2022政府工作报告（英文）

REPORT ON THE WORK OF THE GOVERNMENT

Delivered at the Fifth Session of the 13th National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China on March 5, 2022

Li Keqiang

Premier of the State Council

Fellow Deputies,

On behalf of the State Council, I will now report to you on the work of the government and 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.

I. A Review of Our Work in 2021

Last year was a milestone in the history of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and our country. The CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core united  and  led  the  whole  Party  and  Chinese  people  of  all  ethnic  groups  in accomplishing the following endeavors:

     We celebrated the centenary of the Communist Party of China;

     The 19th CPC Central Committee convened its sixth plenary session where

a resolution on the Party’s major achievements and historical experience over the past century was adopted;

     We declared victory in the critical battle against poverty as envisaged; and

     We achieved the first centenary goal of building a moderately prosperous

society in all respects on schedule and began a new journey toward the second  centenary  goal  of  building  a  modern  socialist  country  in  all respects.

Last  year,  facing  complicated  and  challenging  circumstances  both  in  and outside of China, as well as many risks and challenges, all of us throughout the country worked hard as one. We responded to Covid-19 and pursued economic

and social development in a well-coordinated way, accomplished the main targets and tasks for the year, got the 14th Five-Year Plan off to a good start, and once again secured new and major achievements in our country’s development.

—The economy continued to recover and grow. China’s gross domestic product (GDP)  reached  114  trillion  yuan,  growing  8.1  percent.  National  fiscal  revenue exceeded 20 trillion yuan, growing 10.7 percent. A total of 12.69 million urban jobs were added, and the average surveyed unemployment rate stood at 5.1 percent. The  consumer  price  index  (CPI)  rose  by  0.9  percent.  A  basic  equilibrium  was maintained in the balance of payments.

— China’s  innovation   capacity  was  strengthened.  Our  strategic  science  and technology  capabilities  were  expanded  at  a  faster  pace.  Major  advances  were registered in research on core technologies in key fields, and breakthroughs were made  in  manned  spaceflight,  Mars  exploration,  resource  exploration,  energy projects and other areas. Corporate spending on research and development grew by  15.5  percent.  Integration  of  digital  technology  in  the  real  economy  was accelerated.

—The economic structure and  regional  development priorities were refined. Grain output  reached  a  record  high  of  685  million  metric  tons.  Value-added  of  the high-tech  manufacturing  sector  grew  by  18.2  percent,  IT  services  and  other producer  services  recorded  rapid  growth,  and  industrial  chains  became  more resilient.  Regional  development  strategies  were  well  implemented,  and  new urbanization was steadily advanced.

—Reform and opening up were deepened. In key fields and sectors, a full range of major reforms were rolled out, and supply-side structural reform was deepened. New gains were made in the reform to streamline administration and delegate power,  improve regulation,  and upgrade  services. The total number  of market entities surpassed the 150-million mark. The Belt and Road Initiative saw steady high-quality development. China worked for the entry into force of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. The total volume of trade in goods  grew  by  21.4  percent,  and  growth  of  utilized  foreign  investment  was sustained.

—Ecological conservation was enhanced. Thanks to further steps taken to prevent and control pollution, the discharge of major pollutants continued to fall and the average concentration of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) dropped by 9.1 percent in cities at and above the prefecture level. The first group of national parks were

officially established. Significant improvements were made in the quality of the environment.

—Living standards rose steadily. Per capita disposable income increased by 8.1 percent in real terms. Achievements in poverty alleviation were consolidated and further  expanded.  Inputs  in  basic  elderly  care,  basic  medical  care,  and  social assistance were increased. New steps were taken in the reform and development of education.  Renovations  began  on  56,000  old  urban  residential  communities, benefiting close to 10 million households.

—Our gains in  Covid-19 response were consolidated. Implementation of control measures became routine, and over 85 percent of the population received a full course of vaccination. Local outbreaks were suppressed in an effective and quick manner. By making these efforts, we ensured the health and safety of the people and maintained normal order in work and life.

Reflecting on the past year, we can see that our achievements did not come easily.  While  the  economy  continued  to  recover  from  major  shocks  including Covid-19, many new changes occurred in and outside of China, and the difficulty of keeping the economy running stably mounted. In the face of such difficulty, we fully implemented the decisions and plans of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping  at  its core, followed the  guiding  principles  of the  Central Economic Work Conference; applied the new development philosophy in full, in the right way, and in all fields of endeavor; took solid steps to ensure stability on six key fronts and security in six key areas,*  and made cross- and counter-cyclical adjustments  with  macro  policies.  We  thus  effectively  dealt  with  all  risks  and challenges that arose.

Our main work over the past year was as follows.

1. We kept macro policy consistent and targeted and kept the major economic indicators within the appropriate range.

Our  macro  policies  facilitated  cross-cyclical  adjustments  and  sustained  the level of support necessary for economic recovery. We also took into account the need to leave ample policy space for meeting difficulties and challenges this year.

We established a regular mechanism to directly allocate budgetary funds to

*  The six fronts refer to employment, the financial sector, foreign trade, foreign investment, domestic investment, and expectations. The six areas refer to job security, basic living needs, operations of market entities,  food  and  energy  security,  stable  industrial  and  supply  chains,  and  the  normal  functioning  of primary-level governments.

prefecture- and county-level governments and placed 2.8 trillion yuan of central government  funding  under  this  mechanism.  We  also  improved  the  way  local governments issue and use special-purpose bonds.

We  implemented  a  prudent  monetary  policy  to  good  effect  and  lowered required reserve ratios twice to facilitate the reduction of loan interest rates. We took  well-considered  steps  to  defuse  local  government  debt  risks  and  dealt prudently  with  major  financial  risks.  We  intensified  policies  to  stabilize  and expand employment, took solid measures to ensure employment for key groups like college graduates, and encouraged business startups and innovation. We took stronger steps to keep supply and prices of major commodities stable and to tackle supply shortages in coal and electric power.

Over the course of last year, all major macroeconomic indicators stayed in line with projected targets, the deficit-to-GDP ratio and macro leverage ratio decreased, and China’s economy remained one of the fastest-growing economies in the world.

2. We refined and implemented policies for easing the difficulties of businesses and consolidated the foundation of economic recovery.

As  over  one  hundred  million  market  entities  have  given  several  hundred million people the opportunity to go into business or secure employment, we have continued with the supportive macro-policy roadmaps and approaches that have proved effective since the epidemic began.

Tax and fee reductions introduced last year totaled more than one trillion yuan.

In   addition,   tax   payments   were   postponed  for   micro,   small   and   medium enterprises  (MSMEs) in  manufacturing  as  well  as  coal-fired  power  plants  and heating-supply enterprises as a temporary measure. Tax and fee reductions have proved a direct and effective way of helping enterprises ease their difficulties. In reality, they also help nurture business growth and cultivate sources of tax revenue. Last year, revenue generated from taxpaying market entities registered since 2013 reached 4.76 trillion yuan.

We  strengthened  the  capacity  of  railway,  highway,  aviation  and  maritime transportation as well as harbors. We boosted the credit supply to industries and enterprises severely affected by  Covid-19. We continued policies for micro and small businesses to defer principal and interest repayments on loans and take out more collateral-free loans. Inclusive finance lending to micro and small business by financial institutions increased by 27.3 percent, with the figure rising to over 40 percent  for  large  commercial  banks,  and  overall  financing  costs  of  businesses

dropped steadily.

3. We deepened reform, expanded opening up, and continued to improve the business environment.

We worked harder to develop the underlying institutions for a market system, and pushed forward reforms to ensure production factors  are  allocated by the market. We continued to reduce the number of procedures and length of time it takes for enterprises to gain government approval. More government services were made  available  online.  A  package  of  successful  practices  in  local  reform  were applied   nationwide,   and   trials   were   conducted   to   improve   the   business environment.

We bolstered regulation and adopted new regulatory approaches, took action against business monopolies, and prevented the unregulated expansion of capital, thus  ensuring  fair  market  competition.  We  continued  implementation  of  the three-year action plan for SOE reform and supported the healthy development of private businesses. The reform to delink industry associations and chambers of commerce from government was basically completed. The Beijing Stock Exchange and  Guangzhou  Futures  Exchange  were  opened.  Solid  strides  were  made  in reforms   in   agriculture,   rural   development,   social   programs,   and   ecological conservation.

We  deepened  practical  cooperation  to  jointly  advance  the  Belt  and  Road Initiative. Efforts to ensure stable performance in foreign trade and investment were intensified. We successfully hosted a number of major expos, including the China International Import Expo, the China Import and Export Fair, the China International Fair for Trade in Services, and the first China International Consumer Products Expo. Comprehensive trials for further opening up of the services sector were expanded to four more areas, and new measures for developing the Hainan Free Trade Port were adopted.

