The 13th National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature,
opened its third session Friday morning at the Great Hall of the
People in Beijing. Premier Li Keqiang delivered a government work
report on behalf of the State Council to the legislature for
deliberation.
Here is the full text
of the speech:
Fellow Deputies,
On
behalf of the State Council, I will now report to you on the work of
the government. I ask for your deliberation and approval. I also ask
members of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political
Consultative Conference (CPPCC) for their comments.
The COVID-19 epidemic is the fastest spreading, most extensive, and
most challenging public health emergency China has encountered since
the founding of the People's Republic. Under the strong leadership
of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China with
Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, and through the hard work and
sacrifice of our entire nation, we have made major strategic
achievements in our response to COVID-19. At present, the epidemic
has not yet come to an end, while the tasks we face in promoting
development are immense. We must redouble our efforts to minimize
the losses resulting from the virus and fulfill the targets and
tasks for economic and social development this year.
I. A review of our work
in 2019 and the first few months of 2020
In
pursuing development last year, China faced many difficulties and
challenges. World economic growth was weak, international economic
and trade frictions intensified, and downward pressure on the
domestic economy grew. The Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi
Jinping at its core rallied the Chinese people and led them in
surmounting difficulties and accomplishing the year's main targets
and tasks, thus laying the crucial foundation needed to reach the
goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects.
The economy remained
stable overall.
Gross domestic product
(GDP) reached 99.1 trillion yuan, representing a 6.1 percent
increase over the previous year. Around 13.52 million new urban jobs
were added, and the surveyed unemployment rate was below 5.3
percent. Consumer prices rose by 2.9 percent. A basic equilibrium
was maintained in the balance of payments.
The economic structure
continued to improve, and the development priorities of regions are
better aligned.
Total retail sales of consumer goods exceeded 40 trillion yuan, and
consumption continued to serve as the main engine driving growth.
Advanced manufacturing and modern services registered rapid growth.
Grain output was kept above 650 million metric tons. For the first
time, permanent urban residents exceeded 60 percent of the
population; progress was made in implementing major development
strategies for regions.
New growth drivers
became stronger.
A number of major
innovative achievements were made in science and technology.
Emerging industries continued to grow; upgrading in traditional
industries accelerated. Business startups and innovation continued
to surge nationwide, with an average net increase of over 10,000
businesses per day.
Major headway was made
in reform and opening up.
Supply-side structural
reform was further advanced, and breakthroughs in reform were made
in key areas. We cut taxes and fees by 2.36 trillion yuan, going
well beyond our target of two trillion yuan, with manufacturing and
micro and small businesses benefiting most.
The reform of government bodies was completed. Reforms to streamline
administration and delegate power, improve regulation, and upgrade
services were steadily advanced. The Science and Technology
Innovation Board, or STAR Market, was established. The joint efforts
to pursue the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) yielded fresh results.
Regulations for the implementation of the Foreign Investment Law
were adopted, and the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone
Lin'gang New Area was established. Foreign trade and investment
remained stable.
Pivotal progress was
achieved in the three critical battles.
Decisive achievements
were made in poverty alleviation – the rural poor population was
reduced by 11.09 million, and the poverty headcount ratio fell to
0.6 percent. Pollution prevention and control efforts continued,
with further reductions in the discharge of major pollutants and
overall improvements in the environment. The financial sector
remained stable.
Living standards
continued to improve.
Per capita disposable
personal income topped 30,000 yuan. Basic old-age insurance, health
insurance, and subsistence allowance standards were raised. Further
progress was made in the construction of urban government-subsidized
housing and the rebuilding of dilapidated houses in rural areas. The
number of students in compulsory education receiving living
allowances increased by almost 40 percent, and enrollments at
vocational colleges grew by one million.
We
celebrated the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's
Republic of China. This occasion has inspired a strong sense of
patriotism among all Chinese people, creating a powerful force that
will bring great victories for socialism with Chinese
characteristics in the new era.
We
worked to improve Party conduct and build a clean government,
started an initiative to raise awareness of the need to stay true to
the Party's founding mission, and strictly observed the central
Party leadership's eight-point decision on improving work conduct.
We continued to address the practice of formalities for formalities'
sake, bureaucracy, hedonism, and extravagance, and took steps to
ensure that people working at the primary level are free from
unnecessary restrictions and excessive burdens.
We
achieved fruitful outcomes in pursuing China's major country
diplomacy. We successfully hosted the second Belt and Road Forum for
International Cooperation and other major diplomatic events.
President Xi Jinping and other Party and state leaders visited many
countries and attended major international events, including the G20
Leaders Summit, the BRICS Leaders Meeting, the Summit of the
Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia,
the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit, the East Asian
leaders' meetings on cooperation, the China-EU Leaders' Meeting, and
the China–Japan–ROK Leaders' Meeting.
We
played an active role in the development and reform of the global
governance system, and promoted the building of a human community
with a shared future. We successfully pursued economic diplomacy and
cultural and people-to-people exchanges. China made important
contributions to the advancement of world peace and development.
Fellow Deputies,
Since the coronavirus first emerged, the Party Central Committee has
made its containment the top priority. General Secretary Xi Jinping,
putting the health and safety of our people before everything else,
has personally taken charge and planned our response.
