Speakers:
Ning Jizhe, deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC)
Hu Zucai, deputy head of the NDRC
Zhao Chenxin, secretary general of the NDRC
Chairperson:
Chen Wenjun, head of the Press Bureau of the State Council Information Office (SCIO) and SCIO spokesperson.
Date:
March 8, 2021
Chen Wenjun:
Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to this press conference held by the State Council Information Office (SCIO). Today we are celebrating International Women's Day. We would like to extend our greetings to all women and wish you a happy holiday. Today, we are joined by three members of the Leading Party Members Group of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC). They are Mr. Ning Jizhe, deputy head of the NDRC; Mr. Hu Zucai, deputy head of the NDRC; and Mr. Zhao Chenxin, secretary general of the NDRC. As we know, works on reform and development are of crucial importance in implementing the new development philosophy, carrying out the guiding principles of the fifth plenary session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), and ensuring a good start of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025). Today, three NDRC officials will elaborate on the issue and take your questions. Now, let's give the floor to Mr. Ning Jizhe.
Ning Jizhe:
Ladies and gentlemen, friends from the media, good morning. On March 5, He Lifeng, head of the NDRC, did an interview and answered several questions that the media are most concerned about. Today, Mr. Hu, Mr. Zhao and I are happy to meet our friends from the media and take your questions. As today celebrates the International Women's Day, I would like to first extend our greetings to all women. I also want to thank our friends from the media for your attention, understanding, support, and help for our reform and development work.
Since last year, in face of a complicated and challenging international situation and formidable tasks in promoting reform, development and stability at home, especially with the severe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, all regions and departments have been working under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, coordinating epidemic prevention and control with social and economic development, and making efforts to ensure stability on six fronts (employment, finance, foreign trade, foreign investment, domestic investment and market expectations) and maintain security in six areas (residential employment, people's livelihood, market entities, food and energy, stability of industrial and supply chains, and grassroots operations). China's economy saw improvements quarter by quarter and has been recovered in a stable manner. The major annual tasks of economic and social development have been completed in a satisfactory way. Meanwhile we attained a complete victory in the fight against poverty and scored decisive achievements in securing a full victory in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects.
Over the past few days, the draft outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) for national economic and social development and the draft report on national economic and social development plan for 2021 have been delivered to the "two sessions" for deliberation. The draft report summarizes the implementation of last year's plan on national economic and social development, and further puts forward main targets, policy directions, and specific tasks for economic and social development in 2021. The draft report will be delivered to the National People's Congress (NPC) for deliberation and to the National Committee of the Chinese People's Consultative Conference (CPPCC) for discussion. Once approved by the NPC, the report will serve as an important foundation for us to carry out our work concerning economic and social development.
The year 2021 has been a rather significant year in China's modernization. It marks the start of the 14th Five-Year Plan and the embarkment of a new journey to build China into a modern socialist country in all respects. Thus, works on reforming and development are very important. Under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core and in accordance with the requirements of the Report on the Work of the Government delivered by Premier Li Keqiang, we will act on the general principle of pursuing progress while ensuring stability, ground our efforts in the new development stage, apply the new development philosophy, and create a new pattern of development. We will work to pursue high-quality development, resolutely promote reform and advance opening-up. We will consolidate and expand the achievements of the COVID-19 response and economic and social development, ensuring better coordination in pursing development and upholding security. We will work to ensure stability on six key fronts and maintain security in six key areas, implement macro policies in a systemic and targeted way, and keep major economic indicators within an appropriate range, in a bid to ensure a good start of the 14th Five-Year Plan and commemorate the centenary of the CPC with outstanding achievements in development.
That's all for my introduction. Next, Mr. Hu will brief you on the draft outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) for national economic and social development.
Hu Zucai:
Friends from the media, good morning. Next, I will brief you on the draft outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) for national economic and social development.
