CNR:

How will China coordinate regional development during the 14th Five-Year Plan period? The State Council recently approved the establishment of a joint working mechanism between the local governments and central government departments to revitalize northeast China. What measures will there be to promote the revitalization? Thank you.

Zhao Chenxin:

Thanks for your questions, which are both about regional development. The CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has attached great importance to regional development, and further implemented the strategies for coordinated regional development since the 18th CPC National Congress. Under major strategies for the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Economic Belt, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and the Yangtze River Delta, and the ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River basin, those regions have all taken on their respective functions, and moved on to better paths of development. As they now become increasingly coordinated in development, we will seek even better coordination during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, mainly from the following three aspects:

First, we will further implement major regional strategies. In the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, we will relocate non-essential functions from Beijing in a steady and orderly manner, and build the Xiongan New Area according to high quality standards. In the Yangtze River Economic Belt, we will put ecology first and pursue green development, and promote high-quality development while protecting it rather than developing it in a large scale. In the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, we will develop a dynamic and internationally competitive first-class bay area and a world-class city cluster. In the Yangtze River Delta, we will enhance its integrated development by forming a new development paradigm first, and make it a foundation and role model for high-quality development across the country. In the Yellow River basin, it is important to make a good start in ecological protection and high-quality development, to ensure significant progress during the period.

Second, we will continue to push forward the strategies for coordinated regional development. We will release more nuanced policies in the western region, promote coordination within it, and form a new paradigm featuring better protection, further opening up, and high-quality development. We will facilitate breakthroughs in the comprehensive revitalization of the northeast, and coordinate policies to ensure national defense, food, ecological, energy, and industrial security. We will speed up the rise of the central region by equipping it with a modern industrial system with advanced manufacturing as the mainstay. We will accelerate the modernization of the eastern region, which will include upgrading its industries by enhancing their capabilities in scientific and technological innovation, and engaging more in international economic cooperation at a higher level. We will also coordinate land and marine development, develop the maritime economy, and build the country into a strong maritime country. We will motivate functional platforms such as national-level new areas to lead in-depth reforms and further opening-up, and consequently, lend fresh impetus to the real economy.

Third, we will focus on building a regional economic layout with complementary advantages for high-quality development. The focus is on improving the institutional mechanism for coordinated regional development, supporting regions in giving full play to their comparative advantages, promoting the rational flow and efficient concentration of various factors, enhancing the momentum of innovative development, and building a power system for high-quality development. We will enhance the carrying capacity of central cities, urban agglomerations and regions with advantageous economic development in terms of economy and population, and support other regions in enhancing their functions in safeguarding national food security, ecological security and border security. Through these efforts, China's regional development will be more coordinated, more efficient and of higher quality.

I would also like to mention the joint working mechanism to revitalize northeast China. General Secretary Xi Jinping has visited the northeast region many times and made many important instructions on this issue since the 18th CPC National Congress. It fully reflects the great attention and earnest expectations of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core for revitalizing northeast China. The NDRC and other government departments have continuously improved the "1+N+X" policy system for revitalizing the region. Under our policies and work plans, the region made new progress in its revitalization. We then set up the joint working mechanism under the State Council's Leading Group for Revitalizing Northeast China and Other Old Industrial Bases. It was established with the approval of the State Council for better coordination and supervision of related work. NDRC deputy head Cong Liang has taken charge of it, and related work has already started. Through this implementation plan, we will plan the main ideas, key tasks, major projects and major policies for the next step of the revitalization of northeast China, and through a series of efforts, we will promote a new and greater breakthrough in the revitalization of northeast China. Thank you.