4. We promoted innovation-driven development and stabilized industrial and supply chains.

We   boosted   the   development   of   national   laboratories   and   promoted implementation  of  major  science  and  technology  programs.  We  reformed  and refined   the   management   of   central   government   funding   for   scientific   and technological research, increased the proportion of indirect expenses for research projects, and gave institutes more decision-making power over their research.

We continued the additional tax deduction for R&D expenses and increased

this deduction to cover 100 percent of such expenses for manufacturing enterprises. Intellectual  property  right   protection  was   strengthened.  Weak   links  in  the industrial  chains  of  key  industries  were  reinforced  and  upgraded.  Digital  and smart  technologies  were  adopted  in  traditional  industries  at  a  faster  rate,  and emerging industries maintained good momentum for development.

5. We promoted coordinated development between urban and rural areas and between regions and improved the structure of the economy.

To ensure implementation of all major regional development strategies and the strategy  for  coordinated  regional  development,  we  rolled  out  new  supporting measures and launched  several  major projects. Urbanization with the focus on county seats was promoted. To help bolster agricultural production, we ensured agricultural  supplies  and  issued  one-time  subsidies  totaling  20  billion  yuan  to grain growers.

We advanced rural revitalization and designated 160 key counties to receive assistance in pursuing rural revitalization. A five-year program to improve the rural living environment also got under way.

6.   We  strengthened   environmental  protection   and  promoted  sustainable development.

We consolidated our gains in keeping the skies blue, waters clear, and land pollution-free.  We  encouraged  farmers  to  use  chemical  fertilizer  and  pesticide more efficiently and promoted the recycling of livestock and poultry waste. We continued major projects to protect and restore ecosystems, and fully enforced the ten-year fishing ban on the Yangtze River.

China’s installed capacity of renewable power exceeded one billion kilowatts. An action plan for peaking carbon emissions by 2030 was unveiled. The China Carbon Emission Trade Exchange was launched. We took active steps to respond to climate change.

7. We worked to ensure and improve the people’s wellbeing and accelerated development of social programs.

We intensified efforts to shore up weak links in rural compulsory education, and    increased    subsidies    in    the    nutrition    improvement    program    for compulsory-education students in rural areas, benefiting over 37 million students. We reduced the homework load and eased the off-campus tutoring burden on students in compulsory education. We surpassed the targets set in the three-year enrollment    expansion    initiative    for    vocational    colleges.    The    cap    for

government-subsidized student loans was raised by 4,000 yuan per person per year, benefiting over five million students.

The basic pension for retirees was increased. Benefits were raised for entitled groups. To improve assistance and support for those in need, the scope of the subsistence allowance scheme was expanded to include people with serious illness or severe disability from families just outside the margin of eligibility.

We reformed the system for disease prevention and control. Outpatient bills for more common illnesses and chronic diseases became reimbursable under the basic  medical  insurance  scheme,  and  60  percent  of  cross-provincial  inpatient medical expenses were directly settled where they were incurred. We tightened up regulation and supervision of drugs and vaccines.

The  three-child  policy  was  implemented.  Elderly  services  were  improved. Government-subsidized  rental  housing  was  increased  at   a  faster  pace.  We developed cultural programs and the cultural sector, and launched new cultural projects to benefit the public. A sound online environment was fostered.

We actively carried out public fitness activities. Chinese athletes achieved great success in the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo. And thanks to meticulous preparation, China has presented the world with a simple, safe, and splendid 2022 Winter  Olympic  Games.  The  Paralympic  Games,  which  has  just  opened,  will undoubtedly also be a great success.

8.  We made progress in  building a rule of  law government, developed new ways of conducting governance, and maintained social harmony and stability.

We  submitted  10  legislative  proposals  to  the  Standing  Committee  of  the National People’s Congress (NPC) for deliberation, and formulated or revised 15 sets of administrative regulations. We conscientiously handled the proposals of NPC deputies and CPPCC National Committee members. The Outline for Building a Law-Based Government  (2021–2025) was promulgated. Audit-based oversight was  enhanced.  The  State  Council  continued  its  accountability  inspections,  and further implemented the Internet plus model of inspection. New approaches were adopted in conducting primary-level  governance in urban and rural areas. We made solid headway in handling public complaints and clearing the backlog of cases.

We   took   stronger   steps   to   ensure   workplace   safety   and   strengthened emergency response management. Our ability to safeguard national security was enhanced. We improved the crime prevention and control system, worked to crack

down on organized crime and root out local criminal gangs on an ongoing basis, and fought telecom and cyber fraud as a priority. During severe flooding and other disasters that hit some parts of the country last year, government authorities and departments    were    actively    involved    in    disaster    prevention,    relief,    and reconstruction and earnestly strived to protect people’s lives and property.

We implemented the Party Central Committee’s strategic decision to exercise full and strict Party self-governance. We carried out activities to study the history of  the  CPC,  and  did  more  to  improve  Party  conduct,  build  a  government  of integrity,  and  fight  corruption.  We  strictly  complied  with  the  central  Party leadership’s eight-point decision on improving work conduct, kept up our efforts to  tackle  pointless formalities, bureaucratism, hedonism  and  extravagance,  and took further steps to ease the burdens of those working on the ground.

We  advanced  China’s  major-country  diplomacy  on  all  fronts.  President  Xi Jinping  and  other  Party  and  state  leaders  attended,  via  video  link,   major diplomatic events, including the 76th UN General Assembly, the 16th G20 Leaders’ Summit, the 28th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting, the 13th BRICS Summit, the Special Summit to Commemorate the 30th Anniversary of China-ASEAN Dialogue Relations, the opening ceremony of the Eighth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, the East Asia leaders’ meetings on cooperation and the  13th Asia-Europe Meeting. We  also  successfully hosted  a number  of major diplomatic events.

We  promoted  the  building  of  a  human  community  with  a  shared  future, fostered  global  partnerships,  and  played  an  active  part  in  the  reform  and development   of   the   global   governance   system.   We   advanced   international cooperation on Covid-19 response and worked with all other countries to respond to issues and challenges global in nature. We have thus contributed our share to promoting world peace and development.

Fellow Deputies,

We  owe  our  achievements  last  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 Chinese people of all ethnic groups.

On behalf of the State Council, I wish to express sincere gratitude to all our

people, 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 wish to express heartfelt thanks to the governments of other countries, international organizations and friends across the world who have shown understanding and support for us in China as we pursue modernization.

While recognizing our achievements, we are also very clear about the problems and challenges before us.

The Covid-19 pandemic is still ongoing. The world economic recovery lacks drive, and commodity prices remain high and are prone to fluctuation. All of this is making our external environment increasingly volatile, grave and uncertain.

In  pursing  economic  development,  China  is  under  the  triple  pressures  of shrinking demand, disrupted supply and weakening expectations. Local Covid-19 cases are still occurring sporadically. The recovery of consumption and investment is sluggish. It is getting more difficult to maintain steady growth in exports, the supply of energy resources and raw materials remains inadequate, and imported inflationary pressure has increased. Many MSMEs and self-employed individuals face difficulty in production and business operations, and the task of stabilizing employment is more formidable. Our capacity to support innovation is lacking in key  areas.  The budgetary  imbalances  of  some  local  governments have become more  pronounced,  and  many  potential  risks  are  present  in  the  economic  and financial sectors. In areas that are important to the public wellbeing, numerous issues need to be addressed.

There  is  also room for  improvement  in the work  of  government. Pointless formalities and bureaucratism remain an acute issue. Cases of becoming detached from  reality  and  acting  against  the  public  will  are  still  frequent.  Some  local governments   use   one-size-fits-all   or   campaign-style   approaches   in   policy implementation. A small number of officials either shirk their responsibilities, fail to do their jobs, or behave irresponsibly. Some officials, by disregarding serious infringements on the rights and interests of the people, have been derelict in their duties. Corruption remains a common problem in some sectors.

We  must  be  more  mindful  of  potential  difficulties,  face  problems  and challenges squarely, make every effort to deliver a satisfactory performance, and do our utmost to live up to people’s expectations.

II.   Overall Requirements and Policy Orientation for Economic and Social Development in 2022

This year is of great significance in the cause of the Party and the country, as

the  Communist  Party  of  China  will  hold  its  20th  National  Congress.  For  the government to deliver, 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 all plenary sessions of the 19th Party Central Committee;

     carry forward the great founding spirit of the Party;

     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 of endeavor and move faster to create a new pattern of development;

     deepen reform and opening up in all respects;

     pursue innovation-driven development;

     promote high-quality development;

     advance supply-side structural reform as the main task;

     respond to Covid-19 and pursue economic and social development in a

well-coordinated way;

     ensure both development and security;

     continue to ensure stability on six key fronts and maintain security in six

key areas;

     keep working to improve people’s lives;

     strive to maintain stable macroeconomic performance;

     keep major economic indicators within an appropriate range; and      maintain overall social stability.

These efforts will enable us to pave the way for a successful 20th National Party Congress.

