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Read in Chinese

Speakers:

Ms. Liang Huiling, deputy secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Heilongjiang Provincial Committee and governor of Heilongjiang province

Mr. Chen Shaobo, a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Heilongjiang Provincial Committee and executive vice governor of Heilongjiang province

Mr. Yu Jian, vice governor of Heilongjiang province

Mr. Xu Xiangguo, vice governor of Heilongjiang province

Chairperson:

Mr. Xie Yingjun, deputy director general of the Press Bureau of the State Council Information Office (SCIO) and spokesperson of the SCIO

Date:

April 26, 2024

Xie Yingjun:

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to this press conference held by the State Council Information Office (SCIO). This is the 12th press conference in the series "Promoting High-Quality Development." Today, we have invited Ms. Liang Huiling, deputy secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Heilongjiang Provincial Committee and governor of Heilongjiang province, to brief you on striving to break new ground in high-quality development and sustained revitalization of Heilongjiang, and then answer your questions. Also present today are Mr. Chen Shaobo, a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Heilongjiang Provincial Committee and executive vice governor of Heilongjiang province; and Mr. Yu Jian and Mr. Xu Xiangguo, both vice governors of Heilongjiang province.

Now, I'll give the floor to Ms. Liang for her introduction.

Liang Huiling:

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. First, on behalf of the CPC Heilongjiang Provincial Committee, the Provincial People's Government and the people of Heilongjiang province, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to you for your long-term interest in and strong support for our province.

General Secretary Xi Jinping has always attached great importance to the revitalization and development of Heilongjiang province, and he cares deeply about the people of the province. In September last year, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the implementation of the Northeast China revitalization strategy, General Secretary Xi Jinping visited Heilongjiang again, delivering an important speech and giving important instructions. We bear in mind his instructions with gratitude, firmly grasp our strategic positioning in the overall national development, tightly focus on the primary task of high-quality development, and build and strengthen the province as an important national commodity grain production base and heavy equipment manufacturing base, an important energy and raw material supplier, a vital guardian of ecological security in northern China, and a pivotal gateway for the nation's northward opening-up. We are effectively safeguarding national defense, food, ecology, energy and industrial security, and making solid strides in high-quality development, presenting a vibrant scene in Heilongjiang.

First, we are ensuring that sci-tech innovation leads the overall industrial revitalization. Heilongjiang province is rich in scientific and educational resources, with 78 universities and 120 independent research institutes. We are harnessing the role of sci-tech innovation in increasing output, strengthening the use of national-level innovation platforms, and applying a number of major technological achievements to national strategic tasks such as manned spaceflight. The first large-scale scientific facility in China's aerospace field, constructed by the Harbin Institute of Technology, has been put into use. We are promoting the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries, propeling large-scale equipment renewals, and accelerating the transformation toward high-end, intelligent and green development. Daqing Oilfield is striving to be a model and flagship, with the aim of building a centennial oilfield. It has accumulated crude oil production of 2.53 billion metric tons, accounting for 36% of the national onshore crude oil production. Significant breakthroughs have been made in the exploration and development of continental shale oil. We are vigorously developing strategic emerging industries and future industries, creating industrial clusters in fields such as aerospace and high-end equipment, and accelerating the development of new quality productive forces. A number of national major projects in the new era demonstrate China's strength. For example, the hydrogenation reactor produced by China First Heavy Industries set a new world record, and the Baihetan hydropower station, independently developed by Harbin Electric Corporation, has the world's largest single-unit capacity of 1 million kilowatts for hydro-generating units. 

Second, we are firmly fulfilling our role as a "ballast" in ensuring national food security. Heilongjiang province, situated in one of the world's three major black soil belts, boasts a cultivated area of 258 million mu (about 17.2 million hectares), ranking first nationwide. We are committed to cultivating more high-quality crops, actively implementing plans to increase grain production by tens of millions of metric tons, and prioritizing substantial improvements in grain yield per unit area to enhance overall grain production capacity. Last year, grain output reached 155.76 billion jin (about 77.88 billion kilograms), accounting for 11.2% of the national total, and ranking first nationwide in total production, commercial quantity and outbound quantity. Our main focus is on developing modern large-scale agriculture, while simultaneously fostering the development of technology-driven agriculture, environmentally friendly practices, quality enhancement and branded agricultural products. We are dedicated to establishing modern agricultural bases, enterprises and industries, with top-tier standards in farmland management, organic food certification areas and comprehensive crop mechanization rates, all ranking first nationwide.

Third, we are committed to establishing a model region where "clear waters and green mountains are priceless assets, as are snow and ice." Our province boasts expansive forests, grasslands, wetlands, lakes, rivers and extensive snowscapes, serving as vital ecological buffers in the northern expanse of our nation. We have firmly embraced the notion that nurturing greenery equates to enhancing our strengths and safeguarding forests secures our prosperity. Committed to preserving lush mountains and lucid waters, we are charting a course of ecological conservation and green development. Last year, our region achieved an impressive 94.2% of days with excellent air quality, and our instituted systems of river and lake chiefs earned accolades from the State Council for four consecutive years, underlining the pivotal role of green initiatives in fostering high-quality development. We are actively promoting unique cultural tourism and making high-standard preparations for the 9th Asian Winter Games, aiming to cultivate new economic hubs in the ice and snow sectors. Heilongjiang's ice and snow tourism is experiencing a surge in popularity.