Under the leadership of the Party Central Committee, the central
leading group for COVID-19 response has made timely decisions and
plans; the central guidance group has provided effective guidance
and supervision; the State Council inter-departmental task force has
coordinated the response efforts; all local authorities and all
government departments have fulfilled their respective duties, and
people from every walk of life have given their full support.
Together, we have waged an all-out people's war against the virus.
Our medical workers have fought with courage. Our servicemen and
women have shouldered heavy responsibilities. Our scientists and
researchers have joined forces in order to find a cure. Our
community workers, policemen and women, officials working at the
primary level, media personnel, and volunteers have stood fast at
their posts.
Our deliverymen and women, our sanitation workers, and all who make
and transport emergency supplies have continued their work with
dedication. Hundreds of millions of other workers outside of the
spotlight have also made their own contributions.
In
Wuhan City and Hubei Province the people have carried on with
fortitude and resilience, while people from all sectors of society
and our fellow compatriots in Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan and
overseas have made generous donations, both monetary and in-kind.
Through all these efforts, we, all the sons and daughters of the
Chinese nation, have stood together in the most trying of times and
built a Great Wall of solidarity against the epidemic.
Responding to the central Party leadership's call to stay confident,
come together in solidarity, adopt a science-based approach, and
take targeted measures, we have carried out all our work in a solid
and meticulous manner. We promptly adopted containment measures,
treating COVID-19 as a Class A infectious disease and activating a
Level One public health emergency response in all localities.
We
have achieved a decisive victory in the battle to defend Hubei
Province and its capital city Wuhan by firmly implementing strict
control measures, rallying the support of the entire country,
dispatching over 40,000 doctors and nurses, rapidly increasing the
number of hospital beds, and ensuring the availability of medical
supplies. We continuously refined diagnostic and treatment plans,
incorporated traditional Chinese medicine into treatment, and spared
no effort in the treatment of patients, thus maximizing the cure
rate and minimizing the mortality rate.
We
extended the Spring Festival holiday nationwide, postponed the
spring semester, facilitated flexible resumption of work, and
staggered commute times. We have carried out a society-wide
prevention and control effort, ensured early detection, reporting,
quarantine, and treatment of cases, firmly controlled sources of
infection, and effectively curbed the spread of the virus.
Intensive efforts have been made to develop drugs, vaccines, and
testing reagents. We expanded production of medical supplies by a
large margin within a short time, ensured supply and price stability
of daily necessities, and maintained smooth transportation on trunk
lines, as well as stable supplies of coal, electricity, oil, and
gas. In response to changing COVID-19 dynamics, we have adopted
regular prevention and control measures in a timely manner.
In
the face of the global spread of COVID-19, we promptly set up a
shield against possible imported cases, and we have provided
increased care and support for Chinese citizens overseas. With an
open, transparent, and responsible attitude, China has actively
engaged in international cooperation, providing timely information,
actively sharing prevention technologies and practices, and helping
other countries with their response efforts.
As
a developing country with 1.4 billion people, it is only by
overcoming enormous difficulties that China has been able to contain
COVID-19 in such a short time while also ensuring our people's basic
needs. Our success has come at a great price. The economy posted
negative growth in the first quarter of this year, and daily life
and work have been greatly affected. However, life is invaluable.
This is a price we must pay, and a price worth paying.
While continuing to advance epidemic control, we have also promoted
economic and social development and lost no time in resuming work
and production when appropriate. With 90 policy measures in 8
categories, we have provided assistance to enterprises to stabilize
employment, cut and exempted taxes and fees, exempted all tolls on
highways, reduced the costs of energy use, and granted subsidized
loans. We have approved the early issuance of special bonds by local
governments according to due procedures. We kept up with the spring
farming schedule, and continued the critical battle against poverty.
We have provided assistance to people working on the front lines of
COVID-19 control and to people in difficulty, and doubled temporary
price subsidies.
These policies have benefited hundreds of millions of people, and
ensured stable supplies and prices and the resumption of work and
production in a timely and effective way. Indeed, the Chinese
economy has shown great resilience and enormous potential.
Fellow Deputies,
We
owe what we have achieved in economic and social development since
last year and in COVID-19 control this year to the strong leadership
of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core,
the sound guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese
Characteristics for a New Era, and the concerted efforts of the
Party, the armed forces, and the people of all ethnic groups in
China.
On
behalf of the State Council, I express sincere gratitude to the
Chinese people of all ethnic groups, and to all other political
parties, people's organizations, and public figures from all sectors
of society. I express heartfelt appreciation to our fellow
countrymen and women in the Hong Kong and Macao special
administrative regions, in Taiwan, and overseas. I also express
sincere thanks to the governments of other countries, international
organizations, and friends from all over the world, who have shown
understanding and support for China in its endeavor to achieve
modernization and in its fight against COVID-19.
While recognizing our achievements, we are also keenly aware of the
difficulties and problems we face. The shock of the COVID-19
pandemic has sent the world economy into severe recession, disrupted
industrial and supply chains, and caused a contraction in
international trade and investment and volatility in commodity
markets.
Domestically, consumption, investment, and exports have declined.
Pressure on employment has risen significantly. Enterprises,
especially micro, small, and medium businesses, face growing
difficulties. There are increasing risks in the financial sector and
other areas. The budgetary imbalances of primary-level governments
have intensified.
There is still room for improvement in the work of government.
Pointless formalities and bureaucracy remain an acute issue. A small
number of officials shirk their duties or are incapable of
fulfilling them. Corruption is still a common problem in some
fields. During the COVID-19 response, many weak links have been
exposed in public health emergency management, and the people have
expressed their views and suggestions, which deserve our attention.
