued to implement policies of starting businesses and finding jobs for key groups, reduce the burden on market entities, and sustain employment and create jobs. With the implementation of the individual income tax reform, the tax burden of hundreds of millions of natural person taxpayers has been significantly reduced. Most taxpayers with an annual income of less than 100,000 yuan do not need to pay individual income tax.

China's economic and social development is under great pressure due to the resurgence of the epidemic and changes in the international situation. We will give full play to the role of taxation in raising fiscal revenue, regulating the economy, adjusting the distribution, and integrating taxation more deeply into all aspects of national governance. The taxation department will bravely shoulder responsibilities and overcome difficulties, firmly keep the economy stable, effectively protect and improve people's livelihoods, stabilize and expand employment, and contribute to high-quality economic and social development. Thank you.

CNBC:

My question is about the increase of 1.5 trillion yuan in transfer payments from the central to local governments proposed in the government work report of this year. Will this number increase further? How much will it be? Thank you.

Xu Hongcai:

Thank you. I will answer your question concerned by local governments.

According to the central budget approved by the National People's Congress, transfer payments from the central to local governments will reach about 9.8 trillion yuan in 2022, an increase of nearly 1.5 trillion yuan or 18 percent over the previous year. Among them, regular transfer payments reach 9 trillion yuan, with a rise of 8.4 percent, a relatively high rate in recent years. We divide it into general transfer payments and special transfer payments. The former will reach 8.2 trillion yuan, up 8.7%, and the latter will reach 0.8 trillion yuan, up 4.7%. The increase in general transfer payments is higher, indicating that more transfer payments can be pooled and used by local governments compared with the special transfer payments.

Besides regular transfer payments, the rest of 800 billion yuan will be allocated to support local governments in implementing tax rebates policy, other tax and fee cuts, and increasing spending on key areas related to people's well-being.

In addition to the above-mentioned transfer payments, we have also allocated 400 billion yuan of government-managed funds to be carried over next year to clear the tax refunds borne by the central government and increase the amount of transfer payments to local governments accordingly. At present, most of the transfer payment funds have been distributed to local governments in accordance with the law, of which 4 trillion yuan has been included in the normalized direct mechanism management. This is the case with budgetary arrangements. The refund process is relatively fast, so it is estimated that some liquidation funds originally planned to be carried over next year will be distributed to local governments in advance, thus meeting the needs of fund allocation at the local level.

Next, based on implementing the existing policies, we will fully carry out the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee, promptly design and use new incremental policies, enhance well-timed regulation, properly adopt target-oriented policies in advance and leave enough space, so as to make solid progress. We will work hard to achieve the goals of economic and social development throughout the year and keep the economy running within an appropriate range.

Haibao News:

The third plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Committee made it clear that China should advance the reform of the fiscal and tax systems to build a modern public finance system. How is the reform of China's fiscal and tax systems progressing? What new reform measures will be rolled out this year? Thank you.

Xu Hongcai:

Thank you. Your questions are about reforms. Indeed, our reforms in recent years have been advanced according to decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council. Especially since the third plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, we have taken moves across the board, achieved breakthroughs in many areas, made further progress and achieved remarkable results. The framework of a modern public finance system has been basically established to provide strong support for promoting the sustained and healthy economic and social development and modernizing China's system and capacity for governance.

First, new progress has been made in the reform of fiscal systems. A fiscal relationship between the central and local governments built upon clearly defined powers and responsibilities, with appropriate financial resource allocation and great balance between regions, has gradually taken shape. We kept the current fiscal pattern of central and local governments stable, advanced the reform of defining the respective fiscal powers and expenditure responsibilities of central and local governments, and unveiled reform plans involved in 11 areas, including basic public service, education, and science and technology. We further rationalized the division of revenue between central and local governments, clarifying the ‘50/50 split' for VAT revenue, and adjusting and improving the mechanism for sharing VAT credit refunds. We deepened the reform of the financial transfer payment system and built a system for transfer payments, including general transfer payment, transfer payment of common authority of central and local governments, and special transfer payments, which has promoted coordinated regional development and equal access to basic public services.

Second, significant progress has been made in reforming the taxation system. A standardized and fair taxation system, featuring scientific tax classifications, optimized structure, and sound laws, was built and improved. I spoke more about the taxation system in my first answer. Generally speaking, we have intensified efforts to administer taxation in accordance with the law and completed legislative work on 12 tax categories. Moreover, we have comprehensively advanced VAT reform, improved systems of consumption tax and business income tax, and advanced the reform of resources and environment taxation system. A system for taxing personal income on the basis of both adjusted gross income and specific types of income has taken shape, and large-scale cuts on taxes and fees have been implemented.

Third, major achievements have been made in reforming the budget management system. A transparent budget system has been basically established with clearly defined, evidence-based and binding rules. In the past decade, the Budget Law and the regulations on implementation of the Budget Law were revised and decisions and opinions on deepening reform of the budget management system were released. A multi-year budget-balancing mechanism was established and medium-term financial planning management was implemented. We strengthened the united management of fiscal revenue, standardized the management of expenditure budgets, and strengthened financial support for major decisions and arrangements. We strengthened budget management of government departments and units and implemented lifecycle management of projects. We innovatively implemented a mechanism to directly allocate budgetary funds to prefecture- and county-level governments to ensure that funds go straight to prefecture and county governments and directly benefit businesses and people. Moreover, we strengthened management of local government debt, advanced performance-based budget management across the board, made institutional arrangements to make budgets more transparent, and comprehensively implemented a reporting system for state-owned asset management.

Next, we will continue to follow the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, ground our efforts in the new development stage, apply the new development philosophy, and create a new pattern of development. In accordance with the requirements of systematic integration and efficient coordination, we will advance reform of the fiscal and tax systems to make finance better play its role as the foundation of state governance and promote high-quality development.

Thank you.

Sansha Satellite TV:

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, what have taxation authorities done to improve tax services and improve the taxation environment? Focusing on alleviating the burden on businesses, stimulating market vitality, and improving the business environment, with which taxpayers are concerned, what new measures will be introduced and what are the priorities this year? Thank you.

Wang Daoshu:

I will answer your questions. Thank you for your interest in this field.

The taxation authorities serve tens of millions of enterprise taxpayers and self-employed individuals, hundreds of millions of natural person taxpayers, and more than one billion payers. The taxation department is one of the government departments which have the closest contact with market entities, serve the people most directly and have the most frequent contact with the people. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, taxation authorities have focused on dealing with the blockage, difficulties, and pain points reflected by taxpayers, promoted the transfer from focusing on offline tax services to equal attention to both online and offline tax services, from focusing on general service to more personalized services, and the quality and efficiency of tax and fee services have been improved. According to the Doing Business Report released by the World Bank, China's taxation index rank has been rising, and its score in a third-party survey on taxpayer satisfaction has steadily improved, increasing to 87.2 in 2021 from 79.72 in 2012.

Next, I will elaborate on this from the following three respects:

First, we have improved our service philosophy to make tax services more comprehensive. Focusing on taxpayers, we have worked hard to provide convenience and regulate the service philosophy of tax collectors to the maximum and improved tax and fee services.

Second, we continued to improve tax service, making it more convenient. Taxation authorities have launched public tax service campaigns since 2014 for nine consecutive years, and made continuous achievements. We introduced 539 innovative service initiatives, involving 197 items of 54 categories. We streamlined tax materials, reducing material submission by 50% and paper forms by 25%. Matters requiring tax administrative approval were reduced to one from 87, more than 95% of preferential tax treatment items have been changed into ‘for future inspection' from record and the efficiency of tax and fee policies was improved. Particularly when facing the epidemic in 2020, we vigorously promoted non-contact tax payment services and made it a regular practice. In addition to those matters prescribed by the law and those that require offline physical delivery, all tax payment matters are handled without contact, social security payment for enterprises is handled online, and social security payment for individuals is basically handled via cellphone applications.

Third, we have continuously taken innovative measures to protect people's rights and interests to reassure them about paying taxes. We have always regarded protecting taxpayers' legitimate rights and interests as an essential component of our taxation services, actively responded to taxpayers' legitimate rights and interests, and strived to build a fair and equitable taxation environment. We have also continuously worked to improve the complaint mechanism. Compared with 2012, the number of complaints submitted to the taxation department has fallen by 20.4% in 2021. The average time for handling all kinds of complaints was also cut by 50%. We have continued to enforce the law in a strict, procedure-based, impartial and civilized manner. Since 2019, based on pilot programs, we have comprehensively implemented the administrative law enforcement publication system, the recording system of law enforcement throughout the whole process and the legal review system of major law enforcement decisions, in a bid to create a transparent, standardized and law-based taxation environment.

Since the beginning of this year, faced with the pandemic and complicated international situations unseen in a century, the environment for China's economic development has become more complex, severe and uncertain, while more challenges including stabilizing economic growth and commodity prices and promoting employment have been posed to China. The taxation department will work together with large market entities to overcome the difficulties and further carry out theSpring Breeze Campaign for More Convenient Taxation Service, facilitating the development of small- and medium-sized enterprises. We are committed to basically completing implementation of end-of-tax-period VAT credit refunds on a large scale by the end of the first half of this year and thoroughly implementing preferential tax policies, in a bid to ease the burdens and difficulties faced by large market entities, and especially for micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises, and to play our part in advancing stability on the six fronts and security in the six areas. Thank you.

Beijing Office of Changjiang Daily:

There is no trivial matter when it comes to people's livelihoods. I would like to ask, over the last few years, what measures have been taken by the National Audit Office to strengthen livelihood funding and audit projects to improve people's standard of life? What achievements have been made? Thank you.

Wang Lujin:

Thank you for your questions. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the auditing sector has always upheld the people-oriented development concept, regarded achieving, safeguarding and improving the fundamental interests of the people as the starting point and objective in our work, and deemed safeguarding and making good use of livelihood funds as our most important commitment to the public. We have continuously advanced auditing efforts in major fields related to people's livelihoods, including health care, elderly care, employment, housing and agriculture, rural areas and farmers. We have insisted on reaching the grassroots level, conducting thorough supervision of funds and the implementation of policies, in a bid to ensure that all policies for benefiting the people rolled out by the CPC Central Committee can be fully implemented. We have seriously investigated and penalized cases of corruption and misconduct occurring among the people, better addressed the pressing difficulties and problems that are of the greatest concern to the people, met people's basic living needs, and increased people's senses of fulfillment, happiness and security. I will briefly introduce our achievements from two aspects.

First, I will introduce the auditing situation for poverty alleviation and rural revitalization. We have adhered to all the decisions and arrangements made by the CPC Central Committee, taken winning the battle against poverty as our top task, coordinated and arranged for best cadres from across the country to work on the front lines, and continuously strengthened auditing in the field of poverty alleviation. Over the past few years, we have randomly inspected a total of 1.02 trillion yuan worth of various kinds of poverty reduction funds. We have promoted the normalization process of poverty reduction fund management and constantly improved its in-use performance with the percentage taken up by invalid funds out of the total inspected funding reduced from 36.3% in 2013 to 1.5% in 2020, playing our part in winning complete victory in the fight against poverty. Since last year, in accordance with the arrangements and requirements made by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, we have continued to do a good job in implementing relevant policies and fund auditing in order to better connect the work of consolidating and expanding the achievements of poverty alleviation with the efforts on rural revitalization. We have continuously stepped-up auditing efforts in stabilizing supportive policies and consolidating progress of the "two assurances and three guarantees." During the five-year period of transition after completing all tasks of poverty alleviation in particular, we have conducted audits at every administrative level through the whole process of the use of funds that aim to consolidate poverty alleviation achievements. We have accelerated the construction of a long-term mechanism to protect the fruits of comprehensive poverty alleviation and to ensure that people do not slip back into poverty in large numbers.

Second, I will introduce the auditing situation for social insurance. In accordance with the multi-tiered social insurance system in China, we have organized auditing forces across the country to continuously audit pension funds, medical insurance funds, employment subsidies, public welfare lottery fund, government-subsidized housing projects and so on, in a bid to the safeguard the security of funds in all fields of social insurance and facilitate the implementation of major policies such as those aimed at promoting employment. During the auditing process, we have put greater emphasis on the security of funds, revealing and cracking down on illegal activity such as insurance fraud, hedging, embezzling or graft of all kinds within social insurance funds. We have also emphasized fund benefits, addressing all kinds of problems related to inefficiency such as idle funds, accrued liabilities and excessive security. In addition, we have paid attention to the consistency of policies, removed choke points, difficulties and breaking points throughout the implementation process of mechanisms and policies, and shored up weak links in social insurance, in a bid to let our people across the country benefit more and in a fairer way from reform and development outcomes. Thank you.

Beijing Daily:

At present, faced with the downward economic pressure in China, I would like to ask, what progress has been made recently by the steady-growth-oriented fiscal and taxation policies? And what measures will be taken going forward? Thank you.

Xu Hongcai:

Thank you for your questions. Since the beginning of this year, the MOF has earnestly implemented the spirit of the Central Economic Work Conference. In accordance with the arrangements of the Report on the Work of the Government, we will prioritize stability while pursuing progress and focus on stabilizing crucial links such as employment, investment, market entities, industrial chains and supply chains. We will step up efforts in multiple aspects, implement comprehensive policies and make these policies produce effects sooner, so as to help achieve a stable macroeconomic performance. In addition, we will launch a set of new policies for cutting taxes and fees to further alleviate burdens on companies and increase the momentum of market entities. We plan to maintain an appropriate level of spending intensity, further optimize the financial expenditure structure, comply with the requirement that government should keep its belt tightened and keep spending low to benefit the people, and strengthen guarantees of key fields and the basic well-being of people. Meanwhile, we will arrange the issuance and use of special local government bonds in a reasonable manner, guarantee the construction of key projects, strengthen central government's transfer payments to local governments and guide the flow of financial resources toward lower levels of government to support the grassroots level in achieving the "three guarantees." At present, we are accelerating the implementation of various kinds of policies and anticipating more effects produced by these policies.

First, we have accelerated the implementation of new combined supporting policies through tax and fee cuts to invigorate market entities. We have expedited VAT credit refunds, giving priority to micro- and small-sized companies. The issuing of VAT credit refunds to micro- and small-sized companies has been in place since April. Meanwhile, the refunding of outstanding VAT credits to medium-sized companies, which was scheduled for July, has started ahead of time in May. The taxation department is currently working on this. Refunding outstanding VAT credits to large companies, which was scheduled for October, will start in June to ensure the policies bring benefits to enterprises as soon as possible. We have raised the additional tax deduction coverage for R&D costs for small- and medium-sized sci-tech enterprises. A raft of favorable tax and fee policies have been carried out in an orderly manner, including an exempting VAT payments for small taxpayers. Just now, Mr. Wang Daoshu said thatthe country has reduced taxand feeburdens and increased cash flows for enterprises by more than 1.6 trillion yuanso farthis year. The central government has arranged special transfer payments to support local efforts in reducing taxes and fees and ensuring people's livelihoods. I also mentioned that a total of 1.2 trillion yuan of special transfer payments from the central government has been arranged in addition to general transfer payments, with 800 billion yuan from this year's budget having already been allocated in batches.

Second, we have promoted the issuing and utilization of special-purpose local government bonds to stimulate and expand effective investment. This year, the ceiling amount of special-purpose bonds for local governments is 3.65 trillion yuan. After 1.46 trillion yuan of a special bond quota was front-loaded last December, all remaining bond quota issued for project construction was allocated by March. By May 15, local governments had issued 1.5 trillion yuan in special-purpose bonds, up 1.3 trillion yuan from the same period last year. Authorities are accelerating the issuing of the remaining bond quota for this year. By the end of April, the issued bonds had supported more than 11,000 projects and 120 billion yuan of special bonds had been used to fund major projects, providing strong support for expanding effective investment and maintaining stable macroeconomic performance. What I want to emphasize here is that special-purpose local government bonds are placed under budgetary management for government-managed funds instead of the general public finance. In contrast with general bonds included in the deficit, special bonds are characterized by principal and interest repayments with the yield of the programs they are issued for, so that they can restore balance to financing.

Third, we have increased policy support to help businesses tide over difficulties. In terms of business size, we have focused on boosting assistance to micro- and small-sized enterprises. Support policies, such as tax and fee cuts and inclusive finance, have been weighted more heavily toward such enterprises to help them reduce costs. In terms of industries, we have strengthened efforts to assist sectors heavily hit by COVID-19, such as logistics and catering, providing them more preferential tax policies and alleviating the pressures brought about by social insurance contributions. Local governments have also been encouraged to proactively allocate funds to provide subsidies for enterprises and self-employed workers struggling with rent, utility bills, guarantee fees and COVID-19 prevention costs.

China secured a stable economic performance in the first quarter of this year. At the recent meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, General Secretary Xi Jinping put forth clear requirements that China should step up macro policy adjustments and make solid efforts to maintain stable economic performance, and work hard to achieve this year's economic and social development goals. To fully implement the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee, the MOF will promptly design incremental policy tools, enhance well-timed regulations, maintain an appropriate lead time and redundancy of target-oriented policies, and bolster the role of public finance in adjusting macroeconomic performance. By doing so, we will stabilize the economy, ensure the achievement of the year's economic and social development goals, and keep the economy running within a reasonable range. Thank you.

Shou Xiaoli:

Thank you to the three speakers as well as friends from the media. Today's press conference is hereby concluded. Goodbye.

Translated and edited by Yuan Fang, Zhang Rui, Zhou Jing, Huang Shan, Xu Kailin, Wang Yiming, Wang Wei, Gong Yingchun, Ma Yujia, Yang Xi, Wang Yanfang, Qin Qi, Li Xiao, Li Huiru, He Shan, Wang Qian, Zhu Bochen, David Bal and Jay Birbeck. In case of any discrepancy between the English and Chinese texts, the Chinese version is deemed to prevail.

.

Read in Chinese

Speakers:

Han Wenxiu, deputy director in charge of routine work of the Office of the Commission for Financial and Economic Affairs of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC)

Hu Zucai, vice chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission

Li Meng, vice minister of science and technology

Ye Min, vice minister of ecology and environment

Wang Shouwen, vice minister of commerce and deputy China international trade representative

Chen Yulu, deputy governor of the People's Bank of China (PBC)

Chairperson:

Shou Xiaoli, spokesperson of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee

Date:

May 12, 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 third press conference under the theme of "China in the past decade." Today, we have invited Mr. Han Wenxiu, deputy director in charge of routine work of the Office of the Commission for Financial and Economic Affairs of the CPC Central Committee; Mr. Hu Zucai, vice chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission; Mr. Li Meng, vice minister of science and technology; Mr. Ye Min, vice minister of ecology and environment; Mr. Wang Shouwen, vice minister of commerce and deputy China international trade representative; and Mr. Chen Yulu, deputy governor of the PBC to brief you on the progress and reform in China’s economy and ecological conservation, and to take your questions.

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

Han Wenxiu:

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. The past decade since the 18th CPC National Congress has been extraordinary in terms of the development of the Party and the country. Under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, China has built a moderately prosperous society in all respects and set out on a new journey of building a modern socialist country in all respects. The new development philosophy has taken root and major milestone achievements have been made in economic and social development and ecological conservation. The most outstanding theoretical achievement in the past 10 years was the formation of Xi Jinping Thought on Economy and Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization. Specifically:

China's economic strength reached a new level in the past decade. China's gross domestic product (GDP) topped 114 trillion yuan (about $16.94 trillion) in 2021 and the country accounted for over 18% of the global economy in 2021, rising from 11.4% in 2012. China has both cemented and improved its status as the world's second-largest economy. Per capita GDP reached $12,500, close to the threshold for high-income economies. In recent years, the contribution of China's economic growth to the world economy has stood at around 30%, making it the largest engine for growth in the global economy.

China steadily advanced innovation in the past decade. We have taken innovation as the primary driving force of development. The ratio of total national R&D expenditure to GDP increased from 1.91% to 2.44%, and China's global innovation index ranking rose from 34th to 12th place. China is leading the world in the construction of high-speed railways and 5G networks, major breakthroughs have been made in such fields as manned spaceflight and the exploration of Mars, and great progress has been made in building an innovation-focused country.

China steadily advanced coordinated development in the past decade. China's urbanization rate increased from 53.1% to 64.7%, the ratio or gap of per capita disposable income between urban and rural residents decreased from 2.88:1 to 2.5:1, and the Gini coefficient dropped from 0.474 to 0.466. Solid steps were made in ensuring equal access to basic public services, and the balance, coordination and complementarity of regional development continued to increase.

China steadily advanced green development in the past decade. The change in China's ecological environment was historic, with fewer polluted days and stagnant water bodies, as well as bluer skies and more lucid waters and lush mountains. China's artificial afforestation has accounted for about a quarter of the world's total, and its CO2 emissions per unit of GDP dropped around 34%. The country has also topped the globe in installed capacity of wind and photovoltaic power and other green energy, and in the production and sales of new energy vehicles. China promoted the conclusion of the Paris Agreement, clearly announcing targets of achieving peak CO2 emissions before 2030 and carbon neutrality before 2060. It has made important contributions in promoting international cooperation in addressing climate change and advancing global environmental governance.

China steadily advanced opening-up in the past decade. The breadth and depth of China's openness to the outside world constantly increased. With its share of global merchandise exports rising from 11% to 15%, China maintained its position as the world's largest trading nation in goods. We have fully implemented a pre-establishment national treatment and negative list management system for foreign investment, and the use of foreign investment continued to increase. We actively built a network of high-standard free trade zones (FTZs), and the number of free trade agreements (FTAs) signed increased from 10 to 19. We established 21 FTZs and the Hainan Free Trade Port, and created a series of new pacesetters and testing grounds, forming a new pattern of all-round and high-standard opening-up.

China solidly worked on shared development over the past decade. We brought about a historic resolution to the problem of absolute poverty, which has plagued the Chinese nation for thousands of years. We lifted nearly 100 million rural residents out of poverty, making tremendous contributions to the global poverty reduction. We built the world's largest education system, social security system, and health care system. People's average life expectancy rose from 75.4 to 77.9 years old, the proportion of the middle-income group increased from around one-fourth to one-third, and people's standard of living and quality of life saw continuous improvement.

China solidly coordinated development and safety over the past decade. We made key progress in the critical battle against major potential risks, and forestalled systemic risks. In the past 10 years, the death toll of production safety accidents measured per unit of GDP plummeted by 83.8%. People's life and safety were better protected. China saw significant improvement in the awareness and capability of safe production. 

China constantly reformed and improved its economic and ecological conservation system over the past decade. We upheld and further improved the basic socialist economic system, under which public ownership is the mainstay and diverse forms of ownership develop together. We adhered to the distribution system under which distribution according to work is the mainstay while multiple forms of distribution exist alongside it. We upheld the socialist market economy system, fully leveraging the decisive role of the market in allocating resources and giving better play to the role of government. We also built a system for developing an ecological civilization, implemented the most rigorous ecological and environmental protection system, established and improved an ecological and environmental inspection system, as well as fully built a system that ensures effective resource utilization. All these have provided strong support to the high-quality economic growth and sustainable improvement of the ecology and environment. 

Meanwhile, we are keenly aware that China is still a developing country and is still in the primary stage of socialism. People's average income is relatively low, there is still room for improvement in our ecology and environment, and the development is still unbalanced and inadequate. Particularly, there is still a long way for China to meet its second centenary goal of building a great modern socialist country in all respects, and there is still a large gap compared with the advanced world levels. We should be resolute and calm, guard against arrogance and rashness, remain true to our original aspiration, and continue our great endeavor. We should keep economic development as our central task, fully apply the new development philosophy, accelerate the establishment of a new development paradigm, and redouble efforts for high-quality development in order to achieve sustainable development featuring advanced production, higher living standards, and better ecosystems.

Thank you.

Shou Xiaoli:

Thank you, Mr. Han, for your introduction. Now the floor is open. Please identify your media outlet before raising questions. 

CCTV: 

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, China has been improving people's well-being to ensure that it is inclusive and meets their essential needs, and people have had a greater sense of gain. What achievements have been made in terms of promoting shared development and improving people's well-being? How should we meet people's new needs in a better way? Thank you.  

Hu Zucai:

Thank you for your questions. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has acted on the people-centered development philosophy, and on schedule, built a moderately prosperous society in all respects that reflects high standard and benefits all the Chinese people. Both the quality of people's lives and the society's shared development have seen historic and all-around improvement. The achievements can be summarized as "one historic resolution and three all-around achievements."

First, we have brought about a historic resolution to the problem of absolute poverty in China. We declared victory in the critical battle against poverty, lifting 98.99 million rural poor people out of poverty. "Leaving no one behind" has become a signature achievement of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. Following that, we have advanced the strategy of rural vitalization to consolidate the achievements in poverty alleviation. 

Second, living standards have improved in an all-round way. An average of over 13 million urban jobs were created each year. Per capita disposable income reached over 35,000 yuan, up 80% from 2012. Its growth has outpaced economic growth. The ratio of urban income to rural income per capita dropped to 2.5:1. The middle-income group has been expanding to more than 400 million people. The Engel coefficient, reflecting social quality and consumption upgrading, indicates that Chinese people enjoy wealthy lives, according to UN standards. China's vehicle density stood at 37 vehicles per 100 households, more than double the number in 2012. The housing conditions have improved markedly. A total of 39.61 million housing units were rebuilt in rundown urban areas, benefiting over 90 million residents. Renovation of old residential areas in cities benefited 20 million households. About 180 million moved to cities from the countryside to enjoy urban living and a higher quality of life. The Chinese people enjoy colorful and enriching cultural activities. Spending on culture, tourism, fitness, and recreation has become common. Chinese people have been showing a more confident mindset.

Third, all-round public services have become universal and inclusive. Over the past 10 years, historic progress has been made in education in rural areas, border areas with mainly ethnic minority populations, old revolutionary base areas, and areas that have been lifted out of poverty. The gaps between urban and rural areas, between regions, and between schools remarkably narrowed. The availability of compulsory education in China was higher than the average level in high-income countries. The gross enrollment rate of preschool education increased significantly to 88.1%. Higher education is becoming universal. The average number of years of schooling among the working-age population rose to 10.9. The public health services system has been strengthened in all aspects. We have a better preparedness for public health emergencies. The quality and efficiency of the basic public health services that offer benefits to all the people were enhanced. The multi-tiered medical care services were improved. The planning of national medical centers was accelerated. The construction of regional medical centers at the national and provincial levels was promoted nationwide. More than 85% of county hospitals are capable of providing services of Grade B hospitals. High-quality medical resources have played a leading role in driving the medical development of their surrounding areas, improving the services of community-level medical institutions. Full life-cycle health services have improved, and life expectancy in China rose to 77.9, leading the middle- and high-income countries. The infrastructure coverage in rural areas, such as roads, electricity supplies, mail, and communications services has expanded, and its services improved. Rural living environment has improved significantly. 

Forth, an all-round and tightly woven social safety net has been built. The number of people underwriting the basic old-age insurance reached 1.03 billion, a substantial increase compared to 790 million 10 years ago. Basic pension payments for retirees and minimum basic pension benefits for rural and urban non-working residents were both steadily raised. The number of people under the basic medical insurance system reached 1.36 billion, increasing from 540 million 10 years ago. The reimbursement rate of the basic medical insurance is being raised, and per capita government subsidies for rural and non-working urban residents' basic medical insurance rose from 240 yuan to 610 yuan, benefiting 1 billion urban and rural residents. We have strengthened the social safety net to meet people's essential needs and ensured that it provides support and assistance to everyone who needs it, especially urban and rural recipients of subsistence allowances, the disadvantaged groups, and low-income households. Meanwhile, subsistence allowances have been increased in step with economic growth.

We have made historic and all-round achievements in improving people's wellbeing over the past 10 years. However, we still need to remedy deficiencies and strengthen weak links in a bid to meet the people's growing needs for a better life. In the next step, we will continue to do everything within our capacity to ensure and improve people's wellbeing, focusing on resolving the most pressing difficulties and problems that are of great concern to the people, ensuring that public services are inclusive, meet essential needs, and ensure basic living standards for people in difficulty. We will steadily advance equalized access to basic public services, increase the income of people with a medium or low income, and provide greater support to areas in need of strengthening, key areas, and the disadvantaged groups. We will strive to ensure people enjoy a better quality of life amid high-quality development, take one step at a time, and work towards common prosperity. Thank you.

Haibao News:

In 2020, the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council issued guidelines to make systematic arrangements for building a modern environmental governance system. Is that relevant to modernizing China's system and capacity for governance? What contents are included, and what progress has been made? What efforts will be made in the next step? Thank you.

Ye Min:

Thank you for your question. The environmental governance system is an important component of the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity, and is also an important institutional guarantee for achieving the goal of a beautiful China. In 2020, the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council issued the “Guiding Opinions on Building a Modern Environmental Governance System,” which set forth the basic contents of the modern environmental governance system for the first time.

In recent years, all regions and departments have earnestly implemented the decisions and arrangements made by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council and delivered some results. Next, I will introduce the main highlights.

First, ensure that the responsibilities of the Party and the government are properly assumed. The central and provincial governments have formulated their own lists of responsibilities for ecological and environmental protection, and the governments at all levels report annually to the people's congresses at the same level and provincial governments to the State Council on the completion of ecological and environmental goals and tasks. The CPC Central Committee evaluates the performance of the provincial Party committees and governments in the fight against pollution, and continues to strengthen the central ecological and environmental protection supervision. All provinces have also established a provincial environmental protection supervision system. These measures have effectively ensured that the Party and the government take the same responsibilities, and one post has dual responsibility.

Second, strengthen the rule of law in the ecological and environmental field. Since the advent of the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020), we have formulated and amended 13 laws and 17 sets of administrative regulations on addressing air, water, and soil pollution. The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress inspects law enforcement in the field of ecological environment every year, has basically completed the reform in comprehensive administrative enforcement for the law of the environment, strengthens the connection between administrative law enforcement and criminal justice, enhances punishment, and maintains a tough stance on violations.

Third, improve the market mechanism. The national carbon emission trading market launched online trading. The Yangtze River and the Yellow River have established a horizontal compensation mechanism for the ecological protection of the entire basin. We have established a national green development fund. According to statistics, green finance and taxation play a bigger role, as outstanding green credits had increased to 15.9 trillion yuan by the end of 2021.

Fourth, define the responsibilities of businesses. We have included more than 3.3 million fixed pollution sources across the country into pollutant discharge management, and released the “Comprehensive Directory of Environmental Protection (2021 version)” and the “Plan of the Reform in the Environmental Information Disclosure System” to guide low-carbon and green transformation and development of enterprises.

Fifth, promote people’s action and awareness. We have released documents to improve people’s action and awareness to protect the environment and promote a green lifestyle.

Looking into the goal of building a beautiful China by 2035, we still face the daunting task of improving the environmental governance system to reduce pollution and carbon while increasing synergy and efficiency in the battle against pollution. The next step is to further consolidate the responsibility of local ecological and environmental protection and improve the vertical management system of monitoring, supervision, and law enforcement of ecological and environmental institutions below the provincial level. Second, we will continue to strengthen corporate environmental governance responsibilities and implement the pollutant discharge permit management system in accordance with the law. Third, strengthen social supervision and continue to open more environmental protection facilities to the public. Fourth, strengthen the market system, innovate the mode of environmental governance, and stimulate the enthusiasm of market players.

Thank you.

The Paper.cn

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, China has further opened up and introduced a series of new measures for opening up. De-globalization and trade protectionism rose over the past years. How do you comment on the achievements China has made in the field of opening up over the past 10 years? Thank you. 

Wang Shouwen:

Thank you for your question. As Mr. Han just mentioned, the past 10 years were marked by solid progress in opening up. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, we have actively promoted opening up and achieved remarkable progress under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core. 

First, our endeavor in opening up has achieved historic progress. In 2012, China registered $4.4 trillion in goods and services trade, ranking second in the world. In 2021, the figure rose to $6.9 trillion, ranking first for two consecutive years. China's two-way investment also ranked among the highest in the world, as the country attracted 1.15 trillion yuan in foreign investment last year, up 62.9% from 2012. Foreign investment in China has ranked second for four years in a row since 2017. China's outbound investment has ranked among the top three in the world. We have promoted high-quality economic and trade cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative.

Second, we have accelerated to advance institutional opening-up. In 2013, China released the first pilot free trade zone (FTZ) negative list for foreign investment. The number of restrictive measures on the list was reduced from 190 to 27 today. In 2016, following the trial operation in the pilot FTZ, the negative list was expanded nationwide. The number of restricted items decreased from 93 to 31 nowadays. In 2020, we implemented a foreign investment law and thus launched a new system to manage foreign investment. In 2021, we introduced the first negative list for cross-border trade in services in Hainan. In general, institutional opening-up has seen constant improvement.

Third, new ground has been broken in the construction of pilot FTZs and free trade port. Thanks to the planning, deployment and promotion by General Secretary Xi Jinping, the blueprints of building pilot FTZs and free trade port were turned into reality. Since 2013 when the first pilot FTZ was established in Shanghai, we have established 21 pilot FTZs so far, from which 278 advances in institutional innovation have been expanded nationwide. Covering less than 0.4% of China's total land area, the 21 pilot FTZs contributed 17.3% to national exports and imports and attracted 18.5% of China's total foreign investment. Since its initial construction in 2018, the Hainan Free Trade Port has released more than 120 achievements in institutional innovation.

Fourth, new breakthroughs have been made in strategies to improve China's involvement in FTZs. As Mr. Han mentioned, the number of China's free trade agreements almost doubled in the past decade, from 10 to 19. At the same time, the share of China's trade volume with free trade partners in the country's total trade volume increased from 17% to 35% in 2021. We all know that RCEP officially took effect this year, which means the world's most populous free trade zone with the largest economic and trade scale has been officially launched. Last year, General Secretary Xi Jinping announced that China would actively work to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA), which showed that China made new strides towards the goal of joining high-standard free trade agreements.

Fifth, we have made new contributions in participating in global governance. In 2014, President Xi Jinping presided over the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Beijing and promoted the conclusion of the agreement among 21 members on the Beijing Roadmap for APEC's Contribution to the Realization of the FTAAP, which drew a blueprint for building a high-level FTZ in the Asia and Pacific Region. In 2016, President Xi Jinping presided over the G20 Summit in Hangzhou, and promoted the endorsement of the G20 Guiding Principles for Global Investment Policymaking, which laid a foundation for the World Trade Organization (WTO) to launch an investment facilitation initiative in 2017. We also actively participated in WTO reforms and firmly uphold the multilateral trade regime. 

On April 21, 2022, President Xi Jinping highlighted in the opening ceremony of Boao Forum for Asia annual conference 2022 that no matter how the world would change, China's faith in and its commitment to reform and opening-up would not waver. According to the CPC Central Committee's decisions and arrangements, we will steadfastly expand high-level opening-up and push forward China's development in opening up. Thank you.

Reuters:

My first question is, how is the progress of green finance? What are the bottlenecks and difficulties, and how to solve them? And, some analysts expected that due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the economy in the second quarter would register a markedly slow growth or even a negative growth. How will macro policies respond to that? What incremental policy tools will be used? Thank you.

Chen Yulu:

Thank you for your questions. The international community has paid close attention to China's green finance development. Developing green finance is not only the requirement of implementing Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization and practicing the principle that lucid water and lush mountains are invaluable assets but also a crucial measure to realize the goals proposed by President Xi Jinping to peak carbon emissions and achieve carbon neutrality. China is a global pioneer in publicizing and championing the philosophy of green finance. So far, green finance has been demonstrating three major functions, basically formed five major pillars, and is playing a more and more important role in supporting China in its low-carbon and high-quality development.

First, China's multi-layered system for green finance products and the market has basically taken shape. By the end of 2021, China's outstanding green loans in yuan and foreign currencies have already reached nearly 16 trillion yuan, up 33% year on year, ranking first in the world. In 2021, China's domestic issuance of green bonds exceeded 600 billion yuan, a 180% year-on-year increase, and the balance reached 1.1 trillion yuan, also among the highest in the world.

Second, China has established a clear and enforceable green finance standard system in line with international standards and uniformly adopted at home. Four green finance standards of great attention at home and abroad have been officially released, namely the Green Bond Endorsed Projects Catalogue, the Guidelines for Financial Institutions on Disclosing Environment Information, Financing Instruments for Environmental Rights and Interests, and Carbon Finance Products. In addition, China and the EU have jointly rolled out the Common Ground Taxonomy for Sustainable Finance, which symbolizes that Chinese and foreign green finance standards are gradually converging.

Third, China has made important progress in the disclosure of financial institutions' environmental information. Some financial institutions in the pilot zones of green finance reform and innovation have compiled environmental information disclosure reports on a trial basis and piloted carbon accounting, accumulating experience for the nationwide promotion at a suitable time in the future.

Fourth, China has gradually improved the incentive and restraint mechanism in green finance. The carbon-reduction supporting tool and the special re-lending to support the clean and efficient use of coal set up by the People's Bank of China (PBC) have channeled more social funds into green and low-carbon sectors. At the same time, the PBC has carried out an overall evaluation of the green finance business of financial institutions in the banking sector. By including green loans and green bonds in the quantitative evaluation, it has guided financial institutions toward increasing green assets in an orderly manner.

Finally, China has deepened international cooperation in green finance. In 2021, as co-chair of the G20 Sustainable Finance Working Group, the PBC led the drafting of the G20 Sustainable Finance Roadmap and the G20 Sustainable Finance Synthesis Report, both of which have been approved. In addition, the PBC has engaged in the launch and establishment of the Network of Central Banks and Supervisors for Greening the Financial System, which is becoming one of the most globally influential international cooperation platforms for green finance.

Going forward, we will make efforts to improve the top-level design of the green finance system, promote the green and low-carbon transformation of China's energy mix, industrial structure, and ways of production and living, further strengthen the disclosure of financial institutions' environmental information, carry out carbon accounting, and steadily advance climate stress tests. At the same time, we will develop carbon finance to control and reduce carbon emissions in a market-based way.

As for monetary policies in response to COVID-19, the PBC, in accordance with the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, has stepped up the implementation of prudent monetary policies to provide sufficient, targeted, and proactive support for a stable macro-economy.

First, we have cut the required reserve ratio in a proactive manner to maintain reasonably ample liquidity. Second, we have guided the prime loan rate to further decline from a relatively low level to reduce the financing cost of market entities and stimulate their financing demand. Third, we have introduced a number of new structural monetary policy tools. For example, we have set up a 200-billion-yuan re-lending for scientific and technological innovation and a 40-billion-yuan special re-lending for inclusive elderly care while giving more targeted support to weak links such as green development and small and micro-enterprises. By the end of March, the PBC had already allocated 138.6 billion yuan of carbon-reduction supporting tool funds and 22.5 billion yuan of special re-lending to support the clean and efficient use of coal, and supported financial institutions to provide qualified firms with 230.9 billion yuan and 22.5 billion yuan of loans. The balance of inclusive loans for small and micro-enterprises also continued to grow. Fourth, we have introduced 23 policies and measures to strengthen financial services and support the real economy in a timely manner so as to fully support epidemic prevention and control as well as economic and social development.

Next, the PBC will give more priority to stabilizing growth, strengthen cross-cyclical policy adjustment, accelerate the implementation of introduced policies and measures, and in particular, make active planning for incremental policy tools, continue maintaining stable total credit amount, lowering financing cost and strengthening financial support for key areas and weak links, and give further support to the real economy.

Thank you.

Han Wenxiu:

I would like to add something. We all know that the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee studied the current economic situation and economic work at a meeting not long ago. The CPC Central Committee has predicted an increase in the downward economic pressure very early on. In response to the mounting risks and challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukraine crisis, the CPC Central Committee unequivocally required efforts to ensure effective pandemic control, stable economic development, and secure development. To achieve success in all these respects, instead of only one, is no easy job and constitutes a major test for all localities and departments. Meticulous endeavors will be required.

The COVID-19 pandemic is a drag on economic and social development, so it is necessary to prevent and control it in a scientific, targeted, and effective way to create a fundamental prerequisite for normal economic and social operation. Economically, first of all, the policies already determined need to be put in place as early as possible. It is our aim to put all policies in place in the first half of the year. The State Council is working with relevant departments to adopt detailed policies and measures one after another to actively support industries, micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises, and self-employed businesses and households hit hard by the pandemic and ensure the steady performance of the numerous market entities.

Second, additional incremental policy tools will be planned and launched. China's fiscal, monetary, and other policies have ample leeway and diverse tools available. Moreover, we have accumulated rich experience in macro regulating downward economic pressure. Based on this, we will further strengthen well-timed regulation and act promptly. 

Third, we are adept at solving development problems through reform. China boasts enormous market vitality and development potential, but they need to be unleashed. We will continue to deepen reform, expand opening-up, and invigorate the economy steadfastly to provide the strong driving force for development.

Another priority is to fully tap into the potential of domestic demand. The Central Commission for Financial and Economic Affairs stressed in a recent meeting that infrastructure development will be strengthened comprehensively to give play to the key role of effective investment. The meeting also highlighted the leveraging role of consumption in economic circulation. Relevant departments are implementing new policies and measures in this regard to chart the route for ensuing efforts.  

To sum up, it is important to take a long-term perspective to look at things. The Chinese economy is now experiencing another uphill battle which is crucial, but what face us are still problems and troubles emerging in the course of development. As long as we remain confident and face difficulties head-on, we will surely be able to turn challenges into opportunities and bring things around. This is the basic logic of China's economic development.

Thank you.

Science and Technology Daily:

Now, innovations in such cutting-edge technologies as quantum technology, artificial intelligence, and space exploration are becoming increasingly known to the general public, and science and technology are now being closely related to the life and work of everyone. Would you like to share with us China's achievements in scientific and technological innovation made since the 18th CPC National Congress? What role have science and technology played in promoting high-quality economic development and improving the people's living standards? Thank you.

Li Meng:

Thank you. You've raised a very good question. The fields you mentioned in your question are all at the cutting-edge of global science and technology. They are the highlights of China's scientific and technological development, and epitomize the major achievements of China in scientific and technological innovation made under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has attached great importance to scientific and technological innovation. Listing innovative development as the first of the Five Concepts for Development, he made strategic and big-picture plans for scientific and technological innovation in China, and put forward a series of fundamental and far-reaching strategies.

From "innovation is the primary driving force behind development," "fully implement an innovation-driven development strategy," "innovation should be placed at the center of China's development strategy," to "strengthen science and technology to provide strategic support for China's development," China is blazing an increasingly wider path for independent innovation with its own characteristics.

In the decade since the 18th CPC National Congress, China saw its biggest progress in science and technology and its fastest rise in scientific and technological strength of any decade in its history. The changes in China's scientific and technological development during this decade were historic and holistic and reshaped the landscape. In this period, China became a country of innovators, fully integrated into the global innovation network, and displayed an innovation layout and development trend characteristic of the new era. 

Mr. Han just mentioned China's R&D expenditure. In 2021, the country's total spending on R&D was 2.7 times higher than that of 2012, and its spending on basic research was 3.4 times higher than that of 2012. Over the past ten years, China's ranking in the Global Innovation Index jumped 22 places, making it the only country that saw its ranking rising rapidly and steadily. 

Over the past 10 years, China's science and technology have seen all-around development with distinct features and improved quality, becoming the primary driving force to promote the country's high-quality development and improve people's living standards.

Both scientific research and academic disciplines have seen substantial improvements. Some disciplines have gained leading positions in the world; the R&D capacity of research institutions, universities, and leading sci-tech enterprises has improved remarkably. Ten years ago, China had less than 50,000 new-and high-tech enterprises. Today, the number is 330,000. In the global "science and technology (S&T) clusters" ranking, Beijing, Shanghai, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, which are international S&T innovation centers, all made the top 10. 

A slew of world-class achievements have been made in basic research and strategic high tech. As evidenced by the Tianwen-1 Mars mission, the Chang'e-5 lunar mission, as well as the Shenzhou-13 crewed spaceship successfully docking with space station core module Tianhe, China has made great strides in deep space exploration. Deep-sea manned submersibles Shenhai Yongshi (Deep Sea Warrior) and Fendouzhe (Striver), and unmanned submersible Haidou-1 have been successfully developed, which means China has acquired the technology for a submersible to dive to more than 10,000 meters below sea level. China has become the world's only country to reach a "quantum supremacy" milestone in two mainstream technical routes - one via photonics quantum computing technology and the other via superconducting quantum computing technology.

A number of advanced equipment and systems developed independently by China have been put into use, boosting the country's industrial upgrading. As Mr. Han said just now, technologies such as supercomputing, high-speed rail, smart grid, fourth-generation nuclear reactor, and ultra-high voltage transmission technology have taken the lead in the world. In particular, 5G development and application have been intensified, and an AI ecosystem with Chinese characteristics has come into being, empowering various industries at a faster pace. Underpinned by greater computing power and supercomputing, the digital economy is thriving, with a raft of smart cities, smart factories, smart healthcare networks, and smart transportation systems emerging.

As General Secretary Xi Jinping said, scientific and technological development must target the global science frontiers, serve the main economic battlefield, strive to fulfill the significant needs of the country, and benefit people's lives and health. The role of scientific and technological development in serving people's lives and health has been highlighted. Over the past ten years, the number of new drugs developed by China has risen considerably. Multiple COVID vaccines, antigen test kits and treatment medicines have supported the country's COVID response. Not long ago, the International Organization for Standardization released the first international standards for COVID-19 nucleic acid testing, which China has spearheaded the efforts to formulate. China has successfully fought a battle against COVID-19 with the support of science and technology.

A large batch of technicians has played an important role in poverty relief and rural vitalization. More than 200 sci-tech developments were used to help present a high-quality Beijing Winter Olympics.

At the same time, we are keenly aware that compared to the world's leading countries, China still has a long way to go in terms of sci-tech innovation. We will, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee, face problems and difficulties head-on and work tirelessly to build China into a global sci-tech powerhouse. Thank you!

Xinhua:

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee has strengthened its leadership over economic affairs. What major measures have been taken in this regard? What principles have been gained in the process? Thanks.

Han Wenxiu:

As we know, the economy is the bedrock of the country. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has strengthened its leadership over economic affairs. We have seen various new measures, new experience, and new features.

First, the CPC Central Committee has strengthened the Party's ability and resolve to chart the course, craft overall plans, design policies, and promote reform. The CPC Central Committee Political Bureau and its Standing Committee often convene sessions to study economic affairs, and make decisions on vital issues through major institutional arrangements such as the Central Economic Work Conference and the Central Committee for Financial and Economic Affairs in order to design economic development and reform on an overall basis, coordinate efforts to push forward reforms as a whole and supervise the implementation of reform plans.

Second, the CPC Central Committee has stressed the implementation of the new development philosophy for high-quality development. It pointed out that the country's economy has shifted from high-speed growth to high-quality development. We must apply the new development philosophy in a full, accurate and comprehensive manner, and strive to promote innovative, coordinated, green, open, and shared development. Any practice that does not conform to the new development philosophy must be resolutely corrected, and all measures which are conducive to high-quality development must be strongly supported.

Third, the CPC Central Committee has remained committed to the people-centered philosophy of development. It sticks to the notion that development is for the people, by the people, and its fruits should be shared among the people. It pointed out that we should make utmost and persistent efforts within our capacity to continuously improve people's sense of gain, happiness, and security. It also specially underlined that we should pool the efforts of everyone to gradually achieve common prosperity, oppose welfarism, and not rob the rich to aid the poor.

Fourth, the CPC Central Committee has stressed advancing supply-side structural reform as the main task. We should give priority to solving the structural problems on the supply side as the essential solution to the great challenges facing our economy. Efforts should be made to build a modern economic system, with a focus on improving the quality and efficiency of the supply system. It is also important to fully implement the strategy of expanding domestic demand to create a dynamic equilibrium between supply and demand at a higher level.

Fifth, the CPC Central Committee has stressed the importance of accelerating the establishment of a new development paradigm. In the face of a complex situation arising from the combined impacts of major changes and a pandemic, both unseen in a century, it is important to coordinate development and security. We should consolidate the domestic circulation; strengthen high-level self-reliance in science and technology; safeguard security of food, energy and resources, and industrial and supply chains; build a strong and resilient national economic circulation system. At the same time, we should fully leverage the demand of our super-sized domestic market, expand high-level opening up, promote positive interplay between domestic circulation and international circulation, and achieve mutual benefit, win-win results, and common development through opening up and cooperation.

Sixth, the CPC Central Committee has stayed true to the principle that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets. It incorporated the building of an ecological civilization into the Five-sphere Integrated Plan, and takes green and low-carbon development as an inherent requirement of, and a conscious action for, high-quality development. China has actively participated in global climate and environmental governance, living up to its responsibilities as a major country.

Last but not least, the CPC Central Committee has stressed acting on the general principle of pursuing progress while ensuring stability. We should pursue stable performance and be proactive in making new progress, avoid the unrealistic pursuit of quick results, oppose pointless formalities, and focus on implementation with a spirit of perseverance. We should increase our awareness of potential dangers, remain mindful of worst-case scenarios, strengthen strategic prepositioning, attach importance to the guiding role of planning, and enhance guidance over expectations so that we can improve preparedness for market changes and potential risks to ensure stable and long-term economic development. 

Thank you.

21st Century Business Herald: 

The 19th CPC National Congress called for moves to forestall and defuse major risks as one of the three tough battles. What progress has been made in forestalling and defusing major financial risks, and what will be done next? Thank you.

Chen Yulu: 

Thank you for your questions. Mr. Han just mentioned that the past decade is one in which our country has substantially coordinated development and security. The CPC Central Committee has attached great importance to forestalling and defusing major financial risks. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has made a series of important arrangements for preventing and defusing major financial risks from the strategic perspective of the overall economic and social development. The 19th CPC National Congress urged efforts to prevent and defuse major risks. Under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, and guided by the Financial Stability and Development Committee under the State Council, the People's Bank of China worked together with relevant departments and local governments to make all-out efforts to prevent and defuse financial risks in line with the fundamental principles of "maintaining overall stability, ensuring coordination, implementing category-based policies, and defusing risks through targeted efforts." Through concentrated efforts, the risk points accumulated over a long period of time in the country's financial system have been effectively dealt with, and overall financial risks have been reduced and generally controllable. Following are several important signs.

First, the financial system has effectively supported the overall macroeconomic stability. Focusing on stabilizing economic growth, stabilizing commodity prices, promoting employment stability, and stabilizing the international balance of payment, we adopted a prudent monetary policy, implemented the monetary policy in a scientific manner, introduced a number of structural monetary policy tools, ensured the market plays the decisive role in setting the exchange rate of RMB, ensured the foreign exchange reserve generally remains stable, to create a favorable monetary and financial environment for increasing support and effective services for the real economy.

Second, our country's financial system has remained generally stable. The resilience of financial institutions' operations and their anti-risk ability have improved significantly. For example, by the end of 2021, the proportion of assets of our country's commercial banks within the safe boundary is 98.9%. Among them, the rating of 24 large commercial banks have been good, and some banks are leading the international level in terms of key operating indicators, playing a key role in consolidating the foundation of the financial system. China's A-share market has withstood multi-round, multi-factor tests of external shocks, and the bond market has broken down rigid payments in an orderly manner with its overall smooth operation. 

Third, the financial risks of key institutions and in key areas have been steadily defused. In accordance with the principle of marketization and the rule of law, we have defused the risks of key high-risk enterprises and groups and financial institutions through targeted efforts, and the number of high-risk medium and small financial institutions has fallen sharply. Meanwhile, we have also comprehensively overhauled and rectified the financial order. The chaos of shadow banking, which was of great concern to the public, has been effectively remedied. Nearly 5,000 P2P online lending institutions have been closed; a campaign to address risks related to internet finance was completed; 25,000 cases of illegal fundraising were filed and investigated, and all financial services of internet platform enterprises were brought under supervision. We have implemented the system for prudential financial regulation for the real estate sector in a prudent and orderly manner, and the tendency of financialization and bubbles in the property market have been effectively contained. Meanwhile, hidden debt risks of local governments have been defused prudently.

Fourth, progress has been made in establishing a long-term mechanism for risk prevention and control. We improved the financial legal system, advanced the coordinated financial regulation between the central government and local governments, and established a system of macroprudential management and deposit insurance system. Meanwhile, we resolutely punished corruption behind financial risks, dereliction of duty in the supervision and criminal offenses. 

Preventing and defusing financial risks is the eternal theme of financial work. Next, the PBC will attach equal importance to risk prevention and defusing and the building of long-term mechanisms; attach equal importance to financial risk response and anti-corruption, recovering illicit assets and retrieving losses; attach equal importance to improving the effectiveness of regulation and reform, innovation, and development; continue to do a good job in preventing and defusing risks; and forestall systemic risks. Thank you.

Guangming Daily:

General Secretary Xi Jinping stressed to let the R&D funds serve creative activities. How can research institutions and researchers be freed from cumbersome and unnecessary institutional constraints? What substantial and resolute efforts have been made in this regard? Can you brief us on the specific progress of reforming the science and technology management system? Thank you. 

Li Meng:

Thanks for your questions. These problems were reported frequently by researchers in the previous years, which are key tasks of the reform of the science and technology management system. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has made the reform of the science and technology management system a priority of deepening overall reform from the very beginning, and assumed leadership, and made plans personally. Many major issues concerning reforming the science and technology management system have been proposed by the general secretary himself. 

The Central Commission for Comprehensively Deepening Reform has reviewed over 20 major reform initiatives regarding science and technology. By far, 143 tasks in the Implementation Plan for Deepening Reform of Science and Technology System have been completed, and an institutional and fundamental framework supporting comprehensive innovation has taken shape. Substantial progress has been made in reforms in key areas and links. Breakthroughs have been made in tackling key and difficult issues as well as bottlenecks that have long been unsolved. China has, for the first time, established the National Advisory Committee for Science and Technology and the National Science and Technology Ethics Committee. The national planning for the development of science and technology has been reconstructed, resolving the problem of allocating scientific and technological resources in a closed and fragmented way, thus making the governance mechanisms more adaptable for scientific and technological development. China has developed national laboratories and launched the restructuring of the system of key national laboratories. Institutions of higher learning and research institutes have been granted greater autonomy. The principal position of enterprises in innovation has been primarily established. Strategic science and technology capabilities have been further strengthened. All of these measures have contributed to creating a powerful synergy for promoting scientific and technological innovation.

