Read in Chinese

Speakers:

Mr. Zheng Shanjie, chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC)

Mr. Li Chunlin, vice chairman of the NDRC

Mr. Zhou Haibing, vice chairman of the NDRC

Mr. Yuan Da, secretary-general of the NDRC

Chairperson:

Ms. Shou Xiaoli, director general of the Press Bureau of the State Council Information Office (SCIO) and spokesperson of the SCIO

Date:

July 9, 2025

Shou Xiaoli:

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to this press conference held by the State Council Information Office (SCIO).

This year marks the final year of the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025). The SCIO will hold a series of press conferences on China's "high-quality achievements during the 14th Five-Year Plan period." The briefings will highlight the vivid practices and notable achievements made by various departments in pursuing high-quality development and in accomplishing the goals and tasks of the plan, under the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core.

Today we are holding the first in the series of press conferences. We have invited Mr. Zheng Shanjie, chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), to introduce China's economic and social achievements during the 14th Five-Year Plan period and answer your questions. Also attending today's press conference are Mr. Li Chunlin and Mr. Zhou Haibing, vice chairmen of the NDRC; and Mr. Yuan Da, secretary-general of the NDRC.

Now, I will give the floor to Mr. Zheng for his introduction.

Zheng Shanjie:

Good morning, everyone. First, on behalf of the NDRC, I would like to thank you all for your interest, understanding and support regarding our development and reform work.

Today's press conference is on the achievements in economic and social development during the 14th Five-Year Plan period. I would like to begin by reviewing the past five years we have gone through together. Over the past five years, the world has witnessed accelerating changes unseen in a century, while the tasks of reform, development and maintaining stability in China have been more challenging than ever. The CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has exercised overall leadership and provided strong guidance, while the entire nation has united in purpose and worked in solidarity to focus on managing its own affairs. Not only has China withstood immense pressure and overcome severe tests, but it has also achieved significant progress in economic and social development. It truly has been a journey where "after the storm, comes the rainbow."

In fewer than 180 days, the 14th Five-Year Plan will come to an end. Looking back, among the main indicators in the outline of the plan formulated five years ago, the progress of indicators such as economic growth, total labor productivity and total social R&D investment were in line with expectations; eight indicators such as the urbanization rate of permanent residents, average life expectancy and comprehensive food and energy production capacity exceeded expectations; the strategic tasks set forth in the plan were fully implemented; and the 102 major projects listed have progressed smoothly. Overall, these five years have seen new groundbreaking progress, breakthrough changes and historic achievements. China has become the most stable, reliable and positive force for global development. I would like to introduce the work from the following seven aspects:

First, economic development. This is mainly reflected in the significant enhancement of our economic strength. We are a major contributor to global economic growth. China's total economic output has successively crossed the thresholds of 110 trillion yuan, 120 trillion yuan and 130 trillion yuan, and is expected to reach around 140 trillion yuan this year. The incremental growth is expected to exceed 35 trillion yuan. What does this mean? During the National People's Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) this year, I explained that this is equivalent to creating another Yangtze River Delta economic region from scratch. Another way to understand it is that this amount equals the combined economic output of our country's three largest provinces — Guangdong, Jiangsu and Shandong — which together surpass the GDP of the world's third-largest economy. Our contribution to world economic growth has remained at around 30%. In the first four years, our economy grew at an average rate of 5.5%. Considering the large scale and incremental growth of our country, maintaining this rate amid various risks and challenges is unprecedented in the history of economic development.

