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Speakers:

Mr. Wang Hao, deputy secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Zhejiang Provincial Committee and governor of Zhejiang province

Mr. Xu Wenguang, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee and executive deputy governor of Zhejiang province

Mr. Lu Shan, vice governor of Zhejiang province

Mr. Du Xuliang, director of the Zhejiang Provincial Development and Reform Commission

Chairperson:

Mr. Chen Wenjun, director general of the Press Bureau of the State Council Information Office (SCIO) and spokesperson of the SCIO

Date: 

March 27, 2024

Chen Wenjun:

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to this press conference held by the State Council Information Office (SCIO). This is the second press conference in the series themed "Promoting High-Quality Development." We are pleased to have invited Mr. Wang Hao, deputy secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Zhejiang Provincial Committee and governor of Zhejiang province, to brief you on "seeking solid progress in implementing the 'Double-Eight Strategy' and striving to pioneer a new chapter in Chinese modernization," and to answer your questions. Also present at today's press conference are Mr. Xu Wenguang, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee and executive deputy governor of Zhejiang province; Mr. Lu Shan, vice governor of Zhejiang province; and Mr. Du Xuliang, director of the Zhejiang Provincial Development and Reform Commission.

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

Wang Hao:

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. I am very pleased to meet you all today. First of all, on behalf of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee, the Zhejiang Provincial People's Government and the 66.27 million people of Zhejiang province, I would like to express our heartfelt thanks for your long-term interest in and support for Zhejiang. Next, I will briefly introduce the situation regarding Zhejiang's advancement of high-quality development.

Zhejiang is the place from which the red boat of the Chinese revolution set sail. General Secretary Xi Jinping, who worked in Zhejiang for six years, personally crafted the "Double-Eight Strategy" (which identifies eight strengths Zhejiang possesses in economic structure, geological location, industries, coordinated urban-rural development, ecology, mountain and ocean resources, environment and culture, as well as eight measures the province is taking to exploit these strengths) as the overarching program and strategy for the province's development. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the general secretary has visited Zhejiang six times to inspect and guide its development. He encouraged Zhejiang to "continuously strive for practical efforts, seek new development at the forefront, and demonstrate responsibility by leading the charge." He has called on Zhejiang to become a vital window showcasing the advantage of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics for the new era, entrusting it with the significant mission of building a demonstration zone for high-quality development and common prosperity. Especially in September last year, he granted Zhejiang the new role of pioneer of Chinese modernization and the new mission of vigorously writing a new chapter of Chinese modernization in Zhejiang, elevating the province's development to an unprecedented level. We have remembered the general secretary's entrustment, gratefully advanced under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, resolutely carried out the in-depth implementation of the "Double-Eight Strategy," and strived to be pioneers on the new journey, writing a new chapter. Zhejiang has greater comprehensive strength, more robust vitality, more harmonious urban and rural regions, and its people's lives are richer. The path of high-quality development is becoming broader and creating greater confidence.

We have continued to adhere to high-quality development as our top priority, resolutely embracing our role as a leading economic province. We implemented the "No. 1 Development Project" for digital economy innovation and quality enhancement, the "No. 1 Reform Project" to optimize and improve the business environment, and the "No. 1 Opening-up Project" to empower and elevate the "sweet potato economy" (symbolizing Zhejiang's growth strategy, with local investments spreading globally like sweet potato vines, enhancing international engagement and strengthening the local economy). With these three "No. 1" projects as the overall driving force, we initiated and implemented the "Ten Major Projects," including the "Thousand Major Projects, Trillion Yuan Investment" initiative, as specific action points and entryways to accelerate the creation of a modern industrial system with Zhejiang characteristics, and to promote effective qualitative improvements and reasonable quantitative growth of the economy. In 2023, the province's GDP reached 8.2553 trillion yuan, growing by 6%, and creating 6.5% of the national GDP with only 1.1% of the country's land and 4.7% of its population. The general public budget revenue was 860 billion yuan, an increase of 7%, ranking third nationwide in total volume.

We vigorously promoted further innovation, deepened reforms, overcame challenges, and enhanced opening-up to further cultivate and solidify our lead in future development. We focused on leveraging scientific and technological innovations to create new development advantages, accelerating the growth of new quality productive forces, with the R&D intensity of the whole society reaching 3.15%, and our regional innovation capability ranking fourth nationwide. We strived to build a market-oriented, law-based and internationally first-class business environment, implementing 32 policy measures to promote the high-quality development of the private economy, boosting market expectations and corporate confidence. The number of market entities in the province has reached 10.4 million, meaning there is one entrepreneur for every 6.5 people in Zhejiang. We focused on amplifying the advantages of an open economy: In 2023, the total import and export volume of the province reached 4.9 trillion yuan, of which 3.57 trillion yuan were exports, accounting for as much as 15% of the national total.