We must strive to improve our work and fulfill our responsibilities
and make every effort to live up to the people's expectations.
II. Main targets for
development and the overall plan for the next stage of work
For the government to deliver this year, we must, under the strong
leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at
its core, do the following:
-
follow the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese
Characteristics for a New Era; implement the guiding principles of
the Party's 19th National Congress and the second, third, and fourth
plenary sessions of its 19th Central Committee in full; firmly act
on the Party's basic theory, line, and policy;
-
strengthen 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; stay
confident in the path, theory, system, and culture of socialism with
Chinese characteristics; and uphold General Secretary Xi Jinping's
core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a
whole, and uphold the Party Central Committee's authority and its
centralized, unified leadership;
-
carry out COVID-19 control and promote economic and social
development to fulfill the targets and tasks for completing the
building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects;
-
while carrying out regular COVID-19 control, continue to follow the
general principle of pursuing progress while ensuring stability,
apply the new development philosophy, pursue supply-side structural
reform as our main task, and draw momentum from reform and opening
up to promote high-quality development;
-
make progress in the three critical battles; step up efforts to
ensure stability on six fronts and maintain security in six areas;
steadfastly pursue the strategy of expanding domestic demand, ensure
economic development and social stability, accomplish the targets
and tasks for winning the battle against poverty, and bring to
completion the building of a moderately prosperous society in all
respects.
At
present and for some time to come, China will face challenges like
never before. However, we have unique political and institutional
strengths, a strong economic foundation, enormous market potential,
and hundreds of millions of intelligent and hardworking people. If
we face challenges head-on, boost confidence in development, create
strong impetus for growth, and preserve and make the most of this
important period of strategic opportunity for our development, we
will, without doubt, be able to make it through this challenging
time. The horizons for China's development are full of promise.
On
the basis of a comprehensive assessment of the current situation, we
have made proper adjustments to the targets that we were considering
before COVID-19 struck. This year, we must give priority to
stabilizing employment and ensuring living standards, win the battle
against poverty, and achieve the goal of building a moderately
prosperous society in all aspects. Specifically, we have set the
following targets:
-
Over 9 million new urban jobs, a surveyed urban unemployment rate of
around six percent, and a registered urban unemployment rate of
around 5.5 percent;
-
CPI increase of around 3.5 percent;
-
More stable and higher-quality imports and exports, and a basic
equilibrium in the balance of payments;
-
Growth in personal income that is basically in step with economic
growth;
-
Elimination of poverty among all rural residents living below the
current poverty line and in all poor counties;
-
Effective prevention and control of major financial risks;
-
A further drop in energy consumption per unit of GDP and the
discharge of major pollutants;
-
Accomplishment of the 13th Five-Year Plan.
I
would like to point out that we have not set a specific target for
economic growth this year. This is because our country will face
some factors that are difficult to predict in its development due to
the great uncertainty regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and the world
economic and trade environment. Not setting a specific target for
economic growth will enable all of us to concentrate on ensuring
stability on the six fronts and security in the six areas. We must
focus on maintaining security in the six areas in order to ensure
stability on the six fronts. By doing so, we will be able to keep
the fundamentals of the economy stable. Maintaining security will
deliver the stability needed to pursue progress, thus laying a solid
foundation for accomplishing our goal of building a moderately
prosperous society in all respects.
We
must be clear that efforts to stabilize employment, ensure living
standards, eliminate poverty, and prevent and defuse risks must be
underpinned by economic growth; so ensuring stable economic
performance is of crucial significance. We need to pursue reform and
opening up as a means to stabilize employment, ensure people's
wellbeing, stimulate consumption, energize the market, and achieve
stable growth. We need to blaze a new path that enables us to
respond effectively to shocks and sustain a positive growth cycle.
We will pursue a more
proactive and impactful fiscal policy.
The deficit-to-GDP ratio this year is projected at more than 3.6
percent, with a deficit increase of one trillion yuan over last
year. On top of this, one trillion yuan of government bonds for
COVID-19 control will also be issued. These are extraordinary
measures for an unusual time.
The aforementioned two trillion yuan will be transferred in full to
local governments; a special transfer payment mechanism will be set
up to ensure that funds go straight to prefecture and county
governments and directly benefit businesses and people. These funds
should be primarily used to ensure employment, meet basic living
needs, and protect market entities. This includes giving support to
cut taxes and fees, reduce rents and interest on loans, and increase
consumption and investment. It is important to stress that
government funds are public in nature and that no such funds are
allowed to be withheld or diverted for non-designated uses.
We
will work harder to improve the composition of fiscal spending. We
will see that spending on people's basic wellbeing is only increased
and not cut, ensure spending in key areas, and resolutely cut
general expenditures. Construction of new government buildings and
wasteful and excessive spending will be strictly prohibited.
Governments at all levels must truly tighten their belt. The central
government will take the lead by committing to negative growth in
its budgetary spending, with a more than 50 percent cut to outlays
on non-essential and non-obligatory items. All types of surplus,
idle and carryover funds that should be taken back will be withdrawn
and reallocated. We will see that funds are put to better and more
effective use; we will scrutinize all expenditure items and see that
every cent is used where it is needed most and where market entities
and the people will feel the greatest benefit from it.