Second, innovation-driven development. The 14th Five-Year Plan elevated innovation to an unprecedented level of importance. We didn't just talk the talk; we walked the walk. Let's now review the investment and outcomes over the past five years. China's R&D investment has reached a new high. Last year, spending on R&D increased by nearly 50% compared with the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020), with an increase of 1.2 trillion yuan; and the intensity of R&D investment increased to 2.68%, close to the average level of OECD countries. We have reached new heights of innovation with one major achievement after another in the field of cutting-edge technologies for a major country. Let's take a look from the perspectives of sea, land and air. At sea, China's first domestically-made aircraft carrier with electromagnetic catapult systems, the Fujian, has been launched. The country's first domestically built large cruise ship, the Adora Magic City, has entered into service. Together with our globally leading large LNG carriers, we now possess the "three pearls" in the crown of the shipbuilding industry. On land, the world's first fourth-generation nuclear power plant, Shidaowan, was put into commercial operation. In the air, the first Chinese space station, Tiangong, was fully completed and put into operation; the Chang'e 6 spacecraft completed the world's first unmanned sample-return mission from the far side of the moon; and the C919, China's first domestically developed large passenger aircraft built to international airworthiness standards, has begun commercial flights. These "firsts" — first ship, first plant, first breakthrough — demonstrate the significant breakthroughs in Chinese innovation. Scientific and technological innovation is driving industries to move up the value chain, shifting from quantity to quality, from low- and mid- to high-end, and from follower to leader across many fields. Facts have proven that attempts at "decoupling" and containment only strengthen our resolve and ability to stand on our own, and only accelerate the pace and breakthroughs of our independent innovation.

Third, people's well-being. The achievements of economic development and technological progress are being concretely translated into a greater sense of prosperity and well-being for our citizens. From a macroeconomic perspective, our country has built the world's largest education, social security, and health care systems. Compulsory education retention rates exceed 95%, as do coverage rates for basic pension insurance and basic medical insurance. Looking at specific sectors, in education, we have worked to make education more equitable and widespread. We have ensured that 97% of children of migrant workers in cities attend public schools or benefit from government-funded school places. This represents an increase of 11.2 percentage points from the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan period. In health care, we have worked to ensure people can access better medical services closer to home. We have established 114 national regional medical centers during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, bringing the total to 125. The nationwide direct settlement system for cross-provincial medical treatment has been built from the ground up and now benefits over 400 million people. We have made significant progress in areas of broad public concern, like elderly and child care. Long-term care insurance now covers over 180 million people. Childcare capacity has reached 5.74 million slots, an increase of 125% from the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan period. Average life expectancy has reached 79 years, with consistent gains of one year every five years from the 12th Five-Year Plan through the 14th Five-Year Plan. In transportation that affects millions of households, China has been accelerating the development of its national comprehensive transportation network, featuring "six axes, seven corridors and eight channels." During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, more than 10,000 kilometers of new high-speed rail have been put into operation. As of now, China's high-speed rail operating mileage is twice that of all other countries combined. Fresh products can reach residents' tables with same-day delivery or next-day arrival from farms, while transportation and express services have become significantly more efficient. Behind every data point and every change is the continuous improvement and enhancement of people's quality of life. There are no minor matters when it comes to people's well-being. We remain sharply focused on addressing the everyday concerns of our people, tackling each issue with concrete, meticulous and effective solutions.

Fourth, governance efficiency. The results of comprehensively deepening reform are being transformed into modern governance systems and capabilities at a faster pace. Here, I will discuss two examples. First, China's business environment continues to improve. The basic framework of the national unified market with multiple pillars has been established. The Private Sector Promotion Law has been released and implemented. The restrictions on foreign investment access in manufacturing have been eliminated. The national negative list of foreign investment access restrictions has been reduced to 29 items. Moreover, number of private enterprises has increased to more than 58 million, an increase of more than 40% compared to the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan period. Second, China's organizational mobilization and action capabilities continue to strengthen. For example, in January this year, a 6.8-magnitude earthquake occurred in Dingri, Xizang autonomous region. Thirty minutes after the disaster, the epicenter area began organizing and implementing emergency rescue operations. Within a few hours, rescue planes carrying disaster relief equipment and personnel had arrived. That night, the affected people moved into emergency shelters and had hot meals. This is the power, speed and spirit of China. There are many more examples. The steady improvement of governance efficiency is mainly due to the comprehensive and strict governance of the Party, which has had a profound and all-encompassing impact. It has curbed many unhealthy practices that were previously thought impossible to stop, eliminated various long-standing problems, and resolved many prominent issues that were of major public concern. The Party's leadership, organizational and implementation capabilities are continuously improving, providing strong political assurance for high-quality development.