A comprehensive analysis of evolving dynamics at home and abroad indicates that this year our country will encounter many more risks and challenges, and we must keep pushing to overcome them. The harder things get, the more confident we must be, and the more solid steps we must take to deliver outcomes.

The fundamentals of our economy remain unchanged, and they will maintain long-term growth. We have many favorable conditions for sustaining development. Most notably, our people, in their hundreds of millions, aspire to a better life, have huge  potential  for  starting  businesses  and  engaging  in  innovation,  and  are resolved to overcome all difficulties together. We have also acquired a wealth of experience in dealing with major risks and challenges. There is no doubt but that China’s  economy  will  withstand  any  new  downward  pressure  and  continue growing steadily long into the future.

The main projected targets for development this year are as follows:      GDP growth of around 5.5 percent

     over 11 million new urban jobs

     a surveyed urban unemployment rate of no more than 5.5 percent      CPI increase of around 3 percent

     growth in personal income that is basically in step with economic growth      steady increases in both the volume and quality of imports and exports         a basic equilibrium in the balance of payments

     grain output of over 650 million metric tons

     further improvement in the environment

     continued reduction in the discharge of major pollutants

     energy  consumption  per  unit  of  GDP  to  be  assessed  with  appropriate

flexibility  within  the  framework  of  the  14th  Five-Year  Plan;  and  the exclusion  of  newly  added  renewable  energy  and  coal,  petroleum,  and natural  gas  consumed  as  raw  materials  in  the  total  amount  of  energy consumption.

The above economic growth target is based mainly on the need to maintain stable employment, meet basic living needs, and guard against risks. This target is also in keeping with the average growth rates of the last two years and the goals of the 14th Five-Year Plan. It represents a medium-high rate of growth given our large economic aggregate, and demonstrates our ability to move proactively. But achieving this goal will require arduous efforts.

To fulfill the  development  goals and tasks for the year, we should pursue prudent and effective macro policies, micro policies that can continuously energize market entities, and structural policies that facilitate smooth flows in the economy. Science and technology policies should be fully implemented, reform and opening

up policies should lend impetus to development, regional policies should ensure more  balanced  and  coordinated  development,  and  social  policies  should  meet basic living needs. All of us involved must adopt detailed and effective measures to meet these major policy requirements and create synergy for driving growth.

Macro  policies  should  be  kept  consistent  and  made  more  effective.  The proactive  fiscal  policy  should  be  more  effectual,  more  targeted,  and  more sustainable. The prudent monetary policy should be both flexible and appropriate, with reasonably ample liquidity being maintained. The employment-first policy should be pursued with intensified efforts to deliver the desired outcomes. These policies should produce effects early on, and the policy tools we have in reserve should be promptly deployed to ensure stable economic performance.

We will continue effective routine Covid-19 control. To prevent inbound cases and  domestic  resurgences,  we  need  to  constantly  refine  epidemic  containment measures, strengthen epidemic controls in port-of-entry cities, step up efforts to study  and  protect  against  virus  variants,  accelerate  R&D  of  new  vaccines  and effective medicines, continue implementing vaccination programs, and give full play to the unique role of traditional Chinese medicine. Occurrences of local cases must be handled in a scientific and targeted manner, and the normal order of work and life must be ensured.

In our work this year, we must make economic stability our top priority and pursue progress while ensuring stability. In the face of new downward pressure, the  task  of  ensuring  stable  growth  needs  to  occupy  an  even  more  prominent position.   All   localities   and   government   departments   should   fulfill   their responsibilities for maintaining stable macroeconomic performance by proactively introducing pro-stability policies.

We should take coordinated moves to keep growth stable, promote structural adjustment, and carry out reform. We should work faster to transform the growth model,  and  say  no  to  an  extensive  development  model.  We  should  follow  a fact-based  approach,  and  bear  in  mind  the  fundamental  dimension  of  China’s national context, that is, it is still in the primary stage of socialism. We should manage our own affairs well, and respect the laws of development, the reality on the ground, and the needs of the people.

We should work in creative ways in light of actual conditions and motivate all stakeholders  to  pursue  development  endeavors.  We  should  promote  both  an efficient market and a well-functioning government, and we should be adept at

using reform and innovation to boost market dynamism and social creativity. We must act on the people-centered development philosophy and rely on the efforts of everyone  to  promote  prosperity  for  all,  so  as  to  keep  realizing  the  people’s aspirations for a better life.

III. Major Tasks for 2022

This year, we face heavy tasks and many challenges in economic and social development.  We  should  follow  the  decisions  and  requirements  of  the  Party Central   Committee   with   Comrade   Xi   Jinping   at   its   core,   apply   the   new development philosophy in full, in the right way, and in all fields of endeavor, move faster to create a new pattern of development, and promote high-quality development, so as to deliver solid outcomes in all areas of our work.

1. Achieving stable macroeconomic performance and keeping major economic indicators within the appropriate range

We must continue to ensure stability on six fronts and maintain security in six areas. We have both macro-policy tools and space available to us, and we should use them to intensify cross- and counter-cyclical adjustments and to provide strong support for a stable economic performance.

We  will  see  that  the  proactive fiscal  policy  is  more  effective.  We  have  set  the deficit-to-GDP ratio for the year at around 2.8 percent, slightly lower than last year, and  this  will  boost  fiscal  sustainability.  It  is  projected  that  fiscal  revenue  will continue to grow in 2022. In addition, we also have available to us the surplus profits   of   state-owned   financial   institutions   and   state   monopoly   business operations from recent years turned over in accordance with the law and funds transferred from the Central Budget Stabilization Fund. This will make it possible for government to increase expenditures by more than two trillion yuan over last year, putting significantly greater fiscal resources at our disposal. New funds will be channeled to local levels of government and used mainly to ease the difficulties of enterprises, stabilize employment, meet living needs, and increase consumption and demand.

This year, central government expenditures will rise by 3.9 percent, but the budgetary spending of central government departments will continue to register negative growth. Central government transfer payments to local governments will come to close to 9.8 trillion yuan. This figure represents a growth of 18 percent, or

around 1.5 trillion yuan, and is the largest increase in recent years. The central government  will  place  more  budgetary  funds  under  the  mechanism  for  direct allocation  to  prefecture-  and  county-level  governments,  and  provincial-level governments should also provide additional fiscal support to these levels. It is imperative  that  local  governments  are  both  able  and  motivated  to  carry  out policies that will benefit businesses and people.

We  will  use  government  investment  funds   to  stimulate  and  expand  effective investment. This year, special-purpose bonds for local governments will total 3.65 trillion  yuan.  We  will,  taking  a  performance-oriented  approach,  ensure  that investment funds and other production factors stay with projects they are allocated to, while  appropriately widening  the  scope  of  usage for  such  factors. We will support follow-up financing for ongoing projects, and begin construction on major projects that are ready for launching, new types of infrastructure, and renovations of outdated public facilities.

The lion’s share of investment in China comes from the non-government sector. We will give full play to the leveraging role of major projects and government investment  and  refine  relevant  supporting  policies  to  keep  non-government investors fully motivated.

Government will keep its belt tightened and keep spending low to benefit the people.

We will improve the mix of government spending so as to ensure funding for key areas and strictly control general expenditures. Budgetary funds and assets sitting idle will be put into good use. Governments at every level need to operate within their  means  and  economize  where  possible,  and  central  and  provincial-level governments should take the lead in this regard.

Management of fiscal receipts and outlays will be tightened up, and wasteful and excessive spending will be prohibited. We will prevent the construction of new government buildings in violation of regulations. No vanity projects will be tolerated, and anyone who violates fiscal discipline or squanders public funds will be investigated and severely punished. We must ensure that our precious funds are used in areas that are critical to development and to meet the urgent needs of the people.

We  will  step  up  implementation  of  the  prudent  monetary  policy.  We  will  use monetary policy tools to adjust both the monetary aggregate and the monetary structure, so as to provide more robust support for the real economy. We will expand the scale of new loans, see that increases in money supply and aggregate

financing are generally in step with nominal economic growth, and keep the macro leverage  ratio  generally  stable.  The  RMB  exchange  rate  will  be  kept  generally stable at an adaptive, balanced level.

We  will  further  improve  the  transmission  mechanism  of  monetary  policy, channel more funds into key areas and weak links, and expand the coverage of inclusive  finance.  Financial  institutions  will  be  encouraged  to  lower  real  loan interest rates and cut fees, so as to truly make it easier for market entities to access financing and achieve a considerable drop in overall financing costs.

We  will  strengthen  the  employment-first policy.  We  will  work  to  broaden  the employment channels, promote employment stability by keeping the operations of market  entities  stable,  and  harness  the  role  of  business  startups  in  boosting employment.  Fiscal  and  financial  policies  will  facilitate  implementation  of  the employment-first policy, and greater support will be provided for enterprises to stabilize  and  expand  employment.  All  dedicated  employment  policies  will  be strengthened  and  improved,  and we will  resolutely  act  to  overhaul  or  abolish excessive restrictions on employment and business startups. All local governments must use every possible means to stabilize employment and expand it further.

