Securities Times:

The Statistics Law will strengthen the statistics-based oversight, ratchet up legal liabilities for illegal acts, and strive to solve prominent problems such as statistical fraud. What are the implications?

Liu Aihua:

Thank you for your interest in the statistical work. On Sept. 13, the 11th session of the 14th NPC Standing Committee approved the Decision of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress on Revising the Statistics Law of People's Republic of China, with the decision going into effect as of the date of promulgation. This marks the third revision of the Statistics Law since its promulgation in 1983, following revisions in 1996 and 2009. This latest revision represents another important milestone in advancing China’s statistical endeavors and legal framework.

In terms of this revision of the Statistics Law, we have followed the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, fully implemented the guiding principles from the Party's 20th National Congress and the third plenary session of the 20th Party Central Committee, and thoroughly implemented guiding principles of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speeches and instructions on statistical work as well as the decisions and plans of the Party Central Committee on the reform of statistics. We have maintained the institutional framework of the current Statistics Law and amended relevant systems focusing on strengthening the Party's leadership, giving full play to the role of statistics-based oversight, solving prominent problems such as statistical fraud, and improving the scientific and modern level of statistics. These mainly include the following four aspects:

First, the revision has adhered to the Party's leadership over statistical work. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has attached great importance to statistical work, taken into account the overall development of the Party and state, and made a series of major arrangements and requirements about statistical work. The revision of the Statistics Law this time has transformed major decisions and plans of the Party Central Committee into legal systems through proper legal procedures and has written "statistical work upholds the CPC leadership" into the Statistics Law, ensuring that statistical work always moves forward in the right direction under the Party's strong leadership.

Second, the revision has further strengthened statistics-based oversight. In order to demonstrate the emphasis of the Party Central Committee on strengthening statistics-based oversight, "strengthening statistics-based oversight" has been written in as the legislative purpose and the provisions on statistics-based oversight have been refined. The implementation of major national economic and social policies and measures by all regions and departments, as well as their performance of statutory statistical duties, have been included in the content of statistics-based oversight. The statutory connotation of statistics-based oversight and its functions has been further clarified, providing a legal basis for statistics-based oversight to play a more effective role within the Party and state oversight system.

Third, the revision has further strengthened measures to prevent and punish statistical fraud. First, it has added regulations and relevant legal liabilities, so that relevant persons in charge shall not explicitly state or imply that lower-level units and their personnel or the subjects of statistical surveys shall submit false statistical data. Second, the revision mandates that the system of accountability for preventing and controlling statistical fraud shall be established and improved. Local governments at all levels and all relevant departments have been required to include the prevention and punishment of statistical fraud and operations involving falsification in the scope of administration and performance of duties in accordance with the law and the assessment and management of the statistical work of leading officials shall be strengthened. Third, it stipulates that China shall implement a unified national economy measurement system and the NBS shall organize and implement the measurement of GPR in a unified manner. Fourth, the revision imposes legal liability on officials who neglect serious inaccuracies in statistical data, and includes catch-all provisions. These revisions have transformed the effective practices of the Party Central Committee's decisions and arrangements as well as practices into legal provisions, which can effectively strengthen leading officials' sense of responsibility and enable them to take proactive steps to prevent and control statistical fraud.

Fourth, the revision has improved the scientific and modern level of statistical work. To align with the requirements of the new development philosophy, it stipulates that in accordance with the new situation of economic and social development, scientific and rational statistical standards and the statistical indicator system shall be improved, and new forms of economy and new sectors shall be included in the statistical surveys. In order to give play to the driving role of information technology in the modernization of statistics, it stipulates that the state shall promote the in-depth integration of modern information technology and statistical work. In order to obtain more authentic and accurate source data, it stipulates that full use should be made of social big data, and the digitalization and standardization of statistical ledgers shall be advanced. These regulations have effectively enhanced the production capacity, data quality and service level of China's government statistics, providing a solid statistical guarantee for Chinese modernization.

To conclude, the amendments to the Statistics Law hold profound significance for refining statistical systems, strengthening statistics-based oversight, preventing and controlling statistical fraud, ensuring authenticity and credibility of statistical data, and better serving Chinese modernization. Thank you.