Taking reform and opening up as the driving force for economic development

 "Reform and opening up is a key move to determine the fate of contemporary China, and it is also a key move to achieve the 'two centenary goals' and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation."

"No matter what changes take place in the world, China's confidence and will in reform and opening up will not be shaken."

In the first half of this year, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, all regions and departments overcame difficulties and made active efforts to continue to deepen reform and opening up, and to consolidate the trend of economic recovery. The main tasks of the three-year reform of state-owned enterprises have been basically completed, and the operating income of central enterprises has reached 19.2 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 12%. Both foreign trade and foreign investment continued to develop steadily. Among them, the total value of foreign trade imports and exports reached 19.8 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 9.4%; the actual use of foreign capital was 723.31 billion yuan, an increase of 17.4% on a comparable basis.

On July 28, the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China held a meeting and pointed out: "Reform and opening up must be used as a driving force for economic development." "We must continue to implement the three-year action plan for the reform of state-owned enterprises." The introduction of foreign capital will promote the high-quality development of the joint construction of the 'Belt and Road'."

At present, the world has undergone a century of changes and the epidemic of the century is superimposed. The global economic recovery is fragile and weak, and the world has entered a new period of turbulence and change. At the same time, the fundamentals of China's economy with strong resilience, ample potential, wide room for manoeuvre and long-term improvement will not change. The more complex the environment is, the more we need to use stronger confidence and stronger measures to continuously deepen reform and opening up, so as to add stronger impetus and make greater contributions to the promotion of high-quality development.

Continue to advance the reform of state-owned enterprises in depth

Reform and opening up is the most striking feature and the most magnificent atmosphere of contemporary China.

Shenzhou No. 13 returned smoothly, Shenzhou No. 14 explored the Tianhe River again, Unit 1 of the "Guohe No. 1" Demonstration Power Station completed the installation of the first main pump, and major innovations continued to emerge... In the first half of this year, central enterprises rose to the challenge , the top pressure to move forward, operating income, total profit, net profit increased by 12%, 7.1%, 6.1% year-on-year, fixed asset investment (excluding real estate) increased by 6.7% year-on-year, and the quality of operation continued to improve, providing strong support for the national economy .

This year marks the conclusion of the three-year reform of state-owned enterprises. State-owned assets and state-owned enterprises have locked in key tasks and advanced reforms in depth. The construction of modern enterprise system with Chinese characteristics has been further deepened, positive progress has been made in restructuring and integration, market-oriented reform has continued to be effective, performance appraisal of all employees has been fully implemented, and the "Science and Technology Reform Demonstration Action" has been enriched and expanded... As of the end of June, central enterprises and local governments The completion rate of tasks and initiatives has exceeded 95%, and the main tasks of the three-year operation have been basically completed.

"In the next stage, we will comprehensively sort out the implementation of self-examination and reform tasks, take more precise and effective measures for shortcomings and weaknesses, and put key reform tasks such as market-oriented mechanisms in a prominent position, and re-evaluate and re-evaluate the effectiveness of the reform. Inspection to ensure double excellence in reform quality." said Peng Huagang, Secretary-General of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council.

——Optimize the layout of state-owned capital. The establishment of China Mineral Resources Group Co., Ltd., the National Pipe Network Group, China Baowu, Anshan Iron and Steel, and Poly Group accelerated the integration of business after reorganization, and the integration of resources in the fields of medical care, inspection and testing accelerated... In the first half of the year, central enterprises strategically reorganized and professionally The integration of chemical and chemical products has been steadily progressing, and the completion rate of the divestiture of "two non-major" (non-main business, non-dominant) businesses has reached 96%.

"The State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission will further promote the layout and structural adjustment of the state-owned economy, effectively solve the problems of homogeneous competition and repeated construction among central enterprises, and achieve a more focused main responsibility and a clearer industrial structure." Peng Huagang said.

——Enhancing technological innovation capabilities. As a state-owned capital investment company, since the beginning of this year, China Development and Investment Group Co., Ltd. has accelerated the cultivation of strategic emerging industries by means of private equity investment. In the first half of the year, SDIC's fund management companies added 10.9 billion yuan of new investment projects, mainly focusing on high-end equipment and intelligent manufacturing, information technology, new energy vehicles and parts, medicine and medical care, new materials and other fields.