Concerning your question on implementing General Secretary Xi Jinping's direction that let the R&D funds serve creative activities, a series of reforms have been carried out ever since, including adopting profit distribution policies oriented toward increasing the value of knowledge, building up the trust-based management system for science and technology programs and funding for scientific and technological research, establishing a quality, performance, contribution-oriented evaluation approach, providing stronger incentives for researchers. Systematic steps have been taken to reform mechanisms of program assessment, personnel assessment, and institution evaluation. Many localities and organizations have explored roadmaps for category-based assessment.  

Following the laws of scientific exploration and technological innovation, we have introduced an open competition mechanism to select the best candidates to lead key research projects, implemented the system of chief scientists assuming responsibility for research programs in frontier areas, and set up revolutionary technology projects so as to encourage scientists to make bold explorations. We have also set up young scientists programs in the National Key R&D Programs during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, enabling more young scientists to take the leading role in programs, which has won wide popularity. In addition, scientists have been granted greater power to make decisions on technology roadmaps and to dispose of the funding so as to, as you have mentioned, release science researchers from the burdensome and unnecessarily institutional fetters.

The difficulties in the application of scientific and technological achievements have long been reflected and have not been solved very well. In recent years, one of the major goals of reform of science and technology system is to accelerate the establishment of the system for the transfer and commercialization of advances in science and technology, building smooth paths among science and technology, industry, and finance. For that purpose, rewards have been increased by a considerable sum to science researchers for the transfer and commercialization of advances in science and technology. And the right to use, transfer, and profit from their scientific and technological advances has been fully delegated. Trials have also been carried out to give science researchers the ownership and long-term right to use their scientific and technological advances.

Preferential policies and institutional arrangements have been implemented to encourage innovation among enterprises. The additional tax deductions for R&D expenses increased from 50% in 2012 to 75% in 2018, and now cover 100% of small and medium sci-tech enterprises and manufacturing enterprises, demonstrating support for small and medium sci-tech enterprises. At present, over three-fourths of the total R&D investment in China comes from enterprises, and 79% of the National Key R&D Programs are initiated or participated by enterprises.

The market for trade in technology has been expanded. The level of activity of the market for trade in technology reflects that of the transfer and commercialization of advances in science and technology. Last year, the technology contract turnover reached 3.7 trillion yuan, well exceeding the total R&D investment in China in 2021 and 5.8 times the turnover in 2012, suggesting rapid growth.

In the capital market, the Science and Technology Innovation Board (or STAR Market) has been established, the Growth Enterprise Market (GEM) Board has been reformed, and the Beijing Stock Exchange has been set up. Channels for direct listing and financing for core technology enterprises have been opened up. Technology, industry, and finance are shaping each other and forming a virtuous circle. In the past, there was a disconnect between technology and the economy, but now, thanks to the involvement and increased role of financial and capital markets, a synergy is created between technology and economy.

In order to achieve high-level self-reliance in science and technology, China will eventually depend on high-level innovative talents. In the next step, we will follow the deployment of the CPC Central Committee, focus on implementing a three-year action plan for reforming the science and technology management system, and pay close attention to the implementation. We will also stimulate the innovation of talents and provide opportunities to more researchers with real talent and knowledge. Thank you.

Cover News:

In recent years, illegal discharge and excessive discharge of pollutants have occurred from time to time. The Ministry of Ecology and Environment made public a number of typical cases related to unlicensed emissions. What other arrangements will the Ministry of Ecology and Environment make to fully implement the pollutant emission permit system and build a system to regulate stationary pollution sources with the pollutant emission permit as the core? Thank you.

Ye Min:

Thank you for your concern about the pollutant emission permit system. A while ago, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment brought out a number of typical cases of emission permit violations. The purpose was to lead enterprises to abide by the law and guide law enforcement at the grassroots level, which has received a positive response from society. The pollutant emission permit system is an important component of the national environmental governance system. In recent years, guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment firmly implemented the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council and continued to promote reforms of the emission permits. The work can be summarized in the following aspects:

First, system establishment. The pollutant emission permit system has been incorporated into a number of laws on air, water, soil, solids, and noise. China has issued the regulations on the administration of pollutant emission permits, formulated a catalog for systematic management, and established 76 technical specifications for pollutant emission permits and 45 guidelines for self-monitoring.

Second, full coverage. More than 3.3 million stationary pollution sources in China have all been included in the management of the pollutant emission permit system. Among these sources, over 350,000 pollutant emission permits have been issued, more than 2.94 million permits have been registered, and over 6,000 notices have been issued for rectification within a certain time. These have covered all pollutant emission permits under environmental supervision.

Third, system integration. For over 40 industries with low emission levels, we have combined the work for environmental impact assessment registration and pollutant emission permit registration. This reduced the burden on enterprises. We have worked with tax authorities to harmonize the calculation methods of pollutant emissions for environmental protection taxes. And we have steadily aligned pollutant emission permit system with environmental monitoring, statistics, and other systems.

Fourth, strict supervision. In 2021, more than 3,500 pollutant permit cases were investigated and dealt with, and over 300 million yuan in penalties were handed out. Authorities at central and local levels have continued to make public typical cases of violations, which has had a deterrent effect. Furthermore, we have carried out tasks for improving the quality of the emission permits and for increasing the submission rate of implementation reports.

Fifth, good services. We have established a unified national information platform for the management of pollutant emission permits of stationary pollution sources. We have also introduced standards for the electronic copy of the emission permits so that all applications, including inter-provincial ones, can be conducted online throughout the entire progress.

As the next step, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment will take the pollutant emission permit system as a core, align various environmental management systems for stationary pollution sources, and implement the Guidance on Strengthening the Law Enforcement and Supervision of Pollutant Emission Permits. We will comprehensively promote the one-certificate management and strive to build a new law enforcement pattern in which enterprises could be licensed to discharge pollutants, supervised by the government in accordance with the law, and jointly monitored by the society. At the same time, it is necessary to strengthen publicity, training, and guidance and improve the awareness and ability to know and abiding by the law for the pollutant discharge units so that the supervision is powerful but considerate.

CRNTT:

We have noticed that the carbon peaking and carbon neutrality work has been incorporated into the overall plans for building an ecological civilization. What progress has been made toward this goal, and how will the work be carried out going forward? Thank you.

Hu Zucai:

Thank you for your questions. Achieving the goals of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality is a significant strategic decision made by the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core. This shows that China's building of an ecological civilization has entered a critical phase with carbon reduction as the key strategic direction, which is of great and far-reaching significance for promoting green and low-carbon transformation and facilitating high-quality development.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, historic achievements have been made in green and low-carbon transformation and development, and this is one area in which people feel the greatest sense of gain. This is reflected in the following three main aspects:

First, significant progress has been made in the green and low-carbon transformation of energy. The installed capacity of renewable energy in China has exceeded 1 billion kilowatts, and the installed capacities of hydro, wind, solar and biomass power each rank first in the world. The proportion of clean energy consumption increased from 14.5% to 25.5% of all energy consumption. Remarkable results have been achieved in the clean and efficient utilization of coal, and the capacity of coal power ultra-low emission units has exceeded 1 billion kilowatts, leading the world in terms of energy efficiency and emission levels.

Second, remarkable achievements have been made in saving energy and reducing emissions. China supports an average annual economic growth of 6.5% with an average annual energy consumption growth rate of 3%. Energy consumption intensity decreased by 26.2%, which is equivalent to a reduction of 1.4 billion tons of standard coal being used and 2.94 billion tons less of CO2 emissions. The reduction in CO2 emission intensity per unit of GDP exceeded the target of China's Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC).

Third, the concept of "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets" is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. More people are choosing to adopt simple, moderate, green, low-carbon, civilized and healthy lifestyles.

Since the goals of achieving a carbon peak and carbon neutrality were proposed in 2020, under the personal planning, deployment and promotion by General Secretary Xi Jinping, the top-level design of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality has been completed, the "1+N" policy framework has been basically established, and the carbon peaking and carbon neutrality work has progressed in a steady and orderly manner, achieving a good start. At present and going forward, the focus of our work will be in the following five areas:

First, we need to strengthen overall planning and coordination. We must continue to improve the "1+N" policy framework for carbon peaking and carbon neutrality. Numerous supporting policy documents involving multiple industries and fields are being released at an accelerated pace. We must organize and implement the 10 major actions for carbon peaking and establish a unified and standardized carbon emission statistical and accounting system.

Second, we will vigorously promote the energy revolution. We will vigorously develop new energy sources, planning and building 450 million kilowatts of large-scale wind power and photovoltaic bases in sandy areas, rocky areas and deserts. The construction of projects totaling 85 million kilowatts have already started. The second batch of projects is stepping up preliminary work to accelerate the construction of a new energy supply and consumption system. To improve the level of clean and efficient utilization of coal, all coal-fired power plants with coal consumption exceeding 300 g/kWh for power supply should be upgraded. What needs to be emphasized here is that the basic national situation in China is of an abundance of coal, but a lack of oil and gas. The gradual withdrawal of traditional energy must be based on the safe and reliable replacement with new energy. We must insist on establishing replacements before getting rid of traditional energy in order to achieve safe carbon reduction.

Third, we will vigorously promote green and low-carbon transformation and development of industries. We must quickly promote the transformation of key industries to meet energy efficiency standards, accelerate the research and development and promotion of advanced and applicable technologies, actively develop green finance, and regulate development of the carbon market. We will resolutely curb the blind development of high-energy-consuming, high-emission and low-grade projects.

Fourth, we must vigorously advocate green ways of living. We will guide green and low-carbon consumption, advocate green travel, carry out green and low-carbon social activities, and make green lifestyles a new trend in society.

Fifth, we will actively participate in global climate governance. We will carry out multilateral and bilateral dialogues, exchanges and pragmatic cooperation to promote the establishment of a fair, reasonable, cooperative and win-win global environmental governance system.

To reach the dual targets of peaking carbon emissions by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060 entails a broad, profound, and systematic economic and social transformation, which is no easy task. We must fully, accurately, and comprehensively implement the new development philosophy. We need to follow the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee, maintain strategic focus, and remain committed to the dual carbon goals. In this process, we will not just talk the talk or pursue quick success; instead, we will make pragmatic and sustained efforts for steady, effective, and efficient progress.

Thank you.

Shou Xiaoli:

The last question, please.

CNBC:

The FTZs and FTAs are important to China's opening-up. What are the new features of China's opening-up in light of the recent FTAs negotiation and development? What benefits do they bring to foreign enterprises? What is the next plan? Thank you.

Wang Shouwen:

Thank you for your questions. As I said just now, the number of FTAs signed by China has nearly doubled in the past decade. In addition, the FTAs have demonstrated many attributes of China's opening-up. Here I would like to highlight two aspects:

First, in terms of trade in goods, tariff levels are lower, and customs clearance is more efficient. Since 2012, China has signed nine new FTAs with countries including Switzerland, South Korea, and Australia. In most of the agreements, the proportion of goods with zero tariffs has reached over 90%, and some agreements have seen it at 97%. In other words, enterprises in China and those in countries which signed FTAs with China can import most of the products at a lower cost without paying import tariffs. When they export to partner countries, they basically do not need to pay import tariffs in those countries either. It can be said that the businesses are enjoying huge benefits.

Speaking of customs clearance efficiency, it took about four days for China's imported goods to go through customs in 2017, but now it only takes less than one and a half days. In 2017, it took about 12 hours to complete customs clearance for goods exported from China, and now it just takes about 1.2 hours.

Second, in terms of trade in services and investment, the market access has been expanded, and opening-up has been intensified. For example, for trade in services, we have promised to open up 22 more sectors in the recent RCEP free trade agreement, compared with the 100 sectors we promised when we joined the WTO. Of the sectors that have already been opened up in line with our commitments to WTO accession, we have pledged to open 37 sectors wider in the RCEP. As for the investment, we have made a negative list and promised higher-level opening-up in manufacturing, agriculture, and mining, among other sectors.

You asked what benefits these opening-up measures have brought to foreign-invested enterprises. Well, we summarized that China's opening-up has expanded the opportunities for foreign-funded companies and other foreign companies to enter China's market, as well as the opportunities for domestic and foreign companies in China to enter the markets of FTAs partners. More importantly, the foreign-invested enterprises have gained more investment chances, as some sectors were once forbidden or restricted to foreign investment while more sectors are now open to foreign investors. Furthermore, the signing of the FTAs has improved China's market-oriented, law-based, and internationalized business environment, creating more opportunities for foreign businesses. Therefore, we hope foreign enterprises can seize these opportunities and secure better development in China.

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that China would implement the strategy of upgrading FTZs and build a global network of high-standard FTZs. Looking ahead, we will continue to actively work for joining the CPTPP and DEPA as requested by the CPC Central Committee. At the same time, we will further advance negotiations on China-Japan-ROK Free Trade Agreement and free trade agreements with the Gulf Cooperation Council, Israel, and Ecuador.

We believe that as China wins more free trade friends, the dividends of its further opening-up will benefit more and more Chinese and foreign enterprises. Thank you.

Shou Xiaoli:

Thank you to all six speakers and friends from the media. Today's briefing is now concluded. Goodbye.

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

.

Read in Chinese

Speakers:

Wang Xiaohui, deputy director in charge of routine work of the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC)

Wang Jianxin, director of the Publicity Department of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the CPC and the National Commission of Supervision

Qi Jiabin, member of the Ministerial Board of the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee

Xu Yousheng, deputy director of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee

Han Wenxiu, deputy director in charge of routine work of the Office of the Financial and Economic Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee

Liu Jianchao, deputy director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee

Chai Fangguo, deputy head of the Institute of Party History and Literature of the CPC Central Committee

Chairperson:

Xu Lin, deputy director of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee and minister of the State Council Information Office

Date:

Aug. 26, 2021

Xu Lin:

Ladies and gentlemen, friends from the media, good morning. Welcome to the press conference held by the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC). This year marks the centenary of the founding of the CPC. Over the past 100 years, the Party has united and led the Chinese people in writing the most magnificent chapter in the millennia-long history of the Chinese nation. To help the rest of the world better understand the Party, the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee is holding a press conference today to release and explain a key publication on the Party's mission and contributions. Present at today's press conference are Mr. Wang Xiaohui, deputy director in charge of routine work of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee; Mr. Wang Jianxin, director of the Publicity Department of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the CPC and the National Commission of Supervision; Mr. Qi Jiabin, member of the Ministerial Board of the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee; Mr. Han Wenxiu, deputy director in charge of routine work of the Office of the Central Financial and Economic Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee; Mr. Liu Jianchao, deputy director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee; and Mr. Chai Fangguo, deputy head of the Institute of Party History and Literature of the CPC Central Committee. Next, I will give the floor to Mr. Wang Xiaohui.

Wang Xiaohui:

Friends from the media, it gives me great pleasure to introduce and recommend the key publication titled "The CPC: Its Mission and Contributions." The document has been published by the People's Publishing House and handed out to journalists present here today.

This year marks the centenary of the founding of the CPC. On July 1, General Secretary Xi Jinping delivered a speech at a ceremony held by the CPC Central Committee marking the centenary, which attracted attention both at home and abroad. The Publicity Department of the CPC Central Commission released the key publication to help the rest of the world have a true, multi-dimensional, and panoramic view of the Party. Guided by General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech, the document offers a comprehensive picture of the Party's struggles over the past century and a profound explanation of its governance philosophy, practice and achievements. The document can help people better understand where the CPC came from, where the Party is going, and what kind of political party it is.

The document consists of a preamble, the main body of text and a conclusion. The preamble and conclusion explain where the CPC came from and where it is going. The main text elaborates on what kind of political party the CPC is from five aspects. Next, I will focus on these five aspects.

First, the CPC serves the people wholeheartedly. Of the people, by the people, for the people — this principle has guided the CPC's development and success over the past century. Based on a large amount of historical facts and data, the document stresses that the CPC has made the happiness of the Chinese people and the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation its abiding goals from the outset. All of the Party's struggles have been directed toward enabling the people to run their own country and live a good life. In the new era, the CPC takes meeting the people's expectations for a better life as its goal and has launched a full range of initiatives to deliver more tangible benefits to the people. The Party and the people work together and share weal and woe, and there is an inseparable bond between them. No attempt to sever that bond will ever succeed.

Second, the CPC works hard to realize its ideals. The Party stands firm in its ideals and convictions of socialism and communism. Since its founding 100 years ago, the Party has never given up its struggle, no matter what hardships or bitter sacrifices it faced. The document reviews the arduous process of the country's revolution, reconstruction and reform under the CPC's leadership. It was because of the ideals, convictions and persistent struggles that the CPC rose above adversity, emerged stronger from setbacks, and reversed the fate of the Party itself and the country. It was because of the ideals, convictions and persistent struggles that the CPC has embarked on the path of socialism with Chinese characteristic after continuously expanding its understanding of governance by a communist party, the development of socialism, and the evolution of human society. It was also because of the ideals, convictions and persistent struggles, that the CPC has overcome risks and challenges in the new era, and prompted historic achievements and shifts in the cause of the Party and the country. Over the past 100 years, the CPC has united and led the Chinese people in establishing, upholding and developing socialism, and demonstrated its vitality and bright prospects.

Third, the CPC is a political party with robust leadership and strong governance capabilities. In a huge country like China, the CPC can rally and unite hundreds of millions of people, overcome a multitude of difficulties and crises, and forge ahead from victory to victory. This is due to its robust leadership and strong governance capabilities. The document analyzes in detail the source of the CPC's firm leadership and strong governance capability. First, it comes from the high degree of the Party's solidarity and unity, its robust core of leadership, and the high-level authority of the CPC Central Committee. Second, it comes from the Party's sound guidelines and strategies in different historical periods as well as its practical goals, tasks, policies, and roadmaps. Third, it comes from the Party's tightly-knit organization and strict discipline and rules, so that its decisions and plans can be implemented in a timely, decisive and effective manner. Fourth, it comes from the Party's ability to combine all the forces that can be united, mobilize all positive factors, and pool as much strength as possible for collective endeavors. Fifth, it comes from the Party's large number of high-caliber officials and the scientific mechanisms it uses for selecting talented and capable professionals and putting them to good use. The CPC's leadership system and its working mechanism suit China's national conditions, conform to traditional Chinese culture, and enjoy extensive support from the people, demonstrating high efficiency and the greatest strength in practice.

Fourth, the CPC is a political party that always maintains vigor and vitality. The CPC was born and developed in a rather complex domestic and external environment, and it continues to face a variety of tests and challenges. The document summarizes experiences from both sides and points out the reason why the Party has always been able to endure over the past hundred years with prosperity. The reason is that the CPC has constantly led the people in great social revolution while engaging in significant self-reform and always maintaining vigor and vitality. The Party's vigor and vitality are reflected through upholding intra-party democracy and continuously increasing Party members' initiative and creativity; through upholding the truth and correcting mistakes for people's interests; through taking resolute measures against all phenomena that may undermine its integrity and advanced nature and resolutely combating corruption; and finally by promoting study and review, continuously pursuing reform and innovation and strengthening its practical capability. We believe that as long as the Party has the courage and ability to carry out self-reform, it will be able to meet any challenge, withstand any test, and always maintain vigor and vitality.

Fifth, the CPC is a political party that contributes to world peace and development. No matter how the global situation might have changed, the CPC has always focused on humanity's future and destiny and been willing to join hands and forge ahead with all progressive forces in the world. The document introduces China's concepts and actions about safeguarding world peace and promoting mutual development. It elaborates that peaceful development is embedded in the trajectory, logic and goals of the CPC's governance and China's development. As the world has once again reached a crossroads, the CPC has proposed the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind. This aligns with the general trend of history, reflects the common values of all humanity, and creates new developing roads of win-win cooperation, joint construction, and shared benefits.

Looking ahead, the CPC will resolutely develop socialism, follow the path of peaceful development, and stand on the right side of history and human progress. The CPC will continue to enhance communication and cooperation with political parties all over the world and promote coordination and cooperation between countries. The CPC will work to facilitate common development, and strive to pursue mutual benefits and win-win results, so as to make greater contributions to a better world.

That concludes my introduction. Thank you.

Xu Lin:

Thank you, Mr. Wang. Next, the floor is open for questions. Please identify your news outlets before asking questions. As we are joined by many foreign journalists today, simultaneous interpreting will be available throughout the press conference. Questions asked in English will be translated into Chinese. The floor is now open.

CCTV:

China has built a moderately prosperous society in all respects, and is marching toward the second centenary goal of building itself into a great modern socialist country in all respects. What are the challenges facing China in terms of narrowing the gap between the rich and the poor and achieving common prosperity? How will China cope with these challenges? Thank you.

Xu Lin:

Mr. Han will take this question.

Han Wenxiu:

This is a hot topic. Common prosperity is an essential requirement of socialism, a key feature of Chinese-style modernization, and the shared expectation of the people. Not long ago, the tenth meeting of the Central Committee for Financial and Economic Affairs studied the issue of common prosperity. During the meeting, General Secretary Xi Jinping delivered key remarks and made comprehensive deployments. As far as I'm concerned, efforts need to be made in the following aspects.

First, what is common prosperity? We have completed the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects. On that basis, we need to succeed in making a bigger pie and dividing it well. We need to promote high-quality development, raise the income of urban and rural residents, gradually narrow the income distribution gap and prevent wealth polarization. The term common prosperity means everyone in the country enjoys a rich life in material and spiritual terms both, rather than only a small portion of the population living wealthy lives, or people being materially well-off albeit spiritually barren. However, it doesn't mean there will be equal division of wealth. Differentiations between individuals will still exist. 

Second, how do we realize common prosperity? Joint effort is fundamental to achieving common prosperity. We should encourage people to earn their wealth through hard work and innovation. We should cheer the people taking the lead in creating wealth who are hardworking, run their businesses in accordance with the law, and have an entrepreneurial soul. Prosperity may first be realized among a small group of people, who will then help the rest get rich as well. We don't undercut the rich to benefit the poor. We should secure and improve people's livelihoods through development and create an inclusive and fair environment for people to get better educated and gain more abilities for self-improvement. We should improve upward mobility and create opportunities for more people to enjoy prosperity. We should do our best to advance equal access to basic public services, but not do things beyond our capabilities in case fall into the trap of welfarism. We can't let people grow dependent on the help of others, idling around waiting for everything being prepared for them. Efforts are needed to make basic systematic arrangements for coordinated primary, secondary, and tertiary distribution. We should further regulate the income gap by utilizing taxation measures, the social security system, and payment transfers, thus expanding the middle-income group and forming an olive-shaped income distribution structure that tapers toward both ends from the middle. Tax policies should offer incentives for tertiary distribution to be realized through charitable donations or other ways, in a voluntary manner, to help improve the distribution structure.

Third, we need to be fully aware that achieving common prosperity will be a long-term, arduous, and complicated task. China is now building a modern socialist country in all respects, pursuing common prosperity after building itself into a moderately prosperous society in all respects and shifting from a middle-income country to a high-income country. Achieving common prosperity requires continued efforts and cannot be done overnight with various goals completed all at once. We need to pursue steady progress with sustained efforts. Step by step, we will promote well-rounded development of each individual and make substantive progress in achieving common prosperity among the entire nation in this new era. Thanks. 

Kyodo News:

China attaches great importance to its fine traditional culture, with the essence of which being Confucianism. How does the CPC view the traditional culture centering around Confucianism, and the country's history of ruling people through Confucian ideology? And, how does the CPC define the relationship between socialism with Chinese characteristics and Confucianism? Thanks. 

Wang Xiaohui:

In my view, to gain a better understanding of the CPC, it is important to look at the efforts it has made in terms of preserving and promoting culture. The CPC has a lofty, culture-related mission. It has actively guided and promoted China's advanced culture while keeping alive and strong China's fine traditional culture, which encompasses rich philosophical ideas, humanistic spirit, moral ethics, and governance wisdom and is a major source of nourishment for the continued evolution of the Chinese nation and the most invaluable spiritual wealth of the CPC. The scientific, reason-based and progressive side of Confucianism is certainly part of China's fine traditional culture.

In fact, the CPC and socialism with Chinese characteristics are both rooted in the fertile soil of Chinese culture, and they are both products of a combination of Marxism, China's reality and its fine traditional culture. The CPC has been doing a good job in integrating the essence of Marxism with unique spiritual features of China's fine traditional culture, which provided a solid foundation for adapting Marxism to the Chinese context. I believe this is a very important reason that socialism and Marxism can take root, blossom, and yield fruitful results in this country of profound history. The uniqueness of China's cultural tradition, history, and current situation has created today's CPC and determines the unique development path that suits China's own reality.  

Going forward, we will follow the principle of creative transformation and development and draw upon China's fine traditional culture with respect. At the same time, we will study all the fine accomplishments of human civilization, add new impetus and provide important ideological guarantees to the cause of the Party and the country. Thanks. 

CNN:

After U.S. President Joe Biden took office, he and his senior officials have increasingly characterized the competition of the United States and China as conflicts between democracy and autocracy and also that many of the CPC's governance philosophies are part of the biggest challenges and threats to the Western liberal democratic system today. The CPC has repeatedly said that it does not export its government and values system, but in the eyes of many Americans and westerners, judging from China's publicity campaigns and major foreign-related projects, or the tendency that it has played an increasingly dominant role in the international organizations, the CPC is actually seeking to export its own value system through various means and revise the existing international norms. What are your responses and comments on this? Thank you.

Liu Jianchao:

Thank you for your question. I think that the characterization of the United States that you mentioned just now is based on incorrect observations. That is to say, the U.S. has not figured out what true democracy is, nor has it understood that democracy can be practiced in different forms across the world. For democracy, there should not, and there is not just one model or template. Deciding what kind of democracy to pursue for countries in the world should be consistent with the country's national realities, historical and cultural traditions, and the will of the people. Some people want to impose their own country's systems and model of democracy on other countries. I think this is against the principles of democracy. What kind of democracy to practice should be decided by the people of the country instead of other countries. Therefore, I believe that the so-called characterization of the U.S. doesn't hold water. It is wrong and detrimental and will eventually lead to division and even confrontation in the international community.

In addition, the U.S. also believes that many of the CPC's governing philosophies pose a challenge to the so-called global democratic and liberal order. I think the U.S. has made a mistake in such a belief. I've been wondering if the U.S. is no longer confident in its own democracy because many have found flaws in its own system? The flaws have also been noticed by people in many other countries all over the world. If the U.S. believes that its own democratic system is good and supported by the people, then what is there to worry about? Why are they afraid of the so-called challenge? China's democratic system has proven to be successful, which means that it has brought economic and social development to a country that is home to one-fifth of the world's population and has improved people's living standards. China has also offered opportunities of development to all countries for the pursuit of happiness for all people across the world. There is nothing to worry about. On the contrary, I think the U.S. should adopt a welcoming attitude, not a dissenting attitude.

Since the founding of the CPC, the Party has been committed to leading the Chinese people to pursue and realize freedom and democracy. Generations of Chinese communists have devoted their lives to this cause, shed blood and made sacrifices. The Chinese people finally became masters of our country, established our democratic system, and are constantly improving it. Chinese democracy has its own features. It is people-centered. The CPC conducts whole-process democracy. The democracy also combines Party leadership, the running of the country by the people, and law-based governance. The CPC leadership, the socialist system, and also the democratic system, are important choices made by the Chinese people over the course of history. The Chinese people are the builders, beneficiaries, and guardians of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics. They highly recognize and firmly support their own democratic system and are full of confidence in such a system.

Just now you also mentioned that China is exporting its own value or political system globally in the process of advancing international cooperation. I want to stress here that China firmly respects the choices of people of all countries in terms of their development path which suits their own national conditions and sovereign rights. China never exports its own ideology, values, or development model. I think it is groundless to say that China is dominating international society and international affairs, and China will not accept such accusations. Meanwhile, we also support exchanges and mutual learning between countries with different civilizations, systems, and even beliefs based on mutual respect and equal footing. China is also willing to introduce China's development experience and path to other countries based on facts. At the same time, we are also willing to learn from other countries with an open mind. The more exchanges and mutual learning between countries on an equal footing and with mutual respect, the more beneficial it is to civilization development and peace and prosperity in the world. Thank you.

Xinhua News Agency:

We have seen data showing that the number of CPC members has now exceeded 95 million. Facing such a large group, how can we guarantee the quality of Party members? Do some individual members have any utilitarian considerations regarding their motives for joining the Party? How do we ensure the purity of the CPC members' motivations for joining the Party? Thank you.

Qi Jiabin:

Thank you very much for the questions. Let me answer them. As of this June, the CPC has 95.148 million Party members and 4.864 million grassroots Party organizations, making it the largest ruling party in the world. Ever since the founding of the CPC, our Party has always regarded maintaining the advanced nature and purity of its members as a fundamental issue and important goal of Party building. Especially since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has promoted full and strict governance over the Party and vigorously strengthened development of the Party membership. The number of Party members has continued to increase and the membership quality has been greatly improved.

For the past 100 years, our Party has been persistently strengthening its ideological and theoretical work. Guided by the scientific theories of Marxism, it has constantly armed the whole Party with the latest achievements of the sinicization of Marxism. Our Party has firm ideals and convictions, and regards communism, the greatest cause in human history, as the Party's unswerving goal. Our Party adheres to the people's stance and is rooted in the people, and its bloodline and strength lie in the people. Our Party has always been linked with the hearts of the people, breathing together, and sharing a common future. These essential characteristics are a vivid portrayal of the advanced and pure nature of the millions of Party members, and are the inexhaustible source of the CPC in maintaining high-quality development.

Our Party has a high degree of organization and discipline, and has a well-knit organizational system that runs between top and bottom, and enforces efficiently. From the central to the local and grassroots level, Party organizations at all levels faithfully fulfill their political responsibilities of self-governance, and implement the requirements of full and rigorous Party governance within every Party branch and every Party member, ensuring that the role of grassroots Party organizations as a battle fortress and the role of Party members as exemplary vanguards can be brought fully into play. Our Party has a complete system of rules and regulations. It has established and perfected a regulation mechanism based on the Party constitution and other rules and regulations. It insists on strictly governing the Party in accordance with regulations. Our Party has iron-clad discipline, especially since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, as it has further tightened Party rules and discipline, drawn the red line and bottom line for Party members and cadres, strengthened supervision and discipline enforcement, and formed a strong restraining force.

Our Party strictly controls the gateway to membership, prioritizes political integrity as the primary criterion, adheres to the principle of admission on an individual basis, and factors in the characteristics of the times to admit the most advanced individuals from all aspects of society into the Party. To become a Party member, there are no requirements regarding personal identity, education or wealth, but there are strict political and moral requirements. The procedures for joining the Party are strict. Not only must individuals actively apply, but they must also be subject to strict inspections by the organization. After joining the party, every Party member, regardless of their status, will be incorporated into a Party branch, Party group, or specific Party organization, and will regularly participate in organizational life, accept the supervision of the organization and the people, and improve their Party spirit. In light of the situation and tasks faced by our Party in a certain period of time, our Party has also carried out intensive education in response to prominent problems among Party members. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, we have conducted five intensive mass studies and education campaigns. This strict intra-party political life has played an important role in eliminating some incorrect thoughts in the ideology of Party members and also ensured the high-quality development of Party members.

Our Party continues to fight corruption and resolutely expels corrupt individuals from the Party. It combines organizational activities with democratic appraisal of Party members, and regularly deals with unqualified Party members. We will not retain any unqualified Party members, and we will resolutely remove them from the Party. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, more than 900,000 members have been removed from the Party. This fully demonstrates the courage of the CPC to carry out self-reform and that it dares to "scrape the poison off the bone." It also ensures that the Party's body is healthy and the Party members are full of vitality.

The CPC is determined to make great long-term achievements for the Chinese nation. Its centenary simply marks its prime and bloom of youth. Thank you.

Global Times:

We have noticed that some countries, media and think tanks around the world have criticized the united front led by the CPC. They believe that the CPC, through its united front work, has carried out so-called "infiltration" of the media, businesses, academia and politics in some Western countries, posing a threat to the security of these countries. How do you think we should view the united front work of the CPC? Thank you.

Xu Yousheng: 

Thank you for your question. We have noticed the situation you mentioned. I think there are two reasons for such biases. One reason is that some people have misunderstandings about the CPC's united front work. The other reason is that some people, particularly hostile forces, just keep playing dumb, and wantonly vilify and slander our work, which fully reflect their rigid Cold War mentality and ideological prejudices. Here, I would like to talk about the united front led by the CPC briefly. 

What is the united front? In a way that is easy to understand, it means great unity and solidarity, making as many friends as we can, and as few enemies as we can. It can be said that almost all political forces at all times and across the globe know the importance of unity and solidarity, and work for that. The difference lies in the purpose of unity and solidarity. The purpose of the CPC-led united front is to expand common ground and the convergence of interests. It is also to strengthen the great unity and solidarity of all Chinese people, both at home and overseas, so as to focus their ingenuity and energy on the same goal and come together as a mighty force, to work together to realize national prosperity and rejuvenation, and ensure the people's wellbeing. 

During the one hundred years of work on the united front, we have developed important values and philosophies. For example, we stick to the principle of seeking common ground while reserving differences, properly balance commonality and diversity, and respect and accommodate differences. We also uphold cooperation and mutual benefit. Based on seeking and achieving common interests, we respect, protect, and fully consider the interests of all sectors. We adhere to democratic consultation, under which we conduct broad consultation in decision making and problem solving, and public issues are discussed by all those involved. In this way, we unite people together extensively and pool strengths. 

In foreign exchanges, China persistently advocates that all of the world's different civilizations should stay inclusive and draw on each other's strengths. We promote harmonious relationships between all countries and the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. We attach importance to the role of overseas Chinese and students studying abroad as a bridge linking China and the world. Our purpose is to promote people-to-people exchanges, good relations, and mutual understanding and friendship between China and other countries. As Mr. Liu said just now, we never interfere in other countries' internal affairs, and never export any ideology or social system. 

We can say that the united front work of the CPC is carried out in a transparent and open manner, and it is a far cry from the so-called "infiltration" claimed by some hostile forces to defame and malign China. We will constantly consolidate and develop the broadest possible united front, make full use of the united front as an important treasure, and unswervingly work for the great cause to seek happiness for the Chinese people, rejuvenation for the Chinese nation, and the common good for the world. Thank you. 

People's Daily: 

It is reported that since the Party's 18th National Congress, the discipline inspection and supervision organs nationwide have investigated and punished more than 4 million people, including many officials at all levels. With so many people having been investigated, does this affect the image of the CPC? The CPC Central Committee unswervingly exercises full and strict governance over the Party. In what aspects is "strict" embodied? 

Wang Jianxin: 

Thank you for your question. I will answer it. "A hallmark that distinguishes the Communist Party of China from other political parties is its courage in undertaking self-reform," General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized at a ceremony marking the centenary of the CPC. On July 1, we all watched the ceremony through different channels. On Tian'anmen Square, more than 70,000 representatives from all walks of life formed the shape of a "giant vessel". One hundred years ago, the CPC was born in a shikumen building in Shanghai, and started a journey from the South Lake in Jiaxing, Zhejiang province. On the way, the CPC has stayed true to its original aspiration and founding mission, fought bravely, and made sacrifices. That small red boat from a hundred years ago has become a great ship that navigates China's stable and long-term development. 

Therefore, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that an important reason why the Party remains so vital and vibrant despite having undergone so many trials and tribulations is that it practices effective self-supervision and full and rigorous self-governance. Since the Party's 18th National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, has stressed that it takes a good blacksmith to make good steel, and included full and rigorous self-governance into the Four-pronged Comprehensive Strategy. Through fine conduct, we have boosted the faith of our Party members and our people. We have strengthened governance over the Party through strict disciplines, and punished corruption with an attitude of "zero tolerance." The anti-corruption campaign has been a resounding success, and the achievements have been consolidated. The CPC has achieved historic progress in full and rigorous self-governance. I have the latest statistics, which the journalist mentioned in the question. During the period from the Party's 18th National Congress to the end of June this year, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee, the discipline inspection and supervision organs nationwide investigated 3.884 million cases, and punished 4.173 million people. 

The CPC Central Committee has always adhered to the overarching principle of "rigorous governance over the Party." Full and rigorous governance over the Party is mainly reflected in the following six respects:  

The first is strict governance over thinking. We require that all Party members and officials should arm themselves with Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, keep purifying their political souls, consciously forge ahead, and make pragmatic efforts based on their original aspiration and mission. They should be brave to rise up to major challenges and be adept at pushing through the struggles. 

The second is strict governance over supervision. We are improving an authoritative and efficient oversight system with complete coverage under the Party's unified command, strengthening political oversight, and carrying out daily oversight to ensure that the power entrusted by the Party and the people is properly exercised.  

The third is strict governance over discipline enforcement. We have tightened political discipline and rules and resolutely guarded against the "seven forms of misconduct" (nepotism, forming cliques, fabricating rumors, buying popularity, promising others fame and gain in exchange for their help, ostensible obedience, and slandering the CPC Central Committee). We put discipline at the forefront and use stringent discipline to forge the whole Party into a "solid piece of steel." Statistics show that from the 18th CPC National Congress to the end of June this year, 3.804 million people received Party disciplinary and administrative penalties.  

The fourth is strict governance over officials' behaviors and performance. We have strictly investigated the practice of seeking official positions through back door means, buying and selling official positions, as well as vote buying and bribery, and resolutely tackled corruption and other forms of misconduct regarding the election and appointment of officials. We have strengthened daily management and reminded officials of misconduct for early correction through letters or by talking to them directly to make Party officials truly feel that strict management is care.  

The fifth is strict governance over conduct. We have been keenly observing the central Party leadership's eight-point decision on improving conduct. We have been continuously addressing the practice of formalities for formalities sake, bureaucratism, hedonism, and extravagance by strict investigation and targeted treatment. Between the 18th CPC National Congress and the end of June this year, 637,000 cases of violating the central Party leadership's eight-point decision were investigated and dealt with nationwide, and 558,000 people received Party disciplinary and administrative penalties.  

The sixth is strict governance over anti-corruption efforts. The Party has allowed no safe haven, left no stone unturned, and shown no tolerance in fighting corruption. We have firmly investigated and punished the leaders and officials who didn't stop playing with fire. We have resolutely investigated and addressed corruption cases involving both political and economic matters. We have been determined to deal with corruption involving petty officials. In doing so, we have done better in ensuring that officials do not dare to be, are denied the opportunity to be, and have no wish to be corrupt. 

The above-mentioned facts irrefutably prove that our Party's full and rigorous self-governance and efforts to ensure discipline, improve Party conduct, and fight corruption are by no means empty talk. Instead, we have undertaken this task unswervingly and consistently, reshaping the Party's image and giving it a new look. Party solidarity and unity have also been reinforced. Our Party has become stronger through revolutionary forging, providing powerful political guidance and guarantees for the development of the Party and the country. General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly stressed that we should live up to the expectations of the 1.4 billion Chinese people by punishing thousands of corrupted officials. This is well illustrated by the findings of the National Bureau of Statistics: 95.8% of the people believe that outstanding achievements were made in full and rigorous governance over the Party in 2020, an increase of 16.5 percentage points from before 2012, when the 18th CPC National Congress was convened. This indicates that the people have greater trust in our Party and full confidence in the path, theory, system, and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Thank you.  

Phoenix TV:  

The CPC puts forward the Party leadership over all work and stresses that "the Party exercises overall leadership over all areas of endeavor across the country and is the highest force for political leadership." How should we understand such leadership? Some people abroad call it a one-party dictatorship. What's your take on this? Thank you.  

Wang Xiaohui:  

This has been clarified in the third chapter of the publication. I also heard hyping from some foreign countries, and I'd like to take this opportunity to emphasize a few points.  

First, the leadership of the Party is the defining feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics and constitutes the greatest strength of this system. This leadership position is not self-appointed. Instead, it's determined by the nature and purpose of the Party, it's the choice of history and the people, and it has been written into the Constitution of the People's Republic of China. History and practice have proved that the Party's leadership is the foundation and lifeblood of the Party and the country and the crux upon which the interests and wellbeing of all Chinese people depend.  

Second, Party leadership over all work means that the leadership must be comprehensive, systematic, and holistic. Party leadership must be upheld in all work areas of the Party and the country, including reform, development, and maintaining stability, as well as the country's internal affairs, national defense and diplomacy, and governance over the Party, the country, and the armed forces. The leadership must be upheld in all sectors and in every part of the country. This is what we mean by upholding the party's leadership over all work.  

Third, regarding strengthening the Party's overall leadership, we are not only committed to upholding the Party's leadership and its position as the governing party, we are also working to form a new type of political party relations featuring cooperation, unity, and harmony. China adopts the system of CPC-led multiparty cooperation and political consultation, which is a great creation of China's political system and a new type of political party system that was born in China. Under this system of CPC-led multiparty cooperation and political consultation, we have developed a political pattern featuring "the CPC's leadership in governing the country with cooperation from and participation of all the other parties," realizing the organic unity of governance and participation, leadership and cooperation, and consultation and supervision.  

Fourth, strengthening the Party's leadership in all respects is based on upholding democratic centralism. Democratic centralism is our Party's fundamental organizational principle and fundamental leadership system. The system combines centralization on the basis of democracy with democracy under centralized guidance. This not only ensures that the wishes of Party members and Party organizations are fully expressed and their enthusiasm and creativity can be effectively brought into play, but also ensures the cohesion of the wisdom and strength of the whole Party and consistency of action.

Fifth, to strengthen the Party's overall leadership, we should achieve the organic unity of the Party's leadership, the people's ownership of the country and the rule of law. We should adhere to the rule of law and the rule of law under the leadership of the Party. At the same time, the Party is required to carry out its activities within the scope of the Constitution and laws. All Party and government organs, various social organizations and every citizen must obey and abide by the Constitution and laws. In particular, Party members and officials must be models of respecting, learning, abiding by and using the law.

Sixth, strengthening the Party's overall leadership does not mean that the Party should assume responsibility for everything, but rather that the Party exercises overall leadership and coordinates the efforts of all parties. By improving the Party's overall leadership system and the national governance system, we have improved the Party's level of scientific, democratic and law-based governance, and implemented the Party's leadership in all aspects, fields and links of national governance in an institutionalized and standardized manner, so as to form a situation where all areas of endeavor not only perform their respective duties and responsibilities, but also cooperate with each other and display their own strengths.

In my opinion, these points show that this is totally different from the so-called "one party dictatorship." Thank you.

TASS:

Recently, the Chinese government's anti-monopoly measures have attracted much attention, such as the continuous strengthening of regulations and rectification of internet platforms. Some foreign investors have expressed concern that this represents a tightening of controls on private enterprises, fearing that this is an adjustment to China's policy of opening up to the outside world and private economy. What do you think? Thank you.

Han Wenxiu:

Your question involves several key words, including anti-monopoly, internet platforms, private economy and opening up to the outside world.

Anti-monopoly work is common practice in market economy countries. During the past few decades, the United States and some countries in Europe have been acting against monopoly. Now, China's economy is expanding and there are more and more large enterprises, which may lead to monopolies forming. Therefore, it is an important and regular task of the Chinese government to strengthen anti-monopoly work and anti-unfair competition. It will help foster a market environment of fair competition, create broad development space for all types of market players, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, and better protect the rights and interests of consumers.

At present, strengthening the supervision of large tech firms — such as internet platforms — and preventing monopolies and the disorderly expansion of capital, are a global challenge. All countries are exploring solutions. We insist on paying equal attention to both standardization and development. On one hand, we need to set up traffic lights for capital, improve the negative list management system for market access, and strictly control blind trends and clear the hazards from the sector's past development. Our aim is to protect data security and personal privacy, safeguard national security and public interests, and promote the standardized and sound development of all types of capital. On the other hand, we also recognize that the platform economy is an important component of advanced productive forces. We need to give full play to its positive role in optimizing resource allocation, promoting scientific and technological progress, facilitating people's lives, and participating in international cooperation and competition. Strengthening regulation is for healthier, more sustainable and long-term development, and the same is true for capital markets.

Among the online platform enterprises, there are not only state-owned enterprises and private enterprises, but also foreign-funded enterprises, as well as many mixed ownership enterprises. The policies to regulate internet platforms treat all market entities as equals. They are aimed at illegal acts, not targeting private enterprises and foreign-funded enterprises. This is very clear.

First, we adhere to our basic socialist economic system, and unwaveringly consolidate and develop the public sector and unswervingly encourage, support and guide the development of the private sector. As important components of the socialist market economy, both public ownership and non-public ownership lay a solid foundation for the country's economic and social development. Private enterprises and private entrepreneurs belong to our own family. We should treat them well and strictly in order to promote the sound development of private enterprises and entrepreneurs.

Second, opening up to the outside world constitutes a basic national policy China adheres to. General Secretary Xi Jinping has made it clear time and time again that China's door of opening up will never be closed and it will only open wider. We are fostering a new development paradigm. What we envision is not a development loop behind closed doors, but more open domestic and international circulations. We will firmly pursue high-level opening-up, better coordinate development and security, seriously implement the Foreign Investment Law, effectively protect property and intellectual property rights, improve the transparency and predictability of policies, communicate with the market well and further foster a market-oriented international business environment underpinned by a sound legal framework. We welcome enterprises and investors from all over the world to start businesses in China, jointly sharing the huge development opportunities brought about by its huge market with the characteristics of high growth. Thank you.

China News Service:

The CPC has made great achievements over the past hundred years. However, the Party has also made mistakes and experienced setbacks. How do you view the mistakes and setbacks now? Does the Party purposely downplay them? Thank you.

Chai Fangguo:

From 1921 to 2021, the Party's 100-year journey has surged forward with great momentum. Over the past hundred years, the Party has united and led the Chinese people in crossing many barriers and achieving great success in the New Democratic Revolution, the socialist revolution and reconstruction, reform, opening up, socialist modernization, and the development of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era. We have made a tremendous transformation from standing upright to becoming prosperous and growing in strength. The Party has changed China thoroughly and profoundly promoted the development and progress of humanity.

In the course of leading China's revolution, reconstruction and reform to great success, the CPC has also made mistakes and experienced setbacks. Instead of avoiding or covering them up, the Party has faced up to them, analyzed their causes and drawn wisdom and strength to forge ahead from them. The experiences and lessons learned in this regard are reviewed systematically in the Resolution on Certain Issues in the History of the CPC (released in 1945) and the Resolution on Certain Questions in the History of the CPC Since the Founding of the People's Republic of China (released in 1981). By doing so, the whole Party has come to a clear consensus on its past, grown stronger in unity, enhanced awareness of historical experiences, and set the stage for forging forward in better shape. The Party also examine the inadequacies and weakness exposed in our work at important meetings, and accordingly put forward improvement measures, while reviewing successes and experiences. With a serious and scientific attitude, we have written and published books on Party history, including "The History of the Communist Party of China (1921-1949)," "The History of the Communist Party of China (1949-1978)," "The Ninety-Year History of the Communist Party of China," and "The Brief History of the CPC" published this year, which have all truthfully reflected on and portrayed the journey the Party has traveled over 100 years of struggle. As General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized, "Honestly acknowledging its problems and mistakes, including those of its leaders, the CPC has always conducted careful analysis of root causes and taken resolute measures to correct them. Its mistakes, failures, and lessons, together with its successes, all serve as an invaluable textbook."

As we all know, a new path of development is shaped by exploring and practicing. Every political party is restrained by the historical conditions they are in, both the specific subjective and objective conditions. No political party dares to say that it never makes mistakes. Looking back over the path we have taken, it is essential that we develop an accurate understanding of Party history. We should grasp the main points, themes and essence of the course of Party history, and understand and evaluate the important events, meetings and figures in its history accurately and scientifically. Efforts should be made to unequivocally oppose historical nihilism. The CPC is a political party that can see its past objectively and scientifically. The Party has corrected its mistakes, overcome its setbacks, ended disorder, and broke new ground constantly by upholding the truth. In the long course of its development, the Party has constantly engaged in significant self-reform, exercised effective self-supervision, practiced strict self-discipline in every respect, and consistently pursued improvement. These fine traditions are also the salient feature of the Party. Thank you.

Lianhe Zaobao:

In recent years, some Western countries have claimed that they will "safeguard the rules-based international order," accusing China of challenging the existing international order and coercing other countries. The CPC is now actively pushing ahead with reform and improvements in the global governance system. Does this mean a rejection of the existing international order and norms? Thank you.

Liu Jianchao:

Thank you for your question. The so-called "rules-based international order," claimed by certain countries, sounds good outwardly, but we must comprehensively analyze the concept. What, in essence, are the "rules," and who are the rule-makers? After extended observation and analysis, we have concluded that the so-called "international order" that these countries claim, based on military alliances and oriented by ideology, is only in line with the rules set by themselves. Their aim is to safeguard the dominant role of several certain countries in the world, and exclude developing countries from the international system and the global governance system.

We believe that there is only one international system and one international order in the world. We must underscore the role of the United Nations (UN) as it is an important international platform that forges and reflects the international consensus and demonstrates democracy in international relations. We call for an international system with the UN at the core and an international order based on international law. Meanwhile, we believe that there is only one set of fundamental international norms, the one that is based on the missions and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. There is only one type of true multilateralism, which is also underpinned by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and features equality and win-win cooperation, instead of fake or pseudo multilateralism used by several countries as a pretext for acts of unilateralism.  

You just referred to the accusation that China has coerced other countries. I think the truth is quite the reverse. China has put forward a series of proposals and initiatives welcomed by the international community, including the Belt and Road Initiative, advocation of the free and open international trade and multilateral trade, and development of the foreign trade and economic relations following the principles of equality and mutual benefit. Meanwhile, in today's world, who, on the contrary, is attempting to dictate international affairs, determine other countries' destiny, or monopolize development resources? Who is engaging in clique politics by rejecting dissidents, threatening, or intimidating other countries? Who has imposed decoupling, supply disruption, or sanctions? Who has pushed the world into division and even confrontation? I think people around the world all know the obvious answer. China stays committed to openness and inclusiveness instead of closeness and exclusion; to international law and rules instead of seeking one's supremacy; to consultation and cooperation instead of conflict and confrontation; and to keep up with the times instead of rejecting change. China has always worked to safeguard world peace, contribute to global development, and preserve international order. The CPC has proposed building a human community with a shared future and an open, inclusive, clean, and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security, and common prosperity. It is the CPC's major initiative to address the prominent issues facing the world today and guarantee the sustainable development of human civilization.

China will unswervingly uphold true multilateralism, shoulder its responsibility in safeguarding world peace, take every effort to advance global development, set a good example of preserving international order, contribute and respond to global challenges, and work together with countries around the world to promote the building of a human community with a shared future. Thank you.

Xu Lin:

Due to time constraints, we will have the last question.

China Daily:

As we know, the ethnic issue has always been a global and regional hot issue. My questions are: What policies have the CPC adopted to manage ethnic issues and maintain harmony among all ethnic groups? How did the Party implement these policies in practice? Thank you. 

Xu Yousheng:

As you stated, the ethnic issue is indeed a global and regional issue, and in fact, also a hard one. China is a unified and multiethnic country. Over the long course of a several-thousand-year history, all our ethnic groups have jointly guarded our vast territory and created a long history and a splendid culture, forming a paradigm with ethnic groups diversified yet integrated as one. It should be said that the CPC has attached great importance to the work concerning ethnic groups. Focusing on fostering a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation, the Party has introduced a series of systems and policies concerning ethnic groups to constantly consolidate and develop socialist ethnic relations of equality, unity, mutual assistance, and harmony. The key aspects are as follows:

First, we implement the system of ethnic regional autonomy. Under the unified leadership of the central government, regional autonomy is exercised, and organs of self-government are established to exercise of the right of autonomy in areas where ethnic minorities live in compact communities.

Second, we uphold equality between all ethnic groups. All ethnic groups are guaranteed equal participation in the management of state affairs and lawful rights and interests. Discrimination against and oppression of any ethnic group are prohibited. 

Third, we consolidate the unity of the Chinese nation. We have carried out in-depth publicity and education on ethnic unity and progress to promote exchanges and interaction among all ethnic groups to boost their recognition of the great motherland, the Chinese nation, Chinese culture, the CPC, and socialism with Chinese characteristics. In this way, we will unite all ethnic groups in pressing forward for common prosperity and development.

Fourth, we support ethnic minority groups and ethnic minority areas to accelerate development. We have thoroughly implemented the strategy for large-scale development of the western region, pressed ahead with the action plan to bring prosperity to border areas and their residents, and provided strong support for the development of ethnic minority groups and ethnic minority areas. In accordance with the requirement of the CPC Central Committee that no single ethnic group should be left behind in the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects, we have so far have helped 31.21 million people living in ethnic minority areas and 420 poor counties in ethnic autonomous areas out of poverty.

Fifth, we respect and protect ethnic minority cultures. We respect the customs and habits of ethnic minority groups and make efforts to inherit and protect their cultures. On the basis of comprehensively promoting the standard Chinese language, we respect and support the study and use of ethnic minority languages. Under the guidance of the CPC's policies concerning ethnic groups, all ethnic groups of China have developed relations of equality, unity, mutual assistance, and harmony, and are closely united like the seeds of a pomegranate. The practice has fully proved that the CPC has found the right way of managing ethnic issues that suits China's national reality and reflects China's distinct characteristics. Thank you.

Xu Lin:

Thanks to all the speakers and journalists. Today's press conference concludes here. Thank you.

Translated and edited by Zhang Liying, Wang Qian, Zhu Bochen, Ma Yujia, Cui Can, Liu Sitong, Wang Yiming, Zhou Jing, Liu Qiang, Zhang Rui, Liu Jianing, Zhang Junmian, Xu Xiaoxuan, Wang Wei, Xiang Bin, Huang Shan, Yuan Fang, Li Xiao, Li Huiru, Chen Xia, 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.

.

