National Development and Reform Commission: An additional 200 billion yuan of special bond credits will be earmarked to support investment and construction in some provinces
The Zhitong Finance App learned that on October 31, the National Development and Reform Commission held the October press conference. Li Chao, deputy director of the Policy Research Office of the National Development and Reform Commission, mentioned that the National Development and Reform Commission is speeding up the implementation of expanded and effective investment policies. Recently, 500 billion yuan was allocated in local government debt balance limits to supplement the comprehensive financial resources of local governments and expand effective investment. Among them, a special bond amount of 200 billion yuan was added to support investment and construction in some provinces. We will urge and guide the relevant provinces to make good use of the new quota, speed up the issuance and use of special bonds, start construction of the project as soon as possible, and establish a physical workload as soon as possible.
Li Chao mentioned that on October 24, the National Development and Reform Commission issued the first batch of high-quality outdoor sports destination construction regions, which will increase support for 49 outdoor sports destinations in terms of financial support, event cultivation, promotion, etc., to promote the regions concerned to continuously improve the level of facility construction, service guarantee and event organization, and build high-quality outdoor sports destinations with perfect facilities, excellent service, rich events, and internationally renowned high-quality outdoor sports destinations to provide the masses with more outdoor sports choices.
The transcript is as follows:
Li Chao:
Dear media friends, good morning everyone. Welcome to the press conference of the National Development and Reform Commission. I am Li Chao, Deputy Director of the Policy Research Office and press spokesman of the Commission. I will first report on the 4 aspects of the situation, and then answer everyone's questions.
First, the National Development and Reform Commission is speeding up the implementation of expanded and effective investment policies. Recently, 500 billion yuan was allocated in local government debt balance limits to supplement the comprehensive financial resources of local governments and expand effective investment. Among them, a special bond amount of 200 billion yuan was added to support investment and construction in some provinces. We will urge and guide the relevant provinces to make good use of the new quota, speed up the issuance and use of special bonds, start construction of the project as soon as possible, and establish a physical workload as soon as possible.
Second, on October 30, the National Development and Reform Commission and relevant departments jointly issued the “Interim Measures on the Administration of Construction Project Bidding Agencies”. The “Measures” highlight problem orientation. In response to issues such as unclear base numbers of bidding agencies and workers, lack of management, illegal employment, and evasion of supervision, it puts forward new requirements for the management of engineering construction project bidding agencies from the three aspects of unified registration, standardized employment, and cooperation with supervision.
Third, on October 24, the National Development and Reform Commission issued the first batch of high-quality outdoor sports destination construction regions, which will increase support for 49 outdoor sports destinations in terms of financial support, event cultivation, promotion, etc., and push the regions concerned to continuously improve the level of facility construction, service guarantee and event organization, and build high-quality outdoor sports destinations with perfect facilities, high-quality service, rich events, and internationally renowned high-quality outdoor sports destinations to provide more outdoor sports choices for the masses.
Fourth, on October 22, Airbus Tianjin A320 series aircraft's second assembly line project was officially put into operation. Currently, preparations for the assembly of the first aircraft on the new assembly line are progressing rapidly, and it is expected that full operation will be achieved in early 2026. At that time, Airbus Tianjin's assembly capacity will double, injecting stronger impetus into serving the Chinese and global markets.
The above is the content I took the initiative to report. Let's move on to the questioning session. Please inform the media you represent before asking. Please ask questions.
Xinhua News Agency Reporter:
How do you view China's economic performance in the first three quarters? What are the expectations for achieving full-year growth targets? Did the early macroeconomic policies have the expected results, and what other policy impetus was there in the fourth quarter?
Li Chao:
Thank you for your question. In the first three quarters, departments in all regions resolutely implemented the decisions and arrangements of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, focusing on stabilizing employment, stabilizing enterprises, stabilizing markets, and stabilizing expectations. China's economic operation withstood pressure and progressed steadily. Overall, there are 5 characteristics.
First, it runs steadily. Last year's “9/26” package policy and several measures to stabilize employment and the economy continued to gain strength this year. We all saw that the gross domestic product (GDP) grew 5.2% year on year in the first three quarters, continuing to be at the forefront of the world's major economies. In terms of demand, total retail sales of social consumer goods increased 4.5% year on year, 1.2 percentage points faster than the same period last year. In terms of supply, the value added of large-scale industries increased by 6.2%, reaching a record high for the same period since 2022.
Second, there is enough kinetic energy. According to the latest report released by the World Intellectual Property Organization, China's Innovation Index ranked among the top ten in the world for the first time, forming strong support for the development of emerging industries. Looking at the data for the first three quarters, the value added of equipment manufacturing and high-tech manufacturing increased by 9.7% and 9.6% respectively, accounting for 35.9% and 16.7% of large-scale industries, an increase of 2.1 and 0.8 percentage points over the same period last year; the value added of the integrated circuit manufacturing industry and the smart device manufacturing industry increased by 22.4% and 12.2% respectively.