We remained focused on narrowing the "three major gaps" (the urban-rural income gap, the per capita GDP gap between eastern and western regions, and the wealth gap between the urban rich and poor) as our principal direction, making concrete progress in the construction of a demonstration zone for common prosperity. We consistently deepened the "Thousand Villages Demonstration and Ten Thousand Villages Renovation" project, supported the high-quality development of mountainous and island counties with a "one county, one policy" strategy, and leveraged the integration of basic public services as a breakthrough point to further reduce disparities between regions, urban and rural areas, and incomes. This fostered the integrated development of urban and rural areas, and accelerated the drawing of a new picture of "thousands of villages playing leading roles, tens of thousands of villages being revitalized, common prosperity across the province, and harmonious and beautiful urban and rural areas." In 2023, the per capita disposable income of urban and rural residents reached 74,997 yuan and 40,311 yuan, respectively, maintaining first place among all provinces and regions for 23 and 39 consecutive years, respectively. The urban-rural income gap ratio has narrowed to 1.86; the disparity between different regions continues to diminish; and the per capita disposable income gap ratio between the highest and lowest earners in cities with subordinate districts reduced to 1.56.

We put into practice the idea that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets," and continuously make the effort to highlight the uniqueness of the "picturesque and dynamic Zhejiang." We are committed to building the province into a "big garden." In 2019, Zhejiang was recognized as the first ecological province in China. In 2023, the first National Ecology Day events were held in Zhejiang. The Green Rural Revival Program and the Blue Circle program that focuses on marine plastic waste treatment won the United Nation's Champions of the Earth award, successively. The province's forest coverage rate stands at 61.3%, ranking the third in the country.

Zhejiang is committed to implementing a "streamlined, safe and splendid" competition planning protocol for sporting events, ensuring that both the Hangzhou Asian Games and Asian Para Games are successful. Additionally, such efforts also serve as a window to showcase Chinese modernization. The Hangzhou Asian Games and Asian Para Games deliver to the world a great event that is distinctly Chinese, uniquely Asian and spectacular, allowing the world, therefore, to experience the dramatic changes in Zhejiang under the guidance of the "Double-Eight Strategy," as well as the outcomes of China's high-quality development and the vitality of modernization. It also gives a strong impetus for us to keep going on the new journey and make achievements in the new era.

We will thoroughly study and implement the spirit of important speeches and instructions made by General Secretary Xi Jinping, and take high-quality development as an obligatory task, striving to reach the goal of meeting people's expectations for a better life. We will implement the "Double-Eight Strategy" in a pragmatic manner and aim toward writing a new chapter in advancing Chinese modernization in Zhejiang, so as to contribute more to the building of a strong country and rejuvenation of our nation.

That's all for my brief introduction. Thank you.

Chen Wenjun:

Thank you, Mr. Wang. Now the floor is open for questions. Please identify your media outlet before raising questions.

CMG:

It has been more than 20 years since Zhejiang adopted the "Double-Eight Strategy." What efforts, centering on the high-quality development, will be made to further advance the "Double-Eight Strategy?" Thank you. 

Wang Hao:

Thank you for your question, and I'll answer it. General Secretary Xi Jinping personally proposed the "Double-Eight Strategy" for the development of Zhejiang when he worked in the province, and made a series of key and foresighted decisions and arrangements. Last year marked the 20th anniversary of the implementation of the "Double-Eight Strategy." Guided by the "Double-Eight Strategy," Zhejiang in the past 20 years has witnessed remarkable changes in a widespread, systemic and profound manner. Under the guidance of the "Double-Eight Strategy," historic achievements have been made in high-quality development and modernization. Looking forward, Zhejiang will continue to unswervingly and fully implement the "Double-Eight Strategy" so as to "serve as a pioneer, and write a new chapter."

Currently, Zhejiang has continued putting into practice the "Double-Eight Strategy," which aims to achieve the goal of becoming "a pioneer in Chinese modernization," as well as the mission of "writing a new chapter of Zhejiang in advancing Chinese modernization." Year in and year out, we will stay focused on our goal and work hard toward it, ensuring our efforts are always results-oriented, pioneering and responsive to the trends of the time. We will step up endeavors in the following four aspects:

First, we will make greater efforts to address the "growing pains" that emerge when pursuing high-quality development, and take the lead in building new strengths for development through sci-tech innovation. We will stay committed to the path of new industrialization, and ramp up efforts to develop new quality productive forces according to local conditions. We will promote the building of a sci-tech innovation system and foster advanced manufacturing clusters, and pursue progress in making Zhejiang a strong province in education, science and technology and human resources. We will boost efforts to address problems that hinder high-quality development, such as the lack of resource factors, weakened momentum, constrained development spaces and imbalances and inadequacies, so as to build the province into a place with high-level capabilities for innovation and an advanced manufacturing base in the world.

Second, we will step up efforts to make landmark achievements in building a demonstration zone for common prosperity, and establish the province into a key example in promoting common prosperity. We will explore and establish fundamental systems and mechanisms that are conducive to promoting common prosperity. Greater efforts will be made to advance the Green Rural Revival Program in the new era and promote high-quality development in counties located in both mountainous regions and island areas. We will strive for high-quality shared public services so as to guarantee that more tangible benefits can be delivered to the people. Meanwhile, we will try our best to create more experiential practices that can be repeated and promoted.

Third, we will make greater efforts to explore new ways in deepening institutional innovation, and write a new chapter in deepening reform and opening up. We will promote the reform of public services in a bid to lower enterprise costs and increase their profits, continuing to improve the business environment so as to promote high-quality development of the private economy and to build the province into a pilot for high-quality and efficient reform. We will promote high-level opening up and encourage enterprises to "go global" and "bring in foreign investments." Intensified efforts will be made to build world-class ports and to steadily expand institutional opening up with the aim of making the province outstanding for higher-level opening up.