Read in Chinese

Speakers:

Wang Dongfeng, secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Hebei Provincial Committee and chairman of the Standing Committee of the People's Congress of Hebei Province

Xu Qin, vice secretary of the CPC Hebei Provincial Committee and governor of the People's Government of Hebei Province

Zhang Zheng, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Hebei Provincial Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Hebei Provincial Committee

Chairperson:

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

Date:

June 16, 2021

Chen Wenjun:

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to this press conference held by the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC. As we review how the CPC Central Committee and Chairman Mao deployed and commanded in Xibaipo the three major campaigns (Liaoshen, Huaihai and Pingjin Campaigns), we can still hear the sonorous historical steps of securing a nationwide victory in liberating the whole country and then establishing the new China. In Xibaipo, Comrade Mao Zedong put forward the "two musts," that is, comrades must be taught to remain modest, prudent and free from arrogance and rashness in their work style; comrades must be taught to preserve the style of plain living and hard work. Meanwhile, the CPC Central Committee emphasized important rules including "strengthening Party discipline." All of them are still of great significance for us to advance Party building; strengthen 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; 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; and observe the Party's fundamental purpose of wholeheartedly serving the people.

For this press conference, we have invited Mr. Wang Dongfeng, secretary of the CPC Hebei Provincial Committee and chairman of the Standing Committee of the People's Congress of Hebei Province; Mr. Xu Qin, vice secretary of the CPC Hebei Provincial Committee and governor of the People's Government of Hebei Province; and Mr. Zhang Zheng, a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Hebei Provincial Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Hebei Provincial Committee. They will brief you on issues related to "Hebei: Carrying forward the Xibaipo Spirit and rising to challenges in the new era" and answer your questions.

Next, I will give the floor to Mr. Wang.

Wang Dongfeng:

Ladies and gentlemen, friends from the media, good morning. It's a great pleasure to meet you here. First of all, on behalf of the CPC Hebei Provincial Committee, the People's Government of Hebei Province, and 74.6 million people of Hebei, let me begin by expressing my sincere gratitude for your long-term interest in and support for Hebei.

Hebei is a revolutionary land, the birthplace of numerous heroes, and where the new China came from. Li Dazhao, a native of Laoting county in the northeast of Hebei, was a pioneer of the Chinese revolution and one of the main founders of the CPC. Xibaipo in Pingshan county is a major revolutionary site. From May 1948 to March 1949, Chairman Mao and the CPC Central Committee commanded in Xibaipo the three major campaigns. These campaigns were decisive for the future of China. Also in Xibaipo, they convened the second plenary session of the seventh CPC Central Committee which had far-reaching historical significance, formed the Xibaipo Spirit with the "two musts" as its core, and compared the upcoming trek to "going for a big exam in the capital city" as they left for Beijing. As such, a greater "new Long March" started. Therefore, Xibaipo provides valuable revolutionary resources as well as a strong motivation for the campaign on Party history learning and education.

General Secretary Xi Jinping has a deep understanding and strong affection for Hebei. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, he has inspected Hebei eight times and made a series of important instructions. These include "accelerating in four aspects," which means to accelerate Hebei's development while serving and aligning with Beijing and Tianjin; accelerate the transformation of growth drivers through reform, innovation, opening up and cooperation; accelerate the improvement of the living environment through pollution control and environmental remediation; and accelerate the building of a beautiful province with a strong economy while improving people's lives through poverty reduction and shared development. Another important instruction is to "make solid progress in six major tasks." This includes doing a good job in flood prevention, disaster rescue and relief; implementing the new development philosophy; advancing the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region; stepping up environmental initiatives; fighting against poverty; and creating an honest and upright political environment. The third instruction is to "achieve concrete results in three important aspects." This includes cutting overcapacity, eliminating poverty, and making preparations for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games. He also made other important instructions on "building Hebei into a beautiful province with a strong economy." He has personally planned and promoted major national strategies and events including the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the construction of Xiongan New Area, and preparations for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games, which provided unprecedented historical opportunities for Hebei's development and pointed out the direction for our work. Since the 19th CPC National Congress, the entire province has steadfastly implemented the series of important instructions made by General Secretary Xi Jinping as well as the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee; followed the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era; strengthened the 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; stayed confident in the path, theory, system, and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics; and upheld General Secretary Xi Jinping's core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole, and upheld the Party Central Committee's authority and its centralized, unified leadership. We have upheld the general principle of pursuing progress while ensuring stability, carried forward the Xibaipo Spirit, and implemented Hebei's working concepts for "three major tasks, six tough battles, eight strategies and nine reforms." As a result, new historic changes have been achieved in Hebei's political, economic, natural, and social environments. During the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020), Hebei's GDP grew at an average annual rate of 6.1%. Especially last year, despite the sudden attack of COVID-19, Hebei still maintained sustained and sound economic development. In 2020, our GDP increased 3.9% year on year; the general public budget revenue grew 2.3%; the industrial structure continued to optimize, with the tertiary industry accounting for 51.7% of the province's GDP; and the main economic indicators were higher than the national average. This year, Hebei province got off to a good start in implementing the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025). In the first quarter, our GDP and the general public budget revenue increased by 15.1% and 18.8% respectively; total fixed-asset investment and the added value of industries above designated size increased by 16.2% and 17.6% respectively; our total import and export increased by 32.1%; and urban and rural income increased by 12.8%. Today's Hebei is full of vigor and vitality. With full confidence and strong motivation, the people of Hebei are working in unison to achieve greater progress in the new era and strive forward on a new journey.

Now, I'll brief you on Hebei's development in four aspects.

First, the "three major events" progressed in tandem. Major national strategies and events have brought valuable historical opportunities and powerful potential for Hebei's development. We have strictly followed General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions on "accelerating Hebei's development while serving and aligning itself with Beijing and Tianjin," and pooled all resources of the province to advance the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the construction of Xiongan New Area, and the preparatory work for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games. The first focus is to relieve Beijing of functions nonessential to its role as the capital and contribute to fostering the third growth pole of China's economy. We have been fulfilling the designated functions of Hebei, namely the "three zones and one base." Under this plan, Hebei will become an important national base for modern trade and logistics, a pilot zone for industrial transformation and upgrading, a demonstration zone for modern urbanization and the coordinated development of urban and rural areas, and an ecological buffer zone. Breakthroughs have been achieved in the three main areas of industrial relocation, ecological conservation, and integrated transport services. An integrated Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region via railways has taken shape. A large number of enterprises and projects have moved to Hebei, including 25,919 legal entities relocated from Beijing or Tianjin to the province, as well as 1,248 projects, each worth more than 50 million yuan ($7.76 million), which totaled 1.18 trillion yuan in investment. The coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region shows a broad range of prospects.

The second focus is to construct a demonstration zone for innovative development that implements the new development philosophy, striving to build a reputation for "Xiongan Quality." We have already formulated a high-standard framework for Xiongan New Area. The establishment of the new area has progressed from planning to simultaneous advances in promoting construction and accommodating Beijing's nonessential functions. More than 200,000 builders are currently working around the clock at busy construction sites with tower cranes. The Rongdong area of Xiongan New Area has been basically completed and the construction of the start-up area is being stepped up. More than 26,667 hectares of forest have been planted. The water quality of Baiyangdian Lake had been improved from Grade V in 2017 to Grade IV in 2020, with some parts reaching Grade III. An eco-friendly city with a lush landscape of grass, trees and water is being built. The trunk transport network around the periphery of the new area has opened to traffic, and the Beijing-Xiongan intercity railway started operation at the end of last year. The third focus is to make the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games a fabulous, unique and outstanding event and foster a new development pattern integrating the "two new driving forces." We have fully implemented the four concepts of hosting the games — green, sharing, open and honest — as well as the principles of making it "simple, safe and splendid." All 76 projects for the Winter Olympics in the Zhangjiakou competition zone were completed ahead of schedule, and testing activities have been successfully held. More than 21 million people in Hebei have participated in ice-snow sports. We have stepped up our efforts to build Zhangjiakou into the capital's water source conservation zone and an ecological buffer zone, and will take the opportunity of co-hosting the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics to make new progress in promoting the high-quality development of Zhangbei county in Zhangjiakou.

Second, we have sped up the efforts to reduce capacity, restructure, and promote industrial transformation and upgrading. New development ideas led to high-quality development and new achievements. We thoroughly implemented General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions to quickly replace old drivers of growth with new ones through reforms, innovation, opening-up, and cooperation, and to firmly reduce capacity, proactively adjust the structure, and expedite the industrial transformation. We implemented these instructions with great efforts and firm resolve. Firstly, we insisted on dealing with overcapacity with unparalleled efforts and stood the stern test of restructuring. We focused on the six industries of steel, coal, cement, plate glass, coke, and thermal power, and surpassed the capacity reduction tasks for the 13th Five-Year Plan period. The number of steelmakers reduced from 107 to 68 as the steelmaking capacity lowered from 320 million tons at peak to within 200 million tons. We basically realized the goal for steelmakers to move out of urban areas and made flexible arrangements for 150,700 employees. The personnel placement rate reached 100%. Secondly, we insisted on building a modern industrial system with the support of the real economy that incorporates advanced manufacturing. We gained outstanding results in the optimization of the industrial structure. We carried out a massive campaign to transform enterprises above designated size. We focused on fostering 12 leading industries at provincial level and 107 characteristic industries at county level. During the 13th Five-Year Plan period, new and high-tech industries saw an added annual value of 11.2% and the digital economy accounted for more than 30% of the GDP. The number of new and high-tech enterprises in the province reached 9,400. The number of medium- and small-sized tech companies reached 87,000. Last year, after fully completed the task of reducing taxes and fees for enterprises, the private sector saw a 4.4% year-on-year growth in added value and a 4.1% growth in taxes paid. Enterprises have improved significantly in terms of market competitiveness. The industrial structure has shifted: in the past, the secondary industry took up the largest part of the total GDP, followed by the tertiary and primary industries, but in 2020, the tertiary industry surpassed the secondary industry to rank first. The service industry's contribution to the total GDP reached 73.8%. Thirdly, we insisted on gaining new advantages in competition and cooperation by deepening reform and opening-up. We comprehensively improved the legal environment and the business environment. We thoroughly implemented reforms in nine key areas and the clean-up and regulation of six key areas. We proactively integrated into the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative. The HBIS Group Serbia Iron & Steel has become a model of international capacity cooperation and the China International Digital Economic Expo was a success. We have sped up the development of the China (Hebei) Pilot Free Trade Zone. A livelier Hebei has become an investment destination for domestic and foreign enterprises. 

Third, we firmly implemented the people-centered development ideas and reached historical achievements in comprehensive poverty alleviation and the construction of a moderately prosperous society. We thoroughly implemented General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instruction to strive to improve people's living standards by fighting poverty and promoting shared development. We have always paid the most attention to the public sentiments that we believe are influenced by quality of life. Firstly, we gained full success in the fight against poverty and achieved remarkable results in building a moderately prosperous society. We insisted on the implementation of poverty alleviation work by Party chiefs at the province, prefecture, county, township, and village levels. We deepened efforts to push for poverty alleviation through boosting industrial development, increasing employment, investing in technologies, and relocating impoverished people to better environments. We set up a social assistance fund and perfected long-term mechanisms to prevent poverty from arising. All impoverished people and designated impoverished counties in the province have been lifted out of poverty. The province's poverty alleviation work has been graded as good in two categories in the national appraisal system for three consecutive years. Secondly, we made unprecedented efforts to secure and improve people's livelihoods, bringing practical benefits to the people. We ensured investment in people's livelihoods as a priority. Last year, spending on people's livelihoods grew 9.7%, accounting for 81.7% of the fiscal expenditure. We carried out 20 programs over four years regarding people's livelihoods. We renovated 6,311 old residential communities, 807,000 housing units in run-down areas, and 882 urban villages. We made efforts to address the "hollow village" issue involving 1,073 villages with vacancy rates reaching 50% and above. We integrated the study and education of the Party history with efforts made to conduct practical work to improve people's livelihoods in 10 aspects. We quickly promoted the construction of kindergartens in all administrative villages. We drew up plans to build rehabilitation therapy centers in every county. We provided free after-class, on-campus services for all primary school students in the province to take care of them after 3:30 p.m. All students in need have been taken care of. Thirdly, we coordinated regular prevention and control of the pandemic with the resolve to wipe it out. Last year, we innovated the initiation of three steps in epidemic prevention and control in advance, including an epidemiological investigation into suspicious cases, the medical examination of close contacts, and the issuance of notice for returnees from Hubei to register themselves within an hour so that they could undergo physical examination and centralized quarantine. We also innovated the daily dispatch system and took the lead in establishing 120 county-level nucleic acid laboratories. It took us only 37 days to achieve zero new local confirmed cases. In response to the sudden outbreak in Shijiazhuang and other places in January this year, we organized multiple rounds of nucleic acid tests for all people to clear all confirmed cases in a relatively short period. This effectively prevented the spread of the pandemic to Beijing and surrounding areas and effectively protected people's lives and health.

Fourth, we practiced the idea that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets and achieved important results in building a beautiful Hebei with blue sky, green land, and clear waters. We thoroughly implemented General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instruction to build a better, inhabitable environment in the process of pollution treatment and ecological restoration, with the resolve to win the battle against pollution. Firstly, we insisted on tackling pollution with stern measures that align with the law, and as a result, we started to see more and more blue sky and white clouds. We comprehensively implemented the CPC Central Committee's decisions and arrangements regarding peak carbon emissions and carbon neutrality. A total of 11.25 million households have been renovated to replace coal with gas and electricity as clean and safe heating sources in winter. A total of 13,2000 industrial enterprises were shut down or regulated for not complying with various development plans, for discharging waste against the law and regulations or over relevant standards, and for operating in violation of the law or regulations. Between 2015 and last year, the PM2.5 density lowered from 74 to 44.8 micrograms per cubic meter, down nearly 40%, and continued to decrease by 11.1% in the first five months this year. Secondly, we insisted on coordinating the treatment of drainage areas and made important progress in addressing the large groundwater depression cone in northern China. We steadily pushed forward with the treatment of murky and stinky waters, the renovation program for separating rainwater from sewage, and the treatment of garbage and sewage in rural areas. Approximately 66.2% of the 74 surface water sections under national monitoring have been graded as Class Ⅲ or above, and none were graded as below Class Ⅴ. The more than 30 million people living in the intake area along the middle route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project have benefited. We took a mixture of measures that integrated water-saving, diversion, regulation, recharging, storage, and management to reduce the use of groundwater. The amount of over-exploited groundwater has been reduced by 4.35 billion cubic meters. The water tables of deep and shallow groundwater rose by 1.19 meters and 0.24 meters, respectively. More than two-thirds of the counties with overexploitation problems saw groundwater levels begin to rise. By 2022, the province will complete the tasks assigned by the central government to reach a balance between the mining and recharging of groundwater, 13 years ahead of the plan and outperforming the requirements. Thirdly, we insisted on the systematic restoration of the eco-environment and reinforced the ecological security barrier for the capital city of Beijing. We took an integrated approach to address problems caused by mining subsidence. During the 13th Five-Year Plan period, the forestation areas in the province increased from 31% to more than 35%. The Saihanba mechanized forest farm was awarded the Champion of the Earth award, the highest prize in environment protection issued by the United Nations. General Secretary Xi Jinping said that the development of the forest farm set a great example in China's pursuit of ecological progress. Since 2017, 1.81 million mu of farmland has been lain fallow for planting grass and 575 square kilometers of land have been treated for soil erosion in the Bashang region of Zhangjiakou, where the idyllic pastoral life is recovering quickly. 

Hebei has attained achievements in all areas over the years. This is the result of the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core; the support from various sides, including the central government departments and other provincial-level regions; and the concerted efforts and hard work of the whole province. It epitomizes the remarkable advantages of the leadership of the Party and the socialist system with Chinese characteristics and fully demonstrates that Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is powerful, truthful and strong in practice. All Party members, cadres, and the general public in the province feel grateful to General Secretary Xi Jinping and the CPC Central Committee with their whole hearts. We firmly safeguard the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, which we have firm confidence in and loyalty to, and we will work together to better meet the requirements of the new era. This is all for now. Next, myself and comrade Xu Qin and Zhang Zheng will answer questions from the media.

Chen Wenjun:

Thank you, Mr. Wang. Now, the floor is open for questions. Please identify your news outlet before asking questions.

China Media Group:

Mr. Wang just mentioned that since the 18th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has inspected Hebei eight times and issued a series of important instructions on Hebei's development. How do you promote high-quality economic and social development while implementing the guidelines of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions? Thank you.

Wang Dongfeng:

Thank you, I'll answer your question. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has inspected Hebei eight times and issued a series of important instructions including "accelerating in four aspects," "making solid progress in six major tasks," and "achieving concrete results in three important aspects," as well as building Hebei into a beautiful province with a strong economy. He emphasized fully implementing the new development philosophy of innovative, coordinated, green and open development and having its fruits shared by everyone, which is not only politically oriented and ideological, but also instructive and targeted. All these instructions point out the right direction and provide fundamental guidance for Hebei to promote high-quality economic and social development. The CPC Hebei Provincial Committee and the People's Government of Hebei Province have always taken a clear political stand and adhered to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. We have made it a major political task to thoroughly study and implement General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions and the CPC Central Committee's decisions and arrangements. We have compared our standards and looked for gaps, made lists and plans, and formulated two special guidelines that respectively cover 68 tasks in 12 areas and 64 items in 6 aspects. We promised that all our problems will be solved and every task will be completed, so as to implement General Secretary's important instructions with tangible results in high-quality economic and social development. We will act as a political "moat" for the Chinese capital. We have completed the following works:

First, we are focusing on fully implementing the new development philosophy and speeding up green transition and development. The new development philosophy is a profound reform related to overall development, and has special guiding significance for Hebei, a province with significant tasks in economic structure adjustment and environmental governance. We unswervingly followed the path of prioritizing ecological and green development, made great efforts to adjust the industrial structure, and were determined to cut overcapacity. Six industries including steel have all exceeded both national and provincial targets for cutting overcapacity. We made great efforts to adjust the energy structure. During the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020) period, Hebei reduced coal consumption by over 31.7 million metric tons, and energy consumption per unit of GDP decreased by 21.26%. We made great efforts to adjust the transport structure, focusing on increasing rail transport to replace road transport. Last year, the proportion of railway cargo volume increased by 5 percentage points compared with 2017. We made great efforts to promote transformation and upgrades. Since 2017, a total of 1.53 trillion yuan has been invested in key technological upgrading projects in the province. Last year, the added value of industries above designated size increased by 4.7%, while the number increased by 17.6% in the first quarter of this year. We have worked hard for better quality, higher efficiency, and more robust drivers of economic growth through reform, and taken new steps in green transition.

Second, we are focusing on fostering a new development paradigm, accelerating innovative development and fostering new drivers of growth at a faster pace. We have actively extended the industrial chains, enhanced the innovation chain, stabilized supply chains, and unblocked the logistics chain. We have defined leading enterprises, upstream and downstream products, and key suppliers in 12 key industries and fields, focused on industrial and product supporting facilities, and strengthened weak links. We have built a 1 trillion-yuan industrial chain (steel), two 500-billion-yuan industrial chains (equipment, petrochemical), and four 300-billion-yuan industrial chains (biological medicine, new energy, food, textile and clothing). Last year, the added value of 12 major industries accounted for 54.1% of the province's total GDP. We carried out innovation-driven policies, and optimized technological resources for innovation. At present, there are 1,211 key laboratories and industrial technology research institutes at or above the provincial level. We focused on making breakthroughs in core technologies in key areas. Last year, the added value of the strategic emerging industry increased 7.8%, and the added value of high-tech industries increased 6.6%, which accounted for 19.4% of the industries above designated size. We actively promoted the digital economy, successfully held the China International Digital Economy Expo, and have made plans to build the Zhengding Digital Economy Industrial Park and Huailai Big Data Industrial Base. The added value of the digital economy in the province surpassed 1 trillion yuan, accounting for over 30% of total GDP, and the size is expected to double by 2025 compared with 2020.

Third, we have focused on deepening reform and opening-up and promoting the coastal economy, private economy, urban economy and county economy. We have continued to ensure coastal areas take the lead in development, optimize port functions, carry out projects on port transformation and upgrading, and deepen the integrated development of ports, industries and cities. We vow to build Qinhuangdao into a world-class tourist city; and develop Caofeidian and Huanghua port into competitive steel bases, China's first-class green petrochemical and synthetic materials bases, as well as distinctive high-end equipment manufacturing bases. We have strengthened port-centered industry and marine economy. Last year, the GDP of coastal areas accounted for 34.8% of the province's total GDP. We encouraged, supported and guided the development of the private economy at a faster pace, deepened reforms to streamline administration, delegate power and improve regulation and services, and strictly implemented policies to reduce taxes and fees, so as to create a first-class business environment. Last year, the added value of the private economy accounted for 63.3% of the province's GDP. We accelerated the development of the urban economy, sped up the construction of urban commercial and style blocks, and vigorously developed the headquarters economy, the commercial real estate economy, and financial services, so as to expand urban agglomeration effect and increase carrying capacity of our cities. We continued to expand and strengthen the county economy, upgrade development zones at all levels and of all types, and foster characteristic industries at the county level. More and more counties were included into the country's top 100 counties list. More than 40% of counties witnessed their annual general public budget revenue exceed 1 billion yuan.

We firmly believe that where there is a will there is a way. We will always thoroughly implement the important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping and carry out the decisions and deployments made by the CPC Central Committee. As China enters a new development stage, we will focus on following a new development philosophy and fostering a new development paradigm. Through working hard and overcoming difficulties, we will make new progress in high-quality economic and social development in Hebei. Thank you.

People's Daily:

The coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region, planed and promoted by General Secretary Xi Jinping, is part of China's national strategy. What kind of function does Hebei have in the coordinated development, and how will it give play to its own advantages? Thank you.

Wang Dongfeng:

Thanks for your question. The coordinated development is a major national strategy, and I will answer this question.

The coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region is a major national strategy made by the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, and is of huge significance for moving non-capital functions out of Beijing, optimizing regional development layout and building new economic growth poles. Over the past seven years, Hebei has been focused on proper handling of the non-capital functions from Beijing and building "three areas and one base." It has made noticeable achievements in industrial relocation, ecological construction and transportation integration. The coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region is of historical importance and has had far-reaching influence, greatly driving socio-economic development and promoting people's well-being. 

First, we have been focused on proper handling of the non-capital functions moved out from Beijing and promoted breakthroughs in key areas. We have focused on removing non-capital functions from Beijing, accelerating the construction of a world-class city cluster with the capital at its core, a Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei airport group and circum-Bohai Sea port group, and playing a part in building the third economic growth pole. We have focused on functional complementation, integrated interaction and industrial relocation. As a batch of major projects including the Shougang Group, Hyundai Motor Group and big data centers have settled and flourished in Hebei, a number of wholesale markets have been moved to Tangshan and Cangzhou, two major cities in the north of the province, bringing over 40,000 commercial tenants and relocating nearly 100,000 people. We have adhered to joint prevention and control in ecology, and strengthened the management of air pollution, the upstream and downstream of river systems, and soil conditions, in a bid to build an ecological compensation mechanism. Last year, the number of days classed as "good" for air quality in Hebei totaled 256, an increase of 30 days over the previous year. The PM 2.5 density was 44.8 micrograms per cubic meter, down by 10.8% year on year, hitting a record low. We now have more blue-sky days in Hebei. We are working hard to build a modern transport system. Together with Beijing and Tianjin, we have jointly built 32 transboundary routes stretching a total of 2,005 km. A transportation card that unifies fare payments for public transportation systems in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei is making life easier for residents in the three regions. The total lengths of railways and highways in operation in the province have reached 7,870 km and 8,042 km, respectively, both ranking second in the country. A transportation layout featuring integrated railways, airlines and waterways has also taken shape.

Second, we have emphasized construction of the "three areas and one base," fully playing Hebei's part in the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. First, we are accelerating the transformation of driving forces as we strive to build a national industrial transformation and upgrading demonstration area. We will continue cutting idle capacities while upgrading traditional competitive industries and promoting the development of high-end manufacturing, modern services and emerging industries of strategic importance to build a new industrial base. We will continue optimizing the industrial layout which features the tertiary sector accounting for the largest share of GDP, the secondary sector accounting for the second largest and the primary sector accounting for the smallest. Second, we are advancing the integration of urban and rural development as we work hard to build a new-type of urbanization and rural-urban overall development demonstration area. We will focus on building the regional central city and upgrading major node cities and counties guided by spatial planning. We plan to build over 300 characteristic towns and 10,000 beautiful villages, as part of efforts to improve infrastructure construction and public services. The urbanization rate among permanent residents rose from 48% in 2013 to 60% in 2020. Third, we will strive to build an ecological environment support area in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region to provide a strong ecological safety barrier for the capital. We will accelerate implementation of the Construction Plan for the Capital Water Source Conservation Functional Zone and Ecological Environmental Supporting Zone in Zhangjiakou and construction of major greening projects in the Yanshan-Taihang Mountain area. In a bid to further improve the carrying capacity of the environment, We will take full advantage of the water diverted from the Yangtze and Yellow rivers, properly use the water from reservoirs and precipitation from the flood season, strengthen the comprehensive supervision and management in the over-exploitation of underground water, and reinforce the ecological protection of Hengshui Lake and the offshore areas of Bohai Sea. Fourth, we are striving to build a key base for national modern commercial-trade logistics, vigorously promoting domestic and international trade and expanding multi-layered consumption. We have given full play to our advantages in location, transportation and industries, and facilitated the construction of logistics hubs, parks and leading enterprises. As the host of the 6th and 7th China International Logistics Development Conferences, the province has realized the regular operations of China-Europe and China-Asia freight train services. The total volume of freight transportation reached 2.48 billion metric tons in 2020, ranking sixth in the world. Last year, the total value of imports and exports rose by 10.2% year on year. In the first quarter of this year, the total value of imports and exports and the total retail sales of consumer goods increased by 32.1% and 24.3%, respectively.

Third, we have actively deepened comprehensive reforms, continuously fueling the coordinated development. We have facilitated the coordinated development of the three northern counties of Hebei's Langfang city and Beijing's Tongzhou district and built 10 transboundary routes. The Langfang section of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal will open to navigation by the end of June. We have accelerated construction of the Beijing Daxing International Airport economic zone, Caofeidian zone, Bohai new area, Zhengding new area, and other major projects which have constantly shown their demonstration effects. We have continued to deepen institutional reforms, promoting the mutual authentication of quality certifications and test results in the region. A total of 28 branch campuses of high-quality schools of Beijing and Tianjin have settled in Hebei. A total of 30 hospitals in Beijing and Tianjin have been included as part of Hebei's designated medical insurance system, enabling the public to better enjoy the common development and shared growth. As part of the efforts to build a community of collaborative innovation and promote research and development (R&D) in Beijing and Tianjin, and accelerate the transformation of Hebei, we have built 95 innovation alliances with universities, R&D institutions and major enterprises in Beijing and Tianjin,, attracting over 90 billion yuan worth of technological contracts from Beijing and Tianjin during the 13th Five-Year Plan period. 

The coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region enjoys huge potential and broad prospects. We will, under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, ride the momentum, go forward hand in hand, fully consider the overall situation, and provide more high-quality services for Beijing and Tianjin, in a bid to achieve new breakthroughs in the region's coordinated development. Thank you. 

The Beijing News:

We have noticed that the environment in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region has constantly improved in recent years, with more blue sky and white clouds. My question is, what measures has Hebei taken to curb air pollution, and what roles has the province played?

Wang Dongfeng:

Thank you for your question. Mr. Xu will answer your question. 

Xu Qin:

Thank you. The air quality in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region has improved a lot in the past few years, allowing us to see more and more blue sky and white clouds. This is a result of the region's comprehensive implementation of Xi Jinping thought on eco-civilization, which has brought greater green benefits for the people. 

Attaching great importance to ecological protection of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, General Secretary Xi Jinping has made a series of important instructions. Unswervingly adhering to General Secretary Xi Jinping's instructions, the CPC Hebei Provincial Committee has been striving to build a beautiful Hebei province with blue sky, green land and clean water. We have drawn up and implemented the "1+18" series of policies and an action plan for containing air pollution, while utilizing scientific, targeted and law-based methods. Therefore, the average density of PM 2.5 in Hebei province last year had declined by 56.9% from that of 2013. From January to May this year, this decreased by a further 11.1%. Hebei is committed to winning the "battle for blue skies" as part of the coordinated efforts by Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei to curb pollution. We must fight the pollution in an all-round manner and find the root causes. That is why we have emphasized restructuring industry, energy and transportation.

First, we have adjusted the industrial structure. Implementing General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions for Hebei to cut overcapacity, adjust structures and accelerate shift of the growth model, we have handled overcapacity, restructured industries, and made innovations in accelerating shift of the growth model. During the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020), Hebei cut production capacity by more than 82 million metric tons of crude steel, more than 55 million metric tons of coal, more than 11 million metric tons of cement, more than 31 million metric tons of coke, 49 million weight cases of plate glass, and 2.3 million kilowatts of thermal power. Meanwhile, we have stepped up efforts to foster strategic emerging industries and high-tech industries, and have seen the number of national high-tech companies rise from over 2,000 to more than 9,000 by the end of last year, while this number is expected to exceed 10,000 this year. High-tech enterprises above designated size are very robust, with their average added-value enjoying double-digit growth in the last three years. The industrial structure has been further improved and emissions have been reduced at the source. 

Second, we have further optimized the energy structure. We have insured cleaner use of coal and substituted coal with clean energy, promoting the development of green energy. Using clean energy for winter heating in northern China is at the core of improving air quality in winter. Resolutely implementing the important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping on clean heating in northern China, we have upheld the principles of using gas, electricity and coal according to the specific conditions. With the huge support of the National Development of Reform Commission, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, pooling the whole province's efforts, we have replaced the use of coal in 11.25 million households with clean energy such as gas and electricity, thus improving the local environment. Meanwhile, we have accelerated the renovation of coal-fired industrial boilers, taking the lead in the country in eradicating those at or below 35 steam tons per hour. We have now phased out almost all of our more than 90,000 such boilers. As for coal-fired boilers above 35 steam tons per hour, we have basically completed their ultra-low emission renovation. We have taken an active role in developing clean energies such as wind energy and solar energy. By the end of 2020, the installed capacity of wind power and photoelectricity of Hebei amounted to 44.64 million kilowatts, ranking among the top provinces in China. 

Third, we have further improved existing capacity and deepened controls of industrial pollution. Hebei province has completed ultra-low emission renovation in industries like steel, coking, plate glass and ceramics, and further promoted the reduction of emissions in coal-fired electricity plants. Over the past three years, the whole province has completed 1,058 projects in ultra-low emission renovation and deep emission reduction, reducing emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide by around 50% and 43%, respectively. 

Fourth, we have tackled pollution from motor vehicles. We have actively promoted transportation restructuring, and formulated regulations along with Beijing and Tianjin to prevent and contain pollution from motor vehicles and non-road mobile machinery. We have adopted the China VI vehicle emission standards, and encouraged more transportation to shift from roads to railways, and sea-rail multimodal transport. We have installed exhaust filtration devices on heavy-duty diesel vehicles. Coal transportation in Qinhuangdao Port, Tangshan Port and Huanghua Port has basically realized container gate-in by rail and water transportation. In addition, we have greatly increased the proportion of rail transportation for container gate-in and gate-out, and promoted new energy vehicles. Since 2019, almost all new and replacement buses were new energy vehicles. 

Fifth, we have scaled up comprehensive control of wind-borne dust pollution. We have created regulations to control wind-borne dust, promoting its comprehensive control on construction sites, city roads, and stock areas of enterprises. We have intensified efforts to plant trees, with 39.54 million mu of land afforested across the province, and forest coverage increasing to 35% from 31% during the 13th Five-Year Plan period. Thanks to the support of the Ministry of Water Resources and other departments, we have advanced the management of riverways, further improving the ecological environment there. 

Next, we will adhere to Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as the guiding principle, and thoroughly implement Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Progress and the important instructions made by General Secretary Xi Jinping on Hebei province. Following the arrangements and decisions of the CPC Central Committee, we will fully implement the new development philosophy in a complete and accurate manner, and practice the principle that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets." We will contain pollution and lower carbon emissions in a coordinated manner to speed up guiding social and economic development onto a "green and low carbon" track, so that people can enjoy more good weather with blue skies and white clouds. That's all. Thank you. 

Guangming Daily:

More than 70 years ago, the CPC Central Committee left Xibaipo in Pingshan county, Hebei province for Beijing for "a big exam in the capital city." With its profound revolutionary history and rich revolutionary resources, how is Hebei fully utilizing its advantages to conduct studies on the Party's history? Thank you. 

Wang Dongfeng:

Thank you for your question. This question goes to Mr. Zhang. 

Zhang Zheng:

I am delighted to answer this question. As the starting place of the CPC Central Committee's move to Beijing, and the birthplace of the Xibaipo spirit, Hebei boasts rich revolutionary resources. Many revolutionary sites, including the Xibaipo revolutionary site, the former site of the 129th division headquarters of the Eighth Route Army, and the former site of the government of the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Border Region, are all located in Hebei, which is also the home province of many revolutionary pioneers and heroes, such as Li Dazhao, an important founder of the Party, and the Five Warriors of Mount Langyashan. We have earnestly implemented the important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping on utilizing revolutionary resources in studying Party history. Mr. Wang has given clear instructions that we should conduct studies on the history of the Party under the theme of "doing well in the exam in the new era." Next, I will explain the situation from three aspects. 

First, we have made good use of red resources to study CPC history. Hebei is very rich in red resources. There are 21 national patriotic education demonstration bases located in the province, as well as 528 provincial, municipal, and county-level patriotic education bases. The number of Hebei's provincial patriotic education bases ranks among the highest across the country. To implement the important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping, we have launched high-quality "5+N" routes to turn red resources into spiritual products for Party history learning and education. The "5" routes cover sites of historical interest in Hebei and detail representative figures of profound influence from the founding of the CPC to the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression then to the Chinese People's War of Liberation. We also highlight events in the new era, such as General Secretary Xi Jinping calling for national efforts to battle poverty in Fuping county, and Hebei pooling provincial resources into three major projects, namely the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region, the construction of the Xiongan New Area, and the preparatory work for the Beijing Winter Olympic Games. Based on the "5" basic routes, "N" represents another 80 routes for Party history learning which span the entire province. For each route, its theme of study, activities, location, road map and schedule are all determined. In line with the requirements of the central leading group for Party history learning and education campaign, we have launched the campaign across the province to allow people easy access to Party history education and encourage them to learn and think. As a result, the campaign attracted more than 20 million people during the May Day holidays alone.  

Second, we have told stories about red activities to make people better understand our theories. We have staged plays with old heroes telling stories about red activities. We invited 21 storytellers to give five touching lectures in this vivid form, including a friend of the well-known martyr Wang Erxiao, who is 84 years old this year and who still protects the young hero's grave; as well as descendants and relatives of revolutionary forefathers and martyrs such as Li Dazhao and Dong Cunrui. Activities have been carried out across the province, inviting old Party members, heroes, role models, Party secretaries, and soldiers to give lectures on the Party history. These have aroused strong feelings among CPC members and officials, and especially students.

Third, we have made our red resources and stories into spiritual products while carrying out publicity and education among the general public on the history of the CPC, the country, reform and opening up, and socialist development. To give full play to the role of red resources as a vivid means to convey fresh values, we have conducted activities targeting three groups. First, for CPC members and officials, we produced several special lessons on the Party's history. Second, for students, we conducted an activity creating and singing songs themed on the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC to carry out publicity and education on the history of the CPC, the country, reform and opening up, and socialist development. So far, more than 110 universities have participated in the activity, which will soon travel to all universities in the province. By doing so, students will integrate the Party history learning and education with songs, which will trigger new inspirations and a fresh understanding of the Party's theory. Third, for the general public, we created and put forward a batch of artistic works themed on the Party's history. For example, we produced a film about the creation of the well-known song "Without the Communist Party, There Would Be No New China," which was written in Hebei by local composer Cao Huoxing. We also produced a film called "Revolutionary" to tell the story of Li Dazhao during his pursuit of the right revolutionary path, and a popular TV series "The Awaking Age" to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC. We recommend you to go see the upcoming film "Revolutionary" at cinemas in order to witness our forefather in pursuit of great revolutionary spirit. What's more, we released a song and dance drama to commemorate the creation of the well-known song "Unity Is Strength," which was written in Hebei 78 years ago and has been sung across the province ever since. By watching films and performances and by singing these songs, CPC members, officials, and the public will better understand and pass on the traditions of revolution. 

Next, Hebei will make further use of its red resources, better tell stories about red activities, advocate the great revolutionary spirit, and promote the CPC history learning and education campaign further in communities and among the general public, so as to let the campaign become ingrained in people's minds. Thank you.

Beijing Youth Daily:

During his first inspection trip to rural areas after the 18th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping visited Fuping county in Hebei province, an old revolutionary base located in an impoverished mountainous area. There, he called for efforts from the whole Party and country to battle poverty. Now that the entirety of China, including Hebei province, has achieved the goals of the poverty elimination campaign, how will Hebei consolidate the results of poverty elimination and fully revitalize the countryside? Thank you.

Wang Dongfeng:

Thank you. I will answer this question.

After the 18th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping left Beijing to pay a visit to Fuping county in Baoding city of Hebei province from Dec. 29 to 30, 2012. Fuping was the old revolutionary base area where General Nie Rongzhen waged guerrilla warfare decades ago. Although rich in red resources, the county featured huge mountains and deep ravines and residents suffered poor living and working conditions. General Secretary Xi Jinping braved the winter cold to visit this remote mountainous area, conducted an inspection tour to villages and rural households to identify the truly poor, and mobilized the whole Party and the whole country to win the battle against poverty in the new era. The CPC Hebei Provincial Committee, the provincial government, and the entire province have conscientiously implemented the important instructions laid out by General Secretary Xi Jinping and the policy decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee. Party secretaries at the five administrative levels of province, city, county, township, and village have worked together towards the same goal of poverty alleviation, with a special focus on poverty alleviation through spurring industrial growth, boosting employment, providing science and technology support, and relocation. Policies and measures have been fully implemented to realize the Two Assurances and Three Guarantees [referring to assurances of adequate food and clothing, and guarantees of access to compulsory education, basic medical services, and safe housing for impoverished rural residents]. By doing so, we have secured a sweeping victory in the final battle against poverty. Hebei has received good reviews for three consecutive years both in national poverty alleviation evaluations and in the assessment of the effectiveness of the collaboration on poverty alleviation between the eastern and western regions. The province has taken concrete actions to uphold the anti-poverty theory with Chinese characteristics put forward by General Secretary Xi Jinping and contributed to the outstanding achievement of China's poverty alleviation.

The General Secretary pointed out that being lifted out the poverty is not an end in itself but the starting point of a new life and a new pursuit. We will stick to aligning our thoughts and actions with the General Secretary's important instructions and the CPC Central Committee's decisions and deployments, making solid efforts to dovetail the consolidation and extension of poverty alleviation achievements with comprehensive rural vitalization. A series of effective measures have been taken in this regard, and new progress has been made.

First, we will stay committed to consolidating the poverty alleviation achievements and preventing people from sinking back into poverty in large numbers. We are making efforts to take due responsibility for counties lifted out of poverty, meanwhile ensuring consistent poverty alleviation policies, assistance, and supervision. We are also working to ensure the consistency and stability of major supportive policies, and strengthening poverty reduction efforts on the industrial, employment, and sci-tech sides. Follow-up support will be provided to people relocated from inhospitable areas, in a bid to promote the sustainable development of formerly impoverished areas and increase people's income. Monitoring work has also been conducted to prevent poverty. A comprehensive monitoring network has been established. Among some 97,000 monitored subjects who have shaken off poverty, not a single household has sunk back into poverty again. In the meantime, a social assistance fund has been established across the province to help the impoverished population, those with ill family members, widows, widowers, orphans, and older people without children. A total of 240 million yuan of insurance assistance has been provided to some 34,000 households. 

Second, we are staying committed to promoting comprehensive rural vitalization and speeding up agriculture modernization. We have focused on 12 leading industries and 107 specialty industries in our province, and developed unique industries and products for each township and village. We addressed the industrial development and employment issues so that those lifted out of poverty are less likely to sink back into it again. We also launched a campaign featuring paired assistance between enterprises and villages, encouraging 13,000 private enterprises to support the development of over 10,000 villages, 7,746 of which were stricken by poverty. By doing so, we have established a normalized and long-term mechanism featuring joint contribution, shared benefits, and win-win cooperation. These enterprises don't simply offer direct financial support. More importantly, they help update local people's mindsets, offer intellectual support, boost employment, and utilize the area's land, tourism, and labor resources. A long-term and stable partnership has thus been established, and villagers' income is largely increased. In the first quarter of this year, the per capita disposable income of farmers in our province increased by 16.6%, the increment of which continues to be higher than that of urban residents. 

Third, we are staying committed to pursuing balanced development across rural and urban areas, continuously improving living and working conditions in rural regions. We concentrate our efforts on rural development and coordinate the work on improving the scale and quality of county seats. The CPC Hebei Provincial Committee and provincial government have conducted research and unveiled a plan to build 300 towns with distinctive features. In addition, over 1,000 projects on building "a beautiful countryside" are currently undergoing construction. In the meantime, measures have been taken to address the issue of "hollow villages" mainly existing in the Bashang area of Zhangjiakou city. The so-called "hollow villages" refer to villages with no labor force as all rural migrant workers have left home with their children, leaving only elderly villagers behind. These elderly people are not poor, and these villages are not categorized as impoverished, because these villagers are offered minimum living allowance for being incapable of working. Still, the living environment in the alpine Bashang area is quite harsh as the temperature can drop below minus 20 or 30 degrees Celsius in winter. It is actually more costly to relocate these elderly people to other regions than build infrastructure facilities concerning water, electricity, gas, and telecommunications in their original living environment. Therefore, we respected people's wishes and relocated them to the nearby regions of major counties. The majority of them have moved into apartment buildings as the government completed land acquisition. The relocated villagers have complete property rights to their apartments. If these elderly people want to live with their children in other cities, they can sell the apartment or just receive money compensations for relocation and then leave here. This not only helps foster family reunions, but also offers benefits to the general public. Thus, this policy has been widely welcomed by rural residents. All 1,073 "hollow villages" with a vacancy rate of over 50% completed relocation last year. There are still almost 1,000 "hollow villages" with vacancy rates ranging from 30% to 50%, and these will finish relocation this year. For "hollow villages" with a vacancy rate of less than 30%, we will respect villagers' wishes and comprehensively improve the rural infrastructure based on the standards of new countryside. Regarding the balanced development of rural and urban areas, we are working to improve infrastructure for rural residents and rural areas, including facilities concerning water, gas, electricity, roads, telecommunications, and waste treatment. There are 121 counties in our province. Plant that can safely incinerate waste and convert it to electricity is now available for every county or shared by two counties. This helps prevent underground water contamination and clean the air, providing important environmental support to build a new and beautiful countryside.

Fourth, we are staying committed to strengthening basic services in rural communities. We are working to comprehensively strengthen the Party's work at the community level, ensure that the Party's foundational work is carried out to proper effect, and improve the Party's basic working skills. Taking the opportunity of the election of new officials at the county and township levels and also at the village branch committees of the CPC and the villagers' committees, we have selected and appointed a group of fine young officials who are politically reliable and professional. A group of college graduates, veterans, and those who worked their way out of poverty have been appointed to serve as the Party secretaries in villages and become members of the village branch committees of the CPC and the villagers' committees. Around 49,700 out of nearly 50,000 villages in Hebei have elected new officials for the village branch committees of the CPC and the villagers' committees. The officials' age, education background, and other qualities have seen historic changes. Almost 99% of the village-level Party secretaries in Hebei also serve as the heads of the villagers' committees, so that the primary level Party committees are more cohesive and stronger. In addition, we have launched an annual campaign to promote Party building at the community level. We have allocated all sorts of resources to the community level and addressed their prominent issues. Party members' exemplary role has been given full play, and the Party's leadership is further strengthened to promote reform, development and stability in rural area. Tangible progress has been achieved in this regard. Thank you.

Hong Kong Economic Herald:

My question is about people's livelihood. For four consecutive years, Hebei has implemented 20 projects concerning people's livelihood, including the renovation of old residential communities, the reconstruction of urban villages, and the upgrading of city pipeline networks. The improvement efforts continue this year. What is the current progress of these projects? What are the focuses and features of this year's work in this regard? Thank you.

Wang Dongfeng:

Thank you. Mr. Xu will take your question.

Xu Qin:

Thank you. The centenary journey of the CPC is a history of its fight for a better life for the people. As General Secretary Xi Jinping put it, satisfying the people's desire for a better life will always be the country's goal. The CPC Hebei Provincial Committee and the People's Government of Hebei Province have resolutely implemented the General Secretary's important instructions, always taken a people-centered development approach, and kept carrying out projects that improve people's livelihood, so as to give people a stronger sense of gain, happiness, and security. From 2018 to 2020, Hebei has rebuilt 807,000 housing units in run-down urban areas, renovated 6,311 old residential communities, and launched projects to renovate 882 urban villages. We also renovated 6,863.2 kilometers of outdated city pipeline networks and built, renovated, and extended 2.06 million square meters of school buildings, 785 kindergartens, and 23,000 kilometers of rural roads. All of these have effectively improved people's living and working conditions.

In accordance with the deployment made by the CPC Central Committee, we have launched an activity themed "delivering practical services to the people" amid this year's Party history learning events. All levels of government in Hebei have launched a new round of projects concerning people's livelihood. Through four years of implementing such projects, we believe that the consistency of our work is of crucial importance to continuously improving people's working and living environment and addressing the most urgent issues that people care about most.

Just now you asked about the features of this year's projects that help improve people's livelihood. First, we strive to improve the living environment in both urban and rural areas. We are working to renovate housing units in both areas, strengthening sewage water and waste treatment. A total of 110,000 housing units in run-down urban areas will start renovation within this year, and 132,000 such housing units will complete renovation. We will also renovate 3,057 old residential communities and launch more projects to renovate urban villages. We will build domestic sewage treatment facilities covering 10,000 villages, renovating more than 1 million restrooms in rural households and improving their sanitation conditions. We will also work to carry out the safe treatment of waste across cities and counties in Hebei and further use it for power generation.

Second, we will boost our efforts to improve infrastructure in urban and rural areas, addressing issues such as car parking, transportation, upgrading of plumbing and wiring, drinking water and "hollow villages," which are also the wishes of the public. This year, over 200,000 new public parking spaces will be created, around 288 km of old pipes will be upgraded and 7,500 km of rural roads will be reconstructed. Meanwhile, we will accelerate construction of public water supply facilities in the intake areas of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, upgrade the abstraction of underground water, realize the full coverage of river water replacement in urban areas, complete river water replacement for 8.18 million residents in rural areas, and address the problem of "hollow villages," which have 30%-50% rural housing vacancy rates.  

Third, we will focus on raising the level of public services. We will set the target for this year in particular to meet the new demands from the public in the fields of education, healthcare, culture and sports. Our plan for projects to improve people's lives includes: further establishing community-level healthcare institutions and improving construction of the service network; and further increasing the number of negative pressure ambulances in township clinics, and as well as the mobile nucleic acid test vehicles in all the county-level areas. At the same time, we have launched a series of projects to enhance the education skills at kindergartens and public-interest pre-school education institutions, and to standardize, regulate and facilitate basic government services. More than 10,000 sports and fitness facilities will be constructed in communities and villages.

Fourth, we will improve social security. Arrangements have been made in employment, elderly care and assisting disadvantaged people, particularly in ensuring key groups such as university graduates can find jobs. Our target is that 860,000 new urban jobs will be created this year. We will conduct a variety of vocational training courses and launch a model for work-study integration so as to achieve our aim of helping 98% of graduates from technical colleges get jobs. Meanwhile, we will establish a multi-level social security system by adding about 15,000 beds in nursing homes and providing rehabilitation services for around 100,000 people with disabilities.

As of the end of May, these projects related to people's lives have progressed smoothly. Some are already more than half finished, while others are even 70%-80% complete. That's all from me. Thank you.

The Paper:

How is Zhangjiakou's preparation work progressing for the upcoming 2022 Winter Olympic Games, which will be jointly held by the city and Beijing?

Wang Dongfeng:

Thank you. Mr. Xu will respond to your question.

Xu Qin:

Thank you for your interest in the Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The games will be a landmark event held at a critical historic juncture. General Secretary Xi Jinping has inspected the venues in both cities and made a series of important instructions, providing the direction and basic guidelines for the preparation work there. The CPC Hebei Provincial Committee and the People's Government of Hebei Province have adhered to General Secretary Xi Jinping's instructions and taken the preparation work as our top priority. Bearing in mind the promise of hosting a green, inclusive, open and clean Games, we have rallied the support of the entire province and advanced the preparation work under the leadership of the Leading Group for the 24th Winter Olympic Games and the coordination of the Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee, making efforts to ensure that the Games is hosted in a simple, safe, and wonderful manner. I will briefly introduce the preparation progress:

First, the venues and supporting infrastructure are ready. We are committed to creating high-quality projects based on our dedicated design and construction. In total, 76 Olympic projects in Zhangjiakou have been fully completed and hosted test competitions of snow events. You may have noted that the creative concept behind the main body of the National Ski Jumping Center comes from the traditional Chinese decorative ornament called "ruyi," and is a stylish international-standard ski jumping center. 

Second, Zhangjiakou has successfully held a series of test competitions. In February, arranged by the Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee, Zhangjiakou carried out 15 test events including the National Cross-Country Skiing Invitational Tournament and the National Freestyle Skiing Aerials Invitational Tournament, drawing around 11,000 participants across 59 contests. We targeted 28 areas for testing, carried out checks on venue facilities and various operation plans, and improved our work pattern that is marked by multilateral cooperation and high efficiency.

Third, a system has been formed to guarantee the provision of services for the Games. We have adhered to the principle of "three venues and one standard," and done our best to ensure COVID-19 prevention and control response and emergency rehearsals, and made sure athletes and guests will have a considerate and warm experience in terms of their transportation, accommodation, food, drink, medical care and volunteer services. In terms of transportation, the Beijing-Zhangjiakou high-speed rail line has been put into operation, shortening the commute to under one hour and demonstrating the effect of city integration. Meanwhile, 28 hotels have signed contracts to guarantee the accommodation during the Games. We have also set strict standards to ensure food safety by carefully selecting food supply bases as well as regulating purchasing channels, storage and transportation types. In terms of medical care, we have designated 19 medical institutions and organized more than 800 health workers to provide professional services. Peking University Third Hospital has taken over the People's Hospital of Chongli District and built a regional medical center to provide strong sports medical support for the Winter Olympics. In terms of volunteers, we have recruited more than 14,000 "city volunteers" and nearly 5,000 volunteers for the competition.

Fourth, we are creating a strong atmosphere for the Winter Olympics. Focusing on carrying forward the spirit of the Winter Olympics and Chinese culture and showing the unique charm of winter sports, we have launched various publicity activities including special columns on various media on the Winter Olympics to create a positive atmosphere.

Fifth, the development of winter sports and related industries has been accelerated. Organizing the Winter Olympics spurs on the participation of the general public, while the public's participation also enhances the level of competitiveness, contributing to the building of a strong sports country. Hebei province has sent athletes to the national teams and held the provincial winter games for two consecutive years. We are working hard to achieve the goal of encouraging 30 million people to participate in winter sports as soon as possible. At the same time, Zhangjiakou has been approved as the national ice and snow equipment industry base, signing 86 related industry projects, including skiing equipment, wearable devices, training equipment and snow-making machines to promote the industry's development. In accordance with the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee, we will accelerate developing Zhangjiakou into a zone for water source conservation and ecosystem and environment support for the capital, develop wind energy, photovoltaic technology, hydrogen energy, big data and other industries, build a Beijing-Zhangjiakou sports-culture tourism belt, and strive to deliver two "excellent answers" in terms of the preparation work for the Winter Olympics and local development.

Dear friends, winter sports are sports of verve and vitality and are becoming more and more popular in China. We extend a warm welcome to everyone who wants to visit Zhangjiakou in Hebei province, and feel the charm of the ice and the snow and to chase their Olympic dreams. In Zhangjiakou, you can ski and enjoy the snow scenery in winter and appreciate the beauty of forests and grasslands in summer. We sincerely invite guests from home and abroad to Zhangjiakou. Thank you all.

Chen Wenjun:

Because time is limited, let's answer the last question.

Phoenix TV:

I want to ask about the situation in Xiongan New Area. We know that the construction of Xiongan New Area is a great national event and a strategy that will have lasting importance for the millennium to come. It has been more than four years since its official establishment on April 1, 2017. What is the current situation of the Xiongan New Area? What are the highlights of its development so far? Thank you.

Wang Dongfeng:

Thank you for your question. I will answer this question. The establishment of the Xiongan New Area is a major historic strategic choice made by the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core. General Secretary Xi Jinping personally planned, deployed, promoted, and devoted a lot of effort to the construction of the area. For more than four years, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, and with the strong support of the leading group for the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region's coordinated development and its offices, central departments, various ministries, as well as Beijing, Tianjin, and other provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities, we have mobilized resources from the entire province to promote the planning and construction of the Xiongan New Area. The picture of the future city is gradually unfolding and new progress has been made in the high-quality development of Xiongan and the building of an innovative development demonstration zone that can translate the new development philosophy into action. A high-standard and high-quality "1+4+26" master plan for the Xiongan New Area was created to take over Beijing's non-essential functions in a steady and orderly manner. Our efforts have paid off. A total of 3,756 Beijing companies have registered for business in the Xiongan New Area, and construction of the initial area, start-up area, and the Rongdong area has advanced steadily. With a total investment of over 230 billion yuan, a total of 125 key projects are currently under construction. Historic new changes have taken place in the management of Baiyangdian Basin's ecological environment and water quality. The forest coverage rate of the area has increased from 11% before its establishment to 30.5% currently. The Xiongan high-speed railway station was completed and put into operation at the end of last year. The four expressways and three national and provincial highways on the periphery of the area began providing service in May, spanning 545 kilometers in length. Regional transportation hubs for railways and expressways have been initially formed. The sense of gain, happiness, and security of the enterprises and people has been continuously improved in the planning and construction of the Xiongan New Area. As a millennium strategy and a great national event, the Xiongan New Area has received nationwide care, support, and the world's attention. Here are the highlights of the construction of the Xiongan New Area:

First, by using a global perspective, international standards, Chinese characteristics, and panoramic and scientific mapping, we have made and filed for the approval of various plans. The "1+4+26" plan system for the Xiongan New Area was devised by pooling wisdom of China's planning experts of all fields, as well as international planning experts. We solicited ideas for the master plan, even the regulatory plan of the start-up area, from across the world. At the same time, in preparing the plan for the new area, we not only drew up the master plan and the regulatory plan but also the landscape design of the city, its areas, and individual buildings. This is an innovation in plan formulation that ensures accuracy, effectiveness, and unwavering execution.