We will ensure food and energy security. We will ensure the supply of grain and other  major  agricultural  products,  as  well  as  the  supply  and  price  stability  of energy and important raw materials, and guarantee sufficient electricity to meet people’s living needs and conduct normal business production and operations. We will  implement  a  comprehensive  resource  conservation  strategy.  To  enhance China’s capacity for resource production and supply, we will step up petroleum, natural  gas  and  mineral  exploration  and  development,  improve  the  national strategic goods reserve system, and ensure the supply of primary products. We will crack down on price gouging, and ensure price levels are kept generally stable.

We will prevent and defuse major risks. We will continue to guard against and address   economic   and  financial   risks   in   accordance  with   the   fundamental principles of maintaining overall stability, ensuring coordination, implementing category-based policies, and defusing risks through targeted efforts. We will see that  local  governments  fulfill  their  responsibilities,  the  competent  government departments tighten regulation, and enterprises shoulder primary responsibility. We  will  make  stronger  efforts  to  give  early-warning  of  risks,  enhance  risk prevention and control mechanisms, and build capacities for responding to risks. A fund  for  ensuring  financial  stability  will  be  established,  the  deposit  insurance system and industry guarantee funds will be brought fully into play, and market-

and law-based methods will be used to defuse risks and potential dangers and to respond to external shocks. All these efforts will ensure that no systemic risks arise.

2.  Keeping  the  operations  of  market  entities  stable  and  maintaining job security by strengthening macro policies

We will improve policies for  easing the burdens and  difficulties  of market entities  and  create  a  stronger  foundation  for  achieving  a  stable  and  sounder economic performance.

We will implement a new package of tax-and-fee policies to support enterprises. We will continue to take temporary steps and institutional measures and apply policies for both tax reductions and refunds.

First, we will extend tax and fee reduction policies that support manufacturing, micro and small enterprises and self-employed individuals, and expand the scale and scope of these policies. A temporary exemption on VAT payments will be granted to small taxpayers. Corporate income tax on annual taxable income of between one million and three million yuan will be halved once again for micro and small enterprises. Local governments should also adopt effective tax-and-fee reduction  steps  based  on  local  conditions  and  in  accordance  with  the  law  to maintain the scale of tax-and-fee reductions and keep market expectations stable.

Second, to improve the cash flow of enterprises, promote employment- and consumption-driven  investment,  and further  improve the  system for  refunding excess input VAT credits, we will issue VAT credit refunds ahead of time this year on a big scale. We will give priority to micro and small enterprises, refunding outstanding VAT credits to them in one lump sum by the end of June, while also fully refunding newly added credits. With a focus on supporting manufacturing, we will work to fully resolve problems in refunding VAT credits in manufacturing, research and technical services, environmental protection, electricity and gas, and transportation industries. Such a substantial increase in VAT credit refunds will help strongly boost market confidence.

Tax refunds and cuts are expected to total 2.5 trillion yuan this year. VAT credit refunds will account for 1.5 trillion yuan of this sum and all go straight to enterprises. The central government will provide greater fiscal support for local governments and allocate fiscal subsidies  directly to the prefecture and county levels.  Local  governments  and  relevant  departments  should  develop  sound systems  to  allocate  funds  more  effectively.  We  must  ensure  that  the  critically important  policy  of  tax  refunds  and  cuts  takes full  effect,  in  order  to  provide

enterprises with timely assistance and help them generate fresh vitality.

We will encourage the financial sector to provide more effective support to the real economy. We will make good use of instruments to support inclusive loans to micro and small businesses, and increase re-lending for agricultural and small enterprises. We will strengthen supervision and assessment to promote a marked increase in inclusive loans to micro and small businesses and a further rise in the proportion of collateral-free loans and first-time loans. We will see that financial institutions have a good understanding of credit policies, ensure continued financing support for industries and enterprises hit hard by Covid-19, and prevent industry-wide lending restrictions, forced early repayment of loans, and arbitrary termination of loan agreements.

We will make good use of policy-backed and development finance. We will promote the sharing of enterprise credit information and move faster to achieve information integration and sharing between financial institutions and tax offices, customs, electric utilities and other agencies. The government financing guaranty will be expanded to cover more micro and small businesses. We will strive to create a favorable financing environment and help resolve the financing difficulties of enterprises in the real economy, especially MSMEs.

We will help lower business costs. We will rectify excessive surcharges levied by utility   companies,   and   support   local   governments   in   adopting   temporary preferential  policies  on  electricity  use  for  industries  which  are  experiencing particular difficulty. We will encourage large platform enterprises to lower service fees and lighten the burden on small and medium businesses. Further steps will be taken to regulate and overhaul fees charged by industry associations, chambers of commerce, and intermediaries.

We will launch initiatives to end unjustified charges levied on businesses, and develop mechanisms for coordinated regulation and joint punishment. We will fully investigate and punish the imposition of arbitrary charges, fines, and quotas.

We  will  intensify  efforts  to  get  outstanding  payments  owed  to  small  and medium  enterprises  cleared.  We  will  standardize  the  usage  of  commercial acceptance  bills,  and  ensure  that  government  bodies,  public  institutions,  and state-owned enterprises (SOEs) take the lead in clearing overdue payments.

Catering, hospitality, retail, culture, tourism, and passenger transport sectors have a large capacity for employment. However, they have been severely affected by Covid-19. Support policies will be weighted more heavily toward enterprises in

these  sectors  to  help  them  stay  afloat  and  get  through  challenging  times with bright prospects.

We will fully implement all measures to stabilize employment. Temporary policies such  as  reductions  to  premiums  for  unemployment  insurance  and  workers’ compensation  will  be  extended.  We  will  continue  the  policy  of  refunding unemployment insurance premiums for enterprises that make no cuts or minimal cuts to staff numbers, with a marked increase in the proportion of refunds going to MSMEs.

Over 10 million students are due to graduate from college this year, and we will give our graduates stronger guidance and policy support and uninterrupted services to ensure they can find jobs or start businesses. We will help ex-service members get resettled and re-employed, broaden employment channels for rural migrant   workers,    and    assist    people   with    disabilities    and    members    of zero-employment families in securing jobs.

We will do more to promote business startups and innovation initiatives, and improve the service capacity of entrepreneurship and innovation platforms. We will improve services and social security policies concerning flexible employment, and  launch  trials  of  occupational  injury  insurance for  people  in  new forms  of employment. We will work hard to prevent and stop gender, age, and education discrimination in the workplace in order to create a fair employment environment. We will strengthen oversight and enforcement of labor protection laws and focus on addressing acute issues that are infringing upon employees’ lawful rights and interests.

We will make public employment services more targeted. We will continue to carry  out vocational  skills training  on  a  large  scale  and  establish  a  number  of public training bases through joint construction and sharing initiatives. A total of 100 billion yuan from the unemployment insurance fund will be used to support enterprises in maintaining stable payrolls and providing training programs, and we will speed up training of skilled workers who are urgently needed to promote high-quality  development  of  manufacturing.  These  efforts  will  enable  more workers to acquire marketable skills and large numbers of talented people to come to the fore in all sectors.

3.  Steadfastly  deepening reform  to  strengthen  market vitality  and  internal momentumfor development

To develop a high-standard socialist market economy, we should give play to

the roles of both the government and the market, seeing that the market plays the decisive role in the allocation of resources and the government better fulfills its role.

We will step up efforts to transform government functions. We will do more to build a high-standard market system, carry out a comprehensive pilot reform for the market-based   allocation   of   production  factors,   and   strive   to   accelerate   the development of a unified domestic market. We will deepen reforms to streamline administration  and  delegate  power,  improve  regulation,  and  upgrade  services with  a  focus  on  creating  a  market-oriented,  law-based  and  internationalized business environment. We will make sure that at the same time as government approval for a certain matter is canceled or delegated to lower-level authorities, corresponding regulatory steps are taken and responsibilities are assumed.

We will continue to  expand market  access. List-based management will be fully implemented for matters requiring government approval. We will work to build a digital government and promote the sharing of government data. We will continue   to   reduce   various   certification   requirements   and   provide   more government services on a cross-provincial basis. We will basically realize mutual nationwide   recognition   of   electronic   licenses   and   certificates   to   facilitate enterprises with trans-regional operations, and provide people with greater access to  important  services  outside  of  their  home  jurisdiction.  We  will  facilitate integrated access to government services, and introduce simpler procedures for the registration of immovable property and motor vehicle inspections.

We will strengthen the regulatory responsibilities of government and ensure that all competent authorities, relevant departments and local governments fulfill their  regulatory  responsibilities  for  matters  under  their  jurisdiction,  so  as  to prevent any absence of regulation. To ensure regulation is effective, we will work faster to establish a comprehensive, tiered and multifaceted system to regulate all stages, from start to finish, in all sectors. We will act quickly to improve regulatory rules for key industries, emerging sectors, and sectors with foreign involvement and introduce new measures to make regulation more targeted and more effective.