Fourth, we will focus on enhancing the potential of Zhejiang's culture to actively explore our path toward modern Chinese civilization. We will champion the Red Boat Spirit of the Chinese Communists and the Zhejiang Spirit that keeps pace with the times. Cultural heritage sites, including the Liangzhu Ruins, the West Lake, and the Grand Canal, will be better preserved and passed on. We will also advocate for the deep integration of culture and tourism and develop cultural programs and the cultural industry, aiming to make Zhejiang a renowned and favored destination , known for its picturesque landscapes, traditional Chinese culture, and dynamic development.

Seeking solid progress in implementing the "Double-Eight Strategy" is both a demanding and important task. We will see that officials correctly understand what it means to perform well and integrate this understanding into their actions. Every task should be implemented and deliver tangible results. By doing so, Zhejiang will take decisive, rapid, and effective steps to fully implement the requirements of General Secretary Xi Jinping and the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee. 

That's all from me. Thank you.

21st Century Business Herald:

This year's No. 1 central document mandates that all localities draw on and apply the experience from the Green Rural Revival Program in Zhejiang province to advance rural revitalization. Could you please introduce the changes the program has brought to Zhejiang? Thank you.

Xu Wenguang:

Okay, I'll take this question. Over the past two decades, the Green Rural Revival Program has made thousands of villages beautiful and improved the well-being of thousands of people in Zhejiang. The program won the UN Champions of the Earth award and has been praised by Zhejiang farmers as the most welcomed and most beneficial practice to farmers adopted by the Party and the government since implementing the household contract responsibility system. My introduction will focus on three aspects:

First, the Green Rural Revival Program has brought tremendous changes to rural areas. Many people say that the villages in Zhejiang are the most impressive, with beautiful landscapes everywhere they go. Through the full implementation of the Green Rural Revival Program, we have achieved public transportation coverage and broadband connection in all villages. Public service centers have been built in every village. The centralized treatment of sewage and refuse has resulted in cleaner courtyards and a more beautiful rural environment. Meanwhile, we have adopted a category-based, region-specific approach to focus on specialty products and the diverse beauty of individual villages. Urban residents visit the beautiful countryside to experience a poetic life far from the hustle and bustle of the city. Their consumption during countryside trips attracts more young people to return to their hometowns to start businesses, creating a positive cycle.

Second, the Green Rural Revival Program has developed a model of integrated urban-rural development. From the start, it was not merely about improving the rural living environment. It was not a simple task of painting walls or decorating villages, but a new approach to treating cities and the countryside as indivisible, systematically encouraging interaction between the two to accomplish integrated development. During the sewage revolution, garbage revolution, toilet revolution, and the construction of a beautiful and harmonious countryside, we have consistently emphasized the leading role of cities and the supporting role of the countryside in each other's development. By doing so, we have created a favorable environment for integrated urban-rural development in Zhejiang.

Third, the Green Rural Revival Program has advanced rural governance based on collaboration, participation, and shared benefits. We have taken into full account the government's capabilities and the people's desires. The government should proactively, earnestly, and with concrete steps perform its duties where necessary while avoiding overreach that would dominate or interfere in matters where the people should have greater say. By doing so, we have established an effective rural governance model, ensuring that the people are at the heart of rural revitalization and benefit directly from it. In recent years, eco-agriculture, rural e-commerce, rural tourism, and other new forms of business have thrived in Zhejiang. The province has nurtured "new farmers" for modern agriculture and built "common prosperity workshops" to ensure that all rural residents have jobs and income. As a result, the per capita disposable income of rural residents has exceeded 40,000 yuan. All these efforts facilitate our goals of building a beautiful countryside, creating a beautiful economy, and pursuing a be

tter life.

Next, we will continue to deepen the Green Rural Revival Program in the new era. By coordinating efforts to strengthen , rural and urban prosperity, and integrated development, Zhejiang will contribute more to advancing rural revitalization across the board.

That's all from me. Thank you.

Hong Kong Bauhinia Magazine:

The CPC Central Committee has entrusted Zhejiang with an important mission to build a demonstration zone for common prosperity through high-quality development. What measures has the province taken in recent years to advance common prosperity and promote coordinated urban-rural and regional development? Thank you.

Du Xuliang:

Thank you for your question. In recent years, we have made high-quality development our main task, focused on narrowing the "three major gaps," taken reform and innovation as our fundamental driving force, and aimed to satisfy the people's demand for a better life. We have taken down-to-earth and well-targeted steps and yielded solid results in the building of a demonstration zone. I think this work can be summarized in three sentences:

The first sentence is about narrowing the regional gap and putting mountain and sea areas on a journey toward common prosperity. For Zhejiang, the key and the challenge in achieving common prosperity lie in the counties located in mountainous areas and islands. We have formulated a "one county, one policy" approach to promote a path of shared prosperity with distinctive characteristics for mountainous and island counties. For example, Jingning county in the city of Lishui, Zhejiang province, is the only She autonomous county in the country. We have supported local governments in developing specialty brands such as tea leaves and green agricultural products, to create a model of high-quality public services in mountainous counties, helping the local people share in the prosperity. Similarly, Shengsi county, the island county in Zhejiang furthest from the mainland, has focused on resources such as fishing, ports and tourism, creating a model for the development of island counties. In the past two years, the major economic indicators and the income growth rate of residents in Zhejiang's mountainous and island counties have both been higher than the provincial average.

