Chen Wenjun:

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

China Media Group:

Mr. Wang just mentioned that since the 18th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has inspected Hebei eight times and issued a series of important instructions on Hebei's development. How do you promote high-quality economic and social development while implementing the guidelines of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions? Thank you.

Wang Dongfeng:

Thank you, I'll answer your question. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has inspected Hebei eight times and issued a series of important instructions including "accelerating in four aspects," "making solid progress in six major tasks," and "achieving concrete results in three important aspects," as well as building Hebei into a beautiful province with a strong economy. He emphasized fully implementing the new development philosophy of innovative, coordinated, green and open development and having its fruits shared by everyone, which is not only politically oriented and ideological, but also instructive and targeted. All these instructions point out the right direction and provide fundamental guidance for Hebei to promote high-quality economic and social development. The CPC Hebei Provincial Committee and the People's Government of Hebei Province have always taken a clear political stand and adhered to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. We have made it a major political task to thoroughly study and implement General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions and the CPC Central Committee's decisions and arrangements. We have compared our standards and looked for gaps, made lists and plans, and formulated two special guidelines that respectively cover 68 tasks in 12 areas and 64 items in 6 aspects. We promised that all our problems will be solved and every task will be completed, so as to implement General Secretary's important instructions with tangible results in high-quality economic and social development. We will act as a political "moat" for the Chinese capital. We have completed the following works:

First, we are focusing on fully implementing the new development philosophy and speeding up green transition and development. The new development philosophy is a profound reform related to overall development, and has special guiding significance for Hebei, a province with significant tasks in economic structure adjustment and environmental governance. We unswervingly followed the path of prioritizing ecological and green development, made great efforts to adjust the industrial structure, and were determined to cut overcapacity. Six industries including steel have all exceeded both national and provincial targets for cutting overcapacity. We made great efforts to adjust the energy structure. During the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020) period, Hebei reduced coal consumption by over 31.7 million metric tons, and energy consumption per unit of GDP decreased by 21.26%. We made great efforts to adjust the transport structure, focusing on increasing rail transport to replace road transport. Last year, the proportion of railway cargo volume increased by 5 percentage points compared with 2017. We made great efforts to promote transformation and upgrades. Since 2017, a total of 1.53 trillion yuan has been invested in key technological upgrading projects in the province. Last year, the added value of industries above designated size increased by 4.7%, while the number increased by 17.6% in the first quarter of this year. We have worked hard for better quality, higher efficiency, and more robust drivers of economic growth through reform, and taken new steps in green transition.

Second, we are focusing on fostering a new development paradigm, accelerating innovative development and fostering new drivers of growth at a faster pace. We have actively extended the industrial chains, enhanced the innovation chain, stabilized supply chains, and unblocked the logistics chain. We have defined leading enterprises, upstream and downstream products, and key suppliers in 12 key industries and fields, focused on industrial and product supporting facilities, and strengthened weak links. We have built a 1 trillion-yuan industrial chain (steel), two 500-billion-yuan industrial chains (equipment, petrochemical), and four 300-billion-yuan industrial chains (biological medicine, new energy, food, textile and clothing). Last year, the added value of 12 major industries accounted for 54.1% of the province's total GDP. We carried out innovation-driven policies, and optimized technological resources for innovation. At present, there are 1,211 key laboratories and industrial technology research institutes at or above the provincial level. We focused on making breakthroughs in core technologies in key areas. Last year, the added value of the strategic emerging industry increased 7.8%, and the added value of high-tech industries increased 6.6%, which accounted for 19.4% of the industries above designated size. We actively promoted the digital economy, successfully held the China International Digital Economy Expo, and have made plans to build the Zhengding Digital Economy Industrial Park and Huailai Big Data Industrial Base. The added value of the digital economy in the province surpassed 1 trillion yuan, accounting for over 30% of total GDP, and the size is expected to double by 2025 compared with 2020.

Third, we have focused on deepening reform and opening-up and promoting the coastal economy, private economy, urban economy and county economy. We have continued to ensure coastal areas take the lead in development, optimize port functions, carry out projects on port transformation and upgrading, and deepen the integrated development of ports, industries and cities. We vow to build Qinhuangdao into a world-class tourist city; and develop Caofeidian and Huanghua port into competitive steel bases, China's first-class green petrochemical and synthetic materials bases, as well as distinctive high-end equipment manufacturing bases. We have strengthened port-centered industry and marine economy. Last year, the GDP of coastal areas accounted for 34.8% of the province's total GDP. We encouraged, supported and guided the development of the private economy at a faster pace, deepened reforms to streamline administration, delegate power and improve regulation and services, and strictly implemented policies to reduce taxes and fees, so as to create a first-class business environment. Last year, the added value of the private economy accounted for 63.3% of the province's GDP. We accelerated the development of the urban economy, sped up the construction of urban commercial and style blocks, and vigorously developed the headquarters economy, the commercial real estate economy, and financial services, so as to expand urban agglomeration effect and increase carrying capacity of our cities. We continued to expand and strengthen the county economy, upgrade development zones at all levels and of all types, and foster characteristic industries at the county level. More and more counties were included into the country's top 100 counties list. More than 40% of counties witnessed their annual general public budget revenue exceed 1 billion yuan.

We firmly believe that where there is a will there is a way. We will always thoroughly implement the important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping and carry out the decisions and deployments made by the CPC Central Committee. As China enters a new development stage, we will focus on following a new development philosophy and fostering a new development paradigm. Through working hard and overcoming difficulties, we will make new progress in high-quality economic and social development in Hebei. Thank you.