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(Original title: The spokesperson of the National Bureau of Statistics answered questions from reporters on the operation of the national economy in the first half of 2024)

The picture shows the National Bureau of Statistics LOGO

1. Based on the data just released, how do you evaluate the economic performance in the first half of this year?

Answer: In the first half of the year, the complexity, severity and uncertainty of the external environment increased significantly, and the domestic structural adjustment continued to deepen, which brought new challenges. However, the continued release of macroeconomic policy effects, the recovery of external demand, and the accelerated development of new quality productivity also formed new support. In general, the national economy continued to recover and improve in the first half of the year, with overall stable operation and steady progress. The achievements were hard-won.

First, from the perspective of macro indicators, the overall economic operation is stable. To observe the economic operation, we usually look at the four major macro indicators of economic growth, employment, prices and balance of payments. From the perspective of economic growth, my country's GDP in the first half of the year was 61.7 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 5.0%. For an economy of such a large size, it is rare to achieve a medium-to-high-speed growth of about 5%. From the perspective of employment, despite the total and structural pressures, economic growth, especially the labor-intensive service industry, has continued to recover, providing support for the stable expansion of employment. In addition, the employment priority policy has been effective, and the vigorous development of new industries, new formats and new models has spawned new occupational demands, and the employment situation is generally stable. In the first half of the year, the urban survey unemployment rate was stable and fell, with an average of 5.1%, down 0.2 percentage points from the same period last year. In particular, since the second quarter, the unemployment rate has remained stable at 5.0%; the number of employees in service industries such as wholesale and retail, accommodation and catering, transportation, and information transmission has increased significantly year-on-year. From the perspective of prices, with the continued recovery of the economy and the stability of employment income, the market supply and demand relationship has improved, and the price level has rebounded moderately. In the first half of the year, the consumer price index (CPI) rose by 0.1% year-on-year, of which the second quarter rose by 0.3%; the core CPI was basically stable, up 0.7% year-on-year. From the perspective of international balance of payments, the total import and export of goods in the first half of the year reached 21.2 trillion yuan, a record high for the same period in history, the export advantages of key products were consolidated, and foreign exchange reserves remained stable at more than 3.2 trillion US dollars. In addition, some physical volume indicators that can directly reflect the economic operation have also maintained stable growth. In the first half of the year, industrial power generation above designated size increased by 5.2% year-on-year, and freight volume and commercial passenger volume increased by 4.2% and 13.2% respectively.

Second, from the perspective of development quality, transformation and upgrading have made steady progress. At present, my country is in a critical period of transforming its development mode, optimizing its economic structure, and transforming its growth momentum. To observe the development of China's economy, we should not only look at the "quantity" of economic growth, but also the "efficiency" of transformation and the "quality" of development. Since the beginning of this year, all regions and departments have firmly anchored the primary task of high-quality development, fully, accurately and comprehensively implemented the new development concept, and effectively promoted the transformation of momentum, structural upgrading, and quality and efficiency improvement. In the first half of the year, the transformation of industries from "new" to "green" was more obvious. The added value of high-tech manufacturing industries above designated size accounted for 15.8% of the added value of industries above designated size, an increase of 0.6 percentage points from the first quarter; new smart green products such as integrated circuits, service robots, new energy vehicles, and solar cells performed well, and their output maintained double-digit growth, accumulating new momentum for economic development. New technologies such as big data and artificial intelligence have spawned new consumption scenarios, and new consumption models such as live streaming and instant delivery have continued to emerge, driving the online retail sales of physical goods to grow by 8.8% year-on-year, and the express delivery business volume exceeded 80 billion pieces. New technologies continue to enable green development, clean energy production has grown rapidly, energy conservation and carbon reduction have made positive progress, and the green content of economic development has increased. In the first half of the year, the total power generation of industrial hydropower, nuclear power, wind power, and solar power above designated size increased by 13.4% year-on-year, accounting for an increased proportion of industrial power generation above designated size; energy consumption per unit of GDP continued to decline. The summer harvest of grain and oil was another bumper harvest, and the energy security guarantee capability and the resilience of the industrial chain and supply chain were improved, keeping the bottom line of no systemic risks.