Fourth, we are accelerating the establishment of a pivotal gateway for the nation's northward opening-up. Heilongjiang is a crucial node in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), boasting 27 first-class ports with neighboring countries. We are intensifying efforts to enhance open channels, continuously improving port efficiency, and normalizing operations of key infrastructure such as the China-Russia Tongjiang-Nizhneleninskoye cross-border railway bridge and Heihe-Blagoveshchensk cross-border highway bridge. The international aviation hub functions of Harbin Airport have undergone comprehensive upgrades. We are also innovating the development of free trade zones, the Harbin New Area and other open platforms, actively expanding into diversified international markets, and constructing a comprehensive pattern of all-round opening-up. Last year, the province witnessed a 12.3% increase in total foreign trade volume. We are consistently enhancing the business environment, offering end-to-end policy support and services throughout the entire business lifecycle. Our approach ensures accessibility when needed and no unnecessary disruption, with a commitment to swift and efficient processing. Last year, the province witnessed a 14% increase in newly registered enterprises. According to a report by the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce assessing the business environment of thousands of private enterprises nationwide, our province ranked among the top five provinces for most noticeable advancements.

Fifth, we are working hard to improve people's well-being. Last year, we effectively responded to local flood disasters, intensifying efforts to promote post-disaster recovery and reconstruction. We swiftly restored the order of production and daily life in the flood-affected regions, ensuring the safety and heating for residents impacted by the disaster. In addition, we conducted home visits to ensure that residents' heating needs were met. We promoted smart heating, increasing heating capacity to benefit more than 390,000 households and ensuring that people had a warm winter. We also focused on stabilizing employment. An increasing number of college graduates in the province found local jobs last year , registering the highest level in the past five years. Renovation projects for housing units in rundown urban areas, old residential compounds, and dilapidated houses in rural areas have benefited nearly 1 million people. In the first quarter, the growth rate of per capita disposable income for urban and rural residents ranked among the top in the country.

That is all from me for now. Next, my colleagues and I would like to answer your questions.

Thank you!

Xie Yingjun:

Thank you, Ms. Liang. The floor is now open for questions. Please identify the news outlet you work for before asking your question.

CCTV: 

We have noticed that in the context of promoting high-quality development, many regions have expressed their intention to "accelerate the development of new quality productive forces." What measures will Heilongjiang take to develop new quality productive forces according to local conditions? Thank you.

Liang Huiling:

Your question is very important, and I will answer it. We have specifically formulated and published an action plan on accelerating the development of new quality productive forces. We will focus on three aspects to build the province into a hub for developing new quality productive forces.

First, we will focus on scientific and technological innovation as the driving force. Last year, we introduced 60 measures for innovative development and many other measures for driving industrial revitalization with scientific and technological innovation. We established technology transformation platforms like the Institute for Advanced Technology and the Institute for Artificial Intelligence at Harbin Institute of Technology. In 2023, we completed the transformation of 589 major scientific and technological achievements, and the number of high-tech enterprises grew 22.9%. We will make good use of national sci-tech innovation platforms such as the Harbin-Daqing-Qiqihar National Independent Innovation Demonstration Zone. Efforts will be made to achieve major scientific and technological breakthroughs, cultivate strategic scientific and technological strength, and promote research into new and disruptive technologies in fields such as intelligent robots, life sciences, and continental shale oil. We will adhere to a mechanism in which enterprises set the agenda, research institutions address the problems, and markets evaluate the research results. We will improve this collaborative innovation mechanism among industries, universities, research institutions, and end-users, with enterprises at its core. Efforts will be made to build an ecosystem for innovation and entrepreneurship involving universities and research institutions. We will cultivate and introduce high-tech companies, accelerate the transformation of sci-tech achievements in the province, and foster new growth drivers.

Second, we will focus on local conditions and implement tailored measures. We remain committed to developing a modern industrial system with Heilongjiang's distinctive features, based on the province's unique resource strengths, industrial foundation, and research conditions, to foster new quality productive forces tailored to local conditions. On the one hand, we will revitalize old industries. We will carry out actions to promote technological transformation among 1,000 enterprises each year. With a focus on promoting digital transformation of the manufacturing industry and enhancing the digital capabilities of small and medium-sized enterprises, we will make efforts to accelerate the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries. In the first quarter, investment in technological transformation grew 43.9%. On the other hand, we will create new engines for revitalization. We will implement plans for developing strategic emerging industries and future industries. In the first quarter, the output of high-end equipment, aerospace, and electronic information all experienced double-digit growths.