Second, we have strictly followed the construction plan of the Xiongan New Area to build an innovative development demonstration zone that implements the new development philosophy. We have implemented the important instructions and requirements of the General Secretary on "creating a Xiongan quality standard and making it a national model in promoting high-quality development." The entire system complies with international standards. We have monitored soil liquefaction and ensured that the geological structure of the area is stable and that it can withstand the power of earthquakes, floods, and waterlogging. The area's ecological environment fortification levels are at their highest, with 200-year flood prevention and 100-year waterlogging prevention. Additionally, we have promoted the building of a national ecological civilization pilot zone and will build a "coal-free zone" in the Xiongan New Area this year. We have also tried to avoid using fossil fuels in the area's development. For example, the large trucks used for the construction sites are hydrogen-powered, marking one effort to get rid of fossil fuels. With promises of zero-pollution enterprises and no untreated sewage, Xiongan's high-quality development is reflected in the quality of its projects. A series of standards systems and strict construction methods are in place to ensure the "Xiongan quality", providing support for the millennium strategy. 

Third, we have focused on relieving Beijing of functions nonessential to its role as the capital and promoted several Beijing enterprises to settle in the Xiongan New Area. We have emphasized the promotion of both high-end and high-tech enterprises, focusing on taking over existing firms. We have followed market principles in the implementation of taking over the non-essential functions of Beijing. We have successively issued positive and negative lists for the access and development of enterprises and industries. A trip for the relocation of state-owned enterprises to the Xiongan New Area has been successfully organized, aiming to take over Beijing's non-essential functions in a steady and orderly manner. So far, China Satellite Networks Group Co., Ltd. and China Sinochem Holdings Co., Ltd. have registered and settled in Xiongan. The central government has made it clear that a batch of Beijing universities, hospitals, headquarters of central state-owned enterprises, financial institutions, scientific research institutes, and public institutions will gradually settle in Xiongan. These span the high-tech and high-end industries and six major areas earmarked for relocation as determined by the central government. Hebei has provided support for the relevant work.

Fourth, we have coordinated for both ecological protection and pollution control in Baiyangdian to build a green and ecologically livable new city. We have addressed pollution concerns and protected the area as per the law and specific guidelines issued by the provincial Party committee and the government. The provincial people's congress issued regulations on the ecological management and protection of Baiyangdian. We have promoted the implementation of 243 treatment projects in water replenishment, dredging, pollution control, flood control, and drainage. The total water replenishment reached 1.58 billion cubic meters and the water level remained above seven meters. The water quality of Baiyangdian Basin has been improved from Grade V in 2017 to Grade IV in 2020, with some parts of the water reaching Grade III, recovering its function as the "Kidney for North China" at a faster pace. Forestation has achieved remarkable results, with an 18-square-kilometer Xiongan Countryside Park soon to open to the public. An eco-city with blue skies and clear waters is taking shape.

Fifth, we have vigorously carried forward the spirit of reform and innovation in the new era and actively built new pacesetters of innovation in systems and mechanisms. We have earnestly implemented the Guidelines on Supporting the Comprehensive Deepening of Reform and Opening up of Hebei Xiongan New Area issued by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council. The provincial Party committee and the government, together with relevant central government departments and ministries, have successively introduced more than 20 innovative policies in land supply, investment and financing, housing security, technological innovation, social governance, education, medical care, and health. We have deepened the reform to streamline administration and delegate powers and ensured that the affairs of Xiongan are finished within the area. We have gradually delegated provincial-level economic management powers to Xiongan. The power of 343 administrative approvals at the provincial level has been delegated to Xiongan. With the support of the central departments and ministries, Xiongan New Area is taking the lead in reforming investment and project approvals, implementing the "one meeting and three construction letters." Investment projects now take 15 days to approve compared to the more than 60 days previously, giving rise to a set of efficient practices applicable to other areas. The Xiongan New Area is a millennium strategy and a great national event. The task is daunting and the responsibility is huge. We will always adhere to the political position, firmly establish a historical outlook, earnestly fulfill our main responsibilities, and solidly promote the high-quality development of the Xiongan New Area to make new contributions to the comprehensive construction of a modern socialist country.

Finally, on behalf of the CPC Hebei provincial committee, the provincial government, and the people of Hebei, Xu Qin, Zhang Zheng, and I, are very grateful to the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee for providing us with this rare platform and opportunity. We also thank our friends from the media for their lasting support, help, and coverage of Hebei. All media friends are welcome to visit Hebei for interviews and for travel. The hospitable people of Hebei welcome everyone to visit this beautiful land! Thank you, friends from the media!

Chen Wenjun:

Thank you, Mr. Wang, Mr. Xu, and Mr. Zhang, and thank you friends from the media. Today's press conference is hereby concluded. Goodbye!

Translated and edited by Zhang Liying, Wang Wei, Liu Sitong, Wang Qian, Lin Liyao, Huang Shan, Qin Qi, Li Huiru, Liu Jianing, Zhang Junmian, Li Xiao, Zhou Jing, Zhu Bochen, Chen Xia, Zhang Tingting, Wang Yiming, Liu Qiang, 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.

.

Read in Chinese

Speakers:

Liu Guozhong, secretary of the Shaanxi Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and chairman of the Standing Committee of the People's Congress of Shaanxi Province

Zhao Yide, vice secretary of the CPC Shaanxi Provincial Committee and governor of the People's Government of Shaanxi Province

Wang Xiao, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Shaanxi Provincial Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Shaanxi Provincial Committee

Chairperson:

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

Date:

June 9, 2021

Chen Wenjun:

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to this press conference held by the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee.

Shaanxi province is of great importance in the history of the CPC. The revolutionary base of Shaanxi and Gansu provinces was the foothold of the CPC Central Committee and the Red Army's Long March, as well as the starting point from where the Party led the people's army to head for the frontlines of the war of resistance against Japanese aggression and fight for a new China. The older generation of revolutionaries and CPC members left behind precious cultural wealth in Yan'an. This has inspired generations of CPC members to continuously carry forward the Yan'an spirit, strengthen the faith, deepen their sense of Party consciousness, and consistently work hard to make more progress along the correct political direction.

Alongside the celebrations for the CPC's centenary, today we have invited Mr. Liu Guozhong, secretary of the Shaanxi Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and chairman of the Standing Committee of the People's Congress of Shaanxi Province; Mr. Zhao Yide, vice secretary of the CPC Shaanxi Provincial Committee and governor of the People's Government of Shaanxi Province; and Mr. Wang Xiao, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Shaanxi Provincial Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Shaanxi Provincial Committee. They will brief you on issues related to "Shaanxi: Carrying forward the Yan'an spirit and endeavoring to write a new chapter of accelerated growth in the new era," and then take your questions.

Now, let's give the floor to Mr. Liu.

Liu Guozhong:

Ladies and gentlemen, friends from the media, good morning. As we prepare to celebrate the centenary of the CPC, it is my pleasure to meet with you here. First, on behalf of the CPC Shaanxi Provincial Committee, the People's Government of Shaanxi Province, and the 39.5 million hardworking and brave people of Shaanxi, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to our friends from the media for their long-term care and support for our province.

Shaanxi is one of the key birthplaces of the Chinese nation and its civilization. It bears witness to China's glorious revolutionary history. The revolutionary base of Shaanxi and Gansu provinces was the foothold of the CPC Central Committee and the Central Red Army's Long March, as well as the starting point from where the Eighth Route Army headed for the frontlines of the war of resistance against Japanese aggression. The base was also the only complete revolutionary base left in China during the late stage of the Agrarian Revolutionary War (1927-1937). Staying in Yan'an for 13 years, the CPC Central Committee led China's revolutionary endeavor to reach its upsurge, achieving a historic turning point. The Yan'an spirit has become a significant component of the CPC's spiritual pedigree. Under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee and the education and inspiration of the Yan'an spirit, generations of people in Shaanxi have passed on the "red culture" in their genes and worked hard to bring groundbreaking changes to the province. Shaanxi's gross domestic product (GDP) has risen from less than 1.3 billion yuan in the early days of the People's Republic of China to 2.62 trillion yuan in 2020. The average per capita disposable income of urban residents increased from some 300 yuan in the early days of China's reform and opening-up to nearly 38,000 yuan in 2020, meanwhile the figure for rural residents grew from over 100 yuan to more than 13,000 yuan during the same period. Forest coverage also increased from 32.55% before the large-scale efforts of turning marginal farmland into forest to over 45% in 2020.

General Secretary Xi Jinping has paid great attention to Shaanxi's development. In February 2015, when General Secretary Xi inspected the province and visited local cadres and people, he pointed out that "Shaanxi is experiencing accelerated growth," and required us to make solid effortsin the five aspects of promoting sustained and healthy economic growth, developing modern agriculture with local advantages, strengthening cultural development, ensuring and improving people's wellbeing, and enforcing full and rigorous self-discipline of the Party. General Secretary Xi inspected Shaanxi again last April, expressing his earnest expectation that the province should "endeavor to write a new chapter of accelerated growth in the new era," and put forward another five requirements: making more efforts on high-quality economic development, establishing reform and opening-up areas in inland regions, continuously improving the environment, strengthening social security and social development, and ensuring strict Party self-governance. All sectors of Shaanxi province have been implementing General Secretary Xi's important remarks as the overarching principles of our work, making concerted and arduous efforts, and striving to make new progress in every field.

First, under the guidance of the important remarks delivered by General Secretary Xi , Shaanxi has sped up efforts to tap into its potential for innovation and creativity. Sci-tech innovation is Shaanxi's most prominent advantage. There are over 100 universities, more than 1,500 scientific research institutes, 66 academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering, as well as over 2 million professional technical personnel in Shaanxi. The National Time Service Center is located in the province. Meanwhile, Shaanxi's strength in sci-tech has contributed to several of China's major sci-tech achievements such as the Jiaolong deep-sea submersible, the Chang'e lunar probe, and the Tianwen-1 Mars probe. We have been further developing these innovation resources by strengthening innovation efforts from enterprises, supporting entrepreneurship among talents, and providing favorable government policies. All of these have translated into sustained industrial growth in the fields of aviation and aerospace, equipment manufacturing, digital information, artificial intelligence, new materials, biomedicine and many others. Shaanxi ranks high among provinces in western China for the number of listed firms on China's sci-tech innovation board, and its high- and new-tech enterprises grew by 41% last year. Shaanxi's industrial chains in the energy and chemical sector have seen more added value. Its modern agriculture utilizing local advantages is thriving, and one out of every seven apples in the world and every four apples in China comes from Shaanxi. This year, Shaanxi has launched an innovation promotion platform, which will serve as the province's portal for innovation-driven development. The platform has pooled innovation resources from a group of universities, research institutes and enterprises. The move has received a significant amount of positive feedback. Enterprises, sci-tech research institutes, agencies and financing institutes have all sought cooperation via the platform.

Second, under the guidance of the important remarks delivered by General Secretary Xi, Shaanxi has maintained continuous vitality for opening-up and development. Shaanxihas been an important gateway to the outside world since ancient times. More than 2,100 years ago, Zhang Qian, an imperial envoy of the Han Dynasty (202 BC-220 AD) set out from Chang'an, today's Xi'an, and established the Silk Road, which runs from east to west and connects Europe and Asia. The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) once again put Shaanxi at the forefront of China's westward opening-up. Giving full play to this advantage, we have coordinated opening-up both internally and externally, enhanced the development of opening-up channels and platforms including airports, land ports, pilot free trade zones, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) demonstration base for agricultural technology training and exchange, and the Silk Road International Expo. We have also accelerated our steps to build an open economy on a higher level. Despite the impact of COVID-19 last year, the number of China-Europe freight trains – named "Chang'an" – increased by 74%. Shaanxi ranked first in the country in terms of the number, the volume of goods delivered and the percentage of trains fully loaded. Applied foreign investment in the province grew by9.2%, and our imports and exports with countries along the BRI increased by 26.7%. While expanding opening-up, we actively promoted market-oriented reforms and vigorously improved the business environment. Last year, the number of market entities in the province increased by 12%.

Third, under the guidance of the important remarks delivered by General Secretary Xi, Shaanxi has seen visible progress in ecological preservation. Two great rivers, namely, the Yangtze River and the Yellow River, run through Shaanxi. The Qinling Mountains, as a natural dividing line between the country's north and south, serve also an important shield for ecological security. Drawing lessons from incidents of illegal villa construction in the Qinling Mountains, we have implemented the idea that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets," and endeavored to protect our blue skies, clear waters, and clean lands. For the first time, the proportion of areas with a quality ecological environment in the Qinling Mountains in Shaanxi exceeded 96%. The Loess Plateau has become the area with the largest increase in green coverage in the country. The Hanjiang River and Danjiang River, with their excellent water quality, have provided 70% of the water delivery volume of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project. A total of 10 major cities in the province saw an average of 295 good air quality days last year. The soundecological environment has promoted the reproduction of wild animals. The number of crested ibises in Shaanxi has increased from seven when they were first discovered in 1981 to more than 5,300. The largest and densest population of leopards in China lives in the Ziwuling Forest Area in Yan'an. Shaanxi is a major province of energy production. We are earnestly implementing the central government's deployment and requirements on carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, refining the task of carbon reduction to specific projects, specific enterprises and specific places, and accelerating the green and low-carbon development of the economy and society.

Fourth, under the guidance of the important remarks delivered by General Secretary Xi, Shaanxi has consolidated the foundation for ensuring people's well-being. The people's aspiration for a better life is our goal. We have kept improving the wellbeing of the people through development and focused on solving the issues of greatest concern among the people. All 2.88 million impoverished people in rural areas were lifted out of poverty and all 56 poverty-stricken counties were removed from the poverty list. Businesses that leverage local strengths have been growing in the fight against poverty. In Zhashui county, General Secretary Xi applauded the role of the small black fungus in poverty reduction as "small fungus, big industry." The fungus industrial chain provides 65% of work in the county integrating R&D, production, processing, and sales. All counties in Shaanxi have achieved the balanced development of compulsory education. All major cities have been nominated "healthy”"for their wholesome surroundings. The medical service system has been improved, and a social security network covering the entire population has taken shape. We have been steadily advancing cultural development in the province. Community-level public cultural services have been continuously improved and positive progress has been made in pursuing the high-quality development of the cultural industry. The 14th National Games of the People's Republic of China and the 11th National Games for Persons with Disabilities & 8th National Special Olympics Games will be held in Shaanxi this year, which marks the 100th anniversary of the CPC. We would like to invite friends from the media to attend the games and experience the new life of the Shaanxi people.

Fifth, under the guidance of the important remarks delivered by General Secretary Xi, Shaanxi has created a healthier atmosphere of integrity. General Secretary Xi Jinping encouraged Shaanxi to have the ambition and courage to stand at the forefront and ride the waves of our day in the new era. We held Party history learning and education activities in Yan'an, Zhaojin, Malan and other places with sites and heritage related to CPC history to help Party members enhance their faith and confidence and forge the pioneering spirit of hard work. We urged them to work for accelerated growth in a down-to-earth manner and ensure the Two Upholds (upholding General Secretary Xi Jinping's core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole, and upholding the Party Central Committee's authority and its centralized, unified leadership) with concrete action. We have been making continuous and tireless efforts to tighten discipline and improve Party conduct, fight corruption and punish wrongdoing, and resolutely eradicate the pernicious influence of Zhao Zhengyong. We continued moving further forward with full and rigorous governance over the Party, thus ensuring the implementation of General Secretary Xi's important remarks, and decisions and plans made by the CPC Central Committee.

Reviewing new progress in the various undertakings of Shaanxi province as a reflection of the remarkable accomplishments achieved by the Party and the country, we have a deeper understanding that General Secretary Xi Jinping is at the core of the Party Central Committee and the Party as a whole, and is the backbone and anchor of all Party members and all the Chinese people as we move forward. We also have a deeper understanding that Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is Marxism in contemporary China and in the 21st century and has incomparable power of truth and practice. After entering a new phase and embarking on a new journey, we will rally more closely around the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, uphold Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and carefully study and put into practice the principles from General Secretary Xi Jinping's important remarks during his inspection tours in Shaanxi. We will follow a new development philosophy based on an accurate and comprehensive understanding and implement the "five requirements" and "five solids" to promote high-quality development, ensure high life quality and achieve high-efficiency governance. We will carry forward the Yan'an Spirit and work hard with courage and perseverance to write a new chapter of accelerated growth in the new era. That's my introduction, thank you.

Chen Wenjun:

Thank you, Mr. Liu. The floor is now open for questions. Please identify your news outlets before asking questions.

CCTV:

Thank you. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that Shaanxi was experiencing accelerated growth during his inspection tour to the province in 2015. When he visited Shaanxi again last year, he required Shaanxi to write a new chapter of accelerated growth in the new era. Could you please brief us on what Shaanxi has done in implementing the important instructions of the General Secretary over the past year? What are your plans next? Thank you.

Liu Guozhong:

Thank you. Last year, General Secretary Xi Jinping made another inspection tour to Shaanxi. He drew a grand blueprint for the province's economic and social development and people's well-being in the new era. This has greatly stimulated the drive to conduct work across the province. Both the officials and people have adopted a new enthusiastic attitude, pooling their will and strength to achieve accelerated growth in the new era.

Over the past year, we have used the important instructions made by the General Secretary to achieve unity in thinking, will and action. We have kept checking ourselves and maintained alignment. We have divided tasks in detail and focused on implementation. New progress has hence been made in economic and social development and Party building. Going forward, we will exert more pressure, increase intensify, and speed up efforts to keep fully  implement the five requirements (making greater strides in promoting high-quality economic development, developing an inland pacesetter of reform and opening-up, achieving constant improvement of eco-environment, enhancing people's well-being and social development, and enforcing full and strict governance over the Party) set out by the General Secretary for Shaanxi, and deliver a good performance to ensure stability on six fronts (employment, finance, foreign trade, foreign investment, domestic investment and market expectations), and maintain security in six areas (jobs, daily living needs, food and energy, industrial and supply chains, the interests of market players and the smooth functioning of grassroots government) to ensure that new accomplishments can be made every year to pursue accelerated growth in the new era .

First, we will make greater strides in promoting high-quality economic development. Among the five requirements laid out by the General Secretary, the first is high-quality economic development. With high political awareness, we have earnestly implemented the new development philosophy; made in-depth, accurate and effective efforts to deliver the 14th Five-Year Plan; deepened supply-side structural reform; promoted high-quality development through high-quality projects; and accelerated the building of a modern industrial system with Shaanxi characteristics. Last year, we organized group visits to key projects throughout the province to draw on their experiences. This year, on the first day after the Spring Festival holiday, we launched more than 900 key projects. This helped enhance the focus on vigorously promoting high-quality projects across the province. Next, we will let the power of innovation drive us to upgrade traditional industries, develop strategic emerging industries, and nurture modern agriculture with distinctive features, so as to ensure that more high-quality projects are well-planned, effectively implemented, and successfully delivered.

Second, we will develop an inland pacesetter of reform and opening-up. The General Secretary urged us to focus on major reform measures that are fundamental, essential and comprehensive, and urged us to integrate deeply into the grand landscape of the Belt and Road Initiative. We have stuck to deepening reform and opening wider on all fronts. The time taken to start a business was cut to three working days. A number of reform and innovation measures adopted in the pilot free trade zone were replicated and applied across the country. The number of enterprise exhibitors at the Fifth Silk Road International Exposition reached a record high. Looking forward, we will effectively promote market-based allocation of production factors. We will streamline administration and delegate power, improve regulation, and upgrade services. We will advance reforms in key areas and key links concerning state capital and state-owned enterprises (SOEs). We will foster a business environment that is based on market principles, governed by law, and up to international standards. At the same time, we will move faster to address our major weakness of not opening wide enough; promote the development of foreign companies, foreign trade and foreign investment in a synchronizing manner; and develop channels, platforms and environment simultaneously to better serve and integrate ourselves into the new development paradigm.

Third, we will facilitate sustained improvement of eco-environment. The General Secretary pointed out that the eco-environment protection of Shaanxi not only concerns its own development quality and sustainability, but also bears on the overall eco-environment of the country. While pursuing accelerated growth in the new era, we have firmly defended the bottom line of ecological security, and made great efforts to promote the green transformation of economic and social development, and in turn, made new progress in the province's ecological conservation. Next, we will conduct systemic management of the mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes, grasslands and deserts, roll out major conservation and restoration projects in key ecological areas such as the Qinling Mountains and the Yellow River, systemically protect the water source of the middle route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, and comprehensively build green ecological security shields. We will strive to win the critical battle of pollution prevention and control; promote total resource management, scientific allocation, comprehensive conservation and recycling; and make sure that all aspects of economic and social development are green and low-carbon.

Fourth, we will enhance people's well-being and social development. The General Secretary stressed that people's well-being underpins their happiness and social harmony. As a province with higher levels of poverty previously, we were able to rid absolute poverty alongside other areas in the country last year. In the future, we will foster a high-quality life based on the consolidation and expansion of our poverty elimination achievements. We will develop more characteristic industries like turning small fungus business into an industry, cultivate more market entities that can create good job opportunities, and do everything possible to put money into people's pockets. At the same time, we will do everything within our power, set priorities, and handle every small issue well in the fields of education, culture, healthcare, social security, old-age care, childcare and housing to help people recognize the big changes in their lives. For example, the renovation of old urban residential communities and supporting infrastructure last year benefited 412,400 households. The restaurants set up for elderly people living alone solved their cooking problems. These achievements were thought highly of by the public. We will continue to work hard to deliver a happier life to the people of the province.

Fifth, we will move further forward with full and strict governance over the Party. The General Secretary emphasized that Party building can play a big role at critical moments only when it's conducted fully and effectively at ordinary times. Over the past year, we have exercised strict self-governance, and Party members and officials have become more energetic and pragmatic in their conduct. Going forward, we will not let up on any front to carry out full and strict discipline over the Party. We will strictly deal with corruption, and firmly oppose formalities for formalities' sake and bureaucratism to ensure that Party members and officials perform their duties with sincerity and integrity. We will continue to make pressure felt at every level and provide incentives. We will make good use of the "three mechanisms" to encourage and stimulate Party members and officials, allow for and address errors, and encourage officials to be adaptive in promotion and demotion. Additionally, we will fully inspire the enthusiasm, initiative and creativity of various parties. We will make sure everyone is conscious of their involvement and responsibility in the pursuit of accelerated growth in the new era, so that the blueprint drawn by the General Secretary for Shaanxi can be turned into a reality. Thank you!

CNR Business Radio:

We all know that Yan'an is a sacred place for the Chinese revolution and that the spirit of Yan'an was formed during the 13 years that the CPC Central Committee spent there. On the occasion of the centenary of the founding of the CPC, what will Shaanxi do to promote the learning of CPC history via its education campaign and make use of red resources so as to carry forward the spirit of Yan'an? Thank you.

Liu Guozhong:

Thank you for your question. The CPC's time in Yan'an is one of the most significant parts of the Party's history. The spirit of Yan'an, which was formed during this period, has become the most precious treasure of our Party. It calls for being firm in the right political direction, emancipating the mind, seeking truth from facts, serving the people wholeheartedly, and developing self-reliant and pioneering efforts. General Secretary Xi Jinping has made explicit requirements to promote the spirit of Yan'an in his two inspection tours to Shaanxi province. During the Party history learning and education campaign, we have been exploring new elements of thespirit of Yan'an. By prioritizing Party history, we have focused on the past, present, and future so as to closely follow the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core in thinking, stance, and action.

First, we will adhere to the correct political direction, and firmly uphold General Secretary Xi Jinping's core position on the CPC Central Committeeand in the Party as a whole as well as uphold the CPC Central Committee's authority and its centralized, unified leadership. In Yan'an, the leading position of Comrade Mao Zedong in the Party was further established at the Sixth Plenary Session of the Sixth CPC Central Committee. The Seventh CPC National Congress established Comrade Mao Zedong as the leader of the CPC Central Committee, and the Party as a whole thus marched forward by upholding the banner of Mao Zedong. In the new era, General Secretary Xi Jinping is leading the Party, military, and all the Chinese people to brave the waves and break through brambles and thorns in order to ensure the cause of the Party and the country, make historic achievements, and realize tremendous transformation. As the core of the CPC Central Committee and of the Party as a whole, General Secretary Xi Jinping's direction is the right direction tha tChinese Communists in the new era will follow. By connecting the past with the present, we will tell the story of Yan'an and how the whole Party obeys the Central Committee, and how the people follow the leadership. We will encourage Party members and cadres to deepen their understanding of the Party's history since the 18th CPC National Congress and feel General Secretary Xi Jinping's courage, foresight, wisdom, and ambition, so as to ensure their loyalty to the leadership core, uphold the leadership core, and stayaligned.

Second, we will be firm in our ideals, convictions, and faith, and stick to Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era in order to emancipate our minds and achieve unity in thought. In Yan'an, the Party developed Mao Zedong Thought by combining Marxism with China's reality, which served as a guide to secure victory in the New-Democratic Revolution. In the new era, Chinese Communists, with Comrade Xi Jinping as their chief representative, have adopted an entirely new perspective to deepen their understanding of the laws that underlie governance by the Communist Party, as well as their understanding of the development of socialism and the evolution of humanity, which resulted in creating Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. Under the guidance of this thought, our country, the Chinese nation, and the people have established unprecedented self-confidence and cohesion. By combining the past with the present, we will better arm ourselves with theory and carry out the thematic campaign of learning Party history and striving for development in the new era. We will focus on thematic learning, launch learning activities at the old revolutionary sites, and hold online exhibitions so as to encourage Party members and cadres to deepen their understanding of the Party's new theories and maintain deep belief in and faithfully practice Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.

Third, we will firmly uphold the philosophy of putting people first and implement people-centered development in our work. In Yan'an, the principle of serving the Chinese people wholeheartedly was incorporated into the CPC Constitution. As such, the people had been provided with tangible material benefits and Party cadres spared no effort to serve the people. In the new era, General Secretary Xi Jinping is leading the whole Party to strive for people's aspirations for a better life and to address their concerns, deliver results for their well-being, and achieve remarkable social progress and improve people's livelihoods. These have won the genuine support and love of the people. By connecting the past and present, we will further enhance education regarding ourmission and tell well the stories of General Secretary Xi Jinping in the village of Liangjiahe, where he lived and worked hard with local people as a Party member and the Party chief of the primary-level Party organization. This will encourage Party members and cadres to actively deliver and serve the people and take the initiative to fulfill their responsibilities by addressing problems that concern the people and ensure people's sense of gain, happiness, and security.

Fourth, we will work hard and live simply, and embark on the new journey with pragmatic and persistent efforts.In the time when Yan'an was the seat of the CPC Central Committee, the CPC, in the face of the external challenge of Japanese aggression and the internal challenge posed by the Kuomintang counterrevolutionaries, had been self-reliant and worked diligently on the barren land to open up new horizons for the revolutionary cause. In the new era, General Secretary Xi Jinping is leading the Party, military, and all the Chinese people to tackle tough issues head-on as well as pioneer and march forward, which has significantly increased China's economic, technological, and composite national strengths and helped the Chinese nation stand tall and firm in the East. By combining the past and present, we will take full advantage of the old revolutionary sites, such as those in Fenghuangshan, Yangjialing, Zaoyuan, Nanniwan, Zhaojin, and Malan, and encourage Party members and cadres to further understand that socialism was established through action and the new era will be no different. Party members and cadres should adopt pragmatic measures, keep a low profile, and chart the course forward so as to achieve new horizons in the reform, opening up, and the building of a modern Shaanxi province. Thank you.

Shangyou News:

General Secretary Xi Jinping has called for concerted efforts to promote ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River as critical to the great rejuvenation and sustainable development of the Chinese nation. As an important province in the Yellow River basin, what efforts will Shaanxi take to promote the ecological protection and high-quality development of the basin during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025)? Thank you.

Liu Guozhong:

Thank you. I will let Mr. Zhao Yide answer your question.

Zhao Yide:

Thank you. As you all know, the peace of the Yellow River is significant to the stability of China. The Yellow River is an important ecological barrier and ecological corridor in China, while the Yellow River basin is an important area for ecology, agricultural production, economic development, and culture and tourism.

The CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has attached great importance to the ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River basin. The protection of the Yellow River is critical to the Chinese nation. As a major national strategy, we should make systematic plans and overall advancements. The Yellow River flows for 719 km within Shaanxi. The total area, population and economic volume of the Yellow River basin accounts for 65%, 76% and 87%, respectively, in Shaanxi province. Protecting the ecological environment and pursuing high-quality development in the region is very important both for Shaanxi and the country as a whole.

The CPC Shaanxi Provincial Committee and the provincial government has implemented General Secretary Xi Jinping's instructions on the ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River basin. We will continue to work to protect the mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes and grasslands and address their deterioration at their source in a coordinated manner. A total of 28.32 million mu of marginal farmland has been returned to forest or grassland. A total of 8.6 million mu of shifting sandy land along the Yellow River has been fixed or partially fixed. The successful experience of sand control has extended Shaanxi's green area 400 km northward. Last year, the proportion of 32 water sections which was graded in categories I-III in the province, was higher than the national standard.

The key to the governance of the Yellow River is protection and management. Next, we will uphold the principle that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets and ensure we implement the overall plan of ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River basin. We will continue to prioritize ecological conservation, pursue a green development path, use water resources from the Yellow River as their capacity permits, and make development efforts in consideration of local conditions. Measures will be adopted to solve the problems of "muddy water, dirty water, flooding, waterlogging and water scarcity" as well as to promote the building of pilot zones for ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River basin. To sum up, protecting the Yellow River is of utmost importance.

We will take measures to protect the Yellow River in four aspects.

First, sand reduction and control. The Loess Plateau in northern Shaanxi is an important source of sediment in the Yellow River. We will follow the natural laws to seize the key of regulating the water-sediment relationship by planting grass and trees, and damming against the sand. We will take comprehensive steps to control desertification and soil erosion to realize "double decreases" of soil erosion area and soil erosion intensity, and "double reductions" of water erosion and wind erosion. We will turn marginal farmland into forests and grasslands, build artificial forest ecological projects as part of the Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program to control the sources of sandstorms affecting Beijing and Tianjin, and protect and restore virgin forests. We will build silt dams to reduce the amount of mud and sand entering the Yellow River. There used to be a saying: "Scoop a bowl of water from the Yellow River and the bowl will be half full of sand." We will relegate this situation to the history books.

Second, water pollution control. The Yellow River's pollution appears in its water, the problem lies in the basin, and its root is on the shore. Therefore, we will regulate the rivers and watercourses. It is necessary to implement the accountability system among river chiefs, policies of "One River, One Strategy" and "One Lake, One Strategy," and pollution prevention and control in important tributaries of Weihe River, Yanhe River, Beiluohe River and Wudinghe River to purify the "capillaries" of the Yellow River. Meanwhile, we will control pollution and strictly implement the pollutant-discharge licensing system in the Yellow River basin to increase the urban sewage treatment capacity, prohibit direct discharges of industrial effluents and urban sewage, and take stronger action to address agricultural pollution from non-point sources. In addition, we will address problems at the source to strictly control projects with high energy consumption and emissions, promote cleaner production, build a green production system, and encourage green ways of living.

Third, optimize the energy structure and adjust the industrial structure. Some parts of Shaanxi's section of the Yellow River basin is an important national energy base. It undertakes the strategic responsibility of ensuring national energy security and the goals of achieving carbon peak and carbon neutrality. We will prioritize cutting pollution and carbon emissions and forging policy synergy as key tasks to achieve greener economic and social development in all aspects. We will accelerate the pace of energy structure adjustments, promote the clean, low-carbon and efficient use of energy, and establish demonstration zones for creative promotion of energy revolution. Meanwhile, we will accelerate industrial transformation and upgrading, and explore new methods with regional characteristics to develop strategic emerging industries, high-tech industries and cultural tourism.

Fourth, we will deliver benefits to the people. With a view of "when the Yellow River is harnessed, China will enjoy tranquility," we will promote construction of the Dongzhuang water control project on the Jinghe River, to regulate the lower north main-stem of the Yellow River to deliver more benefits to the people. With the aim of achieving sustainable water resource utilization, we will carry out policies for water resources guiding the scale of urban development, the capacity of cultivated land and construction land, the size of population and the industrial structures, work to strictly curb the total amount and intensity of water consumption, and meet reasonable water demands for production, living and ecological purposes in the Yellow River basin.

Further efforts should be made to protect the Yellow River. We will carry forward the Yellow River culture, unearth the value of the times, enrich the supply of products, and tell the "Yellow River's story" well to preserve and pass down the precious heritage of our ancestors and safeguard China's "Mother River." Thank you.

Hong Kong Bauhinia Magazine:

Secretary Liu just mentioned that the Chang'an China-Europe freight trainservicein Shaanxi has achieved positive results during thepandemic. How will Shaanxi seize the opportunity of the Belt and Road to expand its opening up, and what other measures will be taken? Thank you.

Liu Guozhong:

I'd like to thank the journalist from Hong Kong Bauhinia Magazine. Mr. Zhao will answer this question.

Zhao Yide:

Thank you very much for your interest in the Chang'an freight train service. Just now, Secretary Liu presented a general introduction. I would like to add some details. The China-Europe freight trains have indeed attracted much attention from home and abroad. It is the flagship program and the top brand for jointly building the Belt and Road. In recent years, we have conscientiously implemented the important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping on actively integrating into the Belt and Road initiative. We have taken the China-Europe freight train service (Chang'an) as a key driver and a powerful engine to expand Shaanxi's opening up, and also made every effort to promote the rapid, sound and high-quality development of Shaanxi.

At present, the Chang'an freight train service has 15 domestic routes and 15 international lines. Last year, it operated 3,720 trains, with a cargo volume of 2.811 million metric tons, ranking the first in China in terms of shipping volume, loaded container ratio, and freight volume. It has managed to achieve growth against the prevailing trends. It is not only a "golden train" that promotes unimpeded trade between Asia and Europe and ensures the security of the global supply chain, but has also become a "life train" for the joint international fight against the pandemic and protecting the health of people around the world. It has been widely praised at home and abroad. From January to May this year, 1,512 trains were operated with a cargo volume of 1.115 million metric tons, which continued to maintain a growth trend. Currently, the focus of our strategic position is to accelerate construction of the China-Europe freight train (Xi'an) assembly center. In accordance with the overall goals of consolidation, stability and improvement, and relying on the Xi'an International Port Station, which is the largest international hub station in northwestern China, we will integrate the functions of comprehensive bonded areas, comprehensive cross-border e-commerce pilot zones and other platforms. We will strengthen construction of informatization and intelligent infrastructure, build a guarantee system providing mutual support for innovation chains, industrial chains, supply chains, data chains, financial chains and policy chains, and steadily promote the market-oriented operation and high-quality development of the Chang'an freight train service. At the same time, we will promote the joint development of the port industry, port trade and port city in the Xi'an International Trade and Logistics Park, and build an important trade and logistics hub for the Belt and Road.

As we all know, Shaanxi was the starting point of the Silk Road in the past, and now it is an important node of the Belt and Road. General Secretary Xi Jinping called on us to "create a highland for inland reform and opening up" and provide Shaanxi a higher position and more glorious mission in reform and opening up in the new era. We will keep in mind the general secretary's instructions, seize the major opportunity of jointly building the Belt and Road, work more consciously to build a new pattern of development and earnestly implement the requirements for policy communication, infrastructure connectivity, unimpeded trade, financial integration and people-to-people connectivity. We also must pay the same attention to internal and external development, platforms and carriers, hardware and software, and foreign trade and foreign investment. We will build the province into an important fulcrum of the domestic circulation and a strategic link of domestic and international circulations. We will strive to make us more famous and influential as China's important window of overall opening up in the new era.

Specifically, we will make efforts to seek breakthroughs in four aspects.

First, we will seek breakthroughs in building channels. We need to focus on our many advantages, such as being located in China's geographic center, having an inland port with both international and domestic port codes, and having the largest railway logistics distribution center in Asia. We will accelerate construction of the multiple-cross railway network and highway network, connect the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor in the west, and improve road access for the new Asia-Europe continental bridge. We will make the aviation and logistics network cover the whole world, and build Asia-Europe land-sea trade routes that connect eastern, central and western China, that connect land, sea and air, that are open to Central Asia, South Asia and West Asia, and have high efficiency, low cost and excellent services.

Second, we will seek breakthroughs on strong platforms. We need to focus on the three major experimental demonstration platforms of the Free Trade Zone, the Airport Economic Zone and the agriculture demonstration base of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO); the three major ports of aviation, railway and electronics; and the three major international exhibitions of the Silk Fair, the China Yangling Agricultural Hi-Tech Fair and the Eurasian Economic Forum. We will improve their functions and capacities, jointly promote the construction of international cooperation industrial parks and major production capacity cooperation projects, and build an important industrial base of the Belt and Road.

Third, we will seek breakthroughs through deep exchanges. We will make use of our advantages in science, education and cultural resources, and further deepen and expand foreign cooperation and exchanges in many fields such as education, science and technology, culture, tourism, cultural relics and archaeology, public health, sports events and the construction of friendship cities. We will build an important people-to-people exchange base for the Belt and Road.

Fourth, we will seek breakthroughs in creating an optimal environment. We will deepen reforms to streamline administration and delegate power, improve regulation, and upgrade services. We will speed up digital transformation, establish good policies, reduce approval procedures, provide more services and cut administration costs. We will create a market-oriented, law-based and international business environment, so that key elements including talents, capital and data gather in Shaanxi, rapidly develop and continue to nurture new technologies, new business forms and new models. Thank you.

Guangming Daily:

We all know that Shaanxi has accumulated a profound cultural significance. What measures and achievements has Shaanxi made in strengthening its cultural construction? Thank you.

Liu Guozhong:

Thank you. Mr. Wang Xiao, please answer this question.

Wang Xiao:

Thank you for your question. During his two visits to Shaanxi, General Secretary Xi Jinping placed high hopes on Shaanxi's cultural construction, assigned important tasks, pointed the way forward, and provided a fundamental guide for Shaanxi to strengthen its cultural self-confidence and build a culturally strong province.The Shaanxi Provincial CPC Committee and the provincial government will keep in mind the earnest entrustment of General Secretary Xi Jinping, enhance the "Four Consciousnesses" (consciousness of the need to maintain political integrity, think in big-picture terms, follow the leadership core, and keep in alignment), strengthen the "Four Self-confidences" (confidence in the socialist path, theories, system, and culture), and achieve the "Two Upholds" (upholding General Secretary Xi Jinping's core position on the CPC Central Committee and the CPC as a whole and upholding the CPC Central Committee's authority and its centralized, unified leadership), and give full play to Shaanxi's advantages in unique cultural resources and a profound cultural accumulation. Additionally, we will continue to promote Chinese excellent traditional culture, revolutionary culture, and advanced socialist culture in order for it to take root, develop, inherit, and sublimate in Shaanxi, the land of the ancient Three Qins. In our practice of striving to compose a new chapter in the new era of Shaanxi to catch up and go beyond, we will write Shaanxi's chapter in the journey of building China into a strong cultural power. Our work is mainly reflected in the following four aspects:

First, we continue to work hard and strive to hold high the banner of ideology and to strengthen the Party's innovative theoretical arms. Shaanxi has the historical and political advantages of studying, promoting, and implementing the Party's innovative theories. We have learned and used the Party's experiences and practices in learning, promoting, and implementing Mao Zedong Thought, and unremittingly used Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to unite our hearts and build our souls. We made good use of the columns such as "Under the Guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era" set up by Shaanxi Daily and the Shaanxi Broadcasting Corporation; constructed a theory dissemination matrix for newspapers, magazines, TV, radio channels, networks, social media, mobile apps, and billboards; and improved the theory popularization work system so as to explain the latest achievements of the Party's theoretical innovation clearly and sincerely and to educate and guide the cadres and the public to combine the "love" for General Secretary Xi Jinping with the "trust" in Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. Finally, we will strive to contribute to Shaanxi's promotion of the Party's innovative theories in the new era.

Second, we continue to work hard and strive to build the red soul and inherit the revolutionary culture. Shaanxi possesses valuable cultural wealth such as the Yan'an Spirit that will illuminate the future. We have steadily carried out publicity and education of the Party's centenary and the study and education of Party's history, deeply explored the connotation of the Yan'an Spirit, gave full play to the advantages of red resources in places such as Yan'an, Zhaojin, and Malan, vigorously promoted revolutionary culture, strengthened revolutionary traditional education, brought 1,224 immovable revolutionary cultural relics and 104,000 pieces of movable revolutionary cultural relics in the province to life, continuously unleashed the work effects on revolutionary cultural relics through connecting points, lines, belts, and regions, and strived to make Shaanxi's contributions to the inheritance and promotion of the spiritual pedigree of China's communists.

Third, we continue to work hard and strive to grasp the new era and build an advanced socialist culture. Shaanxi has a cultural tradition of "creating literature and arts for the people, creating literature and arts for the time, and cherishing the literature and arts for their innovation." We have insisted on guiding cultural construction with the core values of socialism, deepened the supply-side structural reforms in cultural fields, intensified the creation of cultural works with major realistic themes and revolutionary themes; expanded the influences of cultural brands such as the "Shaanxi Literary Army," "Chang'an Painting School," "Western China's Films and TV Series," "Shaanxi Operas"; and broke through the chain of "literary creation - film and television scripts - literature and art works"; presented a batch of TV and film smash hits and masterpieces such as "Stage Builder," "Liu Qing," "Forever Young," and "The Cradle"; innovatively implemented cultural projects benefiting the people and continued to improve the construction level of the new-era civilized practice stations and county-level media convergence centers; strengthened foreign cultural exchanges and cooperation; and strived to make Shaanxi's contributions to the development of advanced socialist culture.

Fourth, we continue to work hard and strive to build deep cultural roots and promote excellent traditional Chinese culture. Shaanxi has unique, profound, and excellent Chinese traditional cultural resources. We insist that both are important for protection and inheritance, as well as for providing demonstration and guidance. We guarded and revitalized Shaanxi's historical and cultural heritages, strengthened the protection and utilization of cultural relics, implemented national archaeological projects such as "Archaeology in China" and the "Project to Trace the Origins of Chinese Civilization," and promoted the construction of major projects such as the Great Wall National Cultural Park, the Long March National Cultural Park, and the Yellow River National Cultural Park (Shaanxi section). We have built four national archaeological heritage parks, promoted the protection and inheritance of the intangible cultural heritage of the Yellow River Basin, refined and displayed the spiritual symbols of the excellent Chinese traditional culture, and strived to make Shaanxi's contributions to safeguarding the cultural roots of the Chinese nation.

Thank you!

The Poster News APP:

Mr. Liu just mentioned that China's 14th National Games will be held in Shaanxi province. How are the preparations going? What can we expect from the Games? Thank you.

Liu Guozhong:

Thank you for your questions. Mr. Zhao Yide will answer these questions.

Zhao Yide:

Thank you for your questions. The night before yesterday, we held an event marking the 100-day countdown to the opening of the 14th National Games. This year's National Games is the first time that the event has entered the central and western regions of China. It will also be the first time that the National Games and the National Special Olympic Games are to be held in the same year and at the same place, which is of great significance. Hosting this grand meeting is not only a sacred mission entrusted to Shaanxi, but also a solemn commitment made by Shaanxi to the country. We have conscientiously implemented the important instruction made by General Secretary Xi Jinping to "hold a splendid spectacle of sports." Under the strong guidance of the General Administration of Sport of China, China Disabled Persons' Federation and other ministries and commissions, with the active support of all sectors of society, and the joint efforts of the whole province, the preparatory work has achieved important results. This is reflected in five aspects:

First, the construction has been "fast," and the competition venues have all been completed. In accordance with the principles of "no changes if it can be used, no construction if it can be modified" and "the whole province unifies the arrangement with key points guaranteed," we transformed and utilized existing venues and facilities as much as possible. Despite the impact of the epidemic, we completed construction of the venues with the fastest speed while guaranteeing both quality and quantity. All the venues distributed across 13 cities and districts in the province have passed the acceptance checks, and the National Games Village, event command center and radio and television center will be put into operation one after another.

Second, the organization is "good," and the competition preparations are advancing in an orderly manner. We have coordinated resources, refined the schedule, and optimized the process to achieve the goals of "testing the venue equipment, training the operation teams, running in the working mechanism, and ensuring support from the locality." The competition committee for 53 projects in the province has been set up and put into operation, and 53 test competitions are smoothly progressing.

Third, the theme is "clear," and the style of performance has been carefully crafted. The performance styles for the opening and closing ceremonies have been created in accordance with the concepts of highlighting the theme, focusing on key content, integrating history and the present, incorporating scientific and technological elements, displaying the characteristics of Shaanxi, and reflecting an air of simplicity. The theme of working harder in the new era and forging ahead on a new journey has been highlighted, and we strive to present excellent works for the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC. At the same time, we are focused on highlighting the historical heritage, colorful culture and Shaanxi style, and strive to create a classic and wonderful event.

Fourth, the atmosphere is "vibrant," and the news publicity continues to heat up. We have worked closely with central, provincial and other media to form a strong concerted force, and set up an all-media publicity platform. The emblem, mascots, torch, medals, trophies, promotional songs and sports icons of the Games have been officially released, making the atmosphere of the Games increasingly vibrant.

Fifth, the service is "excellent," and logistics support is in place. Adhering to the principle of "13 competition areas, one standard," we have made every effort to do a good job in epidemic prevention and control as well as emergency drills, and have carefully designed competition events, installed equipment, and established a barrier-free system. We have made meticulous preparations in terms of communication, traffic, catering, accommodation, medical security and volunteer service. We strive to provide guests from all regions with considerate, meticulous and warm service.

There are four "main highlights" for this National Games.

First, we will highlight the simplicity of the Games. We have always followed General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions of "simple, safe and wonderful" as a fundamental requirement running through the whole process of the National Games. We will precisely control the scale and duration of key activities such as the opening and closing ceremonies and the torch relay. Under the premise of ensuring safety, we will strive for simplicity, a solemn atmosphere and splendid success.

Second, the role of the public. Sticking to the people-centered development philosophy, with the theme of "everyone participates with concerted efforts," we have established 40 demonstration projects and 46 major projects around the National Games to benefit the people across the province.  Over 1,000 events around the theme "I want to join in the National Games" were held to mobilize people's participation, integration, and enjoyment of the National Games.

Third, the philosophy of green development. We have implemented the strategic requirements to reach carbon peak and neutrality, established a specialized group to ensure environmental quality standards are upheld, and made an action plan and arranged supporting measures. Our ability to supervise environmental quality has been improved, and the philosophy of green development has been followed in every aspect of the National Games. We will work hard to promote society's low-carbon transformation and develop a green lifestyle through the preparation for the National Games.

Fourth, the use of intelligent technologies. Following the trend of digitalization and intelligence, we have emphasized the application of 5G to cultivate an intelligent and safe National Games with wide public participation as well as Shaanxi's characteristics as a culturally rich province and as an old revolutionary base, thus adding a technological and modern flair to the games.On this occasion, I would like to invite all of you to participate in and witness the grand meeting. Thank you.

Southern Metropolis Daily:

The ecological environment of Shaanxi province concerns that of China. What progress has been made in following the principle of "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets" to enhance environmental protection? What measures will be taken in the future? Thank you.

Liu Guozhong:

Thank you. I will answer this question.

We have learned a big lesson in terms of ecological conservation. Since the incident of illegal building of villas in the Qinling Mountains, the whole province has made deep reflections, and bearing in mind what is of vital importance to the country, has prioritized ecological conservation in development. We have mainly made efforts in the following five aspects.

First, protecting the ecological environment in the Qinling Mountains. This includes curbing the five phenomena of illegal building, illegal felling, illegal mining, illegal emissions, and illegal hunting. All the 169 mining rights in the core and major protection areas of the Qinling Mountains have been withdrawn and 63 small hydroelectric stations have been removed. Meanwhile, we have intensified efforts to protect and restore the ecology, determine borders and erect signs, and designate various kinds of conservation areas. The forest rate in the Shaanxi section of the Qinling Mountains has now reached 72.95%, indicating a constantly improving ecological environment. A good news is that Kingdonia uniflora, a national first-level protected plant, dubbed the "natural indicator of excellent ecological environment," has recently been found for the first time below 2,700 meters altitude in the Qinling Mountains. Next, we will continue to consolidate our achievements. We will improve the institutional system for protection which includes regulations, general plans and specialized planning. We will make good use of the information- and grid-based supervision platform. Through consistent efforts, we hope to effectively protect the ecological environment in the Qinling Mountains and bring more tranquility, harmony, and beauty to the area.

Second, strengthening ecological protection in the Yellow River basin. Mr. Zhao has just introduced this point in detail and so I will not repeat it.

Third, intensifying supervision over water sources for the middle route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, of which approximately 70% of the water comes from the Han River and the Dan River. We have launched specialized campaigns in the two rivers and improved comprehensive management of the basin. A ten-year fishing ban on the Yangtze River has been enforced, which effectively ensured the water quality of the Han River and the Dan River. We will further step up efforts to ensure clear water for the North.

Fourth, fighting pollution. In keeping our air clean, we have strengthened joint control and prevention of air pollution in the Fenwei Plain. Within five years, 19,000 coal-fired boilers have been renovated or removed, and 270,000 small, poorly-managed, and heavily-polluting enterprises have been rectified their malpractices. The average density of PM2.5 among the 10 cities of Shaanxi province which have administrative districts has decreased by 15% compared with that of 2015. In keeping our water clear, we have implemented the river chief and lake chief system, focusing on major basin areas and black, malodorous water bodies in cities. All the surface water sections subject to national assessment in Shaanxi province have eliminated V-level polluted water. In keeping our soil clean, we have enhanced our efforts to contain agricultural non-point pollution. The use of fertilizer and pesticides has declined by nearly 10% compared with that of 2015. We have outperformed the task of lowering heavy metal emissions in the 13th Five-Year Plan and took the lead in registering all emission permits of fixed pollution sources. For the next step, we will stick to targeted, scientific, and lawful measures in curbing pollution so that the sky will be clear, water clean, and trees lush in Shaanxi province.

Fifth, attaching great importance to carbon peak and neutrality. Shaanxi has a big energy and chemical industry, and consumes a large amount of fossil energy. Implementing the requirements of the CPC Central Committee, we have reappraised and selected the major projects of the 14th Five-Year Plan, cutting 79 projects with high energy consumption and large emissions which cost more than 700 billion yuan in investment. Next, we will speed up efforts to make and implement an action plan for carbon peak and specify tasks for lowering carbon emissions to make new progress. Thank you.

China Review News Agency:

General Secretary Xi Jinping has expressed his hopes and requirements for innovation-driven development in Shaanxi during two trips to the province. What will Shaanxi do to leverage its advantage of innovation to achieve new breakthroughs in high-quality development during the 14th Five-Year Plan period? Thank you.

Liu Guozhong:

Thank you. I will answer this question. I have just briefly introduced to you the strengths and resources Shaanxi has in terms of innovation. Last year, Shaanxi ranked 9th in the country in terms of comprehensive scientific and technological innovation, and inked technology contracts worth 175.8 billion yuan. During the 13th Five-Year Plan period, hi-tech industries and strategic emerging industries in the province grew by an average annual rate of 16.4% and 10.2% respectively.

At the same time, we are aware that the overall effectiveness of Shaanxi's innovation system is not yet efficient enough, and performs poorly when transforming scientific and technological achievements into practical applications. This leaves great potential to tap. In March, we launched the Qinchuangyuan platform to help drive innovation, which is a technological innovation system covering R&D, incubation and industrialization. The platform aims to encompass incubators, accelerators and promoters, in order to deliver impressive results as soon as possible.

Let me elaborate a little bit more about the name of the platform: Qinchuangyuan. "Qin" is short for Shaanxi, which symbolizes the Shaanxi people's spirit of never stopping until reaching the goal. Meanwhile, "Qin" also means diligence in Chinese. "Chuang" means innovation, entrepreneurship, creativity, and aiming for excellence. "Yuan" refers to a highland or plateau, which means the platform is aimed at building a highland for innovation. "Yuan" also means to keep flowing, signifying that the platform will continue producing achievements in scientific innovation. Moreover, "Yuan" implies searches and researches. As the name suggests, Qinchuangyuan is expected to grow into a powerhouse of innovation in Shaanxi.

After the platform was launched, we set up a special leading group and a task force, and drew up a three-year action plan and a series of instructions. We have tried to encourage the government, universities, institutions, businesses and financial institutions to participate in the platform. During the previous stage, we sorted out all the policies and measures available for technological innovation, and came up with a policy package of 70 items in five categories: scientific professionals, the commercialization of scientific and technological achievements, business innovation, research platforms and services. They are all included on the platform for unified application, unified handling and one-stop services. At present, three main aspects of work have been done in the construction of the platform. First, we have channeled innovation factors into enterprises. Efforts include setting up the Modern Industry College as well as the Future Technology College at Xi'an Jiaotong University, establishing eight R&D platforms as well as business-institution innovation consortiums, and combing through more than 1,000 scientific achievements. Thirty-two projects have kickstarted, with a total investment of 45 billion yuan. Second, we have connected innovators and startups with funding. We have attracted more than 10 billion yuan of angel capital and venture capital, and more than 10 incubators and venture investors. Third, we are turning researchers into entrepreneurs. We set up a fund dedicated to professionals every year, fostered teams consisting of scientists and engineers, fostered professional brokers in the field of science as well as project-based high-level talents.