We will further the implementation of policies to ensure fair competition and take  stronger  action  against  monopolies  and  unfair  competition  to  ensure  a well-ordered and fair market environment.

We will promote the common development of enterprises under all forms of ownership.

We will uphold and further improve the basic socialist economic system, and work

unswervingly both to consolidate and develop the public sector and to encourage, support and guide development of the non-public sector.

We must have a good understanding of the defining features of capital and the way   it  works,   so   as   to   support   and   guide   its  well-regulated   and   sound development. We will provide equitable and law-based protection to the property rights and independent management rights of enterprises and to the lawful rights and interests of entrepreneurs. By doing so, we will create a favorable environment for enterprises under all forms of ownership to compete and grow together.

We will complete the three-year action plan for SOE reform, move faster to adjust and improve the layout and structure of the state-owned sector, deepen the reform   to   introduce   mixed   ownership   in   SOEs,   and   tighten   regulation   of state-owned  capital.  SOEs  will  be  encouraged  to  better  play  their  role  in supporting and driving development of industrial and supply chains with a focus on their primary responsibilities and core businesses.

We will implement policies and measures to support the development of the private  sector,  and  encourage  and  guide  private  enterprises  in  reform  and innovation. We will foster a cordial and clean relationship between government and business. To promote the entrepreneurial spirit, we will solicit the opinions of market entities more when we are designing enterprise-related policies, respect the laws  of  the  market,  and  help  entrepreneurs  to  devote  themselves  to  creating start-ups  and  pursuing  innovation  and  to  develop  their  businesses  free  from undue concern.

We will advance reforms of the fiscal, taxation, and financial systems. We will further reform the performance-based budgetary management and strengthen budgetary constraints and transparency. Reform will be carried out in fiscal systems below the provincial level. We will improve the tax collection and administration system and crack down on tax evasion and fraud in accordance with the law.

We will strengthen and refine financial regulation, further reform the equity structures and corporate governance of small and medium banks, and move faster to deal with nonperforming assets. We will improve the system for supporting debt   financing   by   private   enterprises,   achieve   full   implementation   of   the registration-based IPO system, and promote steady and sound development of the capital market.

4.  Further  implementing  the  innovation-driven  development  strategy  and strengthening thefoundation of the real economy

We need to promote scientific and technological innovation, so as to upgrade our  industries,  eliminate  the  bottlenecks  in  supply,  and  realize  high-quality development through innovation.

We will raise our capacity for scientific and technological innovation. We will press ahead with the 10-year action plan on basic research to ensure stable support over the long term, and increase the share of basic research spending in the country’s total R&D expenditures. We will implement a three-year action plan for reforming the science and technology management system, reinforce China’s strategic science and technology capabilities, further develop national laboratories and key national laboratories,  and  leverage  the  strengths  of  universities,  colleges,  and  research institutes.

We will improve the approval procedures for major science and technology projects and their management, and further reform the assessment and incentive systems for scientific research. We will support local governments in increasing spending on science and technology and encourage innovations with distinctive regional  features.  Greater  efforts  will  be  made  to  increase  people’s  scientific knowledge.

We  will  continue  to  engage  in  international  scientific  and  technological cooperation, and step up efforts to build talent centers and innovation hubs of global  importance.  We  will  improve  institutions  and  mechanisms  for  talent development, champion the spirit of our nation’s scientists, provide more support to young researchers, and encourage outstanding people of all types to  devote themselves to research and realize their full potential.

We will provide stronger incentives to promote innovation among enterprises. We will reinforce the principal position of enterprises in innovation, continue promoting breakthroughs in core technologies in key fields, promote greater synergy between industry, academia, research, and application, and facilitate the commercialization and  application  of  advances  in  science  and  technology.  We  will  strengthen intellectual property rights protection and application.

We will promote the development of venture capital, develop new financial products and services to support  scientific and technological development, and upgrade intermediary services for science and technology.

We will enhance the policy on granting  additional tax deductions for R&D costs, raising the deduction coverage for small and medium sci-tech enterprises from 75 percent to 100 percent. We will grant tax breaks to enterprises that invest

in  basic  research,  and  improve  our  policies  on  accelerated  depreciation  of equipment  and  tools  and  on  preferential  corporate  income  tax  for  new-  and high-tech   enterprises.   All   these   measures   amount   to   a   large   injection   of government funding to support enterprises’ innovation endeavors. We must fully implement all policy incentives for innovation to encourage enterprises to invest more in R&D and thus generate and build up new drivers of growth.

We  will  boost  the  core  competitiveness  of  manufacturing.  To  promote  stable performance of industry, we will ensure supply of raw materials and key spare parts, and launch initiatives to have leading enterprises fully play their role in safeguarding the stability and security of industrial and supply chains. We will encourage financial institutions to increase medium- and long-term lending to the manufacturing sector.

We will launch a group of industrial foundation reengineering projects, help upgrade  traditional  industries,  promote  smart  manufacturing,  accelerate  the development of advanced manufacturing clusters, and launch a national program to  foster  clusters  of  strategic  emerging  industries.  We  will  work  to  nurture specialized and sophisticated enterprises that produce new and unique products and  provide  them  with  more  support  in  terms  of  funding,  personnel,  and development of business incubation platforms. We will continue efforts to build China into a manufacturer of quality and steer Chinese manufacturing toward the medium- and high-end.

We will encourage development of the digital economy. We will strengthen overall planning   for   the   Digital   China   initiative,   build   more   digital   information infrastructure, develop an integrated national system of big data centers step by step, and apply 5G technology on a larger scale. We will advance digitalization of industries,   and   build   smart   cities   and   digital   villages.   We   will   accelerate development  of  the  Industrial  Internet,  build  up  digital  industries  such  as integrated circuits  and  artificial  intelligence,  and  enhance  China’s technological innovation  and  supply  capacities  for  key  software  and  hardware.  To  better promote  economic  development  and  enrich  people’s  lives,  we  will  improve governance of the digital economy, develop data markets, tap the potential of data as a factor of production, and enhance data-use capacities.

5.   Expanding   domestic   demand    and   promoting   coordinated   regional development and new urbanization

To   promote   unimpeded   flows   in   the   economy,   we   will   remove   all

impediments  to  smooth  production,  distribution,  circulation,  and  consumption and see that domestic demand plays a bigger role in driving economic growth.

We will promote  the sustained recovery of consumption. We will boost personal incomes through multiple channels, improve the income distribution system, and increase people’s spending power. We will strive for in-depth integration of online and offline consumption, promote recovery in consumption of consumer services, and foster new forms and models  of consumer  spending. We will continue to support the purchase of new-energy vehicles, and encourage local governments to promote spending on green and smart home appliances in rural areas as well as the replacement of old home appliances.

We will step up the construction of supporting facilities for community elderly and child care, and increase support for such projects in the aspects of planning, land use and building use. Domestic services will be upgraded and expanded. We will  strengthen  county-level  commercial  systems  and  develop  e-commerce  and express delivery services in rural areas. We will improve the quality of products and services, better protect the rights and interests of consumers, ensure public demand is met, and encourage people to spend.

We will increase effective investment.  In line with major national strategies and the 14th Five-Year Plan, we will make proactive investments in infrastructure as appropriate.  We  will  construct  major  water  conservancy  projects,  integrated multidimensional   transportation   networks   and   important   energy  bases   and facilities. The upgrading  of urban pipelines, including those for  gas and water supply  as  well  as  sewage,  will  be  accelerated.  Flood  prevention  and  drainage facilities will be improved, and the building of underground utility tunnels will continue.

Investment from the central government budget will reach 640 billion yuan this  year.  The  government  will  make  improving  the  people’s  wellbeing  an investment  priority  and work harder to  shore up weak  links in  areas that  are important to people’s lives. We will deepen reform of the investment approval system, ensure the provision of land, energy and other factors of production, and keep energy consumption of major national projects under separate management. We will also improve the investment mix and remove impediments to investment so as to fully leverage its critical role.

We will promote balanced and coordinated development among regions. We will fully implement   all   major   regional   development   strategies   and   the   strategy   for

coordinated regional development. We will promote coordinated development of the  Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei  region,  development  of  the  Yangtze  Economic  Belt, development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, integrated development   of   the  Yangtze   River   Delta,   and   ecological   conservation   and high-quality  development  in  the  Yellow  River  basin.  We  will  advance  the construction  of  Xiongan  New  Area  according  to  high  standards  and  quality requirements and support development of Beijing municipal administrative center.

We will usher in a new phase of large-scale development in the western region, promote breakthroughs in the revitalization  of the northeast,  spur high-quality development of the central region, and encourage the eastern region to accelerate its pace  of modernization. We will  support phased trans-regional relocation  of industries as well as regional cooperation, and also support old revolutionary base areas, ethnic minority areas, and border areas in accelerating development. We will develop the maritime economy and build China into a strong maritime country.

