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Speakers:

Mr. Wang Kai, deputy secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Henan Provincial Committee and governor of Henan province

Mr. Sun Shougang, a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Henan Provincial Committee and executive vice governor of Henan province

Ms. Zhang Min, vice governor of Henan province

Mr. Ma Jian, director of the Henan Provincial Development and Reform Commission

Chairperson:

Ms. Shou Xiaoli, deputy director general of the Press Bureau of the State Council Information Office (SCIO) and spokesperson of the SCIO

Date:

May 9, 2024

Shou Xiaoli:

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to this press conference held by the State Council Information Office (SCIO). Today, we are holding the 15th press conference in the series "Promoting High-Quality Development." We have invited Mr. Wang Kai, deputy secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Henan Provincial Committee and governor of Henan province, to brief you on fostering new growth drivers and strengths and striving to build a splendid Henan in the rise of central China in the new era, and to take your questions. Also present today are Mr. Sun Shougang, a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Henan Provincial Committee and executive vice governor of Henan province, Ms. Zhang Min, vice governor of Henan province, and Mr. Ma Jian, director of the Henan Provincial Development and Reform Commission.

Now, I'll give the floor to Mr. Wang for his introduction. 

Wang Kai:

Thank you. Friends from the media, ladies and gentlemen, good morning! It's a pleasure to meet you and discuss Henan's advancements towards high-quality development. First, on behalf of the CPC Henan Provincial Committee and the Provincial Government, I extend my sincere gratitude to the media and all sectors of society for your consistent concern and support for Henan.

Henan province stands out as a key economic hub with a large population, abundant grain production and rich cultural heritage, playing a pivotal role in the historical development of Chinese civilization. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has visited Henan five times, delivering important speeches, issuing crucial directives and expressing his sincere hope that Henan would "strive to be excellent and achieve even greater splendor." We have always remembered his instructions, anchoring our efforts to ensure the building of a modern Henan in a high-quality and high-level way. Through our commitment and hard work we have achieved three major transformations, namely from a traditional agricultural province to an emerging industrial province, from a traditional transportation hub to a modern transportation hub and from a traditional inland province to an inland open highland. The regional GDP has surpassed the three-trillion-yuan mark.

We emphasize innovation-driven development, accelerating the creation of a national innovation hub and a significant talent center. We have prioritized strategies such as innovation-driven development, promoting science and education and strengthening talent, forming a major innovation framework centered around a science and technology hub, a medical science hub and an agriculture hub in China's central plains. We have 13 national key laboratories, 172 national-level innovation platforms and 20 provincial laboratories. The national supercomputing internet core node project has commenced construction. We have 12,000 high-tech enterprises and 72.7% of industrial enterprises above the designated size are engaged in research and development activities. We have attracted 390,000 high-level talents. In 2023, the number of invention patents granted in Henan increased by 20.3%. Technological innovation has become the primary driving force for Henan's development, leading to changes in development momentum, structure and quality.

We prioritize the real economy, accelerating the development of a strong manufacturing province. The high-quality development of the manufacturing industry is our main direction. We have implemented 11,000 key industrial projects with a total investment of 7.9 trillion yuan. In 2023, investment in high-tech manufacturing grew by 22.6%, 12 percentage points higher than the national average. There are over 11 million business entities, ranking fourth in the country, and 25,000 industrial enterprises above the designated size. Strategic emerging industries such as advanced equipment, electronic information and biopharmaceuticals are the main drivers of industrial growth. Products such as optical communication chips, sensors and superhard materials hold leading market shares nationwide. Yutong's buses, China Railway's shield machine, and xFusion's servers have become shining examples of Chinese manufacturing.

We are committed to accelerating the development of agriculture in the rural revitalization strategy. We prioritize national food security, maintaining a stable grain planting area of over 160 million mu (about 10.7 million hectares), with grain output exceeding 65 million tonnes for seven consecutive years. The wheat output has remained stable at over 35 million tonnes for nine consecutive years, with more than 30 million tonnes of raw grain and finished products being transported out annually. The production of oilseed crops and edible fungi ranks first in the country, while the production of vegetables and poultry eggs ranks second. Companies like Muyuan Foodstuff and Shuanghui Group lead globally, while rising stars like Mixue Ice Cream & Tea and Guoquan Shihui are emerging, with the modern food industry cluster exceeding one trillion yuan in scale.

We prioritize efficient transportation arteries and channels, accelerating the development of a province strong in transportation. Building a modern, comprehensive transportation network is a strategic support for integrating into the new development pattern. The high-speed rail network, resembling a radiating star pattern, has been fully completed. Zhengzhou Airport ranks among the world's top 40 cargo airports while Zhengzhou International Land Port can handle 10,000 trips of China-Europe freight trains annually. Highway freight turnover ranks second nationally. We have constructed six inland ports and nine functional ports. A multi-modal transport system integrating air, land, road, water and ports is rapidly forming, with logistics costs lower than the national average. Our strategic location connecting east and west, and linking north and south, is transforming into an advantage in the hub economy and comprehensive competitiveness.

We are dedicated to improving people's well-being and accelerating the building of happy communities. Guaranteeing and improving people's livelihoods has always been our work's starting point and ultimate purpose. Over 78% of our budget is allocated to fiscal expenditure on livelihoods. Last year, we created 1.19 million urban jobs and 490,000 nonagricultural employment opportunities for the rural workforce. Our compulsory education completion rate reached 96.3%. We have 168 institutes of higher learning, accommodating 3.055 million students. We have built 12 regional medical centers , and elderly care services are now available in all communities. We strive to ensure that children have access to better education close to their homes, older people receive professional rehabilitation and care services within their communities, and everyone benefits from higher-quality medical services without needing to leave the province.

This March, General Secretary Xi Jinping chaired a symposium on further energizing the central region in the new era, aiming to navigate a new journey and chart a new blueprint for its rise. We will continue to implement the important speeches and directives made by General Secretary Xi Jinping during his visit to Henan, put into practice the series of policy measures made by the Party Central Committee in promoting the rise of the central region, develop new quality productive forces according to our local conditions, foster new driving forces of development, and create new comparative advantages. These will contribute to our goal of charting a new course for the splendid development of the Central Plains in the new era, building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects and advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts. 

That's all for my opening introduction. Thank you.