Read in Chinese

Speakers:

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

Mr. Fei Gaoyun, a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Anhui Provincial Committee and executive vice governor of Anhui province

Mr. Sun Yong, vice governor of Anhui province

Ms. Chen Jun, director of the Anhui Provincial Development and Reform Commission

Chairperson:

Mr. Chen Wenjun, director general of the Press Bureau of the State Council Information Office (SCIO) and spokesperson of the SCIO

Date: 

May 16, 2024

Chen Wenjun:

Ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon. Welcome to this press conference held by the State Council Information Office (SCIO). This is the 19th press conference in the series "Promoting High-Quality Development." Today, we are pleased to be joined by Mr. Wang Qingxian, deputy secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Anhui Provincial Committee and governor of Anhui province, who will brief you on the topic of "charting a new course for Anhui's high-quality development in the new era by pursuing innovation-driven growth," and answer your questions. Also present today are Mr. Fei Gaoyun, a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Anhui Provincial Committee and executive vice governor of Anhui province; Mr. Sun Yong, vice governor of Anhui province; and Ms. Chen Jun, director of the Anhui Provincial Development and Reform Commission.

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

Wang Qingxian:

Good afternoon, everyone! Welcome to this press briefing. First of all, I would like to extend my sincere admiration and profound gratitude to you for your interest in and reporting of Anhui. Your efforts in fostering a climate of positive public opinion for Anhui's high-quality development are deeply appreciated.

In recent years, the positive momentum of Anhui's development has aroused public interest. Generally speaking, the past decade has seen significant leapfrog development of Anhui. This leap is reflected in the increase of Anhui's total economic output from 1.9 trillion yuan to 4.7 trillion yuan ($648.72 billion) last year, crossing three trillion-level milestones within a decade. In China's economic landscape, we have made a historic leap from a mid-ranking position in total economic volume and lagging behind in per capita income to being at the forefront in total economic volume and mid-ranking in per capita income. The total output of industrial enterprises above the designated size has risen from 3.3 trillion yuan to 5.1 trillion yuan, making Anhui a new industrial and manufacturing powerhouse.

The significant progress Anhui has made in its development over the years is fundamentally due to the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, and the scientific guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has visited Anhui twice, delivering important speeches and instructions, and charting a course and guiding the way for Anhui's development. He assigned Anhui a strategic position, that is, building itself into an influential cradle of sci-tech innovation, a hub of emerging industries, a highland for reform and opening up, and an area for comprehensive green transformation of socio-economic development. The intersection of national strategies such as the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta, the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, the rise of China's central region, and the Belt and Road Initiative, along with the new development pattern charted and promoted by the general secretary, has pushed forward Anhui's high-quality development. Anhui's geographical advantages in bridging China's eastern and western regions and connecting northern and southern regions are being transformed into its development advantages of accessing both seas and rivers and gathering resources from all directions.

Our strategic position is systematic and comprehensive. In terms of sci-tech innovation, Anhui indeed has relative advantages. It boasts high-level research institutions such as the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) and the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, as well as the country's first national laboratory. Hefei is one of the four comprehensive national science centers across the country, and the province's sci-tech innovation capabilities remain at the forefront in China. Currently, as many as 13 large scientific facilities have either been built, are under construction or are in the planning stage. These large scientific facilities and the large number of scientists and high-end talents we have gathered have put us at the world's forefront in areas such as quantum technology and fusion energy.

Anhui's robust innovation strengths stem from our decades of consistent efforts to increase investment in science and technology, diligently push forward the reform of the sci-tech system, nurture sci-tech enterprises, and implement the talent development project. The province ranks fourth in the country for total fiscal input in science and technology, and seventh for its research and development spending intensity, which stands at 2.56%. We have nearly 20,000 national high-tech enterprises, with over 4,200 added last year alone, and over 27,000 technology-based small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), with more than 9,600 added last year. Our innovation-driven strategic emerging industries are growing continuously, with rapid development seen in new energy vehicles (NEVs), advanced photovoltaics and new energy storage, next-generation information technology, and artificial intelligence (AI). Currently, 10% of display panels in the world, as well as 50% of photovoltaic glass, 20% of photovoltaic modules, 15% of home appliances and 10% of cars in China are produced in Anhui. Leveraging USTC, we established the USTC Silicon Valley, and through a series of reforms of the sci-tech system and mechanism, we profoundly cultivated an innovative ecosystem that attracts professionals from all over the world. In just over a year, 1,391 innovative enterprises have been established and more than 200 funds of various types with a total scale exceeding 230 billion yuan have been gathered.

Becoming part of the national strategy for the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta has provided significant growth momentum for Anhui, effectively accelerating the province's progress in reform and opening-up. Anhui's integration into the Yangtze River Delta enables it to benefit from the region's leadership in development. It strengthens its connections to international industrial, capital, technical, and talent resources through the delta region, especially via the open platform of Shanghai. Learning from the experience of Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang, we have introduced over 800 reform projects in the past three years. This has significantly enhanced governance, and improved the business environment.

An innovative development path inherently encompasses environmental friendliness. In the past decade, Anhui has achieved a nearly 30% reduction in energy consumption per unit of GDP. The water flowing out of Anhui, whether from the Yangtze River, the Huaihe River, or the Xin'anjiang River, all meet Grade II standards, meaning it can be used as a source of drinking water. The Anhui section of the Yangtze River is a habitat where Yangtze finless porpoises reproduce and thrive. The sight of Yangtze finless porpoises surfacing in groups on the river once again is a clear testament to the success of our comprehensive conservation efforts in the Yangtze River at this stage. Anhui serves as an ecological barrier for the Yangtze River Delta. As part of the region, Anhui bears not only the responsibility and obligation but also the commitment and honor to fulfill this barrier role.

Dear friends from the media,

As Anhui embarks on the new journey of Chinese modernization, it is entering a key phase of accumulating strength for success. It demonstrates strong momentum and has great potential for progress. All sectors of the province highly value this vibrant atmosphere and are making the most of every moment to forge ahead. With a strategic focus on being a source of sci-tech innovation, a hub for emerging industries, a new pacesetter for reform and opening-up, and a zone for the green transition of socio-economic development, Anhui is expediting efforts to enhance its strength in science and technology, manufacturing, agriculture, the eco-environment, talent, education, and the cultural sector. Under the new development pattern, new economic pillars are set to emerge in China, and Anhui is poised to secure its position among these new pillars.

We hope you will continue to stay informed about Anhui's development, take an interest in it, and support its progress.

That concludes my introduction. Next, my colleagues and I will take your questions.