Beijing Youth Daily:

The county economy in Fujian province is flourishing, and we are keen to explore this topic. We noticed that on the second day following the resumption of production after the Spring Festival holiday, Fujian organized an on-site promotion event for the development of key industrial chains in counties across the province. I would like to ask what progress has been made in Fujian regarding this work, and what specific measures are planned next? Thank you.

Zhao Long:

This question goes to Mr. Weng.

Weng Yuyao:

County governance ensures national stability. The county economy is a fundamental part of the national economy and a key pillar for realizing new industrialization, new urbanization and rural revitalization across the board. Over the years, we have focused on key industrial chains within counties and forged a path of county development with Fujian characteristics. Overall, there are several features:

First, the county economy has improved. Last year, there were 16 counties (cities, districts) in our province with a GDP exceeding 100 billion yuan, up by six compared to 2020. A total of 11 counties and districts were selected among the top 100 county economies nationwide, ranking seventh in the country. The GDP of all counties (cities, districts) in the province either exceeded or approached the significant milestone of 10 billion yuan. Despite constituting just one-fifth of the total counties and districts in the province, 17 major economic counties, such as Changle and Xiangan counties, contributed more than 40% of the province's GDP and over 60% of industrial revenue.

Second, industrial clusters with local features have expanded. Jinjiang has developed a complete industrial chain for footwear and apparel industry, establishing 12 listed companies and more than 20 well-known brands, making it a nationally renowned production base for men's wear and sports shoes. Ningde has been designated a national advanced manufacturing cluster for power battery production. Fu'an is recognized as the world's largest stainless steel production base.

Third, the competitiveness of regional brands has increased. Fuqing's automotive glass, Changle's textile fibers, Dehua's ceramic crafts, Guangze's Sunner chicken, Shaowu's fluorine chemicals, and Changting's rare earth processing technology have all become Fujian's hallmarks with substantial influence across the nation. These examples highlight the diversified industrial development across the counties.

Next, we will increase efforts to enhance key industrial chains within counties to elevate high-quality economic development in these areas.

First, we will tailor our policies to fit local conditions and offer category-specific guidance. We will improve the working mechanism by assigning dedicated teams to each industry, creating maps for key industrial chains, publishing white papers, and bolstering policy support. We plan to clearly define each county's leading industries, development priorities, and strategies, encouraging them to strengthen cooperation and complement each other with their unique strengths. We will also promote the integrated development of primary, secondary, and tertiary industries, urban and rural areas, and Fujian and Taiwan.

Second, we will rely on innovation to drive upgrading and transformation. We will implement policies like providing funding support through loan interest subsidies for technical transformation, promoting large-scale equipment upgrades and consumer goods trade-in, and accelerating enterprises' smart and digital transformation. Efforts will be made to select leading industrial teams and achieve breakthroughs in core technologies in key fields. Furthermore, we will deepen the standardized construction of industrial parks and intensify efforts to develop the circular economy. These efforts aim to push the high-end, smart and green development of industries.

Third, we will cultivate leading enterprises and drive development in stages. We will identify leading enterprises in the industrial chain, encourage and support enterprises to grow stronger and bigger, and enhance their leading role in driving the development of industrial chains. For example, Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Ltd. (CATL) has attracted over 80 upstream and downstream enterprises to settle in Jiaocheng district. This ensures that more than 85% of raw materials for lithium-ion battery production are sourced and purchased locally. In addition, we will ramp up efforts to develop specialized and sophisticated enterprises that produce novel and unique products, high-tech enterprises, and single-product specialists . These initiatives are geared towards cultivating new quality productive forces and enhancing the momentum of industrial development. Thank you!