Third, improving quality and efficiency. The results of disorderly competition are gradually showing results. Everyone should pay attention to the improvements in indicators such as the prices of key products and enterprise efficiency. Prices of products such as polysilicon, silicon wafers, and lithium carbonate rebounded markedly; in the first three quarters, profits of large-scale industrial enterprises increased 3.2% year on year, and increased 21.6% year on year in September.
Fourth, it is resilient enough. Faced with drastic changes in the external environment, China's exports of goods maintained a growth rate of 7.1% in the first three quarters; the export product structure was more optimized, and China's high-tech and high-value-added products were more widely recognized. The export growth rate of high-tech products and mechanical and electrical products reached 11.9% and 9.6% respectively in the first three quarters. Many domestic “trendy products” became global “hot money”; the export layout was more diverse, and exports to ASEAN countries increased by 12.4% for 8 consecutive months.
Fifth, it has great potential. Consumer demand and structural upgrades in key industries have shown new highlights. In terms of consumption, mass sports events, concerts, music festivals, etc. are very popular, and retail sales of services increased by 5.2%; with the in-depth implementation of various visa-free policies, the number of inbound tourists increased sharply by 17.8% in the first three quarters. In terms of industrial structure, the development trend of high-end, greening, and intelligence is strong, and production of related products is growing rapidly. For example, production of civilian drones and industrial robots increased by 43.2% and 29.8% respectively, while production of lithium-ion power batteries for new energy vehicles and automobiles increased by 29.7% and 46.9% respectively.
The results of the first three quarters have laid a solid foundation for successfully completing the target tasks for the whole year. Recently, we have also seen that some international economic organizations have raised their expectations for China's economic growth rate. For example, the latest forecasts of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in October all raised China's 2025 economic growth rate by 0.8 percentage points compared to the April forecast. In the next step, the National Development and Reform Commission will work with relevant departments to strengthen pre-research reserves for normalization policies and promptly introduce and implement them as appropriate. As the effects of various policies continue to be implemented, we are confident that we will be able to achieve the goals and tasks of economic and social development throughout the year.
CCTV Finance Reporter:
Thank you to the speaker. You mentioned in the press conference last month that 500 billion yuan of new policy financial instruments will be invested in specific projects as soon as possible. How is the progress so far?
Li Chao:
Thank you for your continued interest in the work of new policy financial instruments. Recently, in accordance with the decisions and arrangements of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, the National Development and Reform Commission, together with relevant parties such as the Ministry of Finance, the People's Bank of China, the General Administration of Financial Supervision, the Ministry of Natural Resources, and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, organized the China Development Bank, the Export-Import Bank of China, and the Agricultural Development Bank of China to speed up the investment of new policy financial instruments. I would like to inform you that up to now, thanks to the joint efforts of all parties, 500 billion yuan of capital has been fully invested, supporting more than 2,300 projects, with a total investment of about 7 trillion yuan, focusing on the digital economy, artificial intelligence, consumer infrastructure, and urban renewal fields such as transportation, energy, and underground pipeline network construction and renovation. This new policy financial instrument has increased support for major economic provinces, and has also supported a number of eligible private investment projects in important industries and key areas.
In the next step, the National Development and Reform Commission will work with relevant departments to urge all localities and relevant central enterprises to speed up the commencement of construction of projects, form more physical workload as soon as possible, actively expand effective investment, and promote high-quality development.
Economic Daily reporter:
At the press conference of the CPC Central Committee, Director Zheng Zhajie said that the National Development and Reform Commission is hastily drafting the “Draft Outline” of the “15th Five-Year Plan.” What work will be carried out in the next step in the preparation of the “15th Five-Year Plan”?
Li Chao:
Thank you for your question. In accordance with the requirements of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, the National Development and Reform Commission is working with various departments in various regions to urgently carry out work related to the preparation of the “Draft Outline” of the “15th Five-Year Plan”. The main aspects are as follows:
The first is to study and draft the “Draft Outline” of the “15th Five-Year Plan”. Strictly check the spirit of the “Proposal” of the benchmarking table, scientifically calculate the main indicators, verify and propose a number of major tasks, initiatives and major engineering projects that can be implemented, and turn the directional requirements proposed in the “Proposal” into practical measures to promote economic and social development. After submitting them to the Party Central Committee and the State Council for review in accordance with the procedures, they are submitted to the Fourth Session of the 14th National People's Congress for review next year.