Next, we will endeavor to build Qinchuangyuan into a high-level competitive platform with unique characteristics. First, it will be an open platform committed to pooling wisdom and strength, and will fully mobilize the participation of all parties in the province including the government, industry, universities, research institutions, users and financial institutions. We will strengthen cooperation with other provinces, and countries and regions along the Belt and Road. We will also promote achievements, hold roadshows, and mobilize as much as we can to assemble innovation factors. Second, the platform gives priority to innovation and projects. While promoting R&D to reduce reliance on others for key technologies and making achievements, we will strive to incubate and launch projects, businesses, and industries in scientific innovation, promote the dynamic link between the innovation chain and the industrial chain, and provide solid support for high-quality development. Third, we will make bold moves. We will optimize systems and policies, enhance services for professionals and the assessment of scientific achievements, innovate market-oriented financial products, continuously unleash the vitality of talents, and thus create a good ecosystem for innovation and entrepreneurship.

Chen Wenjun:

Thank you, Mr. Liu, Mr. Zhao, Mr. Wang and friends from the media. That's all for today's press conference. See you next time.

Translated and edited by Zhu Bochen, Wang Qian, Zhang Liying, Li Huiru, Xu Xiaoxuan, Chen Xia, Gong Yingchun, Zhang Rui, Wang Mengru, Huang Shan, Yan Xiaoqing, Wang Wei, FanJunmei, Xiang Bin, Liu Jianing, Yuan Fang, He Shan, Zhang Junmian, 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.

.

Read in Chinese

Speakers:

Shen Yiqin, secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Guizhou Provincial Committee and chairman of the Standing Committee of the People's Congress of Guizhou Province

Li Bingjun, vice secretary of the CPC Guizhou Provincial Committee and governor of the People's Government of Guizhou Province

Lu Yongzheng, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Guizhou Provincial Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Guizhou Provincial Committee

Chairperson:

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

Date:

May 20, 2021

Chen Wenjun:

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to this press conference held by the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee. As the CPC embraces its centenary, a review of the Party's history proves that the Red Army's remarkable Long March profoundly changed the history of the Chinese nation. The Red Army spent the longest time and had its most extensive presence in Guizhou, leaving us with valuable spiritual wealth. The spirit of the Zunyi Meeting still has great significance for us embarking on a new journey toward fully building a modern socialist country under the leadership of the CPC today.

For this press conference, we have invited Ms. Shen Yiqin, secretary of the CPC Guizhou Provincial Committee and chairman of the Standing Committee of the People's Congress of Guizhou Province; Mr. Li Bingjun, vice secretary of the CPC Guizhou Provincial Committee and governor of the People's Government of Guizhou Province; and Mr. Lu Yongzheng, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Guizhou Provincial Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Guizhou Provincial Committee. They will brief you on issues related to "Guizhou: Carrying forward the spirit of Zunyi Meeting and embarking on a Long March of the new era" and answer your questions.

Next, I will give the floor to Ms. Shen.

Shen Yiqin:

Ladies and gentlemen, friends from the media, good morning. As we prepare to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC, it is a great pleasure for me to introduce colorful Guizhou. First of all, on behalf of the CPC Guizhou Provincial Committee and the People's Government of Guizhou Province, let me begin by extending a warm welcome to you all, and expressing my sincere gratitude to the media for your long-term interest in and support for Guizhou.

Guizhou is a sacred and blessed place of the Chinese revolution. During the Long March, the Red Army spent the longest time and had its most extensive presence in Guizhou. The Central Red Army fought important battles in the province, such as Crossing the Wujiang River, the Battle of Loushanguan, and Crossing the Chishui River Four Times. In particular, the Zunyi Meeting, a key turning point in the Chinese revolution, saved the Party, the Red Army, and the Chinese revolution at a highly critical historical juncture, leaving us with valuable spiritual wealth. For 100 years, the revolutionary legacy has been continuously carried forward in Guizhou. The spirits of the Long March and Zunyi Meeting have been encouraging people of all ethnic groups in Guizhou to remain true to the original aspiration and mission, and forge ahead on a new Long March. Thanks to their efforts, Guizhou has achieved historic changes from being poor to moderately prosperous in all respects, and from lagging behind to catching up with and even overtaking some regions.

The CPC Central Committee attaches great importance to and provides strong support for Guizhou's development. Caring greatly about Guizhou, General Secretary Xi Jinping has inspected the province many times, setting the direction for us at every crucial juncture. In particular, General Secretary Xi was elected delegate to the 19th CPC National Congress in Guizhou, and his inspection ahead of this year's Spring Festival gave us enormous encouragement. Bearing General Secretary Xi's remarks in mind, we have been striving forward in gratitude making profound changes for colorful Guizhou. General Secretary Xi commended Guizhou's achievements as epitomizing the great strides in the development of the Party and the whole nation since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012; and said the province displays a picture of prosperity.

First, colorful Guizhou in the new era has achieved a complete victory in eliminating extreme poverty, which had been our dream for thousands of years. Guizhou used to have the largest population of poor people and suffered the most extensive and serious poverty in China. Following General Secretary Xi's instructions to "make concerted efforts and adopt targeted measures to secure victory on schedule," we took poverty elimination as our top priority and the most important project for improving people's wellbeing. All 66 poverty stricken counties were removed from the poverty list, all 9.23 million impoverished people were lifted out of poverty, and 1.92 million people were relocated from mountainous areas. Guizhou now has the largest number of people both lifted out of poverty and relocated for poverty alleviation. For five consecutive years, Guizhou has rated "good" in the national evaluation of poverty elimination, making a significant contribution to China's miracle of poverty eradication. Today's Guizhou has removed the label of extreme poverty it carried for thousands of years and is moving forward on a broad and bright path toward common prosperity.

Second, colorful Guizhou in the new era has caught up with and overtaken some other regions, and greatly improved its overall strength. In accordance with General Secretary Xi's important instructions to "develop advantages as a latecomer and strive to catch up," we have been making tireless efforts with a down-to-earth spirit. Guizhou has entered a golden period of economic development unmatched in history. For 10 consecutive years, Guizhou's GDP growth rate has been among the highest in the country. In 2020, Guizhou's GDP reached 1.78 trillion yuan, moving the province from 26th to 20th place nationwide, and from 31st to 25th in terms of per capita GDP. Today's Guizhou enjoys a strong momentum and broad prospects for development, and is becoming an appealing destination for investors, businesses and entrepreneurs.

Third, colorful Guizhou in the new era has made huge progress in transportation, historically reshaping its structure of opening-up. Guizhou is a mountainous province without any plains. With unremitting efforts, we cut paths through the mountains and built bridges across the rivers, achieving complete access to the outside. Guizhou is the first province in the western region to connect all its counties to highways. The length of highways in service reached 7,607 km, ranking fifth in the country. Nearly half of the world's 100 highest bridges are in Guizhou. The provincial capital Guiyang has become a high-speed railway hub with fast-track connections to the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta, Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, as well as Sichuan, Chongqing and Yunnan. Each of the nine cities and prefectures in Guizhou has its own airport. Advanced transport infrastructure facilitates a high-level of opening-up. Guizhou has made considerable progress in building an inland opening-up pilot economic zone and is accelerating its steps to go out along the "Belt and Road." With hugely improved transport links, today's Guizhou has transformed itself from a relatively closed inland province into an easily accessible and leading open area.

Fourth, colorful Guizhou in the new era has achieved historic breakthroughs in digital economy by proactively seizing opportunities. We have actively aimed high in big data development and strived to build the first national big data comprehensive pilot area. Gui'an, Guiyang, now has the largest number of super-large data centers in the world. Digital industrialization and industrial digitization have accelerated and big data has deeply integrated with the real economy, ranking the province first in the country for six consecutive years in terms of digital economic growth. The China International Big Data Industry Expo has become an international grand event and a world-class platform in the field of big data. China's Tianyan, or "Sky Eye," was built and put into use in Guizhou to explore the universe. Guizhou today features robust innovations and vitality. Its big data industry has emerged from nothing and has prospered, making big data an excellent calling card for the world to learn about the province.

Fifth, colorful Guizhou in the new era has developed a beautiful ecological environment after making historic improvements. We have firmly adhered to the two bottom lines of development and ecology, resolutely said no to pollution, and continuously improved our ecological environment. Guizhou now has the largest number of world natural heritage sites in the country. Its forest coverage rate has reached 61.51%, and the proportion of days with good or excellent air quality for cities above county level has reached 99.4%. The proportion of water from outbound sections of major rivers with good or excellent quality is 100%. As one of the first-batch national ecological civilization pilot zones, Guizhou has featured 30 reform outcomes included in the national promotion list. The Eco Forum Global Guiyang has become an important platform for popularizing Xi Jinping's thinking on promoting ecological progress. The favorable ecological environment is the biggest advantage in the development and competitive advantage of Guizhou today. The "province of mountain parks" has become a livable space, a tourist paradise, and an attractive destination for people nearby and afar.

Sixth, colorful Guizhou in the new era is happy and harmonious, with historic progress having been made with regards to its people's lives. We have always adhered to the people-centered development philosophy and tried our best to deliver services to the people and resolve the difficulties they face. We are the first in western China to have realized the basically balanced development of compulsory education in the province's counties. We are the first in the country to have established a four-level (provincial, municipal, county, and township level) telemedicine network. We have also optimized our public service system. Ethnic minority areas have progressed in unity as their cultures flourished. We have continuously improved social security, and the proportion of people feeling safe has reached 99.41%. Faced with the sudden strike of COVID-19, the province has contained its spread as soon as possible and was one of the provinces that did a good job in epidemic prevention and control, the protection of people's livelihood, and economic recovery. Guizhou people's senses of happiness, security and satisfaction have grown stronger, as they live and work in unity, harmony, peace and contentment.

Looking back at the changes of Guizhou over the past century, we are more deeply aware of the crucial significance of the Party's leadership core. The greatest contribution of the Zunyi Meeting is that it established the leadership position of Comrade Mao Zedong, and our Party began to form a strong leadership core, opening up a new phase in China's revolution. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the Party has weathered great challenges and the cause of the Party and the country has seen historic achievements and changes. These achievements are owed to the firm leadership of the Party 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. The most fundamental reason behind Guizhou's remarkable historic achievements in recent years is the strong leadership and kind care of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core. Looking back, officials and people of all ethnic groups in Guizhou have deeply experienced the notable strengths of the leadership of the CPC and socialism with Chinese characteristics and we are sincerely grateful to the General Secretary and the CPC Central Committee. We will firmly 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.

"Fear not the strong pass iron-clad on all sides! The summit's now surmounted with big strides." At the critical moment of embarking on a new journey, General Secretary Xi has accurately positioned and given guidance on the Long March of Guizhou in the new era during his inspection trip to Guizhou. We will unswervingly follow the direction guided by the General Secretary and follow a new development philosophy and integrate into the new development pattern as China enters a new development stage. We will make overall arrangements with high-quality development in mind, adhere to the two bottom lines of development and ecology, and coordinate development and security work. We will break new ground in large-scale development in the western region in the new era, make new plans for rural vitalization, seize new opportunities in the implementation of digital economy strategies, make new achievements in the construction of ecological civilization, and vigorously promote new industrialization, new urbanization, agricultural modernization, and tourism industrialization. We will strive for a new future for colorful Guizhou featuring prosperity and a beautiful ecological environment, and continue to write a wonderful chapter of high-quality development along with the Long March in the new era.

That's all I would like to say for now. Thank you.

Chen Wenjun:

Thank you, Ms. Shen. The floor is now open for questions. Please identify the media organization you represent before asking your questions.

CCTV:

General Secretary Xi Jinping inspected Guizhou before Spring Festival this year and made important instructions on the development of Guizhou. My question is, in what areas will Guizhou next strive to implement those instructions? Thank you.

Shen Yiqin:

Thank you for your question. General Secretary Xi Jinping inspected Guizhou ahead of Spring Festival this year from Feb. 3 to 5. The inspection came at a particularly important time with a very clear theme, carrying very great significance and an extremely far-reaching impact. It was a milestone event for Guizhou and the most joyous grand event for the people of the whole province. We regard the study and implementation of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions during his inspection in Guizhou as our top political task and long-term strategic task. We communicated and implemented them as soon as possible, studied and discussed them together, extensively publicized and gave lectures about them, carried out research on relevant topics, and define detailed responsibilities. Through a series of interconnected and increasingly in-depth pragmatic measures, we have brought the study and implementation to a deeper level. Last month, we held the Ninth Plenary Session of the 12th Provincial CPC Committee, made comprehensive arrangements, and issued a decision to go all-out to ensure that the guiding principles embodied in General Secretary Xi Jinping's speech take root and bear fruit in Guizhou.

At present, to implement the guiding principles of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speeches, we will deliver on the following aspects:

First, we will focus on high-quality development as the centerpiece of our work. During the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020), under General Secretary Xi Jinping's instructions to focus on the fight against poverty as the centerpiece of our work, we have clinched a complete victory in that regard. Entering a new development stage in the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), General Secretary Xi Jinping requires us to focus on high-quality development as the centerpiece of our work. We will regard high-quality development as the long-held general requirement for economic and social development in all respects, and internalize it as our way of thinking and behavior. We will see to it that all work serves high-quality development of the province in all sectors. 

Second, we will work to blaze a new path in the large-scale development of the western region in the new era, as well as start a new chapter in rural vitalization, seize new opportunities in the implementation of digital economic strategies, and make new achievements in ecological conservation. These are the latest instructions and requirements of the General Secretary for Guizhou. Promoting new industrialization, new urbanization, agricultural modernization, and the industrialization of tourism are consistent requirements of the General Secretary for Guizhou. These two requirements can be integrated and mutually reinforcing. We will regard these requirements as the main goals to promote high-quality development. Promoting new industrialization has been made a primary task for high-quality economic development. We will strive to achieve industrial breakthroughs, doubling total industrial output and industrial investment as well as the number of industrial enterprises and other major indicators within five years. We regard advancing new urbanization as an important engine for high-quality development. In this regard, the main goal is to increase new urban populations by "three 1 million," which refers to the plan to increase Guiyang's Gui'an urban population by 1 million people, have the urban centers of cities and prefectures add 1 million people, and have all counties in the province add 1 million people by the end of the 14th Five-Year Plan period. We will take the transformation of old neighborhoods, shanty towns, and side streets and alleys in cities and towns as an important task. We will work to first "enhance the capital city" and strive to realize the upgrading of urban areas.

Third, we will make every effort to promote common prosperity. The income of farmers in Guizhou province is still relatively low and the task of consolidating and expanding the results of poverty alleviation is still relatively heavy. Meanwhile, the income gap between urban and rural areas is still relatively large. We will always take into full account people's longing for a better life. While making the pie larger and better, we will take the initiative to bridge the gap among regions, urban and rural areas, and reduce income inequality and other aspects. We will resolutely consolidate the gains made in poverty alleviation and work with our heart and soul to solve practical issues that the people care about, such as issues relating to employment, education, medical care, pension, social security, housing, and environmental protection so that the people can have more sense of gain, happiness, and security.

Fourth, we will strengthen Party building. We will resolutely shoulder the political responsibility of enforcing full, rigorous self-discipline of the Party, carry out campaigns on Party history learning and education, study the Party principles, remain true to the original aspiration as communists and keep the mission firmly in mind, and stay loyal to the Party. By adhering to sound criteria for official appointments, we will promote enterprisingness, selecting and promoting those good officials who have the desire, resolve and capabilities to do pioneering work. We will strengthen Party discipline on a long-term basis and resolutely oppose and overcome formalism and bureaucracy, and constantly improve the Party's work style and build a clean government, and combat corruption. We will take coordinated action to ensure that officials do not dare to be, are not able to be, and do not want to be corrupt. In these ways, we will foster a healthy political atmosphere of integrity within the Party.

In short, we will keep in mind General Secretary Xi Jinping's instructions. Being driven and motivated, we will take on a new look, strive to score new achievements, and push the province to take on a new form. Thank you!

Xinhua News Agency:

Guizhou is rich in revolutionary culture. How will you capitalize on these resources to highlight the distinct features of Guizhou in the campaign for Party history learning and education? Thank you.

Shen Yiqin:

Thank you for your question. I will answer this question. Guizhou is rich in revolutionary culture. The trek of the Red Army's Long March covered more than 60 counties (cities and districts) in Guizhou. The most prominent event here during the Long March was the Zunyi Conference. These valuable revolutionary resources provide teaching materials for Guizhou to conduct Party history learning and education. In particular, the Zunyi Conference, held in 1935, was a vital turning point in the history of the Party. Before the Zunyi Conference, the CPC did not have a strong leadership core and the Chinese revolution had repeatedly met with setbacks and even faced the danger of failure. The Zunyi Conference established the leading position of Comrade Mao Zedong in the Party Central Committee and the Red Army. After the conference, the first generation of the Party's central leadership with Comrade Mao Zedong at its core began to take shape. Since then, the Chinese revolution has taken on a new look and has continued to win repeated victories.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has rallied the Chinese people of all ethnic groups and led them in surmounting various risks and challenges on the road ahead and accomplished historic achievements and changes in the course of the development of the Party and the country. Especially since last year, in moments of crisis and grave challenges, the General Secretary made prompt decisions and personally guided us to create great miracles in winning the battle against the epidemic in a short time, secured a complete victory in eradicating absolute poverty, and realized the only positive economic growth among the world's major economies. As such, the people support General Secretary Xi Jinping more wholeheartedly and embrace the socialist system from the bottom of their hearts.

The CPC's 100-year history has clearly proved that the Party's cause can thrive with a strong leadership core and by supporting the core. Without a strong leadership core, the Party's cause is bound to suffer setbacks and fail to achieve victory. During the campaign on CPC history learning and education, we have fully implemented the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech during his inspection tour in Guizhou province, carried forward the spirit of the Zunyi Meeting and loyalty to leadership core, and launched an educational campaign encouraging loyal, clean and responsible behavior. We regard doing practical work for the people as our ultimate goal, so we will further utilize revolutionary resources and pass on the traditions of the revolution. We will ask Party members of the province to stay true to their ideals by acting on the Party's original aspiration and mission, be keenly aware 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. They must stay confident in the path, theory, system, and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics; 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. Thank you!

China Daily:

General Secretary Xi Jinping highlighted that China will continue to prioritize ecological conservation and pursue a green and low-carbon path to development and also proposed peak carbon dioxide emission and carbon neutrality targets at the Leaders Summit on Climate. What experience can Guizhou share in balancing environmental protection and economic development?

Shen Yiqin:

Let's invite Mr. Li to answer your question. 

Li Bingjun:

Thank you for your question. Guizhou is a major ecological shield at the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and the Pearl River, and it is very important to protect the ecological environment. During recent years, the ecological environment of Guizhou province has been continuously improved. However, as we all know, Guizhou is a place where karst landscapes are widely distributed, and it is also a plateau area, which is very difficult to repair once it is damaged. General Secretary Xi Jinping asked Guizhou to adhere to the two bottom lines of ensuring development and ecological progress, and repeatedly told us not to let down our guard. During his inspection tour in Guizhou ahead of this year's Spring Festival, Xi gave the important direction of pursuing new achievements in ecological conservation, which not only affirmed the achievements Guizhou has made in the previous period, but also put forward new hopes and requirements. We have firmly implemented Xi's requirements and have adhered to the two bottom lines of ensuring development and ecological progress. We have made our efforts in the following two aspects:

On one hand, we have unswervingly promoted green development and transformation. Bearing in mind the principle of fighting against pollution and guarding the green threshold, we have promoted the high-end, green and intensive development of industries. We boosted the green transformation of traditional industries, environment-friendly emerging industries and specialty industries that represent advantages of ecological environment. We made all-out efforts to improve the energy mix, among which clean energy accounts for 52.9%, 8.1 percentage points higher than the national average. During the 13th Five-Year Plan period, energy consumption per unit of GDP of Guizhou province dropped by 24.3%, with the decline ranking among the highest in the country. The proportion of the green economy rose by 9 percentage points. Today's Guizhou enjoys stronger new drivers of growth. It has not only been developing rapidly but also seen an improved structure and quality of development.

On the other hand, we have unswervingly strengthened environmental protection and ecological conservation. We bear in mind that environmental protection is one of the country's top priorities, so we have resolutely tackled pollution and resolved acute environmental problems, and have accelerated the rectification of problems based on the feedback from central ecological and environmental protection inspectors. We have earnestly implemented General Secretary Xi Jinping's instructions and requirements on stepping up the conservation of the Yangtze River and stopping its overdevelopment, and have accelerated the ecological governance of the Wujiang River and Chishui River. The water quality of all our major rivers' outbound flow at provincial borders is well maintained and more than 100 billion cubic meters of high-quality water is delivered to the Yangtze River and Pearl River every year. The Yangtze River system and Pearl River system closely link Guizhou with the Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta. We also vigorously implemented action plans to construct a green Guizhou and other ecological projects, with our forest coverage rate increasing by 20 percentage points in the past decade and the area of rocky desertification decreasing dramatically. The forest coverage rate has exceeded 61%. As one of the first batch of national pilot zones for ecological conservation and the only one in western China, Guizhou vigorously promoted systematic institutional innovation to develop an ecological civilization and 30 reform experiences have been disseminated across the board. The good environment, which has become the biggest development advantage and competitive edge of Guizhou province, is a vivid example of Xi's thought on ecological civilization, and a vivid interpretation of the principle that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets!

Building an ecological civilization is a national project of millennial significance. We will keep General Secretary Xi Jinping's instructions of pursuing development and ecological conservation in mind, shoulder our share of the responsibilities of peaking carbon emissions and achieving carbon neutrality, prioritize ecological conservation and pursue green development. We will unswervingly implement the strategic action plan of developing a sound eco-environment, and integrate the concept of ecological civilization into the whole process and all aspects of new industrialization, new urbanization, agricultural modernization and tourism industrialization. We will promote the eco-industry and ecological industrialization, continue to work hard to protect the environment, and further open up the channel of two-way transformation between "lucid waters and lush mountains" and "invaluable assets" to build an inexhaustible green treasure house for Guizhou people and a sustainable ecological bank for future generations.

Friends from the media, since 2009, Guizhou has successfully held 10 Eco-Forum Global annual conferences, which received two congratulatory letters from General Secretary Xi Jinping. The forum has become an important platform to disseminate Xi Jinping thought on eco-civilization and showcase the achievements of China's ecological conservation efforts. Inspecting Guizhou ahead of this year's Spring Festival, General Secretary Xi Jinping renewed his instruction that the forum must be a success. In July, we will host this year's annual conference in Guiyang. I'd like to welcome you all to the conference to discuss eco-civilization and draw up a blueprint for green development. Thank you.

Economic Daily:

We all know that Guizhou boasts rich tourism resources. General Secretary Xi Jinping, during an inspection visit to Guizhou, also expressed his great expectations for tourism in the province. My question is, how will Guizhou implement General Secretary Xi's instructions and promote the development of tourism industrialization? Thanks.

Shen Yiqin:

Mr. Li will answer this question. 

Li Bingjun:

Thank you for paying attention to tourism in Guizhou. General Secretary Xi Jinping instructed us to make a big push to industrialize tourism, "to achieve robust growth of tourism and develop it into a pillar industry." When inspecting Guizhou earlier this year, he reiterated that tourism ecology with humanistic elements should be enriched to realize the high-quality development of tourism.  

Historically, Guizhou's transportation had been inadequate and the province lacked links with the outside world, which objectively protected its natural resources, culture, and integrity. The Guizhou scenery, with its hills and rivers, is indivisible as a well-integral whole. More than 92% of its land is covered by hills and mountains. This nature creates an enjoyable landscape untouched by man, where you don't need to look hard to find waterfalls, karst caves, lakes, woods, and canyons. General Secretary Xi Jinping praised Guizhou as being a garden province. The pleasant weather and ecological environment are the hallmarks of Guizhou, and with an average temperature of around 23 degrees centigrade in the summer, the province is like an air-conditioned oasis. Its diverse forest vegetation makes it like a natural oxygen bar as well as a popular summer resort. Guizhou is also characterized by its cultural diversity. It has rich resources of red culture, Yangming culture, and ethnic culture. Guizhou is a sacred and blessed place of the Chinese revolution, where the Zunyi Meeting was held as a key turning point in the Chinese revolution. The spirit of the Zunyi Meeting forms an important part of the spiritual pedigree of the CPC members. It was in Guizhou that Wang Yangming, the great Confucian philosopher, meditated, delivered lectures, and initiated Yangming culture during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the essence of traditional Chinese culture.17 ethnic minority groups permanently live in the province, making it famous for having a multi-minority culture. The Miao people's silver jewelry and embroidery have unique characteristics. The Dong people sing songs with their heavenly voices. The Bouyei people's eight-sound style of singing is often billed as music from heaven. That is why we say when traveling throughout China, you will be overwhelmed by the varied beauty of Guizhou, which is a magnet for pleasure seekers who can enjoy the peace and fresh air, please their eyes, and refresh the mind.      

Over the past few years, transportation in Guizhou has changed fundamentally. Moreover, we made a big push to protect and develop tourism resources and improve supporting facilities and services, which has enabled the tourism industry to make great strides. During the 13th Five-year Plan period (2016-2020), the number of visits and total travel sales in Guizhou maintained a 30% rate of growth in the first four years, not including 2020, when trips were impacted by COVID-19. In the next stage, we will continue to follow the instructions made by General Secretary Xi Jinping to intensify our efforts to industrialize tourism and promote its high-quality development, so that every visitor to Guizhou can experience a homelike atmosphere and have travel change their lives for the better. The summer holiday is coming and cool Guizhou is waiting for you! Thank you.

Nippon Television Network:

Guizhou is becoming a big data center in China. My question is, will the province roll out more measures to attract foreign investment? In addition, some foreign companies may be worried about data security. What kind of measures will Guizhou take in this regard? Thanks.  

Shen Yiqin:

Mr. Lu will take these questions. 

Lu Yongzheng:

Thanks for your questions. As an in-land opening-up pilot economic zone, Guizhou is opening its doors wider to the outside world and has used foreign investment more effectively in recent years. In our view, foreign investment is not only capital but also represents an open attitude and mind. The province has been optimizing its business environment that is based on market principles, governed by law and up to international standards. In 2017, according to the evaluative standards of the business environment by the World Bank, we spearheaded evaluations conducted by a third party across the province. In 2019, we issued the opinions on raising the level of foreign capital utilization and promoting high-quality economic development and four supporting documents. This actively guided foreign companies to cluster in nine opening-up and innovative areas in the province. For now, 26 foreign top-500 companies have invested in Guizhou, which is becoming an appealing destination for foreign investment. 

As the first national-level comprehensive pilot zone for big data in China, Guizhou province is now home to more than 20,000 businesses embracing the cloud, and a cluster development trend has been formed. Foreign investment is accelerating its move into Guizhou's big data sector. The actual use of foreign investment in information transmission, software and information technology services accounts for more than 30% of the actual use of foreign investment in Guizhou.

Your second question is also the focus of a group of more than 30 overseas reporters during their recent trip to Guizhou province. The trip was organized by the State Council Information Office. They got satisfactory answer after the site visit and exchanges. Today, I'd like to answer the question again. In order to bring the development of the big data industry under the rule of law, we issued, in 2016, China's first local legislation on big data: the Regulations for Promoting Big Data Development and Application in Guizhou Province. Later, we also issued Big Data Security Protection Regulations of Guizhou Province and Regulations on Sharing and Opening of Government Data in Guizhou Province, which make normative and clear provisions on basic issues such as data collection, data sharing and data security. While ensuring data security and personal privacy, we open public data, promote the flow of data elements, and develop the data industry. It is an opportunity facing both Chinese and foreign companies, which will further stimulate development of new models, new industries and new forms of business. We will continue to protect data security and personal privacy by law. We are looking forward to working with business friends at home and abroad to explore the blue ocean market of big data industry, share the dividends of the digital economy, and build a community with a shared future for mankind in the digital era. Thank you.

ThePaper.cn:

As Mr. Lu has just said, we understand that Guizhou province has been making great efforts to develop big data in recent years, and the development of related industries has attracted wide attention. How does the big data industry influence the local economic and social development of Guizhou province? What efforts will be made in digital empowerment in the future, and what will be done to attract talents from related industries to stay in Guizhou? Thank you. 

Shen Yiqin:

I'd like to invite Mr. Li to answer these questions.

Li Bingjun:

Thanks for your questions. We can see that people are very concerned about the development of big data in Guizhou province. Why did the province develop big data? What are its advantages? As a place of relatively stable geological structure, Guizhou is home to abundant energy resources. With relatively low electricity prices and cooler temperature in summer, it is easy to dissipate heat for energy conservation and consumption reduction, giving it unique advantages and conditions to develop big data industry. General Secretary Xi Jinping stressed during his inspection tour of Guizhou in 2015 that "It makes sense to develop big data in Guizhou." In 2018 and 2019, he sent congratulatory letters to the China International Big Data Industry Expo held in Guizhou, giving clear requirements and sharing his vision for the development of big data industry. During this year's trip to Guizhou, he made clear that Guizhou has an important mission of seizing new opportunities while implementing the digital economy strategy, which has signaled the way forward for us to follow. 

We have fully enforced the important instructions by General Secretary Xi Jinping, implemented the big data strategic actions, and promoted big data-driven high-quality development. The growth rate of the province's digital economy has topped China for six consecutive years. First, the digital industry has sprung up. We have built a number of landmark data infrastructure projects. Guian New District has become one of the regions with the biggest number of super-large data centers in China. We have introduced a number of big data centers of companies like China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom, Huawei and Tencent. We have supported a number of local leading big data companies including Full Truck Alliance, Langma Mobile, BaishanCloud and Esgyn. Second, data has continued to empower integrated development. We have boosted the deep integration of big data with the real economy, poverty alleviation and rural vitalization, and with government functions to explore the value of data. We have developed China's first provincial cloud platform for government services, by which 100% of the provincial, municipal and county government affairs can be handled online. Guizhou was listed as one of China's five class-A regions for data opening. Third, the Big Data Expo has become an important brand. The world's first big data-themed expo has now been held six times, and has become one of the international authoritative exchange platforms, attracting many big data players from around the world.

Next, we will focus on "seizing new opportunities in implementing the digital economy strategy," search for "diamonds" in the big data mine, and explore blue ocean of digital economy to continue to bring new impetus to high-quality development. We will promote digital industrialization to develop a cluster of data center upstream and downstream industries, intelligent terminal industries and featured data integration industries. We will boost the digital development of industries and accelerate the transformation and upgrading of the real economy through digital technology. We will enhance digital governance to improve digital and intelligent levels of government administration, public service and social governance. We will also step-up efforts to explore data value. We will build a national hub for China's integrated big data center, a nationwide cloud service, and a computing base serving the whole nation, so as to release the value of data.

The development of big data cannot be separated from the support of talents. We have released an array of policies aimed at providing high-quality living standards and services for talents. We warmly welcome big data professionals to Guizhou. We are deepening opening-up and providing an optimized business environment for entrepreneurs from all over the world, sharing the benefits from the digital economy with everyone.

The 2021 China International Big Data Industry Expo will be held in Guiyang, the "data valley" of China, from May 26-28. With the theme of "Embrace Digital Intelligence, Deliver New Development," professionals and elites from the industry will be able to deepen cooperation and exchanges. We sincerely welcome you all to attend the conference and jointly discuss the future of big data development. Thank you.

The Cover:

China began the construction of the Long March National Cultural Park in 2019. As the key construction area, what achievements have been made in Guizhou? As the year 2021 marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC, how are the integration of red tourism and the Long March National Cultural Park being promoted? What is the significance of the national cultural park for the social and economic development of Guizhou? Thank you.

Shen Yiqin:

Mr. Lu will answer your questions.

Lu Yongzheng:

Thank you for your questions. Establishing Guizhou as the key construction area of the Long March National Cultural Park demonstrates the country's full affirmation and high trust in Guizhou as a significant site in the Party's history and China's revolutionary history. We have taken bold steps to explore planning systems, strengthen legislation and accelerate construction of various projects. We have taken the lead in completing construction and protection plans, establishing the framework of "one core, one line, two wings and multiple sites." We also sped up the creation of regulations for the Long March National Cultural Park in Guizhou province. Moreover, we facilitated the construction of major projects, including the upgrading of the site of the Zunyi Meeting and the building of the Long March town, and the Long March Digital Technology Art Museum. Red tourism sites were popular travel destinations in Guizhou during the past May Day holiday, attracting numerous tourists from across the country. Through these visits, people reconnected with history, gained insight into (the Party's) original aspiration and became more motivated to fulfill their duties. 

As a province featuring many mountainous parks, Guizhou is endowed with a magnificent natural landscape and abundant revolutionary culture resources. We are striving to build Guizhou into a world-famous mountain tourism destination, a leisure resort and a national demonstration area for the integrated development of culture and tourism. First, we will plan the industrial layout in a sound manner, actively promote the high quality development of red tourism projects, and build a red tourism belt. Second, we will optimize industrial chains by enriching tourist sites and routes, and constructing support facilities and services, such as resorts, research and training facilities, and providing supports to travel agencies and souvenir merchandize. Third, we will help market entities grow and become stronger by introducing major tourism enterprises and supporting the best of them to get listed on the stock market. Fourth, we will strengthen the guarantee of key factors, establishing funds for the culture and tourism industry at the provincial level, and strengthening support in terms of policies, funds, technology, talents, land and resources. 

We believe that the Long March National Cultural Park can generate huge and comprehensive benefits. First, by further carrying forward the spirits of the Long March and the Zunyi Meeting, all Party members and officials in the province will become more committed to the original aspiration and the mission of the CPC to seek happiness for the Chinese people and the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Second, it will provide momentum for consolidating the achievements of poverty alleviation and promoting rural vitalization by integrating the province's abundant red tourism resources with ethnic, cultural and ecological elements. Third, it plays a role in promoting core socialist values across society, spurring us to embark on a new journey after the 100-year journey of diligence and hard work, encouraging people to make concerted efforts to promote the high-quality social and economic development of Guizhou. Thank you.

Phoenix TV:

As a national strategy, construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) has a promising future, and a number of nearby provinces are jointly promoting its progress. My question therefore, is what competitive advantages does Guizhou have in this respect? And how can the province integrate with the GBA to achieve win-win results?

Shen Yiqin:

Thank you for your question. I'll answer this one. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out that we should actively integrate with the development of the GBA and accelerate the process of going global along the route of the Belt and Road countries. We have followed the important guidance made by General Secretary Xi, and taken Guizhou's integration with the GBA as a major strategic breakthrough in expanding opening-up so as to achieve cooperation by means of "borrowing another's boat to sail or borrowing another's ladder to climb." The advantages of Guizhou's integration with the GBA include: First, Guizhou's special industrial complementary advantages. Technology, capital and talents are prominent strengths of the GBA, while comparatively cheaper prices for electricity, land, water and workforce are advantages of Guizhou. A vivid practice is the project to deliver electricity from Guizhou to Guangdong. Besides, high-tech giants such as Huawei and Tencent have located their big data centers in Guizhou, which demonstrates that Guizhou and the GBA have well complemented each other in terms of their industrial resources. With regards to tourism resources, most of Guizhou's tourists come from the GBA because the weather and geography between the two sides can bring out the best in each other. Second, Guizhou's unique transportation location. Both the GBA and Guizhou are part of the Pan-Pearl River Delta region, and have enjoyed years of cooperation. It just takes over an hour to fly from Guizhou to Guangdong nowadays. Since the Guiyang-Guangzhou high-speed railway entered operation in 2014, the four-hour economic circle has been formed between the two cities. The commuting time will be shortened to 2 hours and 40 minutes after the railway between the two cities is upgraded. Third, the special friendship based on pairing-up support. Guangdong has been providing support to Guizhou since 1996. During the new round of cooperation between China's eastern and western regions, Guangdong has again been assisting Guizhou across the board. Macao has also helped assist Guizhou in winning the battle against poverty in Congjiang county, and Hong Kong compatriots have contributed their wisdom and strength to help Guizhou escape poverty. Both are great practices in our poverty-alleviation course in which the "one country, two systems" principle is fully applicable. During these years of pairing-up support, Guizhou has established a deep friendship with the GBA. 

Going forward, we will focus our work on building up the new development paradigm, and accelerate Guizhou's integration with the construction of the GBA. First, we will deepen industrial cooperation. The "Four Plus" industrial cooperation models of "GBA enterprises plus Guizhou resources," "GBA markets plus Guizhou products," "GBA headquarters plus Guizhou bases" and "GBA R&D plus Guizhou manufacturing" will be expanded, and collaborative industrial parks will be actively promoted between the two sides. We will take the initiative to introduce the GBA's high- and new-tech enterprises as well as labor-intensive enterprises to invest and explore new markets in Guizhou. We will further deepen economic and trade cooperation with Hong Kong and Macao, particularly in the fields of big data, traditional Chinese medicine, technology and finance. Second, we will strengthen cooperation in tourism. Aiming at the GBA tourist market, we will improve our tourism service and make Guizhou a first-choice summer resort for people living in the GBA. We will also intensify our efforts to invite more investment and capital, attracting more and more GBA firms to explore tourist products related to health care and leisure in Guizhou. Third, we will deepen cooperation in consumption. Guizhou has established 54 "vegetable basket" bases for the GBA, and green and healthy agricultural products as well as local specialties from Guizhou have been quite popular in the GBA. We will continue to enhance the integration of production and marketing, and introduce more and more high-quality Guizhou specialties to the GBA. Fourth, we will collaborate with the GBA in talent exchanges. Based on the cooperation between Guangdong and Guizhou provinces, we will hold large-scale exchanges among officials and talents with Guangdong, work together to cultivate technical personnel, and send batches of "Guangdong cuisine chefs," "Guangdong technicians," "southern Guangdong household service personnel" and others to the GBA. We would also like to invite "weekend engineers" as well as retired veteran teachers and doctors from the GBA in a flexible manner to bring their cutting-edge theories, techniques and experiences into Guizhou. Thank you.

Beijing Youth Daily:

Just now, Ms. Shen noted that Guizhou has the country's highest number of people moving out of poverty and being relocated from inhospitable areas. Nevertheless, we also acknowledge that some areas and people that have been lifted out of poverty still suffer from weak foundations and poor self-development abilities. Therefore, it is still an arduous task to prevent them from slipping back into impoverishment. What will Guizhou do next to consolidate the progress being made in poverty alleviation and to promote rural vitalization? Thank you.

Shen Yiqin:

Thank you for your attention to Guizhou's progress on poverty alleviation and rural vitalization. I'll take your questions.

It is a hard-won achievement for Guizhou to eradicate poverty. We owe what we have achieved to the care and support of General Secretary Xi Jinping and the CPC Central Committee, the dedication and tireless efforts of our officials and people, and the firm support from paired-up provinces and cities in eastern China, the CPC and government departments, as well as all sectors of society. People in Guizhou will always remain grateful to the care of the CPC Central Committee and bear in mind the great support from all parties and sectors.

Poverty eradication is not the end, but the starting point for a new life and new endeavors. Poverty alleviation was once a formidable task in Guizhou, and the task of advancing and expanding the results of poverty eradication is equally difficult now. We must grasp the consolidation and expansion of the results of poverty alleviation as much as the battle against poverty, and resolutely guard the bottom line of preventing people from slipping back into poverty on a large scale. First, we are working to ensure the consistency of policies. We must take due responsibility for counties lifted out of poverty, meanwhile ensuring them consistent poverty alleviation policies, assistance, and supervision. The policy of the five-year transition period should be fully carried out to ensure the overall stability of supportive policies in the fields of fiscal resources, financial services, the use of land, and talents. We will continue to provide stronger industrial and employment support, and implement follow-up assistance policies to people relocated from inhospitable areas. Second, we are strictly carrying out all of our responsibilities. Party secretaries of the province as well as its cities, counties, towns, and villages will work together. Meanwhile, two parallel registration systems will continue to be used respectively by the provincial government's direct affiliates and local authorities, in a bid to hold both of them accountable for poverty alleviation works and possible misconducts. This ensures effective leadership and that every responsibility has been taken. Third, the efforts being made in this regard will stay consistent. To ensure the orderly and stable transmission of assistance works, we will continue to dispatch outstanding officials to villages lifted out of poverty and relocation sites for poverty alleviation. So far, a total of 32,175 officials in Guizhou have been dispatched to rural areas to serve as the first Party branch secretaries or village-based cadres. We have also set up 10,035 village-based working teams for rural vitalization. Fourth, we are working to ensure that no one is left behind in consolidating the progress of poverty alleviation. A comprehensive reviewing campaign was launched throughout Guizhou to continuously check the change of people's incomes, the situations concerning the basic living needs of rural poor population and their access to compulsory education, basic medical services, and housing, as well as safe drinking water supplies. Relevant problems will be quickly solved once spotted, so as to eliminate poverty amid dynamical adjustment.

To comprehensively promote rural vitalization reflects the historic adjustment of China's focus concerning issues relating to agriculture, rural areas, and rural people. We have adopted a categorized approach which takes local conditions fully into consideration. In light of different poverty-alleviation foundations, geographic conditions, and resource advantages, we grouped all the counties in Guizhou into three categories: model counties for rural vitalization, key-work-in-progress counties and counties in the starting phase. Provincial government officials will work to develop these counties and make new progress in rural vitalization. 

First, we will focus on the industrial side. We continue to promote typical industries which utilize local agricultural strength. We are working to establish industrial systems, production systems, and operation systems for modern agriculture, and developing a group of industrial clusters based on local agricultural advantages, in a bid to build Guizhou's strength in developing modern and efficient mountain farming. 

Second, we will focus on developing beautiful rural environments. We are doubling our efforts to carry out the rural construction campaign and continuing to comprehensively improve rural living environments. We will also work to address weaknesses in sewage and garbage treatment, meanwhile effectively preserving traditional village sites, households, and historical villages and towns of cultural significance, so as to better protect the lucid waters and lush mountains in our rural areas.

Third, we are making sound governance efforts. We are strengthening primary-level Party organizations, dispatching outstanding officials to serve as Party secretaries in villages, and further developing the collective economy at the village level. We are also working to improve rural governance, promote cultural and ethical progress in rural areas, and see the back of outdated social customs. By doing so, a civilized rural atmosphere with sound household manners and simple and honest people is being established, which continuously encourages the public to develop civilized rural environments and seek for happier lives.

Guizhou's performance in fighting against poverty has been excellent. I believe it will also do a good job in consolidating the achievements being made in poverty alleviation and promoting rural vitalization in an all-round manner. Thank you.

Mr. Chen mentioned earlier that this was the last question for today. I would like to take this opportunity and express my gratitude to the relevant parties. First, I want to thank the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee for providing such a great platform for us to introduce vibrant Guizhou to you. I also want to thank our friends from the media for their consistent care, support and publicity efforts for Guizhou. "Travelling throughout the scenery in China, you will be overwhelmed by the varied beauty of Guizhou." Guizhou is a natural park, an oxygen bar, an air conditioner, a treasure house, as well as a family for ethnic coexistence. We sincerely invite everyone to visit Guizhou and enjoy its beauty, coolness and comfort. We are waiting for you! Thank you!

Chen Wenjun:

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

Translated and edited by Zhang Liying, Huang Shan, Zhang Jiaqi, He Shan, Wang Yiming, Liu Qiang, Yang Xi, Wang Yanfang, Duan Yaying, Li Huiru, Qin Qi, Huang Shan, Zhang Tingting, Wang Wei, Zhu Bochen, Wang Yanfang, 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.

.

Read in Chinese 

Speakers:

Liu Qi, secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Jiangxi Provincial Committee and chairman of the Standing Committee of the People's Congress of Jiangxi Province

Yi Lianhong, vice secretary of the CPC Jiangxi Provincial Committee and governor of the People's Government of Jiangxi Province

Shi Xiaolin, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Jiangxi Provincial Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Jiangxi Provincial Committee

Chairperson:

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

Date: 

May 14, 2021

Chen Wenjun:

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to this press conference held by the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee. Jiangxi province is a land with revolutionary glories where the great revolutionary spirit of the CPC such as the great Jinggangshan Spirit and the spirit of the Soviet areas have been fostered. The great revolutionary spirit has been passed on and carried forward, inspiring generations of communists to stay true to the original aspiration, keep the mission in mind, and strive for greater achievements.

On the occasion of celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Party, we have organized this press conference and invited Liu Qi, secretary of the CPC Jiangxi Provincial Committee and chairman of the Standing Committee of the People's Congress of Jiangxi Province; Yi Lianhong, vice secretary of the CPC Jiangxi Provincial Committee and governor of the People's Government of Jiangxi Province; and Shi Xiaolin, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Jiangxi Provincial Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Jiangxi Provincial Committee. They will brief you on issues related to "Jiangxi: Endeavoring to start new chapter with 100 years of glories" and answer your questions. Next, I will give the floor to Mr. Liu. 

Liu Qi:

Ladies and gentlemen, friends from the media, good morning.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC. It is a great pleasure to attend this press conference held by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee and brief you on the situation of Jiangxi's old revolutionary base areas at this critical historic juncture. First of all, on behalf of the CPC Jiangxi Provincial Committee, the People's Government of Jiangxi Province and the more than 45 million people of Jiangxi, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all of you for your long-term interest in, support for and assistance to Jiangxi.

Jiangxi is a place endowed with "rich resources, outstanding people and productive land." In ancient times, it was known as "the head of the Wu Kingdom and the tail of the Chu Kingdom," and "the portal of Guangdong province and the courtyard of Fujian province." It has distinct geographical advantages, connecting the east with the west and linking the south with the north. The "red color" (referring to revolutionary heritage) is the best-known brand of Jiangxi. The "green color" (referring to ecological environment) is the biggest advantage of Jiangxi. The "ancient color" (referring to ancient heritage) is the deepest historic holdings of Jiangxi. The red and green colors enhance each other, while the past and the present complement each other.

With regards to the Party's glorious history over the past century, as the Cradle of the Chinese Revolution, the Cradle of the People's Republic, the Cradle of the People's Army and the Birthplace of the Chinese Workers' Movement, Jiangxi, a piece of red land soaked with the blood of numerous revolutionary martyrs, has fostered the great Jinggangshan Spirit, the spirit of the Soviet areas and the Long March Spirit, and carried forward the original aspiration and mission of the Chinese Communists. The Chinese revolution started in Jiangxi and spread across the whole country, and from victory in this place to new victories across the nation. Under the leadership of the Party, the people of Jiangxi have forged ahead with determination and perseverance, and achieved historical advancements from isolation and backwardness to civility and progress, from lack of adequate food and clothing to a moderately prosperous society in all respects. This is a witness to the great strides that the Party has united and led the Chinese people to achieve: from standing up, to becoming rich and growing strong.

The CPC Central Committee attaches great importance to and cares greatly about Jiangxi. In February 2016, General Secretary Xi Jinping inspected Jiangxi, visiting local people and putting forward important requirements for the further development of the province. Three years later, in May 2019, General Secretary Xi Jinping made another inspection visit to Jiangxi and put forward the important target of "setting an example in speeding up the high-quality development of the old revolutionary bases and vying for the forefront in boosting the rise of the central region," and the important requirement of "advancement in five aspects," that is, to promote high-quality economic development, deepen reform and opening up, promote agricultural and rural modernization, promote innovation in social governance, and carry forward the revolutionary heritage. Bearing in mind General Secretary Xi Jinping's remarks, we have been working hard in gratitude, speeding up to achieve high quality and leapfrog development, and striving to depict a new picture of Jiangxi's reform and development in the new era. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC in 2012, the province's GDP has grown by 8.7% annually, moving up from 19th to 15th place in the country in terms of its national GDP ranking. More encouragingly, the added value of high-tech industries and strategic emerging industries in the province has accounted for 38.2% and 22.1% of industries above designated size, respectively, increasing by 8.1 and 7.2 percentage points during the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020). The quality of development and people's wellbeing has been continuously improved. The sight of "strong industry, beautiful ecology, and rich people with fighting spirits" is gradually emerging in the great land of Jiangxi.

The drivers of innovative development are playing a bigger role. Jiangxi is a place where many development miracles have been created. China's first plane, first diesel-powered wheeled tractor, first military three-wheeled motorcycle and sidecar, and first coastal defense missile were all made here. We have deeply implemented the strategy of innovation-driven development and fully stimulated the vitality of creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship. The Poyang Lake National Independent Innovation Demonstration Zone, and the Ganjiang Innovation Academy under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, have been established. Part of the fuselage of China's self-developed C919 large passenger aircraft was made in Jiangxi. The technology of blue LED on silicon substrate was also invented in the province. We strove to work on the development of aviation, electronic information, equipment manufacturing, traditional Chinese medicine, new energy, new materials and other advantageous industries. Virtual reality, "03 special project," namely next generation broadband wireless mobile communications network, Internet of Things and other sectors of the digital economy have achieved rapid development. Nowadays, the land of Jiangxi is full of innovation and creation, surging with the tide of innovation, and gathering the powerful momentum of achieving high-quality and leapfrog development.

Jiangxi has achieved more and more fruitful outcomes in the pursuit of reform and opening-up. It has been a key exporter of trade along the Silk Road since ancient times. The Maritime Silk Road is also known as the Maritime Ceramic Road, and craftsmen traveled from all around to Jiangxi's Jingdezhen, China's porcelain capital, to make exquisite porcelain which sold well around the world. Comrade Deng Xiaoping was once demoted to Jiangxi to do manual labor, and the "Xiaoping Trail," a memorial park dedicated to him, has become an important symbol of his interaction with the general public and an exploration of the new road he helped China to take. Jiangxi spares no effort to promote the spirit of innovation, while continuously carrying out reform and openingup to tackle key problems and break new ground. Its e-government service platforms, such as "Gan Futong" and "Gan Zhengtong," have been improved. Meanwhile, it has become a national model region regarding its reform efforts to streamline administration and delegate power, as well as in its construction of "sponge cities" and its experience in rural house renovation in Yujiang district, Yingtan city. Jiangxi is also making efforts to build an inland opening-up pilot economic zone with high quality and standards, pressing ahead with the development of major opening-up portals, platforms, and business environment. The latter looks to feature the best policies, lowest costs, greatest services, and highest efficiencies. With the infinite vitality brought about by China's reform and opening-up, today's Jiangxi is exuding the energy of growth. Thus, the once-revolutionary base now exhibits a refreshing momentum for development.

Liu Qi:

Jiangxi's fine ecosystems and environment have progressively displayed prominent features. Green development and ecological conservation are Jiangxi's greatest assets, biggest strengths, and most important calling card. It is here that General Secretary Xi Jinping said "Mount Lu is famed for its tranquility, Mount Sanqing for its beauty, and Mount Longhu for its uniqueness." Poyang Lake, which is known as "the wetland of the world and the kingdom for migrant birds," is China's largest freshwater lake and is often referred to as "the lake that can breathe." As its water level varies each season, different views can be seen in the region throughout the year. The lake area during the rainy season spans 4,600 square kilometers, whereas in the dry season, it only makes up 200 to 300 square kilometers. In spring, the lake will transform into a sea of flowers, while in the summer it becomes misty and stretches to the horizon. During autumn, it becomes a vast grassland where herds of cows and goats can be seen. When winter falls, the lake will turn into a kingdom for migratory birds. Monitoring data in 2020 showed that a total of 680,000 wintering migratory birds across 63 species were found in the Poyang Lake region. This is echoed in a poetic expression that describes the huge number of birds here, which describes how the sun and moon are blocked by the birds when they fly and the grass by the lake can be barely seen when they land. Among these birds, more than 4,000 white cranes, which is also the "provincial bird" of Jiangxi, were found here last year. This means that over 96% of all white cranes in the world migrate to Poyang Lake during the winter. Bird watchers can get the closest views in the world of the white cranes at Poyang Lake. In the Wuxing Reclamation Farm in Nanchang city, a tourist town dedicated to the white cranes is being built. You are all welcome to visit Poyang Lake and enjoy the area's views, which embody the harmonious coexistence between man and nature. All these are a vivid showcase of Jiangxi's fine ecosystem. We have been working to preserve the environment like we protect our own eyes. We have also been working to establish a national pilot zone for ecological progress and resolutely tackle pollution, making Jiangxi's ecosystem and environment one of the best in China. Other efforts have been made to comprehensively improve both urban and rural environments, and to make Jiangxi a tidy, beautiful, harmonious, and livable place. Today's Jiangxi is a land of picturesque scenery, presenting a magnificent picture of blue sky, green land, clear water, and fresh air.

People in Jiangxi, the once-revolutionary base, have experienced growing prosperity. When General Secretary Xi Jinping visited Jiangxi on a recent inspection tour, he told us to think about the source of the river when drinking water. He urged us to keep in mind the revolutionary ideals and purpose, to remain true to the original aspirations and mission of the CPC and to remember the martyrs and folks from the then Central Soviet Area and other old revolutionary base areas. We have been carrying out an in-depth, people-centered development philosophy, making greater efforts to meet people's basic living needs and improve their livelihood and welfare. All 25 poor counties and 3,058 impoverished villages in Jiangxi have since shaken off poverty. This is a historic move to tackle Jiangxi's overall regional poverty. The per capita disposable income for urban and rural residents in Jiangxi has doubled since 2010, ahead of schedule. In addition, efforts have been made to proactively facilitate the modernization of Jiangxi's social governance system and capacities, which enables the province to win national-level prizes for excellence in comprehensive management for 16 consecutive years. People's lives in today's Jiangxi are more convenient, comfortable, and happier, and they are living a better life in this once revolutionary base.