The second sentence is about narrowing the urban-rural gap and helping cities and villages thrive on their own conditions. We have promoted the integrated development of urban and rural areas, and tried to ensure all residents enjoy a happy life. In Zhejiang, with village and residential committees as the core, people can access public services such as medical care, elderly care, and education within a 15-minute walk in cities or a 15-minute ride in the countryside. More than 90% of villages in the province have completed the "Beautiful Village in the New Era" program. The goal of developing the economy while preserving the rural environment is gradually becoming a reality.

The third sentence is about narrowing the income gap and striving to expand employment. We have ramped up efforts to expand the middle-income group and raise the income of the low-income group. We also launched the "Employment and Entrepreneurship in Zhejiang" program, and made more efforts to increase the incomes of people on low incomes. For instance, we have actively promoted the "shared prosperity workshops" and guided eligible enterprises to establish production and processing lines in rural areas, making it convenient for more people, and especially the low-income group, to find jobs locally. At present, the province has built over 10,000 "shared prosperity workshops," creating nearly 500,000 jobs, with average monthly incomes rising by around 2,600 yuan per person.

Promoting common prosperity is a long-term task. We will continue to step up our efforts to make the economic pie bigger and divide it well, and also make sure that more successful practices can be replicated in other parts of China.

That is all from me. Thank you.

Phoenix TV:

We know that Zhejiang's private economy is very active, with a large number of business entities. Going forward, what measures will the province take to promote its private economy? Thank you.

Du Xuliang:

Thank you for your question. Zhejiang merchants are a precious resource and wealth for Zhejiang. They are hardworking, enterprising, resourceful, and resilient. They have made outstanding contributions to the high-quality development of Zhejiang. This can be illustrated with a set of figures: By the end of 2023, the private economy had contributed 67.2% of Zhejiang's GDP, 71.7% of its tax revenue, 80.2% of its imports and exports, 87.5% of its employment, and 96.9% of its market entities. The province has ranked first in the country for 25 consecutive years for the number of top-500 private enterprises. We often say that we should not only care about what achievements these private enterprises have made, but also what challenges and difficulties they have faced. Therefore, we fully support the development of the private economy, strive to reduce pressure on the environment, provide timely assistance, and address concerns about development. By doing so, we hope to boost internal drive for development and stimulate greater vitality for innovation, creating new advantages for the development of the private economy. The main measures are as follows: 

First, we will safeguard the development of private enterprises based on the rule of law, and ensure they are confident in their investment. Zhejiang province has introduced regulations on fostering the growth of its micro, small and medium-sized enterprises and on optimizing its business environment. We have strengthened work regarding the enactment, revision, abolition and interpretation of laws and regulations related to the business environment. We have abolished and revised 20 regulations, and overhauled and standardized 2,379 normative documents, striving to create a stable, fair, transparent, and predictable environment for the development of private enterprises.

Second, we will introduce more pro-business policies for private enterprises. Among the 32 policies introduced to promote the high-quality development of Zhejiang's private economy, there are many substantial and new measures. For example, to further break the "glass doors," "invisible doors," and "swing doors" that hinder business, we proposed the "Seven Prohibitions," such as lifting restrictions on ownership forms, organizational forms, or equity structures. They are aimed to remove barriers that prevent private enterprises from participating fairly in bidding. Furthermore, to fully meet the urgent needs of private enterprises for resource elements, we have proposed a new mechanism, whereby the proportions of industrial funds, newly added land, and new energy consumption in private investment projects should all exceed 70%.

Third, we will provide continuous support for the development environment and ensure private enterprises to grow confidently. We have outlined and proposed "three lists of projects" recommended to private capital, namely, a list of major projects and those addressing weaknesses, a list of key projects on industrial and supply chains, and a list of user-pay franchise projects. Additionally, we actively support private capital's entry into traditional monopolistic fields such as railways, oil and gas. Private investment has participated in the construction of landmark projects like the Hangzhou-Shaoxing-Taizhou Railway, the Hangzhou-Wenzhou Railway, the Zhoushan green petrochemical base, and the San'ao nuclear power plant.

In summary, we will steadfastly work to consolidate and develop the public sector while encouraging, supporting, and guiding the development of the private sector. We will make greater efforts to help private enterprises solve their problems, enable private investment to enter and thrive in more areas, encourage private enterprises to expand into more markets and grow stronger, and continuously enhance Zhejiang's private economy as the "golden business card" of the province. Thank you!

zhonghongwang.com:

We observed that this year, Zhejiang's "first meeting of the Lunar New Year" made comprehensive arrangements for building a skilled workforce. Could you please tell us what measures Zhejiang will take to attract high-caliber talent and stimulate innovation vitality? Thank you.