Third, from the perspective of the development environment, the achievements have been very difficult. It is difficult to know the difficulty of things without going through them, and success is easy but difficult. Since the beginning of this year, the global economic growth momentum has been weak, inflation is sticky, geopolitical conflicts, international trade frictions and other problems have occurred frequently, domestic effective demand is insufficient, enterprises are under great operating pressure, and there are many risks and hidden dangers in key areas. There are many difficulties and challenges in promoting the stable operation of the economy. Under such complex circumstances, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core has assessed the situation and continuously strengthened top-level design and overall planning. All regions and departments have worked hard and taken the lead in effectively implementing various macro policies. The people of the whole country have withstood the pressure and continued to struggle. All aspects have made arduous efforts, and the achievements made are not easy and extraordinary. Observed in the global coordinates, my country's economic performance is still good. In the first quarter, GDP growth was faster than that of major economies such as the United States, the eurozone, and Japan. Combined with the domestic and international situation in the second quarter, it is expected that my country's economic growth rate will remain ahead in the first half of the year, and it will still be an important engine and stabilizing force for world economic growth.

In summary, despite the complex and ever-changing domestic and international environment, my country's economic operation is generally stable, with both quantitative growth and qualitative improvement. It should be said that it is a remarkable and heavy report card. In the next stage, we must not only strengthen our confidence in development and see the strong resilience, huge potential and favorable support of economic development; we must also adhere to the bottom line thinking, fully estimate the difficulties, challenges and uncertainties in development, adhere to the principle of seeking progress while maintaining stability, promote stability through progress, and establish before breaking, better coordinate stabilizing growth and increasing stamina, coordinate expanding domestic demand and deepening supply-side structural reforms, coordinate development and security, further implement macroeconomic policies, and exert precise and sustained efforts to form a joint force to promote sustained and healthy economic development.

2. The GDP growth rate declined in the second quarter. How do you view the economic performance in the second quarter and what will the economic trend be in the second half of the year?

A: In the first half of this year, the external environment has become more complex, severe and uncertain, the pain of domestic structural adjustment has emerged, and the factors affecting economic growth are more complex than before. Under this complex situation, my country's economy has withstood the pressure, and its overall operation has been stable and its structure has been continuously upgraded. The achievements are hard-won. Judging from the situation in the second quarter, the GDP grew by 4.7% year-on-year, and the growth rate has slowed down compared with the first quarter. In this regard, we must look at it comprehensively and dialectically, not only seeing the "shape" of short-term fluctuations, but also the "trend" of long-term development.

In the short term, the slowdown in economic growth in the second quarter was affected by short-term factors such as extreme weather and frequent rain and waterlogging disasters. It also reflects that the difficulties and challenges in the current economic operation have increased, especially the problem of insufficient effective domestic demand is more prominent, and the domestic circulation is not smooth enough. However, from the fundamentals and the medium and long term, the fundamentals of stable economic operation and long-term improvement have not changed, and the general trend of high-quality development has not changed. In the second quarter, the economic volume exceeded 32 trillion yuan, and the industrial added value and the total import and export of goods exceeded 10 trillion yuan. The scale of these total indicators is still very impressive. The employment situation is relatively stable. The urban survey unemployment rate in the second quarter fell by 0.2 percentage points compared with the same period last year and the first quarter. Physical volume indicators such as passenger volume, railway freight volume, and electricity consumption maintained rapid growth. The high-end, intelligent, and green transformation of the manufacturing industry has been steadily promoted, and new industries and new kinetic energy have been cultivated and grown. All these show that the current situation of stable economic operation has not changed, and the positive factors promoting economic transformation and upgrading and high-quality development continue to accumulate.

Looking ahead to the second half of the year, the external environment is becoming more unstable and uncertain, and there are still many difficulties and challenges at home. However, these are problems encountered during progress and troubles encountered during growth. Ultimately, they must be solved while promoting development. The relevant departments have a clear understanding of these problems and have taken a series of measures to solve them. Overall, the favorable conditions facing my country's development are stronger than the unfavorable factors, and the stable and long-term positive development trend will not change.