Second, listen widely to opinions and suggestions from various parties. The five-year plan reflects the “greatest common denominator” of the people's yearning for a better life. It is not only a national plan, but also a plan for all of us. At 9 a.m., the National Development and Reform Commission portal, new media platforms, and online platforms such as China Government Network, Economic Daily, and Guangming Daily have set up prominent columns or link windows to solicit development suggestions in more than 20 key areas relating to the national economy and people's livelihood. The deadline is 20:00 on November 14, 2025, for a period of two weeks. Everyone is welcome to log in and leave comments. In addition, we will also invite relevant group organizations, chambers of commerce associations, etc. to specifically solicit opinions and suggestions from key groups such as private enterprises, foreign-funded enterprises, flexible workers, migrant workers, researchers, young people, farmers, and the disabled; hold symposiums and door-to-door visits to listen face-to-face to the opinions and suggestions of experts, entrepreneurs, and high-end think tanks; and organize experts to consult and demonstrate the “Draft Outline”; carefully study and reflect the opinions and suggestions of deputies to the National People's Congress and CPPCC members to effectively absorb social expectations, public wisdom, expert opinions, and grassroots experience Came from the middle.
The third is to improve the unified planning system. Organize relevant departments to prepare a number of national special plans and implement the detailed “Outline” deployment requirements for related fields. Consistently carry out the implementation of regional development strategies, and study and prepare the “15th Five-Year Plan” regional strategy implementation plan. At the same time, make good connections between provincial plans and national plans. By strengthening the integration and implementation of plans, joint planning and policy efforts will be formed, and the relevant arrangements of the Party Central Committee's “Proposal” will be implemented into practice.
Securities Times Reporter:
The “Special Administrative Measures on Investment in Energy Conservation and Carbon Reduction within the Central Budget” specifically proposes to support “energy saving and carbon reduction transformation of computing power infrastructure.” How will the NDRC promote collaboration between the energy-intensive computing power industry and green and low-carbon development?
Li Chao:
Thank you for your interest. Computing power infrastructure is an area that everyone is concerned about. It is also one of the key energy saving and carbon reduction industry areas deployed by the “Special Administrative Measures on Investment within the Central Budget for Energy Conservation and Carbon Reduction” recently issued. In recent years, the scale of China's computing power infrastructure has continued to expand, and the consumption of energy resources has also increased rapidly. It is imperative to promote the green and low-carbon development of the computing power industry. The National Development and Reform Commission, together with relevant departments, continued to increase policy support. For example, steadily advance the “East Digital and Western Computing” project, lay out and build eight major national computing power hubs and 10 computing power facility clusters, fully consume renewable energy, and continuously improve the average power utilization efficiency of the hub's computing power facility clusters. At the same time, we also see that China's computing power infrastructure still has problems such as “small and scattered” computing power facilities and poor energy efficiency of old computing power facilities, and there is still plenty of room for optimization in terms of energy saving and carbon reduction transformation. In the next step, we will focus on large-scale, intensive, and green development of computing power infrastructure, and focus on promoting the following tasks.
The first is to optimize the construction layout and promote efficiency improvement on a large scale. Strengthen the rigid constraints of the “East Digital Western Computing” planning layout, reasonable planning and strict control, and prioritize the construction of large-scale and super-large computing power facilities within the national hub computing power facility cluster of the National Integrated Computing Power Network. Coordinate the layout of computing power and power infrastructure, promote the deployment of computing power facilities into clusters in rich green power clusters in the western region, and raise the level of renewable energy utilization. Encourage the transformation of small, scattered, and inefficient stock computing power facilities to intensive and efficient.
The second is to promote the conservation and intensive use of resources. Energy efficiency reviews and carbon emission assessments are strictly implemented for new computing power projects, and all regions are encouraged to put forward higher requirements for new projects in line with actual practice. Support computing power facilities to explore and apply resources such as industrial waste cooling, and enhance the recycling of waste heat from computing power facilities.
The third is to promote more innovative applications of green technology. Promote high-efficiency, energy-saving and water-saving equipment, and gradually eliminate backward and inefficient products and equipment that do not meet the requirements of current mandatory national standards. Promote various high-efficiency refrigeration and heat dissipation technologies according to local conditions to improve the utilization rate of natural cooling sources.
China News Agency Reporter:
There has been a lot of extreme weather this year. Agricultural production in some regions has experienced flooding before and after droughts. Has stabilized grain production been affected? What are the countermeasures taken by the NDRC?
