Reuters:

I would like to ask about the economic situation. It's the fourth quarter now, yet we found that China's economic recovery is still weak in gaining momentum. It seems relatively hard to achieve the goal of securing a GDP growth of around 5.5% set at the beginning of the year. Moreover, as China holds its dynamic zero-COVID policy, many analysts have downgraded their prediction for China's GDP growth rate to around 3% in 2022. Could you share your analysis of this year's economic situation? Furthermore, will China introduce more measures to further stabilize the growth after the conclusion of the 20th CPC National Congress?

Zhao Chenxin:

Thanks for your questions, and thank you for your care and concern about China's economic prospects. I would like to share with you some ideas on several aspects concerning China's economic development.

First, although there have been monthly fluctuations since the beginning of this year, China's economy has continued to recover and grow from an overall perspective. Those fluctuations came under the impact of the external environment, pandemic, extreme weather, and other factors that surpassed expectations and were reflected in March, April, and July in particular. As various work has been steadily promoted to coordinate epidemic prevention and control with socio-economic development in a highly efficient way, a package of policies introduced to stabilize the economy has continued to deliver effects with successive policies being decisively introduced. Through such efforts, major economic indicators, such as those of industries, service sector, investment, and consumption, have continued to recover. Thus, the economy has sustained its recovery and growth momentum on the whole.

Based on the current situation, the economy picked up significantly in the third quarter. From a global perspective, China's economic performance is still outstanding, as its consumer prices have grown modestly. In addition, in sharp contrast to the high global inflation, its employment has been generally stable, and its balance of payments has seen a basic equilibrium with its foreign exchange reserves being maintained at over $3 trillion. Taking multiple economic indicators into overall consideration, China's economic performance remains outstanding.

Second, although China's economy is facing difficulties and challenges, it also sees plenty of opportunities. Due to the impact of situational changes both inside and outside of China, the country's economy is still witnessing some outstanding contradictions and problems in its activities, as well as many difficulties and challenges in its development. However, it is worth mentioning that in the face of the impact of unexpected factors, China's economy has steadily recovered in a relatively short period of time, showing its strong resilience and huge potential. With a population of more than 1.4 billion, the world's largest middle-income group, a super-sized domestic market, as well as a complete industrial system, complete industrial chains, and an increasingly modernized infrastructure system, China's basic conditions have provided great opportunities and an enormous market for the development of various enterprises.

China is currently planning and building large-scale wind power and photovoltaic bases with a total capacity of 450 million kilowatts in sandy areas, rocky areas, and deserts, as well as upgrading projects in key areas in accordance with basic and high-standard energy efficiency benchmark levels. At present, policy-based and developmental financial instruments have effectively supported infrastructure construction in key areas, and increasing support has been provided for upgrading and transforming equipment in weak fields of economic and social development. According to our recent monitoring, the number of orders for major equipment is growing significantly, including those for energy equipment, petrochemical equipment, mining machinery, engineering machinery, numerical control machine tools, industrial robots, and other key equipment. This growth is encouraging as it provides rare opportunities for relevant upstream and downstream enterprises. As time is limited, I can't list these opportunities one by one. In the process of China's steady and healthy economic and social development and in real life in economic terms, development opportunities and various kinds of business opportunities can be found everywhere in China.

The third point, which is also the most important, is that the successful convening of the 20th CPC National Congress has gathered tremendous strength and injected new impetus into China's economic development. We believe that by following the goal and the direction of advancing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through the Chinese path to modernization as pointed out by General Secretary Xi Jinping, and as the spirit of the 20th CPC National Congress is thoroughly implemented with efficient coordination between epidemic response and socio-economic development continuing to deliver effects and as the effects of macro policies continuing to be released, China's economy will continue to recover and grow with solid progress. Thank you.

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