Major economically developed provinces should leverage their strength to play a bigger role in driving development of the whole country. Regions experiencing economic  difficulty  should  make  full  use  of  state  support  policies  to  tap  their potential and stimulate economic recovery.

We will improve new urbanization initiatives.  We    will    proceed    with    urban renewal in a well-conceived way. We will step up construction of public utilities and  bolster  capacities  to  prevent  and  mitigate  natural  disasters;  identify  and address safety hazards in old buildings and facilities; renovate another group of old residential communities in urban areas and support the installation of elevators in   old   residential   buildings;   and   promote   the   development   of   barrier-free environments  and  renovation  of  public  facilities  for  the  convenience  of  senior citizens.

We will improve the systems for providing basic public services to people in places of their permanent residence and strengthen infrastructure in county seats. Steady steps will be taken to develop city clusters and metropolitan areas and to promote coordinated development of cities of different sizes and small towns. We will promote the development of the Chengdu-Chongqing economic zone. Strict standards will be applied in the re-designation of counties as cities or city districts.

In the course of planning and construction in urban and rural areas, we will protect and keep alive our historical and cultural heritage and promote efficient and  intensive  use  of  land.  We  will  advance  a  new,  people-centered  type  of

urbanization to ensure that life becomes more and more fulfilling for our people.

6.    Boosting   agricultural   production    and   promoting   all-around    rural

revitalization

We  will  refine  and  strengthen  policies  in  support  of  agriculture,  continue promoting development in areas lifted out of poverty, ensure good harvests, and promote growth in rural incomes.

We will step up efforts to ensure stable production and sufficient supply of grain and other important agricultural products. We will keep total grain acreage at a stable level, refine the mix of grain crops, strengthen management over the late seeding of wheat on summer-grain farmland, and increase the production of soybeans and other oilseed crops. We will raise the minimum purchase prices of rice and wheat as appropriate. To ensure reasonable returns for  grain growers and incentivize major grain-producing areas, we will ensure the provision of agricultural supplies such as chemical fertilizers at stable prices, continue to provide agricultural supply subsidies to grain growers, and step up support for major grain-producing areas.

To  ensure  the  area  of  farmland  remains  above  the  redline  of  120  million hectares, we will designate a sufficient amount of good land as permanent basic cropland, and firmly stop any attempts to use cropland for any purpose other than agriculture and specifically grain production. We will step up efforts to upgrade low- and medium-yield cropland, increase the area of high-standard cropland by 6.67 million hectares, and construct or upgrade a number of medium and large irrigated   areas.   We   will   intensify   conservation   of   chernozem   soil,   make comprehensive use of saline-alkali lands, and carry out the third national survey of soils. Support will be given to water-efficient agriculture and dry farming in the Yellow River basin.

We will revitalize the seed industry at a faster pace, redouble efforts to develop and apply scientific and technological breakthroughs in agriculture, and upgrade agricultural machinery and equipment. We will enhance our capacity to prevent and control meteorological disasters affecting agriculture as well as animal and plant diseases. We will see that hog production is better regulated and ensure the production and supply of livestock, poultry and aquatic products and vegetables. Development of modern protected agriculture will be accelerated. We will provide support to boost cotton and sugarcane farming.

All local governments shoulder responsibility for safeguarding China’s food security. Those localities that rely on grain from other areas must  do better in

keeping their grain output stable. Everyone must work together to ensure that the country’s “rice bag” and “vegetable basket” are well-filled, and that we have a secure food supply for more than 1.4 billion Chinese people.

We will fully consolidate and build on our achievements in poverty elimination. We will implement better monitoring and assistance mechanisms to prevent people from   slipping   back   into   poverty   and   see   that   people   do   not   return   to impoverishment in large numbers. We will support areas that have been lifted out of   poverty   in   developing   distinctive   local   businesses,   and   bolster   labor collaboration and vocational skills training to help people who are no longer in poverty steadily increase their incomes.

We will enhance the self-development capacity of areas that are no longer in poverty. Stronger support measures will be adopted for key counties receiving assistance for rural revitalization; follow-up support will be given to people who have been relocated from inhospitable areas; collaboration between eastern and western  regions  and  targeted  and  nongovernmental  assistance  efforts  will  be intensified;   and  the   “10,000  private   enterprises  revitalizing   10,000  villages” initiative will be launched.

We will steadily and prudently advance rural reform and development. We will run trials on extending the rural land contracts of whole counties by another 30 years on the expiration of second-round contracts. We will deepen the reform of supply and  marketing  cooperatives,  collective  property  rights,  collective  forest  tenure, state forestry  areas  and farms,  and  state farms.  We will  actively  develop new collective economies in rural areas. We will improve financial services in rural areas  to  accelerate  the  development  of  the  rural  business  sector.  We  will  also expand county economies.

We will apply strict standards to the revocation and amalgamation of villages, protect both traditional villages and the features of our countryside, and enhance the guiding role of rural development plans. We will launch rural initiatives to improve infrastructure, such as water, electricity and gas supplies, roads, and mail and communications services, and upgrade rural toilets and sewage and refuse treatment facilities based on local conditions. We will further cultivate civic virtue in villages and towns. We will work harder to clear wage arrears owed to rural migrant  workers,  support  rural  migrant  workers  in  finding  jobs  and  starting businesses, and do everything possible to create more ways for rural people to increase their incomes from nonagricultural work.

7.  Pursuing  higher-standard  opening  up  and  promoting  stable  growth  of foreign trade and investment

We will make full use of international and domestic markets and resources, continue to expand international economic cooperation and trade, and push for in-depth  reform  and  high-quality  development  by  promoting  high-standard opening up.

We will adopt a package  of steps  to stabilize foreign  trade. We will  expand the coverage of export credit insurance for micro, small and medium foreign trade firms, strengthen export credit support, refine foreign exchange services, expedite the process for export rebates, and help foreign trade enterprises receive orders and maintain production. We will move faster to develop new forms and models of foreign trade, give full play to the role of cross-border e-commerce, and support the establishment of a number of overseas warehouses.

We will actively increase imports of quality products and services. We will explore new ways to develop trade in services and digital trade, and implement a negative list for cross-border trade in services. The reform to simplify customs clearance will be deepened, and the building of an international logistic services system will be accelerated to help lower costs and raise efficiency in foreign trade.

We will make greater use of foreign investment. We will see that the negative list

for  foreign  investment  is  fully  observed  and  ensure  national  treatment  for  all foreign-invested  enterprises.  We  will  encourage  foreign-invested  enterprises  to move into a broader range of sectors, and support more foreign investment in medium- and high-end manufacturing, R&D, and modern services, as well as in the  central,  western  and  northeastern  regions.  We  will  improve  services  for promoting    foreign    investment    and    accelerate    the    launching    of    major foreign-funded projects.

We will take solid steps to develop pilot free trade zones and the Hainan Free Trade Port, promote reform and innovation in economic development zones, boost the  development  of  integrated  bonded  areas,  and  launch  more  trials  on  the extensive opening of the service sector. The vast, open Chinese market is sure to provide even greater business opportunities for foreign enterprises in China.

We will promote high-quality  cooperation  under  the Belt and Road Initiative. We remain   committed   to   the   principle   of   achieving   shared   growth   through consultation and collaboration. We will, on the basis of consolidating cooperation on enhancing connectivity, move steadily to open up new areas of cooperation.

New land-sea transit routes for the western region will be further developed. We will   carry   out   outbound   investment   and   international   cooperation   in   a well-regulated way, and effectively guard against overseas risks.

We  will  deepen  multilateral  and  bilateral  economic  and  trade  cooperation.  The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) has created the largest free trade  zone  in  the  world.  We  will  encourage  enterprises  to  make  good  use  of preferential tariff treatment, cumulation of origin, and other rules under the RCEP framework  to  expand  cooperation  on  trade  and  investment.  We  will  work  to negotiate and conclude high-standard free trade agreements with more countries and regions. We will remain firm in upholding the multilateral trade regime and will participate actively in the reform of the World Trade Organization. China is ready to work with all countries to enhance mutually beneficial cooperation and achieve win-win outcomes for all.

8.   Continuing   to  Improve   the  Environment   and  Promoting   Green   and Low-Carbon Development

We will work harder to address pollution and protect and restore ecosystems. We will promote development while also reducing emissions, and ensure greater harmony between humanity and nature.

We will improve the environment with a holistic approach. We will work to make solid gains in the battle against pollution. We will take coordinated steps to further control  multiple  atmospheric  pollutants  and  treat  them  through  coordination among regions. We will take stronger action to treat pollution in major rivers, lakes, and bays, and sustain our progress on preventing and controlling soil pollution. We will step up the treatment of solid waste and new pollutants and implement measures  to  sort  refuse,  reduce  waste  and  boost  recycling.  We  will  improve policies to support environmental protection industries in conserving water and energy and recycling waste and used materials.

