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Speakers:

Mr. Jin Zhuanglong, minister of industry and information technology

Mr. Xin Guobin, vice minister of industry and information technology

Mr. Zhao Zhiguo, spokesperson and chief engineer of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology

Chairperson:

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

Date:

July 5, 2024

Shou Xiaoli:

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to this press conference held by the State Council Information Office (SCIO), as part of the series "Promoting High-Quality Development." Today, we have invited Mr. Jin Zhuanglong, minister of industry and information technology, to brief you on relevant developments and answer your questions. Also present today are Mr. Xin Guobin, vice minister of industry and information technology; and Mr. Zhao Zhiguo, spokesperson and chief engineer of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).

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

Jin Zhuanglong:

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. First, I would like to thank everyone for your concern and support for the MIIT.

The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) emphasized that high-quality development is the primary task in building a modern socialist country in all respects. It clearly stated that we will basically achieve new industrialization by 2035, and move faster to boost China's strength in manufacturing. General Secretary Xi Jinping has highlighted that the high-quality development of manufacturing is crucial to the high-quality development of the economy, emphasizing the importance of "two guarantees" to maintain grain production capacity and strengthen the manufacturing sector and urging accelerated efforts to develop a modern industrial system with advanced manufacturing as its backbone. Last September, the CPC Central Committee held a national meeting on promoting new industrialization, at which General Secretary Xi Jinping delivered important instructions. He pointed out that on the new journey in the new era, achieving new industrialization is a key task for building a great modern socialist country in all respects and advancing national rejuvenation on all fronts through Chinese modernization, emphasizing the need for high-quality development throughout the entire process of new industrialization. His important discourse on new industrialization has clarified the strategic positioning, overall goals, direction, strategic tasks, key areas and methodological principles for advancing new industrialization in the new era, providing us with a clear direction, fundamental guidelines and an action plan.

The MIIT has thoroughly implemented General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions and the deployments made during the national meeting on promoting new industrialization. Together with various parties, we have made new progress and achieved new results in new industrialization. Here, I will briefly introduce the overall situation regarding industry.

We have formed unique advantages that can be summarized in three words: comprehensive, diverse and large. "Comprehensive" means our system is complete, with 41 major industrial categories, 207 medium industrial categories and 666 industrial subcategories, covering all industrial categories in the United Nations' industry classification system. "Diverse" refers to a wide variety of products in all kinds of manufacturing industries, with over 220 products among the top global producers out of 500 major industrial products. "Large" signifies our scale, with the total industrial added value reaching 39.9 trillion yuan in 2023, accounting for 31.7% of GDP, and the added value of manufacturing accounting for 26.2% of GDP, about 30% of the global share.

The pace of high-end, intelligent and green development is accelerating. In 2023, high-tech manufacturing accounted for 15.7% of the added value of industrial enterprises above designated size, and equipment manufacturing accounted for 33.6%. The digital transformation of manufacturing is continuously advancing, with the penetration rate of digital research and development (R&D) and design tools in key industrial enterprises reaching 80.1%, and the numerical control rate of key processes reaching 62.9%. AI is deeply empowering new industrialization, with 421 national intelligent manufacturing demonstration factories being cultivated. Green manufacturing is advancing rapidly. During the first two years of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) period, the energy consumption per unit of added value for industrial enterprises above designated size cumulatively decreased by 6.8%. From 2021 to 2023, water consumption per 10,000 yuan of industrial added value decreased by 20.3%. In 2023, the comprehensive utilization of major industrial solid waste reached approximately 2.2 billion metric tons, with a utilization rate of 54%.

The capacity for industrial scientific and technological innovation continues to improve. We have established 30 national manufacturing innovation centers, covering areas such as power batteries, humanoid robots and high-performance medical devices. We have also established 23 national independent innovation demonstration zones and 178 national high-tech industrial development zones. Notably, significant innovative achievements have been made in key areas. Six C919 large passenger aircrafts, which you are all familiar with, have already been delivered to China Eastern Airlines, with routes having been opened from Shanghai to Beijing, Xi'an, Chengdu and Guangzhou. A total of 139 ARJ21 regional aircrafts have been delivered, three of which have been delivered overseas. China's first domestically produced large cruise ship Adora Magic City has entered commercial operation. The Chang'e-6 spacecraft collected and returned samples from the moon's far side, with the China National Space Administration hosting a ceremony on June 28 to hand over a total of 1,935.3 grams of lunar samples. China's home-grown super-large-diameter shield tunneling machine "Jinghua" has been put into use, and the intelligent six-row cotton picker has entered mass production.

The strength of enterprises continues to grow. There are over 501,000 industrial enterprises above designated size nationwide and 463,000 high-tech enterprises. Key enterprises in the industrial chain are growing rapidly. Specialized and sophisticated enterprises that produce new and unique products are emerging, with over 140,000 small- and medium-sized enterprises of this type being cultivated, including 12,000 "little giant" enterprises with high growth potential, advanced technology and strong market competitive edge, and 1,557 single-product specialists in the manufacturing industry.

In recent years, China's information and communication industry has developed rapidly, achieving remarkable results in high-quality development. We have built a total of 3.837 million 5G base stations, accounting for over 60% of the global share, realizing "gigabit connectivity in all cities, 5G connectivity in all counties and broadband connectivity in all villages." Our total computing power ranks second globally. The industrial internet has initially built five major systems: network, identification, platform, data and security. Five years since the issuance of commercial licenses, 5G applications have been integrated into various industries, achieving large-scale promotion in fields such as industry, power, mining, health care and education.

Despite significant industrial progress, China is at a crucial juncture, transitioning from a large industrial player to a strong one through various trials and difficulties. We face challenges, particularly in core technologies of key fields and basic industrial capacities. Many small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) continue to face considerable production and operational difficulties. Therefore, we will continue to deepen reforms, expand opening-up, and ensure both high-quality development and greater security. We will vigorously promote new industrialization, and strengthen the integration between sci-tech innovation and industrial innovation. Additionally, we will accelerate the development of new quality productive forces and build a modernized industrial system driven by sci-tech innovation and underpinned by advanced manufacturing. By making tangible efforts and taking solid steps to perform and excel, we aim to achieve new milestones in high-quality development, thus making greater contributions toward achieving the Second Centenary Goal.

That concludes my introduction. My colleagues and I are now ready to address your questions. Thank you.

Shou Xiaoli:

Now, the floor is open to questions. When asking your question, please begin by stating the media outlet you represent.