Li Chao:
Thank you for your question. Since this year, agricultural production in many parts of our country has been adversely affected by weather. In spring, winter wheat growing regions in the north, especially Shaanxi and Henan, experienced varying degrees of drought; since September, Huanghuaihai regions such as Henan and Shandong have experienced continuous rainy weather rare for many years, posing quite a challenge to grain production. The National Development and Reform Commission closely follows, studies and judges changes in the situation and supports local authorities to actively respond to the disaster situation; at the same time, it has unblocked channels of acquisition, collection and storage, effectively stabilized the grain market, and strived to minimize the impact of the disaster on grain production and farmers' income. Through hard work, summer grain production has been steady and good, and early rice production has increased. Autumn grain production has a good foundation and is being harvested one after another. Judging from various aspects of the situation, the impact of the disaster weather on grain production is generally manageable, and it is expected that there will be another good harvest throughout the year. Here, I would like to emphasize that food security is the “power of the nation”. To change the situation of “relying on the sky for food,” we must continue to strengthen agricultural infrastructure construction and improve agricultural disaster prevention and mitigation capabilities.
In recent years, the National Development and Reform Commission, together with relevant departments, has thoroughly implemented the “hide food in the land, preserve food in technology” strategy, continuously strengthen the food production base and enhance disaster prevention and mitigation capabilities. For example, we are speeding up the construction of high-standard farmland, promoting major water conservancy construction such as large and medium-sized irrigation areas in an integrated manner, strengthening the connectivity between farmland and water conservancy facilities, and effectively improving our ability to prevent floods and droughts. Since 2024, a total of more than 400 billion yuan of “double” central capital has been allocated to support the construction and renovation of 180 million mu of high-standard farmland; more than 20 billion yuan has been allocated from the central government to support construction and renovation projects in irrigation areas. Related projects have significantly improved agricultural production conditions in major grain-producing regions. Many regions have reported that the grain yield in the project area has increased by more than 10%, which has basically reduced production with fewer major disasters, stabilized production with fewer disasters, and increased production more without disasters. Another example is that we are steadily promoting seed industry revitalization actions, speeding up the construction of key projects such as the modern seed industry and increasing the yield of corn and soybeans, and integrating supporting good varieties and good opportunities and good laws to strongly promote increased grain production. Currently, the coverage rate of good crop varieties in China exceeds 96%. Last year, the country's grain yield reached 394.7 kg, an increase of 12.5 kg over 2020. Increased yield is contributing more and more to the increase in grain production. Overall, these measures have provided a solid guarantee for improving comprehensive grain production capacity and achieving the target tasks of grain production.
Daily Economic News Reporter:
We have noticed that the “Special Administrative Measures on Investment within the Central Budget for Energy Conservation and Carbon Reduction” issued recently mentioned that the specially supported project is based on promoting “soft construction” implementation and results, and establishing a sound long-term mechanism to solve practical problems and promote green and low-carbon circular development. How should I understand this statement? What effect will it play in promoting green and low-carbon development during the “15th Five-Year Plan” period? How will the requirements of “soft construction” be reflected in the implementation process?
Li Chao:
Thank you for your question. You also asked a question about the “Special Management Measures for Investment in Energy Conservation and Carbon Reduction within the Central Budget”. This is an important question. The “15th Five-Year Plan” period should promote the achievement of the two goals of “reaching a peak of carbon before 2030” and “reducing carbon emission intensity by more than 65% in 2030 compared to 2005”. These are critical five years. It is necessary to rationally arrange new energy use and carbon emission requirements, and make greater efforts to explore replacement stock space. The “Proposal” of the “15th Five-Year Plan” proposes to implement a dual control system for total carbon emissions and intensity. This is the “baton” of the overall green transformation. The National Development and Reform Commission is working with relevant departments to speed up the establishment of “four pillars” of a “double carbon” system for local carbon assessments, industry carbon control, corporate carbon management, project carbon evaluation, and product carbon footprint. Among these, in order to better play the supporting role of investment in energy saving and carbon reduction efforts and further play the guiding role of central capital, we have revised and issued the “Special Administrative Measures on Investment within the Central Budget for Energy Conservation and Carbon Reduction”, which requires the integrated promotion of “hard investment” and “soft construction.” The “hard investment” mentioned here is the implementation of investment projects in the general sense of the word, including infrastructure construction, equipment upgrading, etc., which can form a physical workload. The “soft construction” you are concerned about is to use reform methods and innovative ideas to break down deep-seated barriers, improve investment mechanisms, improve investment efficiency, and promote the formation of a long-term mechanism for green and low-carbon circular development by preparing plans, formulating policies, and innovating institutional mechanisms. In the specific work, we will work with relevant departments and local authorities to promote implementation at three levels. At the industry level, together with industry authorities, the focus is on establishing and improving planning, policy, and standard systems in related fields such as energy saving and carbon reduction, resource saving, circular economy, etc., to refine and break down the overall goals into various regions and key industry sectors, and promote relevant parties to strengthen project reserves, construction, and implementation supervision in a targeted manner. At the local level, promote local governments at all levels, give full play to the combined effects of various policies such as finance, finance, industry, science and technology, and pay more attention to solving the weak links and outstanding problems that limit the achievement of carbon reduction goals in the region through project implementation. At the project level, guide and supervise relevant project implementers, promote the formation of practical energy saving and carbon reduction technical procedures and management standards through project construction, and provide practical support for formulating and revising relevant standards.