Third, we will prioritize the development of talent. We will improve the working mechanism for talent cultivation, as part of the efforts to support the development of new quality productive forces. We will work to ensure that the effect of policies is fully unleashed. Guided by the 60 measures for talent revitalization, we will continue to issue supporting documents to fully remove the barriers in talent cultivation, recruiting, and employment. The province has seen the number of its skilled individuals grow by over 260,000 in less than two years. Moreover, the previous trend of people with senior professional titles leaving universities in the province has reversed, with an influx of such individuals now returning to these institutions. We will continue to stimulate the vitality of talent and deepen the reform of the talent system and mechanism concerning salary distribution and the transformation of sci-tech achievements. In addition, we will make good use of systems such as the "negative list" for scientific research funding. We will step up efforts to turn talent into the primary driving force for innovation.

Southern Metropolis Daily:

We have noticed that in 2022, Heilongjiang introduced the 60 measures for talent revitalization in the new era. Could you please tell us what changes these policies have brought about in terms of attracting and retaining talent in Heilongjiang? What further steps will be taken to consolidate the talent foundation for high-quality development? Thank you.

Liang Huiling:

Thank you for your interest in talent revitalization. This question goes to Mr. Chen.

Chen Shaobo:

Thank you for your concern and support for talent revitalization in Heilongjiang. Talent is the key to Heilongjiang's revitalization. Therefore, we have consistently adhered to the principle that talent is our most valuable resource and have introduced a series of concrete measures.

First, we have advanced efforts to implement active and effective talent revitalization policies. As mentioned, we have formulated and implemented the 60 Measures for Talent Revitalization in Heilongjiang in the New Era, along with a series of supporting policies. These policies are active, open, and of high value and quality, leading to positive results. The governor noted that our overall talent pool is expanding, with a significant increase in the number of high-end talents introduced into the province. Moreover, while there was previously a net outflow of individuals with senior professional titles from universities, this trend reversed last year, resulting in a new influx of such talent. Additionally, both the number of college graduates opting to remain in the province and the number of those coming here for employment reached a five-year high, signaling a promising trend of talent returning to and staying in Heilongjiang.

Second, we have made every effort to build a platform for talent development that enables talented people to unleash their full potential. As we all know, Harbin Institute of Technology is one of the best universities for robotics. We have fully leveraged our professional expertise in this regard, and integrated various resources and production factors to give full support for the university to accelerate commercialization of their research findings in robotics. Substantial results have been achieved. I would like to take two companies here as an example. Harbin Boshi Automation Co. Ltd. has achieved breakthroughs in key technologies regarding robots' ability to work in front of a furnace, and Harbin Sagebot Intelligent Medical Equipment Co. LTD. has realized domestic production of surgical robots. Such accomplishments are not easy to achieve. Through these industries and platforms, we have attracted a large number of robotics professionals and other related professionals to the province. Next, we will make sustained efforts in creating suitable jobs and building favorable platforms to better help talented people settle here.

Third, we have intensified efforts to launch key talent programs. In order to support talent development with good faith and money, we have set up special funds financed by the provincial government to implement the "Leading Wild Goose" talent support plan, actively recruiting scientists and technologists who are able to organize and lead scientific research and who have extensive influence in relevant industries and fields, and giving them greater autonomy in their technical routes and their team recruitment and staffing. Meanwhile, we have vigorously implemented a training program for outstanding engineers, steadily promoted the "Skilled Personnel in Heilongjiang" initiative, and continued to carry out activities such as the "Heilongjiang Talent Week." We are accelerating the establishment of a supporting system for talent programs and projects covering all key sectors and areas. Last year, highly skilled personnel reached 825,000 in the province, accounting for 31.7% of the entire skilled workforce.

Fourth, we have jointly fostered a nurturing environment for talent in Heilongjiang province, satisfying the needs of local talent and attracting talented people from afar. We have continuously improved a systematic mechanism to ensure services and support for talent, carried out tiered accreditation for high-level talent, and issued Heilongjiang Talent Cards that offer 24 exclusive services in seven areas including children's education, medical examination and treatment, and transportation, relieving the worries of high-level talent. Meanwhile, we have attached great importance to the discovery, cultivation and use of various talented people, such as people with vocational skills and local talented people, making it common practice throughout the province to identify gifted individuals, value them, respect them and put them to good use.

I would like to take this opportunity to invite talented people from all over the world to join us in building and developing Heilongjiang. Here, you and the province will contribute to each other's success and create a better future together. Thank you.

Xinhua News Agency:

When it comes to Heilongjiang province, people will think of the Greater and Lesser Xing'an Mountains as well as some large rivers such as the Songhua River and the Wusuli River. The province boasts very rich ecological resources. My question is: Over the last few years, what is the situation with ecological and environmental protection in Heilongjiang? Thank you.

Liang Huiling:

Thank you for your attention to this matter. I will invite Mr. Yu to answer your question.