From the perspective of supply support, my country's summer grain and oil harvest has achieved another bumper harvest, providing favorable conditions for promoting stable economic operation and safeguarding and improving people's livelihood. As the foundation of the real economy, the scale of manufacturing has continued to expand, its proportion has steadily increased, its structure has been continuously optimized, and the security guarantee capacity of important industrial chains and supply chains has been enhanced. This is not only a highlight of economic operation in the first half of the year, but also an important support for stable growth in the second half of the year. In the second quarter, the added value of manufacturing accounted for 27.0% of GDP, an increase of 0.1 percentage point year-on-year. From the perspective of demand support, the world economy has recovered moderately, some major economies have entered a cycle of replenishing inventory, and the upward cycle of industries such as consumer electronics is expected to continue, which is conducive to improving China's external demand. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development predicts that global trade volume may reach a high level of 32 trillion US dollars in 2024; the World Bank has raised its forecast for global economic growth in 2024 from 2.4% to 2.6%. At the same time, my country's residents have huge potential for food, clothing, housing, transportation and spiritual and cultural needs. The summer tourism and study season, the start of school season, and the "National Day" long holiday will also help drive consumption recovery. There is still a lot of room for investment in short-board areas, weak links and new areas and new tracks. The acceleration of the issuance and construction of "two-heavy" projects will also help drive investment growth. From the perspective of power support, the pace of transformation and upgrading of my country's traditional industries has accelerated, and strategic emerging industries such as new energy, new materials, and high-end equipment manufacturing have continued to grow, which will help to hedge against downward pressure and enhance upward momentum. In the first half of the year, the added value of electronic and communication equipment manufacturing and aerospace and equipment manufacturing industries above designated size increased by 12.5% ​​and 10.0% year-on-year respectively; the development vitality of new consumption, new infrastructure and other fields is also being released. From the perspective of policy support, the effects of large-scale equipment renewal and consumer goods replacement policies continue to emerge, and the special bonds and ultra-long-term special government bonds issued in the early stage are gradually transformed into physical workload. Strengthening policy coordination and comprehensive measures will continue to form policy synergy and provide favorable policy conditions for the stable operation of the economy. The Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee will make strategic arrangements for further deepening reform and promoting Chinese-style modernization, which will further build social consensus, liberate and develop social productivity, and activate and enhance social vitality.

In general, the economic performance in the second quarter can be summarized as "fluctuations in form, but still positive", and short-term fluctuations will not change the long-term positive trend. At the same time, we must fully implement the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, attach great importance to and actively respond to the various difficulties and challenges facing the current economic development, continuously cultivate and expand new quality productivity, and promote the effective improvement of economic quality and reasonable growth in quantity.

3. Since the beginning of this year, the central government has introduced a series of macro-control measures, such as large-scale equipment upgrades and old-for-new consumer goods, and adjustments and optimizations to real estate policies. What are the effects of these policies? How are they reflected in the data?

Answer: Faced with the complex domestic and international environment, all regions and departments have conscientiously implemented the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, stepped up the implementation of macro policies, and accelerated the implementation of a number of targeted and combined policy measures around expanding domestic demand, boosting confidence, benefiting people's livelihood, and preventing risks. As various policies have been gradually implemented, policy effects have gradually emerged, playing a positive role in promoting stable economic operation and guiding industrial transformation and upgrading.

First, the demand for equipment renewal and trade-in of consumer goods is gradually being released. Driven by the large-scale equipment renewal policy, investment in equipment and tools increased by 17.3% year-on-year in the first half of the year, driving the growth of fixed asset investment by 2.1 percentage points, with a contribution rate of 54.8%; investment in technological transformation of manufacturing increased by 10.0%, 0.5 percentage points higher than that of manufacturing investment. Large-scale equipment renewal has led to a rapid growth in the production of related equipment, benefiting many key industries. In the first half of the year, the output of metal smelting equipment, machine tool CNC devices, and special equipment for agricultural product processing above designated size increased by 19.7%, 19.2%, and 49.4% year-on-year respectively. The policy of trade-in of consumer goods guides the orderly release of residents' consumption potential, and has played a certain "catalytic" role in driving the growth of durable consumer goods such as automobiles and home appliances. In the first half of the year, the retail sales of household appliances and audio-visual equipment of units above the designated size increased by 3.1% year-on-year, 2.1 percentage points faster than the same period last year. Data from the Passenger Car Market Information Joint Committee showed that in the first half of the year, the retail sales of narrow passenger cars reached 9.84 million, a year-on-year increase of 3.3%, of which the retail sales of new energy passenger cars reached 4.11 million, an increase of 33.1%. As of 12:00 on June 25, the Ministry of Commerce's automobile trade-in information platform had received about 113,000 applications for automobile scrapping and renewal subsidies, and the number of applications showed an accelerating growth trend.

