Delivered at the Fifth Session of the 13th National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China on March 5, 2022
国务院总理 李克强
Li Keqiang, Premier of the State Council
各位代表:
Fellow Deputies,
现在,我代表国务院,向大会报告政府工作,请予审议,并请全国政协委员提出意见。
On behalf of the State Council, I will now report to you on the work of the government and ask for your deliberation and approval. I also ask members of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) for their comments.
Last year was a milestone in the history of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and our country. The CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core united and led the whole Party and Chinese people of all ethnic groups in accomplishing the following endeavors:
We celebrated the centenary of the Communist Party of China;
The 19th CPC Central Committee convened its sixth plenary session where a resolution on the Party’s major achievements and historical experience over the past century was adopted;
We declared victory in the critical battle against poverty as envisaged; and
We achieved the first centenary goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects on schedule and began a new journey toward the second centenary goal of building a modern socialist country in all respects.
Last year, facing complicated and challenging circumstances both in and outside of China, as well as many risks and challenges, all of us throughout the country worked hard as one. We responded to Covid-19 and pursued economic and social development in a well-coordinated way, accomplished the main targets and tasks for the year, got the 14th Five-Year Plan off to a good start, and once again secured new and major achievements in our country’s development.
– The economy continued to recover and grow. China’s gross domestic product (GDP) reached 114 trillion yuan, growing 8.1 percent. National fiscal revenue exceeded 20 trillion yuan, growing 10.7 percent. A total of 12.69 million urban jobs were added, and the average surveyed unemployment rate stood at 5.1 percent. The consumer price index (CPI) rose by 0.9 percent. A basic equilibrium was maintained in the balance of payments.
– China’s innovation capacity was enhanced. Our strategic science and technology capabilities were expanded at a faster pace. Major advances were registered in research on core technologies in key fields, and breakthroughs were made in manned spaceflight, Mars exploration, resource exploration, energy projects and other areas. Corporate spending on research and development grew by 15.5 percent. Integration of digital technology in the real economy was accelerated.
– The economic structure and regional development priorities were refined. Grain output reached a record high of 685 million metric tons. Value-added of the high-tech manufacturing sector grew by 18.2 percent, IT services and other producer services recorded rapid growth, and industrial chains became more resilient. Regional development strategies were well implemented, and new urbanization was steadily advanced.
– Reform and opening up were deepened. In key fields and sectors, a full range of major reforms were rolled out, and supply-side structural reform was deepened. New gains were made in the reform to streamline administration and delegate power, improve regulation, and upgrade services. The total number of market entities surpassed the 150-million mark. The Belt and Road Initiative saw steady high-quality development. China worked for the entry into force of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. The total volume of trade in goods grew by 21.4 percent, and growth of utilized foreign investment was sustained.
– Ecological conservation was enhanced. Thanks to further steps taken to prevent and control pollution, the discharge of major pollutants continued to fall and the average concentration of fine particulate matter dropped by 9.1 percent in cities at and above the prefecture level. The first group of national parks were officially established. Significant improvements were made in the quality of the environment.
– Living standards rose steadily. Per capita disposable income increased by 8.1 percent in real terms. Achievements in poverty alleviation were consolidated and further expanded. Inputs in basic elderly care, basic medical care, and social assistance were increased. New steps were taken in the reform and development of education. Renovations began on 56,000 old urban residential communities, benefiting close to 10 million households.
– Our gains in Covid-19 response were consolidated. Implementation of control measures became routine, and over 85 percent of the population received a full course of vaccination. Local outbreaks were suppressed in an effective and quick manner. By making these efforts, we ensured the health and safety of the people and maintained normal order in work and life.
Reflecting on the past year, we can see that our achievements did not come easily. While the economy continued to recover from major shocks including Covid-19, many new changes occurred in and outside of China, and the difficulty of keeping the economy running stably mounted. In the face of such difficulty, we fully implemented the decisions and plans of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, followed the guiding principles of the Central Economic Work Conference; applied the new development philosophy in full, in the right way, and in all fields of endeavor; took solid steps to ensure stability on six key fronts and security in six key areas,* and made cross- and counter-cyclical adjustments with macro policies. We thus effectively dealt with all risks and challenges that arose.
(* The six fronts refer to employment, the financial sector, foreign trade, foreign investment, domestic investment, and expectations. The six areas refer to job security, basic living needs, operations of market entities, food and energy security, stable industrial and supply chains, and the normal functioning of primary-level governments.)