Yu Jian:

Indeed as you said, located in the northernmost and easternmost part of our motherland, Heilongjiang boasts a vast territory, beautiful mountains and rivers, a pleasant eco-environment and distinct seasons. The province remains as determined as ever to pursue green development that prioritizes environmental conservation and adheres to build ecological security shields in northern China. Our work mainly focuses on three aspects. First, we consider ecological resources as the strongest foundation for development. We have taken a holistic and systematic approach to the conservation and improvement of mountain, water, forest, farmland, grassland and desert ecosystems and strived to enhance the diversity, stability and sustainability of the ecosystem. The forest area in Heilongjiang hits 201,200 square kilometers; its wetland area reaches 51,400 square kilometers; and there are 46 national nature reserves in the province. All the numbers rank among the top in the country. Second, we take a beautiful environment as the most inclusive benefit to people's wellbeing. We have given greater priority to keeping our skies blue, waters clear and lands clean. The evaluation results of Heilongjiang's pollution prevention and control work have been among the best nationwide for many consecutive years, showing continued improvement in the environment. The province recorded good or excellent air quality on 94.2% of the days in 2023, 7.4 percentage points higher than the national average. The average annual concentration of PM2.5 stood at 25.5 micrograms per cubic meter, 4.5 micrograms lower than the national average. Our people now enjoy more blue skies, clearer waters, lush mountains, and a growing sense of happiness brought by a healthy environment. Third, we take ecological values as the most enduring competitive edge. Under the premise of protection, we have vigorously developed industries involving eco-tourism, non-timber forest-based economy , health and convalescence tourism, and forest food, so as to promote ecological product value conversion and to constantly translate ecological strengths into development strengths.

For the next step, we will further coordinate the structuring of ecological conditions, industries and residents' livelihood, going all out to build a green Heilongjiang to safeguard national ecological security and to strive to make positive contributions in advancing the Beautiful China Initiative. We will make every effort to safeguard green ecology, to advance pollution prevention and control work, to timely address environmental pollution cases that occur at people's doorsteps and to continue improving the environment, so that people in Heilongjiang will enjoy more blue skies, lush mountains, clear waters and clean air. To promote green development, we will make concerted efforts to cut carbon emissions, reduce pollution, expand green areas, and boost economic growth. We will also build and improve a green, low-carbon and circular economic system, and promote green transition in all respects of economic and social development. Moreover, we will focus on building green homes by advocating green ways of living including green travel, water and electricity conservation, and an "empty plate" campaign. We will also encourage low-carbon, green consumption, improve energy-saving and environmental protection facilities as well as build a modern Heilongjiang featuring a beautiful environment, a developed green economy, and low-carbon ways of production and living. Thank you!

Jinan Times APP:

Heilongjiang is located in one of the world's three major black soil belts, is known for its famous "Great Northern Wilderness" and is a major agricultural and grain-producing province. How does Heilongjiang plan to make new contributions to ensure China's food security and act as a solid foundation for achieving this purpose? Thank you.

Liang Huiling:

Thank you for your question. I will answer this question. The focus of our work is in four aspects.

First, we will improve the comprehensive production capacity of grain. We will implement the plan to increase grain production by 10 million tons, focusing on the integrated utilization of fertile farmland, high-quality seeds and machinery, and useful measures and mechanisms. We will systematically integrate policies, engineering and agricultural measures to stabilize the sown area of grain and focus on increasing per unit yield in large area. By 2026, the comprehensive grain production capacity in the province will reach 180 billion jin (90 billion kilograms).

Second, we will strengthen the protection and utilization of black soil. In terms of arable land, black soil is extremely scarce and invaluable. We will adhere to four specific approaches, increasing efforts to protect black soil, and ensuring that its area does not decrease and that its quality improves. First, we will strengthen engineering measures to prioritize the construction of high-standard farmland on black soil. Second, we will reduce the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, return plant stalks to fields, apply organic fertilizer, and substitute with biological agents, with the aim to increase organic matter content of soil. Third, we will highlight technological empowerment, relying on biotechnology and digital technology to improve the management and utilization of black soil. Fourth, we will change backward production methods, promote conservation tillage across large areas, and strictly crack down on unauthorized occupation and destruction of farmland, so as to achieve sustainable utilization of black soil.

Third, we will empower agriculture with science and technology. We give greater prominence to the development of agricultural sci-tech, with our contribution rate of agricultural technological progress ranking among the top in the country. We will vigorously implement the revitalization of the seed industry, establish national bases for quality soybean seed breeding and japonica rice seed production, and strengthen and expand the core of the seed industry. We will build a national pioneering area for large-scale, high-powered, high-end and intelligent agricultural machinery and equipment, accelerate the upgrading and replacement of agricultural machinery, and be the first to achieve the modernization of agricultural material and equipment. Supported by the national key laboratory for smart farming technologies and systems, we will expand the application scenarios of large-scale smart agriculture, and aim to establish 20 unmanned smart farms, each covering an area of 10,000 mu, by 2025.

Fourth, we will create a pioneering region in adopting an all-encompassing approach to food. Leveraging our advantageous location in the world's prime livestock belt, we will vigorously develop modern animal husbandry. We will establish the largest high-end infant formula production base in the country, with the aim of creating a crucial strategic guarantee base for meat, eggs and dairy products at the national level. Additionally, we will harness the advantages of undergrowth resources to promote the recognition of the "nine delicacies and 18 products," such as pine nuts, black fungus and Lonicera edulis fruit, thereby creating a supply hub for eco-friendly forest food products. Moreover, we will capitalize on the province's advantages in rivers and lakes by expanding the supply of premium and high-quality fish, including 26 species of freshwater fish, with the aim of establishing a base for the supply of high-quality cold-water fish. Thank you.