Second, the real estate market has become more active recently. All regions and departments have adapted to the new situation of major changes in the supply and demand relationship in the real estate market, implemented policies based on the city, actively adjusted and optimized real estate policies, and did a solid job in ensuring the delivery of houses to support rigid and improved housing demand. The policy effect has been gradually released, and the market activity has increased. In the first half of the year, the sales area and sales volume of newly built commercial housing in the country decreased by 19.0% and 25.0% year-on-year, respectively, and the decline rate narrowed by 1.3 and 2.9 percentage points compared with January-May; the decline rate of newly started housing area and funds in place of real estate development enterprises also narrowed. According to the information obtained by relevant departments such as the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, the online signing area of ​​second-hand houses has also increased year-on-year in recent months, and the transaction area in first-tier cities in June has increased rapidly month-on-month. At the same time, the "three major projects" such as affordable housing construction, "dual-use" public infrastructure construction, and urban village renovation have been actively promoted, which is conducive to building a new model for the development of the real estate market and adding momentum to investment expansion. In the first half of the year, the "three major projects" of real estate drove real estate development investment by 0.9 percentage points. Of course, it should also be noted that real estate-related indicators are still declining and the real estate market is still in the process of adjustment and transformation.

Third, the issuance and use of ultra-long-term special treasury bonds and special bonds provide financial guarantees for investment growth. Expanding effective investment and giving full play to the driving effect of government investment on investment in the whole society is a key to this year's investment work. Relevant departments make good use of ultra-long-term special treasury bonds, local government special bonds and central budget funds, reasonably arrange the issuance and use progress, promote the construction of key areas and key projects, and provide necessary financial guarantees for promoting the quality and quantity of investment. In the first half of the year, infrastructure investment increased by 5.4% year-on-year, 1.5 percentage points faster than total investment, driving the growth of total investment by 1.2 percentage points, of which investment in the railway transportation industry increased by 18.5% and investment in the water conservancy management industry increased by 27.4%. At present, all 15,000 projects for the issuance of additional treasury bonds in 2023 have started construction.

4. New quality productivity is the inherent requirement and important focus of promoting high-quality development. Since the beginning of this year, various regions have actively cultivated new quality productivity. How is the development of new quality productivity? What are the highlights in the process of high-quality economic development?

Answer: High-quality development is the hard truth of the new era and the primary task of building a modern socialist country in an all-round way. Since the beginning of this year, while stabilizing economic operations, all regions and departments have continued to work hard on transforming modes, adjusting structures, improving quality, and increasing efficiency in line with the needs of high-quality development, focusing on stimulating endogenous dynamics and vitality, responding to uncertain risks and challenges through deterministic transformation and upgrading, and steadily advancing high-quality development with a positive momentum.

First, the leading role of scientific and technological innovation has been enhanced, and new quality productivity has been nurtured and grown. Scientific and technological innovation is the core element of developing new quality productivity. Since this year, major scientific and technological achievements have continued to emerge, major national equipment has been frequently "updated", the first "ground space station" in China has passed acceptance, a total of 6 C919 large passenger aircraft have been delivered, the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Channel has officially opened for trial operation, Chang'e 6 has achieved the return of samples from the back of the moon, and the world's first 6G test network integrating communication and intelligence has been successfully built. The level of scientific and technological self-reliance has continued to improve, injecting new momentum into the acceleration of the development of new quality productivity. The high-end, intelligent and green manufacturing industries have been steadily promoted, and new industries and new products have increasingly become new growth points. In the first half of the year, the added value of high-tech manufacturing industries above designated size increased by 8.7% year-on-year, and the added value of modern service industries represented by information transmission, software and information technology services maintained double-digit growth; the output of smart products such as 3D printing equipment, service robots, and smart watches increased by 51.6%, 22.8%, and 10.9% respectively. Investment in high-tech industries continued to grow rapidly, the construction of digital new infrastructure was accelerated, and the key role of investment in optimizing the supply structure was well played. In the first half of the year, investment in high-tech industries increased by 10.6% year-on-year, 6.7 percentage points faster than total investment. By the end of May, 460,000 new 5G base stations had been built nationwide; more than 10 intelligent computing centers with high-performance computer clusters were planned, and intelligent computing power accounted for more than 30% of the total computing power.

