CRI:
We have learned that central enterprises have made notable progress with respect to adopting scientific and technological approaches that help in the fight against the virus. Would you please elaborate on how that happens and what achievements have been made? Thank you.
Peng Huagang:
Thank you for your question. We will give the floor to Mr. Xia Qingfeng to answer your question.
Xia Qingfeng:
Notable progress has been made by central enterprises to help with anti-virus efforts. These enterprises have used scientific and technological advantages, such as big data, artificial intelligence, cloud computing and 5G, for anti-virus efforts since the outbreak of the pandemic.
First and foremost, big data has been adopted to bolster joint epidemic control and prevention efforts. Giving full play to big data, characterized by multiple sources, substantial resources and great inclusiveness, the central enterprises have rolled out a multitude of services that buttress decisions made directly in line with epidemic control and prevention efforts as well as on resumption of work and production efforts. For instance, "Smooth Mobility Online", a big data service developed by China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC), has been working on prevention and resumption. As of April 17, the service for this program that detects when people make close contact with confirmed cases had been used over 446 million times. More than 160,000 people were detected as close contacts after consulting the program. In addition, China Unicom has also launched several big data products, such as a forecast of potential risks among communities and a health U code that provides free access to the entire society for making inquiries about epidemic prevention, risk warning, outdoor safety and resumption of work.
Second, major breakthroughs have been made since we increased our efforts to beef up the development of medical sciences. The central medical and pharmaceutical enterprises have made numerous breakthroughs, regarding nucleic acid tests, vaccine development, research and production of medical equipment. These breakthroughs, which from the start have responded to pressing situations, occurred over a short period. For example, the inactivated vaccine developed by the China National Biotech Group Co Ltd (CNBG), which is affiliated with China National Pharmaceutical Group Co Ltd (SINOPHARM), has already entered the clinical experiment phase. In addition, some enterprises have expedited research and production of medical equipment. Take China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC) for example, besides developing high-performance ventilators for severe cases that are used in Intensive Care Units, it has also worked on negative pressure modules that are applied in shelter hospitals.
Third, the development of new industries should accelerate with digital support. The central enterprises have made full use of internet connections around-the-clock to assist remote education, home-based work and business performances. The telecommunication enterprises have, therefore, enabled online education to reach over 100 million users. They also provide office services, such as video conferences and wireless communication, to more than 7.7 million administrative bodies and market entities. These services can be used free of charge for more than 4,000 minutes. The virtual platform established at China Petrochemical Corporation (Sinopec) has ensured smooth operation and production during the epidemic by providing expert support, online management and dynamic monitoring for fieldwork, which includes petroleum exploration, refining and transporting.