The atmosphere of responsibility and hard work has been further developed in Jiangxi. Jiangxi is abbreviated as "Gan" in Chinese, which is homonymous with the Chinese character for "work." This is also highly consistent with our people's diligence, humility, responsibility and hard work, and their contemporary spirit. Guided by the Party's political building, we will comprehensively strengthen Party building in the new era, and vigorously carry forward the great Jinggangshan Spirit, the spirit of the then Soviet areas, and the spirit of the Long March. As such, government officials and the public in Jiangxi are inspired to carry out the Party's guidelines, are grateful for the Party's work, and follow the Party resolutely. We will pass the Party's revolutionary traditions from generation to generation and strive to build Jiangxi into a place with the most emphasis on Party spirit, politics, and loyalty. We also work to rectify problems relating to the unwilling or sluggish undertaking of responsibility, being dishonest, mediocre, lazy, and inefficient to work. We must resolutely and thoroughly eliminate the adverse effects of the Su Rong case (Su was Party chief of Jiangxi between 2007 and 2013 and was sentenced for life for corruption in 2017) and achieve new results in creating a clean and upright political ecosystem. Nowadays, Jiangxi is an entrepreneurial land with diligent people who roll up their sleeves and seize the moment to press ahead with their work.

Those who drink water should remember those who dug the well. Those who enjoy a happy life should remember what the CPC has done. Earthshaking changes that have taken place in Jiangxi fully demonstrate the great advantages of the leadership of the CPC and socialism with Chinese characteristics, and fully demonstrate the great strength and practicality of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. Embarking on the new journey of the 14th Five-Year Plan, we will act upon Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, focus on the goal of "accelerating the high-quality development of the old revolutionary base areas, taking the lead in the rise of central China" and the important requirement of "advancement in five aspects." We will implement the new development philosophy in a complete, precise, and comprehensive manner. Meanwhile, we will also make efforts to learn the hundred-year-old history of the CPC and inherit its revolutionary traditions in a bid to pool strength to facilitate high-quality development and create a new chapter in Jiangxi's building of a modern socialist country in all aspects and implement reform efforts in the new era. Thank you.

Chen Wenjun:

Thank you, Mr. Liu. The floor is now open for questions. Please identify the news organization you represent before asking your question. 

CCTV:

Just now, Mr. Liu said that since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping has paid two inspection visits to Jiangxi, calling for the inheritance of red traditions to carry forward the Jinggangshan spirit, the spirit of the Soviet areas, and the spirit of the Long March. As a sacred place of the Chinese revolution, how does Jiangxi draw on the strength of Party history to forge ahead?

Liu Qi: 

Thank you. I will answer your question. Jiangxi boasts a glorious revolutionary history full of touching stories about the people's struggle for better life. This history has forged the great spirit of Jinggangshan, the spirit of then Soviet areas and the Long March spirit. In May 2019, General Secretary Xi Jinping paid another inspection visit to Jiangxi. During his visit, he said that the Jinggangshan spirit and the spirit of the Soviet areas carry the original aspiration and mission of the CPC members, and forge the great revolutionary spirit of the CPC. These great revolutionary spirits transcend time and space, never go out of fashion, and are the inexhaustible motivation for our Communist Party to never forget our original intention and remember our mission. Keeping in mind the instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping, we have been working hard to inherit, carry forward and pass on the revolutionary spirit and traditions during our Long March into the new era.

First, we have drawn strength from our deep belief and firm conviction. In Jiangxi, nearly 260,000 people were identified as revolutionary martyrs who sacrificed their lives in the revolutionary wars. This is a land full of memories and touching stories about their fight and faith. One of them, Fang Zhimin, said before dying a martyr, "the enemy can cut off our heads, but they can never weaken our faith." Another martyr, Liu Renkan, even disseminated his belief and mobilized the people before dying a hero's death. After the enemy brutally cut off his tongue, he wrote "Long live the success of Chinese revolution" with his foot dipped in the blood. Jiangxi is blessed with rich historical events, red resources and revolutionary forefathers. Leveraging the strength of the province, we have launched Party history learning and education campaigns, including reading letters written by revolutionaries to their families. A book compiled by the China Executive Leadership Academy Jinggangshan collected letters written by several dozen martyrs to their families, many of which were written immediately before their death. These moving letters, fully showcasing the strength of belief, conviction and confidence, have sent people into tears and left a lifelong impression on them. I remember two martyrs in this book, Chen Jue and Zhao Yunxiao, both of whom studied in the Soviet Union, and returned to China to participate in the revolution. After being arrested by the enemy, they were sentenced to death. Zhao was pregnant then, so Chen wrote a letter to her before dying a martyr. Several sentences of his letter left a lifelong impression on me. He wrote, "Although we both die, our wishes will surely be fulfilled by other comrades as long as they live." Who are those "other comrades"? I think they represent the generations of CPC members. Four months after the death of Chen Jue, Zhao Yunxiao gave birth to their baby. Soon, the enemy decided to kill her too. The night before her death, Zhao wrote a letter to her daughter, whose name was Qiming. It reads, "my little baby, you are born so unfortunate that you don't even have a chance to know your father and mother. Please do not hate me. Do not hate your parents. Hate the environment we were living in then. Today, I will tell you explicitly that your parents are members of the CPC." Unfortunately, Qiming, who was born and lived in a dark prison, died at the age of four and failed to grow up as her mother wished. But our Chinese people, generation by generation, including everyone present here, are all "Qiming" today. We should all bear our forefathers in mind and remember that the happy life we enjoy today was gained by numerous revolutionary martyrs and CPC members at the price of their blood and lives. Whenever reading such stories, we can always draw inexhaustible strength from them. So, we have launched "the second classroom" campaign for CPC history education in light of the local situation. In this campaign, revolutionary sites serve as classrooms, cultural relics and historical documents are the textbooks, and martyrs and role models are our teachers. Our aims are to tell the stories of the Party, revolution and heroes; to guide CPC members and officials to follow the instructions of the Party and be grateful to the Party; and to pass on the spirit of the old revolutionary base areas and red tradition of being faithful to the Party from generation to generation.

Second, we have carried forward the original aspiration and mission of Chinese Communists, that is, to strive for the well-being of the Chinese people. The CPC is from the people, for the people, and successful because of the people. During the time of revolution, people from the old revolutionary base areas wholeheartedly supported the leadership of the CPC and emptied their pockets to help the Red Army, even in the face of white terror, because our party has always sincerely worked for the interests of the people.

During the "Enlarging the Red Army" movement, people from the old revolutionary base areas devoted their last bowl of rice and last foot of fabric to the Red Army. They devoted their last old cotton-wadded quilt to cover stretchers and their last kindred to join the army. At that time, Xingguo county had a population of 250,000. Among them, 80,000 people joined the Red Army. Ruijin county had a population of 240,000, 50,000 of whom joined the Red Army and local armed forces.

Yang Rongxian from Shazhouba, Ruijin county sent his eight sons to join the army, who were all killed in battle. His whole family was martyrs. The story of these heroes has been handed down to today. This shows that the people are committed to the CPC and the CPC is committed to the people. We have a profound understanding of what General Secretary Xi Jinping meant when he said that the state is the people, and the people are the state. 

We will further implement the people-centered philosophy in our development and always put the people first. We will make efforts to address urgent, difficult, and worrisome issues concerning food, housing, transportation, employment, education, medical care, elderly care, and the environment. We will make solid strides in realizing common prosperity and keep enhancing people's sense of gain, well-being, and security in the old revolutionary base areas.

Third, we have vigorously carried forward our good tradition of taking on responsibilities and working hard. Faced with all kinds of difficulties and tests during the time of revolution, countless Chinese Communists have taken on responsibilities and worked hard, struggled tenaciously, carried on a heroic and moving struggle, and wrote sublime and heroic epics. 

Faced with the new situation, new features, and new requirements in the new development stage, as well as hard tasks relating to reform and development, we will vigorously carry forward the fine conduct of officials from revolutionary base areas, make concerted efforts to pass on revolutionary traditions, guide Party members to carry forward the fighting spirit and improve their ability to fight, bravely take on responsibilities, and do "first-class work" to paint a new picture of Jiangxi's reform and development in the new era. Thank you.

Farmers' Daily:

Jinggangshan was the first to be removed from the list of impoverished areas. By April 2020, all 25 formerly impoverished counties in Jiangxi had been lifted out of poverty, and the old revolutionary base areas in the south of Jiangxi province had shaken off poverty as a whole. In the next step, how will Jiangxi promote rural vitalization based on its achievements of poverty alleviation, and enhance people's sense of gain, well-being, and security in its old revolutionary base areas? Thanks.

Liu Qi: 

Thank you for the journalist's question. I will answer your question.

It is our fundamental goal to accelerate high-quality development of the old revolutionary base areas and to help people there live happier and better lives. That is also our historical responsibility.

In February 2017, Jinggangshan was the first to be removed from the list of impoverished areas across the nation. By April 2020, all 25 formerly impoverished counties in Jiangxi had been lifted out of poverty. We fulfilled the promise that no one in the old revolutionary base areas would be left behind on our way to prosperity. We have brought the old revolutionary base areas onto a fast track for high-quality and leapfrogging development.

General Secretary Xi Jinping has reiterated on many occasions that shaking off poverty is not the finish line but the starting point of a new life and new endeavor. We should consolidate poverty alleviation achievements and initiate a dovetailing drive for rural vitalization. Efforts must be made to promote high quality and efficiency in the agricultural sector, make rural areas suitable to live and work in, and ensure that farmers are affluent and well-off. We will build up beautiful villages in the new era, featuring thriving business; civilization and simplicity; joint contribution and shared benefits; natural ecosystems; and harmony and order. 

We will help people from the old revolutionary base areas become better-off. The key is to develop industries that enrich local people. 

Relying on abundant resources and a good industrial base, we aim for better crop varieties, quality improvement and brand building. We will make concerted efforts to develop competitive industries with distinctive features such as tea, Chinese herbal medicine, oil tea, and selenium-rich agriculture. We will also foster new business models such as homestays, rural tourism, leisure, and health care. We will promote the integrated development of the primary, secondary, and tertiary industries in rural areas, and improve their quality and efficiency. We will make farmers enjoy more development dividends in rural industries. As for the poverty alleviation industry, in particular, we will strengthen policy support, increase its market competitiveness and resistance to risks, and promote its high-quality and sustainable development. 

We will make our villages more beautiful. Jiangxi has beautiful mountains and clear rivers. The rural scenery can be seen everywhere. In accordance with the requirements of "careful planning, fine construction, precise management, and exquisite presentation," we will vigorously implement rural construction, deepen the comprehensive improvement of urban and rural environments, launch a five-year program to improve the rural living environment, and promote the advancement of the rural living environment from basic improvement to quality improvement.

We will improve the rural public health system, raise the level of rural old-age insurance and subsistence allowance standards, and build a "one-stop service" rural comprehensive service platform to make rural life more convenient, more comfortable, and happier. We will keep improving the rural ethos. We will improve the modern rural governance model, which combines self-governance, rule of law, and rule of virtue.

We will encourage villagers to participate in rural public affairs in an innovative way. We will further implement the training project for rural "law-wise people" and steadily improve levels of good rural governance. We will raise cultural and ethical standards in rural areas and promote social etiquette in the new era. We will work to see the back of outdated social mores and to promote social etiquette and civility, stress family education and family values, and protect simple folk customs. We will help people from the old revolutionary base areas get rich both in their pockets and in their brains. Thank you.

China News Service:

In May 2019, General Secretary Xi Jinping made an inspection tour of Jiangxi and presided over a work symposium on the rise of China's central region. He put forward the goal of Jiangxi to "vie for the forefront in boosting the rise of the central region." Recently, the CPC Central Committee has put forward new requirements. What measures will Jiangxi take to seize these opportunities, achieve high-quality development, and make new advances in the rise of the central region? Thank you. 

Liu Qi:

I'd like to invite Mr. Yi Lianhong to answer this question.

Yi Lianhong:

We all know that General Secretary Xi Jinping has always been concerned about the old revolutionary bases and cared about the people living there. The officials and people in Jiangxi have been greatly moved and inspired by General Secretary Xi Jinping's deep love of the old revolutionary bases. Over the past years, following General Secretary Xi Jinping's instructions, we have been working hard to advance the social and economic development of Jiangxi. The recently released guideline on boosting high-quality development of central China in the new era shows that the CPC Central Committee and the State Council have attached great importance to and scaled up support for the development of the country's central region and Jiangxi. Therefore, we have taken it as a vital opportunity to advance high-quality development of Jiangxi.

Going forward, by focusing on the target of "setting an example and vying for the forefront" that General Secretary Xi Jinping has put forward for Jiangxi, and following the guideline released by the CPC Central Committee, we will work hard to forge ahead, ground our efforts in the new development stage, apply the new development philosophy, and create a new pattern for development, so as to start a new chapter in Jiangxi's development in the journey of fully building China into a modern socialist country. To be specific, we will ensure the following five aspects:

First, we will accelerate the establishment of a modern industrial system underpinned by innovation. We will leverage national-level innovation platforms such as the Poyang Lake national innovation demonstration zone and the Ganjiang Innovation Academy, as well as the role of colleges, universities, and scientific research institutions in Jiangxi to build it into a province of innovators. We will scale up efforts to set up a market-oriented scientific and technological innovation system that will help enterprises play a major role and feature the coordinated efforts of firms, universities, research institutions, financial institutions, and consumers. Moreover, we will step up efforts to establish a modern industrial system in which the digital economy is the mainstay, the advanced manufacturing industry is the foundation, and the manufacturing and service industries are deeply integrated.

Second, we will pursue coordinated development and scale up efforts to enhance the overall outcome of the regional development. Given the remarkable geographical advantage Jiangxi possesses, we have been making concerted efforts to integrate ourselves into China's regional development strategy while promoting the coordinated economic development of the province. We will prioritize the development of the metropolitan area of Nanchang and focus on economic development in the areas along Shanghai-Kunming high-speed railway and Beijing-Kowloon high-speed railway. We will step up efforts to boost vitalization of the former Central Soviet Area in southern Jiangxi in all respects, promote cooperation between northeastern Jiangxi and other regions, as well as boost the transformation and upgrading of western Jiangxi. We will advance the synergized progress of urban functions and quality, and rural vitalization to build more modern and attractive towns featuring pleasant living environments, favorable business environments, elegant layouts, and beautiful landscapes. Moreover, we will make the development of our rural areas outstanding in five aspects such as the prosperous development of businesses, fine folk customs, joint contribution, and shared benefits, as well as a beautiful environment and harmonious development. 

Third, we will stick to the green development philosophy, and endeavor to make Jiangxi's development a model in the process of building a beautiful China. We all know that Jiangxi is one of the provinces with the largest vegetation coverage. As soon as you arrive in Jiangxi, you will be impressed by its large proportion of tree coverage and beautiful, painting-like sights. General Secretary Xi Jinping has told us that Jiangxi's ecological environment is its largest treasure and biggest advantage. Therefore, we will follow the requirements made by General Secretary Xi Jinping and strive for the building of a national ecological civilization pilot zone. We will also endeavor to win the battle against pollution, for example, by protecting the environmental conservation of the Yangtze River, and make sure that every problem found in central environmental inspections will be addressed in a comprehensive, systematic, and thorough manner. This will further leverage the ecological advantage of Jiangxi and make it serve as the impetus for Jiangxi's development.

Fourth, we will follow the principle of opening up, and step up efforts to achieve high-level opening up in all respects. Jiangxi province is adjacent to the Yangtze River Delta, the Pearl River Delta, and the Western Taiwan Straits Economic Zone, which gives the province preferential conditions for the integration into the regional development of both Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Yangtze River Economic Belt. Moreover, it provides convenient access to the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative. The unique preferential conditions have facilitated our opening-up efforts. Going forward, we will continue to open our door wider and ensure further opening-up by cooperating with adjacent provinces. This includes working with Zhejiang, Hunan, and Guangdong to develop the city of Ganzhou into a gateway to help Jiangxi integrate itself into the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. 

Fifth, we will aim for shared benefits and continue to increase people's happiness index. Development is ultimately for the sake of people. What the public expects is where the policy should go. We will firmly bear in mind the important requirements put forward by General Secretary Xi Jinping, and focus on the problems that greatly concern the people to deliver services to them, resolve the difficulties they face, and ensure that their sense of gain and happiness continues to increase with the province's social and economic development. Thank you.

Macao Daily News:

Jiangxi province and the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions are members of the Pan-Pearl River Delta (PPRD) region. What achievements have they made in terms of regional cooperation? What new measures will be adopted in the days to come? Thank you.

Liu Qi:

I'd like to invite Mr. Yi to answer this question.

Yi Lianhong:

Thank you for the question. The PPRD is one of the most vital regions in China. Moreover, Jiangxi and the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions are members of the region. We can say that Jiangxi is an important economic hinterland in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Over the past years, we have fully leveraged the important platform of the Pan-Pearl River Delta Regional Cooperation and Development Forum under the "9+2" cooperation framework, and have fully boosted cooperation and exchanges with Hong Kong and Macao concerning the economy, trade, and culture. The outcomes have been remarkable. Trade and economic cooperation and exchange activities have been held annually in Hong Kong consecutively for the past 18 years, starting in 2002. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic last year, we held relevant activities in Shenzhen and Guangzhou, and the outcomes were remarkable. For example, in terms of attracting business and investment, Hong Kong and Macao have become our major sources of projects and funds. In 2020, over 74% of the newly-established foreign-funded enterprises were from Hong Kong and Macao, and more than 76% of foreign investment came from Hong Kong and Macao. 

In terms of trade cooperation, Hong Kong and Macao, especially Hong Kong, have always been important trading partners of Jiangxi province. Hong Kong is Jiangxi's second largest export market. Last year, our import and export trade with Hong Kong totaled over 33 billion yuan, up 20.6% year on year. In the first quarter of this year, our import and export volume with Hong Kong increased by 48.48% year on year.

In terms of logistics, we have actively expanded logistics channels with Hong Kong and Macao, and launched combined rail-sea freight trains to Shenzhen and Guangzhou. As China supports Hong Kong and Macao's better integration into the overall development of the country and promotes the high-quality construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, we are presented with a major opportunity to make full use of Hong Kong and Macao as a world-class platform for opening-up and to promote high-quality leapfrog development in Jiangxi through wider opening-up. We will take advantage of our strengths to deepen infrastructure connectivity, industrial integration and complementarity, and raise the level of cooperation between Jiangxi, Hong Kong and Macao.

More specifically, we will take several steps. First, we will strengthen transportation connections. The main aim is to open a comprehensive transportation artery with the Greater Bay Area, and strive to build a three-hour commuting circle to Hong Kong and Macao. We will speed up construction of the Jiangxi-Shenzhen high-speed railway, which is expected to be fully operational by the end of this year. After the railway is put into operation, it will take only about three hours to travel from Nanchang to Shenzhen. We will also improve the expressways linking Jiangxi with the Greater Bay Area, develop combined transport such as rail-sea freight trains, and increase both passenger and cargo flights between Nanchang and cities in the Greater Bay Area. 

Second, we will strengthen industrial cooperation. The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is home to a world-class cluster of advanced manufacturing industries. High-tech industries in the Greater Bay Area are developing strongly. Jiangxi has the conditions and ability to undertake the relocation of strategic emerging industries from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and accept their influence and drive. We will follow the concept of "strengthening the leading role, reinforcing the chain, and cluster development" to jointly build and share industrial chains. At the same time, relying on the rich agricultural resources and agricultural product resources of Jiangxi, we will strengthen the market and standard docking with Hong Kong and Macao, and create a direct supply chain of green and organic agricultural products from Jiangxi to Hong Kong and Macao. We will also make good use of Jiangxi's unique advantages in culture, tourism and ecology to build a high-quality base for leisure, vacation and health for the Greater Bay Area and become its important and beautiful "back garden".

Third, we will strengthen coordination in innovation. We will deepen cooperation in scientific and technological innovation with Hong Kong and Macao, attract more high-end R&D and incubation institutions to set up headquarters or branches in Jiangxi, and enhance our collaborative innovation capability. At the same time, we will strive to build a base for the transformation of scientific and technological achievements for the Greater Bay Area. We will continue to actively carry out such activities as the "Three Invitations, Three Returns" and "Three Categories of Enterprises into Jiangxi" to attract more Jiangxi enterprises and talents in the Greater Bay Area to return home for innovation and entrepreneurship. Thank you.

Beijing Youth Daily:

Jiangxi is an old revolutionary base area with rich red tourism resources. During the recent May Day holiday, we saw a significant increase in the number of tourists visiting places such as the Nanchang August 1 Uprising Memorial Hall and Jinggangshan Revolutionary Museum. On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC, how can Jiangxi further develop its red tourism? What new surprises can tourists expect? Thank you.

Liu Qi: 

I will answer this question. Jiangxi province is rich in red tourism, red culture is an important hallmark of Jiangxi province, and red genes in the old revolutionary base areas have been passed on from generation to generation. With the goal of becoming the top destination for red tourism in China, we will make full use of red resources, tell stories about red activities well, and promote the high-quality development of red tourism. During the May Day holiday, the number of tourists to many red tourist attractions in our province increased by 300% year on year. For example, 5,000 tickets for the Nanchang August 1 Uprising Memorial Hall were booked in advance every day, and all the red scenic spots in Ciping Central Scenic Spot in Jinggangshan were flooded with tourists. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC. Taking the opportunity to study and educate people about the Party's history, we have made great efforts in form, content and service, and continue to improve and strengthen Jiangxi red tourism and give full play to its role.

The first aspect is in the form of integration. Focusing on the exploration and display of the essence of red culture in Jiangxi, we will accelerate the integration of inter-industries, intra-industries and scenic spots, form colorful tourism products dominated by "red color," and develop a variety of themed routes to meet the diverse needs of tourists. At the same time, red tourism will be integrated into online live streaming and artistic creations, and presented to the public in popular forms. For example, Jinggangshan launched the "Six Ones" activities of "eating red rice, singing a Red Army song, taking a trip on the Red Army route, reading a Red Army book, attending a traditional lesson, and visiting a Red Army cemetery." These activities are both experiences and places of mourning, and have been well received by tourists, especially teenagers.

The second aspect is in the innovative content. Centered around the theme of "highlighting red, adhering to red," we will continue to promote the innovation of red tourism products, actively explore the model of "red tourism plus cultural experience," and constantly enhance the attractiveness, appreciation and participation in red tourism. For example, Ruijin has launched a series of projects reproducing scenes of the First Soviet Congress and enlarging the Red Army. Through photoelectric effect, the static displays are transformed into dynamic participations, which allows the red tourism products to come alive. In addition, we have seized the important opportunity of the construction of the Long March National Cultural Park to make good use of the red resources, develop the red traditions and pass on the red genes, so that the Jinggangshan Spirit, the Chinese Soviet Area Spirit and the Long March Spirit will constantly radiate the light of the new era.

The third is to improve and optimize services. In 2017, Jiangxi, along with 24 provinces (municipalities and autonomous regions) including Beijing, Shanghai, Guizhou, and Shaanxi, jointly launched China Red Tourism Promotion Alliance, with its secretariat permanently located in Jiangxi. This is the only provincial alliance platform dedicated to the development of red tourism in China. Via this important platform, we continue to improve the public facilities of red scenic areas, comprehensively upgrade red tourism services, effectively strengthen trans-regional tourism cooperation, and vigorously carry out a series of activities such as the "enchanting tour on the revolutionary soil of Jiangxi." By doing so, we aim to facilitate tourist exchange in red scenic areas, sharing resources, providing complementary advantages, and jointly developing markets to take the lead in driving the healthy development of red tourism. Friends from the media, Jiangxi and Hunan provinces will jointly hold the "China Red Tourism Expo 2021" this October at the sacred revolutionary site of Jinggangshan city. The expo will feature the red culture and red tourism resources of Jinggangshan as well as activities such as "cloud exhibitions" and live-streaming to fully display the red tourism development in the new era. I would like to take this opportunity to extend my sincere invitation to all reporters and netizens. We warmly welcome you to visit the sacred revolutionary region of Jiangxi and appreciate its beautiful scenery. Thank you.

Southern Metropolis Daily:

As we all know, Jiangxi has a profound traditional culture and is home to important cultural symbols such as Tengwang Pavilion and White Deer Cave Academy as well as the world-famous porcelain from Jingdezhen city. The Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln Museum will open this month. What measures will Jiangxi take to renew Jingdezhen ceramic culture's vitality and make the ceramic brand name shine brighter? Thank you.

Liu Qi:

Ms. Shi will answer this question.

Shi Xiaolin:

Thank you for your question. As you just said, Jingdezhen ceramics are renowned all over the world, and Jingdezhen ceramic culture is an important cultural symbol for the world to better understand China and for China to promote itself to the world. In 2019, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council assigned Jiangxi an important mission and significant opportunity to build the Jingdezhen National Ceramic Culture Inheritance and Innovation Pilot Zone. General Secretary Xi Jinping called on the province to "build the Jingdezhen National Ceramic Culture Inheritance and Innovation Pilot Zone into a new platform for cultural exchanges with other countries." Keeping in mind the instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping, the CPC Jiangxi Provincial Committee, and the Jiangxi Government have seized the opportunity and substantively pushed ahead with this task. We have set up a leading group and a working mechanism headed by the provincial governor and via the promotion of all relevant parties. At the same time, we have received strong support from various ministries and commissions, experts and scholars as well as all sectors of society. At present, remarkable progress has been made in site protection, cultural inheritance, industrial development, and talent pooling, etc. Next, we will deliver in the following five aspects:

First, we will do a good job in inheritance and protection. General Secretary Xi Jinping has made important instructions on the protection of the Imperial Kiln Sites of Jingdezhen on two occasions. The site is the root of our ceramic culture. We insist on a holistic pursuit of development and protection. We will take Jingdezhen imperial porcelain-firing workshops as the core and conduct systematic and dynamic protection of the old blocks, old factories, old lanes, and old kiln sites to ensure that the original style and cultural characteristics of the old city are retained and to reproduce the relics of thousand-year-old ceramic culture, the 600-year-old imperial kiln culture, and the century-old ceramic industry. It can be said that Jingdezhen has the most complete system for producing handmade porcelain in the world. After years of efforts, more than 10 kilns from past dynasties have been rebuilt and restored firing. As you mentioned just now, the Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln Museum will begin trial operations on May 18. This museum, which is open 24 hours a day, features a description of the 600-year history of the royal kiln factories during the Ming and Qing dynasties and outlines local stories regarding its ceramic culture. Combining cultural relics and the arts, this museum is also a borderless museum, integrated into the culture of the whole city through its architectural design and digital technologies application. We believe that the museum will become a new cultural landmark of the thousand-year-old ceramics capital of Jingdezhen.

Second, we will do a good job in the creative industry. We feel that the arrival of the era of personalized and customized consumption has created greater prospects for the innovation and creativity of the ceramic industry. We will fully explore Jingdezhen's brand, cultural, and historical value and strengthen leading enterprises, build industrial clusters, and foster a great ceramic industry, integrating ceramic production, ceramic trade, ceramic technology, and ceramic culture. In the past two years, the number of ceramic cultural enterprises in Jingdezhen has increased by more than 2,000. We should better integrate ceramic culture into modern life and make Jingdezhen a cultural and creative capital of ceramic product design.

Third, we will do a good job in the integration of culture and tourism. At the fifth plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Committee, it was specifically proposed that with the goal of developing into a strong country in culture, we should build several world-class tourist attractions and holiday resorts with rich culture, and develop national tourism and leisure cities and blocks with distinctive cultural features. We think that Jiangxi, especially Jingdezhen, has a greater role to play in this regard. We will further amplify Jingdezhen's brand effect as a national historical and cultural city, a national civilized city, and a national tourist city, and promote the deep integration of culture and tourism. In the near future, based on the existing national 5A tourist attraction of the Jingdezhen Ancient Kiln Folk Custom Expo Area, the China Top Porcelain Exhibition Hall, and the Jingdezhen China Ceramic Museum, among others, and taking the opportunity to hold the Jiangxi Tourism Industry Development Conference, we will launch the "10 scenic spots," "three feasts," and "two plays." The "10 scenic spots" include the Taoyangli Imperial Kiln Historical Blocks, the Taoxichuan Culture and Creative Blocks, and the Sanbao International Ceramic Valley, etc.; the "three feasts" refer to the Nanchang Ceramic Feast, the Fuliang Tea Feast, and the Sanbao Village Feast; while the "two plays" represent a large-scale live-action show and a large-scale original musical show. We will strive to promote the development of the pilot zone into a world-renowned ceramic culture and tourism destination and make Jingdezhen a romantic and captivating place that people yearn to visit.

Fourth, we will do good job of international exchanges. Porcelain making has a long history and a far-reaching presence. By giving further play to the role of Jingdezhen ceramics in international cultural exchanges, we will integrate into the construction of the Belt and Road more actively, tell China's stories well, and build exchange and cooperation platforms such as cultural exhibitions, ceramic studies, exhibition economy, and cross-border e-commerce. We are building an international ceramics exhibition and trade center which will host the China Jingdezhen International Ceramics Expo, and develop the expo into one that never ends. It has been held for 17 sessions so far. We will also innovate marketing methods through internet technology and information technology to enhance the popularity and reputation of the pilot zone and make the time-honored porcelain capital into a prestigious, international capital of porcelain.

Fifth, we will do a good job of pooling talent. A new and unique cultural phenomenon is that many people from other places are coming to live and work in Jingdezhen. Tens of thousands of artists from over 40 countries and regions across the world communicate, innovate, and create work there, reviving the scenes of "artisans gathering from far and wide, while their handicrafts spread worldwide." At the same time, we are actively promoting Jingdezhen's cooperation with the Palace Museum, Peking University, Central Academy of Fine Arts, and China Academy of Art in running schools and hosting exhibitions, and actively developing world-class disciplines at Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute to turn it into a distinctive university with global influence. We will build a national-level training base for high-skilled talent in ceramics and gather a bank of global ceramic talent. We will also build more high-level platforms for innovation, design, research and development, and copyright and intellectual property protection, to further improve the environment for innovation, entrepreneurship, and creation. This will attract more talent, so that the pilot zone will become a popular and desirable place for many ceramic talents from across China and abroad. Thank you.

CNR:

We noticed Jiangxi has proposed to continuously optimize its business environment and make every effort to build a first-class province in terms of satisfaction with government services. Can you tell us about the progress so far and the next steps? Thank you.

Liu Qi:

I would like to invite Mr. Yi to answer your question.

Yi Lianhong:

Thank you for your question. What does Jiangxi rely on to attract talent, resources and projects? The CPC Jiangxi Provincial Committee and the People's Government of Jiangxi Province know clearly that the answer is a first-class business environment. Therefore, we have stated explicitly that we strive to create a first-class province of government service satisfaction. In other words, we will develop a first-class business environment. We have taken several measures and yielded remarkable progress so far.

First, there are now fewer examination and approval procedures. We canceled all non-administrative reviews, which was a cut to the maximum extent. We implemented the negative list system for market access, so that all those outside the list can enter in accordance with the law. We popularized the "six multiple-in-one" approval model with great efforts. Now, the approval duration for engineering construction projects in the province has dropped from the original around 200 days to less than 120 working days, and the time for starting a business has been reduced to two working days.

Second, we have introduced more oversight. We strengthened comprehensive registration and post-registration oversight in accordance with the law, and conducted accommodative and prudent regulation on new industries and forms of business. We achieved full and regular coverage of oversight by conducting the random selection of both inspectors and inspection targets and the prompt release of results. We strictly implemented the fair competition review system to create a fair competition environment for various market players and break industrial monopolies and local protectionism. We also took effective action to enforce intellectual property protection. For example, we handled 781 patent infringement cases, and investigated and dealt with 479 trademark infringement and counterfeiting cases in 2020, twice and 1.5 times that of 2019 respectively.

Third, we made exponential progress in government services, better satisfying various market players. We have taken the lead in implementing a delayed and staggered appointment service covering the provincial, municipal, county and township levels. Even on holidays, you can get access to government services as long as you have an appointment. They are always available all year long. We also built mobile government service platforms such as "Gan Fu Tong" and "Gan Zheng Tong," allowing all frequent government service procedures to be handled on mobile devices outside the province. People and companies now find it more convenient to get access to government services. We also made every effort to reduce the burden on companies, and in recent years, we launched 182 policies in five batches, saving companies over 640 billion yuan in total. In the first quarter of this year, we saw 167,000 new market entities of various types, a year-on-year increase of 79.87%.

Next, we will further deepen reforms to streamline administration, delegate power, improve regulation and upgrade services. We will make continuous efforts in the following aspects: First, we will continuously optimize the administrative environment; effectively improve government services; and popularize the notification-commitment system, non-contact handling and remote handling. We will make more government services available via a single website, improve mobile platforms "Gan Fu Tong" and "Gan Zheng Tong," and facilitate information sharing and coordination between government departments, so that the public and businesses can make fewer visits to government departments and let data do the work.

Second, we will continuously optimize the market environment to make it fairer, more equitable, more honest and more transparent for various market players.

Third, we will continuously optimize the rule of law so that our business environment is fully aligned with the requirements of marketisation, the rule of law and internationalization.

Fourth, we will continuously optimize the social environment. We will first require cadres and officials at all levels to foster a cordial and clean relationship between government and business, and dedicate themselves to solving the problems of companies. We will also require them to be efficient, perseverant and responsible. They must seek solutions rather than excuses when addressing the appeals of companies and people, as long as they are rightful and justified. We will create a reputable business environment featuring convenience, high-efficiency and warmth. Thank you.

Chen Wenjun: 

Due to time constraints, one last question.

Cover News:

Last month, a delegation of Jiangxi's CPC and government officials visited Shanghai and Anhui to intensify communication and cooperation with the Yangtze River Delta region. As an important province in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, what will Jiangxi do to meet the requirements proposed by General Secretary Xi Jinping to promote well-coordinated environmental conservation in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, and participate in the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta region? Thank you. 

Liu Qi:

Thank you for your question. I will answer that. As one of the most economically dynamic, open and creative areas in China, the Yangtze River Delta region has played an essential role in the national development paradigm. Jiangxi is an important pivot to connect eastern and western China, and the upstream and downstream of the Yangtze River. It is also an important ecological protective screen for the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, as Hukou county of Jiangxi province is the dividing point of the two reaches. It is our great responsibility to protect the ecology of the Yangtze River. It is also our great opportunity to dovetail with the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta region. Sticking to the strategic guideline of promoting well-coordinated environmental conservation and avoiding excessive development, we will promote the high-quality development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, participate in the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta region, and better embrace the region's influence and support, so as to inject strong momentum into Jiangxi's development. 

We will regard well-coordinated environmental conservation as our fundamental premise. The restoration of the Yangtze River's ecological environment will be our top priority. We will press ahead with critical action to coordinate environmental conservation in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, and enhance the conservation of the water system in Jiangxi, including the Poyang Lake, the Jiangxi section of the Yangtze River, the Xiu River, the Gan River, the Fu River, the Rao River, and the Xin River. With its special location, Jiangxi's water system is like a hand. The five rivers that originate from Jiangxi all converge into the Poyang Lake, and flow into the Yangtze River via the lake's mouth. We must ensure that the water flowing into the Yangtze River is of good quality, and must conserve the five rivers as a whole. That's why we introduced a plan to conserve the whole water system. Meanwhile, we must integrate the restoration and protection of mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes, grasslands and deserts, and consolidate the achievements of the fishing ban and the project of moving fishermen ashore in key areas of the Yangtze River and the Poyang Lake, thus constantly improving the ecological environment of the Yangtze River. In recent years, the total number of finless porpoises in the Yangtze River have seen steady growth. The finless porpoises, often dubbed "smiling angels," are said to be able to sense people's affections, and will jump out of the water to welcome people. Friends from the media, you are welcome to come and have a look at the Poyang Lake. Among the 1,000-odd finless porpoises found nationwide, nearly 500 are in the Poyang Lake. Now, finless porpoises are also seen frequently in the Gan River in downtown Nanchang. This is proof that the ecological environment of the Yangtze River has been steadily improving. 

Infrastructure connectivity will be our starting point. Efforts will be made to speed up building the channel for openness to firmly support the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta region. Mr. Yi has introduced the issue just now, so I will not repeat it. 

We will put our focus on the cross-regional application of innovation results. We will promote schools run jointly by universities in the Yangtze River Delta region and Jiangxi province, invite scientific research institutes to establish branches in Jiangxi, and enhance communication with experts and scholars, so as to encourage the flexible flow of talent within the region. We will also promote the joint research and development of generic and key technologies, and further coordinate the innovation efforts of enterprises, universities, research institutes and applicators, thus building a base to promote the application of advances in science and technology in the Yangtze River Delta region.

We will regard industrial relocation as our key task. We will integrate ourselves into the industrial division of labor and the market system of the Yangtze River Delta region, and enjoy the benefits of the spillover effect of the region's industries. We will accelerate the building of platforms of "parks in parks" and "jointly-built parks," and push forward the building of the demonstration zone on the border of Jiangxi and Zhejiang. We will also promote the orderly relocation of strategic emerging industries and modern service industries from the Yangtze River Delta region to Jiangxi, and strive to build Jiangxi into an important base to receive the industries relocated from the Yangtze River Delta region. For example, in the tourism industry, we will build a national coordinated ecological tourism region with Zhejiang, Anhui and Fujian provinces. We will build a "Garden Union" that includes Quzhou in Zhejiang, Huangshan in Anhui, Nanping in Fujian and Shangrao in Jiangxi, and make great efforts to build world-class tourist attractions and holiday resorts. The northeastern part of Jiangxi is close to the Yangtze River Delta region, and the southern part is near the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. During an inspection tour in Jiangxi, General Secretary Xi Jinping said that Jiangxi is surrounded by opportunities. We will engage in the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and strive to become its functional area and backyard garden. 

Time flies and this is our last question. The time for the press conference is limited, but our friendship is endless. On this occasion, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee for giving us an opportunity to present Jiangxi to more people. Also, I would like to thank all friends from the media for participating in the press conference, because your attendance is the best support and encouragement for us. Jiangxi is a revolutionary base of China. It also boasts a good ecological environment with unique scenery and robust development. Just as martyr Fang Zhimin predicted in his essay "Lovely China" more than eight decades ago, in today's Jiangxi, "innovation is everywhere, and changes are taking place every day." We sincerely welcome friends from the media to visit Jiangxi, and you will know more about the revolutionary land and its development. I and the more than 45 million people of Jiangxi are waiting for your arrival. Thank you all!

Chen Wenjun:

Thank you, Mr. Liu, Mr. Yi and Mr. Shi. Thank you, friends of the media. Today's press conference ends here.

Translated and edited by Wang Yiming, Huang Shan, Zhu Bochen, Liu Qiang, Li Xiao, Wang Yanfang, Wang Mengru, Wang Wei, Gong Yingchun, Zhang Junmian, Xiang Bin, Fan Junmei, Xu Xiaoxuan, Li Huiru, Zhang Jiaqi, Zhou Jing, Liu Jianing, Chen Xia, 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.

.

Read in Chinese

Speakers:

Yuan Jiajun, secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Zhejiang Provincial Committee and chairman of the Standing Committee of the People's Congress of Zhejiang Province

Zheng Shanjie, deputy secretary of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee and governor of the People's Government of Zhejiang Province

Zhu Guoxian, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee

Chairperson:

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

Date:

April 26, 2021

Chen Wenjun:

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to the press conference held by the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC). One hundred years ago, the CPC embarked on its century-long journey on a red boat on Nanhu Lake in Jiaxing city, east China's Zhejiang province. A century later, Zhejiang is carrying forward the "red boat spirit" while integrating the characteristics of the new era. With practical action and the courage to stand at the forefront, Zhejiang is becoming an important window for demonstrating the strengths of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era. As the CPC embraces its centenary, we have invited Mr. Yuan Jiajun, secretary of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee and chairman of the Standing Committee of the People's Congress of Zhejiang Province, to this press conference. He will brief you on preserving the Party's "red roots" and making Zhejiang "an important window of China," and answer your questions. With us, we also have Mr. Zheng Shanjie, deputy secretary of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee and governor of the People's Government of Zhejiang Province; and Mr. Zhu Guoxian, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee.

Next, I will give the floor to Mr. Yuan.

Yuan Jiajun:

Good morning, everyone. It is a great pleasure to meet you all at this crucial juncture of the centenary of the CPC. Various media outlets have produced numerous reports on Zhejiang, and friends from the media have paid much attention to the work in the province. So, on behalf of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee, let me begin by expressing my sincere gratitude to you all.

I would like to introduce Zhejiang using four key phrases.

The first key phrase is "red roots." As Mr. Chen said, 100 years ago, the CPC embarked on its century-long journey on the red boat on Nanhu Lake in Jiaxing. Zhejiang is also the place from which the red boat of the Chinese revolution set sail. Aboard the red boat in Jiaxing, the 1st CPC National Congress concluded, and delegates announced the founding of the CPC. As such, the "red roots" are located here. Meanwhile, Zhejiang is also a province in which General Secretary Xi Jinping served, and an important birthplace of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. During his time in Zhejiang, General Secretary Xi Jinping put forward the "Double-Eight Strategy." The strategy identifies eight strengths Zhejiang possesses in terms of economic structure, geological position, industries, coordinated development of urban and rural areas, ecology, mountain and ocean resources, environment, and culture, as well as eight measures the province is taking to take further advantage of these strengths. Under the guidance of the strategy, Zhejiang has been taking practical action with a pioneering spirit and bravely standing at the forefront. As the location of the "red roots," Zhejiang is a typical place that embodies the CPC's century-long struggle.

The second key phrase is "an important window." Last spring, at the most critical moment for the epidemic control and the resumption of work, General Secretary Xi Jinping visited Zhejiang and gave the province a new goal and new positioning of striving to become "an important window for comprehensively demonstrating the strengths of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era," which we call "an important window" for short. The new goal and positioning require Zhejiang to become a window showcasing and an example of practicing socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era. They are of great political, fundamental and international significance.

The third key phrase is "common prosperity." This year's "two sessions" marked the start of a new journey toward socialist modernization. According to the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) unveiled during the meetings, China will support Zhejiang province in building a demonstration zone for common prosperity through high-quality development. This is a new mission given to Zhejiang in the new stage of development. To that end, we will focus on reducing regional disparities and narrowing the gap between urban and rural areas, rich and poor. In particular, we will promote a series of social reforms centered on reforming the income distribution system. We will launch pilot trials in improving access to quality public services, innovating policies to encourage those who have become prosperous to inspire others to follow their example, and building basic units of modernization featuring common prosperity.

The fourth key phrase is "a pioneering province of socialist modernization." During the 14th Five-Year Plan period and in the longer term through 2035, Zhejiang's goal is to strive to build a pioneering province of socialist modernization. More specifically, Zhejiang aims to become a pioneer of modernization in 10 aspects: people-centered modernization, digital empowerment, industrial system, scientific and technological innovation, agriculture and rural areas, opening-up, provincial governance, cultural development, eco-environmental development, and public services. For each aspect, we have set specific targets and introduced concrete measures. Through these four key phrases, I think you can understand Zhejiang's new position in the new development stage.

Zhejiang is the place from which the red boat of the Chinese revolution set sail. Over the past 100 years, under the CPC's strong leadership, the people of Zhejiang have worked hard with practical action and great fortitude. In particular, since the implementation of the "Double-Eight Strategy" in 2003, Zhejiang has achieved profound changes and significant improvements. The province has gone from having a relatively advanced economy to strong economic growth, from opening up both internally and externally to deeply integrating into global development, and from basic prosperity to a high-level of moderate prosperity in all respects.

Specifically, profound changes have taken place in six aspects:

First, through one hundred years of sustained work, Zhejiang province has seen rapid high-quality development. We have implemented strategies to build a strong province in talent and innovation, boosted the construction of the three highlands for "internet+," life and health and new materials, and promoted the construction of the Hangzhou West Science and Technology Innovation Corridor with hopes of it becoming a pioneer in scientific and technological innovation. We have stepped up efforts to build the world's leading manufacturing bases, accelerated transformation and upgrading of traditional industries, and carried out digital reforms to upgrade mobile platforms to deliver government services, handle office work and carry out e-governance. 

In 2020, Zhejiang's GDP reached 6.46 trillion yuan, an increase of 3.6% year on year. Under the very special circumstances of last year's pandemic prevention and control, the general financial revenue and public budget were 1.24 trillion yuan and 724.8 billion yuan, up 1.2% and 2.8%, respectively. Core sectors of the digital economy realized an added value of 702 billion yuan, up 13% year on year. Meanwhile, exports reached 2.5 trillion yuan, up 9.1%, accounting for 14% of the country's total.  

Zhejiang province also enjoys considerable advantages in terms of its private economy. Zhejiang is home to 96 of China's top 500 private giants, ranking first among all provincial-level regions for 22 consecutive years. According to statistics from the first quarter of this year, Zhejiang's GDP increased by 19.5%, the value-added output of industrial enterprises above the designated size rose by 34.1%, and exports surged by 39%. Urban and rural residential income, something which everyone is concerned about, increased by 16.5% and 18.5%, respectively. Meanwhile, Zhejiang province has also seen sound momentum in its high-quality development. Its fiscal revenue grew 27.5%, with tax revenue rising by 26.8%, accounting for 84.9% of the total. All of these indicators match the GDP dynamics well, and the momentum for high-quality development is obvious.

Second, through one hundred years of sustained work, Zhejiang province has made great progress in the spheres of democracy and the rule of law. We have established and improved the system and mechanism in which the Party exercises overall leadership and coordinates work in all areas, strengthened the rule of law in Zhejiang, constructed the comprehensive and integrated law enforcement system, deepened reform of the judicial system, enhanced our governance capability in resolving disputes at the source, built a system for law-based governance of cyberspace, and set up an efficient and coordinated model for grassroots governance. In the face of the COVID-19 outbreak last year, Zhejiang province took the lead in activating a Level 1 public health emergency response and establishing a sophisticated smart monitoring mechanism. Our health code system has also been applied across the country. The province has delivered a good performance in coordinating pandemic prevention and control with economic and social development. In this process, we have a much deeper understanding of the advantages of socialism with Chinese characteristics. 

Third, through one hundred years of sustained work, Zhejiang province has built an influential highland of culture. We have accelerated the building of a major cultural province and carried forward the Red Boat Spirit and Zhejiang Spirit. We have launched the Zhejiang Culture Research Project and built the Grand Canal Cultural Belt and Zhejiang Cultural Industry Belt. We also built the Hengdian Film and Television Culture Industry Demonstration Zone, where two-thirds of the country's film and television works are produced. We continue to expand the influence of our brands, including the Most Beautiful Zhejiang People. All of the 11 cities with subordinate districts in the province were named the National Civilized City. It also ranks among the top provinces in terms of the number of world cultural heritage sites, intangible cultural heritage, national key cultural relic protection sites, and historical and cultural cities, towns and villages. 

Fourth, through one hundred years of sustained work, Zhejiang has become one of China's provincial-level regions where people have a greater sense of happiness and security. We have improved the long-term mechanism for doing practical work for the people, and promoted social advancement focusing on people's wellbeing. We are striving to build a demonstration zone for common prosperity through high-quality development and effectively promoting construction of the demonstration zone for the Peaceful China initiative. Zhejiang has become the only provincial-level region in the country where the per capita income of all its cities with subordinate districts exceeds the national average. The province has fulfilled the goals of developing a basically balanced compulsory education system in all counties, building public kindergartens in all townships and towns, enhancing food safety, and providing better medical insurance programs for outpatient chronic disease care. All these public services and social security measures are well arranged. In Zhejiang, the number of criminal cases, workplace accidents, and public complaints has been declining year by year. In 2020, per capita disposable income for urban and rural residents reached 62,600 yuan and 31,900 yuan, up 4.2% and 6.9%, respectively, ranking top in the country for 20 and 36 consecutive years, respectively. Additionally, the urban-to-rural income ratio has shrunk to 1.96:1, and the minimum subsistence allowances has been raised to 886 yuan per month. The public's satisfaction ratio in terms of sense of security in Zhejiang rose to 97.25%, according to one poll. 

Fifth, through one hundred years of sustained work, Zhejiang province has built itself into a big beautiful garden. We have earnestly practiced the philosophy of "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets," and vigorously promoted the building of a Beautiful Zhejiang. We have constructed a normalized gross ecosystem product (GEP) accounting system, scientifically formulated and started the implementation of a plan for peaking carbon dioxide emissions and achieving carbon neutrality, and boosted the construction of a province with a blue sky, lucid water, beautiful islands, green recycling, and a green, picturesque and livable environment. The beautiful countryside is Zhejiang's calling card. In 2018, the "Thousand Villages Demonstration and Ten Thousand Villages Renovation" project won the UN Champions of the Earth award. In 2020, the province was the first to pass the national ecological inspection. The forest coverage rate of the province reached 61.15%, while all six indicators for air quality in cities above county level reached the standard, the province's PM2.5 concentration was 25 micrograms per cubic meter, and 94.6% of the provincial-level monitoring stations saw quality of water above Grade III. We can say then that Zhejiang is a modern version of the Chinese landscape painting, Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains.

Sixth, after 100 years of hard work, Zhejiang has built a holistic smart governance system which takes enhancing the Party's political building as the overarching principle. We continue to make sweeping efforts to strengthen overall Party leadership and Party building, and always give top priority to the political work of the Party. We are endeavoring to improve the political quality, level of theoretical knowledge, specialized expertise, and the practical problem-solving capabilities of officials at all levels. We have established and improved the virtuous interactive mechanism called "two responsibilities," under which officials take on their work responsibilities, and Party organizations stand behind officials who live up to their responsibilities. We have established mechanisms to allow for and address mistakes, and accept clarification and justification. We have been actively fostering a team culture which stresses a pioneering spirit, pragmatism, and achieving good outcomes through scientific measures. We have intensified our work to build a clean government, and taken coordinated action to make government employees not dare, not able, and not want to commit corruption. We have been working ceaselessly to strictly implement the central Party leadership's eight-point decision on improving work conduct and its relevant regulations. Efforts have also been made to address the practice of formalities for formalities' sake and bureaucratism. As a result, we have seen a strong improvement in the political ecosystem.

Looking back on the past, the CPC's century-long struggle and its great achievements in Zhejiang epitomize its great vigor and dynamism, as well as the strong vitality and advantages of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and the compelling power of truth and strength in practice of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. Looking ahead, Zhejiang will uphold Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as its guide, and make all-out efforts to preserve and safeguard the Party's "red roots." The province will strictly implement the "Double-Eight Strategy" to develop itself into the "Prime Window," and strive to create more new accomplishments in making itself a pioneer province in the country's socialist modernization drive. In doing so, it will take more responsibilities and heavier tasks. It will demonstrate "China's Governance" through the "Window of Zhejiang" and celebrate the CPC's centenary with outstanding achievements.

That's all for my introduction. Thank you. 

Chen Wenjun:

Now the floor is open for questions. Please state the name of your news outlet before asking questions.

CCTV:

Just now, you mentioned that General Secretary Xi Jinping put forward many important strategic deployments when he was working in Zhejiang province, and the most important one – the "Double-Eight Strategy"– has brought a significant, far-reaching and positive impact on the province's economic and social development. What new measures will Zhejiang take to further implement the "Double-Eight Strategy"? Thank you. 

Yuan Jiajun: 

Thank you very much for your question. This question you care about is indeed the secret behind Zhejiang's development. General Secretary Xi Jinping worked in the province for six years and made a series of deployments for its development, the most important one being the "Double-Eight Strategy." He carried out extensive and in-depth investigations and research for about half a year, and worked out this overall strategy for Zhejiang in the light of its development features and actual conditions at that time.

First, the "Double-Eight Strategy" is an overall strategy that General Secretary Xi Jinping deployed in a systematic way at the provincial level to promote the province's high-quality development. It is a set of theories and a general program of action as well.

Second, the "Double-Eight Strategy" is a process and an open system. In 2003, General Secretary Xi Jinping proposed the strategy at the fourth plenary session of the 11th CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee. The CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee usually holds two plenary sessions every year, with each meeting focusing on a theme that involves in-depth interpretations in certain fields, and our understanding of certain fields improves with a cycle of repeating practice and knowledge. Therefore, we say that the "Double-Eight Strategy" is continuously improved in practice, and in the process of its improvement, it is especially important to stimulate the pioneering spirit of those working at the primary level. Zhejiang is a pioneer in China's reform and opening-up, and grassroots organizations across the province are very active. The "Double-Eight Strategy" is an open system, so we have been summarizing and refining the trailblazing experience to dynamically upgrade it.

Third, the "Double-Eight Strategy" has seen fruitful outcomes thanks to the continuous efforts of successive provincial Party committees and provincial governments to deepen its implementation. As I mentioned just now, Zhejiang has achieved leapfrog development by upgrading itself from a large provincial economy to a strong provincial economy, from opening up to the outside to deeply integrating into the world, and from a generally well-off standard of living to a high-level moderately prosperous society in all respects. These facts prove that the strategy is powerful, truthful and strong in practice.

Fourth, the "Double-Eight Strategy" is a very important starting point for the initiation of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. The strategy is a product of theoretical and practical innovation at the provincial level. Therefore, it serves as a general program of action to guide Zhejiang's development. We are continuing to uphold, enrich and improve it.

I think there are two keywords for Zhejiang's implementation of the "Double-Eight Strategy". The first one is "loyalty." We must demonstrate loyalty, love and support for General Secretary Xi Jinping, who once worked in Zhejiang and forged a deep friendship with local cadres and people. We should unswervingly promote and implement the strategy which will lead Zhejiang to a brighter future. The second is ""working in a down-to-earth manner." The "Double-Eight Strategy" underlines the importance of the manner. When he was working in Zhejiang, General Secretary Xi Jinping stressed that only by working in a down-to-earth manner can we take the lead. Therefore, it is important to work hard and deliver a good performance in what we do, so as to showcase the strategy's strength in practice.

In promoting the "Double-Eight Strategy," we have taken the following considerations into account. The year 2023 marks the 20th anniversary of the "Double-Eight Strategy." Over time, the theory and general arrangements will show greater power in practice and more theoretical value. Therefore, on the 20th anniversary, the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee will deepen the strategy, specify and improve the target, work, policy and appraisal systems. We will perfect the annual appraisal mechanism, put the theories into practice, and summarize the practical experiences into theories which will then again be put into practice, thus striving for the transformation and upgrading of the "Double-Eight Strategy." 