Second, the green and low-carbon transformation continues to deepen, and the energy production and consumption structure continues to optimize. Green is the background color of high-quality development, and new quality productivity itself is green productivity. In line with the new trend of green and low-carbon development, my country's new energy industry has achieved rapid growth by relying on continuous technological innovation and a sound industrial chain system. In the first half of the year, the output of new energy vehicles increased by 34.3% year-on-year, and the output of supporting products such as charging piles and automotive lithium-ion power batteries increased by 25.4% and 16.5% respectively. The photovoltaic industry chain has a good growth momentum, and the output of the main raw materials polysilicon, monocrystalline silicon, and ultra-white glass for solar industry increased by 55.4%, 43.6%, and 42.8% year-on-year respectively. At the same time, the construction of the clean energy system has been accelerated, energy conservation and carbon reduction in key areas have been orderly promoted, and green production and lifestyles have gradually taken shape. According to preliminary estimates, the proportion of non-fossil energy consumption in total energy consumption in the first half of the year increased by 1.9 percentage points year-on-year.

Third, high-level opening-up continued to deepen, and the quality of international circulation was further improved. Against the backdrop of weak global economic growth momentum and increasing external uncertainties and instability, my country's foreign trade exports have increased in quality and quantity, and the scale of imports has steadily expanded, making a positive contribution to economic growth. In the first half of the year, the export value of automobiles, ships, integrated circuits and other products increased by 22.2%, 91.1% and 25.6% year-on-year respectively; the import and export value of private enterprises increased by 11.2%, accounting for 55% of the total import and export value, and the main force of foreign trade continued to grow and develop. In the first half of the year, the contribution rate of net exports of goods and services to economic growth was 13.9%. my country actively expanded the "circle of friends" for world economic and trade cooperation. In the first half of the year, the total import and export value of countries participating in the construction of the "Belt and Road" increased by 7.2% year-on-year; the cumulative number of China-Europe trains exceeded 10,000 trains 19 days ahead of the previous year, and the cumulative amount of goods sent increased by 11%, playing a positive role in maintaining the stability and smoothness of the international industrial chain and supply chain. At the same time, the scope of visa-free countries continued to expand, and the enthusiasm of foreigners to come to China for business, tourism, and visiting relatives and friends increased, and exchanges between Chinese and foreign personnel became closer. In the first half of the year, more than 14 million foreigners entered the country through ports across the country, of which the number of foreigners entering through visa-free entry nearly doubled year-on-year.

Fourth, basic livelihood security is effective, and the foundation for safe development has been consolidated. We will continue to increase efforts to ensure basic safety nets, focus on employment for key groups, and effectively protect and improve people's livelihood in the process of development. In the first half of the year, the national per capita net transfer income increased by 5.0% year-on-year in nominal terms; among which, per capita social relief and subsidy income and per capita pension and retirement benefits increased by 5.5% and 8.9% respectively; the average urban survey unemployment rate of migrant agricultural laborers was 4.7%, 0.4 percentage points lower than the national urban survey unemployment rate. The summer grain harvest was another bumper harvest, with the national summer grain output of 299.6 billion jin, an increase of 2.5% over the previous year. The supply of major energy sources continued to increase, and energy for production and life was well guaranteed. In the first half of the year, the output of crude oil and natural gas for industrial enterprises above designated size increased by 1.9% and 6.0% year-on-year respectively. The manufacturing industry continued to make progress in strengthening the supply chain, and the innovation subjects were continuously cultivated, and the resilience of the industrial chain was improved. As of the end of June, the country had cultivated more than 140,000 specialized, refined, special and new small and medium-sized enterprises, including 12,000 "little giants".

