According to a report on the website of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, on July 28, a symposium for leading officials from industrial and information technology authorities across the country was held in Beijing. The meeting summarized the work done in the first half of the year, analyzed the current situation, and laid out key tasks for the next phase, guiding the entire system to unite its efforts, stay motivated, and make every possible effort to achieve the annual goals and tasks.
 

The meeting pointed out that since the beginning of this year, China’s industrial economy has maintained steady operation, demonstrating strong resilience and vitality. The industrial structure continues to optimize, new growth drivers are steadily strengthening, industry governance has been enhanced, and high-quality development has achieved new successes. In the first half of the year, the value added of industrial enterprises above designated size nationwide increased by 6.4% year-on-year, with the value added of manufacturing increasing by 7% year-on-year. Among them, the value added of equipment manufacturing and high-tech manufacturing rose by 10.2% and 9.5% respectively year-on-year. The total volume of telecommunications services grew by 9.3% year-on-year, and revenue from the software and information technology services sector increased by 11.9% year-on-year. As of the end of June, the number of 5G base stations reached 4.55 million, and the number of in-use standard computing racks reached 10.43 million.

The meeting emphasized that, to do a good job in the second half of the year, we must earnestly implement the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, with a focus on “strengthening fundamentals and bolstering capabilities,” value creation, safety assurance, and industry governance, and place particular emphasis on eight key areas of work.

First, we will implement the strategy of expanding domestic demand and make every effort to consolidate the foundation of the industrial economy. We will launch a new round of initiatives aimed at stabilizing growth in the ten key industries, fully leveraging the leading role of major industrial provinces. We will formulate an action plan to enhance the alignment between supply and demand for consumer goods and thereby boost consumption. We will accelerate the development and promotion of applications for technologies such as AI-powered terminals, ultra-high-definition video, smart wearables, and drones. We will promote the drafting of guidelines on financial support for new industrialization and expand the implementation of the special initiative “Integration of Technology, Industry, and Finance.” We will speed up and intensify efforts to clear overdue payments owed to enterprises, establish and improve a long-term regulatory mechanism for enterprise-related fees, and ensure that policies designed to help and relieve businesses are effectively implemented and refined. We will continue to maintain steady development in the tobacco industry.

Second, we will intensify efforts to promote high-quality development of key industrial chains and proactively and steadily address risks and challenges. We will step up efforts to address shortcomings, build on strengths, and strengthen safeguards, fully advancing the goal of achieving independent and controllable key industrial chains and enhancing the security of strategic mineral resources. We will continue to organize and successfully carry out industrial transfer and matchmaking events, thereby promoting the optimization of the global layout of key industrial chains.

Third, we will further intensify the integrated development of technological innovation and industrial innovation to enhance the core competitiveness of our industries. We will ensure the effective implementation of major national science and technology projects and key special programs under the National Key Research and Development Plan, strengthen the construction of scientific and technological innovation platforms, and bolster the cultivation of incubators for technology-based enterprises. We will launch an initiative to foster and expand emerging industrial sectors, refining policies to support the development of industries such as humanoid robots, the Internet of Things, and high-end instruments and meters. We will also improve policy measures for the innovative development of service-oriented manufacturing, elevate the level of industrial design, vigorously promote industrial culture, and facilitate the deep integration of culture and industry. Furthermore, we will optimize the spatial layout of the defense science and technology industry. We will drive high-quality development of national high-tech zones and advance the construction of the Harbin-Changchun-Shenyang-Dalian Industrial Science and Technology Innovation Corridor.

Fourth, we will deepen the application of digital technologies and promote the deep integration of informatization and industrialization. We will formulate implementation guidelines for leveraging data elements to drive new industrialization and accelerate the digital transformation of industries. We will refine policies to support the high-quality development of foundational software and industrial software. We will further enhance China’s open-source ecosystem and establish a national-level open-source community for artificial intelligence. We will focus on piloting new technological upgrades in manufacturing cities and launching a pilot program involving 100 cities to help small and medium-sized enterprises undergo digital transformation. We will push forward the “AI + Manufacturing” initiative in a substantive and practical manner, strengthening research on core technologies and promoting applications in key scenarios. We will deepen the application of the industrial internet at different levels and categories, and cultivate a group of industrial intelligent agents.

Fifth, we must uphold green development and enhance industrial energy efficiency and the level of green development. We will establish a standardized system for calculating the carbon footprint of industrial products and promote the construction of digital energy and carbon management centers. We will focus on fostering and developing “zero-waste parks” and “zero-waste enterprises.” We will strengthen the management of the recycling and utilization of power batteries for new-energy vehicles and lithium-ion batteries for electric bicycles. We will implement a plan to upgrade and expand the scope of green factories and launch an initiative to enhance green and low-carbon supply chains. We will also reinforce safety production efforts and comprehensively complete the relocation and upgrading of hazardous chemical production enterprises.

Sixth, we will promote high-quality development of the information and communications industry, consolidating and enhancing our competitive advantages and leading position. We will accelerate the popularization and quality improvement of 5G and gigabit optical networks, continue to advance the special “Signal Upgrade” initiative, and intensify efforts to pilot 10-gigabit optical networks. We will systematically advance the planning and deployment of computing power centers, enhancing both the supply capacity and utilization efficiency of intelligent computing resources. We will fully promote the electronic licensing of telecommunications business operation permits and optimize market access for satellite communication services. We will establish a national integrated emergency communications support hub. We will focus on delivering practical, heartwarming services in the information and communications sector and deepen efforts to prevent and combat telecom and cyber fraud. We will strengthen radio management and make every effort to ensure radio security, communication services, and cybersecurity during major events.

Seventh, we will improve and refine the tiered cultivation system for high-quality enterprises and strengthen and enhance enterprise services. We will issue policy documents to establish mechanisms that promote the growth and development of specialized, sophisticated, and innovative small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), revise the Management Measures for the Recognition of High-Tech Enterprises, explore the establishment of a proactive identification mechanism for high-quality enterprises, and promote the implementation of a mechanism that allows eligible preferential policies to be enjoyed automatically without the need for separate review. We will also build and effectively utilize the China SME Service Network.

Eighth, we must further deepen reform in a comprehensive manner and enhance the modernization of industry governance. We will accelerate the implementation of reform tasks and do a solid job in drafting the 15th Five-Year Plan. We will consolidate the achievements of the comprehensive rectification of “involutionary” competition in the new-energy vehicle industry, strengthen governance in key sectors such as photovoltaics, and use standards-driven improvements to compel outdated production capacity to exit the market. We will also reinforce the development of a system of mandatory national standards in the fields of industry and information technology. Moreover, we will bolster the building of our cadre and talent teams and continue to optimize and strengthen the National Base for Practicing Outstanding Engineers. We will focus on creating distinctive “big ideological and political courses” tailored to the industrial and information technology sector and propel the “Double First-Class” initiative among universities under the ministry to a new level.

The meeting emphasized that China is currently in the critical flood-control period—“from July to August”—a time when flood-control and disaster-relief efforts are particularly demanding. Natural disasters and safety accidents in production are occurring with increasing frequency. All localities must earnestly ensure smooth communications and adequate emergency supplies, thereby effectively safeguarding the lives and property of the people.