More specifically, we will deliver in five aspects:

First, a third-party appraisal should be established. The process and problems in implementing the "Double-Eight Strategy" will be assessed in a systematic manner through general, regional and professional appraisals, to foster strengths and make up for weaknesses in applying the strategy. 

Second, we should specify and quantify the platforms and methods in the work. In carrying out the "Double-Eight Strategy," General Secretary Xi Jinping told us to find work platforms. For example, the project to "build 1,000 model villages and renovate 10,000 villages" is a platform and method to improve living environments in rural areas and beautify the countryside. In our work, we should stick to good methods and find new approaches and platforms according to the needs of the new era and the expectations of the people. 

Third, we should set up specialized groups to advance key tasks. The "Double-Eight Strategy" provides us with a methodology for solving problems through reforms. We have established specialized groups across various departments and sectors to analyze problems at regular intervals. In terms of some particularly difficult issues, we should address them through concerted group efforts and the participation of the whole of society. 

Fourth, we should encourage a spirit of innovation at the primary level. The implementation of the "Double-Eight Strategy" concerns all people in Zhejiang who wish to advance the development of the province. Therefore, we should build mechanisms for striving to be first and excellent, and make improvements in areas concerning reform breakthroughs, service quality, and risk prevention and control.

Fifth, the result of the "Double-Eight Strategy" is to cultivate hallmarks of development. The "Double-Eight Strategy" proposed advantages and measures in eight aspects, among which the core is the advantages. We should give full play to the advantages of Zhejiang, and create hallmarks of development. 

From these aforementioned aspects, Zhejiang will constantly deepen and better apply the "Double-Eight Strategy" in its high-quality development and modernization drive. Thank you. 

People's Daily:

Mr. Yuan mentioned several times the need to preserve the "red roots." We all know that Nanhu Lake in Jiaxing, Zhejiang province, is the birthplace of the CPC. Nowadays, Zhejiang has proposed stepping up the building of an integrated intelligent governance system guided by Party building. Can you elaborate on that? Thank you. 

Yuan Jiajun:

Thank you for your question. The "red roots" is indeed a distinct feature of Zhejiang, where the "red boat" of revolution set sail. When visiting the sites of the first National Congress of the CPC in Shanghai and the site of the "red boat" in Jiaxing, General Secretary Xi Jinping said, "this is where the roots of the Party are." Therefore, we call them the "red roots." During the important centenary of the founding of the CPC, Zhejiang is responsible for undertaking the task of preserving the "red roots." As the inheritor and protector of the "red roots," Zhejiang will strengthen the overall Party leadership and Party building, and build an integrated intelligent governance system guided by Party building, to ensure that the high-quality Party building leads high-quality development, and showcases that the 100-year Party is in its prime through the Party leadership of Zhejiang. 

Specifically, we will promote the integrated intelligent governance guided by Party building from the three perspectives of system, governance and intelligence. 

First, in terms of system, there are two keywords. The first is enhancing the overall Party leadership. We will improve the leading and working mechanisms, working structures and systems in which the Party provides overall leadership and coordinates the efforts of all involved. We will consolidate the organizational system that allows communication between higher and lower levels and ensure the work is carried out in a firm manner, and enhance Party building in all sectors and stages, to promote the overall Party leadership in urban and rural areas, and primary level areas.

The second is to build a mechanism for constantly improving the Party leadership according to the lists of issues. The Party leadership should keep abreast of the times. We should make full use of the lists of issues, and focus on solving problems, meeting targets and achieving results. We have seven lists of issues, including major issues in inspections, supervision and auditing. For example, a new round of central inspections was just completed. Other examples include the supervision of the State Council, the central supervision of environmental protection, and annual auditing at the national level. Other lists of issues are related to major security, production safety, natural disasters, major online public opinion, and major public complaints. We and other functional departments sorted through the problems exposed in the work and formulated the seven lists of issues. When reporting their work, the Party organizations should refer to the seven lists of issues rather than merely stating their work achievements, to examine their Party building and Party leadership. If their work is done well, there will be fewer problems and no major problems. Through advancing Party building by solving problems and referring to the seven lists of issues, we will foster an innovative and hard-working atmosphere that features Party building as the lead, integrated intelligent governance, and "practicing values of loyalty and honesty, and daring to break through difficulties."

Second, in terms of governance, we have two key phrases. The first is, "striving to be advanced and creating excellence." Party-building means to motivate the spirit of Party officials of all levels, cultivate their sense of responsibility and foster their ability to shoulder responsibility. We should continue to cultivate the team culture which stresses pioneering spirit, pragmatism, and achieving good outcomes through scientific measure. Institutions should be established to encourage pioneering spirit in such fields as making breakthrough in reform, raising quality in service sector and risk prevention and control. We also need to improve the virtuous interactive mechanism of "two responsibilities," under which officials take on their work responsibilities, and the Party organizations stand behind those who live up to their responsibilities. We have improved the performance assessment and evaluation system for officials and strengthened closed cycle of management for listed problems so as to give full play to the enthusiasm and creativity of Party members and officials. For example, we convene a quarterly meeting attended by county-level Party secretaries from all the 90 counties, cities and districts in the province, focusing on a certain topic every meeting. At each meeting, ten Party secretaries, who have made achievements during the period, will share their experience in a bid to motivate more and more officials to seek excellence in their performances.

The second key phrase is, "be both strict and caring." One must be strict when leading a team and so is our Party-building. We need to strengthen the supervision at every point in the process, establish a sound mechanism for procedure-based exercise of power, in particular, continue our efforts to address the practice of formalities for formalities' sake, bureaucratism, hedonism, and extravagance. We need to strictly fight against corruption and take coordinated actions to make Party members and officials not dare, not able, and not want to commit corruption. Meanwhile, we also need to improve the decision-making system relating to major decisions, appointment and dismissal of key officials, major project arrangements and the use of large amounts of funds. We have taken the lead in exploring the introduction of synchronous economic responsibility audits of chief Party and government officials at the city and county levels so as to encourage officials to get on honestly with their jobs. Meanwhile, we need to improve the mechanisms to allow for and address errors, clarify facts and provide protection for officials and ensure that they are free from unnecessary restrictions and excessive burdens. In this way, those who work hard can be provided with more opportunities and a wider stage.

Third, in terms of smart. As we are entering a new development stage, in particular the digital era, we'll focus on two more key phrases. The first is, "digital empowerment." Any organization or relevant people will have to excise digital means during Party-building, adopting digital thinking, digital cognition and digital technology. We will use big data to conduct comprehensive studies and analysis. Therefore, we'll have a complete and accurate evaluation for organizations and officials' performance.

The second key phrase is "capability of driving modernization." We have embarked on a new journey of modernization, but modernization is first and foremost to achieve modernity of people, especially the modernity of Party members and officials, which is also a main concern of our work. During this year's elections at the city, county and township levels, we will view the ability to apply digital reform as an important criterion when evaluating officials' ability to study and advance modernization, so as to create pressure for them to broaden vision, cultivate innovative way of thinking and improve their scientific ability. In this way, we will enhance officials' capacity for execution, build their abilities to advance the modernization drive. Thank you.

Economic Daily:

General Secretary Xi Jinping showed great concern about the business environment when he was working in Zhejiang, and incorporated further harnessing the province's strengths in this regard as a significant content of the "Double-Eight Strategy." Could you introduce the measures Zhejiang has taken to improve its business environment? Thank you.

Yuan Jiajun:

Mr. Zheng will answer this question.

Zheng Shanjie:

Thank you for your question. This is a common concern from the whole society, especially from enterprises and the general public. General Secretary Xi Jinping once said a very vivid analogy, "Investment environment is like air; only fresh air attracts more investment from the outside." We can notice the significance of the business environment from the "air" analogy. Over the years, Zhejiang has attached great importance to the construction of the business environment, and has strived to create a first-class business environment against the highest and most advanced standards, which is based on market principles, governed by law and up to international standards. We follow a philosophy that states that "everyone represents the business environment, and everything is related to the business environment," and work to improve the business environment among the whole province and in an all-round way. Leveraging digital reform and starting with solving real problems, we have carried out redesigning of procedures and systems and developed specific application scenarios that are effective and easy to use. We have required government departments to give priority to market entities and people, providing them with convenient services as much as possible while in accordance with laws and regulations. 

In general, we have strived to achieve "three improvements": making it easier for enterprises to get things done, making it more convenient for the public to get things done, and making government supervision more efficient. First, to make it easier for enterprises to get things done, we have adopted two approaches. One is to provide faster services to enterprises. For instance, we have simplified procedures for starting up a business. Now, it only takes one working day on one single website at zero cost to complete all the procedures for starting up a business. The proportion of businesses completing their start-up procedures online has reached 98.4% in the province. I want to present some data here: by the end of March, Zhejiang has 8.16 million various market entities, among which 3 million are enterprises and 5 million self-employed individuals. Considering Zhejiang's permanent resident population, this means one out of eight people in Zhejiang is a business owner. Data from the first quarter of this year shows that the number of business registrations has been more than twice that of business cancellations, and the number of self-employment registrations also greatly exceeds that of cancellations. This shows that the vitality of enterprises has been further boosted, and it is increasingly easy for enterprises to get things done. The other approach is to provide more targeted services to enterprises. After the outbreak of the epidemic last year, a series of preferential policies were introduced for enterprises at the national, provincial, city, and county levels. In order to accurately and quickly put these policies in place, we have developed "enterprise code" for enterprises to submit their demands online and have their demands handled in a closed loop. Up until now, accumulatively, nearly 3 million enterprises have applied for the "enterprise code," and policy-based funds of nearly 20 billion yuan have been made available, not including funds for reducing enterprises' cost and burden and subsidies directly given to cities and enterprises to directly benefit enterprises and people.

Second, it's more convenient for the public to get things done. We have worked from the needs of the public and turned what they wanted into what government departments should provide. As such, we have integrated services that were previously scattered across multiple departments into one single service as seen by the public. I will give you two examples, both of which involve frequently needed services by the public. The first relates to vehicle inspection services. In the past, vehicle inspection was an annoying errand for the public with long lines, poor environment, and cumbersome procedures. People's calls for an improvement were very high. After our reform, vehicle owners can now leave their vehicles to inspection station staff members to complete the whole inspection process. Vehicle owners do not have to come back to pay for the service, get a new certificate and pick up their vehicles until the inspection is completed. Besides, the time needed for inspection has been shortened from 90 minutes to approximately 30 minutes. The second example relates to newborn babies. As everyone knows, there are many certificates to apply for and procedures to complete when a baby is born. Through reform we have integrated several services previous offered at different places, such as public security service, social security service, medical insurance service, and banking service, into one place either at hospitals or administrative service centers so that people can enjoy one-stop services. The services can also be accessed at the official app for Zhejiang's administrative services. The new measure can benefit more than 400,000 families every year and has been highly welcomed by the public. The two measures above are for enterprises and the public.

Third, government supervision has become more efficient. The government should know its place and not go beyond its responsibilities, on the one hand, and fulfill, instead of avoiding, its responsibilities on the other hand. In other words, the government should refrain from doing what it is not supposed to do and give full play to the role of the market. Meanwhile, the government should not be absent for what it should do. Just as we usually put it, the government should do its jobs well and the market should play its role well. At the same time, we have increased inspections for enterprises with bad credit and reduced inspections for those with good credit and improved operational and post-operational supervision. I would like to introduce to you two innovative new measures: one is the "internet plus law enforcement supervision." We have carried out joint law enforcement to ensure various inspections for one enterprise can be done by multiple agencies at the same time. We also upheld the concept of "not disturbing enterprises when they are faring well and offering help to them when they have difficulties" to minimize disturbance over their operation. The other measure is for regulating the platform economy. Resolutely implementing the major decisions and deployments of the central government and to address monopoly and unfair competition in the platform economy, we have taken the national lead to release twenty instructions for supervising the platform economy. Also, we have established China's first digital supervision system for platform economy and optimized the full, closed-loop supervision system. We have taken a series of comprehensive measures to promote the standard, healthy and sustainable development of the platform economy.

Improvement of the business environment is an on-going process, and there is always room for things to become better. We will continue to pursue the most advanced and highest standards and evaluate and improve our performances from the perspectives of market entities and the people. We will strengthen institutional building and comprehensively improve Zhejiang's business environment with high standards and refined measures to make the province a better place for living and working. Thank you.

Xinhua News Agency:

As we all know, Zhejiang is a big and strong cultural province. In recent years, what efforts has Zhejiang made regarding cultural construction and what results have been achieved? What are your next measures and plans? Thank you.

Zhu Guoxian:

Thank you for your attention to Zhejiang's cultural development. Culture is like an endless river, running from ancient times, through to today, and towards the future. It is our duty and mission to continue the five thousand years of Chinese culture and continue to write a new chapter of Zhejiang culture in the new era. Over the years, Zhejiang has conscientiously implemented General Secretary Xi Jinping's important expositions on cultural construction and the CPC Central Committee's decisions and deployments, keeping to the right path, while making innovations and breakthroughs, so as to setting new standards to strongly promote cultural reform and development. Here, I want to use the phrase "four cultures" to summarize:

The first is to create a blueprint for cultural development. During his previous local governing work in Zhejiang, General Secretary Xi Jinping regarded cultural construction as an important part of the "Double-Eight Strategy" and tailored a strategic framework system for Zhejiang to build it into a cultural province. Over the years, Zhejiang has persisted in completing this blueprint, with efforts made by one leadership term after another. The "Eight Projects" of cultural construction that General Secretary Xi Jinping personally planned back then have become more and more brilliant. At present, the achievements of Zhejiang's cultural construction are the blossom and fruit of the Double-Eight Strategy and the Eight Projects of cultural construction.

The second is nurturing culture with the Chinese revolutionary spirit. Mr. Yuan described just now how the Chinese Revolutionary Red Boat set sail from Nanhu Lake, the birthplace of our Party. At the same time, Zhejiang is an important birthplace of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. We will make full use of the resource advantages of China's red roots, continue to inherit the Chinese revolutionary spirit, and strive to be the vanguard of learning, comprehending, and implementing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. Through theoretical education and efforts in maintaining our original aspiration, the officials and people in Zhejiang have a more sincere feeling and deeper understanding of protecting the Chinese revolutionary spirit.

The third is integrating urban and rural areas to facilitate cultural development. We have always followed the principle of "integration of urban and rural areas, comprehensive coverage, joint contributions, and shared benefits," so that the achievements of cultural development will benefit a wider range of people. The standardization of basic public cultural services in Zhejiang province has taken the lead for realization. In recent years, the Grand Canal Cultural Cluster, the Hangzhou branch of the China Archives of Publications, the Hengdian film and television cultural industry cluster, and the Zhijiang Cultural Center have been built. The China Academy of Art and the Zhejiang Conservatory of Music also sit next to Zhijiang Cultural Center, which forms the city's west art corridor and brilliantly pairs with the Hangzhou West Science and Innovation Corridor, as Mr. Yuan mentioned just now. Zhejiang has vigorously carried out publicity activities that are popular among citizens, especially young ones, such as the Theoretic Publicity Group for the New Era formed by people born in the ‘80s and ‘90s. The Zhejiang government also promotes the Party's innovative theories, which access millions of households. Zhejiang has become the first province where all cities under its jurisdiction were awarded as national civilized cities. The building of civilized cities has expanded from individual cases to a broader range, incentivizing every Zhejiang citizen to become an ambassador for this civilization.

The fourth is empowering a strong culture through reform. In as early as 2003, Zhejiang, as the country's pilot province for comprehensive reform of its cultural system, pioneered exploration in cultural reform, and the results of these reforms have continuously transformed into development achievements over the years. High-quality TV series such as "Diplomatic Situation," "Feather Flies to the Sky," "Family on the Go," "Wang Yangming," and "Top Secret Mission," all produced in Zhejiang, have generated great social influence, while the four poetry road cultural belts -- the East Zhejiang Tang-Dynasty Poetry Road, Qiantang River Poetry Road, the Grand Canal Poetry Road, and Oujiang River Poetry Road -- have become important iconic landmarks. The comprehensive index for Zhejiang's cultural industry development has ranked second in China for three consecutive years. Currently, Zhejiang is leading, leveraging, and empowering cultural construction with digital reforms.

Recently, the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee carried out intensive inspection on cultural construction, made special plans, and put forward the overall requirements and key tasks for building a cultural highland in a new era both in the immediate future and for some time to come. We will strive to build Zhejiang into a pioneering province in China by continuing to deepen the Eight Projects. In accordance with the overall goal of "building a culturally-advanced province, enhancing the soft power of culture, fostering people through culture, and leading the new trend of society," we will also comprehensively implement Zhejiang's cultural projects in the new era as leverage, exert efforts to enlighten people through theoretical education, build morality with the Chinese revolution spirit, shape personality with culture, build integrity with four rules (rule of oneself, rule of law, rule of virtue, rule of wisdom), build our standing in the world through high-quality works, build innovations with smart manufacturing and via the digital economy, build industry with integration, and build the system through reform. We will strive to create a province of thoughts, a province of spiritual prosperity, the most beautiful province, a province of integrity, a province of original literary and artistic creation, a province with a strong digital culture, a province of modern communications, and a province of cultural vitality. We will also construct cultural development strategic patterns, build a major platform for high-level cultural development, cultivate a team of high-level cultural talents, introduce iconic cultural achievements and cultural symbols, and strive to create a cultural highland in the new era that matches with Zhenjiang's key objective of developing into a pioneering province in China's socialist modernization drive. Finally, we will fully demonstrate the beauty of culture, landscapes, morals, and fashion in Zhejiang. Thank you.

Nippon Television Network:

We know that Zhejiang province has very deep economic and trade ties with countries abroad. With ever-increasing vaccination rate, will there be any specific policies put in place to expand overseas exchange?

Zheng Shanjie:

Thank you for your question. Recently, everyone is paying attention to this matter. known for its export-oriented economy, Zhejiang's "degree of extroversion" is over 50%. Our province has relatively closer contact with abroad. Following the arrangements and requirements by the central leadership, while strictly forestalling the inbound transmissions, we also continue to maintain foreign personnel and economic and trade exchanges. Let me give you some figures. Since the beginning of this year, we have 1,100 ships come in and out of our maritime ports, of which 12,300 crews have changed shifts at our ports, accounting for one-fifth of the country's total. The number of overseas flights landing at our airports was 181, with approximately 16,000 inbound passengers. The above-mentioned inbound individuals followed the "14+7" health management measures (14-day centralized quarantine and medical observation and seven days stay-at-home health observation) in accordance with China's requirements. Of course, we also arrange them three nucleic acid tests during the process, according to medical requirements.

However, for foreign nationals who work in important economic and trade research and technical cooperation, we will use fast-track facilitation measures for them to enter China if necessary, which is also known as the "7+7" model. Vaccination is so far one of the most effective ways to prevent and control the epidemic. Zhejiang province was one of the first provinces to promote COVID-19 vaccination. Currently, we also actively push forward pertinent work. As scheduled, by June, 40% of permanent residents in Zhejiang will be vaccinated. We are also committed to conducting COVID-19 prevention and control on an ongoing basis while promoting healthy economic and social development, and keep abreast of the situation and strengthen cooperation. In line with the new adjustments made to policies on persons entering China and supplies for epidemic prevention and control, we will make relevant changes to improve our work in a timely manner. For example, according to the requirements for guaranteeing and organizing newly added overseas flights, we will strengthen our work to manage quarantine places for travelers arriving in China, and provide attentive services for them, to further facilitate international exchanges. Thanks. 

Shangyou News:

In 2003, Zhejiang launched the "Digital Zhejiang" initiative to accelerate the application and penetration of technologies such as AI and blockchain in the manufacturing sector. We know that Zhejiang now plans to deepen the building of "Digital Zhejiang" and push forward digital reform. What are the considerations? Thank you.

Yuan Jiajun:

Thank you for your question. The construction of "Digital Zhejiang" is a deployment made by General Secretary Xi Jinping during his work in Zhejiang. Over the past years, we have continued to make the best use of digital technologies. Currently, the curtain for digital transformation has fully opened. Against the backdrop of the transformation, Zhejiang deepens digital empowerment. Entering the 14th Five-Year Plan period, we have made digital reform a priority. Looking back, we committed various reforms to streamline administration and delegate powers, such as establishing the three lists and ensuring people can get things done without the need for a second trip, the digital transformation of government, and digital reform today. We have made some remarkable achievements. For example, in 2017, we worked to see that people can get things done in one office, without the need for a second trip. To realize this, we connected "isolated data islands" to let data move and reduce the time that our people needed to get things done, allowing them to access convenient services. After that, we launched the digital transformation of government, empowering governance with digital technologies and pushing forward the modernization of the governance system and capacity. One of the remarkable achievements we have made was amid the anti-epidemic battle of 2020. As we prepared the resumption of work and business operations on Feb 7, 2020, we put forward the method of using digital technologies, such as the health code, to support the resumption. Since then, it took one week for us to develop the health code system. And within another week from Feb 14, about 60 million people in Zhejiang had access to the health code. Therefore, Zhejiang powered ahead in returning to work and resuming business and achieved good results. And there was no confirmed case during the resumption of work and business operations.

As we entered new development stage of the 14th Five-Year Plan period, we plan to advance comprehensive digital reform on the basis of the digital transformation of government. Digital reform itself focuses on reform, which requires us to implement the requirements made by General Secretary Xi Jinping, specifically, the Four-Pronged Comprehensive Strategy and comprehensively expanding in-depth reform. In the meantime, we will also empower reform with digital technologies. General reform is about the institutional supply and policy supply. While the output of digital reform means reframing the system and policy supply, and also making use of modern technologies. Zhejiang is now promoting digital reform in all respects and has already built the "152" system. "1" means building a unified and smart platform for public data. Local governments at provincial, city and county level share their data information on the platform. "5" means five systems, which integrate the systems of smart governance for the Party and government, digital government, digital society, digital economy and digital rule of law. "2" means building a theoretical framework and a system of law for digital reform. Currently, digital reform has been implemented within the province, becoming the new driving force for Zhejiang's development during the 14th Five-Year Plan period. It is also part of the general trend. By prioritizing digital reform, we hope to deepen reform in all respects and inject new impetus into Zhejiang's development during the 14th Five-Year Plan period.

We firmly believe that this reform will make big changes within one year and achieve significant progress within two years. By 2025, we plan to make remarkable achievements in advancing the modernization of our governance system and capacity, while energizing the economy and society. Thanks. 

Chen Wenjun:

This is the end of today's press conference. Thanks to all our spokespersons, and journalists from the media. 

Yuan Jianjun:

I would also like to conclude by inviting you to be able to visit Zhejiang in person. All are welcome.

Chen Wenjun:

Thanks again.

Translated and edited by Zhang Liying, Wang Qian, Yang Xi, Zhang Junmian, Liu Jianing, Liu Qiang, Zhang Tingting, Huang Shan, Yang Xiaoqing, Yuan Fang, Zhang Rui, Li Huiru, Cui Can, Zhou Jing, 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.

.

Read in Chinese

Speakers:

Gong Zheng, deputy secretary of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee and mayor of Shanghai

Chen Yin, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee and executive vice mayor of Shanghai

Zhou Huilin, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee

Chairperson:

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

Date:

April 22, 2021

Chen Wenjun:

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to this press conference held by the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee. The press conferences will provide a new window for Chinese and foreign media to understand China, and especially the CPC. We will invite officials from relevant departments of the CPC Central Committee and local Party committees to attend press conferences from time to time. Relevant departments and the local governments will be invited to introduce how they are implementing the major decisions and deployments made by General Secretary Xi Jinping and the CPC Central Committee, and the situations surrounding the implementation of the Party's basic theories, fundamental political guidelines and basic policies. We will also invite representatives of outstanding Party members on the frontlines from various social sectors to meet with you and introduce how they play an exemplary role, undertake their original mission, lead the people in starting businesses, and so on.

Shanghai is the birthplace of the CPC. On the occasion of celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Party, we invited Mr. Gong Zheng, deputy secretary of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee and mayor of Shanghai to brief you issues on inheriting red traditions to promote high quality development in the new era. We also have with us Mr. Chen Yin, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee and executive vice mayor of Shanghai, and Mr. Zhou Huilin, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee.

Next, I will give the floor to Mr. Gong.

Gong Zheng:

Ladies and gentlemen, friends from the media: On the occasion of celebrating the CPC's centenary, I'm glad to have the opportunity to introduce the situation in Shanghai to you all. First of all, on behalf of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee and the Shanghai municipal government, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to you all for your long-term interest in and support for Shanghai.

Shanghai is the birthplace of the Party and where the dream began. The red traditions flow through the veins of the city. Shanghai has witnessed the glorious rise of the Party over the past century and vividly demonstrates its great spirit. The city was once divided among the occupying foreign powers, while the ordinary people's lives were filled with toil and struggle within the confinements of the foreign concessions. Now, under the Party's leadership, Shanghai has been completely transformed and taken on a thriving new look. The city has risen to become a socialist modern international metropolis, standing tall and firm in the East and striding forward into the future.  

The CPC Central Committee has always entrusted important tasks in and placed high expectations on Shanghai. Since the 19th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has personally visited the city every year and given important speeches, proclaiming the role, direction and priorities of Shanghai in the new era. Bearing in mind the instructions of General Secretary Xi, the citizens of Shanghai are dedicated to reform and opening up as well as innovation-driven development, and continue to break new ground in all undertakings. After years of hard work, Shanghai has already become an international economic, financial, trade and shipping center, and is set to become a center for innovation in science and technology with global influence. 

First, today's Shanghai has strong economic prowess. In 2020, Shanghai's GDP reached 3.87 trillion yuan, the sixth largest among all cities in the world. It ranked third on both the Global Financial Centers Index and the Xinhua-Baltic International Shipping Development Index in 2020. Total trade volume amounted to 8.75 trillion yuan, the highest of all cities worldwide. The container throughput of the Port of Shanghai reached 43.5 million TEUs, ranking first in the world for 11 consecutive years. A modern industrial system is gradually taking shape, in which the modern service sector is the mainstay, strategic emerging industries set the direction, and advanced manufacturing provides the strongest backing. The capabilities of various industries throughout the entire value chain have been continuously improved.

Second, today's Shanghai is filled with innovation and vitality. In 2020, total R&D expenditure exceeded 4% of the city's GDP, which is on par with developed countries. Shanghai is home to 785 regional headquarters of multinational companies, 486 foreign R&D centers, 85 national R&D institutions, and more than 500 makerspaces of various kinds. Shanghai also boasts a number of world-class big science facilities such as the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility (SSRF) and the National Center for Protein Science (Shanghai). In addition to a number of groundbreaking achievements accomplished in Shanghai such as the cloning of monkeys by somatic cell nuclear transfer, a new drug for treating Alzheimer's disease, and the 10 petawatt laser pulse delivered by the Shanghai Superintense Ultrafast Laser Facility, Shanghai's technological wisdom is also widely reflected in such major science and technology projects as the Jiaolong manned submersible, Tiangong space lab, Beidou navigation satellite system, Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST), Mozi quantum satellite and large civil jet aircraft. 

Third, today's Shanghai is an attractive city for talent from near and far. Shanghai is blessed with the rich cultural heritage of China's southern regions and a unique local culture. More importantly, the CPC's century-long history has nurtured the rich red culture and refined the city's distinctive character. The spirit of "diversity, pursuit of excellence, open-mindedness and humbleness" and its character of "openness, innovation and inclusiveness" have made Shanghai an attractive place for talented professionals. There are 63 higher learning institutions in the city, with 760,000 enrolled students and 179 academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering. Over 280,000 foreign nationals now work in the city. Shanghai has been named the "most attractive Chinese city in the eyes of foreign talent" for eight consecutive years. 

Fourth, people in Shanghai enjoy happy, well-off and harmonious lives. In 2020, the per capita disposable income of Shanghai residents increased to 72,000 yuan. The city has ensured equitable access to basic public services for urban and rural residents, and further improved public service systems covering employment, social security, housing, old-age care, childcare, education and health. The average life expectancy at birth has reached 83.67 years, which is among the highest in the world. Transportation has also been made more efficient. The total length of rail transit in operation amounts to 772 kilometers, ranking first among all cities in the world. Urban governance has been made more scientific, detail-oriented and intelligence-enabled. Shanghai is one of the safest cities in the world, and stability and order are hallmarks of the city.

Fifth, today's Shanghai has an eco-friendly environment with blue sky and clean water. Its total spending on environmental protection has remained around 3% of the city's GDP for 18 years in a row. In 2020, the average PM2.5 concentration in Shanghai dropped to 32 micrograms per cubic meter, and water bodies with a national quality rating of Grade V were basically eliminated. Garbage sorting is leading a new trend in people's lifestyles. A system for the collection, transportation and disposal of sorted domestic waste has been basically established, and a zero-landfill policy for untreated domestic waste has largely been achieved. The green area per capita has increased to 8.5 square meters, growing from the size of "a pair of shoes" to that of "a room." People in Shanghai can now find more places to exercise, relax and enjoy nature.

As the old Chinese saying goes, "when drinking water, one should not forget its source." Shanghai owes its development and progress to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, to the leadership of General Secretary Xi Jinping at the core of the CPC Central Committee, and at the core of the Party as a whole, as well as to the wise decisions of the CPC Central Committee. Shanghai's achievements are also attributable to the strong support of people across the country and the wisdom and hard work of the Shanghai people. As we review the past from this vantage point, the tremendous changes Shanghai has undergone over the past century fully testifies to the strength of the leadership of the Party and socialism with Chinese characteristics. All the people of Shanghai are now more confident and determined to follow the Party and forge ahead along the road of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Shanghai, the glorious birthplace of the Party, marks the beginning of our centennial journey. As we stride forward, we will pass on the traditions of revolution while staying true to our original aspiration and mission. Following the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee, we will carry out the campaign for learning Party history. The 100 years of Party history will reaffirm our beliefs and gather powerful strength. We will act as a trailblazer and shoulder our responsibilities as a pioneer on the new journey of building a modern socialist country in an all-around way. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), Shanghai needs to have a full understating of the new development stage, apply the new development philosophy, and help foster a new development paradigm to promote high-quality development, create high-quality life for the people, and achieve highly efficient governance. By 2025, Shanghai will achieve significant results in implementing major national strategies, make great headway in its digital transformation, and scale new heights in its core functions as an international economic, financial, trade, and shipping center as well as a hub of innovation in science and technology. It will also take new steps in building a people's city, and writing a new chapter revolving around a "better city, better life" in the new era. To that end, we aim to make breakthroughs in the following four aspects.  

First, we will make strides in deepening reform and opening up. We must deepen reform by freeing our minds, expand opening up by embracing the world, and strive for innovation by breaking away from conventions. We will be fully committed to high-level reform and opening up in the Pudong New Area, as well as in the three new major tasks, namely, the development of the Lin'gang Special Area; the pilot registration-based IPO system for the STAR market and the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta region. We will strive to ensure the sustained success of the annual China International Import Expo (CIIE).

Second, we will make breakthroughs in strengthening the core functions of the city. We will advance the city's development as an international economic, financial, trade, shipping, and innovation center across the board; step up its "Four Functions" of global resource allocation, science and technology innovation, leadership in high-end industries, and a hub for opening up; and build an international digital capital with global influence in an attempt to better represent the country in international cooperation and competition with continuously upgraded urban capacity and core competitiveness. 

Third, we will make breakthroughs in serving the new development paradigm. We will accelerate the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta region, and put in place a new paradigm for urban planning and zoning, that is, promote central districts' spillover effect; orient the Lin'gang Special Area, the demonstration zone for green and integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta, and Hongqiao Business District as hubs for opening up; develop five new towns; and transform Baoshan and Jinshan districts. We will put emphasis on the development of the innovation-driven economy, service economy, open economy, headquarters economy, and flux economy. We will also advance integrated urban-rural development and go all-out to become a central node for China's domestic circulation and a strategic link between domestic and international circulations. 

Fourth, we will make breakthroughs in building a people's city. Adhering to the key philosophy that "a people's city is built by the people and for the people," we will work to ensure that our people enjoy a better life with a stronger sense of happiness. Our vision is to build a people's city where each and every individual has the chance to rise and shine, is able to participate in governance in an orderly manner, enjoy a decent life, and feel warm and welcome with a sense of belonging. 

General Secretary Xi Jinping outlined that, "on the great journey of China's development in the new era, Shanghai will definitely create new world-dazzling miracles and demonstrate the new splendor of building a socialist modern country." It is an expectation as well as a command. We must be more united around the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, bear in mind the goal of achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation in spite of the world's major changes unseen in a century, have a profound understanding of the national strategies and priorities, and pursue the city's development based on its strategic position amid the background of economic globalization while keeping in mind the development of the country as a whole and the overall plan for the development of the Yangtze River Delta region. We will forge ahead at a faster pace to create new miracles and demonstrate new splendor on the journey of building a socialist modern international metropolis with worldwide influence.

This is the end of my opening introduction. My colleagues Mr. Chen, Mr. Zhou, and I are ready to answer your questions.

Chen Wenjun:

Thank you, Mr. Gong. The floor is now open for questions. Please identify the news organization you represent before asking questions.

CCTV:

According to Shanghai's 14th Five-Year Plan, the municipality will strive to become a central point for China's domestic circulation and a strategic link connecting domestic and international circulation in China's new development paradigm. Can you detail this deployment? What are the key areas where efforts will be made? Thank you!

Gong Zheng:

Shanghai's goal in China's new development paradigm is to serve as a central point for domestic circulation and a strategic link connecting domestic and international circulation, just as I introduced earlier. This means the city will better serve production, distribution, flow of goods and services, and consumption in China to further smooth national economic circulation. The strategic link for domestic and international circulation mainly focuses on exchanges in which we aim to achieve four links: factor link, production capacity link, market link and link of rules. We will reinforce the city's position as a hub for domestic openness and openness to the outside world, and make it the best springboard for going global and a forward position for bringing in. The overall deployment is to accelerate efforts in the following four aspects.

First, we will pursue integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta region and carry out relevant strategies accordingly. We will give full play to Shanghai's leading role in the region, and strengthen institutional innovation, deepen cooperation, promote both domestic openness and openness to the outside world, and enhance the level of complementarity and coordination within the Yangtze River Delta region while keeping our focus on integrated and high-quality development.

Second, we will accelerate efforts to form a new spatial pattern for development. We will enhance the capacity of the main urban areas to serve and drive the development of other areas. We will give full play to the roles of the Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone, the Lingang Special Area of the zone, the Demonstration Zone for Green and Integrated Development of the Yangtze River Delta Region and the Hongqiao International Hub for Opening-up, which are located in east and west Shanghai. We will build the five districts of Jiading, Qingpu, Songjiang, Fengxian and Nanhui into independent comprehensive peripheral cities. We will promote the functional layout adjustment and economic structure upgrading of Baoshan and Jinshan in north and south Shanghai. Among these efforts, the top priority is the development of the five districts of Jiading, Qingpu, Songjiang, Fengxian and Nanhui. Their development will feature industry-city integration, complete function, work-living balance, livability, convenient transportation and efficient governance to become new strategic points for Shanghai's future development.

Third, we will accelerate the improvement of the economic growth pattern. Much of our attention will be paid to pressing ahead with the development of five types of economy: the innovation economy, the service economy, the headquarters economy, the open economy and the flow economy. These types of economy represent the city's economic growth direction as well as the strength and advantages of Shanghai's economy.

Fourth, we will accelerate integrated urban-rural development. Suburbs and villages are precious rare resources for Shanghai. Without the modernization of the suburban countryside, there will be no modernization for the entirety of Shanghai. We will further carry out the rural vitalization strategy, promote two-way flow of capital and talents, and work toward overall integration and common prosperity of urban and rural areas.

Therefore, we will continue to improve strength in the following four aspects. 

First, we will strengthen scientific and technological innovation for greater growth momentum. We will uphold the core position of innovation in development, and accelerate efforts to build up China's strategic capacity in science and technology, resolve bottleneck problems, give play to the role of enterprises as the principal entities in technological innovation, and build an international high-caliber innovation talent pool.

Second, we will tap the potential of domestic demand for more growth potential. We will promote efforts to expand consumption and improve consumption quality, increase the efficiency of investment, transform and upgrade foreign trade, and vigorously develop the "debut of new products" economy, night economy, tax refund and exemption economy, and brand economy. 

Third, we will further promote reform and opening-up for greater vitality. We will spearhead efforts to systematically integrate reform measures, increase their synergy and efficiency, and gain experience. We will accelerate efforts to build an open economy on a higher level, promote high-level reform and opening-up in Pudong district, and build a leading model for socialist modernization.

Fourth, we will further promote digital transformation. We will focus on three aspects of digitalization -- forming new supply via digital economy, meeting new demand via digital life, and optimizing environment via digital governance – so as to create an international digital metropolis with global influence. Thank you!

China Daily:

My question is about the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta. Since General Secretary Xi Jinping announced that the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta has been upgraded to a national strategy, there have been many highlights in its implementation and progress in Shanghai, such as the Lingang Special Area, the integrated demonstration zone, and the recent Hongqiao International Hub for Opening Up. Could you tell us your specific progress so far? What new measures are there for the next step? Thank you.

Chen Yin:

Thanks for your question. The integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta is a national strategy. Shanghai must actively take the initiative to play its leading role; focus on the two key points of integration and high quality; achieve two big tasks on opening up to the domestic and outside world; focus on three key zones that are the Lingang Special Area of the pilot free trade zone, the integrated demonstration zone, and Hongqiao International Hub for Opening Up; and spare no efforts to explore new paths to foster a new development paradigm.

For the Lingang Special Area in China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone, the central government has issued an overall construction plan. The area was officially inaugurated in Shanghai on Aug. 20, 2019. It has been 20 months until now. A total of 78 tasks are specified in the overall plan, and currently almost 90% of the tasks have been implemented. Up to now, the construction of the special area has gathered momentum and achieved visible results, which is mainly reflected in the "three batches." First, a batch of major institutional innovations have been introduced. The entire Yangshan Special Comprehensive Bonded Zone is conducting independent customs operation after passing acceptance inspection, and the administration power concerning administrative approval and enforcement for 1,170 items at city and district levels are delegated to the administrative committee of the special area. Second, a batch of major projects have begun. Up to now, nearly 600 projects have been signed, with a total investment of nearly 400 billion yuan, most of which are focused on key areas such as integrated circuits, artificial intelligence (AI), biomedicine and aerospace. Third, a batch of major projects have started construction, including 18 projects on social undertakings and people's livelihood. Next, the Lingang Special Area will be guided by the "five important" tasks set by General Secretary Xi Jinping. (These are to build Lingang Special Area into an important base for gathering talent at home and abroad to carry out international innovation and collaboration; to build an important hub for coordinating the development of onshore and offshore businesses; to build an important springboard for enterprises to go global; to build an important channel to make better use of domestic and international markets; and to build an important experimental field for participating in international economic governance.) We will go forward with unabated fever, unabated momentum, unabated intensity of reform and innovation, and achieve more visible and influential actual results.

The second key zone is the demonstration zone for the eco-friendly integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta. This area spans the three administrative regions of Shanghai, Jiangsu province and Zhejiang province. Last year, we formed a national land and space plan covering 2,413 square kilometers of the demonstration zone. We have made 32 integrated institutional innovation achievements, which are currently being replicated and promoted in other regions. At the same time, we promoted 60 key and highlight projects last year and achieved a good start. Next, it is necessary to gain a keen sense of coordinating all the activities like playing a chess game. We will focus on eight aspects such as planning management, ecological protection, land management and factor flow, and deepen our exploration, so as to form more easily replicated and popularised institutional innovations.

The third key zone is the Hongqiao International Hub for Opening Up. The overall construction plan for this zone was approved by the State Council on Feb. 24 this year, and was issued for implementation. In the overall plan, the functional layout of "One Core and Two Belts" was determined. "One Core" is Hongqiao Central Business District, with an area of 151 square kilometers, including the Hongqiao transportation hub, National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), and its surrounding business districts, industrial districts, and residential districts. "Two Belts" refer to the north and south belts linking Shanghai and related areas of Jiangsu, Anhui and Zhejiang, covering an area of 7,000 square kilometers, including 2,100 square kilometers in Shanghai. Next, in accordance with the requirements of the overall plan approved by the State Council, we will work together with the three provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui, working hard towards the "four efforts." This includes putting effort into building a high-standard international central business district; building a new platform for an international trade center with high-end resource allocation; improving the management of the comprehensive transportation hub; and improving the ability to serve the Yangtze River Delta and link the international community. Thank you.

CRNTT:

Shanghai is an international city. I would like to know how Shanghai will carry out CPC history education? How will Shanghai attract everyone's interest in CPC history, especially attracting young people to get interested in CPC history? Thank you.

Zhou Huilin:

Thank you for your question. Shanghai is very rich in red resources. The red culture has been integrated into the traditions of this city, constituting the bright background of its urban spirit, and nourishing everyone living in this mega city. Based on this premise and foundation, the CPC history learning and education campaign has progressed very smoothly in Shanghai. Since the campaign was introduced over two months ago, all Party members have studied hard as required, passing on the Party's original aspiration, and shouldering their mission bravely. In Shanghai, Party officials are leading the campaign, setting a good example for the other Party members. The start has been very gratifying. In addition, we require everyone to learn Party history by heart and bear it in mind. Following the instructions of the CPC Central Committee, we will carry out the campaign to help us gain experience and draw lessons, boost confidence, as well as honor virtues as we continue the quest. We require everyone to combine learning with practice, and insist on the priority of being "practical." The municipal CPC committee requires that the campaign be solid, lively and effective. Among them, there is also a very important aspect, which is to make good use of red resources, and tell the red story vividly and deeply.

Just now, you asked about how to make young people interested in the history of the CPC. It is a very good question. We attached great importance to this issue and the CPC history learning and education campaign focuses on two key groups: Party members in positions of leadership, and young people. The education on the CPC's history, especially through the utilization of sites and heritage related to the Party's history in Shanghai, has a natural appeal to young people. We all know that the CPC was founded in Shanghai. The average age of the deputies to the First CPC National Congress was 28, which means this is a young people's path. Our Party's undertaking has a strong appeal for young people. Over the past century of struggle, the CPC has always attracted, accepted, and boosted the achievements of young people, and has always maintained its youthful passion for development as a century-old party. When learning the Party's history, Shanghai's young people have participated in and created flexible and varied forms of study. Party organizations at all levels in Shanghai have actively built platforms to create better conditions for young people to become familiar with and learn about the Party's history. Our work has been undertaken in four aspects.

First, we integrated education of the Party's history with network communication. Based on the characteristics of mobile communication, we promoted co-construction and co-sharing of the Party's history resources via the cloud. Recently, an online lesson for Chinese Communist Youth League members named "An epoch-making event" attracted the participation of 48 million young people, and topic page views on Weibo surpassed 690 million in one day. The host of the lesson was a video maker on the streaming platform Bilibili. This kind of new teaching form can easily become popular among young people.

Second, we integrated education about the Party's history with college courses. We planned various themed learning activities and produced short videos for ideological and political theory courses at universities. Universities in Shanghai brought together groups of young theoretical workers and are planning to launch more relevant high-quality courses, such as the popular course "Tell the post-90s about Marx," to help young people have a comprehensive and objective understanding of the Party's history.

Third, we integrated education of the Party's history with social practice. We designed a series of visiting routes, including heritage sites related to the Party's history, and encouraged young people to learn and think while visiting, watching, and listening. Many themed activities like "Hundreds of thousand youth visit Pudong" were organized. We also designed many red tourism routes. While visiting sites with significance of revolutionary history, people can become familiar with and deeply understand the Party's history. By combining the education of the Party's history with social practice, we are able to create an upsurge in young people seeking and passing on the traditions of revolution. 

Fourth, we integrated education of the Party's history with artistic creation. Relying on the artistic resources of cultural institutions and schools, we produced a large number of artistic lessons on the Party's history via the mediums of film, drama, folk art, painting, and calligraphy, which are very popular among young people. Meanwhile, there are many effective ways for young people in Shanghai to learn about the Party's history, some of which are government-organized and others organized by individuals. I will not introduce them here one by one because of time restraints, but I hope you can visit Shanghai to find further information. Thank you.  

People's Daily:

As the birthplace of the CPC, Shanghai has a special and important position in every stage of the Party's development. This year marks the centenary of the founding of the CPC. What progress has Shanghai made in the publicity of the CPC centenary? What progress has Shanghai made in protecting, utilizing, and developing cultural resources related to the Party's history? Thank you.

Zhou Huilin:

Thanks for your questions. Shanghai enjoys many rich cultural resources related to the CPC's history. We previously took a general survey, which showed that there are 612 related cultural ruins and memorials in Shanghai. Shanghai has carried out a series of works aimed to protect these resources and to publicize the CPC centenary. We will spare no effort to build and safeguard the spiritual home of the Chinese Communists, record great achievements, and showcase the glory of the CPC centenary.

You asked about the protection and inheritance of cultural resources related to the CPC's history. We have deeply implemented a "exploration and promotion project" for the birthplace of the CPC, which features systematic deployment. A series of works covering exploration and protection, theoretical research, publicity, literary and artistic creation, education and training, and red tourism have been advanced. We have made great efforts to build three "highlands" of cultural resources related to the CPC's history in terms of resources, research and publicity, and especially advanced the construction and protection of "one memorial hall and five sites" in the city. The Memorial for the Site of the First National Congress of the CPC will be completed at the end of this month and become a landmark outlining the glorious journey and inheritance of the great spirit of the founding of the Party. The five sites, which have all been renovated, include the Preparation Office of the First National Congress of the CPC (The Former Editorial Office of the New Youth , as well as the former offices of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, the CPC Central Military Commission, the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, and the CPC Central Intelligence Agency. The "Manifesto of the Communist Party" Exhibition Hall was completed and opened to the public. The Site of the Second National Congress of the CPC and the Memorial Hall for the Fourth National Congress of the CPC have been renovated to improve their exhibitions. At the same time, the Shanghai government is soliciting public opinion for a local regulation on inheritance, promotion, protection, and utilization of cultural resources related to the CPC's history, which is expected to be released before July 1.

Shanghai carried out in-depth education on the CPC's history and public activities around the theme of "always following the Party." We are making all efforts to work on the publicity of the CPC centenary to the highest standard. Here, I would like to introduce the following three aspects. 

Concerning theory, along with the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, we plan to jointly host a seminar to study, publicize and implement Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, as well as a high-end forum of studying the Party's history and the third "Original Aspiration Forum" in May. We will organize a theoretical seminar to celebrate the centenary of the CPC. We have launched a publication project themed "Birthplace of the Party" and have published 124 of about 200 books planned for the occasion. Before July 1, we will release ten series of books about the hard work of the CPC over the past 100 years. Concerning the news, we have innovated in all-media communication, launched a major publicity project on the theme of "striving for 100 years, embarking on a new journey," opened columns such as "experience from the CPC's 100-year history," and provided special coverage on themes such as "my story of joining the Party." Together with dozens of TV stations nationwide, we have initiated a convergence of media coverage to celebrate the centenary of the CPC themed around "dream enlightens China," including live-streaming and short videos. We have also organized interviews with 100 foreigners from over 30 countries to make a media-convergence product, "Shanghai Through Our Eyes," which was launched on April 8. Every day one episode will be released. Today's episode features a man from India talking about the CPC in his eyes. 

In regard to arts and culture, we have a series of important productions. These include the movie "1921;" "The Time of Miracle," about reform and opening up; and "Nameless," about workers' movement under the leadership of the underground Party. There are also several TV series, including "Merits," "Glory and Dream," and so on, as well as various theatrical performances and books, including the opera "The Morning Clock," about Comrade Li Dazhao, while the radio drama "Longhua" and book "Thousands of Miles of Mountains and Rivers" revolve around Longhua Martyrs. Other works include the Shanghai opera "No.1 Confidential Document," "The Eternal Wave," and an acrobatics drama "The Battle in Shanghai." Some of these pieces have already been released, some dramas are currently touring, and others are still in production. I think they are all worth looking forward to. Thank you. 

Kyodo News Agency:

Shanghai, the cradle of the CPC, is now a key financial city in China. What will be the future position of Shanghai? Thank you. 

Gong Zheng:

I can answer this question in one sentence. In the future, Shanghai is to become a modern socialist international metropolis with global influence. That plan is outlined in Shanghai's 14th Five-Year Plan, which lays out three important aspects of growth. 

First, Shanghai is a city that belongs to its people. General Secretary Xi Jinping underscored that China's politics is all about the people. I mentioned in the opening remarks that our vision is to build a people's city where each and every individual has the chance to rise and shine, can participate in governance in an orderly manner, enjoy a decent life, and feel warm and welcome with a sense of belonging. That means fully implementing the principle proposed by General Secretary Xi Jinping, i.e. "a people's city is built by the people and for the people," to realize the good wishes of our people for the city. 

Second, Shanghai is a city robust in its functions. We should step up the four functions of Shanghai, namely, global resource allocation, science and technology innovation, leadership in high-end industries, and a hub for opening-up. We promote efforts to build Shanghai as an international economic, financial, trade, and shipping center as well as a hub for innovation in science and technology. Thus, the city's capacity and core competitiveness will be constantly improved. Shanghai will become the central node for domestic circulation and the strategic hinge of both domestic and international circulations in the building of the new development paradigm. In doing so, it will represent China and participate in international cooperation and competition. 

Third, Shanghai is a city with spirit. We will continue to advance, practice, and implement the city's spirit, which features inclusiveness and diversity, pursuit of excellence, enlightened wisdom and humility; and the city's characteristics of opening-up, innovation, and inclusivity. Thank you. 

Southern Metropolis Daily:

When inspecting Shanghai, General Secretary Xi Jinping proposed that "a people's city is built by the people and for the people." What measures will Shanghai take to bring people a real sense of gain in building this people-centered city? Thank you. 

Gong Zheng: 

General Secretary Xi Jinping proposed that "a people's city is built by the people and for the people" during an inspection tour in Shanghai in 2019. Therefore, Shanghai must take the lead and set an example in building a people-centered city. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), in accordance with the demands and wishes of General Secretary Xi, we will prioritize building Shanghai into a people's city, reserve the best resources for our people, and constantly strive to fulfill the people's yearning for a better life. Our work will focus on the following three aspects. 

First, we will provide benefits for people's livelihoods. We have been concentrating our efforts to improve elderly and childcare services, renovate old residential communities, and increase the income of farmers living on the outskirts of the city. We've launched a series of projects to put people's minds at ease, and carried our practical programs to deliver real benefits to people, in a bid to develop a tightly woven security net and ensure people's livelihoods by improving equality of access and quality of public services. Last year, the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee and the Shanghai municipal government launched 16 projects regarding people's livelihoods that will last three years. They are all concerned with easing the pains and difficulties troubling people in their lives through the renovation of old residential communities, comprehensive governance of parking, and adding elevators to multi-floor residential buildings. According to these 16 projects over three years, each year we will arrange a batch of practical programs, and this year we have planned 30 programs in 10 aspects. For example, the previous target was to complete the renovation of houses in high-density lanes and alleys under the second level in the central area before the end of the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025). Now the needs are urgent, and we must work to finish in advance. We have innovated methods and established a city renovation center. Under the leadership and with the full participation of the Shanghai Municipal State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission and the Shanghai Land Group, we have pooled the best resources into relevant enterprises and platforms. In the past, funds were managed by the districts but are now coordinated by the municipality. Last year, we planned to renovate 550,000 square meters of land, eventually finishing 753,000 square meters in total. There are 1.1 million square meters of land still in need of renovation, including 700,000 square meters this year and 410,000 square meters next. Meanwhile, besides these practical programs, we will arrange a series of items, including community-based care for the elderly, to meet people's urgent needs and solve their most pressing problems.

Second, we will reinforce governance. During the process, we will prioritize safety, enhance grassroots development as the foundation for other works, and make breakthroughs by promoting intelligentization. We will further modernize urban governance through subtle efforts and make intelligentization the main driving force. In Shanghai's case, this means deepening the construction of the two networks - one that integrates all administrative services and one that runs the entire city. Built from scratch, the one-stop administrative service platform has been in use for three years and has become a token of administrative services in Shanghai. As of the end of last year, the platform had 44.16 million users registered under real names and accessed a total of 3,071 services including all administrative approvals. Next, we will continue to expand our services, making efforts in process reengineering and data-driven empowerment. In addition, with support of the one-stop platform, we will proactively build Shanghai into a service-oriented city that offers the best administrative services and business environment. As for the integrated network for city operations, our goal is to put together all relevant information for integrated monitoring and run the entire city via one single network. The network's basic structure is designed to comprehend three layers of platforms and five layers of applications. Operations centers and information platforms are built at the city level, district level and sub-district or town level. These three layers of platforms are also the three layers of applications. Another two layers of applications are built at the grid and community levels. We value practicality and effectiveness and strive to ensure that this network works in reality, gains popularity among grassroots cadres and indeed benefits the public. 

Third, we will improve the environment. We will focus on green, low-carbon development, enhance the comprehensive treatment of air, water, soil and waste, and expedite the implementation of a series of projects to benefit the people with a better environment. We will make the sky bluer, the land greener and the water clearer in Shanghai. The "Yijiang Yihe" project is an example. The public spaces along the 45-kilometer banks of the Huangpu River (In Chinese: Huangpu Jiang) have been linked together and opened to the public. The public spaces along the 42-kilometer banks of the Suzhou River (In Chinese: Suzhou He) in the downtown area had basically been linked up as of the end of last year. These spaces have become two belts of colorful public life where people take leisure, do exercise, enjoy entertainment and benefit from beautiful sights. Next, we will build world-class waterfront areas along the two rivers by refining the use of the lands along the banks. In the process more industrial rust belts will be converted into spaces for better lifestyle and development. Another issue is about parks and green lands. Shanghai is a place that is densely populated yet only covers a small area of land. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, we will continue to take a series of measures to implement the "Thousand Parks Plan". The city now has more than 400 parks, so the task is still heavy, but we will firmly implement the plan to build another 600 odd parks. Currently the per capita green land area is 8.5 square meters and we plan to increase it by more than one square meter. We will make sure that green land can be found a 5 to 10 minutes' walk anywhere in the city, a scenic sight can be seen after every 15 minutes' bicycle ride, and a large-scale park can be discovered after 30 minutes of driving. That's all for now, thank you. 