We will pursue a
prudent monetary policy in a more flexible and appropriate way.
We
will use a variety of tools such as required reserve ratio
reductions, interest rate cuts, and re-lending to enable M2 money
supply and aggregate financing to grow at notably higher rates than
last year. We will keep the RMB exchange rate generally stable at an
adaptive, balanced level. As we work to develop new monetary policy
instruments that can directly stimulate the real economy, it is
crucial that we take steps to ensure enterprises can secure loans
more easily, and promote steady reduction of interest rates.
We will strengthen the
employment-first policy with comprehensive measures.
We
will create synergy to stabilize employment through the coordinated
use of fiscal, monetary, and investment policies. We will strive to
keep existing jobs secure, work actively to create new ones, and
help unemployed people find work. All local governments need to
overhaul or rescind excessive restrictions on employment, and adopt
all possible measures to bolster employment.
Eliminating poverty is an obligatory task we must complete in order
to build a moderately prosperous society in all respects. We will
continue to apply the current poverty alleviation standards, take
stronger steps to implement poverty reduction measures, and ensure
that all remaining poor people are lifted out of poverty. We will
improve and effectively utilize mechanisms for monitoring and
assisting people who fall back into poverty and consolidate our
gains in poverty alleviation. We will endeavor to protect our blue
skies, clear waters, and clean lands, and meet the goals for the
critical battle of pollution prevention and control. Strong
prevention and control measures will be taken to forestall systemic
risks.
Almost five months of this year have passed. In the next stage, we
will not let up on any front of our long-term fight against
COVID-19, nor will we lose any time in advancing China's economic
and social development agenda. The policies we adopt should be both
forceful and sustainable, and they may be adjusted as called for. We
have both the resolve and ability to accomplish the targets and
tasks set for this year.
III.Forcefully
implementing macro policies to keep businesses and employment stable
To
ensure employment and people's well-being, we must instill
confidence in over one hundred million market entities; and we must
do our utmost to help enterprises, particularly micro, small, and
medium businesses, and self-employed individuals get through this
challenging time.
We will further cut
taxes and fees.
We
will aggressively implement current policies in conjunction with
institutional arrangements to create a more enabling environment and
help market entities overcome difficulties and achieve development.
We will continue implementing reductions of VAT rates and the share
of employees' basic old-age insurance paid by enterprises, and we
will make further tax and fee cuts of about 500 billion yuan. The
policies introduced early this year that are due to expire by June
will all be extended till the end of the year. They include the
following: exempting micro, small, and medium businesses from
contributions to basic old-age insurance, unemployment insurance,
and work injury compensation insurance schemes; reducing or
cancelling VAT for small-scale taxpayers; exempting VAT on services
such as public transportation, restaurants and hotels, tourism and
entertainment, and culture and sports; and reducing or cancelling
civil aviation development fund contributions and port development
fees. The payment of corporate income taxes by micro and small
businesses and self-employed individuals will be postponed to next
year. We expect that these measures will see additional savings of
more than 2.5 trillion yuan for enterprises throughout the year. All
tax and fee reduction policies must be fully implemented for our
businesses, so that they can sustain themselves and assure success
for the future.
We will reduce
enterprises' production and operating costs.
The policy of reducing electricity prices for general industrial and
commercial businesses by five percent will be extended to the end of
the year. The rates for broadband and dedicated internet access
services will be cut by 15 percent on average. Rents for state-owned
premises will be lowered or exempted, and all other types of
property owners are encouraged to also reduce, waive, or defer rent
payments, and they will receive policy support from the government
in doing so. We will take firm steps to stop the unauthorized levy
of fees on enterprises.
We will increase
financial support to keep business operations stable.
The policy allowing micro, small, and medium businesses to postpone
principal and interest repayments on loans will be further extended
till the end of March next year—payments on all inclusive loans of
micro and small businesses eligible for this policy should also be
deferred, and other businesses facing financial difficulties can
discuss similar terms with their creditors. We will encourage banks
to substantially increase credit loans, first-time loans, and loan
renewals without repayment of principal for micro and small
businesses. The scope of the government financing guaranty will be
expanded and guaranty fees will be reduced significantly. Large
commercial banks should increase inclusive finance lending to micro
and small businesses by more than 40 percent. We will support
enterprises in increasing bond financing.
We
should tighten regulation and prevent funds from simply circulating
in the financial sector for the sake of arbitrage. As financial
institutions and the businesses that borrow from them share a common
stake, we encourage banks to make appropriate interest concessions.
To support market entities, we must ensure that micro, small, and
medium businesses have significantly better access to loans and that
overall financing costs drop markedly.
We will make every
effort to stabilize and expand employment.
We
will increase employment support for key sectors and key groups.
With 8.74 million college students graduating this year, we need to
encourage market-based employment and ensure that colleges and the
governments of localities where they are located provide employment
services to these students on an ongoing basis.
We
will ensure employment for demobilized military personnel. We will
adopt a policy to see rural migrant workers have equal access to
employment services in the cities where they work. We will help
people with disabilities, zero-employment families, and other groups
facing difficulty find jobs.
There are several hundred million workers, including casual
laborers, in flexible employment in China. This year, low-income
earners will be allowed to postpone the payment of their social
insurance premiums, and all employment-related government charges
will be cancelled.
We
will finance skills training to stabilize employment. This year and
next, more than 35 million vocational skills training opportunities
will be provided, and enrollment in vocational colleges will grow by
two million. This will help more people improve their skills and
secure jobs.