21st Century Business Herald:

As a major agricultural province, the construction of livable, prosperous, harmonious and beautiful rural areas in Heilongjiang province is closely related to the well-being and sense of achievement of rural people. What measures has Heilongjiang taken to learn from and apply the experience of the "Thousand Villages Demonstration and Ten Thousand Villages Renovation" project in promoting comprehensive rural revitalization? And what achievements have been made? Thank you. 

Liang Huiling:

Thank you for your interest in this matter. I'd like to invite Mr. Xu to answer these questions.

Xu Xiangguo:

Thank you for your questions. Over the past few years, we have been diligently promoting the comprehensive revitalization of rural areas in line with the specific conditions of Heilongjiang province. We have placed significant emphasis on respecting the will of the people and have implemented concrete measures in the following key areas:

First, we organized study visits to Zhejiang province and hosted thematic seminars. Simultaneously, we held a series of on-site meetings to promote progress, and enable officials at all levels to transform their learning into practical work efficiency through hands-on experience. Through a category-based, region-specific approach, we advanced village planning and constructed five types of beautiful and livable villages, including ecologically friendly villages, well-preserved ancient villages, and aesthetically pleasing and livable villages.

Second, we have implemented a five-year living environment improvement campaign, promoting initiatives such as domestic sewage treatment, household garbage management and enhancements to the appearance of villages. We have also introduced innovative residential construction projects, resulting in 95% of villages across the province becoming cleaner, tidier and more orderly.

Third, we have implemented the initiative to create 100 exquisite villages, 1,000 demonstration villages, and 10,000 beautiful villages. We aim to cultivate distinctive industries, improve public services, and drive the overall creation and enhancement of 9,829 villages (state farms) across the entire province. 

Fourth, we promulgated the regulations of Heilongjiang province on the promotion of rural revitalization and formulated and implemented guidelines for the overall revitalization of rural areas. We established and improved mechanisms for integrated urban-rural management and protection, public participation, and performance evaluation and incentives.

You asked about specific achievements in comprehensive rural revitalization. I think that they can be summarized using three words to provide you all with an introduction.

The first word is "beauty," which describes the picturesque village landscapes. We have focused on creating 100 exquisite villages at the provincial level and 1,000 demonstration villages at the municipal level, promoting the construction of livable, business-friendly, harmonious and beautiful rural areas across the province. Currently, the 54 China beautiful leisure villages and 87 pilot programs for improving residential environment across Heilongjiang have together created a beautiful new rural landscape. As many netizens have commented, "Rural life here is very soothing and appealing."

The second word is "harmony," which signifies the harmonious spirit of the countryside. Our rural areas are tranquil, and local people are pure and unpretentious, just as the lyrics say, "In harmony, neighbors and kin, with unity found in young and old alike." There, we can see and feel the mutual assistance among villagers, who live together as members of one family. We can also feel their sincerity and enthusiasm towards guests. At present, across the province, there are 728 national demonstration villages and towns for rural governance, with 5,212 exemplary villages promoting interconnected development. 

The third word is "happiness," which reflects the joy of the farmers. In the past, people carved out a living in the vast wilderness, setting up shacks, living in cellars. Through their hard work, they turned the once desolate "Great Northern Wilderness" into the now prosperous "Great Northern Granary." Now, leveraging ecological advantages and snow and ice resources, farmers actively engage in new industries and business forms, such as agrarian cultural exhibitions, leisure fruit picking, and forest wellness retreats. They have fertile soil for entrepreneurship, ample job opportunities, and with increased incomes, their wallets have grown fuller. Wealth springs from the chernozem soil, and happiness abounds in this great natural oxygen bar. That's all from me. Thank you.

Red Star News:

We have observed that in the past two years, the number of enterprises investing in Heilongjiang has been increasing, which, to some extent, reflects changes in the local business environment. What has Heilongjiang done to improve the business environment, and what other measures will be taken? Thank you.

Liang Huiling:

Thank you for your attention to this matter. I'll invite Mr. Yu Jian to answer this question.

Yu Jian:

Thank you for your question. As we all know, Harbin's winter sports tourism has recently become a sensation. With proactive service support from government departments, commitments upheld by businesses, and warm hospitality from the locals, Heilongjiang has embraced a "pamper the guests" approach. This has garnered extensive praise and serves as a testament to the ongoing improvement of our province's business environment. As Governor Liang Huiling just said, last year saw a 14% increase in newly registered market entities, a 13.8% rise in newly signed investment projects, and a 68.5% growth in newly established foreign-invested enterprises compared to the previous year.