The 14th Five-Year Plan period is the first five years after China has achieved the first centenary goal of establishing a moderately prosperous society in all respects and embarked on a new journey towards the second centenary goal of building China into a modern socialist country in all respects. The CPC Central Committee and the State Council have attached great importance on the formulation work of the 14th Five-Year Plan. The fifth plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Committee deliberated and adopted the Recommendations of the CPC Central Committee for Formulating the 14th Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development and Long-Range Objectives through the Year 2035 , and this has set the direction and provided the basic principles for the formulation work of the draft outline. General Secretary Xi Jinping has delivered important speeches and made important instructions many times on the formulation and publishing of the 14th Five-Year Plan outline. Premier Li Keqiang has also presided over many meetings to deploy the research efforts.
In accordance with the deployments made by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, the NDRC has been working with relevant parties and effectively advanced the formulation work since 2019. After the conclusion of the fifth plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Committee, the NDRC has fully implemented the guiding principles of the recommendations of the CPC Central Committee, and finished the draft outline based on summarizing and evaluating the 13th Five-Year Plan. During the formulation process, the NDRC combined both target-oriented and problem-oriented approaches and integrated top-level designs by drawing on public opinion. The NDRC organized research on more than 200 major issues, listened to both experts' opinions and those from all regions and government departments, and collected measures and suggestions from all sectors of the society. This means the draft outline fully represents the aspirations of the society, the wisdom of the public, the opinions of experts, and the experiences of those at the grassroots level.
The draft outline follows the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, specifies and quantifies major targets and key tasks of economic and social development during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, and draws a blueprint of China's embarkment on a new journey to build itself into a modern socialist country in all respects. It is a common action plan for Chinese people of all ethnic groups. The draft outline has 19 parts, 65 chapters, and 192 sections, with approximately 74,000 Chinese characters. It consists of three parts. The first part elaborates on the development environment, guiding principles, and main targets. The second part contains strategic tasks and measures from 17 aspects. The third part is about guaranteeing the implementation of the outline. In general, the draft outline has four highlights.
First, the draft outline represents the core value of the three new fronts. The draft outline was formulated by analyzing China's new development stage of building itself into a modern socialist country in all respects. It applies the new development philosophy in a complete, precise, and comprehensive manner. It also reflects China's accelerated pace in creating a new pattern of development with domestic circulation as the mainstay and domestic and international circulations reinforcing each other. It demonstrates China's efforts in promoting high-quality development. The draft outline shows the full understanding and the systemic implementation of the requirements of the three new fronts.
Second, the draft outline has made special efforts to ensure the dovetail of the two centenary goals. The draft outline compiles long-range objectives through the year 2035, focuses on the current tasks of the 14th Five-Year Plan period, and centers on the requirements of making new breakthroughs on six fronts. It has set 20 major targets in five categories including the economy, innovation-driven development, public welfare, green ecology, and security. It not only pays attention to the implementation of the new development philosophy and fully correlates with a set of indicators of high-quality development, but also fully reflects the people-centered development philosophy and works to bring a greater sense of gain to the public. The targets are set in a scientific and reasonable manner, so that they can be both encouraging and practical; meanwhile there is room left to deal with uncertainties.
Third, the draft outline highlights the requirements of ensuring coordination in pursing development and upholding security. It remains mindful of worst-case scenarios and coordinates between development and security. For the first time, the draft outline has set a section for safe development, which sets specific arrangements for improving the national security system and capacity-building, and guaranteeing the security of food, energy, resources, finance, and more.
Fourth, the draft outline highlights support towards the implementation of major strategic tasks. In accordance with the needs of the nation and the expectations of the people, the draft outline has set 20 special sections and put forward 102 major projects. This has provided strong support for the implementation of the targets listed in the draft outline.
The draft outline is currently under deliberation at the fourth session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC). The NDRC will proactively collect opinions from NPC deputies and CPPCC members, and quickly revise and improve the draft outline. As the blueprint has been drawn and the horn of inspiration blown, we are convinced that under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core and with the hard work of Chinese people of all ethnic groups, there is no doubt that the blueprint will become reality, and new and big steps will be made in terms of China's economic and technological strength, national strength, and people's livelihood. Thank you.
Chen Wenjun:
Thank you, Mr. Ning and Mr. Hu, for your introduction. Now the floor is open for questions. Please identify your news outlets before asking questions.