IV.Energizing
market entities through reform and strengthening new drivers of
growth
The greater the difficulties and challenges we face, the more
important it is for us to go further in reform, get rid of
institutional barriers, and boost internal forces driving
development.
We will press ahead
with reforms to streamline administration and delegate power,
improve regulation, and upgrade services.
While continuing to implement regular COVID-19 control measures, we
will adjust relevant measures and simplify procedures to boost the
resumption of work, production, and business activities. We will
work to see our people are able to access more government services
via a single website and complete all procedures for starting a
business online. Location restrictions on business registration
applying to micro and small enterprises and self-employed people
will be relaxed, and entrepreneurs of all types will find it easier
to register and start a business and access timely policy support.
We will support enterprises of all sizes in pursuing development
through collaboration with each other. We will conduct impartial
regulation to ensure fair competition, and make sustained efforts to
create a market-oriented, law-based, and internationalized business
environment.
We will advance reforms
to promote market-based allocation of production factors.
We
will encourage small and mid-sized banks to replenish capital and
improve governance, so that they can better serve micro, small, and
medium businesses. We will reform the ChiNext stock market and pilot
a registration-based IPO system. The role of insurance in protecting
against risks will be strengthened. Provincial-level government will
be given more power to approve land use for construction projects.
We will boost the flow of human resources, foster technology and
data markets, and thus unleash the potential of all types of
production factors.
We will improve the
performance of state capital and SOE reforms.
We
will launch a three-year action plan for SOE reform. We will improve
the system of state capital regulation and intensify mixed ownership
reform of SOEs. We will basically complete the task of relieving
SOEs of the obligations to operate social programs, and resolve
their other longstanding problems. SOEs should focus on their main
responsibilities and businesses, establish sound market-oriented
operating mechanisms, and increase their core competitiveness.
We will foster an
enabling environment for the development of the private sector.
We
will see that private businesses have equal access to production
factors and policy support. We will review relevant regulations to
abolish those that unfairly differentiate enterprises according to
form of ownership. Deadlines will be set for government bodies to
make overdue payments owed to private and small and medium
businesses. We will foster a cordial and clean relationship between
government and business and promote the healthy development of the
non-public sector.
We will encourage the
upgrading of manufacturing and the growth of emerging industries.
We
will markedly increase medium- and long-term loans to manufacturers.
We will promote the industrial internet and boost smart
manufacturing. New forms of business such as e-commerce, online
shopping, and online services have played an important role during
the COVID-19 response and more policies will be introduced in
support of such businesses. We will advance Internet Plus
initiatives across the board and create new competitive strengths in
the digital economy.
We will boost our
capacity to support technological innovation.
We
will provide stable support for basic research and
application-oriented basic research, and encourage enterprises to
increase investment in R&D. We will accelerate the development of
national laboratories, restructure the system of key national
laboratories, and develop private R&D institutions. We will
intensify international cooperation on science and technology.
Intellectual property protection will be strengthened. We will
introduce an open competition mechanism to select the best
candidates to lead key research projects.
We will continue to
encourage business startups and innovation nationwide.
We
will support the growth of venture capital investment and increase
guaranteed loans for startups. To further unleash the creativity of
various sectors, we will launch a new round of pilot reforms for
making innovations across the board, build more innovation and
entrepreneurship demo centers, continue accommodating and prudential
regulation, and develop the platform economy and the sharing
economy.
V. Implementing the
strategy of expanding domestic demand and promoting accelerated
transformation of the economic growth model
The potential of China's domestic demand is enormous. We will deepen
supply-side structural reform, focus our efforts on improving the
people's well-being, and boost consumption and expand investment in
a mutually reinforcing way.
We will promote the
recovery of consumption.
We
will stabilize employment, promote income growth and ensure people's
basic needs are met to encourage and enable consumer spending. We
will support the recovery and development of food and beverage,
brick and mortar shopping, culture, tourism, domestic services, and
other consumer services, and promote the integration of online and
offline consumption. Elderly and child care services will be
developed. Pedestrian streets will be upgraded. We will support the
roll-out of e-commerce and express delivery services in rural areas
to expand rural consumption. We will apply a combination of measures
to boost consumption and meet diverse demand among consumers.
We will expand
effective investment.
This year, 3.75 trillion yuan of special local government bonds will
be issued, a 1.6 trillion yuan increase over last year. The
proportion of special bonds that can be used as project capital will
be raised, and 600 billion yuan will be earmarked for investment in
the central government budget.
Priority will be given to new infrastructure and new urbanization
initiatives and major projects, which not only boost consumption and
benefit the people, but also facilitate structural adjustments and
enhance the sustainability of growth. Specifically, efforts will be
made mainly in the following three areas:
First, we will step up the construction of new types of
infrastructure. We will develop next-generation information networks
and expand 5G applications. We will build more charging facilities
and promote wider use of new-energy automobiles. We will stimulate
new consumer demand and promote industrial upgrading.
Second, we will strengthen the development of a new type of
urbanization. We will do more to improve public facilities and
services in county seats, so as to meet the growing demand to work
and settle in them among rural residents. We will begin the
renovation of 39,000 old urban residential communities and support
the installation of elevators in residential buildings and the
development of meal, cleaning, and other community services.