CCTV Reporter:
The northern part of China is about to enter the heating season. What is the current state of natural gas and coal supply reserves? Is energy guaranteed for peak winter season?
Li Chao:
Recently, parts of the north have continued to cool down, and many places have reached the standard for entering winter ahead of schedule. Everyone is very concerned about whether they can stay warm through the winter. In order to do a good job of welcoming the peak of winter this year, the National Development and Reform Commission, together with relevant parties, will start by taking good care of key aspects such as energy supply, resource reserves, and emergency scheduling to lay a good foundation for energy security and supply during this year's heating season. The first is to improve supply capacity. Mainly in the areas of coal, gas, electricity, and transportation. In the first three quarters, large-scale industrial raw coal and natural gas production increased 2.0% and 6.4%, respectively; by the end of September, the country's cumulative installed power generation capacity was 3.72 billion kilowatts, an increase of 18% over the previous year; since October, the country's railway electric coal loading capacity has remained at a high level of 56,000 vehicles per day. The second is to consolidate the reserve base. As of October 27, 220 million tons of coal have been stored in power plants nationwide, and can be used for more than 35 days; underground gas storage depots have completed the annual gas injection task, making it possible to fully enter the winter. The third is to strengthen peak shifting capabilities. By the end of September, the maximum transmission of electricity across regions had reached 150 million kilowatts, and the remaining mutual aid capacity between regions had been significantly enhanced; more than 100 million kilowatts of new energy storage units had been built and put into operation, providing more powerful regulation capacity; the country's gas storage capacity and pipeline network peak penetration capacity had been further improved compared to the previous year. According to comprehensive research, there is an overall balance between energy supply and demand during this year's heating season. There is a guarantee that people will use energy to ensure stable supply and price, and that people will stay warm through the winter. In the next step, the National Development and Reform Commission will strengthen coordination and make every effort to ensure that the masses stay warm through the winter. The first is to strengthen organizational coordination. During the heating season, we will adhere to daily scheduling and weekly meetings, consolidate the main responsibility of local and enterprise insurance and supply, and coordinate the resolution of supply and demand conflicts in a timely manner. The second is to guarantee energy production and supply, promote safe, stable and increased production of energy resources, and make every effort to make all kinds of generator sets. Third, strict implementation of medium- to long-term energy contracts to ensure the full and stable supply of energy for people's livelihood. Fourth, do a good job of peak insurance and emergency protection, play a good role in reserve regulation, strengthen power scheduling across provinces and regions, and prepare for bad weather such as low temperatures, rain, snow, and freezing.
Cover News Reporter:
We are concerned that the Development and Reform Commission is seeking opinions on formulating policies and measures to promote the diversified development of the lifestyle service industry. What are the main aspects of the lifestyle service industry? What are the considerations for formulating and introducing incentive policies at this stage? What specific policy arrangements will be made?
Li Chao:
Thank you for your question. The lifestyle service industry is a service activity that meets residents' final consumption needs. It involves many fields such as education and training, health, nursing, culture and entertainment, tourism, sports, home service, transportation, catering and accommodation, trade and retail. It can be said that it is closely related to the lives of all of us. It plays an important role in safeguarding and improving people's livelihood, promoting residents' employment, expanding domestic demand, and optimizing the economic structure. In recent years, the scale and share of service consumption in China has been expanding year by year. In 2024, the share of service consumption expenditure per capita of residents increased by 5 percentage points in 2015 to 46.1%, and further increased to 46.8% in the first three quarters of this year. Among them, the lifestyle service industry has accelerated innovation and development, opening up multiple trillion-level market spaces. For example, since “Double 11" went on sale this year, emotional consumption represented by two-dimensional IP has risen markedly, and products related to games and comics have increased rapidly. Another example is that home delivery services effectively integrate residents' daily consumption needs, expanding from cleaning and maintenance to various fields such as storage and pet care. Another example is that cultural, sports, tourism, and commercial consumption resonate. On the one hand, various regions are exploring the huge traffic brought by sporting events, concerts, museums, etc., and are also following the trend to launch “ticket discounts” to link restaurants, lodging, commerce, etc., to drive traffic into sales. At the same time, we have also seen that the current development of related industries is still facing problems such as insufficient supply of talents, imperfect industry standards, and inadequate supervision mechanisms. In order to further improve the diversified development mechanism of the lifestyle service industry, better meet the needs of the masses for a better life, and further free up space for the development of the lifestyle service industry, the National Development and Reform Commission is working with relevant departments to study and formulate policy documents to accelerate the improvement of the diversified development mechanism of the lifestyle service industry. In order to do a good job in document research and drafting, the National Development and Reform Commission recently launched the “I 'Suggest a Proposition for the Diversified Development of the Lifestyle Service Industry'” campaign in the interactive communication section of the portal. It has listened extensively to opinions and suggestions from all sectors of society on nine aspects, including easing entry restrictions in the lifestyle service industry, supporting private enterprises and other diverse actors to expand service supply, cultivating new forms and models of life services, and using digital intelligence technology to improve the quality of life services. Today also coincides with the last day of this event. All sectors of the community are welcome to submit valuable comments as soon as possible. In the next step, we will actively absorb and adopt everyone's opinions and suggestions, and strive to launch a number of hard and practical measures to promote the development of the lifestyle service industry.
