China Media Group:

State reserves are a key material foundation for national governance. Our world today is living through changes unseen in a century with increased instability and uncertainty, posing new risks and challenges for the stability and development of the Chinese economy and society. Faced with such new circumstances, how will China build its strength in state reserves and its ability of emergency response to match its status as a major power, and how will China concretely enhance its capacity to prevent and resolve major risks? 

Cong Liang:

Thank you for your question. An ancient Chinese saying goes like this, "It is a conventional practice for a country to be prepared for an emergency." In recent years, with great care and under the firm leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, China's state reserves have kept expanding, and the related system and mechanisms continued to be enhanced. The facility network gradually improved, providing a strong material foundation for addressing major risks and challenges and promoting steady economic operation. Faced with new circumstances in the new journey, we will continue to fully implement the important instructions given by General Secretary Xi Jinping, coordinate development and security, and put into effect the holistic approach to national security. We will tackle areas of weakness, solidify the foundation, and leverage our strengths in order to make accelerated efforts to build a state reserve system that matches China's status as a major power. We will continuously improve our preparedness and capacity to prevent and resolve risks and challenges so that we will be armed with stable reserves to address instability and uncertainty in economic and social development. We will work on the following three aspects. 

First, we will improve the system and mechanisms of state reserves. Following the government-led principles of complementarity and leveraging efforts of all parties, we will improve the mechanism that integrates the reserves of central authorities and local governments, the existing reserves and production capacity, and the reserves of the government and enterprises. We will further study and promote the related legislation, ensure that the main parties assume their responsibilities according to their levels and categories, and improve the reserve modes. We will also make innovations in management mechanisms, optimize the procurement, storage, replacement and use system, and raise our modern governance capacity regarding reserves. Following a holistic approach to reserves and emphasizing nationwide coordination, we will improve the mechanism that links reserves at central and local levels and strengthen policy coordination and regional cooperation. We will also give full play to the guiding role of plans, supporting role of projects, and driving role of digital technologies and innovations in order to build an optimized, coordinated, and highly efficient reserve system. 

Second, we will further enhance the strength of our reserves. We will work to ensure national food security, energy security and security in industrial and supply chains. We will earnestly carry out reserve tasks in key materials, including food, energy, important mineral products, and emergency supplies, and further build up state reserves, and optimize its structure in order to ensure sound preparation at regular times and availability in crucial moments. Meanwhile, infrastructure construction on state reserves will also be enhanced, with an emphasis on developing comprehensive functions, building reserve bases, establishing a network of reserves, and introducing intelligent management, to continuously improve the infrastructure network for storing and transporting materials. 

Third, we will give full play to the role of reserves. Bearing in mind both our internal and international imperatives, we will strengthen strategic support, macro regulation, and emergency preparedness, increase our ability to prevent and resolve major risks, and give full play to the role of reserves as an anchor of stability. We will stick to the integration of market efficiency and the government's role, explore ways to improve the market regulation mechanism of state reserves and make more precise efforts to improve the timing, scale and effect of possessing and releasing reserves in order to ensure the supply and stable prices of bulk commodities, and the security and stability of the supply of primary products. Thank you!