Third, we will redouble efforts to develop major transportation and
water conservancy projects, and increase national railway
development capital by 100 billion yuan
We
will improve market-based investment and financing mechanisms to
support private enterprises in participating in projects on an equal
footing. We will ensure that projects are up to standard, so they do
not create any undesired consequences and the investments made
deliver long-term returns.
We will steadily
advance new urbanization.
We
will leverage the role of leading cities and city clusters in
driving the overall development of their surrounding areas, in an
effort to foster new industries and increase employment. Acting on
the principle that houses are for living in, not for speculation, we
will implement city-specific policies to promote steady and healthy
development of the real estate market. We will improve urban
amenities, and make our cities places that people enjoy living and
working in.
We will step up
implementation of China's regional development strategies.
We
will continue to promote large-scale development in the western
region, the full revitalization of the northeast, the rise of the
central region, and the trailblazing development of the eastern
region.
We
will move forward with the coordinated development of the
Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the development of the Guangdong-Hong
Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and the integrated development of the
Yangtze River Delta.
We
will advance well-coordinated environmental conservation in the
Yangtze Economic Belt. An overall plan will be formulated for
ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow
River basin. Development of the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle
will be promoted.
We
will encourage accelerated development in old revolutionary base
areas, ethnic minority areas, border areas, and poor areas. We will
develop the maritime economy.
We
will implement a package of policies to support Hubei's development,
helping it ensure employment, public well-being, and normal
operations, and spurring the full recovery of economic and social
activity there.
We will ensure more
effective protection of ecosystems and the environment.
Priority will be placed on curbing pollution in a law-based,
scientific, and targeted way. We will intensify efforts to control
air pollution in key areas. We will step up the construction of
sewage and garbage treatment facilities. The relocation and
transformation of producers of hazardous chemical products will be
accelerated. We will boost the development of energy-saving and
environmental protection industries. Illegal hunting and trading of
wild animals will be severely punished. We will carry out major
projects for protecting and restoring key ecosystems to promote
ecological conservation.
We will safeguard
energy security.
We
will promote cleaner and more efficient use of coal, develop
renewable energy, improve systems for the production, supply, and
sale of oil, natural gas, and electricity, and bolster our energy
reserve capacity.
VI. Achieving poverty
reduction goals and working for good harvests and growth in rural
income
We
will implement poverty reduction and rural revitalization measures,
ensure the supply of important agricultural products, and raise
rural living standards.
We will win the fight
against poverty.
We
will channel greater energy into eliminating poverty in all
remaining poor counties and villages, and ensure rural migrant
workers from these areas have stable jobs in places where they work.
We will launch programs to boost the consumption of products from
poor areas, and support businesses involved in poverty alleviation
in resuming operations. Follow-up support will be provided to people
relocated from inhospitable areas.
We
will deepen collaboration on poverty alleviation between the eastern
and western regions, and intensify assistance to targeted poor areas
from central Party and government departments, offices of other
political parties, as well as state-owned enterprises, public
institutions, and universities under the central government.
We
will work harder to ensure that the basic needs of the poor
population are met. A poverty reduction survey will be conducted
nationwide. We will continue to promote both poverty alleviation and
rural revitalization in an all-out effort to help people who have
risen out of poverty move toward prosperity.
We will work to bolster
agricultural production.
We
will keep total crop acreage and grain output stable, raise the
multiple cropping index, increase the minimum purchase price of
rice, give more rewards to major grain-producing counties, and take
effective measures to prevent and control major diseases and pests.
The acquisition of farmland for other purposes in violation of laws
and regulations will be penalized. The area of high-standard
cropland will be increased by 5.33 million hectares. We will further
rural reform. We will promote a recovery in the production of hogs.
We will fully implement the system of provincial governors assuming
responsibility for the "rice bag" and city mayors for the "vegetable
basket." It is imperative, and it is well within our ability, to
ensure the food supply for 1.4 billion Chinese people through our
own efforts.
We will create more
channels for rural residents to find employment and increase their
incomes.
We
will help rural residents seek employment or start businesses in
places close to their homes, and expand work-relief programs to
ensure that those who return to their homes have a job and income.
We will support the development of appropriately scaled agricultural
operations, and improve commercial services for farmers.
We
will invest more funds raised through special bonds to support
modern agricultural facilities, safe drinking water projects, and
the improvement of living environments. This will promote steady
improvements in rural living and working conditions.
VII. Promoting
higher-standard opening up and stabilizing the overall performance
of foreign trade and foreign investment
Faced with changes in the external environment, we must stay
committed to opening our door wider to the world, keep our
industrial and supply chains stable, and make opening up a catalyst
for reform and development.
We will stabilize the
overall performance of foreign trade.
To
help businesses get more orders and keep their employees on, we will
increase credit supply, extend the coverage of export credit
insurance, lower compliance costs for imports and exports, and
support the domestic sale of export products.
We
will accelerate the growth of cross-border e-commerce and other new
forms of business, and enhance our international shipping capacity.
We will advance a new round of trials for innovative development of
trade in services. We will make good preparations for the third
China International Import Expo, work actively to expand imports,
and foster a large globally-oriented market of higher standards.
We will step up
utilization of foreign capital.
The negative list for foreign investment will be significantly
shortened, while a negative list will also be drawn up for
cross-border trade in services. We will grant greater autonomy in
reform and opening up to pilot free trade zones, speed up the
establishment of a free trade port in Hainan, open new pilot free
trade zones and integrated bonded areas in the central and western
regions, and launch further comprehensive trials on opening up the
service sector. We will foster an enabling market environment in
which all companies, Chinese and foreign, are treated as equals and
engaged in fair competition.