China Discipline Inspection and Supervision Daily Reporter:
Why are the “Interim Measures on the Administration of Engineering Construction Project Bidding Agencies” currently being introduced? What new requirements have been put forward?
Li Chao:
As I mentioned earlier, we have introduced the “Interim Measures on the Administration of Construction Project Bidding Agencies”. Agencies are important entities that connect the entire bidding activity and provide professional bidding services. At present, there are more than 110,000 bidding agencies and more than 1 million employees across the country, which have played an important role in improving the efficiency of bidding and raising the level of specialization in bidding. However, we have also seen that some bidding agencies have carried out business illegally to obtain illegal benefits by falsifying, leaking information, planning tendering, and bribing bid evaluation experts, etc., seriously disrupting the industry order. To this end, the Measures adhere to problem orientation and put forward three new requirements. The first is unified registration. Agencies are required to register basic information such as agencies, sites, and employees on the provincial construction market supervision integrated work platform, and are responsible for the authenticity and accuracy. The second is to standardize employment. In terms of business underwriting, agencies are required to have an independent office space and necessary office conditions, have no less than 5 employees who meet professional competency requirements, have a perfect internal management system, and that agencies and related personnel are not prohibited from engaging in bidding agency business, etc. In terms of business development, it is required to implement a project leader system, sign a bidding agency contract in accordance with the law, standardize the collection of agency fees, disclose agency information in accordance with regulations, and assist the tenderer in handling objections in accordance with the law. The third is to cooperate with supervision. The tenderer, bidder, potential bidder, and other interested parties discover that the agency has committed an illegal act and have the right to report it to the competent industry department. Industry authorities at all levels shall supervise and inspect relevant agencies in accordance with the division of responsibilities, focusing on verifying whether the agency meets the requirements for employment, full-time employment of personnel, signing and execution of contracts, preparation and sale of tender documents, and collection and refund of bid deposits. Our committee will work with relevant departments to improve an open and collaborative electronic, digital, and intelligent supervision network for bidding and promote smart supervision.
Economic Reference Reporter:
As you mentioned earlier, the “Interim Measures on the Administration of Engineering Construction Project Bidding Agencies” put forward three new requirements. What are the details of regulating the practice? What specific impacts will it have on relevant industries and practitioners?
Li Chao:
Thank you for your question, I'll provide a further answer. The “Measures” put forward requirements for six key aspects of the operation of bidding agencies, focusing on common problems. For example, in terms of undertaking business, in order to prevent “purse companies” and “shell companies” from entering the bidding agency industry, the “Measures” require that bidding agencies should have the place, capital, and expertise to engage in the bidding agency business, and prohibit agencies that commit serious illegal and untrustworthy acts such as disclosure of secrets or collusion from engaging in business. In terms of signing the contract, the content requirements of the bidding agency contract were clarified from nine aspects, including the scope of the agency and the project leader, not only preventing the agency from “starting the price on site” and “not providing service for a fee,” but also compacting the tenderer's main responsibility to bind the agency and protecting the legitimate rights and interests of both parties involved in the entrustment relationship. In terms of collecting fees, charging practices are further regulated, and agencies are prohibited from including expenses that do not fall within the scope of tender agency services, such as service fees for bid evaluation sites and labor fees for bid evaluation experts, in agency fees to reduce the burden on bidders. At the same time, the “Measures” also put forward specific requirements for bidding agencies to operate in terms of entrustment, disclosure of information, and handling of objections and complaints. Furthermore, the “Measures” have detailed and clarified serious offenses by agencies. In current laws and regulations, two types of situations are stipulated: information disclosure and malicious collusion. The “Measures” are further refined into 8 types of situations, such as providing rebates, winning over experts, and restricting tenders, to eliminate vague areas of supervision.
Pengpai News Reporter:
You mentioned at the press conference in May that the National Development and Reform Commission issued a “Notice” requiring all localities to fully carry out “credit certification” work by the end of September this year. What is the current progress? How will application scenarios and fields of application be expanded in the future?