"In the second half of the year, SDIC will systematically sort out its business, adjust and optimize its structure in accordance with the functional positioning requirements of state-owned capital investment companies, continuously increase the intensity of R&D investment, and strengthen the investment and cultivation of 'specialized, special, and new' enterprises." State Development and Investment Group Co., Ltd. Fu Gangfeng, chairman of the company, said.

——Stimulate the endogenous power of the enterprise. In the first half of this year, China Minmetals achieved a new high in operating performance, with year-on-year growth in operating income and continuous improvement in operational quality and efficiency. "In the key links such as target determination and result verification, China Minmetals will speed up the construction of a 'progress index' assessment system that is conducive to distribution and incentives, better play the role of assessment baton, weather vane, and booster, and build a world-class metal mineral Enterprise group." Weng Zuliang, chairman of China Minmetals Corporation, introduced.

Peng Huagang said that the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council will, in accordance with the requirements of focusing on key points, paying close attention to the closing, and planning the layout, go all out to fight a high-quality closing battle, and at the same time conscientiously summarize the relevant results, and continue to promote the reform of state-owned enterprises in depth.

Build a new system of higher-level open economy

Standing at a new historical starting point, China's door to opening up will only open wider and wider.

On May 31, Merck, the world's leading technology company, announced that its advanced semiconductor integration base was officially signed and settled in Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu. Merck said it will invest at least 1 billion yuan in its electronic technology business in China by 2025, and the new investment will focus on chip manufacturing.

"For us, China is one of the most important markets. China regards the development of the digital economy as a strategic choice to seize new opportunities in the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation, which will also lay a solid foundation for China's new generation of digital infrastructure in the future. ” said Kangming Bi, member of Merck’s executive board and chief executive of its electronics business.

Since the reform and opening up, my country's comprehensive national strength has jumped significantly, the factor endowment, industrial structure, and technological innovation level have been significantly improved, and the competitiveness of an open economy has been significantly enhanced. "We must always insist on promoting reform, development, and innovation through opening up, build a new system of a higher-level open economy, and promote my country's economic development to achieve dynamic, efficiency, and quality changes." Vice Minister of Scientific Research Information Department of China International Economic Exchange Center Wang Xiaohong said.

Relaxing market access and expanding open areas——

"Expanding opening up, China's words will be fulfilled." Gao Le, the relevant person in charge of BMW Group, said that this year, China began to implement a new version of the "Special Management Measures for Foreign Investment Access (Negative List)", canceling the proportion of foreign shares in passenger car manufacturing. restrictions, etc. In the first half of the year, the large-scale upgrading project of the BMW Brilliance production base (Rida plant) with a total investment of over 10 billion yuan was officially opened, and the BMW Group has full confidence in the Chinese market.

"High-level opening up provides a stable and secure supply chain guarantee for the construction of a new development pattern." The relevant person in charge of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade said that in the next step, the Council will give full play to the function of connecting government and enterprises, connecting internal and external, and docking supply and demand, and fully and accurately understand foreign-funded enterprises. Appeal and actively promote solutions, hold a series of government-enterprise dialogue meetings, promote the optimization of the business environment, and make China always a fertile ground for foreign investment.

Improve the open platform and create an open highland——

On June 21, the signing ceremony of the 5th China International Import Expo was held. Up to now, the contracted area of ​​the enterprise exhibition exceeds 76% of the planned area, and 260 of the world's top 500 and industry leading companies have signed contracts. "This year, Boehringer Ingelheim will participate in the CIIE for the fourth consecutive year. We are actively preparing and hope to bring more excellent products to the fifth CIIE." Global Senior Vice President of Boehringer Ingelheim, a German pharmaceutical company President Gao Qifei said.

Service Trade Fair, Canton Fair, China International Import Expo... As my country's important opening-up platforms, these series of exhibitions demonstrate China's sincerity in opening up its market and sharing opportunities with the world. Gu Xueming, dean of the Institute of International Trade and Economic Cooperation of the Ministry of Commerce, suggested that relying on various exhibition cooperation platforms and highlands for opening to the outside world such as free trade pilot zones and free trade ports, we should actively develop new foreign trade such as cross-border e-commerce, market procurement, and offshore trade. Model new business formats, accelerate the replication and promotion of institutional innovations, and accumulate more experience for my country's deepening reform and opening up.

