Shou Xiaoli:

Everyone is very interested in the import and export situation, and many reporters are still raising their hands. Let's continue with the questions.

The Beijing News:

Last year, General Secretary Xi Jinping made a series of arrangements for coordinated regional development, and customs launched targeted measures such as 12 measures to support the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. What achievements have been made in this respect? From the perspective of foreign trade, what are the highlights of relevant regions across the country? Thank you.

Lyv Daliang:

Thank you for your questions. The GACC has resolutely implemented the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee on regional coordinated development, and regarded supporting and promoting regional coordinated development as an important leverage to serve high-standard opening up and high-quality development. In 2023, we introduced 12 key measures to support the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, and subsequently issued 15 key initiatives to support the accelerated construction of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor in the western region, and 16 measures to better support the high-standard opening up and high-quality development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt. These measures have primarily focused on the development of industries with regional features, promoting collaborative innovation and industrial cooperation, and have effectively driven regional high-standard opening up.

In 2023, imports and exports of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region reached 5.03 trillion yuan, of which imports accounted for 20% of the country's total import value, accounting for more than half of China's grain, crude oil, natural gas and aircraft imports. Enterprises from the region accounted for two-thirds of the country's total imported automobiles. These measures played a crucial role in expanding imports, ensuring domestic supply, and meeting production and living needs.

2023 marks the fifth anniversary of the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta as a national strategy. The region's imports and exports reached 15.17 trillion yuan for the whole year, an increase of 37.3% compared to five years ago, and its proportion in the total value of imports and exports of the country increased to 36.3%. The Yangtze River Delta region has played a prominent role in leading opening up.

In 2023, the imports and exports of the nine mainland cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area reached 7.95 trillion yuan, an increase of 0.4%, accounting for 19% of the total value of imports and exports in the country. The proportion of high-tech product imports and exports in the region was 13.6 percentage points higher than the national average, highlighting its outstanding advantages in scientific research and industrial innovation.

In 2023, Northeast China actively expanded its "Belt and Road" market, and became the region with the fastest growth rate of exports to partner countries. The Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle witnessed the agglomerative effects of the cellphone and automobile industries, with the export value of related products reaching historic highs. The scale of imports and exports in Xiongan New Area has grown rapidly, with an average annual growth rate of 35.8% since 2020.

There have been many highlights in the expansion of opening up in various regions. This year, the GACC will continue to implement various support measures in accordance with the decisions and arrangements of the Central Economic Work Conference on promoting regional coordinated development. At the same time, we will study and formulate a new round of customs policies and measures to support the all-round revitalization of Northeast China in the new era, further promote the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta, ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin, and make greater efforts to promote coordinated regional development and better serve high-quality development and high-standard opening up. Thank you.