In our practical work, we focused on the following four aspects. First, we established a mechanism for people to learn from each other and strove for excellence. We benchmarked against advanced regions and mobilized the entire province's efforts to carry out targeted campaigns to optimize the business environment. Through monthly scheduling, quarterly reporting, semi-annual reviews and annual assessments, all local departments have strived for excellence, thus cultivating a favorable atmosphere and inter-level synergy centered on improving the business environment.

Second, we worked with sincerity and passion. By soliciting enterprises' demands and providing government services to them, we opened "fast lanes" and "green channels" for problem-solving. Across the province, 30,000 officials have partnered with 522,000 enterprises, resolving 17,800 practical problems. We have implemented inclusive and prudent regulation and law enforcement across the board, allowing businesses ample room to make and learn from mistakes. More than 310,000 such cases have been handled, demonstrating compassion in our law enforcement. A series of pro-business relief policies were introduced, and the timely and accurate delivery of these policies via the Addressing Problems Across the Province app has ensured that these enterprises can leverage our policies to the fullest extent.

Third, we prioritized immediate action and excellence. With the development of digital governance, we have optimized our administrative service model, advancing multiple initiatives for efficiently accomplishing tasks. Nationally, Heilongjiang leads the way in innovating and demonstrating a focused approach to "retirement procedures," reducing the processing time from 30 working days to just 10 minutes, marking a historic leap. We have introduced more than 500 convenient applications related to public security, public affairs, human resources and social security, healthcare, and transportation, significantly cutting down both the steps and time required for public services.

Fourth, we honored our commitments and tried our best to meet people's demands. We improved the credit system and continued a special campaign to address the issue of "new officials ignoring old debts," clearing up overdue payments to private enterprises. Any actions that damage the government's credibility are met with serious investigation and consequences. The 12345 public service hotline serves as a "central customer service hub", with government departments swiftly responding to and addressing concerns of citizens and market entities. In this way, we ensure that the pressing difficulties and problems that concern business entities and people are resolved.

We are well aware that there is always room for improving the business environment. We will further cultivate a world-class, market-oriented, law-based, and internationalized business environment, making Heilongjiang a favored destination for investment, stimulating the vitality of business entities, and promoting high-quality development and sustainable revitalization. We welcome more companies to invest and do business in Heilongjiang. I believe that through our efforts, the business environment will continue to improve. Thank you.

CNR:

It was just mentioned that Harbin experienced a surge in popularity around this year's Spring Festival holiday, with its winter sports tourism becoming a cultural phenomenon. How will Heilongjiang maintain the momentum of its ice and snow tourism and further amplify the spillover effect? Thank you.

Liang Huiling:

Thank you for your question. During last year's snow and ice season, Heilongjiang launched a "pamper the guests" approach, sparking enthusiasm among visitors. This has led to the flourishing of tourism and related industries, greatly boosting the morale of local officials and residents, and enhancing their confidence and determination to revitalize and develop the region. Moving forward, we will redouble our efforts to enrich our offerings and enhance our services, ensuring that visitors to Heilongjiang are happy, comfortable, and at ease.

First, we will create new growth drivers for the ice and snow economy. Key scenic spots such as Harbin Ice and Snow World, Yabuli Ski Resort and Xuexiang village will be upgraded. The amount of ice at the Harbin Ice and Snow World this year exceeded 200,000 cubic meters, which is nearly three times as much as last year. If you come to Harbin again this winter, you will see a larger, more cultured and more international ice and snow kingdom. We are making preparations for the 9th Asian Winter Games to a high quality, building the China-Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Ice and Snow Sports Demonstration Zone to a high standard, and creating five centers for ice and snow sports events, talent, industry, culture and cooperation . We will promote innovative development of winter sports equipment such as ice skates, snowboards and ski lifts, and build the world's largest new energy vehicle extreme cold-weather testing base in Heihe and Mohe. We will expedite the development of the entire industry chain of ice and snow sports, ice and snow culture, ice and snow equipment, and ice and snow tourism, build a leading ice and snow economic area, and turn "cold" resources into "hot" economy .

Second, we will develop high-quality, integrated and all-season tourism. We will give full play to the advantages of different sceneries in the four seasons and rich geography, and strive to create special projects such as forest tourism, wetland tourism, boundary river tourism and border tourism, and accelerate the cultivation of new tourism formats such as camping, self-drive tours, travel photography and study, and elderly-care and health tourism. We will strive to transform the characteristic cultural tourism industry from "one place and one season" to "all regions and all seasons." We will strengthen the construction of tourism infrastructure supporting facilities, build star-rated homestays across the province, and a multi-faceted tourism transportation system, accelerate the popularization and promotion of smart tourism, and comprehensively improve tourist satisfaction. We will continue to regulate the order of the tourism market, make good use of advance compensation, ensure that complaints are handled in a timely fashion, and effectively protect the rights and interests of tourists.

Third, we will expand and amplify spillover effects of the tourism industry. We will promote the integrated development of tourism and culture, sports, health care, catering, sports equipment and other primary, secondary and tertiary industries, so that Heilongjiang's history and culture, music and performing arts, local delicacies, and sports events can provide tourists with new experiences, and ensure the local tourism infrastructure and thermal clothes and hats, green food, and special cultural and creative products offer consumers across the country with more choices. We will promote good practices and models of ice and snow tourism, strive to create a first-class business environment, and attract more companies to invest and develop in Heilongjiang. We will see that positive work styles in ice and snow tourism continue to thrive, and take solid, pragmatic and resolute steps to ensure that officials become more capable of serving the people and pursuing development. Thank you.