Optimizing the business environment and improving the level of openness——

In the first half of the year, Citibank was approved to participate in the pilot reform of high-level open foreign exchange management for cross-border trade and investment in the Lingang New Area of ​​the Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone. The bank is the only foreign bank among the first batch of four banks approved. With the opening of the financial industry to a new stage, my country has basically established a management system of pre-entry national treatment plus a negative list for foreign investment, and a two-way open financial system has accelerated.

"It is necessary to improve the policy and institutional system with trade and investment liberalization and facilitation as the core, continue to relax market access, and promote the expansion of manufacturing, service industries, and agriculture." Gu Xueming suggested that the implementation of customs clearance, licensing, and quarantine for trade in goods will be more convenient. measures to speed up the issuance of a national version of the negative list for cross-border trade in services. Encourage the development of banks, securities, insurance and other financial institutions, and improve the level of cross-border financial facilitation.

Create new advantages in international cooperation and competition

The long river of history will always rush forward, and the historical trend of open development will not change.

Recently, as the first pair of 500-meter-long steel rails were slowly pulled out from the transport train, the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway in Indonesia officially started the laying of ballasted tracks on the main line, marking that the construction of the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway has fully shifted to the online construction stage.

As a landmark project of the "Belt and Road" initiative and the pragmatic cooperation between China and Indonesia, the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway is the first time that China's high-speed railway has implemented a whole system, all elements, and a whole industry chain overseas. After the project is completed, the travel time from Jakarta to Bandung will be shortened from the current three hours to 40 minutes.

The century-old changes in the world and the epidemic of the century are intertwined, and the will of emerging market countries and developing countries to unite and strengthen themselves is stronger. We must continue to deepen reform and opening up, promote economic globalization towards a more open, inclusive, inclusive, balanced, and win-win direction, create a favorable external development environment, and create new advantages in international cooperation and competition.

——Promote the optimization and upgrading of trade and investment cooperation with countries jointly building the “Belt and Road”, and expand two-way trade and investment.

In the first half of this year, the trade volume of goods between my country and the countries along the "Belt and Road" reached 6.3 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 17.8%, and the proportion increased to 31.9%. The non-financial direct investment in countries along the route reached 65.03 billion yuan, an increase of 4.9%, and the proportion increased to 18.5%. During the same period, the actual investment in China by countries along the route reached 45.25 billion yuan, an increase of 10.6%.

"Leading the high-quality joint construction of the 'Belt and Road' to expand new space in the international market." Wang Xiaohong said that we must uphold the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits to promote the steady and long-term development of the "Belt and Road" construction, and build a closer and broader community of interests. Keep expanding your circle of friends. Strengthen the construction of the new land-sea corridor in the west and the China-Europe freight train, and build a major trade corridor for the "Belt and Road" in the central and western regions.

—— Actively participate in the reform and construction of the global governance system, and build a network of high-standard free trade areas.

A few days ago, Shandong Zhongdi Import and Export Co., Ltd. applied for a RCEP certificate of origin for a batch of textiles exported to Japan at the customs visa window of the RCEP Shandong Enterprise Service Center. With this certificate, the import tariff of goods at customs clearance in Japan can be reduced from 5.3% to 4.3%. Relevant data shows that from January to June this year, my country's export enterprises applied for RCEP certificate of origin and issued 266,000 copies of the declaration of origin, with a value of 97.9 billion yuan, and they could enjoy a tariff reduction of 710 million yuan from the importing country.

The relevant person in charge of the General Administration of Customs said that it will guide companies that meet the relevant requirements to actively apply for the qualification of approved exporters, strengthen corporate training and policy guidance, help more companies master RCEP tariff concession arrangements and rules of origin, and guide companies to make full use of the policy dividend.

I have traveled through thousands of mountains and rivers, but I still need to travel mountains and rivers. Under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core, emancipating the mind, boldly innovating, working hard, working hard, and advancing reform and opening up with greater courage and a higher starting point, we will surely be able to build a new socialist modern country in an all-round way. Create new glory in the journey.

"People's Daily" (page 01, August 13, 2022)