We will focus on
quality in the joint pursuit of the Belt and Road Initiative.
Staying committed to achieving shared growth through consultation
and collaboration, we will uphold market principles and
international rules, give full scope to enterprises as the main
actors, and work with our BRI partners for mutually beneficial
outcomes. We will guide the healthy development of outbound
investment.
We will promote
liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment.
We
will firmly safeguard the multilateral trading regime, and actively
participate in reform of the WTO. We will work for the signing of
the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, and advance free
trade negotiations with Japan and the Republic of Korea as well as
other countries. We will work with the United States to implement
the phase one China-US economic and trade agreement. China will
continue to boost economic and trade cooperation with other
countries to deliver mutual benefits.
VIII. Advancing the
reform and development of social programs to safeguard and improve
living standards
Despite the difficulties we face, we must unfailingly meet the basic
living needs of our people and address issues of public concern.
We will enhance the
public health system.
We
will always put life above everything else. We will reform the
system for disease prevention and control, improve mechanisms for
direct reporting and early warning of infectious diseases, and
ensure prompt, open, and transparent release of epidemic
information. We will make good use of COVID-19 bonds, increase
inputs into the R&D of vaccines, medicines, and rapid testing
technologies, build more medical facilities for epidemic control and
treatment, set up more mobile laboratories, ensure emergency
supplies, and strengthen public health and epidemic prevention at
the primary level. We will launch extensive initiatives to improve
public sanitation. We need to greatly enhance our prevention and
control capability, resolutely prevent a resurgence of COVID-19, and
protect the health of our people.
We will improve basic
medical services.
We
will raise government subsidies for basic medical insurance for
rural and non-working urban residents by an average of 30 yuan per
person, and pilot inter-provincial on-the-spot settlement of
outpatient bills through basic medical insurance accounts. We will
provide support to medical institutions badly hit by the epidemic.
We will promote the development of traditional Chinese medicine.
Supervision over food and drugs will be tightened up to guarantee
their safety.
We will develop more
equitable and higher-quality education.
We
will see that teaching in primary and secondary schools and entrance
examinations for senior high school and university are
well-organized. We will strengthen the development of boarding
schools in townships and towns and schools in county seats, provide
quality special needs education and continuing education, support
private schools and keep them well-regulated, and help private
kindergartens overcome difficulties. We will step up efforts to
develop world-class universities and world-class disciplines. We
will expand the enrollment of students from rural and poor areas at
colleges and universities. We will improve the mix of spending,
making educational resources accessible to all our families and
children and enabling them to embrace a brighter future.
We will make greater
efforts to meet people's basic living needs.
We
will increase the basic pension for retirees and the minimum basic
old-age pension for rural and non-working urban residents. Close to
300 million people in our country live on pensions, and we must
ensure they receive their benefits on time and in full.
We
will improve the systems of providing preferential treatment and
employment services for demobilized military personnel, and ensure
benefits for the families of people who have died in service of the
public. We will extend the coverage of unemployment insurance and
see that rural migrant workers and others out of work who are in the
scheme less than a year are covered in the locality where they are
living. Subsistence allowances will be expanded to cover all
families in difficulty, and such allowances will be made promptly
available to eligible urban unemployed people and migrant workers
who have returned home. We will ensure assistance is provided to
anyone who runs into temporary difficulty because of disaster or
illness.
With these measures, we can ensure that all members of disadvantaged
groups have their basic living needs met and that more unemployed
people will have the support they need to secure their next job or
start their own business.
We will organize rich
intellectual and cultural activities for our people.
We
will foster and practice core socialist values, and continue to
develop philosophy and social sciences, the press, publishing,
radio, film, and television and to protect cultural relics. We will
improve public cultural services, make preparations for the 2022
Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Beijing, and encourage people to
exercise and keep fit. With these endeavors, our people will be full
of vitality and striving to pursue excellence and moral integrity.
We will create new and
better ways to conduct social governance.
We
will make sure that communities provide better services and support
the sound development of social organizations, humanitarian
assistance, volunteer service, and charity. We will protect the
lawful rights and interests of women, children, the elderly, and
people with disabilities. We will improve the system for handling
public complaints, provide better legal aid, and ensure that
justified public demands are addressed promptly. The seventh
population census will be carried out. We will strengthen national
security capacity building, punish crimes in accordance with law,
and more effectively carry out the Peaceful China initiative.
We will strengthen
accountability for workplace safety.
We
will intensify prevention efforts against flooding, fires, and
earthquakes, deliver quality meteorological services, and enhance
our capacity for emergency rescue and disaster prevention and
mitigation. A campaign to enhance workplace safety will be launched.
Strong steps will be taken to prevent major and extremely serious
accidents.
Fellow Deputies,
In
the face of difficult and weighty tasks, governments at all levels
must closely follow the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi
Jinping at its core in thinking, stance, and action and practice the
people-centered development philosophy. We must enforce full,
rigorous self-discipline of the Party, exercise law-based government
administration, ensure transparency in all government affairs, and
enhance our governance capacity.
We
will accept, as required by law, the oversight of people's
congresses and their standing committees at the same level, and
readily subject ourselves to the democratic oversight of the CPPCC,
public oversight, and oversight through public opinion.