China Daily:

Heilongjiang is located between 43 degrees and 53 degrees north latitude, in the "Golden Belt" for corn and livestock. We have noticed that Heilongjiang has created distinctive brands in recent years, such as Black Soil Premium Products and Forest Delicacies and Specialties . What has been the result? What is the next step in leveraging the natural endowments to further promote the high-quality development of the processing of agricultural products? Thank you.

Liang Huiling:

Thank you for your interest in this work. I would like to invite Mr. Xu to answer these questions.

Xu Xiangguo:

Thank you for your questions. The two brands of Black Soil Premium Products and Forest Delicacies and Specialties are not only representatives of Heilongjiang's regional agricultural products, but also a green label for agricultural products in the province. Currently, a total of 221 offline stores in 63 cities across the country sell those two brands, with online and offline sales reaching 7.3 billion yuan since 2023. With the rising popularity of Harbin last year, local specialties such as chicken stewed with mushrooms, iron pot stewed goose, wild blueberries, black fungus, hazelnuts, lion's mane mushrooms (Hericium erinaceus) and cranberries, have also attracted the attention of people across the country.

In terms of further promoting the high-quality development of the agricultural product processing industry, we are mainly focused on the principle of "grain planting to the forefront and produce to follow (This means that grain planting should be the source, and produce should be found on the dining table, which requires us to properly deal with the relationship between planting and marketing)" and "agriculture to the forefront and industry to follow (This requires us to integrate the primary and secondary industries and realize intensive processing of agricultural products)", solidly advancing the three-year action plan for the high-quality development of the agricultural product processing industry. Our work is focused on four main aspects:

First, we will genuinely cultivate business entities. We will give full play to the demonstration and leading role of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) such as Beidahuang Agricultural Reclamation Group and leading enterprises in the province such as Feihe Dairy , and build larger and stronger demonstration parks as platform carriers. At the same time, we will expedite the cultivation of a group of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) featuring fast development speed, strong innovation ability, high-quality products and good economic returns, so as to form a development pattern in which large enterprises serve as the backbone of the industry and numerous SMEs are spread across the province.

Second, we will carefully extend the processing chain. As Ms. Liang explained about the protection of black soil, Heilongjiang's certified planting area of green organic food is 94.59 million mu. This is our greatest confidence in developing green agriculture. We will focus on the standardized production of raw materials on one hand and green food processing on the other, and transform and upgrade the traditional processing industry through technological improvements. At the same time, we must strengthen the empowerment of technological innovation to develop and expand our emerging processing industries, develop high-end and refined products with strong market competitiveness, further extend the industrial chain, strengthen the supply chain, and enhance the value chain.

Third, we will closely focus on food quality and safety. We will strictly adhere to the bottom line of product quality, establish a standardized, institutionalized and regular mechanism, and implement quality supervision throughout the entire chain, link and life cycle, so that the quality and safety of agricultural products can be traced throughout the entire process, and the approval rate of provincial agricultural product quality and safety routine monitoring can be stabilized at above 98%. We will truly ensure food safety for consumers "from field to tongue" and "from farm to table."

Fourth, we will wholeheartedly build high-quality brands. This year, whether we are carrying out brand promotional events in first-tier cities, brand culture empowerment campaigns, building themed restaurants, upgrading premium supermarkets, or assisting farmers with livestreaming platforms, we will serve the best dishes and the best products, so that more people can enjoy delicious, fresh, safe and healthy food. Thank you.

Heilongjiang Radio and Television:

The 13th Heilongjiang Provincial Congress of the CPC in 2022 proposed the development of the province in six aspects, with "Quality Longjiang" taking the priority. How does Heilongjiang plan to promote and advance this initiative? What are the key directions? Thank you.

Chen Shaobo:

Thank you for your attention and support with the development of "Quality Longjiang." Heilongjiang has clearly stated its commitment to vigorously building a "four-in-one" quality Longjiang by integrating high-level standards, quality, brands and reputation. We are focusing on the following aspects:

First, we adhere to development that is led by standards. As everyone knows, black soil and ice and snow tourism are Heilongjiang's merits. We have taken the lead nationally in establishing a local standard system for "black soil fertile plow layer construction" and an ice and snow industrial standard system. The Standardization Administration has released 11 national standards for ice and snow sports, with our province taking the leading role in their formulation. Last year, there were 21 new national-level standardization pilot demonstration projects in our province, with 15 standards incorporated into the national enterprise standards "leading" list and eight standards filling international gaps. In addition, China Feihe Limited led the formulation and implementation of two international association standards.

