Read in Chinese

Speakers:

Mr. Zhang Yupu, deputy secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Ningxia Hui Autonomous Regional Committee and chairman of Ningxia Hui autonomous region

Mr. Chen Chunping, a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Ningxia Hui Autonomous Regional Committee and executive vice chairman of Ningxia Hui autonomous region

Mr. Mai Yanzhou, a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Ningxia Hui Autonomous Regional Committee and vice chairman of Ningxia Hui autonomous region,

Mr. Wang Li, vice chairman of Ningxia Hui autonomous region

Chairperson:

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

Date:

May 20, 2024

Shou Xiaoli:

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to this press conference held by the State Council Information Office (SCIO). This is the 20th press conference in the series "Promoting High-Quality Development." Today, we have invited Mr. Zhang Yupu, deputy secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Ningxia Hui Autonomous Regional Committee and chairman of Ningxia Hui autonomous region, to brief you on accelerating the construction of a modern and beautiful Ningxia by leveraging the pilot zone for ecological conservation and high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin, and to also take your questions. Also present today are Mr. Chen Chunping, a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Ningxia Hui Autonomous Regional Committee and executive vice chairman of Ningxia Hui autonomous region; Mr. Mai Yanzhou, a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Ningxia Hui Autonomous Regional Committee and vice chairman of Ningxia Hui autonomous region; and Mr. Wang Li, vice chairman of Ningxia Hui autonomous region.

Now, I'll give the floor to Mr. Zhang for his briefing. 

Zhang Yupu:

Good morning. First of all, on behalf of the CPC Ningxia Hui Autonomous Regional Committee and the Ningxia regional government, I'd like to express my sincere gratitude to you for your long-term interest in and support for Ningxia's development. 

Ningxia has the reputation of being the "Treasure Land of West China" and the "Oasis Beyond the Great Wall." Thriving under the nourishment of the Yellow River, Ningxia is currently part of two major regional strategies: the large-scale development of the western region and the ecological conservation and high-quality development in the Yellow River basin. Caring a lot about Ningxia's development, General Secretary Xi Jinping has personally designated Ningxia's positioning as the pilot zone for ecological conservation and high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin, clarifying the goal of building a modern and beautiful Ningxia. In particular, he made the important instruction that socialism is achieved through hard work during his visit to Ningxia. These instructions serve as both encouragement and a call to duty for us. Now, I'll introduce relevant developments from four aspects.  

First, Ningxia's economy, although relatively small in scale, has seen rapid improvements in both quantity and quality. In 2023, Ningxia's GDP increased by 6.6%, ranking fifth nationwide. In the first quarter of this year, its GDP grew by 5.8%, marking the eighth consecutive quarter Ningxia has ranked among the top 10 in the nation. Notably, the growth rates for the value added of industrial enterprises above designated size and the total agricultural output have risen to the first and third place nationally, setting new historical records in Ningxia. Ningxia's leading industries have grown rapidly in recent years, with strong momentum for sustained development. For example, the total output of the modern coal chemicals industry has reached 30 million metric tons. Specifically, the output of the coal-to-oil industry has exceeded 4 million metric tons for three years running, ranking first nationwide; that of the coal-to-olefins sector stood at 4.7 million metric tons, representing one-fifth of the national total. Significant progress has also been made in deep processing. For instance, specialty silk and yarn textiles and high-end perfume ingredients have entered the international market. Meanwhile, Ningxia's industries have become more intelligent, eco-friendly and integrated. Consistently prioritizing digital economy as the primary growth driver for Ningxia's development, we have built Ningxia into the sole "dual-center" in west China — serving as both an integrated computing network hub and a new internet exchange center. Currently, more than 100 enterprises, including Amazon, China Mobile, Meituan, Westcloud Computing Technology Co., Ltd., have built data centers or application data centers in Ningxia for data storage. In addition, we are now expediting the development of some new industries, with the construction of quantum plus industrial internet platforms and online computing industrial parks progressing rapidly. Meanwhile, Ningxia's industries are becoming smarter at a faster pace, with smart casting, smart instruments and smart machine tools leading the nation. Moreover, accelerated efforts are being made in implementing a number of significant and promising projects in emerging industries, laying a solid foundation for Ningxia's future high-quality development. 

Second, we have delivered in ethnic unity, fostering a shared sense of purpose. As an autonomous region with a large ethnic minority population, we have always focused on forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation by advancing every respect of our work. In 2023, Ningxia became the first nationwide to have all its prefecture-level cities and counties built into demonstration zones for ethnic unity and progress. "Nourishing Yellow River waters, close ties with the Party and high regard for the general secretary" are views widely held among the people of all ethnic groups in Ningxia. Next, we will focus on the construction of the demonstration zone for forging a shared sense of community for the Chinese nation, aiming to solidify ethnic unity in Ningxia, thereby fostering stronger consensus and synergy towards realizing the great Chinese Dream.

Third, Ningxia has prioritized environmental protection and ecological conservation. As the sole provincial-level region entirely within the Yellow River Basin and fully included in the Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program, Ningxia shoulders great responsibility in ecological conservation. In recent years, we have taken a series of measures to advance protection and management. For example, we have made every effort to win the protracted battle of protecting the Yellow River. The water quality for the section of the Yellow River within Ningxia has remained at Level II both upon entering and exiting the region for seven consecutive years. Notably, Yellow River management projects have been fully rolled out this year, continuously reinforcing the foundation of ensuring the river's peace, cleanliness and beauty. Another endeavor worth mentioning is our dedication to winning the critical battle of managing the northernly bend of the Yellow River. Ningxia once had a large area affected by desertification, but this situation has improved a lot after years of management efforts. Notably, the straw checkerboard method, invented by Ningxia people to tame desertification, has won the special prize of the State Scientific and Technological Progress Award and been selected as one of the United Nations' top 500 environmental protection cases, receiving widespread promotion. After the new round of national desertification treatment task was assigned, we have intensified efforts across the board to manage 8.2 million mu (546,667 hectares) of desertified land within Ningxia. We had planned to complete the task by 2030, but now we're on track to achieve all the goals three years ahead of schedule, thus continuously improving Ningxia's ecological environment.

Fourth, regarding the well-being of our citizens, we have achieved steady improvement. In light of Ningxia's relatively low per capita income, we have consistently prioritized employment and income growth as our foremost responsibilities and most stringent indicators. Approximately 80% of our financial resources are allocated to people's livelihoods each year. In 2023, we increased our educational enrollment quota by over 30,000 students, added more than 2,000 new hospital beds, and solved housing problems for over 20,000 new urban residents. Childcare subsidies have been implemented across the region. Notably, the region's total population has maintained positive growth for 10 consecutive years. The income of all residents has outpaced GDP growth for two consecutive years, exceeding the national average growth rate. We have also made significant progress in modern lifestyles. For example, we have established two national-level demonstration zones for "Internet + Education" and "Internet + Healthcare." By sharing digital resources, we have further improved the quality of life for our people.

In the future, we will continue to focus on building a pilot zone for ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin. We aim to create a national comprehensive demonstration zone for new energy, a demonstration zone of the modern coal chemical industry, and a pilot zone for the green development of agriculture. Our goal is to establish a world-renowned wine capital and a Chinese computing power capital here, accelerate the development of new quality productive forces, and lay a stronger foundation for the comprehensive development of a beautiful new Ningxia. By doing so, we will contribute to writing a new chapter in the large-scale development of the western region.

That's all for my general introduction. Now, I welcome you to raise questions.