Auditing-based oversight will be stepped up. We will give full play
to the role of trade unions, Communist Youth League organizations,
women's federations, and other people's organizations. We in the
government must readily accept the oversight of the law, supervisory
bodies, and the people. We must redouble efforts to build a clean
government and crack down on corruption.
We, in government at all levels, must take a fact-based approach to
our work, and keep firmly in mind that we remain in the primary
stage of socialism, which is the basic dimension of China's national
context. We must abide by objective laws, base everything we do on
actual conditions, and deliver in our work.
We
will take strong steps to address the practice of formalities for
formalities' sake, bureaucracy, hedonism, and extravagance, and
release our primary-level officials from the fetters of pointless
formalities so as to give full rein to their drive. We will stand
behind officials who live up to their responsibilities, and we will
work to see that they carry out their duties.
We
must rely closely on the people, respect the pioneering spirit of
those working at the primary level, advance reform and opening up
with greater force, ignite the dynamism of our society, and bring
together the energy and ingenuity of hundreds of millions of Chinese
people. This is the source of inspiration that enables us to prevail
over all difficulties and challenges.
We
officials must not shy away in the face of difficulty; we must do
solid work and make concerted efforts to pursue development and
ensure the well-being of the people. As long as we stand together
with the people through good times and bad and continue to forge
ahead, we can surely fulfill the desires of the Chinese people for a
better life.
This year, we will formulate the 14th Five-Year Plan, thus drawing
the blueprint for us to embark on a new journey toward the second
Centenary Goal.
Fellow Deputies,
We
will uphold and improve the system of regional ethnic autonomy,
support ethnic minorities and ethnic minority areas in accelerating
development, and forge a strong sense of community among the Chinese
people.
We
will fully implement the Party's fundamental policy on religious
affairs and encourage religious leaders and believers to play an
active part in promoting economic and social development.
China cares deeply about our overseas nationals, who serve as a
crucial bridge linking China and the rest of the world. We will give
play to the unique role of overseas Chinese nationals and their
family members and relatives at home, and forge a stronger bond of
attachment among all the sons and daughters of the Chinese nation.
Together, we can create more remarkable achievements.
Since last year, we have achieved important progress in
strengthening national defense and the armed forces. The people's
armed forces demonstrated fine conduct by reacting swiftly to the
Party's commands and shouldering heavy responsibilities in COVID-19
control.
We
will thoroughly implement Xi Jinping's thinking on strengthening the
armed forces and the military strategy for the new era. We will
continue to enhance the political loyalty of the armed forces,
strengthen them through reform, science and technology, and the
training of capable personnel, and run the military in accordance
with law.
We
will uphold the Party's absolute leadership over the people's armed
forces and strictly implement the system of ultimate responsibility
resting with the chair of the Central Military Commission. We will
firmly safeguard China's sovereignty, security, and development
interests.
We
will complete the crucial tasks laid down in the 13th Five-Year Plan
for the development of the armed forces and draw up the 14th
Five-Year Plan. We will deepen reforms in national defense and the
military, increase our logistic and equipment support capacity, and
promote innovative development of defense-related science and
technology. We will improve the system of national defense
mobilization and ensure that the unity between the military and the
government and between the military and the people remains rock
solid.
We
will fully and faithfully implement the policy of "One Country, Two
Systems," under which the people of Hong Kong govern Hong Kong and
the people of Macao govern Macao, with a high degree of autonomy for
both regions. We will establish sound legal systems and enforcement
mechanisms for safeguarding national security in the two special
administrative regions, and see that the governments of the two
regions fulfill their constitutional responsibilities. We will
support Hong Kong and Macao in growing their economies, improving
living standards, and better integrating their development into
China's overall development, and help them maintain long-term
prosperity and stability.
We
will adhere to the major principles and policies on work related to
Taiwan and resolutely oppose and deter any separatist activities
seeking "Taiwan independence." We will improve institutional
arrangements, policies, and measures to encourage exchanges and
cooperation between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, further
cross-Strait integrated development, and protect the well-being of
our fellow compatriots in Taiwan. We will encourage them to join us
in opposing "Taiwan independence" and promoting China's
reunification. With these efforts, we can surely create a beautiful
future for the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
In
the face of the public health crisis, severe economic recession, and
other global challenges, all countries should work together. China
stands ready to work with other countries to strengthen
international cooperation on COVID-19 control, promote stability in
the world economy, advance global governance, and uphold the
international system with the United Nations at its core and an
international order based on international law. China is committed
to building a human community with a shared future.
China will continue to pursue peaceful development, and advance
friendship and cooperation with other countries as it opens up wider
to the rest of the world. China will remain an important force
promoting world peace, stability, development, and prosperity.
Fellow Deputies,
The Chinese nation has never been daunted in the face of
difficulties or obstacles. The Chinese people today have the ability
and resolve to overcome all challenges before us. We must rally more
closely around the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping
at its core, uphold socialism with Chinese characteristics, and
follow the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese
Characteristics for a New Era. Let us meet our challenges head-on,
move determinedly forward in the fight against COVID-19 and in
pursuit of economic and social development, and strive to fulfill
the main targets and tasks for this year. Let all of us work
together with perseverance to build China into a great modern
socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally
advanced, harmonious, and beautiful, and realize the Chinese Dream
of national rejuvenation.
Source: CGTN |