Lu Shan:

Thank you for your question. This year, our "first meeting of the Lunar New Year" was themed around seeking solid progress in implementing the "Double-Eight Strategy." We are focused on comprehensively strengthening the development of three key teams: high-caliber officials, high-level innovative talents and entrepreneurs, and highly skilled workers. These efforts provide solid support for pioneers and breakthroughs.

Here, I will focus on the development of high-level innovative talents and elaborate on our measures in three areas:

First, we will attach equal emphasis to attracting and nurturing talent to gather a greater pool of talent. With eagerness and sincerity, Zhejiang consistently seeks talent from home and abroad to come and develop in the province. In 2023, the province attracted 1.25 million university graduates, brought in and fostered 535 state-level leading talents and 523 young talents. At the same time, we emphasize the cultivation of innovative spirits and capabilities, with particular attention given to nurturing outstanding innovative talents and improving the quality of independent talent cultivation. In particular, we actively develop higher education to its full potential and enhance its overall level, advancing the integration of science with education, industry with education, as well as vocational and general education. We aim to cultivate more young talents capable of adapting to the demands of new quality productive forces.

Second, we will establish a good platform to enable talents to achieve greatness. We will accelerate the construction of scientific and technological innovation platforms such as national laboratories, the top 10 provincial laboratories, the top 10 provincial technology innovation centers, 21 national key laboratories, and 119 provincial-level new R&D institutions. We will also support enterprises in establishing technology centers and R&D centers and encourage leading enterprises to lead the establishment of innovation consortia. We will provide a broad stage for talents to display their capabilities and achieve their aspirations, making Zhejiang a place where various talents can realize their value. For example, the Liangzhu Laboratory emphasizes enabling young talents to shoulder major responsibilities and play leading roles, cultivating a group of entrepreneurial and innovative talents with both the spirits of scientists and the qualities of businesspeople.

Third, we will optimize services to retain talent. We will focus on addressing the key concerns of professionals in five aspects: housing, transportation, childcare, registered residency, and income. We will continuously upgrade and improve the four major systems: the financial support system for talent development, the housing guarantee system for talents, the education service system ensuring quality education, and the comprehensive healthcare service system covering people's entire lifespans. This is aimed at alleviating the worries of talents and transforming Zhejiang into a haven where all types of talents can thrive and settle. We will promote the value-added reform of talent services, delegate power to employers, and ease restrictions on talent, ensuring that we refrain from unnecessary interference and remain responsive to their needs. We will establish an efficient system for the transformation and application of scientific and technological achievements, enhance the system for intellectual property protection, adopt a tolerant and prudent approach to supervising innovation and entrepreneurship activities, and support the development of new industries, formats, and models. This fosters a virtuous cycle where Zhejiang nurtures talents and talents contribute to the prosperity of Zhejiang.

That's all I want to say. Thank you!

Tide News under Zhejiang Daily Press Group:

At the end of every year, people in Zhejiang receive an open letter from the provincial governor, soliciting practical project proposals that the provincial government will undertake in the following year. Could you please inform us how Zhejiang province handles this matter and what the results are? Thank you.

Wang Hao: 

Thank you for your question. I'll answer it. Our goal is to fulfill the people's expectations for better lives. Practical work concerning people's livelihoods is not only a major project for improving livelihoods and development but also a major project for winning people's hearts. Back in 2004 when General Secretary Xi Jinping worked in Zhejiang, he personally advanced the efforts of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee and the Zhejiang provincial government to take the lead in issuing the "Opinions on Establishing and Improving a Long-term Mechanism for Delivering Services to the People." For the first time, "focusing on 10 aspects of practical matters concerning livelihoods" was included in the provincial government work report. For the past 20 years, we have been dedicated to addressing the most pressing, direct, and practical issues of the people. With the collaboration of provincial, city, and county-level governments, we dedicate ourselves to practical matters for the people each year, creating a "golden business card" for Zhejiang.

In 2023, we focused on practical matters to improve people's livelihoods and launched the "Seven Benefits" public service project. This initiative was designed to ensure people's access to quality childcare, education, employment, medical services, elderly care, housing, and social assistance.. These are the specific contents of the "Seven Benefits." Based on this project, the provincial government identified 10 key aspects for improving people's livelihoods in 2023 and detailed them into 56 major items and 31,569 specific matters and tasks. Through our efforts over the past year, we have fully achieved the anticipated target, with a satisfaction rate of 99.5% among the public. In 2024, the provincial government will continue to plan and implement 32 projects in 10 key aspects. Our main approach in specific work is as follows:

In the solicitation phase, we collect suggestions for livelihood projects through the governor's open letter, ensuring people's voices are heard and responded to. Every October, the provincial government issues an open letter in the name of the governor to the entire province, seeking opinions and suggestions from the public on the practical matters concerning the coming year's livelihood projects. The response has always been enthusiastic, with high public participation. The open letter for soliciting livelihood projects in 2024 received 29.33 million views and over 40,000 suggestions.

When planning livelihood projects, we adhere to the principle of doing our best within our capabilities, focusing on addressing the most urgent and pressing issues of public concern. We prioritize basic, inclusive, and essential livelihood security, targeting major issues that people are deeply concerned, and those minor yet significant matters affecting people's daily lives. We strive to implement livelihood projects that truly resonate with the people. At the same time, we promote inclusive and accessible basic public services through these projects without being overambitious or inflating expectations. Moreover, we ensure that improving people's livelihoods is based on sustainable economic development and fiscal capacity at all levels.

