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Speakers:

Mr. Wang Changlin, vice chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC)

Mr. Zhou Chen, director general of the Department of National Economy, NDRC

Mr. Wang Renfei, director general of the Department of Comprehensive System Reform, NDRC

Wang Shancheng, director general of the Department of Resource Conservation and Environmental Protection, NDRC

Chairperson:

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

Date:

Jan. 20, 2026

Shou Xiaoli:

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to this press conference held by the State Council Information Office (SCIO). Today we are very pleased to have Mr. Wang Changlin, vice chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), with us. He will introduce the implementation of the guiding principles of the Central Economic Work Conference and advancing a good start to the 15th Five-Year Plan period, and answer your questions. Also present at today's press conference were: Mr. Zhou Chen, director general of the Department of National Economy of the NDRC; Mr. Wang Renfei, director general of the Department of Comprehensive System Reform of the NDRC; and Mr. Wang Shancheng, director general of the Department of Resource Conservation and Environmental Protection of the NDRC.

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

Wang Changlin:

Friends from the media, ladies and gentlemen, good morning. In 2025, facing complex and profound changes in the domestic and international landscape, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, the whole nation rose to the challenge and pressed ahead with determination, successfully achieving the main goals of economic and social development, maintaining steady economic growth, further demonstrating the resilience of development, and making people's livelihood policies more people-centered, thus delivering high-quality results. My understanding mainly covers the following aspects.

First, greater efforts were made to implement more proactive and effective macroeconomic policies, enabling overall economic strength to reach a new level. Faced with a turbulent external environment, we have always maintained strategic resolve, concentrated on managing our own affairs well, strengthened counter-cyclical adjustments beyond conventional measures. Building on the package of incremental policies deployed at a meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on Sept. 26, 2024, we continued to roll out measures to stabilize employment and the economy, and promote high-quality development. Solid steps to implement major national strategies and enhance security capacity in key areas were undertaken, and increased support for a new round of large-scale equipment upgrades and consumer goods trade-in programs took place. These efforts promoted the effective improvement in the quality and reasonable growth of the economy, with the total economic output reaching a new level of 140 trillion yuan for the year. The 5% growth rate continued to rank among the top among major economies in the world, with the increase equivalent to the total output of a medium-sized economy. The 14th Five-Year Plan has come to a successful conclusion, writing a new chapter in the story of China's miracle.

Second, greater efforts were made to accelerate high-level scientific and technological self-reliance, and new breakthroughs were achieved in the development of new quality productive forces. Faced with the pressure of transition from old to new growth drivers, we have firmly implemented the innovation-driven development strategy, intensified our efforts to tackle core technologies in key fields, honed our skills and forged solid expertise, and achieved a surge of innovative results. Our research and application in artificial intelligence, biomedicine, robotics, and other fields are at the forefront of the world. We have made progress in building a modern industrial system, revitalized and upgraded traditional industries, and accelerated the creation of new growth drivers in emerging and future industries. The added value of the manufacturing industry has ranked first in the world for 16 consecutive years. Practice has shown that attempts to hold China back through technological bottlenecks will not succeed. China possesses a strong culture of innovation and enormous innovative potential.

Third, we have made greater efforts to address blockages and bottlenecks in economic circulation, and made new strides in reform and opening up. Faced with institutional and systemic obstacles and deep-seated contradictions, we have deepened reforms in key areas and links, and made in-depth progress in building a unified national market. The advantages of China's enormous market have been further consolidated and expanded, and the competitive landscape in key industries has continued to improve. We promulgated and implemented the Private Sector Promotion Law, and maintained regular communication with private entrepreneurs. Last year, our commission held more than 120 symposiums with private enterprises to provide targeted and practical assistance in solving their development challenges. China has steadily promoted and expanded independent and unilateral opening-up, and island-wide special customs operations were launched in the Hainan Free Trade Port. Despite the challenges, China's goods exports grew by 6.1% year on year, with exports to non-U.S. markets accounting for 88.9% of the total. The total value of China's imported goods reached 18.48 trillion yuan, maintaining a share of around 10% of global imports. China has become a major export destination for 79 countries and regions, fully demonstrating the strong resilience and positive momentum of its foreign trade.

Fourth, we focused on promoting coordinated development and integration, ushering a new phase of regional and urban-rural development. Faced with the problem of unbalanced development, we have coordinated the deep implementation of regional strategies and promoted integrated regional development. We have continuously advanced regional coordinated development strategies and major regional initiatives, consolidated and enhanced the leading role of the three major power source regions. Meanwhile, the construction of the Yangtze River and Yellow River green development belts has been further deepened, and the balanced development across the four key regions has been steadily enhanced. We have made further progress in people-centered new urbanization, with the share of permanent urban residents in the total population reaching 67.89% by the end of the year, up 0.89 percentage points from the previous year. In other words, more than 10 million people have now embraced a modern urban lifestyle.

Fifth, we focused on addressing the public's most pressing concerns and difficulties, achieving new improvements in public well-being. In response to the public's new expectations, we further strengthened the development of inclusive, foundational and essential livelihood projects, and worked to promote high-quality, full employment. The average surveyed urban unemployment rate for the year stood at 5.2%. We implemented the child care subsidy system in an orderly manner, gradually rolled out free preschool education and optimized holiday arrangements, giving every household a tangible sense of gain. By prioritizing improvements to public welfare, we opened up new space for development.

The Central Economic Work Conference has laid out comprehensive arrangements for this year's economic development. We will resolutely implement the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, and steadily advance high-quality economic development. We will fully tap into our economic potential, focus on promoting reform and innovation, and continue to strengthen our internal foundations. By doing so, we are fully confident and capable, with favorable conditions, to ensure a good start to the 15th Five-Year Plan.

That concludes my introduction.

Shou Xiaoli:

Thank you, Mr. Wang, for your introduction. We'll now open the floor to questions. Please identify your media organization before asking your questions. You may now raise your hands.