We will adopt a more region-specific approach to environmental management, launch   greening  programs   in   a  well-conceived  manner,   and  conduct   in   a coordinated  way  the  conservation  of  mountain,  river,  forest,  farmland,  lake, grassland, and desert ecosystems. We will protect biodiversity and advance the development of the national park-based nature reserve system. With these efforts, we will make our common home greener and more beautiful.

We will take well-ordered steps to achieve peak carbon emissions and carbon neutrality.

The action plan for peaking carbon emissions will be put into effect. To advance

China’s  energy  revolution  and  ensure  energy  supply,  we  will,  based  on  our resource   endowment,   push   forward   the   transformation   toward   low-carbon development, in accordance with overall planning and the principle of establishing the new before abolishing the old. We will work harder to make coal usage cleaner and more efficient, while reducing the use of coal and replacing it with alternative energy sources in a well-ordered way. We will work to upgrade coal-fired power plants  to  conserve  resources,  reduce  carbon  emissions,  make  operations  more flexible, and upgrade heating facilities.

We  will  advance  the  planning  and  construction  of  large-scale  wind  and photovoltaic  power  bases  with  supporting  power  sources  that  are  adjustable, develop pumped-storage hydroelectric plants,  and boost the capacity  of power grids  to  absorb  electricity  generated  from  renewable  energy  sources.  We  will support   the   development   of  biomass   energy.  We   will   promote   R&D   and application of green and low-carbon technology, and develop green manufacturing and  services.  We  will  encourage  the  steel,  non-ferrous  metals,  petrochemicals, chemicals and building materials industries to enhance energy conservation and reduce  carbon  emissions,  and  improve  energy  efficiency  in  transportation  and buildings.

We are resolved to stop the blind development of energy-intensive projects with  high  emissions  and  backward  production  capacity.  We  will  enhance  the carbon absorption capacity of our ecosystems. We will transition from assessing the  total  amount  and  intensity  of  energy  consumption  to  assessing  the  total amount and intensity of carbon emissions, improve policy incentives for reducing pollution and carbon emissions and policy constraints on such emissions, develop green finance, and promote faster development of green and low-carbon ways of working and living.

9. Ensuring and improving the people’s wellbeing and promoting better and new ways of conducting social governance

We will do everything within our capacity to keep enhancing public services and resolve issues that are of common concern to the people.

We  will  improve  the fairness  and  quality  of  education.  We  will  ensure  that education performs its fundamental mission of fostering virtue. We will promote high-quality,    well-balanced    development    and    urban-rural    integration    of compulsory education. We will allocate educational resources according to the size of residential population, see that school-age children can enroll in nearby schools,

and  ensure  that  all  children  of  rural  migrant  workers  in  cities  have  access  to education. We will ensure that compulsory education teachers receive their pay packages in full and strengthen targeted training programs, on-the-job training, and salary guarantees for rural teachers. We will continue our efforts to reduce the burden on students in compulsory education.

We will increase resources for public-interest preschool education via multiple channels and promote the development of regular county high schools. We will provide  quality  special needs  education,  continuing  education,  and  specialized education and support and regulate the development of private schools. We will promote general and proficient use of standard spoken and written Chinese. To develop modern vocational education, we will upgrade vocational schools, refine the mechanism for integrating vocational education with industry, and enhance the adaptability of vocational education.

We will develop higher education to its full potential and optimize its layout. We  will  promote  the  development  of  world-class  universities  and  academic disciplines on a categorized basis, move faster to train professionals we are badly lacking in the fields of science, engineering, agriculture and medicine, and support the development of higher education in central and western regions. Universities and colleges will continue to enroll greater numbers of students from central and western regions and rural areas.

Steps  will  be  taken  to  strengthen  professional  ethics  among  teachers.  A mechanism will be established whereby our schools, families and whole society work together to advance education. We will promote online education, improve the lifelong learning system, and encourage public respect for teachers and public support for education.

There are 290 million students in schools and universities in China. We must ensure that education, which is important to millions of families and the future of our nation, is well-run.

We  will  improve  medical  and  health  services.  Government  subsidies  for  basic medical insurance for rural and non-working urban residents will be increased by an average of 30 yuan per person, and subsidies for basic public health services will be increased by an average of 5 yuan per person. The unified management of basic medical insurance funds will be advanced at the provincial level. We will carry out bulk government purchases for more medicines and high-value medical

consumables and ensure both the production and supply of these items.

We will intensify supervision over the quality and safety of drugs and vaccines. Reform of medical insurance payments under the medical insurance scheme will be deepened, and medical insurance funds will be placed under strict oversight. We will improve the policy on directly settling medical expenses incurred outside of a patient’s home province, and ensure that the list of medicines covered by medical insurance is largely consistent nationwide.

Taking  prevention  as  a  priority,  we  will  strengthen  health  education  and management and advance the Healthy China initiative. We will steadily enhance services   for   the   prevention   and   treatment   of   chronic   illnesses   such   as cardiovascular  and  cerebrovascular  diseases  and  cancer  as  well  as  infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and hepatitis. We will also strengthen research of rare diseases and better ensure the supply of medicines for these. We will improve the disease prevention and control network, increase collaboration between  disease control agencies and hospitals, make greater efforts to train public health personnel, and improve our capabilities for monitoring major epidemics and conducting early warning, epidemiological investigation and tracing, and emergency response.

We will promote the comprehensive reform and high-quality development of public hospitals,  see  that  the  charges  collected by  medical  institutions  and  the services they offer are well-regulated, continue to assist medical institutions hit by Covid-19,  and  shore  up  weak  links  in  services  such  as  maternal  and  child healthcare,  pediatrics,  mental  health  and  medical  care for  the  elderly.  We will promote development of both traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine, and give greater support to initiatives for vitalizing and developing traditional Chinese  medicine  and  advance  its  all-around  reform.  We  will  implement  and refine policies for  ensuring  salary payments and providing incentives for rural doctors.

We  will  continue  to  promote  tiered  diagnosis  and  treatment  and  sound medical  treatment  procedures,  accelerate  the  development  of  regional  medical centers at the national and provincial levels, channel more high-quality medical resources to the prefecture and county levels, enhance community-level disease prevention   and   treatment   capacities,   and   ensure   that   people   can   access higher-quality medical and health services close to home.

We will improve social security and social services. We will work steadily toward

national  unified  management  of  basic  old-age  insurance  funds  for  enterprise employees, appropriately raise the basic pensions for retirees and basic old-age benefits  for  rural  and  non-working  urban  residents,  and  ensure  that  these payments are made on time and in full. We will continue to regulate development of third-pillar pension plans. We will move faster to promote unified management of  workers’  compensation  funds  and  unemployment  insurance  funds  at  the provincial level. We will see that service members and their families, ex-service members, and other entitled groups receive the benefits and subsidies they are entitled to.

We will proactively respond to population aging and worker faster to build a system  of  domestic,  community  and  institutional  elderly  care  services  to  meet different medical and health care needs. We will improve elderly care in urban and rural areas, support private entities in providing elderly care services such as day care, assistance with meals and cleaning, and rehabilitation care, steadily advance trials  for  long-term  care  insurance  schemes,  and  encourage  mutual-assistance elderly care in rural areas. We will explore new ways of developing senior citizen education, and promote high-quality development of both elderly care programs and the elderly care sector.

We will improve the supporting measures for the three-child policy, make care expenses for children under three part  of the  special additional  deductions for individual  income  tax,  and  develop  public-interest  childcare  services  through multiple channels, to reduce the costs of giving birth and raising and educating children.  We  will  step  up  protection  of  minors  and  improve  mental  health education.   We   will   strengthen   disability   prevention,   and   provide   better rehabilitation services for people with disabilities. We will do more to meet the people’s basic needs, strengthen assistance to people in difficulty, and ensure that our social safety net provides support and assistance to everyone who needs it.

We will  continue  to meet people’s housing needs. Guided by the principle that houses  are  for  living  in,  not  for  speculation,  we  will  explore  new  models  for housing development and encourage both housing rentals and purchases. We will move faster to develop the long-term rental market, promote the construction of government-subsidized housing, and support the commodity housing market in better  meeting  the  reasonable  needs  of  homebuyers.  We  will  keep  land  costs, housing prices and market expectations stable, and adopt city-specific measures to

facilitate positive circulation and sound development in the real estate sector.

We will enrich people’s intellectual and cultural lives. We will promote and observe the core socialist values and carry out public initiatives to promote cultural and ethical advancement. We will see that the press and publishing, radio, film and television, literature and art, philosophy, social sciences, and archiving all flourish. A love of reading will continue to be fostered among our people. We will develop new  ways   to   strengthen   the   development   of   online   content   and   improve cyberspace governance.

We will develop digital public cultural services, improve the layout of cultural facilities and promote the sharing of cultural resources at the community level, increase  the  supply  of  quality  cultural  products  and  services,  and  support  the development of cultural industries. We will carry forward fine traditional Chinese culture, protect and use cultural artifacts and ancient manuscripts more effectively, better preserve and pass on our intangible cultural heritage, and build national cultural parks.