Market News International:

Shanghai will launch a national center for carbon trading. How will you explore new carbon financing, especially derivatives? What kind of financial risks do you think the traditional energy sector will suffer when you push for carbon neutrality? Will the government of Shanghai take measures to deal with these possible risks? How will you balance green development and economic growth? Thank you.

Chen Yin:

Thank you for the question. General Secretary Xi Jinping always stresses that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets. We should focus on the new development stage, implement the new development philosophy and establish the new development paradigm, and this requires us to insist on green development. Shanghai has been actively making adjustments, quickly advancing transformations and vigorously promoting development. Since the 1990s, Shanghai has started its urban industrial restructuring. Over the past two decades, the city has transformed from a traditional industrial city into a city with its service sector taking up more than 70% of the whole industrial structure. The city has also been upgrading its industrial structure, by proactively building strategic emerging industries. It has also quickly advanced the shift towards low-carbon energies, enabling a lower-carbon and more environmental-friendly energy consumption structure. The city has also been vigorously promoting the construction of a green, low-carbon system of technological innovation, thus to propel original technologies to upgrade and to realize high-quality development through green development. 

Shanghai has attached great importance to the development of green financing and has made many efforts to explore the carbon financing sector. We carried out many innovations and achieved some important results. We also successfully launched a group of never-seen-before products, including the first green, exchangeable corporate bond, the first green four-certificate special bond, and the first carbon-neutral, green bond. A group of important organizations are located in Shanghai as well, including a national carbon emission trading center and the National Green Development Fund. 

Next, we will make carbon financing an important part of our efforts to build Shanghai into an international financial center, and rely on the national carbon trading center to create an international carbon financing center. Under the guidance of relevant departments of the central government, we will make efforts in three aspects. First, we will make efforts in carbon financing business innovation, explore both spot and forward products in carbon financing, and offer support for financial innovation in terms of carbon funds, carbon bonds, carbon insurance, and carbon trusts. Second, we will make efforts to design investment and financing mechanisms for peak carbon emissions and carbon neutrality, and steer financial resources towards green development. Third, we will make efforts to better prevent financial risks, closely follow new developments and new problems emerged on the way to realizing carbon neutrality, and try to establish a financial risk management mechanism that can work well with the efforts for reaching carbon neutrality, so as to better serve enterprises' transition to green development. 

In short, Shanghai has been leading the country in terms of peak carbon emissions and carbon neutrality. General Secretary Xi Jinping has announced that China will reach peak carbon emissions by 2030, and strive to realize carbon neutrality by 2060. Shanghai's 2035 plan, which has been approved by the central government, clearly states that the city will try to peak its carbon emissions by 2025. We are currently writing an action plan for realizing this goal, and it will be published within the year. We will organically link the improvement of ecological environment and the construction of the international financial center together. Thank you.

Phoenix TV:

Urban development would involve future development opportunities and plans. General Secretary Xi Jinping underlined during an inspection tour in Shanghai that the city must strive to improve its urban functions and increase its core competitiveness. Shanghai's 14th Five-Year Plan puts special emphasis on strengthening the construction of five new towns, including Jiading, Huangpu, and Songjiang, to create opportunities and poles of growth for Shanghai's future development. What plans will Shanghai put in place to create its own strategic poles of growth through the construction of these new towns? Thank you.

Chen Yin:

After years of construction, Shanghai has become a metropolitan city with a permanent population of nearly 25 million. We also see that most of the people live in downtown, where the population density reaches 20,000 people per square kilometer, much denser than that of the 13,000 people per square kilometer in Tokyo and New York. That's why we need to make the urban layout more practical and promote the continuous optimization of urban construction in the future. In the 14th Five-Year Plan, the municipal CPC committee and government of Shanghai have proposed to build five new towns, including Jiading, Qingpu, Fengxian, Songjiang, and Nanhui. These will act as key regions in the city's future construction, break the bottleneck of land resources, support the upgrade of urban functions, and create strategic spaces and important poles of growth for future development. Construction of the five new towns aims to build them into independent and comprehensive connecting towns, which is a completely different concept from that of pendulum satellite towns. They cannot be simply regarded as sub-centers of the city. They must be part of a world-class town cluster in the Yangtze River Delta. Therefore, we must enhance the complementary functionality and interactivity between the new towns and downtown Shanghai, between the five new towns, as well as between the new towns and the 40 preexisting cities in the Yangtze River Delta.

We have proposed building the five new towns into a future city, with a high-quality life and as an important pole of growth for Shanghai's economic development. As such, it will become an area for urban construction innovation, a demonstration area for urban digital transformation, and a strategic support point serving the Yangtze River Delta. We will focus on six tasks during the process.

First, by integrating industries and new towns. We will coordinate so that the new towns work alongside their surrounding industrial bases during the construction, promote functionally qualified industrial projects to move to the new towns, and encourage the new towns to develop high-end industrial clusters.

Second, by being well-functioned. We will speed up efforts to improve basic public services such as medical care, education, culture, and the ecological environment, and focus on developing distinctive functions. The CPC Shanghai municipal committee and the government of Shanghai have planned some demonstrative schools, grade-3 medical institutes, and public culture construction and operation in all five new towns so that residents can have access to better public services.

Third, by keeping a jobs-housing balance. The needs of those living in the new area must be fully considered in the urban spatial layout of the new towns' planning, with residential land meeting the needs of the population size. Commercial housing and leased housings will co-exist on the residential land.

Fourth, by being ecologically viable. We will create a green, low-carbon, and beautiful ecological environment, and strive to increase vegetation coverage and improve the water and air quality in the new towns. To some extent, the ecological environment in the new towns will be more advantageous and attractive than that of downtown Shanghai.

Fifth, by having convenient transportation. We will focus on building a public transportation hub in each new town to connect the outside and improve the construction of comprehensive transportation systems inside the new towns.

Sixth, by keeping efficient governance. We should not only build the new towns well but also manage and operate them properly. We have proposed transforming the citizens' happiness list into a list of governance responsibilities. We will give priority to major livelihood projects that will benefit a wide range of people and provide them with a strong sense of gain as well as continue to improve urban governance on a digital level and focus on strengthening the systematic resilience of the towns against risks. Thank you.

The Paper:

The fifth plenary session of the 19th CPC central committee has put forward the concept of digital development. Shanghai released related guidelines for this at the end of last year. What are Shanghai's advantages and challenges in its progress toward digital transformation? What major policies will be adopted next? Thank you.

Gong Zheng:

The digital transformation of the city is a major strategy in Shanghai's future development. It requires overall transformation, all-round empowerment, and revolutionary remodeling.

Shanghai's advantages in this regard are mainly shown in the following five aspects:

First, Shanghai has the most advanced information infrastructure in China. The city has become the first city in the country to have access to 5G and dual gigabit fixed broadband. We won China's first world smart city award last year.

Second, Shanghai has a huge amount of valuable data. With a permanent population of nearly 25 million and an actual population exceeding 30 million, Shanghai, as the biggest city by GDP in China, has abundant and high-quality data stores.

Third, Shanghai has rich application scenarios, including across communities, enterprises, hospitals, schools, transport, scenic spots, buildings, stadiums, and subways. Shanghai's metro network has reached more than 770 kilometers, the longest in the world. 61 more kilometers will be added this year, bringing the total length to more than 800 kilometers next year. More than 10 million people take the subway every day. The city also has the largest number of tall buildings in the world, with a variety of application scenarios. It has the largest number of elevators, numbering 260,000. All of these application scenarios are available and important for digital transformation.

Fourth, we have a solid foundation in science, technology, and industry. We have a great number of large scientific facilities—the most in the country—as well as high-level scientific research institutions, which renders us important in the fields of integrated circuits, AI, brain-intelligence projects, and biomedicine.

Fifth, we have a well-structured talent pool. Personnel is key to digital transformation. In terms of the number of professionals, Shanghai now accounts for more than 50% of the country's total in 5G research and development, 40% in integrated circuit and chip industries, one-third in AI, and over 20% in innovative drug development. These five strengths and foundations are relatively solid.

As for the challenges you asked, we are now mainly facing two problems. First, we still have some obvious weaknesses. At present, digital transformation focuses more on project construction rather than on systematic business coordination. Different lines of business have their own systems to promote the application of information technology, leading to information silos, as data is still relatively separate and isolated. Various lines and levels of business lack collaboration and coordination and there is still a long way to go for joint development and sharing of data and information. In addition, problems also exist regarding data security and the digital divide. There are many difficulties in bridging the digital gap, especially for the elderly. Second, external competition is becoming increasingly fierce. Currently, major developed countries and international metropolises in the world are working energetically toward digital transformation. We will fall behind if no progress is made or if progress is not made fast enough. Therefore, to build an international digital capital with global influence, we must strive to seize an advantageous position and take the initiative.

Next, we will focus on digital transformation and carry out large-scale investigations and research to establish and improve the policy system of "1+3+X" as soon as possible. You mentioned just now that we issued the Opinions on Comprehensively Promoting the Urban Digital Transformation of Shanghai at the end of last year. This document constitutes the "1" which indicates the overall goal of developing Shanghai into an international digital capital with global influence. "3" refers to the digitization of the economy, people's lives, and governance, and the introduction of three three-year action plans for them, respectively.

Regarding the digitization of the economy, we will focus on promoting high-quality economic development and strive to digitize various industries. Traditional industries should achieve transformation, upgrading, and structural adjustment through digitization. Data should be industrialized and enhanced to foster new technologies, new industries, and new forms and models of business.

As for the digitization of people's lives, we will mainly concentrate on meeting the urgent needs of our citizens and improving the quality of their lives, creating a new picture of digital life that is ubiquitous and of high quality with universal benefits. At the same time, we will step up efforts to improve the level of barrier-free intelligent technology services. For example, many senior citizens don't know how to find their health code or even use a smartphone. In the future, it will be that they can show their data simply by scanning their ID cards without the need for smartphones. ID card scanning, and even facial recognition, will be enough for the elderly to go to the places where the health code is needed. We need to bridge the digital divide so that the elderly won't be digitally marginalized.

The focus of governance digitization is to provide government services via a single platform and integrate the city's operations into a single network. The quality and efficiency of the platform and network should continue to be improved.

"X," meanwhile, refers to formulating action plans for the digital transformation of several industries. We will work to complete the overall policy system starting this year. In this process, we will study and introduce targeted policies to address the frequent, urgent, and acute problems as well as some long-term and institutional bottlenecks in various sectors and industries. That's all for my answer.

Finally, the three of us would like to thank the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee for providing us with such a good platform to brief you on various aspects of Shanghai's economic and social development and our celebrations of the centenary of the CPC's founding. Once again, we'd like to thank friends from the media for your care for, support in, and coverage of Shanghai.

You may still have a lot of questions today, but time is limited. General Secretary Xi Jinping points out that Shanghai is an important window through which the world can observe China. He also says that Shanghai is a window showcasing China's development over the past 100 years. I'd like to take this opportunity to invite you to visit Shanghai more often; to get a deep understanding of Shanghai's practices in reform, opening-up, and innovation; to experience its prosperity on both banks of the Huangpu River; and to appreciate the rich fruits of a "Better City, Better Life." Welcome to Shanghai. Thank you.

Chen Wenjun:

Thank you all, both speakers and friends from the media. This is the end of today's press conference. Goodbye!

Translated and edited by Zhang Rui, Chen Xia, Liu Jianing, Zhang Liying, Liu Sitong, Fan Junmei, Duan Yaying, Liu Qiang, Xu Xiaoxuan, Li Huiru, Wang Qian, Wang Yiming, Wang Wei, Guo Yiming, Yuan Fang, Zhang Tingting, Lin Liyao, Zhang Junmian, 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.

Read in Chinese

Speakers:

Wang Xiaohui, deputy head in charge of routine work of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and deputy director of the Policy Research Office of the CPC Central Committee;

Jiang Jinquan, deputy director in charge of routine work of the Policy Research Office of the CPC Central Committee;

Han Wenxiu, deputy director in charge of routine work of the Office of the Central Committee for Financial and Economic Affairs;

Shen Chunyao, director of the Legislative Affairs Commission and the Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions Basic Law Committee of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress;

Yuan Shuhong, vice minister and secretary of the Leading CPC Members Group of the Ministry of Justice;

Shu Qiming, deputy secretary-general of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

Chairperson:

Xu Lin, deputy head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee and minister of the State Council Information Office.

Date:

Nov. 1, 2019

Xu Lin:

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to the press conference on the fourth plenary session of the 19th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee. The fourth plenary session was convened Oct. 28 to 31 in Beijing, attracting great attention of Chinese and foreign media. To help media friends get a better understanding of the meeting, today, we have invited the heads of six departments to introduce related issues and answer some of your questions. 

Present at today's conference are: Mr. Wang Xiaohui, deputy head in charge of routine work of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and deputy director of the Policy Research Office of the CPC Central Committee; Mr. Jiang Jinquan, deputy director in charge of routine work of the Policy Research Office of the CPC Central Committee; Mr. Han Wenxiu, deputy director in charge of routine work of the Office of the Central Committee for Financial and Economic Affairs; Mr. Shen Chunyao, director of the Legislative Affairs Commission and the Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions Basic Law Committee of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress; Mr. Yuan Shuhong, vice minister and secretary of the Leading CPC Members Group of the Ministry of Justice; and Mr. Shu Qiming, deputy secretary-general of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

Since there are many foreign reporters on the site, simultaneous interpretation service is provided to help you learn about the situation. If you ask questions in English, we will provide translations on the spot. 

Now, Mr. Wang Xiaohui will make an introduction of the plenary session.

Wang Xiaohui:

Friends from the media, good morning. It's my pleasure to brief you on the fourth plenary session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC). As the chairperson has just said, the fourth plenary session, presided over by the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, was convened from Oct. 28 to 31 in Beijing. The plenary session heard and discussed the work report delivered by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, as being entrusted by the Political Bureau. It fully recognized and highly praised the bureau's work since the third plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Committee. It reviewed and approved the Decision of the CPC Central Committee on Some Major Issues Concerning Upholding and Improving Socialism with Chinese Characteristics and Modernizing National Governance System and Capacity. It also reviewed and approved the decisions to fill the vacancies on the CPC Central Committee, and impose disciplinary penalties on a rule breaker. At the conclusion of the plenary session, General Secretary Xi delivered an important speech. All items of the session's agenda were completed. 

This is the first time for the Party to use a plenary session to discuss the country's system and governance issues, and make decisions on them. From my point of view, to understand the historical position and the far-reaching influence of the fourth plenary session, we should relate it to the overall situation and long-term advancement of the causes of the Party and the country.

First, this plenary session is an important meeting held at a critical moment. Currently, China is at a crucial moment in fulfilling the "two centenary goals." Internationally, the world today is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century, making the external environment for China's development more complicated. Domestically, China is in a crucial period of achieving national rejuvenation, and has entered the final stage of securing a decisive victory in establishing a moderately prosperous society in all respects. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. At this moment, we need to better reflect on the past and plan for the future. The background and the timing make the plenary session particularly important with special strategic significance.

Second, the theme of the plenary session is of fundamental importance. Upholding and improving socialism with Chinese characteristics and modernizing the national governance system and capacity is vital to advancing the causes of the Party and the country, to the long-term stability of the country, and to the wellbeing of the people. The CPC Central Committee decided to use a plenary session to discuss this important issue from its comprehensive judgment of the political situation, the overall national situation and the existing strategies. The decision made according to the current situation with a view to the future fully demonstrates the broad and long-term strategic vision and the strong sense of responsibility of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core. 

It is a political declaration of increasing confidence in the path, theory, system and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics to unswervingly uphold socialism with Chinese characteristics. It is also a political mobilization to carry out our great struggle, advance our great cause, develop our great project and realize our great dream to unswervingly promote reform and opening-up in the new era.

Third, the plenary session is a fruitful meeting that will have a far-reaching influence. Its most important outcome is the Decision. The Decision's greatest historical contribution is finding answers to important political questions of "What to uphold and consolidate? What to improve and develop?". The Decision encapsulates the historical achievements in building socialism with Chinese characteristics. It summarizes the distinct advantages of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the country's governance system. It also expounds on the fundamental, basic and important systems that support socialism with Chinese characteristics. It identifies the overall requirements, overall objectives and major tasks of upholding and improving socialism with Chinese characteristics and modernizing the national governance system and capacity. There are both new conclusions of theories and new requirements for implementation. The Decision thus serves as a political declaration and a plan of action for upholding and improving socialism with Chinese characteristics and modernizing the national governance system and capacity. 

To sum up, the fourth plenary session is a groundbreaking and landmark event of great importance. We believe that with the implementation of its principles, it must have a significant and far-reaching influence on promoting socialism with Chinese characteristics to be more mature and complete, and on better translating the advantages of socialism with Chinese characteristics into the strengths of our national governance. Thank you.

Xu Lin:

Thank you, Mr. Wang Xiaohui. Now, Mr. Jiang Jinquan will make an introduction to issues related to upholding and improving the Party's leadership. 

Jiang Jinquan:

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. The leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) is the defining feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and the greatest strength of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics. Both history and present circumstances attest that in a big country like China, without CPC's leadership, the country would fall apart, and accomplish nothing. For the first time, the fourth plenary session has defined the elements of the socialism with Chinese characteristics, and broken it down into 13 aspects. Among them, the CPC's leadership is the fundamental leadership system for the country, which governs and runs through the other 12 aspects. The plenary session looked to improve the leadership system to ensure the CPC always provides overall leadership and coordinates the efforts of all involved. It put forth six requirements.

First, establish a system featuring sticking to the original aspiration and the mission. Sticking to the Party's original aspiration and mission comprises the foundation and the precondition for cementing the leadership of the CPC. To establish the system in this regard, we should push all the CPC members to adhere to the CPC's nature and fundamental purpose, its ideal and belief, and its ultimate goals, thus maintaining its advanced nature and purity, and gaining the wholehearted support of the people.

Second, improve various systems that uphold the authority of the CPC Central Committee and its centralized, unified leadership. Upholding the authority of the CPC Central Committee and its centralized, unified leadership is the highest principle of the CPC's governance. To improve these systems, we need to urge the entire Party to strengthen our consciousness of the need to maintain political integrity, think in big-picture terms, follow the leadership core, and keep in alignment; increase our confidence in the path, theory, system and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics; and uphold General Secretary Xi Jinping's core position on the CPC Central Committee and in the CPC as a whole, and the CPC Central Committee's authority and its centralized, unified leadership. We should also maintain a high degree of unity in thought, stance, and action with the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core, and ensure unity and solidarity and concerted action of the whole Party. 

Third, improve the system that ensures the CPC's leadership over all work. The CPC's leadership over all work accurately defines the CPC's role in "exercising overall leadership and coordinating the efforts of all involved." Improving this system means coordinating all forces, mobilizing all positive factors and increasing synergies, in order to efficiently advance the causes of the CPC and the country. 

Fourth, improve various systems of governance for the people and by the people. Governance for and by the people is the ultimate objective and means of the CPC leadership. Improving these systems means putting people first, closely relying on the people to govern the country, and cementing the class foundation and mass base of the CPC's governance.

Fifth, improve the system of strengthening the CPC's governance capacity and its art of leadership. The CPC's governance capacity and art of leadership determine the effectiveness of the governance of the country. Improving this system means improving the CPC's ways of leadership and governance, fully enhancing the CPC's governing skills, and continuously strengthening its capacity to govern in a scientific and democratic way and in accordance with the law.

Sixth, improve the system of enforcing full and strict self-discipline in the CPC. It takes a good blacksmith to make good steel. Enforcing full and strict self-discipline in the CPC is the fundamental guarantee of preserving the purity and advanced nature of the CPC and consolidating the CPC's leadership role. Improving this system means continuously advancing the CPC's internal reform, increasing the CPC's ability to solve its own problems, and let our Party remain the firm leadership core of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

The six aspects are the basic components of the CPC's leadership system, which we must fully build, always uphold, and continuously improve and develop. Thank you.

Xu Lin:

Thank you Mr. Jiang Jinquan. Now Mr. Han Wenxiu will brief us on upholding and improving the basic socialist economic system.

Han Wenxiu:

Good morning. I would like to brief you on upholding and improving the basic socialist economic system. The basic economic system, as a constant component of the economic system, has a decisive influence on the nature of the economic system and the mode of economic development. For years, we have adhered to a basic socialist economic system in which public ownership has a dominant position, with other forms of ownership existing side by side. As an innovative outcome of the fourth plenary session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the socialist market economy has been included in the basic economic system, together with the distribution system under which distribution according to work is the dominant mode and a variety of modes of distribution coexist. The three interconnected parts, which support and reinforce each other, form the basic socialist economic system, thus making our socialist economic system more mature and well-established. This major innovation serves as a valuable guide for better realizing the full potential of our socialist system, unleashing and developing productive forces, and promoting high-quality economic development. 

Important policies for upholding and improving the basic socialist economic system were put forward at the plenary session.

First, we need to remain committed to unswervingly consolidating and developing the public sector of the economy and unswervingly encouraging, supporting and guiding the development of the non-public sector. We need to deepen reforms of state-owned enterprises (SOEs), improve the modern corporate system with Chinese characteristics, enhance their competitiveness, creativity, control and influence as well as abilities to resist risks through market competition, in order to support state capital in becoming stronger, doing better and growing bigger. SOEs need further reform to embrace mixed-ownership. The private sector, which has maintained steady growth since the adoption of reform and opening up policy in 1978, now contributes more than half of China's GDP, and the share is continuing to rise. The plenary session called for efforts to form a cordial and clean relationship between government and business, promote healthy growth of the non-public sector of the economy, and encourage those working in this sector to achieve success. 

Second, we will adhere to distribution according to work as the dominant mode of distribution with a variety of other modes coexisting. We should both make the cake bigger and share it fairly. We will encourage people to make their money through hard work while improving mechanisms for distribution based on contributions of factors of production such as labor, capital, land, knowledge, technology, management and data. We must improve the regulatory mechanism of income redistribution and develop social welfare programs such as charity. We will enlarge the middle-income group, regulate income distribution procedures, and form an "olive-shaped" distribution structure.

Third, we will accelerate efforts to improve the socialist market economy system and give full play to the role of the market in resource allocation and strengthen the role of the government, so that the "visible hand" and the "invisible hand" complement each other. It is necessary to build a high-standard market system, strengthen the protection of property rights, intellectual property rights and enterprises' trade secrets, promote the construction of the factor market, strengthen the competition policy, carry forward the development of advanced manufacturing, revitalize the real economy, improve the system of scientific and technological innovation, and elevate new institutions of the open economy to a higher level. 

We believe that with the strong foundation of the basic economic system of socialism, the Chinese economy will surely achieve stability and high-quality development. Thank you!

Xu Lin:

Thank you, Mr. Han. Now, let's invite Mr. Shen Chunyao to introduce the situation of upholding and improving the people's congress system. 

Shen Chunyao:

Good morning. Now, I will brief you on upholding and improving the system of people's congresses.

The Communique and the Decision adopted at the fourth plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Committee emphasize the importance of upholding and improving the fundamental system, basic system, and important system that support the socialist system with Chinese characteristics, and clearly state that we must uphold and improve the people's congress system, which is the fundamental part of the political system. The people's congress system is a fundamental political institutional framework that upholds the leadership by the Party, governance by the people, and the rule of law. It is the fundamental political system that supports China's national governance system and governance capacity. Under the new conditions, upholding and improving the people's congress system is of great significance for ensuring the governance by the people, developing socialist democracy, and giving full play to the advantages of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics and the national governance system.

The implementation of the people's congress system in China is a great creation of the Chinese people in the history of political system. Since the new China was founded, the Party and the state have decided to implement the people's congress system. In September 1954, the first National People's Congress was convened, marking the official establishment of the people's congress system in China. Held in December 1978, the third plenary session of the 11th CPC Central Committee started the new era of China's reform and opening-up and socialist modernization, when the people's congress system was revitalized and entered a new stage of vigorous development. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Xi Jinping at the core has attached great importance to upholding and improving the people's congress system. It has made a series of important elaborations, adopted a series of important measures, comprehensively strengthened leadership over the work of the people's congresses, and promoted socialist democracy and the rule of law to create a new situation. The people's congress system shows a stronger vitality.

Over the past 70 years since the founding of the People's Republic of China, and especially since China adopted the reform and opening-up policy in 1978, the people's congress system has been continuously consolidated, improved and developed under the leadership of the CPC. The system has demonstrated strong vitality and great advantages, and played an extremely important role as China's fundamental political system. Its main advantages lie in the following five aspects: First, it fully guarantees the people's right to be the masters of the country. Second, it fully mobilizes all of the Chinese people to devote themselves to the cause of socialist construction as the masters of the country. Third, it effectively guarantees coordinated, efficient performance of state organs. Fourth, it firmly safeguards national unification, ethnic unity and social stability. Fifth, it provides powerful support for improving the national governance system and governance capacity. Practice has proven that the people's congress system is a good system that suits China's conditions. It embodies the country's socialist nature, ensures that the people are the masters of the country, and guarantees the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. 

The People's Republic of China is a socialist state under the people's democratic dictatorship led by the working class and based on the alliance of workers and peasants. All power in the People's Republic of China belongs to the people. The people exercise state power through the National People's Congress and the local people's congresses at different levels. This is the main democratic channel to consolidate and develop the people's status as the country's masters. With the aim of adhering to and perfecting the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and modernizing our national governance system and governance capacity, the fourth plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Committee specifies the main direction, major tasks and requirements, and important measures on upholding and improving the people's congress system. It clearly answers questions of what to adhere to and consolidate, and what to improve and develop under a new historical condition.

We shall guarantee that the people exercise state power through the people's congress system, and all the people's congresses at different levels are democratically elected, responsible for the people and supervised by the people. We shall support the people's congresses and their standing committees to exercise their power and perform their functions in accordance with the law, and strengthen the system of the people's congress' supervision over the people's government, the supervisory commission, the people's court, and the people's procuratorate. We shall bring our deputies closer to the people, improve our liaison mechanism, and perfect the research, evaluation, deliberation and hearing system. We shall also upgrade our organizational and electoral system and strengthen procedural rules. To expand representation and get more people involved, we shall also appropriately absorb more deputies at the grassroots level. Meanwhile, enhancing local people's congresses and their standing committees is also a priority. Thank you.

Xu Lin:

Thanks to Mr. Shen Chunyao. Now Mr. Yuan Shuhong will brief us on upholding and improving the system of socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics.

Yuan Shuhong:

Ladies and gentlemen, now, I'll introduce the main content of upholding and improving the system of socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics.

The rule of law system is the backbone of the national governance system. The Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) has given high priority to upholding and improving the system of socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics, fully demonstrating that the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core is paying close attention to fully advancing law-based governance and promoting the rule of law in China. 

The Decision points out that "Establishing a system of socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics and building a socialist country with the rule of law are the intrinsic requirements for upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics." The more the socialism with Chinese characteristics develops, the more urgent it is for the system of socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics to play a bigger role in providing guidance, standardization and guarantee, constantly providing institutionalized plans for prominent problems facing the cause of the Party and the country, so as to embrace a broader and brighter prospects for the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

To that end, the Decision stresses that we should keep to the path of socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics, speed up the establishment of a full-fledged legal system, an efficient law enforcement system, a strict oversight system and a strong guarantee system, and step up to improve Party regulations. It has put forward a string of measures with regard to mechanisms, institutions and systems as follows:

First, we need to improve the mechanisms and institutions that ensure the full enforcement of the Constitution. To advance the rule of law, we must first adhere to governance based on the Constitution; and to realize governance in accordance with the law, we must first adhere to governance in accordance with the Constitution. In order to uphold and improve the system of socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics, we must improve the mechanisms and institutions that ensure the full enforcement of the Constitution by strengthening efforts to ensure and oversee the enforcement of the Constitution, implementing the mechanism of procedures for the interpretation of the Constitution, advancing constitutional review and improving the system and capacity for recording and review.

Second, we need to improve legislative systems and mechanisms. "When the law of the land is good, there will be order in the land; and when the laws of the state are good, there will be order in the state." In order to build the system of socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics, we must further improve the legislative systems and mechanisms, improve the quality and efficiency of legislative work and guarantee good governance with good laws.

Third, we need to improve the legal assurance for social fairness and justice. Fairness and justice constitute the foundation that ensures the rule of law. We must adopt the strategic perspective that the principal contradiction facing Chinese society has evolved in the new era, and stick to the principle that the development of the rule of law relies on the people and is for their benefit. We must work to ensure strict law enforcement and impartial administration of justice to ensure that people can feel fairness and justice in every judicial case.

Fourth, we need to intensify oversight over the implementation of laws. In order to ensure the full and fair implementation of laws, we must effectively strengthen oversight to ensure impartial exercise of the administrative, supervisory, judicial and procuratorial power, so as to protect people's legitimate rights and interests.

Thanks to everyone.

Xu Lin:

Thank you, Mr. Yuan. Next, Mr. Shu Qiming will brief you about China's political party system and the united front.

Shu Qiming:

Ladies and gentlemen, next, I will present a brief introduction to China's political party system and the united front.

The system of multiparty cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) is part of the basic political system of China. Jointly created by the CPC, the Chinese people, other political parties, and public figures without party affiliation, it is a new type of party system rooted in China. The Decision draws up plans in the following aspects: implementing the principles of long-term coexistence, mutual oversight, sincerity, and sharing weal and woe; strengthening the construction of the socialist political party system with Chinese characteristics; and improving the mechanism of mutual oversight, especially the CPC's willingness to accept the oversight by other political parties, and the mechanism for carrying out the special oversight on the implementation of major policy decisions and plans. 

The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) is a great accomplishment of the CPC, which combines the Marxist-Leninist theories on united front, political party and democracy with China's actual conditions. It is a great creation in the political system achieved by the CPC together with other political parties, public figures without party affiliation, people's organizations, and public figures from all ethnic groups and all sectors of society. It is an important component of China's system for governance and an institutional design with Chinese characteristics. For the past 70 years, under the leadership of the CPC, the CPPCC has played a very important role in different historical periods, including the founding of the People's Republic of China, socialist revolution, construction and reform. The Decision emphasizes the need to give full play to the CPPCC as a political organization and a form of democracy, improve its level of political consultation, democratic oversight, and participation in the deliberation and administration of state affairs, and better build consensus. The Decision puts forward the following measures: improving the role of the CPPCC as a specialist consultative body, enriching the forms of consultation, and promoting sound rules for consultation.

Socialist consultative democracy, as an important way of realizing Party leadership, is unique to China's socialist democracy. The Decision puts forward plans in the following aspects: upholding socialist consultative democracy, building a complete consultative democracy system featuring appropriate procedures, improving the mechanism of conducting consultations before and during the implementation of policy decisions, and enriching institutionalized practices where the people get to discuss their own affairs.

The united front is an important mechanism to ensure the success of the Party's mission. Maintaining public support, which is key to achieving the goals of the cause of the Party and the people, is a political task of prime importance. The Decision emphasizes the need to consolidate and develop the broadest possible patriotic united front, uphold the united front work, seek consistency while respecting diversity, improve the policies to give more consideration to the interests of our allies, and promote harmony in relations between political parties, between ethnic groups, between religions, between social strata, and between our compatriots at home and abroad.

Xu Lin:

Thank you, Mr. Shu Qiming. Now, the floor is open for questions. Please identify the news outlet you represent before asking your questions.

CCTV:

I have two questions. First, one of the important topics of the fourth plenary session was upholding and improving socialism with Chinese characteristics and modernizing the national governance system and capacity, which was first proposed as an overall objective at the third plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Committee in 2013. What different requirements were made at the fourth plenary session? Second, what does the CPC Central Committee think about the implementation of the resolutions of the third plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Committee?

Xu Lin:

I'd like to invite Mr. Wang Xiaohui to answer this question.

Wang Xiaohui:

Just as the reporter from CCTV has said, upholding and improving socialism with Chinese characteristics and modernizing China's system and capacity for governance is the overall objective of furthering reform in all aspects. It was proposed at the third plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Committee. Concerning this objective, 336 major reform tasks were identified. Five years on from that meeting, remarkable achievements have been made in major areas and key links. These 336 tasks have either been completed or are in the process of being implemented. The basic systems in major areas have been established. We believe that these achievements have laid a solid foundation for advancing the modernization of national governance system and capacity.

Regarding the difference between this session's decision and the previous one, the one passed at this plenary session has deepened and expanded the scope of the overall objective, and developed many new plans and arrangements; yet, the general principle remains unchanged. The new plans and arrangements show some remarkable characteristics, which I will now describe.

First, they stress upholding and improving the Party's leadership. The Decision gives top priority to upholding and improving the Party's leadership, as well as strengthening its capacity to govern in a scientific and democratic way and in accordance with the law. It emphasizes the guiding role of the Party's leadership in the national governance system. From the guiding principles to the major concepts and on to specific measures, upholding and improving the Party's leadership is stressed in every field and at every stage. This is a major characteristic.

Second, the new plans and arrangements fully demonstrate our confidence in socialism with Chinese characteristics. The Decision makes a systematic conclusion of the major achievements in theories, practices and institutions involved in upholding and improving socialism with Chinese characteristics and modernizing the national governance system and capacity, which have been established ever since the founding of the People's Republic of China, and particularly after the 18th National Congress of CPC. The Decision also summarizes our distinct advantages in 13 areas regarding the country's various institutions and governance system. They have provided a fundamental guarantee for the Chinese people under the Party's leadership to achieve miracles in promoting rapid economic development and maintaining long-term social stability. They are the secret to success in the institutional field in ensuring good governance. They are the basic reason that we are confident in the path, theory, system and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics. This is another major characteristic.

Third, the new plans and arrangements are problem-oriented and easy to implement. The decision of continuing to integrate the country's fundamental, basic and important systems, and to ensure integrated plans for their reform and operation, identifies the important systems and principles that we must uphold, and provides key guidance for the major tasks and moves to advance institutional construction. We believe that when the Decision is implemented, it will exert a profound and far-reaching influence on developing institutions that are well conceived, fully developed, procedure-based, and efficient, thus advancing the modernization of China's system and capacity for governance. Thank you.

Lianhe Zaobao:

One of the topics of the fourth plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Committee is the modernization of governance capacity. I wonder what kind of discussions were held on this topic, what weaknesses were identified, and what improvements were required? Thank you!

Xu Lin:

We'll ask Mr. Jiang Jinquan to answer this question. 

Jiang Jinquan:

Thank you. You have raised a very important question. Socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era, and the world is undergoing the greatest changes in a century. Our development is at a new historic juncture. Our economic growth is showing new characteristics at a new phase. New, profound changes are occurring in the Party, the country and the world. All these require us to advance the modernization of national governance system and capacity, and raise individual official's governance capacity and art of administration. 

Regarding this, the plenary session stressed that "officials at all levels should strengthen their capability in learning, political leadership, reform and innovation, scientific development, law-based governance, mass work, commitment to implementation, and response to risks, and should carry forward the fighting spirit, and improve fighting skills." This is in exact response to the new era, new tasks and new requirements that have emerged.

As for "weaknesses, Chinese officials, especially those in leading positions, are quite competent in general. This is because we have established a good selection mechanism. Officials have had years of working experience and are appointed to their positions after rounds of selection. Some foreign media outlets have already noticed the merits of this selection mechanism, as it ensures all selected officials are outstanding. Thus, Chinese officials, especially those in leading positions at all levels, are competent in general, and their capacity meets the requirements of advancing the modernization of national governance system and capacity. Of course, they have some weaknesses. As science and technology rapidly develops, and the world is changing extremely fast, some officials lack the abilities to learn and adapt. Therefore, General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized that we need to cultivate high-quality, professionally competent officials, and officials at all levels should increase their general and professional knowledge, and strive to become leading administrators meeting the requirements of socialism with Chinese characteristics for the new era. We should follow General Secretary Xi Jinping's instruction to overcome our weaknesses, and continuing to learn and improve. 

The Decision is about systems and thus does not have many details on specific measures. Regarding your question, there are two requirements: First, officials are urged to learn by undergoing more training. Officials are required to keep acquiring new knowledge, study new matters and learn how to solve new problems. Second, officials need to strengthen their working practices. Enhanced practice brings wisdom and competence; thus, we need to ensure officials are trained to weather the storm and hone their skills. That is the best way to raise their capabilities. Thank you!

TASS, Russia:

What new measures has the fourth plenary session proposed to uphold and improve the Party and state oversight systems and strengthen supervision of public servants? Thanks.

Xu Lin:

Mr. Jiang Jinquan will answer this question.

Jiang Jinquan:

Thanks for your question. It is a common and worldwide topic to strengthen checks on and oversight over the distribution and exercise of power to ensure it is not abused. It is also a key element of state governance. This session has proposed three requirements for upholding and improving the Party and state oversight systems and strengthening full-coverage supervision of all public servants.

First, improving the Party and state oversight systems. This work is twofold. First, we will coordinate their respective supervisory systems. In order to realize the full-coverage supervision of public servants, we have established the National Supervisory Commission working together with the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI). Second, we will coordinate all the existing supervisory mechanisms, such as discipline inspection, inspection tour, and dispatch of officials to other departments for supervision. In addition, we will promote coordination of various supervisory institutions including intra-Party supervision, supervision by people's congresses, democratic and judicial supervision. In this way, we will put in place a close-knit supervisory network that features overall Party leadership, full coverage, authority and efficiency. 

Second, improving checks on the distribution and exercise of power. Power must be supervised and the supervision should focus on the distribution and exercise of power. In order to prevent any abuse of power, this session made a series of decisions to ensure that power and responsibility are law-based, transparent and interdependent.

Third, building a system that ensures officials do not dare, cannot and have no desire to engage in corrupt practices. It is clear that corruption entails the use of power to make personal gains and pursue private interests. To curb corruption, we must impose checks and supervision on the exercise of power. It is in the nature of the CPC and the socialist country at large to unswervingly oppose corruption. It is also the firm political position that the CPC will follow through on its decisions. This session builds on the overwhelming success in anti-corruption work and attaches high importance to addressing both the symptoms and root causes of corruption. In a word, we will continue to apply rigorous standards and impose severe punishments, and maintain full pressure on corruption to create a political atmosphere in which officials do not dare to become corrupt. We will improve various checks and supervision systems to build a mechanism in which officials cannot engage in corrupt acts, offering an institutionalized solution. We will advance education campaigns on a theme of "staying true to our founding missions" to lay a solid ideological foundation for officials to harbor no desire to engage in corrupt acts. 

This session has proposed a series of major measures in the above three aspects. We believe that we will obtain new and greater achievements in strengthening supervision and curbing corruption through the implementation of the spirit of this session.

South China Morning Post:

People are all concerned about the current situation in Hong Kong. What discussions were held on Hong Kong's situation at the fourth plenary session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC)? The Communique released after the session mentions the "one country, two systems" principle, stating the need to establish and improve the legal system and enforcement mechanisms for the special administrative regions to safeguard national security. Would you like to introduce the specific measures? For example, will the National People's Congress participate in constructing the national security system in Hong Kong via legislation and interpretation? Is there a timetable? Thank you. 

Xu Lin:

Mr. Shen Chunyao will take your questions.

Shen Chunyao:

Governing Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions (SARs) based on the "one country, two systems" principle is an important part of China's national governance system, and it is surely an important item included in the agenda of the fourth plenary session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC). The Decision adopted at the session includes a section on the arrangements and requirements concerning how to uphold and improve the "one country, two systems" principle. It stresses that we should govern Hong Kong and Macao in full accordance with this principle, and we should fully and faithfully implement the policies involved, namely, "one country, two systems", "the people of Hong Kong governing Hong Kong", "the people of Macao governing Macao", and a high degree of autonomy enjoyed by both regions. We must adhere to the principle that "one country" is the premise and foundation for the implementation of the "two systems", and the "two systems" part is subordinated to and derived from "one country" and unified within it.

The Decision puts forward a series of tasks and requirements in this regard. First, continuing to govern Hong Kong and Macao in accordance with the law, upholding the constitutional order in the special administrative regions prescribed by the national Constitution and the Basic Law of each SAR, improving the systems and mechanisms related to the implementation of the Constitution and Basic Law of each SAR, remaining committed to the policy of Hong Kong people governing Hong Kong and Macao people governing Macao, with patriots playing the principal role, and improving the SARs' law-based governance capabilities. Second, improving the system and mechanism through which the central government appoints or removes the chief executives and key officials of the SARs, intensifying the system of the NPC Standing Committee's interpretations of the Basic Law of each SAR, and exercising the powers granted to the central government by the Constitution and the Basic Law. The third aspect is setting up and improving legislation and enforcement mechanisms for the special administrative regions to safeguard national security, and supporting the SARs in enhancing their law enforcement capabilities. Fourth, there is a need to improve the coordinated development mechanism to better integrate Hong Kong and Macao into the country's overall development so as to complement one another's advantages, advancing the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and supporting the two SARs in developing their economy, improving people's livelihoods and solving deep-rooted problems possibly influencing their social stability and future development. Fifth, there is a need to better educate people in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions, particularly civil servants and young people, about the country's Constitution, the Basic Law of each SAR, and its national conditions, history and culture, so as to enhance their sense of national consciousness and patriotism.

In a word, we will further improve the system that ensures the central government exercises overall jurisdiction over Hong Kong and Macao as mandated by the Constitution and the Basic Law of each special administrative region, firmly uphold China's sovereignty, security and development interests, maintain lasting prosperity and stability in Hong Kong and Macao, never tolerate any act that challenges the bottom line of the "one country, two systems" principle or any attempt to split the country or endanger national security, and resolutely prevent and contain external interference in Hong Kong and Macao affairs and their separatist, subversive, infiltration and sabotage activities. Thank you.

NBC:

It is said that the leading role of the state-owned economy is the foundation of what is described as socialism with Chinese characteristics. But this seems to be a source of dispute, with major international criticism that this system distorts the market and gives Chinese state-owned enterprise unfair advantages. Has the Party plenum discussed this as an important issue for improving China's governance system? Thank you 

Xu Lin:

Mr. Han will answer this question.

Han Wenxiu:

This issue has become a matter of great concern. I would like to respond to it from two aspects.

Generally, the state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in China have assimilated themselves into the socialist market economy. During the past 40 years or so of reform and opening up, we have continuously promoted reform of the SOEs, undertaken reforms focusing on separation of government administration from enterprise management and separation of government administration from state assets management, accelerated the establishment of a modern corporate system for SOEs, completed the introduction of a modern corporate system, improved governance over SOEs, fostered sound market-oriented operating mechanisms, pushed ahead with reforms on mixed ownership, cleaned up "zombie enterprises" in an orderly way and made progress in relieving SOEs of their obligations to operate social welfare programs. After years of efforts, SOEs have become market players that follow market rules and participate in market competition on an equal footing. In this process, the layout of the state-owned economy has also been adjusted and optimized. At present, it is mainly distributed across key industries and areas that are considered vital to national security and forming the lifeblood of national economy. In the generally competitive industrial structure, the state-owned economy actually only accounts for a small share. SOEs also undertake the functions of providing public goods and universal services.

Also, the policies and systems of fair competition and common development of economic entities under all forms of ownership have been constantly improving. The plenary session discussed this issue and stressed that it is necessary to improve the legal environment to support the development of the private economy and foreign-invested enterprises, ensure fairness-based property rights protection system, step up law enforcement to tackle monopoly and unfair competition, put in place a punitive compensation system for intellectual property infringements, work to ensure sound lawmaking, strict law enforcement, impartial administration of justice, thus promoting the comprehensive protection of all types of property rights in accordance with the law. It is also necessary to strengthen the fundamental position of competition policy and thus implement a fair competition review system. It is necessary to create a good market environment, so that all entities of different ownership can use resources and factors of production legally and equally, participate in market competition in an open and fair manner, and be equally protected by law.

In short, there's no so-called natural advantage for SOEs. In market competition with the survival of the fittest, SOEs, as an equal market entity, can only truly establish and develop their own advantages by way of enhancing their competitiveness and innovation. This is very much the case for the domestic market. And the same is true for overseas markets. Thank you!

People's Daily:

I'd like to know more about deputies to people's congresses and the measures that enable them to better play their roles. Thank you.

Xu Lin:

Mr Shen Chunyao will discuss this.

Shen Chunyao:

Deputies play a principal role in the people's congress system. Representing the people's interests and wills, deputies at various levels form their corresponding levels of the overall people's congress system exert state power in accordance with the law. I'd like to briefly introduce the general situation of these deputies at all levels. We have altogether 2.62 million deputies to people's congresses at five levels, that is, about 1.88 million at the town level, 590,000 at the county level, 120,000 at the city or prefectural level, 20,000 at provincial level, and 3,000 at the national level.

Deputies to people's congresses come from the people, represent the people, and perform their duties in accordance with the law. Strengthening ties between deputies and the people is a basic requirement of the people's congress system. To uphold and improve the system under the new circumstances, we must seek to enhance communication between deputies and the people and let the deputies at all levels fully play their role. The Decision clearly stipulates that to be responsible for the people and be supervised by them, deputies at all levels must get closer to the masses and seek advice from them through various channels.

Allowing deputies to fully play their roles is important for improving the work of the people's congresses. And there are many ways to do that. Putting forward proposals and suggestions is a vital way familiar to us during the annual "two sessions." During the second session of the 13th National People's Congress held in March, deputies submitted more than 490 proposals, most of which involved the development of the rule of law and focused on legislation and amendment. A total of 8,160 suggestions, criticisms and comments were submitted by deputies, covering various causes such as socioeconomic development, ecological and environmental protection, and improving people's livelihood. These proposals were studied in accordance with the law by state organs including the Standing Committee of the National People Congress, the State Council, the National Supervisory Commission, the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate. A mature procedural mechanism has been established in this regard. 

Standing committees of people's congresses at all levels value highly the work of the deputies, honor their principal position, and fully support their efforts in performing duties according to the law and playing their roles through undertaking surveys, inspections, visits, and participating in the work of their respective standing committees. Diversified forms such as deputy home, deputy room, deputy junction and the online platform have been set up to facilitate their understanding of public sentiments and concerns, and enable them to introduce the country's laws and policies to the people. Such an approach also allows the people's congress, the people's government, the supervisory commission, the people's court and the people's procuratorate to actively tackle issues of public concern, and constantly improve their performance in this regard. It is also of great significance to the improvement of our national governance capacity. Thank you.

China Daily:

According to the communique released yesterday, developing advanced socialist culture and pooling people's spiritual strength are a strong pillar of support for modernization of the national governance system and capacity. My question is: how to understand the relationship between culture and national governance?

Xu Lin:

Let's give the floor to Mr. Wang Xiaohui.

Wang Xiaohui:

I hold that culture has a very close relationship with national governance. As culture is the soul of a country and a nation, as well as national governance, it plays an irreplaceable and important role. First, we need to know that the national governance system chosen by a country is determined by its historical heritage, cultural traditions and economic and social development. The reason why socialism with Chinese characteristics and the country's governance system have such great vitality and superiority is that they are rooted in China with deep Chinese cultural foundations and welcomed by the people.

In the process of national governance, how to give full play to the leading role of culture, especially the core values, and how to form the influential mainstream ideology with cohesive power are always an important aspect of the modernization of the national governance system and capacity.

The fourth plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Committee laid great emphasis on system improvement in regard to culture, especially stressing that developing advanced socialist culture and pooling people's spiritual strength are a strong pillar of support for the modernization of the national governance system and capacity. The communique outlined key tasks in five aspects: first, upholding the fundamental system that stresses the guiding role of Marxism in ideological fields; second, upholding the system that underscores the leading role of core socialist values in cultural construction; third, enhancing the system for guaranteeing people's cultural rights and interests; fourth, improving and upholding the correct public opinion guidance system; fifth, establishing and enhancing a cultural creation and production system that puts social benefits in the first place and unifies social and economic benefits.

I've just mentioned we are now in a crucial period of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, facing complications in both the domestic and international environment and unprecedented challenges and risks. The more difficult the situation is, the more efforts we need to make to uphold cultural confidence, keep to the orientation of advanced socialist culture, inspire the cultural creativity of the whole nation, and foster a Chinese spirit, Chinese values and Chinese strength. Thank you.

Guangming Daily:

Thanks. Mr. Shu mentioned socialist consultative democracy just now. I would like to ask why we should adhere to this, and what are its unique advantages? Thank you.

Xu Lin:

Let's invite Mr. Shu to reply.

Shu Qiming:

Consultative democracy is an important system design through which the Party to lead the people in effectively governing the country and ensure that the people are masters of the country. It complements electoral democracy, and enriches its forms, expanding channels and deepening the connotations of democracy. Socialist consultative democracy is a unique form of democracy in China's socialist democratic politics. "Unique" means being different, belonging to one instead of others, and not to be achieved by others. Strengthening consultative democracy will ensure more people become involved in politics in an orderly manner, better realizing people's right to be masters of the country, and facilitate scientific and democratic policy-making. It will help in achieving the modernization of the national governance system and its overall capacity, and help resolve conflicts, promote social harmony and stability, help maintain the Party's close relationship with the people and consolidate and expand the Party's ruling foundation, putting to good use the advantages of China's political system, and increasing public confidence in the path, theory, system and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Long-term practice has proved that this kind of democracy works well in China. Thank you.

China Arab TV:

Law enforcement has been stressed, but it may still be a weak point. There are prominent problems like non-compliance with the laws, lax law enforcement, and failure to prosecute violations of the law. What are the major measures the fourth plenary session has taken to improve law enforcement and supervision? Thanks.

Yuan Shuhong:

You have raised a very good question on how to supervise law enforcement. The vitality of laws lies in strict enforcement and full compliance; otherwise, there will be a "broken window effect", that is, if one person breaks a window, others will follow suit if the original violator is not held accountable. This applies to all law enforcement and observance. If a person or a group of people who break the law are seen as not being severely punished, others will follow their example. Therefore, since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core has greatly valued supervision of law enforcement, and put forward more important measures during this plenary session.

First, we will resolutely exclude any interference in law enforcement and judicial cases. People detest interference in either verbal or written forms, and we must resolutely rule out all kinds of illegal intervention, hidden rules, illicit leniency towards criminals due to a close relationship or bribery. 

Second, we will expand the scope of public interest litigation cases. We will strengthen the public interest litigation principle in environmental conservation, resource protection, food and drug safety, protection of State-owned property and protection of the rights and interests of national heroes and martyrs, and ensure effective enforcement of laws for safeguarding public interests.

Third, we will be more severe in punishing serious violations of the laws, implement a punitive compensation system, and strengthen criminal liability investigation. In particular, for those who break the laws with subjective malice and cause serious consequences, it would not be enough to maintain the authority of the law and ensure law enforcement if there are no severe punishments or sanctions.

Fourth, we will intensify efforts to popularize public legal knowledge, increase awareness of the rule of law, improve the public legal service system comprising lawyers, notaries, legal aid personnel, judicial experts, arbitrators and mediators, to improve public access to legal services and consolidate the public foundations of the rule of law.

Fifth, the Party and State organizations as well as government officials at all levels should take the lead to respect, study, abide by and apply the laws, learn to deepen reform, promote development, resolve contradictions, maintain stability and handle risks through thinking patterns of and approaches to the rule of law, leading the whole society to strictly enforce and abide by the laws, and build the country, government and society based on the rule of law. Thank you.

Bloomberg News: 

I have a question about U.S-China ties. The relationship right now is in a relatively tense situation. I want to ask how this would affect Chinese policy and China's relationship with the rest of the world. For example, could China speed up or slow down the pace at which it opens access to its markets for foreign investors? Thank you.

Xu Lin:

Mr. Han Wenxiu will answer your question.

Han Wenxiu:

Thank you. Opening-up is one of the important features and basic attributes of the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics. General Secretary Xi Jinping has made it clear that the more China develops itself, the more open it will be. Over more than 40 years of reform and opening-up, China has become the world's second largest economy. The country's per capita GDP is estimated to surpass $10,000 this year, and we will complete the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects by 2020. Now we are embarking on a journey to fully build a modern socialist China, which creates new demands for the reform and opening-up in the future. The session put forward the goal of building new institutions of the open economy at a higher level and carrying out all-round opening-up in more fields, with broader range and greater depth.  

Opening-up in a broader range means optimizing the overall layout of China's opening-up, consolidating the position of eastern coastal areas as the leader of opening-up, achieving better opening-up in the inland areas, speeding up the construction of free trade zones and free ports as a major focus, and building a new pattern of all-round opening-up in every part of the country. We need to vigorously promote the high-quality development of the Belt and Road and expand foreign trade in a diversified way.

Opening-up in more fields means significantly relaxing restrictions on market access. We need to open up more manufacturing, service and agricultural sectors, speed up the opening-up in the fields of finance, telecommunications, education, medical care, and culture, and allow companies with majority foreign ownership or wholly foreign-funded enterprises to operate in more sectors. That will provide more market opportunities and bigger development space for investors of various countries. 

Opening-up with greater depth means promoting trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, improving the management system of pre-establishment national treatment plus a negative list, and pushing forward opening-up based on rules, regulations, management systems, standards and related institutions. China will earnestly implement the Foreign Investment Law to better protect the lawful rights and interests of foreign companies and foster a level playing field for Chinese and foreign enterprises alike. The country will strengthen the protection of intellectual property rights and business secrets, and create a world-class business environment established on market principles and the rule of law.

All in all, opening-up is a basic policy of China. Despite the changes in the international situation, China is going to continue to open its doors wider, and its business environment will become better. As the country is more closely tied with the world economy, we will continuously seek mutual benefit together with other countries in a wider scope and at a deeper level.

Xu Lin:

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

Translated and edited by Chen Xia, Zhang Lulu, He Shan, Yuan Fang, Zhou Jing, Zhang Junmian, Zhang Liying, Li Huiru, Fan Junmei, Liu Qiang, Wang Wei, Zhu Bochen, Zhang Junmian, Mi Xingang, Zhang Jiaqi, Geoffrey Murray. In case of any dispute over a discrepancy, the Chinese version is deemed to prevail.