中文

Speakers:

Mr. Zhao Chenxin, member of the Leading Party Members Group of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and vice chairman of the NDRC

Mr. Cong Liang, member of the Leading Party Members Group of the NDRC, secretary of the Leading Party Members Group of the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration (NFSRA), and director of the NFSRA

Mr. Ren Jingdong, member of the Leading Party Members Group of the National Energy Administration (NEA) and deputy director of the NEA

Chairperson:

Ms. Shou Xiaoli, person in charge of the Press Center for the 20th CPC National Congress, and deputy head of the International Press Bureau of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee

Date:

Oct. 17, 2022

Shou Xiaoli:

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the press conference held by the Press Center for the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC). This is the first press conference held by the press center.

We have invited three delegates to speak with you about "how China will apply the new development philosophy, foster a new pattern of development, promote high-quality development, and advance the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization." The three delegates are Mr. Zhao Chenxin, a member of the Leading Party Members Group of the NDRC and vice chairman of the NDRC; Mr. Cong Liang, a member of the Leading Party Members Group of the NDRC, secretary of the Leading Party Members Group of the NFSRA, and director of the NFSRA; and Mr. Ren Jingdong, a member of the Leading Party Members Group of the NEA and deputy director of the NEA.

Now, let's give the floor to Mr. Zhao Chenxin for his introduction.

Zhao Chenxin:

Ladies and gentlemen, friends from the press, good morning. It is a great pleasure to attend today's press conference with two of my colleagues and speak with you.

Yesterday morning, we were very honored to listen to the important report made by General Secretary Xi Jinping at the opening session of the 20th CPC National Congress. The report profoundly expounded on the work of the past five years and the great changes of the new era in the past decade, and laid out the major policies and action plans for the development of the Party and the country in the future. A large part of the report was about economic work. As participants and witnesses of economic work in the new era, we are aware that since the 18th CPC National Congress, our Party has solved many tough problems that were long on the agenda but never resolved, and secured many accomplishments of long-term significance, enabling historic achievements and historic changes in the country's economic and social development. 

Numbers speak louder than words. China's GDP increased from 53.9 trillion yuan in 2012 to 114.4 trillion yuan in 2021, and the proportion of the country's economy in the world's economy expanded from 11.3% to 18.5%, an increase of 7.2 percentage points. China's per capita GDP jumped from 39,800 yuan to 81,000 yuan. There are many other vivid figures and facts, as we have previously introduced in the press conference series themed "China in the past decade," so I won't go over those details here.

One never knows how difficult a task is, unless one tries it oneself. The historic leap in China's economic prowess and the extraordinary and remarkable achievements in China's economic development have been achieved against the background of a severe and complex international situation with huge risks and challenges emerging one after another. In our actual work, we are keenly aware that these gains have not come easily and we owe our achievements to the steering of General Secretary Xi Jinping and the scientific guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.

There is no end to practice, nor to theoretical innovation. Xi Jinping's economic thought insists on observing, grasping and leading the times with Marxism and has formed a series of theoretical achievements with distinct contemporary and creative characteristics in adapting to the new situation, solving new problems and meeting new challenges. It has made important original contributions to the development of Marxist political economy.

Xi Jinping's economic thought has creatively put forward the overarching theoretical view of strengthening overall CPC leadership in economic work, the people-centered philosophy of development, the new vision of innovative, coordinated, green, open and shared development, and the important judgment that China's economy has been transitioning from a phase of rapid growth to a stage of high-quality development. It has creatively put forward the important thought of developing and improving the socialist market economy, the major policy of supply-side structural reform, the major strategy of creating a new pattern of development, and the important thought of steering economic globalization in the right direction.

In the practice of economic work, we have inevitably encountered some risks and challenges, which needed to be dealt with in a timely manner. For example, how to ensure national food security, energy and resource security, and the security of important industrial chains and supply chains; how to promote high-quality development; how to deepen the reform of the economic system, as well as issues involving investment, consumption and consumer prices; and how to actively and prudently promote the design of systems, policy formulation and the implementation of plans to achieve carbon peaking and carbon neutrality.

In the process of meeting challenges, we always keep in mind that General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that our goal should be to ensure that people live better lives. We have adopted various methods to conduct extensive research so as to understand people's aspirations and demands and listen to their suggestions. We continue to seek answers in the direction pointed out in General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speeches, expositions and instructions. We are keenly aware that Xi Jinping's economic thought has chartered the right course for economic work in the new era and set fundamental guidelines on how to remove impediments and increase impetus to development and how to foster advantages in our development.

Currently, China has achieved its first centenary goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, and is now marching on a new journey toward its second centenary goal of building a great modern socialist country in all respects. We are closer than ever before to the goal of national rejuvenation, and more confident and capable of making it a reality. We now feel more confident as we face changes in the world, of our times and of history, along with new strategic opportunities, tasks, stages, requirements and the environment.

With the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, the institutional strength of socialism with Chinese characteristics in pooling resources to accomplish major initiatives, the solid material foundation laid down by economic and social development since reform and opening up, especially since the 18th CPC National Congress, and the mighty force of the whole Party, the military and the Chinese people of all ethnic groups to work together and work hard to forge ahead in the new era, we are confident and committed to realizing the strategic goal of advancing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization, as put forward in the report by the general secretary. 

On the new journey, we will unite more closely around the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, acquire a deep understanding of the decisive significance of establishing both Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and defining the guiding role of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and boost our consciousness of the need to maintain political integrity, think in big-picture terms, follow the leadership core, and keep in alignment with the central Party leadership. We will stay confident in the path, the theory, the system and the culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics. We will firmly uphold Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and uphold the Central Committee's authority and its centralized, unified leadership. We will firmly grasp the critical period at the beginning of building a modern socialist country in all respects, address unbalanced and inadequate development, and earnestly work hard to remedy deficiencies, strengthen weak links, consolidate the bottom, and leverage strengths. We will act on the general principle of pursuing progress while ensuring stability, apply the new development philosophy in full, in the right way and in all fields, accelerate the creation of a new pattern of development, and promote high-quality development. Through our practical actions, we will make new and greater contributions to building a modern socialist country in all respects and advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts.  

That's all for my introduction. Now, my two colleagues and I would like to answer your questions.