In the decision-making process for public livelihood projects, we invite deputies to the People's Congress and members of the Political Consultative Committee to thoroughly review and discuss the projects, with the government strictly implementing and ensuring proper execution. We consider the 10 aspects of the provincial government's livelihood projects as a key part of the annual government work report and submit them to the provincial "two sessions" for review and discussion. Additionally, at the municipal, county and township levels, we have implemented a voting system by deputies to the People's Congress to decide on livelihood projects. This means that the projects are submitted to the People's Congress, and the specific projects to be implemented are determined through a differential voting process by the deputies. Based on the voting results of deputies at all levels, we identify the specific implementation items each year, promoting a more democratic, standardized, and rule-based mechanism for addressing public welfare matters.

In the implementation phase, we adhere to quantification, digitization, and closed-loop management to ensure that our promises are kept and that our actions lead to results. Every year, the provincial government's 10 aspects of livelihood projects are divided into a system of "two lists": a project list and a construction standard list. We clearly define the specific locations, construction standards, completion timelines, and responsible entities for each project. All projects are included in the government's digital platform for supervision. At the year's end, we publicly announce the progress of each project and location and present a report to the deputies and members of the provincial "two sessions." Simultaneously, we conduct evaluations on the public's satisfaction with the implementation of these projects, ensuring results and the fulfillment of our promises.

That's all for my answer. Thank you!

China Daily:

Recently, Zhejiang province's "one-stop service window for unresolved issues" has attracted attention online and in the media, even trending on social media. Could you please share with us any future innovations and explorations the province plans to undertake to improve the business environment and provide convenience to enterprises? Thank you.

Xu Wenguang:

Thank you for your question. I appreciate everyone's concern for Zhejiang province's business environment. The business environment is a concentrated reflection of comprehensive competitiveness, closely related to Mr. Du Xuliang's previous answer regarding the private economy. Zhejiang province has never stopped its steps to optimize business environment, including  improvement of work efficiency, "four lists and one network" reform, "one-stop service " project and the digital transition. Since 2023, the province has vigorously implemented the "No.1 Reform Project" to optimize and upgrade the business environment, led by the reform of value-added government services, continuously promoting the business environment to the forefront of the country. Zhejiang has been rated as the province with the best reputation for the business environment by the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce for four consecutive years. By the way, I am the team leader of this project. 

The value-added reform of government services we are promoting can be summarized into four new methods:

First, we have created a new platform where all kinds of matters can be handled in one location. By leveraging existing local government service centers, we have established comprehensive enterprise service centers. Here, businesses can access not only basic government services, such as convenient approvals, but also enjoy customized, advanced services according to their needs. For example, when opening a restaurant, not only can basic government services such as registration and seal engraving be handled at one time, but more than 10 value-added services, such as catering site surveys and fire safety guidance, can also be provided at the same time. The one-stop service window you just mentioned is set up in the comprehensive enterprise service center, ensuring that all kinds of matters and complicated issues that are difficult to handle through conventional "technical judgment" but should be managed based on "value judgment" can all be resolved here.

Second, we have provided directly accessible new experiences that strengthen digital intelligence empowerment policies. Leveraging the achievements of digital reform, we created an online "policy calculator" to accurately deliver the 32 policies for high-quality development of the private sector and other enterprise-friendly policies issued by our province directly to enterprises, allowing them to access and benefit from the policies without needing to apply. We transformed the business environment from "enterprises searching for policies" to "policies finding enterprises." In 2023, Zhejiang distributed 71.2 billion yuan in rewards and subsidies, reducing the financial burden on market entities by more than 330 billion yuan.

Third, we have built a new mechanism for the efficient, closed-loop resolution of enterprise-related issues. The most effective approach involves proactively addressing the demands of enterprises and solving their various challenges. We have established an efficient closed-loop resolution mechanism for enterprise-related issues, striving to collect and efficiently resolve enterprise-related issues on a multi-tiered, multi-level and categorized basis. We call it the "three-classification mechanism." This mechanism shifts away from the traditional reliance on personal acquaintances and interpersonal relationships when enterprises encounter problems. Instead, it provides institutional arrangements between the government and businesses, as well as business environment evaluation.

Fourth, we have made new breakthroughs in addressing challenging issues. We concentrate on areas such as bidding, intermediary services, intellectual property protection, and the relationship between government and business. We have planned and implemented special initiatives to remove various institutional barriers to enhance the sense of gain and degree of satisfaction among enterprises and the public. For example, to cultivate a cordial and clean relationship between government and business, we issued behavioral guidelines and formulated three lists to categorize positive, negative, and recommended interactions between government and business.

There is no best business environment, only a better one. Zhejiang will further advance the "No. 1 Reform Project" to improve the business environment, providing a strong impetus for developing new quality productive forces and promoting high-quality development.

That's all from me for this question. Thank you.

China Arab TV:

Facing a complex and fast-changing international environment, how will Zhejiang, as an export-oriented province, respond to challenges and promote openness? Thank you.

