China Electronics News:

Recently, the MIIT hosted the first National Industry and Finance Cooperation Conference, building a bridge of communication and collaboration between the industrial and financial sectors. Could you please elaborate on that? Going forward, what measures will the MIIT take to advance new industrialization and boost China's strength in manufacturing and cyberspace at a faster pace? Thank you!

Zhao Zhiguo:

Thank you for your questions. The CPC Central Committee and the State Council have attached great importance to giving full play to the role of finance in supporting the real economy, especially the manufacturing industry. The MIIT, together with finance, financial regulation, and other departments, has actively implemented the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, taken innovative steps to advance industry and finance cooperation, and introduced a series of policies and measures to give financial support to the real economy.

We have carried out innovative practices of industry-finance cooperation in 51 pilot cities nationwide and continue to optimize the environment for financing and industry-finance cooperation. We have established strategic cooperation with 21 financial institutions, focusing on supporting the advanced manufacturing industry and serving the real economy. We have set up the national industry-finance cooperation platform, hosting nearly 190,000 quality enterprises in the industry and information sector and over 1,500 financial and investment institutions, and helping enterprises obtain 513.62 billion yuan in financing. As a major channel, the platform supports the application of re-lending facilities to support technological innovation. It has supported over 4,100 national demonstration enterprises for technological innovation, manufacturing individual champions, and specialized and sophisticated SMEs that produce new and unique products, with financing of over 270 billion yuan. Meanwhile, to promote the virtuous cycle of science and technology, industry, and finance, we have worked with financial and investment institutions to launch special pilot projects for the integration of science and technology, industry, and finance, and jointly explore the whole-chain service system for the commercialization and application of scientific and technological advances.

According to the report to the 20th CPC National Congress, by 2035, we will basically achieve new industrialization. The report emphasizes that we must continue to focus on the real economy in pursuing economic growth and that we will advance new industrialization and move faster to boost China's strength in manufacturing and cyberspace. The new industrialization is the industrialization of high-end, smart, and green production. It is the industrialization of collaborative innovation among small, medium, and large enterprises and the simultaneous development of the "four modernizations." It is also the industrialization of in-depth integration of digital and real economy, creating huge development opportunities for industry-finance cooperation.

Next, together with relevant departments, the MIIT will continue to deepen industry-finance cooperation and jointly advance new industrialization through consistent efforts. First, we will summarize experiences and take practical actions to put the outcomes of the first National Industry and Finance Cooperation Conference into practice and advance industry-finance cooperation to deliver more solid outcomes. Second, we will explore possibilities for combining new technologies, new industries, and new business forms with finance to promote synergy between industrial development, scientific and technological innovation, and modern finance. Third, we will give full play to the role of the national industry-finance cooperation platform, shore up weak links, build up strengths, and reinforce the foundation of industrial and supply chains. We will focus on major projects, key programs, and major enterprises, advance innovation in financial products and services, and pool together financial resources to transform and upgrade traditional industries, reinforce and extend competitive industries, cultivate and develop emerging industries, and make plans for future industries in advance. Thank you.