We should also see that my country is still in a critical period of economic recovery and transformation and upgrading, the external environment is becoming more complex, severe and uncertain, the problem of unbalanced and inadequate domestic development is prominent, and factors that restrict high-quality development still exist to varying degrees. It will take a long time and sustained effort to promote high-quality development. We must continue to implement the decisions and arrangements of the Party Central Committee, fully, accurately and comprehensively implement the new development concept, and implement strategic tasks such as accelerating the construction of a modern industrial system, promoting high-level scientific and technological self-reliance, and accelerating the construction of a new development pattern, so as to promote the smooth transformation of new and old drivers and effectively enhance the endogenous driving force of the economy.

5. The Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee will make important arrangements for my country's reform and development. Based on the main data indicators, what outstanding achievements have been made in my country's reform and development since the 18th CPC National Congress?

Answer: Reform and opening up is a key move that determines the fate of contemporary China. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has made major strategic decisions to comprehensively deepen reform at a new historical juncture with great historical initiative, great political courage, and a strong sense of responsibility, focusing on enhancing the systematic, holistic, and coordinated nature of reform, and focusing on stimulating the momentum, vitality, and potential of high-quality development, leading my country's economic and social development to achieve new historic achievements and undergo new historic changes.

First, the economic strength has achieved a historic leap. Under the influence of scientific and effective macroeconomic regulation, my country's economy has overcome various difficulties and challenges, and its economic strength, comprehensive national strength and international influence have been greatly improved. From 2013 to 2023, the economy achieved an average annual medium-high growth rate of 6.1%, ranking among the top major economies in the world, and its average annual contribution to world economic growth exceeded 30%. In 2023, the total economic volume exceeded 126 trillion yuan, an increase of 92.4% over 2012 at constant prices, accounting for about 18% of the world economy, an increase of about 7 percentage points over 2012, and firmly ranked second in the world. Per capita GDP achieved a new breakthrough, reaching 89,538 yuan in 2023, equivalent to 12,681 US dollars at the annual average exchange rate, and exceeded 12,000 US dollars for three consecutive years. While the economy maintained medium-high growth, employment and prices were generally stable, with a total of more than 140 million new urban jobs created from 2013 to 2023; the balance of international payments was basically balanced, and the scale of foreign exchange reserves has remained stable at more than 3.2 trillion US dollars in recent years.

Second, the construction of an innovative country has achieved fruitful results. my country has made scientific and technological self-reliance and self-improvement a strategic support for national development. The "Chang'e" has flown to the moon, the "Beidou" has formed a network, and the "Struggler" has pursued its dream of deep blue. The national strategic scientific and technological strength has been significantly enhanced. In 2023, the intensity of investment in research and development (R&D) funds in my country will be 2.64%, an increase of 0.73 percentage points from 2012, exceeding the average level of EU countries. By the end of 2023, the number of domestic valid invention patents will reach 4.015 million, making China the first country in the world to have more than 4 million domestic valid invention patents. Scientific and technological innovation continues to empower the development of new quality productivity. From 2013 to 2023, the added value of high-tech manufacturing industries above designated size increased by an average of 10.3% per year. High-tech industries represented by new generation information technology, high-end equipment, and aerospace have continued to grow and develop.

Third, the coordination of economic development has been continuously improved. my country insists on focusing on the development of the real economy, accelerating the construction of a modern industrial system, and moving the industrial structure towards the middle and high end. In 2023, the added value of high-tech manufacturing and equipment manufacturing above designated size will account for 15.7% and 33.6% of the added value of industrial enterprises above designated size, respectively, an increase of 6.3 and 5.4 percentage points over 2012. The demand structure continues to improve, and the role of consumption as the main engine is further enhanced. In 2023, the contribution rate of final consumption expenditure to economic growth will be 82.5%. New urbanization has achieved remarkable results. At the end of 2023, the urbanization rate of permanent residents will be 66.16%, an increase of 13.06 percentage points over the end of 2012. Regional coordinated development has been deepened. Major projects such as the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, the West-to-East Gas Transmission Project, the West-to-East Power Transmission Project, and the East-to-West Data Computing Project have significantly improved the regional development pattern. Major regional strategies such as the coordinated development of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, and the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area have cultivated more sources of development power and growth poles.