Lu Shan:

Thank you for your question. Mr. Wang Hao just mentioned that Zhejiang's total import and export volume last year reached 4.9 trillion yuan, ranking at the forefront among provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities in terms of contribution to national import and export growth. As you said, with Zhejiang's foreign trade dependence ratio surpassing 60%, the development of an open economy is of great significance to us. Moving forward, we will focus on promoting the "three further improvements," including improving our open economy, becoming a dual circulation strategic hub, and expanding our institutional opening-up system. We will actively participate in the Belt and Road Initiative, deeply implement the "No. 1 Opening-up Project," and accelerate Zhejiang's transition into a province with higher-level opening-up. I will report on three specific aspects:

First, we will promote institutional opening-up and improve the level of openness. We will support open platforms, such as the Zhejiang Pilot Free Trade Zone, to align with international high-standard economic and trade rules, steadily promote the institutional opening-up of rules, regulations, management, and standards, accelerate the formation of new mechanisms for trade and investment cooperation, and fully promote the construction of Ningbo Zhoushan Port into a world-class port to enhance its capacity for commodity resource allocation. We will support Yiwu city in deepening the comprehensive reform of international trade, making it easier for global buyers to purchase and sell products worldwide. It is necessary to innovate and develop digital trade and optimize the "cross-border e-commerce + industrial belt" and "overseas warehouse + front warehouse + independent station" models to help more micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises open stores and sell goods globally.

In September this year, the third Global Digital Trade Expo will be held in Hangzhou. This expo was elevated to a national first-class exhibition last year and was also included in this year's government work report. We will further promote the expo as a national-level international professional exhibition under the theme of digital trade and go all out to host this grand event. Here, we sincerely invite businesspeople worldwide to attend the exhibition, discuss cooperation, promote common development, and share benefits.

Second, we will continue "bringing in" high-quality enterprises from around the world so they can share high-quality development opportunities in Zhejiang. We are committed to fostering a first-class business environment that is market-oriented, internationalized, and law-based. We implement a management system that combines pre-entry national treatment with the negative list, and by regularly hosting roundtable meetings for foreign-funded enterprises, we strive to help address production and operation difficulties, ensuring these companies have more confidence in their investments and development in China. We will advance the global investment promotion campaign of "invest in Zhejiang" and try our best to attract a number of large, high-quality and high-tech projects as well as foreign-funded enterprises that use unique and sophisticated technologies to produce novel and unique products. Last year, Saudi Aramco and Rongsheng Petrochemical Co. Ltd. in Zhejiang province achieved strategic cooperation. We sincerely hope more enterprises will choose Zhejiang as an important investment destination and take the "express train" of Zhejiang's high-quality development.

Third, we will continue "going global" to develop and expand the businesses of overseas Zhejiang residents. Zhejiang people have always been courageous pioneers, and currently, more than 2 million Zhejiang merchants are doing business worldwide. We will further steady progress and improve the quality of foreign trade by advancing the campaign of "tens of thousands of enterprises expanding the market to increase orders." We will motivate private enterprises to implement "pioneering actions," encourage them to make global plans, construct a number of overseas industrial parks with Zhejiang businesspeople as the main contributors, launch a series of "small but beautiful" projects such as Silk Road e-commerce, and build a number of multinational corporations deeply engaged in the international market. At the same time, we will deepen exchanges and cooperation with friendly provinces, states, and sister cities and enhance economic and trade exchanges, cultural communication, and mutual learning among civilizations on a wider scale.

That's all from me, thank you.

Chen Wenjun:

Due to time constraints, we'll take the last two questions.

CNR:

We have noticed that last year's inaugural National Ecology Day event was held in Huzhou. As the birthplace of the concept that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets," how does Zhejiang give full play to its ecological value and turn "green" into "gold?" Thank you.

Xu Wenguang:

Thank you for your question. As Mr. Wang mentioned earlier, Zhejiang holds the distinction of being China's first ecological province. On Aug. 15, 2023, the first National Ecology Day event was held in Huzhou, Zhejiang province. Over the years, under the guidance of the concept that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets," Zhejiang has continuously pursued development paths focused on economic transformation and upgrading, efficient resource use, continuous environmental improvement, and balanced and harmonious development between urban and rural areas. This approach is mainly reflected in the following four aspects:

First, we have pursued high value-added economic growth. We have continued to restructure and upgrade industries with persistence by constantly phasing out small, poorly managed, and heavily polluting enterprises and cultivating high-tech, high-precision and advanced industries. This allows for the development of eco-friendly industries and the industrialization of environmental protection, improving the quality of growth through the replacement of old growth drivers with new ones. We took the lead in the construction of collaborative innovation zones to reduce pollution and carbon emissions. Starting with cities, parks, enterprises, and other areas, we have promoted the integrated planning, deployment, promotion, and assessment of carbon emission and pollution reduction efforts to accelerate the realization of win-win environmental, climate, and economic benefits.

Second, we have focused on ecological conservation to improve the environment. We strengthened the synergistic effect of pollution and carbon reduction, rolled out a series of combined measures to advance water management, improve soil conservation, and reduce gas, waste and plastic pollution. In 2023, the proportion of excellent and good quality surface water controlled at the national level reached 97.5%, and air quality was good or excellent on 91.6% of the days over the past year. Over the past two years, we have made great efforts to address environmental problems that concern the public, including noise, odor, and black and malodorous water bodies. As a result, the public satisfaction rate for environmental protection has continued to improve for 12 consecutive years.