Li Chao:
Thank you for your questions and for your continued interest in the “Credit Agency” process. In May of this year, our committee and relevant departments deployed a full implementation of a special credit report to replace proof of the existence of illegal records, or “credit certification.” By the end of September, all 31 provinces and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps had launched “credit certification” services. In total, 462,000 enterprises had issued 970,000 reports, replacing about 39 million illegal and illegal certificates. Overall, related work can be summed up with three keywords. The first is “One Network Access”. “One Network” means the “Credit China” website, which has set up a special credit report search column. “Co-operation” means that the column provides a channel portal for processing “credit certificates” in various regions, providing a “one-stop” service. Second, “should be replaced”. The scope of application of “credit agency” has been further expanded. Currently, 21 provinces have achieved effective substitution in more than 40 fields involving the issuance of certificates. For example, Shandong and Heilongjiang have included all 50 fields involving the issuance of enterprise certificates in the scope of replacement; Zhejiang has further expanded the scope of application of “credit certificates” to social organizations and natural persons. The third is mutual recognition across regions. We guide regions such as Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Jin, Chengdu and Chongqing to unify regional “credit certificate” data standards, content, and application fields, solve problems such as multiple cross-regional certification procedures and lack of mutual recognition, and help enterprises operate across regions. In the next step, our committee will give full play to the role of the leading department in the construction of a social credit system and continue to push forward the “credit agency” reform deeper and more practical. On the one hand, the governance of credit data is being solidly promoted. Relying on credit information sharing platforms, we strengthen the collection, sharing and integrated application of credit data, strengthen coordination and linkage between national and local platforms, actively promote the return and real-time sharing of illegal information by enterprises involved in various fields, and provide solid data support to achieve “replacement”. On the other hand, the scope of application continues to expand. Accelerate mutual recognition and mutual use of special credit reports across regions, guide all localities to promote “credit certification” in matters such as administrative examination and approval, bidding, corporate financing, and application for preferential policies, so as to achieve the efficient handling of “one thing”.
China Development and Reform News Reporter:
We have noticed that many universities and hospitals are already promoting the construction of the Xiong'an campus and hospital area, and that many central enterprises have already settled in Xiong'an headquarters, making everyone feel the progress of Beijing's non-capital functional relief. In the next step, how will we continue to promote the implementation of projects and institutions?
Li Chao:
Xiong'an New Area is a centralized carrier for Beijing's non-capital functional relief, as defined by the Party Central Committee. Currently, it has entered the stage of large-scale construction and equal emphasis on undertaking relief. Recently, everyone has also noticed that construction of Peking Union Medical College Hospital's National Medical Center (Xiong'an Campus) has begun, Sinochem and China Huaneng have officially moved to their headquarters in Xiong'an, and universities such as Beijing Jiaotong University and the Peking University People's Hospital Xiong'an Campus (hospital) area are speeding up construction. It can be said that significant progress has been made in easing Beijing's non-capital functions. Next, the National Development and Reform Commission will continue to work with relevant parties to steadily and orderly advance the relief of Beijing's non-capital functions and the construction of the Xiong'an New Area. The main aspects are as follows.
The first is to continue to push forward the implementation and construction of relief projects. For relief projects that are being implemented, construction should be started as soon as possible and construction should be accelerated on the premise of ensuring quality. At the same time, we will also work with relevant parties to promote the implementation of a new batch of eligible relief projects. The second is to promote development and construction with high quality and high-level management. At present, Xiong'an New Area's external backbone road network has been fully completed, public service facilities such as sports centers and libraries have been built and put into use one after another, and supporting facilities such as supermarkets, cafes, and express delivery stations have also been continuously improved. We will continue to accelerate the construction of Xiong'an New Area and create more convenient conditions to relieve the work and life of the units and personnel. In addition, the “cloud” city in Xiong'an New Area is also being planned and constructed simultaneously. Every building, every road, and every section of pipe gallery in the new district has established a corresponding digital information model. We will also push the new district to make full use of the advantages of digital intelligence technology and explore innovative smart city management models. The third is to continue to improve the relief support policy system. Previously, we have promoted the introduction of a series of policy initiatives such as education, health care, social security, and housing, and these measures are continuously being implemented and effective. For example, in terms of health insurance, Xiong'an's medical insurance catalogue is equivalent to the superposition of the Beijing and Hebei catalogues, which means that evacuees can use Beijing's medical insurance to seek medical treatment directly in Xiong'an. In the future, we will also promote the urbanization of Beijing and Xiong in more fields and more matters.