Fifth, green development. The concept that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets" has become deeply rooted in people's hearts. Green development has become a distinctive feature of contemporary China. The achievements of the past five years are concentrated in four aspects: expanding green coverage, controlling pollution, energy consumption and recycling. China leads the world in expanding green coverage, with forest coverage rising to over 25%. The new forest area is equivalent to the size of Shaanxi province, contributing one-quarter of the world's new green coverage. Pollution control has achieved remarkable results, with air quality reaching good or excellent levels on about 87% of days, an increase of 3 percentage points from the 13th Five-Year Plan period. The main channels of the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers, China's two "mother rivers," have both reached Class II water quality standards. This is a truly outstanding achievement. Energy consumption has become much cleaner, with new energy generation capacity reaching a historic milestone by surpassing that of coal power. China has built the world's largest clean power generation system, with 1 in every 3 kilowatt-hours of electricity now coming from green energy sources. This proportion will continue to increase. Recycling has developed rapidly, with more than 20% of steel production now using recycled scrap steel as raw material, achieving significant energy savings and carbon reduction. I believe everyone can feel this firsthand. Whether in urban or rural areas, whether in the east, west, north or south, we have more blue skies, more beautiful scenery, and more environmentally friendly living.

Sixth, security assurance. Since the 14th Five-Year Plan began, the foundation of our country's food, energy, industrial and national defense security has been further strengthened. In terms of food, the 14th Five-Year Plan supported the construction and upgrading of 460 million mu of high-standard farmland. Currently, more than 1 billion mu of high-standard farmland has been built, equivalent to the combined area of Heilongjiang and Henan, the top two grain-producing provinces. China's food supply remains firmly in its own hands. In terms of energy, China has built the world's largest power infrastructure system, with installed power generation capacity accounting for one-third of the global total. Even during peak energy consumption periods in summer and winter, the energy needs of the public are reliably met. In terms of industrial foundation, China has the world's largest, most complete, and most comprehensive manufacturing system. The resilience and security of industrial and supply chains continue to improve, giving us greater confidence to face various risks and challenges. At the same time, national defense strength and economic strength are improving simultaneously. The strategic capability to safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests continues to be enhanced.

Seventh, the responsibility of a major country. Instead of talking the talk, we must walk the walk. China leads global green development, promotes shared common prosperity among nations, and upholds global fairness and justice through concrete actions. We've been firmly fulfilling our dual carbon goals, reducing energy consumption per unit of GDP by 11.6% over the past four years. This is equivalent to cutting carbon dioxide emissions by 1.1 billion tons, and fully demonstrates the responsibility of a major country. China has achieved new results and progress in Belt and Road cooperation with countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America and beyond. The initiative has expanded to include more than 150 countries and 30 international organizations, benefiting partner countries with significant progress and achievements in industry, transportation, employment, people's livelihoods and other key areas. For example, the construction of the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway in Indonesia has cumulatively created 51,000 local jobs. Since beginning operations more than a year ago, it has transported over 10 million passengers. Locals widely view the railway as both high-tech and a catalyst for Indonesia's economic development. China has firmly stood up to counter trade bullying, resolutely defending its legitimate interests and international fairness and justice. With its super-large market and strong manufacturing capacity, China has demonstrated its responsibility to maintain global supply chain stability.

Looking back over the past five years, we have faced more difficulties than expected, but we have also achieved greater results than anticipated. Like everyone else, we are all participants, contributors and witnesses. Our strongest conviction is that there will always be difficulties and challenges ahead, but they cannot defeat or stop us from moving forward. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, China has gained more consolidated institutional advantages, stronger innovation vitality, a more robust material foundation and a more solid base for development. The 14th Five-Year Plan period will leave a significant mark on the history of China's development. Looking ahead, we are confident that our development prospects will be even brighter during the 15th Five-Year Plan period.

That concludes my briefing. Thank you.

Shou Xiaoli:

Thank you for your introduction, Mr. Zheng. The floor is now open for questions. Please state your news organization before asking your question.