Third, we cultivated "new strengths" in governance. As the nation's first province to pilot the digital transformation of the ecological environment, we have established an integrated decision-making command platform covering the whole processes. We strived to achieve precise control to guarantee environmental quality, pinpointing and accurately managing issues. Notably, with the launch of the digital system for environmental impact assessment (EIA) in Zhejiang, we strived to use the least costs and time to ensure effective oversight while streamlining regulation, so as to facilitate enterprises to accelerate project construction. Presently, the EIA system has been accessed and used by enterprises for 270,000 times.

Fourth, we nurtured green "growth points." We prioritized leveraging social capital, market-oriented approaches, and third-party collaboration to catalyze the transformation of ecological value. This involved promoting ecological products' diversified development, multi-tiered utilization, and value increment at various links. For example, the Blue Circle environmental initiative was recognized with the United Nations Champions of the Earth Award for addressing marine plastic pollution. It engages fishermen, shipowners, and enterprises and mobilizes coastal communities to collect marine plastic waste. By establishing funds for secondary value distribution, this model not only offers a Chinese solution to the global challenge of marine plastic pollution but also boosts income for local fishermen. We firmly believe that through technological, model, and institutional innovations, we can undoubtedly transform more "lucid waters and green mountains" into even more valuable assets in the future.

That's all from me. Thank you.

Science and Technology Daily:

As a major economic province, what measures does Zhejiang plan to take next in building a modern industrial system and developing new quality productive forces? Thank you.

Du Xuliang:

Thank you for your question. We are actively implementing the arrangements of the central authorities while tailoring our efforts to the specific realities of Zhejiang, and swiftly constructing a modern industrial system that embodies the unique characteristics of our province. In essence, we aim to build a modern industrial system that is guided by the development of new quality productive forces, with advanced manufacturing as its core, propelled by technological innovation, and centered on digital economy; relying on modern transportation and logistics networks, and underpinned by modern infrastructure; and featuring a deep integration of modern services with advanced manufacturing and modern agriculture and a profound fusion of digital and real economy. 

We believe the following four aspects are of critical significance.

First, our approach entails establishing a "315" technology innovation system to develop new quality productive forces based on local conditions. In the "315" system, "3" signifies the building of three major hubs for science and technology innovation: internet plus, life and health, and new materials. And "15" means focusing on accelerating breakthroughs in 15 strategic areas essential for future development, including cloud computing and future networks, intelligent computing and artificial intelligence, and big data and information security. Our goal is to surpass a research and development intensity of 3.4% across society by 2027, with high-tech industries contributing 68% of the total value added by enterprises above designated size.

Second, our approach includes establishing "415X" advanced manufacturing industry clusters to expedite the development of a global advanced manufacturing hub. The construction of such an advanced manufacturing hub is a major strategic objective outlined in the "Double-Eight Strategy." The term "415X" represents our focus on consolidating superior resources to establish four advanced industrial clusters in next-generation information technology, high-end equipment, modern consumption and health, and green petrochemicals and new materials, each valued at 1 trillion yuan, as well as 15 featured industrial clusters valued at 100 billion yuan each and numerous high-growth emerging industrial clusters at the 10-billion-yuan level. By 2027, we aim to see the total revenue of enterprises above designated size within "415X" advanced manufacturing industry clusters surpass 12 trillion yuan, while maintaining the contribution of manufacturing value added to GDP at around one-third.

Third, we will implement the "Number One Development Project" to drive innovation and enhance the quality of the digital economy, empowering the upgrading of industrial and supply chain capabilities. Leveraging Zhejiang's first-mover advantages in developing digital economy, this project aims to exert digital economy's role to expand and multiply the results of socioeconomic development and better empower industrial development. We will move faster to foster strategic emerging industries like integrated circuits and artificial intelligence, while also accelerating the process of turning data into valuable assets. By 2027, we expect the digital economy's value added to exceed 7 trillion yuan, with core industries' value added surpassing 1.6 trillion yuan.

Fourth, we will continue to reach out for the further development of Zhejiang, enhancing our openness to the world. We are committed to seamlessly integrating high-level outbound cooperation with high-quality inbound cooperation, advancing institutional openness, and building world-class ports. We aim to drive the coordinated development of sea, air, land, and information ports, seeking to access, mobilize and allocate resources on a broader scale. By increasing openness, we will strive to create new opportunities for industrial development.

That's all from me. Thank you!

Chen Wenjun:

Thank you to Mr. Wang and other speakers. Thank you to all journalists. Today's press conference concludes here. Goodbye!

Translated and edited by Wang Qian, Zhang Rui, Gong Yingchun, Wang Ziteng, Yuan Fang, Ma Yujia, Li Xiao, Cui Can, He Shan, Mi Xingang, Wang Wei, Liu Sitong, Qin Qi, Zhang Junmian, Yan Bin, Zhang Tingting, Li Huiru, David Ball, Rochelle Beiersdorfer and Jay Birbeck. In case of any discrepancy between the English and Chinese texts, the Chinese version is deemed to prevail.