Zhejiang Daily Chao News Reporter:
In the second half of 2024, the Central Office and the State Administration issued the “Action Plan to Effectively Reduce Logistics Costs for the Whole Society”. We also noticed that the National Development and Reform Commission recently released data on total logistics costs for the entire society for the first three quarters. The ratio to GDP decreased by 0.1 percentage points compared to the same period last year. What is the progress and results of the work related to the Action Plan over the past year?
Li Chao:
Thank you for your question. We all know that logistics is the “meridian” of the real economy. Effectively reducing logistics costs for the whole society will help improve the efficiency and effectiveness of logistics resource allocation, support the development of the real economy, and smooth the national economic cycle. After the 2024 “Action Plan” was issued, various departments issued supporting documents, and various regions also strengthened detailed implementation in line with actual practice. The three provinces and one city in the Yangtze River Delta also jointly issued action plans. Under the strong support and guidance of various policies, China's logistics service supply, facilities and equipment, business models, etc. are continuously transforming and developing in the direction of reducing costs and improving quality and efficiency. For example, major logistics infrastructure networks continue to be optimized, and 181 national logistics hubs and 105 national key cold chain logistics bases are being connected to the network at an accelerated pace. Another example is that the level of digitalization and intelligence in the logistics sector has improved markedly. The number of automated container terminals and automated dry bulk terminals that have been built in China ranks first in the world, and the overall technical level is among the highest in the world. Another example is the rapid development of multimodal transport. According to China Railway Group data, the volume of iron and water intermodal transport containers increased by nearly 17% year-on-year in the first three quarters. These changes are all driving the real economy to continue to improve its operating efficiency. In the first three quarters of this year, China's total social logistics costs were 14.2 trillion yuan, a ratio of 14.0% to GDP, down 0.1 percentage points from the same period last year, and continued to maintain the lowest level since statistics were available. The modern logistics system not only accelerates the economy of major countries, but also supports everyone's happy life. Logistics enterprises in China widely use unmanned delivery vehicles, automatic sorting equipment and smart courier cabinets to innovate and promote the “express delivery +” service model and build a diversified terminal service system. According to data from the National Post Office, the 72-hour turnaround rate in key regions exceeds 85%, and people in increasingly remote regions can also enjoy the convenience of modern life through express delivery. In the next step, the National Development and Reform Commission will continue to work with relevant parties to continue to implement the “Action Plan” and work in conjunction with the preparation of the “15th Five-Year Plan” in related fields to step up efforts to reduce logistics costs for the whole society.
Elephant News Reporter:
You just mentioned the list of regions to build the first batch of high-quality outdoor sports destinations. We would like to know what are the characteristics of the destinations on the list? How will “high quality” be reflected in the next construction process?
Li Chao:
Thank you for your question. In recent years, China's demand for outdoor sports has grown rapidly. Outdoor sports place high demands on natural conditions, infrastructure, service guarantee, and event organization. The first selected destinations have superior natural endowments, clear ideas for local development, and are highly motivated. In terms of classification, it covers fields such as ice and snow, mountains, water, low altitude, etc., including traditional projects such as hiking, cycling, rock climbing, and skiing, as well as emerging projects such as low-altitude flying, paddleboarding, and rowing. Regarding how to reflect “high quality” that you were just concerned about, we will grasp it from three aspects. The first is to “build a good” destination through practical policy support. We will make good use of all kinds of central funds to support the construction of supporting public service facilities. For example, in response to inconvenient transportation, promote the construction of “special sports lines” connecting main roads; support the construction of public sports camps, outdoor post stations, etc. for lack of facilities in some destinations. At the same time, improve construction guidelines and standards, clarify “what to build and how to build”, and avoid blind investment. The second is to encourage the development of characteristics and make the event “interesting”. Encourage all regions to combine their own characteristics, develop unique and advantageous projects, and build “loud” outdoor sports brands without having to pursue “big but complete”. At the same time, promote the deep integration of outdoor sports with tourism, culture, health and other industries, and launch more mass activities such as hiking, cycling, and paddleboarding. The third is to maintain a safe and ecological bottom line so that sports can “play with peace of mind.” Safety always comes first. We will guide relevant localities to establish and improve safety prevention and control systems, equip them with necessary rescue equipment and materials, and strengthen safety and emergency management for major events. At the same time, we strictly abide by the red line of ecological protection and the bottom line of environmental quality. What needs to be emphasized is that building a high-quality outdoor sports destination is not a pilot demonstration or listing name, but rather requires precise support for regions with conditions and a foundation, providing the masses with more safe, unique, and high-quality outdoor sports experiences, and promoting the high-quality development of China's outdoor sports industry.
Li Chao:
This is the content of today's press conference. Thank you all for participating. If you have any other questions of interest after the meeting, please contact the Information Office. Thank you and see you soon!
This article was edited by China.com, Zhitong Finance Editor: Chen Wenfang.