Zhonghongwang.com:

Gansu is a traditional old industrial base facing the arduous task of shifting the growth model and adjusting economic structure. How is Gansu promoting the transformation and upgrading of the old industrial base? What measures have been taken? How effective are the measures? Thank you.

Ren Zhenhe:

Thank you for your concern and attention to Gansu's old industrial base. As an important old industrial base in China, Gansu has experienced a period of passionate development during the "First Five-Year Plan," "Second Five-Year Plan" and the era of "the Third Front" construction after the founding of the People's Republic of China. It witnessed the birth of several national firsts, such as the country's first refined oil products, the first synthetic rubber and the first large-scale oil drilling rig. These achievements laid a relatively solid foundation for its industrial development. In recent years, we have focused on supporting the development of leading companies, enhancing supply chains and fostering industrial clusters to promote the growth of traditional industries and the emergence of new industries. Our efforts have been directed towards building a modern industrial system with distinctive characteristics of Gansu province. The growth rate of the added value of industrial enterprises above designated size in the province has remained above 6% for five consecutive years, and the growth rate of industrial investment has ranked among the top in the country for three consecutive years. The old industrial base is experiencing a renaissance, rejuvenating with vitality and vigor.

In terms of supporting the development of leading companies, we implement approximately 300 high-end, intelligent and green transformation projects on a rolling basis each year. Through measures, such as equipment upgrades, technological innovation, energy conservation and emissions reduction, digital transformation and more, we continuously strive to enhance the industrial structure and development capacity. Currently, Gansu ranks third in the world in nickel output and fifth in cobalt output. You might also be surprised to learn that Gansu has high-end enterprises in the industrial chain of the chip sector, with chip packaging and testing technologies reaching world-leading levels.

In terms of promoting the development of industrial chains, we have strengthened weak links, given full play to advantages, upgraded traditional industries as well as boosted emerging industries. We have fully implemented the "industrial chain chief" scheme, focusing on 14 key industrial chains and cultivating 114 chain-leader enterprises in three years. According to the market theory of "raw material should be made into material, material should be made into tools, and tools should be functional," we have taken the chain-leader enterprises as the main body, targeted the missing sectors in industrial chains, broken through bottleneck technologies and have developed high value-added key products. By doing so, technological achievements have quickly turned into products; products have helped to form industries and industries are expected to establish industrial chains.

In terms of boosting the development of industrial clusters, we have leveraged collective strengths to expand and extend various industrial parks, gathering production factors, projects and industries into clusters. We have built three advanced manufacturing industrial clusters at the national level in petrochemical engineering, non-ferrous metallurgy and new energy and new energy equipment manufacturing. Jiuquan city in Gansu has become the largest on land wind power equipment manufacturing base in China.

Gansu province was strong in industries in the past, and will surely regain its development momentum in the future. We will propel industrial innovation through sci-tech creation, advance the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries like petrochemical engineering and non-ferrous metallurgy, drive emerging industries such as new energy, new materials, biomedicine and data information as well as create a layout for future industries, including artificial intelligence and quantum technology. We will accelerate the development of new quality productive forces in line with local realities and, through "innovation" and "high quality," make industries strong engines for the province's overall development.

Thank you.