Second, we work to strengthen quality management. We have specifically formulated a set of 60 indicators for high-quality development tailored to the reality of Heilongjiang. We have vigorously implemented projects to improve the quality of industry and to enhance the capacity of quality infrastructure, aiming to comprehensively improve product engineering and service quality. Our food safety work has been rated A-level for six consecutive years by the Food Safety Commission of the State Council in their evaluation and assessment. Last year, two projects won the Luban Prize and the Dayu Prize, respectively. Two individuals and two teams were awarded the National Engineer Awards.

Third, we emphasize brand-driven development. We have vigorously carried out brand building activities, earnestly promoted the transformation and upgrading of "time-honored brands," comprehensively cultivated brands across four fields and extensively fostered "new brands," making every effort to build well-known brands that represent Heilongjiang's characteristics and reputation. To be specific, "the four fields" refers to crude oil, raw coal, grain and timber, all of which represent competitive products from Heilongjiang. Now, "time-honored brand" enterprises, such as China First Heavy Industries, Harbin Electric Corporation, Daqing Oil Field and Beidahuang Group, have been reinvigorated, with 35 companies being listed as China Time-Honored Brands. We have 168 national Geographical Indication (GI) products such as Wuchang rice. We will continue to enhance brand building, allowing more "black soil superior products" to reach the dining table of Chinese people and empowering more "flagship products" from "Longjiang manufacturing" to contribute to the development of a strong country.

Fourth, we step up credit support. We are vigorously improving the social credit system, coordinating the building of government integrity, business integrity, social integrity and judicial credibility. In order to effectively solve the financing problems of small and medium-sized enterprises, we have strived to build a first-class financing credit information platform. Since the platform's official launch this March, 129 various financial institutions have joined in just over a month, releasing 78 financial products and issuing a total of 7.5 billion yuan in loans. This year, Heilongjiang's ice and snow tourism has become a trending topic on the internet, allowing everyone to feel the sincerity and honesty of the Heilongjiang people. Honesty and trustworthiness have become a bright business card in the practice of high-quality development in Heilongjiang. Thank you.

Xie Yingjun:

The last question.

China News Service:

A few days ago, a themed celebration was held in Harbin to mark the countdown of 300 days to the Asian Winter Games. May I ask, what kind of Asian Winter Games will Harbin present to everyone? Thank you.

Liang Huiling:

Thank you for your attention to the Asian Winter Games. The Ninth Asian Winter Games will be held in Harbin from Feb. 7 to 14, 2025. Following the Beijing Winter Olympics, this will be another comprehensive and international winter sports event hosted by China. Heilongjiang has unique ice and snow resources and a solid foundation in ice and snow sports. We will leverage the advantages of being a competitive ice and snow sports province and mobilize the entire province to make this Asian Winter Games a sports and cultural event that showcases Asian style, Chinese ethos, Longjiang characteristics and the charm of this ice city.

First, we will abide by the principle of "a streamlined event" in organizing the games. Harbin is a two Asian Winter Games city, with the first-time hosting being the 3rd Asian Winter Games in 1996. Thus, Harbin has a certain foundation for venue facilities. We will coordinate the needs of the games and post-game utilization, systematically and properly use existing resources, avoid large-scale demolition and construction and utilize the existing facilities for renovation in the implementation of "two competition areas, nine venues, and 37 villages."

Second, we will stick to the principle of "green development" in organizing the games. We will integrate the concept of green development throughout the entire process of the Asian Winter Games. Venue renovations will use energy-saving and environmentally-friendly building materials as well as green, low-carbon construction techniques to ensure environmental protection, green technology and eco-friendly furnishings. We will widely use clean energy, environmentally-friendly products and green, safe food in all aspects of the games, such as using new energy vehicles for torch relay and game services as well as using biodegradable materials for all tableware. The athlete village, technical officials' village and media village will also be heated by clean energy.

Third, we will adhere to the principle of "smartness" in organizing the games. We will apply information technology, intelligent services, biometric identification, artificial intelligence and other technologies in training, event management and security services, providing scientific and technological support for the events and service guarantees. We will comprehensively upgrade the network of venues, transportation hubs, high-speed rail, scenic spots and main hotels. For example, 5G-A technology will be used in venues to provide peak downlink speeds of up to ten gigabits and uplink speeds of up to one gigabit, providing a smoother network experience for everyone.

"Dream of Winter, Love among Asia." The mascots of this Asian Winter Games, "Binbin" and "Nini," are two lovely little Manchurian tigers, symbolizing "Harbin welcomes you." We sincerely look forward to meeting friends from all walks of life in this beautiful ice city and to share the grandeur of the Asian Winter Games. Thank you all!

Xie Yingjun:

Thank you Governor Liang and all the presenters for your introductions. Thank you to all the journalists for your participation. Today's press conference will conclude here. Goodbye.

Translated and edited by Wang Yiming, Wang Qian, Cui Can, Wang Wei, Li Xiao, Liu Caiyi, Liu Sitong, Zhang Tingting, Liu Qiang, Yan Bin, Ma Yujia, Mi Xingang, Yuan Fang, Li Huiru, David Ball, and Rochelle Beiersdorfer. In case of any discrepancy between the English and Chinese texts, the Chinese version is deemed to prevail.