21st Century Business Herald:

In the first quarter of this year, the MIIT issued the list of SME industrial clusters with local features in 2022, drawing wide attention from all sectors of society. Can you talk about the progress related to this work? What follow-up measures will be taken to advance the recognition and cultivation of SME industrial clusters with local features? Thank you.

Tao Qing:

Thank you for your questions. SME industrial clusters with local features are located within counties. These clusters, characterized by their focus on leading industries with SMEs playing a dominant role, have distinctive advantages and features and core competitiveness. The MIIT has focused on six aspects, including improving the advantages of leading industries, advancing digital transformation, accelerating green and low-carbon development, deepening openness and cooperation, and enhancing governance and services, to foster clusters of industries. We have made clusters a fertile ground for developing SMEs into specialized and sophisticated enterprises that produce new and unique products, a carrier for promoting the regional economy, and a focal point for ensuring security and stability in industrial and supply chains. 

The first batch of 100 SME industrial clusters with local features has remarkable effects in the following four aspects. First, the clusters bring together a significant number of quality SMEs. Hosting more than 280,000 SMEs, the clusters register a total output of over 1.8 trillion yuan. Among them, there are 55 manufacturing individual champions, 294 specialized and sophisticated "little giant" companies, 1,487 specialized and sophisticated SMEs that produce new and unique products, and around 5,000 innovative SMEs. Over 20% of the enterprises in the clusters are quality SMEs. Second, the clusters have significantly strengthened and upgraded weak links in industrial and supply chains. The clusters have developed high-level and professional supporting capacity in key links in industrial and supply chains of major industries, such as high-performance materials, smart chips, precision instruments, propulsion systems for new energy vehicles, and industrial robots. Third, we have seen their initial effects on propelling local economic growth. The leading industries in these clusters, which are all local pillar industries, contribute 87% of the clusters' output and play a crucial role in advancing the high-quality development of county economies. Fourth, the governance and service system for these clusters continues to improve. Over 70% of the clusters have enjoyed services provided by national public service demonstration platforms for SMEs. Nearly 90% of the clusters have established mechanisms for promoting the development of industries. Over 90% of the clusters have built mechanisms for protecting SMEs' legitimate rights and interests. A cluster governance model featuring extensive consultation, shared benefits, joint construction, and joint governance has emerged.

We plan to foster another 100 SME clusters for distinctive local businesses nationwide this year. We will fully implement the guiding principles of the 20th CPC National Congress and the plans made at the Central Economic Work Conference and the Two Sessions, and further advance the work on SME clusters for distinctive local businesses. First, we will guide the clusters to develop leading industries and strengthen the core competitiveness of SMEs. We will enhance the vitality of county economies and improve the resilience of industrial and supply chains and the supporting capacity at key links. Second, we will provide guidance and evaluation for the development of clusters. We will carry out publicity for cases of excellent clusters, promote typical experiences, and step up quality management of clusters that have been recognized to ensure that solid progress will be made in the development of clusters. Third, we will launch research and introduce policies and measures to promote the development of clusters. We will enhance policy guidance and resource coordination, build a hierarchical system for cultivating clusters, and guide and support local governments in cultivating a batch of clusters at the provincial level. Thank you.