How do you view the current economic situation? How to better solve the development problems for private enterprises? What are the new measures to promote high-quality development through foreign investment? Around the current hot issues of economic operation, the National Development and Reform Commission held a press conference on the 19th, and Jin Xiandong, director of the policy research office and spokesman of the National Development and Reform Commission, conducted an in-depth analysis and interpretation.

We will introduce a number of incremental policy measures in due course

"On the whole, the current economic performance is stable on the whole, and high-quality development is making solid progress." At the same time, the adverse impact brought by changes in the external environment has increased, there are pains in the transformation of old and new growth drivers, and economic operation still faces many difficulties and challenges, Jin said. But more importantly, as macro policies continue to take effect and reform measures continue to be implemented, positive factors and favorable conditions in economic operation are also accumulating. We have the conditions, ability and confidence to achieve the economic and social development goals for this year.

Jin Xiandong said that the National Development and Reform Commission will accelerate the implementation of key reform tasks, increase macro-control efforts, in-depth implementation of the strategy of expanding domestic demand, accelerate the construction of a modern industrial system, increase efforts to ensure and improve people's livelihood, and accelerate the implementation of various policies. It is necessary to strengthen the reserve of policy pre-research, and timely launch a number of incremental policy measures that are operational, effective, and accessible to the people and enterprises.

Strive to make private enterprises feel good

In June 2023, the National Development and Reform Commission established a regular communication and exchange mechanism with private enterprises. Jin Xiandong introduced that up to now, more than 600 companies have participated in communication through various channels. As of the end of August this year, a total of 1,031 feedback issues from private enterprises were received, and 56% of the matters have been completed and further tracked, and some practical problems have been solved.

In the next step, the National Development and Reform Commission will accelerate the construction of a comprehensive service platform for the development of the private economy, open a problem collection and transfer feedback system, and improve the efficiency of solving problems; At the same time, strengthen the use of the results of the communication and exchange mechanism with private enterprises, identify the blocking points and difficult problems that restrict the high-quality development of the private economy, accelerate the work of legislation, the implementation of reform measures, the introduction of policies, and the preparation of plans, and strive to let private enterprises have a sense of benefit.

We will attract more private capital to participate in major projects

In September 2023, the National Development and Reform Commission set up a national platform for promoting projects to private capital, actively promoting high-quality projects in infrastructure and other fields submitted by various localities, and continuing to attract private capital.

Jin Xiandong introduced that on the basis of regular promotion, the National Development and Reform Commission has recently organized relevant parties to focus on 8 major areas with large potential for private investment and high enthusiasm for private enterprises to participate in transportation, water conservancy, energy, environmental protection, agriculture, social undertakings, new infrastructure, warehousing and logistics, and selected 400 key projects to promote private capital. It involves a total investment of 815.9 billion yuan.

He also introduced that the five nuclear power projects recently approved by the executive meeting of The State Council, each with 10% of the shares to attract private capital participation, fully reflects the determination to support the sustainable and healthy development of private enterprises. In the next step, we should continue to actively create conditions and remove barriers to entry, and on the premise of fully respecting the investment will of enterprises, adhere to the principle of openness, fairness and justice, and attract more private capital to participate in the construction of major projects such as nuclear power and railways.

We will study and expand the national catalogue of industries that encourage foreign investment

Not long ago, the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Commerce issued the "Special Administrative Measures for Foreign Investment Access (Negative List) (2024 version)". The 2024 version of the national negative list of restrictions on foreign investment access has been reduced from 31 to 29, and the restrictions on foreign investment access in the manufacturing sector have been "zero."

"This fully demonstrates China's positive willingness to expand mutual benefit and win-win results and its clear-cut attitude to support economic globalization." Jin Xiandong said that the National Development and Reform Commission will work with relevant departments and localities to deeply implement the management system of pre-establishment national treatment plus negative list, and implement the 2024 version of the national negative list for foreign investment access; For areas outside the negative list, foreign-invested enterprises will be accorded national treatment in accordance with the principle of consistency between domestic and foreign investment.

He also said that the National Development and Reform Commission will intensify efforts to improve the high-level opening up system and mechanism, and promote the use of foreign investment for high-quality development. In terms of policies, further enhance the level of foreign investment liberalization and facilitation, and study and expand the national catalogue of industries encouraging foreign investment. In terms of services, we will improve the service guarantee for foreign-funded enterprises, and launch a new batch of landmark and major foreign-funded projects with a leading role in timely development.

Source: Chinese government website