Fourth, green development has taken solid steps. The battle to protect blue skies, clear waters and clean land has achieved major strategic results, the number of days with heavy pollution has been significantly reduced, the water environment quality has been significantly improved, and soil risks have been effectively controlled. Clean energy has developed rapidly, the radiation and driving role of the new energy industry chain has been enhanced, and the concept of green and low-carbon development has become more deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. In 2023, clean energy consumption will account for 26.4% of total energy consumption, an increase of 11.9 percentage points from 2012; the production and sales volume of new energy vehicles has ranked first in the world for 9 consecutive years. From 2013 to 2023, my country's annual average energy consumption growth rate of 3.3% supported an average annual economic growth of 6.1%, and the energy intensity has dropped by 26.1%, making it one of the countries with the fastest energy intensity reduction in the world.

Fifth, comprehensively deepen reform and opening up. With the economic system reform as the focus, comprehensively deepen reform, steadily advance the construction of a high-standard market system, improve the system and mechanism of market-oriented allocation of factors, accelerate the formation of a unified national market, and continuously stimulate the vitality of various business entities. By the end of 2023, there will be 184 million registered business entities, 3.3 times that of 2012. The all-round high-level open economy is accelerating, and the scale of goods trade has set new records, increasing from 24.4 trillion yuan in 2012 to 41.8 trillion yuan in 2023, and the export international market share has increased from 11.1% to 14.2%. The "Belt and Road" circle of friends has expanded to more than 150 countries and more than 30 international organizations, and the China-Europe Express reaches more than 200 cities in 25 countries in Europe.

Sixth, people's lives have been improved in all aspects. The battle against poverty has achieved significant results, and absolute poverty has been historically eliminated, making up for the most prominent shortcoming in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. Residents' income has steadily increased, durable consumer goods have been upgraded, and people's sense of happiness and gain has continued to improve. From 2013 to 2023, the average annual growth rate of per capita disposable income of residents nationwide was 6.2%. In 2023, the number of cars owned by residents per 100 households will be 49.7, 2.9 times that of 2013. The construction of the social security system has entered the fast lane. By the end of 2023, the number of people participating in basic pension insurance nationwide will be 1.07 billion, and basic medical insurance will cover 1.33 billion people. The world's largest social security system has been built. The level of education at all levels will reach or exceed the average level of middle- and high-income countries, and the quality of the people will steadily improve. In 2023, the average years of education for the working-age population will reach 11.05 years.

Seventh, the security guarantee capability is gradually improved. Food security is effectively guaranteed, and the Chinese people's rice bowl is more stable and secure. In 2023, the total grain output will be 1390.8 billion catties, which has remained stable at more than 1.3 trillion catties for 9 consecutive years, and the per capita grain possession will exceed 490 kilograms, which is higher than the internationally recognized 400 kilograms of food security line. The energy supply guarantee capability continues to improve, and the energy supply system driven by coal, oil, gas, electricity, nuclear and renewable energy is basically formed. In 2023, the total primary energy production will reach 4.83 billion tons of standard coal, an increase of 37.6% over 2012. Breakthroughs have been made in key core technology research, and an independent, controllable, safe and reliable domestic production and supply system has been established in areas and nodes related to national security. In 2023, my country's manufacturing added value will rank first in the world for 14 consecutive years, and more than 40% of the output of major industrial products will rank first in the world.

In the great practice of comprehensively deepening reform since the 18th CPC National Congress, we have accumulated a rich material and technological foundation, which has injected inexhaustible impetus into the comprehensive construction of a modern socialist country, and also added confidence and confidence to our effective response to and resolution of a series of risks and challenges on the road ahead. At present, my country is facing a development environment where opportunities and challenges coexist, but overall, opportunities outweigh challenges, and solutions outweigh difficulties. In this regard, we must strengthen our confidence in development, maintain strategic focus, seize all favorable opportunities, make good use of all favorable conditions, deepen reforms, focus on solving the problems that restrict high-quality development, and continuously add momentum and vitality to economic and social development.