China News Service:

This year's "two sessions" emphasized that major economically developed provinces should shoulder greater responsibility in order to successfully accomplish the development targets for the 14th Five-Year Plan. How was the performance of major foreign trade powerhouses in the first quarter of this year? And what are the highlights? Thank you.

Wang Lingjun:

Thank you for your questions. Since the beginning of this year, faced with a severe and complex external environment, major foreign trade provinces and cities have taken on greater responsibilities, leveraged their respective advantages, and played a strong role in supporting and driving economic growth. In the first quarter, the total imports and exports of Guangdong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shanghai, Beijing, Shandong and Fujian reached 7.78 trillion yuan, sustaining the growth momentum, and accounting for three quarters of China's total trade volume. Indeed, they have served as powerhouses assuming major responsibilities. This situation is reflected in three main aspects:

First, they have effectively stabilized the overall foreign trade. Major foreign trade provinces have solid industrial foundations, prominent geographical advantages and vibrant trade entities. In the first quarter, the number of enterprises with substantial import and export achievements reached 422,000, increasing by 6.1%, and accounting for nearly 80% of China's total. At the same time, these provinces have actively expanded international markets, boosting imports and exports with more than 150 countries and regions, with growth rates in 89 countries and regions exceeding the overall level.

Second, they have effectively leveraged their role in inspiring innovation. Major foreign trade provinces have actively cultivated and developed new quality productive forces, accelerating the integration of technological and industrial innovation. In the first quarter, exports of high-tech products by these provinces reached 783.52 billion yuan, up 4.5%, accounting for 71.3% of China's total. Among them, exports of electronic information products, high-end equipment, and biomedicine amounted to 385.71 billion yuan, 236.58 billion yuan, and 30.11 billion yuan respectively, with growth rates of 1.6%, 8.9% and 9.9%, accounting for 66%, 78.4% and 74.8% of China's total.

Third, they have effectively stabilized industrial and supply chains. Major foreign trade provinces imported energy resources, critical components and consumer goods essential to life and production, accounting for a large proportion of China's total imports, and enriching domestic supply. In the first quarter, crude oil and metal ore imported by these provinces accounted for 83.1% and 67.6% of China's total, and imports of electronic components and automatic data processing equipment parts accounted for 78% and 88.1% of China's total. In addition, consumer goods imported by these provinces amounted to 318.42 billion yuan, accounting for more than 80% of China's total. Thank you.

Xing Huina:

We will have one last question.