We will make the most of the legacy of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, and promote the development of ice and snow sports and the winter economy. We will  see that  more  sports venues  and facilities  are built  close to people’s homes and promote extensive public fitness activities.

We will advance social governance based on collaboration, participation, and common gains. We will work to ensure that our people enjoy peace and contentment in work and life and that there is stability and order in society. We will develop new approaches to improving social governance at the primary level, strengthen the service provision functions of communities, develop a system for mobilizing all sectors of society, and enhance primary-level governance capacity. We will further improve the social credit system.

We will develop social work, and support the healthy development of social organizations,  humanitarian  assistance,  volunteer  services,  public  welfare  and charitable initiatives, and other related activities. We will crack down hard on the trafficking and buying of women and children and protect their lawful rights and interests. The system for supporting and caring for senior citizens and people with disabilities will also be improved.

We  will  improve  the  system  for  handling  public  complaints,  identify  and

defuse  social  problems,  and  see  that  the  justified  demands  of  the  public  are promptly addressed in accordance with the law. We will attach great importance to public psychological and counseling services. Better public legal services and legal aid will be provided.

We will enhance disaster prevention, mitigation and relief capabilities, as well as emergency rescue capacity, better protect against floods, droughts, forest and grassland   fires,   geological   disasters   and   earthquakes,   and   provide   quality meteorological services. We will tighten supervision over quality and safety across the  entire  food  chain.  We  will  implement  the  responsibility  and  management systems for workplace safety, carry out a three-year drive to promote workplace safety, and take effective steps to prevent major and serious accidents.

We will advance the building of our national security system and capacity, and strengthen cyber security, data security and protection of personal information. We will take a full range of steps to maintain law and order, continue the ongoing efforts to combat organized crime and root out local criminal gangs, and firmly prevent and crack down on illegal and criminal activities of all types, so as to reach a higher level in building a peaceful China and advancing the rule of law in China.

Fellow Deputies,

Facing new developments and tasks, we in government at all levels must fully act on the guiding principles from the Party’s 19th National Congress and the plenary sessions of the 19th Party Central Committee. We should acquire a deep understanding of the decisive significance of the establishment of both Comrade Xi Jinping’s core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and   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 should stay confident in the path,   the   theory,   the   system,   and   the   culture   of   socialism   with   Chinese characteristics. We should 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 should closely follow the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core in thinking, stance, and action.

We remain committed to law-based government administration, to making the affairs of government more transparent, and to building a government based on the rule of law.

Our  government  will,  in  compliance  with  the  law,  accept  the  oversight  of people’s congresses and their standing committees at the corresponding level. We will consciously accept democratic oversight from the CPPCC. And we will readily commit  ourselves  to  public  oversight  and  oversight  through  public  opinion. Audit-based  and  statistics-based  oversight  will  also  be  strengthened.  We  will support   trade   unions,   Communist   Youth   League   organizations,   women’s federations, and other people’s organizations in better fulfilling their roles.

We will keep working tirelessly to ensure full and strict Party self-governance and do more to improve Party conduct, build integrity and prevent corruption. We will work harder to build a government of integrity. What we have gained from the initiatives to study the history of the CPC will be consolidated. All of us in government must readily accept the oversight of the law, supervisory bodies and the people, always regard the people’s interests as our highest concern, and truly serve as public servants of the people.

In the face of difficulties and challenges, it is vital that all of us in governments at all levels perform our duties, work diligently for the people, and make concerted efforts to promote development and ensure the public wellbeing. Development remains the top priority for China, and we must fully act on the new development philosophy to pursue high-quality development.

We  will  continue  to  steadfastly  implement  the  central  Party  leadership’s eight-point  decision  on  improving  conduct  and  work  ceaselessly  to  oppose pointless formalities, bureaucratism, hedonism and extravagance, with a particular focus on the first two problems. We will firmly oppose perfunctory attitudes and buck passing in government, and take strong steps to correct any abuse of power and any simplistic or unmannerly way of conducting work.

We must always keep in mind the people’s security and wellbeing. We will work to understand the realities, take specific steps, and deliver solid outcomes to promptly respond to the people’s concerns. And we will take strong measures against any dereliction of duty owing to disregard for the people’s legitimate rights and interests.

We will keep the central and local governments fully motivated and respect

the  pioneering  spirit  of  the  people.  We  will avoid  a  one-size-fits-all  approach, refrain from making local governments take excessive policy steps, and continue easing the burdens on those working on the ground.

We will improve the mechanisms for providing incentives and protections to support officials who readily take responsibility and ably perform their duties. As long as all of us throughout the country are working as one to the best of our abilities,   we   will   undoubtedly   accomplish   new   achievements   in   pursuing development.

Fellow Deputies,

We  will  continue  to  practice  and  improve  the  system  of  regional  ethnic autonomy,  focus  on  forging  a  strong  sense  of  community  among  the  Chinese people, promote interactions, exchanges and integration among all ethnic groups, and speed up the modernization drive in ethnic minority regions.

We  will  adhere  to  the  Party’s  basic  policy  on  religious  affairs,  follow  the principle that religions in China must be Chinese in orientation, and provide active guidance to religions so they can adapt themselves to socialist society.

We will fully implement the Party’s policy on overseas Chinese affairs, protect

the  lawful  rights  and  interests  of  Chinese  nationals  residing  abroad,  returned Chinese,  and  relatives  of  overseas  Chinese  nationals  residing  in  China,  and encourage all the sons and daughters of the Chinese nation, both at home and abroad, to work together in creating new glories for our nation.

Fellow Deputies,

Last year, we made major strides in strengthening national defense and the armed forces, getting off to a good start in this endeavor in the 14th Five-Year Plan period. This year, we will fully implement Xi Jinping’s thinking on strengthening the armed forces and the military strategy for the new era, work toward the goals for the centenary of the People’s Liberation Army in 2027, and strengthen Party leadership  and  Party  building  in  all  aspects  of  the  military.  We  will  enhance military  training  and  combat  readiness,  stay  firm  and  flexible  in  carrying  out military struggle, and safeguard China’s sovereignty, security and development interests.

We   will   move   faster   to   modernize   the   military’s   logistics   and   asset management systems, and build a modern weaponry and equipment management system. We will continue the reform of national defense and the military and step up innovations in defense science and technology. We will implement the strategy of strengthening the military by training competent personnel in the new era, run the  military  in  accordance  with  the  law  and  strict  discipline,  and  promote high-quality development of the military. We will improve the layout of defense science, technology and industry.

We will finish  reforming  the  defense  mobilization  system  and  raise  public awareness of national defense. Government at all levels must give strong support to  the  development  of  national  defense  and  the  armed  forces,  and  conduct extensive activities to promote mutual support between civilian sectors and the military, so that the unity between the military and government and between the military and the people will remain rock solid.

Fellow Deputies,

We will maintain our firm commitment to the letter and spirit of the policy of One Country, Two Systems, under which the people of Hong Kong administer Hong Kong, and the people of Macao administer Macao, both with a high degree of  autonomy.  We  will  ensure  that  the  central  government  exercises  overall jurisdiction  over the two  special  administrative regions,  and firmly uphold the principle that Hong Kong and Macao should be governed by patriots. We will fully support the governments of these two special administrative regions in exercising law-based governance. We will help Hong Kong and Macao respond to Covid-19, develop their economies, and improve the wellbeing of their people, see that these two regions better integrate themselves into the country’s overall development, and maintain the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong and Macao.

We remain committed to the major principles and policies on work related to Taiwan, to the Party’s overall policy for resolving the Taiwan question in the new era, and to the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus. We will advance the peaceful growth of relations across the Taiwan Strait and the reunification of China. We firmly oppose any separatist activities seeking “Taiwan independence” and firmly oppose foreign interference. All of us, Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, should come together to advance the great and glorious cause of China’s

rejuvenation.

Fellow Deputies,

China will continue to pursue an independent foreign policy of peace, stay on the path of peaceful development, work for a new type of international relations, and endeavor to build a human community with a shared future. We will pursue the Global Development Initiative and promote the shared values of all humanity. China   will   always   work   to   safeguard   world   peace,   contribute   to   global development, and preserve international order. We stand ready to work with all others in the international community to make new and greater contributions to promoting world peace, stability, development and prosperity.

Fellow Deputies,

It has always been in the course of meeting challenges that China has advanced its development. We the Chinese people have the courage, vision and strength to overcome any obstacle or difficulty. We must rally more closely around the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, hold high the banner of socialism  with  Chinese  characteristics,  and  follow  the  guidance  of  Xi  Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.

We will meet challenges squarely, forge ahead  determinedly, work hard to fulfill this year’s goals and tasks, set the stage for the 20th National Congress of the CPC with concrete actions, and continue working tirelessly to build our country into  a  great  modern  socialist  country  that  is  prosperous,  strong,  democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful, and to realize the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation.