Report on the Work of the Guangdong Government

Delivered at the Second Session of the 14th Guangdong Provincial People’s Congress on January 23, 2024

— WANG Weizhong, Governor of Guangdong Province

Fellow Deputies,

On behalf of the Guangdong Provincial People’s Government, I will now report to you on the work of the government for your deliberation and approval. I also invite comments from the members of the Guangdong Provincial Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and other attendees of the session.

I. Review of the Work in 2023

The year 2023 marked the beginning of the all-around implementation of the guiding principles of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and witnessed economic recovery and growth after adjusting COVID-19 response measures over the past three years. General Secretary Xi Jinping visited Guangdong, expressing earnest hopes for us to remain committed to the goal of building a great country and achieving national rejuvenation. Highlighting the primary task of high-quality development and the strategic task of fostering a new development paradigm, he urged Guangdong to maintain its leadership position in comprehensively deepening the reform, expanding high-level opening up, enhancing self-reliance and strength in science and technology, building a modern industrial system, and promoting coordinated urban-rural and regional development. Guangdong was also encouraged to exemplify as a front-runner in advancing Chinese modernization. New identities were given to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) as the strategic stronghold in the new development paradigm, a demonstration zone for high-quality development, and a bellwether in Chinese modernization. General Secretary Xi Jinping sent congratulatory letters to the Forum on Building up China’s Cultural Strength, the Understanding China Conference (Guangzhou), and the Imperial Springs International Forum. His enduring support inspired our confidence and resolve to forge ahead in the new journey. By following the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, we endeavored to implement General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important speeches and instructions during his inspection of Guangdong, resolutely delivered the decisions of the Party Central Committee, and focused on every detail in executing the State Council’s work arrangement. Our work was guided by the wise leadership of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee and was subject to the supervision and support of the Guangdong Provincial People’s Congress and its Standing Committee and the Guangdong Provincial Committee of the CPPCC. We fully and faithfully applied the new development philosophy on all fronts, gave support to and integrated Guangdong into the new development paradigm, and attained new progress in socioeconomic development by upholding fundamental principles while breaking new ground.

In the past year, we focused on accomplishing the mission and tasks assigned by General Secretary Xi Jinping, delivered the “1310” Development Scheme proposed by the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee, and contributed Guangdong examples to Chinese modernization. The Third Plenary Session of the 13th CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee made specific arrangements for pursuing the overarching goal of leading the path forward, unleashing the three driving forces of reform, opening up, and innovation, and striving to achieve breakthroughs in ten aspects. Following the construction plan and tasks set by the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee, we embarked on a new, pathbreaking journey to create a new Guangdong. Our development agenda was in full swing, with achievements in advancing the GBA in the new phase, implementing the High-quality Development Project for Guangdong Counties, Towns and Villages, prioritizing the manufacturing industry as the pillar, bolstering high-level self-reliance and strength in science and technology, enhancing marine economy and industries, promoting Green and Beautiful Guangdong Campaign, enhancing the cultural strength, enabling common prosperity, advancing the building of a Safe Guangdong and a Law-governed Guangdong, and consolidating the Party’s overall leadership and Party building. These deliverables represent our resounding message of leading the path forward and setting development benchmarks in this era.

In the past year, we prioritized high-quality development in our modernization drive and harnessedthe strength of all sectorsto form a clear orientation of promoting high-quality development. The CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee and the Provincial People’s Government convened the Guangdong High-quality Development Conference on the first working day after the Spring Festival. Local governments and provincial departments demonstrated their unyielding determination and vowed to take stronger actions. The entire province was mobilized and sounded the horn of progress, achieving greater economic prosperity with higher quality. The ratio of primary to secondary to tertiary industries was adjusted to 4.1:40.1:55.8. The added value of the manufacturing sector accounted for 32.7% of the regional GDP, that of modern services accounted for 65% of the service sector, and that of the financial industry surpassed 1.2 trillion yuan. Industrial enterprises above the designated scale exceeded 71,000, and high-tech enterprises exceeded 75,000, both ranking first in the country. The Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou technology cluster has been ranked second in the Global Innovation Index released by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) for four straight years. The provincial R&D expenditure reached about 460 billion yuan, accounting for 3.39% of the regional GDP. Guangdong topped the list for regional comprehensive innovation capacity in China for seven years in a row.

In the past year, we resolutely shouldered the responsibility of being an economic powerhouse and ballast andremained committed to economic growth, project delivery, and overall development. Guangdong’s economy recovered against headwinds. Guangdong’s GDP reached 13.57 trillion yuan, up 4.8%. Guangdong is the first province to exceed 13 trillion yuan and has held the top place in China for 35 consecutive years. Guangzhou’s economic output exceeded 3 trillion yuan. General public budget revenue registered 1.39 trillion yuan, up 4.3%. The total retail sales of consumer goods amounted to 4.7 trillion yuan, up 5.8%. Shenzhen became Guangdong’s second city, with a consumption revenue surpassing one trillion yuan. Imports and exports withstood pressure and realized positive growth against all odds. The added value of industries above the designated scale exceeded 4 trillion yuan, up 4.4%, and industrial investment maintained double-digit growth for 36 straight months. Foshan became the second city in Guangdong with the total output value of above-scale industries exceeding 3 trillion yuan. The number of business entities stood above 18 million, a net increase of 1.728 million in the past year. Individual businesses increased to over 10 million, and enterprises reached 7.8 million, accounting for 1/7 of China. These figures indicate positive signs of strong resilience and vitality.

One cannot understand how challenging things are to achieve without self-participation. Here are the main deliverables of the past year:

First, we were committed to the extensive and intensive advancement of the GBA in the new phase, which drove the endeavor to deepen reform and opening up on all fronts in Guangdong. The State Council issued the Development Plan for Shenzhen Park of Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Technology and Innovation Cooperation Zone, approving the overall development plans for Guangdong-Macao In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin and Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone. New major opportunities were brought to the GBA. We enhanced infrastructure connectivity. Guangzhou Railway Station-Guangzhou South Railway Station Link, Nansha-Zhuhai (Zhongshan) Intercity Railway, and the airport section of the Guangzhou-Heyuan High-speed Railway started construction. The main section of the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Bridge was completed, reducing the travel time between the two cities to half an hour upon its opening this year. Pazhou Hong Kong and Macao Ferry Terminal opened for service, creating a new waterway of travel between the mainland and the special administrative regions. The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge began trial operation for tourism, and the traffic volume reached a record high. We facilitated all-around “soft” alignment of rules and mechanisms, launched the Digital GBA program, and released 110 GBA standards. A total of 108 demanding government service items became available for processing in Guangdong and Hong Kong. Facilitation measures and initiatives bore fruits in Hong Kong Cars Going Northward, Macao Cars Going Northward, Fly-Via-Zhuhai-Hong Kong policy, talent endorsement, and interest rate Swap Connect. The pilot program for Hong Kong and Macao lawyers to practice in the mainland was extended for three more years. Living and working in the GBA became more convenient for residents in the three places. We energetically promoted the building of the Shenzhen Pilot Demonstration Area of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics, with 22 innovative measures and models from comprehensive reform pilots scaled up nationwide. We facilitated the development of major cooperation platforms. We introduced the Regulations for Developing the Guangdong-Macao In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin and the Regulations for Deepening Globally-oriented Comprehensive Cooperation among Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao in Nansha. We implemented Hengqin 30 Financial Measures and Qianhai 30 Financial Measures and delegated 266 provincial administrative items to these platforms. For Hengqin, we liberalized special measures on market access, put the catalog of encouraged industries into effect, and expedited the introduction of industrial projects. Guangdong Provincial Laboratory for Traditional Chinese Medicine was founded. We introduced supporting financial and tax policies and customs supervision measures for the “line-based management” and completed the construction and acceptance inspection of the “second-line” customs channel, allowing eligible Macao residents to bring animal and plant products into the Zone. Qianhai cumulatively attracted 152 top global service providers, expanded the scope of professions subject to filing management for Hong Kong and Macao professionals to 22 categories, and successfully launched China’s first dual-licensed foreign bank. The development of Nansha gained speed. The state issued opinions supporting Nansha to liberalize market access and strengthen regulatory system reforms. The International General Terminal’s main project started construction. Chinese Enterprises “Going Global” Comprehensive Service Base was inaugurated, attracting nearly 3,000 Hong Kong and Macao enterprises, with the total investment exceeding 100 billion dollars. Shenzhen Park of Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone opened, and the first batch of 16 Hong Kong S&T organizations, enterprises, and service platforms moved in. Seizing the opportunity of the 45th anniversary of reform and opening up, we pushed forward creative and trend-setting reforms and started pilot reforms for some fiscal funds to be used as investment, replacing subsidies. Local state-owned enterprise (SOE) reforms and the provincial government’s quality-related work were rated as national level A. We launched a three-year action plan to build an international first-class business environment in GBA. For four consecutive years, Guangdong has been recognized as the province with China’s best reputation for its business environment. The State Council approved the Overall Program for Deepening Cross-Strait Innovative Development and Cooperation in Dongguan. The China (Guangdong) Pilot Free Trade Zone’s role as a hub for opening up became more prominent, making it a pilot area in China for advancing high-standard institutional opening up in line with international standards. We played our part in jointly building the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The trains of China-Europe Railway Express increased by 31.2%. The number of international sister provinces (states) and cities in Guangdong and foreign consulates general in Guangzhou increased to 208 and 68, respectively. Guangdong’s international friend circle steadily grew, and its global influence and competitiveness continued to rise.

Second, we implemented the top agenda ofthe High-quality Development Project for Guangdong Counties, Towns and Villages, creating new scenarios for coordinated urban-rural and regional development. By applying the experiences of Zhejiang’s Rural Demonstration and Improvement Program, we established a “1+N+X” policy system and selected 22 counties (cities, districts), 110 towns, and 1,062 villages (neighborhoods) as the first batch of demonstration areas. This system enabled us to better leverage the advantages of the county, the characteristics of the town, and the resources of the village and boosted the transformation of shortcomings into potentials. Focusing on the county as a key point of effort, we launched three-level enhancement actions for counties based on their development performance. We developed industries that prosper counties and people, such as food processing, cultural events, and tourism. We facilitated the construction of 33 commercial demonstration counties, and two counties were selected as national key counties for leisure agriculture. The development of characteristic and advantageous industries demonstrated diverse potentials in counties. We delegated administrative authorities to counties to release their potential, and leading counties had a larger jurisdiction over their administrative affairs. We delegated 60 provincial administrative items to cities and counties and extended the fiscal reform on counties directly under the provincial government to all 57 counties (cities), further expanding the autonomy of county-level resource integration and use. We advanced new urbanization and strengthened central towns, specialized towns, and characteristic towns, and 112 were selected to the list of China’s top 1,000 towns. Rural construction actions were launched. The coverage rate of rural large-scale water supply projects was increased from 78% to 83%, benefiting over 52 million people. We put into operation a public backbone cold chain supply and marketing network for agricultural products and built and upgraded 6,958 kilometers of rural roads. There were three new national rural revitalization demonstration counties, accumulating to seven, and ten new Chinese beautiful leisure villages, accumulating to 62. We launched the Farmland Chief System. We built 1.698 million mu (about 1.132 billion m²) of high-standard farmland, exceeding the annual task of 1 million mu (about 667 million m²) assigned by the state. We reclaimed 53,100 mu (about 35.4 million m²) of paddy fields and promoted the re-cultivation of abandoned farmland on schedule. The near-term project at Heyuan’s Dengta Basin irrigation area was completed, alleviating water shortages for nearly 200,000 mu (about 133.4 million m²) of farmland. Significant strides were taken in developing a thriving agricultural sector. We cultivated two new national advantageous specialty industry clusters and three modern agricultural industrial parks. Specialty agricultural products like pineapples and pomelos thrived in both production and sales. The production of oil-tea camellia outperformed the expected target. Rice and hog breeding maintained the leading place in the country, and the output of aquatic fries, total output of aquatic products, and the total import and export of agricultural products all ranked first in China. We delivered the important instruction of General Secretary Xi Jinping that solving the preservation issue is essential for developing the lychee industry. We advocated integrated technology for whole-chain lychee preservation, extending the freshness preservation of some varieties from six days to one month. Fresh lychees were sold well to Europe and the US, and the export volume increased by 59.2%. The per capita disposable income of rural residents rose by 6.5%, narrowing the income ratio between urban and rural residents to 2.36:1. We deepened the national pilot reform of the homestead system and promoted the pilot program of releasing rural collectively-owned commercial construction land into the market. Yunfu and other places actively explored approaches to foster a new type of rural collective economy. Villages with a weak collective economy earning less than 100,000 yuan annually largely became a past story. Agricultural loans grew by 21.4%, a 10-year high. We advanced the province-wide pilot program of comprehensive land improvement, consolidating 61,000 mu (about 41 million m²) of agricultural land and 64,000 mu (about 43 million m²) of construction land and restoring 131,000 mu (about 87 million m²) of ecological protection land. The rural landscape kept improving with five new national rural governance demonstration towns and 49 new demonstration villages. We prioritized the orderly transfer of industries in implementing the High-quality Development Project for Guangdong Counties, Towns and Villages. We set up a provincial industrial transfer fund of 24 billion yuan, arranged 10,000 mu (about 7 million m²) of land use allowance to support the construction of 15 main platforms, and undertook more than 650 new industrial transfer projects with a total investment surpassing 320 billion yuan. We established a new mechanism for collaboration and assistance and achieved full coverage of horizontal assistance to cities and counties in eastern, western, and northern Guangdong. The campaign paring higher learning institutions with counties was in full swing. We successfully held a trade and investment fair for economic collaboration between the Pearl River Delta and eastern, western, and northern Guangdong. We issued the regulations for the Shenzhen-Shanwei Special Cooperation Zone, formulated several measures to support Meizhou’s integration into the GBA to speed up its revitalization, and quickened the pace of revival in old revolutionary base areas and high-quality development in regions with large ethnic minority populations. We accomplished the task of the High-quality Development Project for Guangdong Counties, Towns and Villages in the starting year. Leading counties were mobilized to set examples for towns and villages. Counties, towns, and villages are witnessing a remarkable surge in high-quality development, and we can anticipate their profound and remarkable transformation.

Third, we made important progress in modernizing our industrial system by prioritizing the real economy as the foundation and the manufacturing industry as the pillar. We issued opinions on enhancing Guangdong’s high-quality manufacturing competitiveness, introduced regulations for promoting high-quality development of the manufacturing industry, and took concrete actions in implementing the Five Enhancement Actions to advance new industrialization. We set up the industrial backbone with major industries. We further enhanced eight one trillion yuan-level industrial clusters and expedited the development of new energy, ultra-high-definition (UHD) displays, biomedicine, and high-end equipment manufacturing to new one trillion yuan and 500 billion yuan-level industrial clusters. GAC AION Smart Ecological Factory was selected as the world’s sole “Lighthouse Factory” of new energy vehicles (NEVs). The BYD auto industrial park in Shenzhen-Shanwei Special Cooperation Zone and Xpeng Motors’ Guangzhou factory became fully operational. Xpeng’s Smart Manufacturing Research Institute in Zhaoqing was completed for operation. Guangdong’s NEV production reached 2.53 million units. For every four NEVs in China, one is made in Guangdong. A slew of policies were issued to promote the development of new energy storage industries. We established China’s only new energy storage innovation center operated and supported by both the central and local governments. There are 100 new energy storage projects under construction with a total investment of 229 billion yuan. Projects like the second stage of CATL’s project in Zhaoqing began construction. Foshan Baotang New Energy Storage Power Plant was completed and commenced operations. Constructed in a single phase, it is China’s largest independent grid-side energy storage power plant. The installed capacity of new energy storage power plants exceeded 1.6 gigawatts. Guangdong boasts the most extensive infrastructure in China’s energy storage battery industry. We conducted the Powerful Guangdong-Made Chips initiative and automobile chip application-driven development projects. Two 12-inch chip manufacturing lines and a high-end photomask production line were completed and put into operation. All-out efforts were made to build China’s third hub of integrated circuits.We upgraded and empowered the development potential of major platforms. We constructed a number of high-standard industrial parks and platforms with an area exceeding 10,000 mu (about 6.67 million m²) and an output of over 100 billion yuan, accelerated the construction of seven large industrial clusters, and built two new provincial industrial parks, primarily achieving full coverage of provincial industrial parks in counties in eastern, western, and northern Guangdong. We established a limit of 6.01 million mu (about 4.01 billion m²) for industrial land use and upgraded nearly 7,000 mu (about 4.7 million m²) of industrial clusters in villages and towns, creating new space for industrial transformation and upgrading. We built ten new national industrial design centers, and Foshan was selected as a national role model representing the service-oriented manufacturing cities. We expanded the size and number of major projects.We focused on the construction of major manufacturing projects with an investment of at least 5 billion yuan and ensured the land supply for advanced manufacturing projects with an investment exceeding 50 million yuan as best we could. For the whole year, 404,000 mu(about 270 million m²) of land was approved for construction, up 38%. With an investment of about 70 billion yuan, the Jieyang CNPC refining and chemical integration project was fully commissioned. It is China’s largest single-phase-constructed refining and chemical integration project and offers a full range of products. We started the construction of the CSPC Ethylene Phase III Project in Huizhou, with an investment exceeding 50 billion yuan, and the Maoming Petrochemical upgrading project, with an investment of about 30 billion yuan. Each of Zhanjiang BASF and Huizhou ExxonMobil projects had an annual investment of over 10 billion yuan.We improved the performance and efficiency of major enterprises. We cumulatively incubated 132 national single-product manufacturing champions and 1,528 national “little-giant” enterprises producing unique and novel products with specialized and sophisticated technologies. There were 19 companies in the world’s top 500 list. The total number of A-share listed companies and the number of new domestic and foreign listed companies ranked first in China. We optimized the overall business environment. We issued favorable policies on promoting high-quality development of private economy, nurturing and supporting individual businesses, developing finance leasing, and reducing manufacturing costs. Tax and fee cuts, tax refunds, and deferrals reached over 200 billion yuan. Manufacturing loans exceeded 3 trillion yuan, up 24.4%. We facilitated the incorporation of 19,000 individual businesses, a new high in nearly five years. We supported over 7,000 small enterprises in upgrading to a level above the designated scale. The provincial government allocated another one billion yuan to support the digital transformation of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). We promoted the digital transformation of more than 5,000 industrial enterprises above the designated scale. Shenzhen and Dongguan became national pilot cities for the digital transformation of SMEs. We introduced Ten Measures for Technological Transformation and supported the technological upgrading of more than 9,300 industrial enterprises. The growth rate of investment in this regard hit a six-year high. Guangdong is taking a more assertive and robust approach to erect its industrial backbone of modernization.

Fourth, we took an integrated approach to bolster Guangdong’s advancement in education, S&T innovation, and human resources, with high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and strength unleashing boundless potential. Driven by the goal of transforming the GBA into an international hub of S&T innovation, we accelerated the establishment of the whole-process innovation chain featuring “basic research + technological breakthroughs + achievement commercialization + fintech + human resources”. Guangdong secured the top position in China regarding the number of R&D personnel, the number of valid invention patents, the number of high-value invention patents, the number of valid registered trademarks, and the number of PCT international patent applications. We made Guangdong a demonstration site for S&T system reform. We launched a three-year campaign for S&T system reform, innovatively established a mission-oriented evaluation system for S&T programs, and deepened the pilot reform for the management of job-related S&T achievements. We made Guangdong a significant contributor to original innovation. We allocated over 1/3 of provincial strategic special funds for S&T innovation and development to basic research. Peng Cheng Laboratory and Guangzhou Laboratory became fully operational. Establishment approval of 15 national key laboratories was granted. Major S&T infrastructure projects, such as human cell lineage, advanced attosecond lasers, and Cold Spring ecosystems, were approved. We made Guangdong a source of critical core technologies and advanced major S&T projects such as core software breakthrough programs and the Cuican Action (for the display industry). Breakthroughs were achieved in new-generation telecommunications, terminal operating systems, industrial software, energy storage, and new energy. High-end Kirin chips achieved self-directed application on a large scale. The extracorporeal membrane oxygenation machine, high-end nuclear magnetic resonance equipment, and high-end surgical robots broke foreign monopolies. The companies demonstrated robust and evolving technological innovation capabilities. We made Guangdong an ideal place for commercializing S&T achievements and advanced the establishment of the “1+9+N” system of the Greater Bay Area National Center of Technology Innovation. Two national industrial innovation centers in biology and nanotechnology were approved for construction. Guangzhou and Shenzhen were included in the first batch of cities to construct national intellectual property rights (IPR) protection demonstration zones. Pre-tax weighted deduction for R&D expenses enjoyed by Guangdong’s enterprises are expected to register more than 680 billion yuan, and the recognized and registered amount of technology contracts will exceed 440 billion yuan, accounting for about 1/10 of the country’s total. We made Guangdong a hub for in-depth integration of science, technology, and finance. We promoted the operation of the provincial innovation and entrepreneurship fund and carried out the pilot project to link subsidies, investments, and loans. There were 50 newly listed technology enterprises. The balance of S&T credit exceeded 2.3 trillion yuan, ranking first in the country. Science and technology insurance provided 2 trillion yuan of risk protection for 89,600 enterprises. The amount of IPR pledge financing reached 230.7 billion yuan, doubling year-on-year. We made Guangdong a high-level talent hub in the GBA. There were 220 disciplines from 28 universities ranking in the top 1% of the ESI global rankings, with 27 in the top 1‰. South China University of Technology and Southern Medical University were approved to establish the National Distinctive Engineers College. Six universities, including Sun Yat-sen University, received approval for their project proposal to establish centers of excellence for tertiary basic research at the provincial level. Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou) enrolled undergraduate students for the first time. Shenzhen and Foshan were selected to the first batch of national city-level industry-education alliances. Shenzhen Polytechnic University became the first publicly funded undergraduate-level vocational school approved during the 14th Five-Year Plan period. There were 940,000 high-level and 6.9 million highly-skilled talents in the province, with more coming from home and abroad.

Fifth, we made every effort to expand domestic demand and stabilize foreign demand, further enhancing the linkage between the domestic and international markets. Fully leveraging the key role of investment, we prioritized the preliminary work of projects and adopted innovative mechanisms such as parallel approval and joint acceptance. We secured 463.3 billion yuan of local government special bonds, ranking first among all provinces in the country, and the approval for the additional issuance of national debt funds of 25.47 billion yuan. We introduced 146 high-quality projects to private capital, and fixed asset investment rose 2.5% in the province. We expedited the construction of major infrastructure projects. We started the construction of the Shenzhen-Nanning High-Speed Railway and the Wuping-Meizhou High-Speed Railway and completed the quality improvement and renovation of the Guiyang-Guangzhou High-Speed Railway. We completed the expansion of the Conghua-Huangpu Expressway, the Huizhou-Longmen Expressway, and the Huizhou Airport flight area. A direct flight from Guangzhou to Papua New Guinea was launched, becoming the first regular commercial route between the Chinese mainland and South Pacific Island countries. The completion and operation of Guangzhou Baiyun Railway Station marked the addition of another integrated world-class transportation hub in Guangdong. The Guangzhou-Shanwei-Shantou High-Speed Railway, with a speed of 350 km/h, started operation, reducing the travel time between Guangzhou and Shantou to 1.5 hours. Its opening accelerated the integration of eastern Guangdong into the one-hour traffic circle of the GBA. Guangdong became the first province in China to invest over 100 billion yuan in water conservancy projects. The Guangdong water resources allocation project in Beibu Gulf Rim entered the full construction stage. With a total investment of 35.4 billion yuan, the Pearl River Delta Water Resource Allocation Project will transfer water soon. We sped up the construction of new infrastructure, such as Shaoguan Data Center Cluster, and built 56,000 new 5G base stations and 110,000 public charging piles. We introduced promotion policies, including Seven Measures to Boost Consumption, Measures to Boost Automobile Consumption, and Measures to Boost Home Appliance Consumption. Over 340 consumption promotion events were held jointly by the province and its cities. Consumers spent over 8.39 billion yuan using 570 million yuan worth of consumption coupons, driving the recovery of cultural tourism, catering, accommodation, and night-time consumption. Online retail sales grew by 9.4%, ranking first in scale in China. We explored the opportunities with integrated measures in five foreign-related fields. We issued policies such as Eight Measures for Stabilizing Foreign Trade and 13 Measures for Processing Trade. We successfully held China Hi-Tech Fair, China Processing Trade Products Fair, China International SME Fair, and expos under the Guangdong Trade Worldwide initiative. Canton Fair fully resumed its onsite exhibition with an export turnover of 44 billion dollars, and its total exhibition area and the number of participating companies reached an all-time high. The construction of the first batch of 32 projects at the six major import bases was in full swing, further enhancing the province’s capabilities in commodity distribution and resource allocation. We gained the approval and launched the GBA Global Trade Digitalization Pioneer Zone, Guangzhou Knowledge City Comprehensive Bonded Zone, and Foshan Comprehensive Bonded Zone. The total amount of import and export of cross-border e-commerce exceeded 800 billion yuan, accounting for more than 1/3 of the country. Exports of NEVs, lithium batteries, and solar cells, referred to as the “new three items,” increased by 229%, 15.9%, and 22.6%, respectively. We introduced the 20 Measures to Attract Investment and 17 Measures for Foreign Investment in Manufacturing. Major events were held, including China-GCC Economic and Trade Cooperation Forum, Overseas Chinese Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Conference, China Overseas Chinese Business Investment (Guangdong) Conference, World Guangdong Entrepreneurs Convention, and World Hakka Entrepreneurs Convention. The 2023 Global Investment Promotion Conference for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area closed 859 projects totaling 2.24 trillion yuan. Guangdong’s actual use of foreign capital amounted to 159.16 billion yuan. The foreign capital utilized in manufacturing rose by 11.7%, and its share exceeded 30% for the first time since 2019. Guangdong has become a magnet attracting global high-end resources.

Sixth, we improved the overall planning of land and marine resources and enhanced mutual support between the hinterlands and coastal areas, taking major steps forward in enhancing marine economy and industries. We implemented a three-year action plan to enhance marine economy and industries. The gross marine product accounted for 14% of the regional GDP, ranking first in the country for 29 consecutive years. We drew up a general plan for developing modern marine farms, promoted the construction of three national-level fishery economic port zones, and started the construction of 40 new modern marine farm projects with a total investment of over 12 billion yuan. Raoping, Chaozhou, became the first to breed lateolabrax japonicus in Guangdong. The building of the world’s largest water-body natural exchange aquaculture workboat Jiuzhou No.1 started. China’s first integrated wind-fishery smart aquaculture platformMingyu No.1 and first self-elevating truss-type net cage were put into production. We vigorously developed port-related industries. Zhanjiang’s Wushi Oilfield Cluster, Guangdong’s first onshore processing project for oil and gas exploited neritic zone, achieved new development. Huizhou Daya Bay Petrochemical Zone topped the national ranking in terms of the refining and chemical integration scale. We accelerated the development of offshore wind power. We expedited the construction of Yangjiang International Wind Power City took shape, Shantou International Wind Power Innovation Port, Shanwei Marine Equipment Base, and Jieyang Operation and Maintenance Base. The annual production capacity of wind turbines was about 1,000 units (sets). Installed offshore wind power capacity increased by two gigawatts, totaling over ten gigawatts. We promoted the clustered development of marine equipment. Zhuhai Yun (Zhuhai Cloud) was delivered. It is the world’s first smart scientific research ship capable of autonomous navigation and remote control. The transportation capacity of LNG single-fuel-powered ships ranked first in the country. We established a linked approval mechanism for maritime projects and achieved “starting work upon approval for sea area use”. The annual approval of sea use amounted to 263,600 mu (about 176 million m²), up 20%. We carried out the Five Major Projects for marine ecological protection and restoration, with seven islands selected as national-level harmonious and beautiful islands. We successfully held the 2023 China Marine Economy Expo and other events, fostering an encouraging environment for active participation in marine economy and industries. The powerful Guangdong blue engine is operating at full capacity.

Seventh, we were committed to the Green and Beautiful Guangdong Campaign and witnessed continuous improvement in ecological environment. We stayed true to the principle that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets, strictly implemented the Three Spaces and Three Lines program, and pushed forward the river and lake chief system and the forest chief system. We delivered the Six Actions for the ecological conservation under the Green and Beautiful Guangdong Campaign and accelerated the transition from “greener” to “more beautiful”. Prioritizing forest stand optimization and forest form improvement, we outperformed the “two 2 million mu” (about 1.3 billion m²⁾ task: optimizing and upgrading forest stands and upgrading forest seedling protection. We built 104 forest villages and 1,064 kilometers of greenway and cumulatively opened 54,000 mu (36 million m²) of urban green space. The beautiful environment integrating the city with the forest is rapidly taking shape. We were active in establishing Nanling National Forest Park and Danxiashan National Park and building South China National Botanical Garden and four 10,000-acre-level mangrove demonstration areas. Shenzhen officially became the host of the International Mangrove Center. Guangdong’s land space planning was approved by the State Council, which was the first one to integrate multiple plans in the province. We tackled nearly 400,000 mu (about 267 million m²) of approved but unprovided land and 44,300 mu (about 30 million m²) of unused land. The region’s land conservation and intensification practices are among the most exemplary in China. We focused on the sources to fight against air, water, and soil pollution. The average concentration of PM_2.5 was 21 micrograms per cubic meter, and the ratio of days with good or excellent air quality reached 94.8%. The quality of surface water cross-sections, which was rated good or excellent in the national assessment, reached 91.9%, with under-Class V surface water completely eliminated. We constructed more than 8,000 kilometers of urban sewage networks, enhanced the daily waste processing capacity by 4,100 tons, and achieved excellent grades in the performance assessment of the nationwide battle to prevent and control pollution for three consecutive years. We improved the carbon footprint standards system. High-tech zones in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Zhaoqing were included in the first batch of the nation’s pilot areas for peak carbon dioxide emissions. The total transaction value of Guangdong’s carbon emission allowances ranked first among regional carbon markets in China, and the balance of its green credit exceeded 3 trillion yuan, doubling in two years. The green transformation of traditional industries accelerated. China’s first million-ton-level hydrogen-based vertical furnace project was ignited and put into operation in the Baosteel plant in Zhanjiang, reducing carbon dioxide emissions for the same amount of liquid iron production by more than 500,000 tons per year. It presents a breakthrough in the green and low-carbon development of the iron and steel industry. We started the construction of Lufeng Nuclear Power Plant Unit 6 and the pumped storage hydropower plants in Langjiang (Zhaoqing) and Zhongdong (Huizhou). The second phase of the Taipingling Nuclear Power Plant in Huizhou was approved. The proportion of clean energy installations in Guangdong increased to 62.6%. The blue skies above Guangdong are cleaner, its land greener, and its waters clearer.

Eighth, we exerted ourselves to the fullest extent to prevent and mitigate major risks and maintained overall social stability and peace. We vigilantly guarded against and severely combated all types of infiltration, subversion, disturbance, and sabotage by hostile forces. We carried out regular campaigns against gangsters and organized crimes, punished illegal and criminal activities such as telecommunications and Internet fraud to the fullest extent of the law, and advanced the anti-drug campaign. Public security kept improving. We launched a three-year campaign to address the root causes of petition-related issues and effectively resolved a batch of such cases in key areas and long-standing unresolved ones. We acted prudently to resolve risks in real estate enterprises, consolidated the reform and risk-resolution achievements of small and medium-sized financial institutions, and kept government debt risks under control. We spared no effort to ensure the supply of energy resources such as coal and natural gas. The installed new energy capacity increased by over 21 gigawatts. We prevented power cuts and restrictions even when the load on the power grid broke records. Our efforts to maintain production safety are ingrained in every aspect of our dedicated endeavors to never let our guard down. We conducted special inspections for risks that could lead to major accidents. Production accidents were down by 7.6%, and no major or extraordinarily serious accidents happened. The provincial government’s food safety work has been rated National Grade A for five straight years. We de-risked and reinforced 849 at-risk reservoirs, completing the task assigned by the state two years ahead of schedule. We largely completed the main projects of the flood storage and retention area in the Pajiang River and the enhancement of the mainstream Xijiang River. We managed to handle 30 rounds of heavy rainfalls, six typhoons, and widespread low-temperature freezing weather. In particular, Typhoon Sura and Typhoon Haikui impacted Guangdong for 17 days, with precipitation in many places breaking historical records. Despite the extreme weather condition, grain production surpassed the nation’s set targets in terms of grain sowing areas and total output. The entire province united to combat and triumph over floods and typhoons to minimize disaster losses, effectively safeguard the well-being of the populace, and mitigate natural disasters.

Ninth, we enriched the availability of high-quality culture and ensured the prosperity of cultural events and the cultural industry. We expedited the construction of cultural facilities for the new era. The system of characteristic collections at the Guangzhou branch of the National Archives of Publications and Culture kept improving, and the structure of Bai’etan Greater Bay Area Art Center took shape. New cultural landmarks, such as Guangzhou Cultural and Arts Center, Guangzhou Cantonese Opera Theater, Guangzhou Museum of Art, and Shenzhen Art Museum, were built. More than 4,000 small and beautiful public cultural spaces, such as Guangdong Book Bar and Guangdong Cultural Studio, were created. We launched a program to support high-quality literary and artistic works and created many popular Lingnan-style productions, such as the TV series The Pearl River Family and the dance drama Wing Chun. Cantonese Opera movie White Snake: Love and Lady of Ch’iao Kuo won Huabiao Film Award and Golden Rooster Award, respectively. We conducted the Early Lingnan Origin Exploration Project and pushed forward the archaeological excavation of the sites in Modao Mountain of Yunan County (Yunfu) and in Qingtang Town and Yanshanzhai of Yingde County (Qingyuan). The underwater archaeological excavation of Nanhai I Shipwreck was completed, excavating the nation’s largest number of cultural relics in one single project. Chaozhou was listed as a national demonstration area for protecting and utilizing cultural relics. We developed new business forms, such as the digital creative industry and online webcasts. The number of national-level cultural industry demonstration parks increased to three, ranking first in China. The added value of the cultural and related industries has ranked first in the country for 19 consecutive years. Over 1,000 Lingnan-style cultural and tourism events were held, and projects, such as the Chikan Overseas Chinese Old Town in Jiangmen, were completed. Chaozhou was designated as a City of Gastronomy by the UNESCO. The Qingyuan Maglev Tourism Train started trial operation. Guangdong received over 777 million visitors, with total tourism revenue exceeding 950 billion yuan, both ranking first in China. The unique charm of Lingnan culture is blooming in the new era.

Tenth, we wholeheartedly implemented the Ten Major Projects for People’s Livelihood, steadily improving the quality of people’s lives. We kept directing financial resources towards people’s livelihood and the grassroots. The expenditures for people’s livelihood remained to account for 70% of the general public budget. The “Three Guarantees” policy at the grassroots level remained effective in ensuring people’s basic welfare. All ten people’s livelihood commitments promised by the provincial government were fulfilled. The 16 Measures for Stabilizing Employment was introduced to promote employment among key groups, such as college graduates and those having difficulty finding jobs. Over 1.34 million people were trained under the Cantonese Chefs, Guangdong Technicians, and Southern Guangdong Housekeepers programs. An additional 1.17 million migrant workers were employed in Guangdong, totaling 43.65 million. New urban jobs increased by 1.393 million, exceeding the national requirement of 1.1 million. The average urban surveyed unemployment rate was 5.3%. We actively advanced the basic education quality improvement project, ensuring that central kindergartens, central primary schools, and boarding schools in towns and county high schools were well-managed. We offered over 60,000 public preschool education places, over 300,000 public compulsory education places, and over 50,000 public high school places. The enrollment of 3.65 million students in compulsory education, a new high in recent years, was smoothly completed. We launched the campaign to transform Guangdong into a demonstration province of high-quality health and wellness services. Another three hospitals were selected as national-level regional medical centers, and six were rated as Grade A tertiary hospitals. All Grade A tertiary hospitals in Guangdong are now equipped with online service capacity. The first national key laboratory of traditional Chinese medicine was established in Guangdong. We deepened the reform of the disease control system and smoothly transitioned the COVID-19 response measures. We fully implemented the list-based system for medical insurance treatment, completed the reform of mutual-aid medical insurance covering outpatient medical bills for employees, and took the lead in realizing the intra-province cross-city recognition of designated diseases for outpatient medical bills covered by basic medical insurance and in the reform of payment methods for hospitalization. Medical expenses for non-local treatment achieved full coverage in three areas: eligible items for settlement, networked medical institutions, and eligible patients for settlement. The provincial medicine price index decreased by 17.55%. We emphasized the support for the elderly and the young. We spearheaded the provision of nursing subsidies for centralized child-rearing. We launched pilot programs of elderly-care financial service and built 3,431 Canteens for Senior Citizens to enable more senior citizens to conveniently have meals served near home. We improved the coverage and quality of social security and carried out pilot projects of occupational injury protection for employees in new business models across the province. Steady progress was achieved in increasing the minimum standards of pensions for enterprise retirees and basic pensions for urban and rural residents. The basic living allowance for urban and rural residents covered by the minimum living guarantee or in extreme poverty was further improved. We took the approach to combine restoration, improvement, and development in urban village renewal. We renovated 2,000 old urban residential neighborhoods and prepared to construct 271,000 units (rooms) of new affordable rental housing. A number of sports parks were renovated and expanded, and over 150,000 mass sports events were held. Zhongshan Shaxi and Dongguan Dalang won the championship and runner-up in the 2023 National Harmonious Rural Basketball Games (Cun BA), respectively. Guangdong athletes won 30 gold medals at the 19th Asian Games, breaking one world record and three Asian records. National defense mobilization was developed. People’s awareness of national defense was deepened, the quality of conscription was improved, the services for veterans were enhanced, and the support for military families kept increasing. Guangdong remained at the forefront in the implementation of assistance projects to Xizang Autonomous Region and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, of East-West partnerships, and other paired-up collaborations. We made steady progress in the work related to ethnic and religious affairs, trade unions, the Communist Youth League, affairs related to women and children, people with disabilities, literary and historical counseling and studies, local chronicles, archives, earthquakes, and meteorology, among others. People felt significant changes in our streams of efforts to improve what matters most to them and make substantial progress in the pursuit of happiness and a caring society.

Over the past year, we ensured deliverables in the initiative to practice Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. We gained a solid understanding of the decisive significance of establishing Comrade Xi Jinping’s core position in the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and the guiding role of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. We enhanced our consciousness of the need to maintain political integrity, think in big-picture terms, follow the leadership core, and keep in alignment. We stayed confident in the path, theory, system, and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics. We resolutely upheld the core position of General Secretary Xi Jinping and upheld the authority of the Party Central Committee and its centralized and unified leadership. Our efforts were navigated by the overarching principles of “learning the Thought to strengthen the sense of Party consciousness, enhance hands-on experience, and make new achievements” and condensed to fruits in forging our most fundamental beliefs, enhancing our wisdom, improving Party conduct, and boosting our dedication through this initiative. We continued to report the work to Guangdong Provincial People’s Congress and its Standing Committee and informed the work to Guangdong Provincial Committee of CPPCC, with 799 suggestions from deputies of the provincial People’s Congress and 683 proposals from the provincial CPPCC members processed. We improved the foundation of a law-based government, revised the working rules of the provincial government, improved the regulations for hearings on major administrative decisions, and completed the mid-term performance evaluation of the 14th Five-Year Plan. The Digital Government 2.0 scheme made progress, highlighted by the promulgation of China’s first regulation on digital government services. We offered more effective one-platform services in sharing data and coordinating government operations. We held the top spot in China for five years in a row regarding the integrated government service at the provincial level. We continued to ensure that the government is a prime example of austerity, reducing operational expenses of government departments by 10%. We regularly conducted economic check-ups to ensure that problems identified in audits were duly rectified. We strictly complied with the central Party leadership’s eight-point decision on improving conduct and its implementation rules, resolutely opposed formalities, bureaucracy, hedonism, and extravagance, and materialized the Four Tasks at the Grassroots mechanism. We advocated field investigations, helped solve real-life problems at the grassroots level, and incentivized local governments and departments that delivered tangible results. These efforts helped foster an enabling environment to encourage contributing building blocks in boosting development.

Fellow Deputies! Despite the arduous and challenging task in the past year, we sought progress while maintaining stability and achieved hard-won results. We faced the impacts of a sluggish global economic recovery and escalating geopolitical conflicts, severe challenges from overlapping issues in economic cycles and industrial structures, and the complex situation of intertwined outstanding and emerging contradictions and an increasing number of issues requiring delicate balancing in their solution. The entire province pulled together to ensure sustained improvement in economic performance, fundamental growth drivers, social expectations, and resolution in risks and hidden dangers. Our successes are attributed fundamentally to the visionary leadership of General Secretary Xi Jinping at the core position of the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and to the scientific guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. Our strides are also propelled by the wise leadership of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee and the unity of the people of Guangdong. On behalf of the People’s Government of Guangdong Province, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to people all across the province, deputies to the Guangdong Provincial People’s Congress, members of the CPPCC Guangdong Provincial Committee, other political parties, people’s organizations, people from all walks of life, central institutions based in Guangdong, officers and soldiers of the People’s Liberation Army, armed police officers, public security officers, commanders and fighters of the fire rescue teams, compatriots from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, overseas Chinese, and international friends!

At the same time, we are also acutely aware of the difficulties and challenges looming over Guangdong’s development. The foundation for the continuous recovery of our economy is not solid yet. As a province with a high degree of export orientation, we are rising to the challenges of navigating more direct impacts of external factors on our economy. There is a lack of effective demand, social expectations are not strong enough, and some businesses face difficulties. The development of new growth drivers needs to be improved, and the issue of core technologies being hampered by bottlenecks is still a major concern. The trend of uncoordinated and imbalanced urban and rural development has not been reversed, and we still fall short in employment, education, medical care, elderly care, and childcare. Saving energy and reducing consumption continue to be tough challenges, and environmental protection infrastructure is not yet fully in place for sewage treatment and garbage disposal. Risks and hidden dangers persist in sectors such as real estate and finance, and some cities and counties struggle to balance fiscal revenue and expenditure. Some officials lack the initiative to forge ahead, and the efficiency of the government system needs further improvement. We must tackle these issues head-on, prepare for unexpected factors, and overcome any obstacles and challenges that we may encounter on the journey ahead at full capacity.

II. Work Plans for 2024

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and is crucial for achieving the goals and tasks of the 14th Five-Year Plan. Domestic and international dynamics indicate that global changes unseen in a century are accelerating, and the complexity, severity, and uncertainty of the external environment are increasing, presenting strategic opportunities and risks. The resilience, vibrancy, and potentials of Guangdong’s development shine through thanks to favorable conditions outweighing the unfavorable ones. The fundamental tendency of economic recovery and sustained progress persists unaltered. We must maintain our strategic focus, strengthen our confidence, and focus on the central task of economic development and the primary task of high-quality development. We must demonstrate accurate perception in response to changes with rational solutions and seek new paths. We must counter the uncertainty of the evolving situation with certainty in delivering our agenda and strive to make new achievements with new actions in contributing to Guangdong’s example of Chinese modernization.

The overall requirement for this year’s government work is to follow the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, thoroughly implement the guiding principles of the 20th CPC National Congress, the Second Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, and the Central Economic Work Conference, deliver General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important speeches and instructions made during his inspection of Guangdong, materialize the “1310” Development Scheme proposed by the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee, consolidate the Party’s overall leadership and Party building, follow the general principle of pursuing progress while ensuring stability, fully and faithfully apply the new development philosophy on all fronts, give support to and integrate into the new development paradigm, promote high-quality development, comprehensively deepen reform and opening up, pursue high-level self-reliance and strength in science and technology, coordinate expanding domestic demand and deepening supply-side structural reforms, coordinate new urbanization and all-around rural revitalization, coordinate high-quality development and high-level security, keep supporting the effective improvement of the economy’s quality and its reasonable growth in quantity, enhance people’s well-being, maintain social stability, and strive to be at the forefront in advancing Chinese modernization.

The main expected goals for economic and social development this year are: GDP growth by 5%; fixed-assets investment up 4%, total retail sales of consumer goods up 6%, import and export up 1%; the added value of industries above the designated scale up 5%; general public budget revenue up 3%; per capita disposable income of residents growing in sync with the economic growth, and consumer price index up about 3%; surveyed urban unemployment rate around 5.5%, and more than 1.1 million people newly employed in urban areas; 12.7 million tons of grain produced; both the proportion of the number of days with air quality at good and above level and the proportion of surface water at good and above level meeting targets set by the state.

To deliver this year’s agenda, we must keep in mind General Secretary Xi Jinping’s earnest remarks concerning Guangdong’s development and follow the requirements of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 13th CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee and the Economic Work Conference of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee. We must ensure the successful implementation of the “1310” Development Scheme proposed by the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee, maintain the willingness to take risks, push boundaries, and work hard. We must focus on the overarching goal of leading the path forward. We must take high-quality development as the tenet in the new era and ensure synergy in deepening supply-side structural reform and expanding effective demand. We must spur internal development momentum through reform and opening, maintain proper dynamics between high-quality development and high-level security, and remain committed to the top political mission of Chinese modernization. Our unwavering dedication to pioneering the future with exceptional performance fuels us to create groundbreaking miracles to amaze the world. We must act on the principle of seeking progress while maintaining stability, promoting stability through progress, and establishing the new before abolishing the old. Stability sets the tone for the overall situation and foundation. We must ensure stability in key areas such as the overall economy, people’s livelihoods and employment, and social expectations. Progress represents the direction and driving force. We must be proactive in changing the model, adjusting structure, improving quality, and increasing efficiency and keep tamping the foundation of stable and positive development. We must properly balance and align the old and new models and ensure that economic and social development is on a steady course. We must resolutely shoulder the responsibility of being an economic powerhouse and ballast. We should capitalize on every favorable opportunity and condition. When we set our sights on a target, it is crucial that we act swiftly and push ourselves beyond what is expected. Cities with leading economic indicators, including Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Foshan, and Dongguan, should set examples. Other cities should strive to catch up with their peers in the spirit of competitiveness. Together, all cities should make their due contributions to the high-quality development and creating a new Guangdong. We will focus on twelve aspects:

(I) We will make concrete efforts to achieve GBA’s new identities as the strategic stronghold in the new development paradigm, a demonstration zone for high-quality development, and a bellwether in Chinese modernization. We will transform the GBA into a world-class bay area and the best-developed bay area and enhance the area’s supporting and driving role.

Forging the GBA into a strategic stronghold for the new development paradigm. We will fully leverage the GBA’s advantage in linking domestic and international markets, focus on both infrastructure and rule connectivity, and keep enhancing its capability of global resource allocation. We will promote the construction of GBA on Rail, advance the preparatory work of the Guangzhou-Zhuhai-Macao High-speed Railway, and speed up the reconstruction and expansion of Huanggang and Shatoujiao (Sha Tau Kok) ports to create a cluster of international comprehensive transportation hubs. We will effectively utilize and manage the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge to create a new economic and trade corridor. We will improve the Hong Kong Cars Going Northward and Macao Cars Going Northward programs while steadily advancing the Guangdong Cars Going Southward program in phases. We will enhance the business environment of the GBA, expand the list of GBA Standards and the scope of the GBA Certification project, support the GBA One Stop Service Platform, and speed up the establishment of a Digital GBA. We will build a GBA insurance service center and support Guangzhou and Shenzhen in becoming international commercial arbitration centers. We will expand the pilot scope of Combined Ports and One Port Pass, strengthening GBA’s trade and shipping hub functions. We will enhance the synergy and interaction between the GBA development and the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta, the ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin, as well as Xiongan New Area, Hainan Free Trade Port, Chengdu-Chongqing dual-city economic circle, and other major national strategic initiatives.

Forging the GBA into a demonstration zone for high-quality development. We will further promote the building of the GBA International Center for Technology and Innovation, Greater Bay Area National Center of Technology Innovation, and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratories. We will foster innovation hubs in industries such as 5G, integrated circuits, nanotechnology, and biomedicine. We will ensure effective implementation of the overall development plan of Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin and build industrial parks for high-end manufacturing enterprises producing unique and novel products with specialized and sophisticated technologies and for Macao brands. We will advance key tasks, including qualification recognition of Macao professionals, the One Inspection, Two Recognitions initiative for Macao vehicles, and the Electronic Fence for cross-border capital in Hengqin. We will introduce another batch of industrial projects, accelerate the independent customs operations on the island, and ensure the completion of key objectives in the first phase, presenting fruitful results to the 25th anniversary of Macao’s return to the Chinese motherland. We will revise the regulations for the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone, implement the Global Service Provider Plan, and advance the development of Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong International Financial City, Legal Service Zone, and International Talent Port. We will enhance the function of the Qianhai Cross-border RMB Business Innovation Pilot Zone and build Qianhai into a cluster for financial leasing, shipping services, marine equipment, and international consultation. For Nansha, we will compile and launch the plan for a new round of overall development, formulate the financial reform and opening-up plans, conduct pilot reforms for comprehensive land management, and accelerate the construction of the start-up areas to make more concrete progress. We will promote the issuance of regulations for the Shenzhen Park of Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone and strengthen the coordinated development and utilization of One River, Two Banks and One Zone, Two Parks. We will conduct reforms on regulating and facilitating the cross-border flow of scientific research funds and implement policies, such as an entry-exit whitelist and tax incentives. We should bear in mind our original aspiration of supporting Hong Kong and Macao and actively align with the Northern Metropolis Plan of Hong Kong and the “1+4” Appropriate Diversification Development Strategy of Macao. Focusing on conducting industrial and technological cooperation, we will unlock the potential of Hengqin, Qianhai, Nansha, and Hetao as benchmark platforms and speed up the shaping of major driving forces for high-quality development.

Forging the GBA into a bellwether in Chinese modernization. Focus on the development and people’s livelihood of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, we will work towards greater cooperation in such areas as employment, healthcare, and social securities to support Hong Kong and Macao in better integrating into the national development masterplan. We will support Guangzhou in launching Four-thronged Urban Rejuvenation Initiatives to inject new vigor into this historical city and strengthen the gateway and hub functions of this central city. Major platforms, such as China-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City, Guangzhou eastern center, and the northern growth pole, will receive further support. The comprehensive pilot program of expanding opening-up in the service industry will be launched. The purpose is to bolster Guangzhou’s role as a forerunner and a locomotive in high-quality development. We will be steadfast in building the Shenzhen Pilot Demonstration Area of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics, implement the second batch of authorized items for the comprehensive pilot reform, and promote the construction of Xili Lake International Science and Education City, Guangming Science City, and Shenzhen Bay Super Headquarters Base. We aim to shape Shenzhen into an exemplary city for a great modern socialist country. We will advance the high-level development of the five major metropolises to form a new advantage of complementary and coordinated regional development. We will support Huizhou to speed up the building of a green and low-carbon industrial system and become a new growth driver for high-quality development. We will support Zhongshan in building the integrated development reform and innovation experimental zone on the east and west banks of the Pearl River Estuary. Efforts will be made to develop Zhuhai Hezhou New District, Foshan Sanlong Bay, Dongguan Binhaiwan Bay Area, Jiangmen Greater Guanghaiwan Economic Zone, and Zhaoqing New District. We will encourage the whole-area inter-city engagement of Guangzhou and Foshan and the integration of Guangzhou and Qingyuan, accelerate the development of Shantou and Zhanjiang as provincial sub-center cities, and support Meizhou in building a pilot area for the old revolutionary base areas to integrate into the GBA.

This year marks the fifth anniversary of the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. The GBA offers momentous opportunities and potential to deepen Guangdong’s reform and opening up and requires responsive and concrete actions to mobilize the entire province towards fulfilling this great undertaking. Together with Hong Kong and Macao, we should empower the GBA to integrate into domestic and international markets, pioneer high-quality development, and demonstrate the characteristics of Chinese modernization.

(II) We will coordinate new urbanization and comprehensive rural revitalization, expedite the intensive delivery of the High-quality Development Project for Guangdong Counties, Towns and Villages, and bring the integrated urban-rural development and coordinated regional development to a new level.

Enhancing the overall strength of the county economy. Based on their resources and industrial foundations, we will guide counties to achieve distinctive and differentiated development. We will create 22 demonstration counties (cities, districts), create more such counties (cities, districts), and establish more economically leading counties. We will develop the industrial economy, encourage the development of industries in parks, and enhance the quality and efficiency of industrial parks that match the positioning of main local functions. We will focus on supporting a batch of billion yuan-level enterprises and constructing a batch of hundred million yuan-level projects. Highlighting the front end of grain production and agriculture and the corresponding back end of grain consumption and industries, we will develop clusters of agricultural products processing industry and tap the economic potential from the integrated development of primary, secondary, and tertiary industries. We will expedite the development of counties close to large cities into satellite cities. We will optimize the county-level commercial system, construct a batch of county-level commercial centers and town-level commercial outlets, and expedite the construction of warehousing, preservation, and cold chain logistics facilities. We will prioritize county seats in facilitating new urbanization and speed up efforts to improve inadequate public service facilities, utilities, environmental infrastructure, industrial support facilities, and integration of production and urban areas in the county. Our purpose is to enhance the comprehensive carrying and governance capacity of the county seats. The county plays a vital role in the High-quality Development Project for Guangdong Counties, Towns and Villages. We should capitalize on the momentum, accelerate our pace to achieve breakthroughs, and compete in the new track of the county economy with the impetus to set benchmarks and surpass peers.

Upgrading urban and town construction. We will improve 110 demonstration towns, incubate a batch of industrial towns, develop a batch of key industrial towns, leading commercial and trade towns, famous cultural and tourism towns, and major agricultural towns, and create more national-level economically competitive towns. Special actions will be launched to develop beautiful homes, beautiful countryside, beautiful rivers and lakes, beautiful industrial parks, and beautiful corridors. We will advance the environmental restoration and quality improvement of market towns, upgrade farmers’ markets, coordinate the construction of rural revitalization demonstration belts connecting towns and villages, and take locally tailored measures to develop beautiful market towns. We will expand and improve province-wide comprehensive land consolidation and coordinate the consolidation and utilization of agricultural land, construction land, and ecological land. We will advance the initiative of assigning officials to support towns and villages and continue the town/village prosperity program by pairing up with enterprises to keep consolidating and expanding the achievements of the poverty alleviation campaign and ensure no large-scale return to poverty.

Advancing all-around rural revitalization with effective and concrete actions. For a country to thrive, it must first prioritize and strengthen its agricultural foundation, and when agriculture flourishes, so does the country. We should vigorously enhance the agricultural foundation and raise the level of rural industries, rural construction, and rural governance. Efforts will be made to turn agriculture into a mainstream modern industry. We will focus on local specialty products, develop characteristic cultivation and breeding, forest-dependent industries, pre-made food industry, and outsourced commercial services for agricultural production, and accelerate the whole-chain upgrading of rural industries to facilitate the formation of rural industrial belts. We will strengthen agricultural S&T innovation, accelerate the research, development, and promotion of agricultural machinery and equipment, develop modern protected agriculture and smart agriculture, continue to implement the Guangdong Tech Seeds program, and promote the large-scale application of biological breeding. We should adopt a broad perspective on agriculture and food and place equal emphasis on agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, and fisheries, focus on stable production and supply of agricultural products under the Vegetable Basket initiative, and guarantee the stable supply of hogs to ensure sustained supply of diverse food for the people. We will launch initiatives to increase farmers’ income, cultivate 1,000 model farmers’ cooperatives and 1,000 family farms, leverage the “12221” agricultural product marketing system, and create more well-known Guangdong agricultural brands to strengthen villages and prosper the people. Under the campaign to improve the rural living environment, we will coordinate the implementation of rural layout planning, village construction planning, and rural style planning, improve 1,062 demonstration villages (communities), incubate a new batch of such villages (communities), and create a batch of Lingnan-style modern villages. We will focus on the rural toilet revolution, garbage disposal, and sewage treatment. We will take village-specific measures to improve rural sewage treatment with extraordinary efforts, aiming to surpass a 75% treatment rate by the end of the year. Special actions will be taken to address fall-short infrastructure. Rural power grids will be improved, over 5,000 kilometers of new and renovated rural roads will be completed, and 240 old and at-risk rural bridges will be renovated. For more folks to drink quality water, we will increase the coverage rate of large-scale rural water supply projects to 87%. We will strengthen rural governance, effectively utilize village regulations and folk agreements, continue to eliminate outmoded rural customs, and advocate good family traditions. We should speed up the construction of Guangdong-style harmonious and beautiful villages suitable to live and work. We aim to provide modern and civilized living opportunities for farmers and make the countryside an appealing place for everyone.

Advancing the orderly transfer of industries. We will implement the “1+14+15” policy system, formulate a guiding catalog for the settlement of key relocated industries, and innovate mechanisms for cost-sharing, benefit-sharing, and joint investment attraction between collaborating parties. Cross-regional industrial cooperation will be promoted in such forms as headquarters + base, R&D + production, and production + service. We will adhere to the close integration of industry and city, build high-standard major platforms for undertaking relocated industries, and establish industrial transfer cooperation parks and “reverse enclaves”. We aim to create more ten billion yuan-level and hundred billion yuan-level parks by coordinating resources and factors such as land, fiscal policy, financing, environmental protection, and energy supply. We will improve regional interconnectivity of transportation and other infrastructure and align the administrative standards, processes, and efficiency of Guangdong’s eastern, western, and northern regions with those of the Pearl River Delta. We will advance the development of the Shenzhen-Shantou Special Cooperation Zone and Guangzhou-Qingyuan Special Economic Cooperation Zone. We will continue our support for Xizang and Xinjiang, East-West collaboration, and other paired-up cooperation. We will promote the development and opening of the Pearl River-Xijiang River Economic Belt and the construction of Guangdong-Guangxi Special Pilot Cooperation Zone to further explore the economic depth. The orderly transfer of industries is not a simple spatial movement but a qualitative enhancement with structural upgrading and re-development of growth drivers. We should make sustained efforts and ensure concrete results in mutual benefits to spur layout optimization and overall enhancement of competitiveness for industries across the province.

Continuing to deepen the reform of county, town, and village institutions and mechanisms. We will advance the reform to delegate administrative authorities to counties to release their potential, and leading counties will have a larger jurisdiction over their administrative affairs. Institutional reforms of towns and sub-districts will be intensified. We will accelerate the coverage of public infrastructure and services from county seats to villages, improve mechanisms linking public resources and services with population fluctuations, and encourage granting urban residency to rural people who have moved to cities to foster integrated urban-rural development within counties. We will explore ways to realize the new modern rural collective economy, carry out pilot projects such as introducing rural professional managers, support rural collective economic organizations to adopt modern corporate systems, and encourage collaborative and joint development between rural collective economic organizations and various business entities. We will expand the second round of the pilot program to extend the land contract for another 30 years after expiration, reform contracted land, homestead land, and collective, commercial construction land, and keep deepening the reform of the collective forest rights system and the comprehensive reform of supply and marketing cooperatives. We will advance the reform of integrating and coordinating agricultural funds and encourage the two-way flow of production factors to inject enduring, robust momentum into the development of counties, towns, and villages.

The High-quality Development Project for Guangdong Counties, Towns and Villages is Guangdong’s top agenda for high-quality development. We must learn to apply the development concepts, working methods, and advancement mechanisms involved in Zhejiang’s Rural Demonstration and Improvement Program, adapt our measures to local conditions, customize our policies, and progress methodically with long-term commitment as we work to rejuvenate counties, towns, and villages. The vision is to create an enabling environment of coordinated urban-rural and regional development.

(III) We will prioritize the real economy as the foundation and the manufacturing industry as the pillar, build a modern industrial system with stronger international competitiveness, and accelerate the development of new quality productivity.

Developing traditional, emerging, and future industries simultaneously. We will formulate implementation opinions for expediting new industrialization in the new era, guide resources and factors towards advanced manufacturing, and strive to create a national demonstration area for new industrialization. We will support traditional industries, such as food, beverages, textiles, garments, home appliances, and household supplies, to improve quality and efficiency, diversify products, improve quality, and create brands. We will develop emerging industries, such as integrated circuits, new energy storage, cutting-edge new materials, UHD video displays, bio-manufacturing, and commercial spaceflight. We will advance the construction of chip projects, such as Guangdong Chip Phase III, CR Micro, Guangzhou Zen Semiconductor, and Founder Microelectronics, and help the projects, such as CATL Phase I in Zhaoqing and CALB Phase I in Jiangmen, stabilize their production and meet their production targets. We will foster the low-altitude economy, explore new application scenarios in urban air transport, emergency rescue, and logistics, accelerate the construction of the low-altitude unmanned sensing industry, and promote the development of the supporting system for low-altitude air service. We will support Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Zhuhai in developing comprehensive demonstration areas for the general aviation industry. We will ensure the successful delivery of the 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition. The aim is to transform the GBA into a hub of the low-altitude economy. We will launch action plans for five major future industry clusters and plan for the development of emerging industries such as 6G, quantum technology, life sciences, humanoid robots, etc. with sufficient foresight, as we seek to create a national pilot area for future industries. AI is a strategic technology leading the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation. We should seize this opportunity, leverage our edges in computing infrastructure, industrial scale, data elements, and application scenarios, and coordinate technological research, industrial cultivation, security evaluation, and industry governance. We will focus on making breakthroughs in fundamental technologies and encourage innovative applications of the large model in industries to become a leader in innovation in the artificial general intelligence (AGI) industry. By striving to be a major player in this emerging field, we set our sights on a future full of possibilities!

Upgrading the industrial foundation and modernizing the industrial chain. We will strive to make breakthroughs in major technological equipment and resolutely develop high-end equipment manufacturing, such as machine tools, precision instruments, and inspection and testing equipment.We will strengthen the chains involved in the auto parts industry, leverage the leading role of whole-vehicle manufacturing enterprises, expand the NEV industrial chain, encourage the testing and application of intelligent connected vehicles, and support the construction of demonstration city clusters for fuel cell vehicles. We will strive to achieve leaps in industrial investment, provide follow-up services for major manufacturing projects, and promote the completion and operation of Guangzhou TCL CSOT’s T9 Factory and Dongguan OPPO Smart Manufacturing Center. We will launch over 1,000 industrial technological transformation projects and select over 100 such enterprises as demonstrations. Over 9,000 industrial enterprises will be encouraged to start technological transformation. We will refine the graduated incubation scheme for high-quality enterprises. Under the Chain Leader System, we will select a group of chain leaders and enterprises producing unique and novel products with specialized and sophisticated technologies, cultivate over 250 provincial single-product-manufacturing champions, and upgrade over 5,500 enterprises to above the designated scale. We will strive to set up the economic backbone with large enterprises and make SMEs booming across all sectors.

Promoting the smart, green, and integrated development of the manufacturing industry. We will support efforts made by pilot cities for the digital transformation of SMEs, facilitate the digital transformation of 9,200 industrial enterprises above the designated scale, and focus on creating a provincial example of the chain-style digital transformation of the manufacturing industry. We will boost the digital economy and innovatively develop big data, cloud computing, and other digital industries. We will focus on the large-scale deployment of IPv6 and support the construction of the Shaoguan data center cluster as a national hub in the GBA. We will drive the green transformation of such industries as iron and steel, petrochemicals, nonferrous metals, building materials, and papermaking and build green factories, green parks, and green supply chain management enterprises. We will support Shaoguan in building a national demonstration zone for industrial transformation and upgrading for old industrial cities and resource-intensive cities. We will initiate the industrial design empowerment action and launch international industrial design competitions. We will promote the in-depth integration of the modern service industry with advanced manufacturing, issue policies to boost the development of production-related service industry, and actively develop new modes such as service-oriented manufacturing, customized production, and flexible supply. The purpose is to keep increasing the smart, green and quality applications in Guangdong’s manufacturing industry.

Strengthening quality support and leadership in standard setting. We will create benchmark cities for enhancing China’s quality product reputation and national demonstration areas for quality and brand improvement. We will build a high-level quality infrastructure system and support the construction of national and provincial quality standards laboratories and quality inspection centers. We will conduct a pioneering project focusing on patent standards in strategic industries and implement a national pilot program of standardized innovative development. We will formulate and issue a batch of new plans and roadmaps of manufacturing standardization systems and keep developing international standardization industrial alliances and international standardization organizations. We will continue to implement the Chief Quality Officer system in enterprises, strengthen the comprehensive quality supervision of key industrial products, and improve the quality of products, engineering projects, and services. We will speed up to offer better and superb products than others and make Guangdong manufacturing synonymous with high quality.

The real economy is Guangdong’s economic backbone. We must unwaveringly enhance the competitiveness of the manufacturing industry and keep developing new quality productivity that represents new technology, creates new values, and shapes new growth drivers. All these efforts aim to further consolidate Guangdong’s industrial foundation and keep its leading position as a forerunner.

(IV) We will thoroughly implement the innovation-driven development strategy, accelerate the formation of a whole-process innovation chain, and create an industrial S&T innovation center with global influence. 

Strengthening applied basic research and cutting-edge research. We will support the introduction of S&T innovation regulations. We will continue to implement the ten-year Excellent Research Program for Guangdong in basic and applied basic research and improve stable support and long-term evaluation mechanisms. We will expand the scale of joint funds between provincial and municipal governments and between the provincial government and enterprises and encourage more private capital investment. We will continue to implement major projects in basic and applied basic research, advance systematic basic research with strategic significance, exploratory research facing the future, and applied basic research for the market in an organized manner. New industries, models, and growth drivers will be fostered with disruptive and cutting-edge technologies. We will optimize the management mechanisms of Peng Cheng Laboratory and Guangzhou Laboratory, work to establish more national key laboratories in Guangdong, and improve and adjust the provincial laboratory system. We will start constructing major scientific infrastructure projects, such as the Phase-II of China Spallation Neutron Source and advanced attosecond lasers, and support the completion and operation of Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory and Shenzhen Sub-center of China Environment for Network Innovation. We will strive to participate in the Proteomic Navigator of the Human Body and enhance the construction of the Quantum Science Center of Guangdong-Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area and the GBA Applied Mathematics Center. We aim to achieve more breakthroughs from scratch.

Accelerating the advancement of self-reliance and control in key and core technologies. We will explore the Guangdong path for a new-type national system for breaking bottlenecks in key and core technologies. Special efforts will be made to communicate with the state to make the GBA a host of major S&T projects and major engineering projects. We will involve Hong Kong and Macao’s S&T resources to extensively participate in researches for major breakthroughs. We will thoroughly implement projects, such as Powerful Guangdong-Made Chips, Core Software Breakthroughs, and Cuican Action, and work out the resolutions for technological bottlenecks at a faster pace. We will advance the provincial R&D plan in key fields and arrange a batch of flagship projects in such areas as new energy storage, new energy, and marine S&T to boost technological innovation and reserves at the sources. The main role of enterprises will be emphasized in S&T innovation. We will encourage technology-leading enterprises to form innovation consortia, explore the reform of the project manager system for original and leading S&T research projects, and support the application of project management methods, including the owner-operation approach and turnkey project. We aim to create a dynamic scenario of technological innovation where stakeholders enthusiastically take the challenge and strive for victories.

Improving the commercialization and large-scale application of technological achievement. We will promote the construction of the Greater Bay Area National Center of Technology Innovation, establish a batch of concept verification centers and pilot test platforms, and create a technological innovation hub integrating organized research with organized outcome commercialization. We will improve the technology incubation and nurturing system, make effective use of such policies as weighted deductions for R&D expenses and income tax incentives for high-tech enterprises, and optimize the layout of manufacturing innovation centers, enterprise technology centers, high-level innovation institutes, and other platforms. We will support higher learning institutions and scientific research institutions to fully implement the reform for separate management of job-related S&T achievements, granting researchers ownership or long-term usage rights of these job-related achievements. We will transform Guangdong into a pioneer province to demonstrate China’s advancement in intellectual property (IP), strengthen IPR protection, carry forward the campaign for patent transformation and application, and unleash the potential of patents held by higher learning institutions and research institutions. Since the commercialization of S&T achievements is the homestretch in upgrading the innovation value chain, we should encourage more new equipment, materials, software, and test scenarios to have their first use in Guangdong and make every effort to facilitate converting S&T capabilities to advantages in enterprises, industries, and economy.

Vigorously developing fintech. We will build an S&T innovation investment fund system covering angel investment, venture capital, and investment in merger, acquisition and reorganization. We will strengthen the leading and leveraging role of provincial and municipal innovation and entrepreneurship funds and guide more financial institutions to act early, invest in small projects, and focus on S&T industries. We will enhance the connection between S&T achievements and the capital market and support tech companies in achieving faster development through listing, refinancing, and merger and acquisition. We will actively develop the technology trading market and enhance the S&T Innovation Board and the Board for Enterprises Producing Unique and Novel Products with Specialized and Sophisticated Technologies in regional equity markets. We will create an S&T credit product system suitable for the characteristics of S&T enterprises and optimize the provincial and municipal joint mechanism for S&T credit risk-sharing and compensation. We will continue to promote IPR pledge financing, develop S&T insurance, optimize fintech products, and enhance the development of Shenzhen Stock Exchange S&T Outcome and IP Exchange Center.

Accelerating the construction of a high-level talent hub in the GBA. We will continue to implement the higher education improvement plan of striving for the top level, addressing weaknesses, and strengthening featured disciplines. We will foster discipline development in new engineering, new medical science, new agricultural science, and new liberal arts and expand and improve talent training in integrated circuit and industrial software to cultivate top-notch innovative talents. We will advance the construction of pilot cities to integrate industry and education and high-level vocational colleges. We will optimize the implementation of major provincial and municipal talent projects, attract and train talents in strategic S&T industries, leading S&T talents, young S&T talents, and high-level innovation teams, and increase high-level engineers and highly skilled talents. We will strengthen international S&T cooperation, continue to implement the work permit system for foreigners and the visa system for foreign talents in China, improve the management and service mechanism for foreign experts, make good use of GBA’s individual income tax incentive policy, and promote the pilot program of the qualification standards for high-level, high-end, top-notch, and urgently needed overseas talents. We will expedite the establishment of a talent evaluation system based on the value of the innovation and the innovator’s capability and contribution and grant researchers greater power in deciding on their technical paths, fund allocation, and resource arrangement. We will advocate the Spirit of the Chinese scientists, create an enabling environment that encourages innovation and tolerates failure, ensure high-quality S&T popularization, and improve the S&T literacy of the entire population.

Innovation is the key variable for maintaining an advantageous position in the future. We should enhance S&T innovation capabilities through real-life applications, promote the mutual reinforcement between industries and technologies, direct innovation to enterprises, industries, and overall development, and pursue high-level self-reliance and strength in science and technology at a faster pace.

(V) With expanding domestic demand as the strategic basis, we will facilitate the development of a higher-level domestic market and win a larger share in contributing to establishing a unified national market.

Harnessing the key role of effective investment. A total of 1,508 provincial key projects are planned for this year, with a planned annual investment of one trillion yuan. We will give full play to the driving and amplifying effect of government investment, focusing on supporting R&D of key and core technologies, new-type infrastructure, energy saving, emission reduction, and carbon reduction. We will accelerate the construction of affordable housing, “dual-use” (in normal and emergency situations) public infrastructure, and urban village transformation (the Three Major Projects). We plan to build 10,000 units of ration-based affordable housing for sale and no fewer than 180,000 units of affordable rental housing and start renovating over 1,100 old urban residential neighborhoods. We will pay special attention to the preliminary work of those projects, integrate the supply of high-quality elements, and enhance project maturity. We will deepen the reform that facilitates the launch of corporate investment projects, promote the notification-commitment mechanism for project approval, and experiment with fast approval for low-risk projects and investment cost-sharing mechanisms. We will leverage funds, such as budgetary investment of the Central Government and additional government bonds, and allocate more funds to regions with well-prepared projects and high investment efficiency. We will speed up the issuance and expansion of infrastructure REITs and the pilot program of private real estate investment funds to enhance the efficiency of utilizing existing assets. We will improve investment and financing mechanisms, launch new mechanisms for the cooperation between the government and private capital, issue a detailed catalog of the key industries where private investment is encouraged, and regularly recommend demonstration projects and application scenarios to private capital. We aim to offer private players enough and profitable investment opportunities and flexibility in entering and leaving a project.

Improving the modern infrastructure system. We will coordinate the construction of traditional and new-type infrastructure and optimize the layout, structure, function, and development pattern of infrastructure. We will open more cross-river and cross-sea channels and major outbound routes to transform into a demonstration province as China enhances its advanced transportation system. In terms of railways, we will start the construction of the Zhangzhou-Shantou and Hepu-Zhanjiang High-speed Railways, the Xili High-speed Railway Hub, and the Guangzhou East to Xintang Line V and Line VI. We will complete the Meizhou-Longchuan High-speed Railway and Xintang-Baiyun International Airport-Guangzhou Intercity Railway, support the preparatory work of the Guangzhou-Qingyuan-Yongzhou High-speed Railway, and expedite the construction of the Guangzhou-Zhanjiang, Shenzhen-Jiangmen, Zhuhai-Zhaoqing, Shenzhen-Nanning, and Wuping-Meizhou High-speed Railways, as well as the Eastern Guangdong, Nansha-Zhuhai (Zhongshan), and Dongguan-Huizhou (Xiaojinkou-Huizhou North section) Intercity Railways. In terms of highways, we will complete the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Bridge, Huangmao Sea Bridge, Xinfeng-Nanxiong Expressway, and Longchuan-Xunwu Expressway. We will advance the construction of the Shiziyang Tunnel, Huizhou-Zhaoqing Expressway (Huicheng-Zengcheng section), and Yangchun-Xinyi Expressway. We will speed up the expansion and reconstruction of congested sections of such expressways as the Guangzhou-Shenzhen, Guangzhou-Macao, Guangzhou-Kunming, and Guangzhou-Shaoguan, commence the construction of the new trans-Shantou Bay corridor, and upgrade ordinary national and provincial highways. In terms of airports, we will start the construction of the Pearl River Delta Air Hub (Guangzhou’s new airport) and advance such expansion projects as the Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport Phase III and Shenzhen Baoan International Airport’s third runway. In terms of water conservancy and waterways, we will promote the construction of the province-wide water network and accelerate the Guangdong water resources allocation project in Beibu Gulf Rim and Phase II of the eastern Guangdong water resource optimization project. We will build a water supply and storage network in Leizhou Peninsula, start the capacity expansion and extension of the upper Beijiang River Waterway, and expedite the construction of inland terminal docks in the Zhaoqing port area of the Xijiang River and Shaoguan port area of the Beijiang River. In terms of new-type infrastructure, we will promote the construction of information infrastructure such as the Internet of Things and the Industrial Internet, accelerate the construction of integrated infrastructure such as smart transportation and smart energy, and layout innovation infrastructure for major S&T, science and education, and industrial technology projects. In terms of urban infrastructure, we will build a network of underground utility tunnels and improve the urban flood prevention and drainage system to create livable, resilient, and smart cities.

Boosting and expanding consumption. We will accelerate the construction of the GBA international consumption hub, support Guangzhou and Shenzhen in building international consumption centers, cultivate six regional consumption cities, improve the layout of consumption infrastructure, and build smart business demonstration districts and distinctive pedestrian streets. We will cultivate new-type consumption and service consumption, vigorously develop digital, green, and health consumption, and promote the healthy development of live-streaming e-commerce and smart retail. We will encourage spending on big-ticket items such as NEVs, electronic products, home appliances, and household supplies, support trade-in of used consumer goods, and develop backbone enterprises in commerce and trade. We will make greater efforts to unleash rural consumption potential, invest more in constructing rural charging and swapping facilities, vigorously develop rural e-commerce, and facilitate the marketing of high-quality industrial products to the countryside and fresh and live agricultural products to the city. We will actively develop the night-time economy, cultivate new consumption growth drivers in culture, tourism, sports, and trendy national “chic” products, and enhance the appeal of dining in Guangdong, traveling in Guangdong, and shopping in Guangdong. We are ready to lead new consumption trends and fashions. There is a huge demand in areas such as education, elderly care, healthcare, underground utility networks, and affordable housing. We need to delve into the potential of these areas, better coordinate consumption and investment, and form a higher level of dynamic equilibrium where demand leads to supply and supply creates demand.

Serving the building of a unified national market. We will resolutely eliminate local protectionism and market segmentation, cancel policies hindering a unified market and fair competition, and optimize unified government services for the inter-province movement of business entities to create a pioneering zone of fair competition in the GBA unified market. We will continue to regulate bidding and tendering and promote the integration of all types of public resource transactions on a unified platform to enhance the unification of factor and resource markets, as well as commodity and service markets. We will improve the supervision mechanism of randomly selecting market entities to be inspected, randomly selecting law enforcement inspectors, and timely releasing the random inspection and results to the public. We will strengthen the enforcement of anti-monopoly and anti-unfair competition laws. We will establish a new credit-based regulatory mechanism, ensuring that honest businesses will be swiftly granted with approvals while lawbreakers and dishonest businesses will be subject to severe supervision.

We should give full play to our advantages of a large market and a high degree of marketization, stimulate potential consumption, and expand beneficial investment to form a virtuous circle in which consumption and investment promote each other.

(VI) We will deepen reforms in key areas, persevere in building a market-oriented, law-based, and international first-class business environment, and further invigorate high-quality development.

Strengthening the private economy. We will work unswervingly to both consolidate and develop the public sector and encourage, support, and guide the development of the non-public sector. We will implement the national 31 Measures for Private Economy and the provincial 30 Measures for Private Economy and timely, accurately, and effectively introduce policies benefiting businesses. Governments and departments at all levels should formulate more policies conducive to stabilizing expectations, economic growth, and employment; cautiously introduce contractionary or inhibitory measures; review and repeal policies inconsistent with high-quality development; and enhance the consistency of policy directions to ensure concerted efforts towards the same goal. We will advance the phased development plans from individual business to incorporation, above-scale upgrading, joint equity, and listing and promote the integrated development of large, medium, and small-sized enterprises. We will optimize the rapid response mechanism for addressing complaints made by business entities, increase relief efforts for private enterprises, improve the long-acting mechanism for preventing and tackling delinquent payments to SMEs, and protect the property rights and interests of private enterprises and entrepreneurs per the law. We will vigorously advocate entrepreneurship and cultivate a cordial and clean government-business relationship. The private sector plays a pivotal role in Guangdong’s economy and should thus be bolstered rather than weakened. Governments at all levels should unequivocally give support to help the private economy thrive.

Energetically carrying out the cost reduction campaign. We will deepen the comprehensive reform of the business environment, rectify irregular charges on businesses, and reduce the institutional transaction costs for business entities. We will accelerate the reform of non-direct power supply in industrial parks, reduce the layers of power providers, and strictly control non-direct power supply in new industrial parks. We will advance the sale of industrial-use standard lands and encourage various land supply methods, such as long-term leasing, lease-now-own-later, and flexible-term leasing. We will effectively reduce logistics costs, improve port and park transportation systems, and promote the development of air freight at regional airports. We will guide the transportation of bulk commodities over medium and long distances to switch from road to rail or waterways and develop multimodal transportation such as rail-river and river-sea transport. We will promote pilot programs of the One Bill system for multimodal cargo transportation and the One Container system for container transportation. We will accelerate the construction of national logistics hubs and backbone cold chain logistics bases and encourage large logistics companies to provide inclusive services to micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). Cost reduction is a common concern of business entities. We will strive to create a policy-friendly and cost-effective environment and help enterprises reduce costs, strengthen confidence, and enhance vitality as much as we can.

Promoting high-quality development in the financial sector. We will actively work on five major areas: fintech, green finance, inclusive finance, elderly care finance, and digital finance. We will enhance the effectiveness of finance serving the real economy, cultivate clusters of high-quality listed companies, diversify financial leasing services, and promote a steady reduction in the overall financing costs. We will improve green finance, guide financial institutions to support enterprises in reducing consumption and upgrading for green development, facilitate the listing of futures products, such as polysilicon, on Guangzhou Futures Exchange, and enhance the functional role of industrial silicon and lithium carbonate futures. We will optimize inclusive financial services by carrying out financing promotion activities for MSMEs and improving the basic financial service system in rural areas to bring more financial resources to key development areas in villages. We will strengthen elderly care finance, develop “insurance products + elderly care services”, and encourage insurance funds to invest in the elderly care industry. We will promote the development of digital finance, support Guangzhou and Shenzhen in building digital finance clusters, and encourage the use of e-CNY.

Deepening reforms in finance, taxation, and SOEs. We will advance the implementation of a new round of financial and tax system reforms to enhance the efficiency of financial governance. We will expand the scope of the “investment replacing subsidy” pilot area to enhance the effectiveness of fiscal fund usage. We will continuously deepen fiscal system reforms below the provincial level, improve the transfer payment system, firm up municipal and county spending responsibilities, and guarantee basic living standards, wages, and normal operation at the grassroots level. We will promote smart taxation and build a new tax and fee collection and management system. We will take actions to deepen the SOE reform, improve the modern enterprise system with Chinese characteristics, select about ten SOEs to develop them into leaders in modern industrial chains, and promote strategic reorganization and specialized integration of provincial SOEs in such areas as food and new energy. We will improve the innovation-enabling mechanism for SOEs and encourage original technological advances with tailored strategies for each enterprise. We will implement a state-owned asset supervision system with a primary focus on capital management and strengthen the operating budget management of state-owned capital to build a collaborative and efficient state-owned asset supervision system.

Speeding up the construction of a digital government. We will consolidate the construction of One Online Platform for Comprehensive Governance, promote the balanced development of a digital government’s basic capabilities, and improve the intrinsic security protection systems. We will improve One Portal for All Government Services 2.0, promote the integrated Fast Public Demand Response system, and further standardize and facilitate government services to ensure that services are readily available around the clock for the general public. We will improve the Data Sharing and Exchange System, strengthen the development and utilization of public data, enhance the data circulation management mechanism, and promote the introduction of data regulations. We will strengthen Canton Data Exchange and Shenzhen Data Exchange, establish clusters for the development of data elements, and build a data element circulation market in the GBA.

We need to combine an effective market with a proactive government, create a batch of pioneering and iconic reform brands, and turn daring attempts and groundbreaking initiatives into the driving force and shining emblem of Guangdong’s ongoing progress.

(VII) We will expand high-level opening up, pay special attention to integrated measures in five foreign-related fields, and build a new system of higher-level open economy.

Launching the Top Leader Responsibility program in investment attraction. We will develop more effective policies for attracting and utilizing foreign capital, introduce a batch of landmark and high-quality projects, and establish the Invest in Guangdong brand. We will enhance the overall coordination of investment attraction, promote the synergistic optimization of investment attraction policies, activities, and resources, improve the new investment attraction mechanisms of departmental coordination and joint efforts of the provincial and municipal governments, and optimize the layout of major projects within the province. We will energetically carry out industrial chain investment promotion and on-site investment promotion, attract businesses through overseas Chinese, and encourage investment-led and enclave investment promotion. We will expand the influence of the Global Investment Promotion Conference for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and strengthen the main bases for investment promotion, including economic development zones, high-tech zones, major industrial clusters, provincial industrial parks, and China-foreign cooperation parks. We will accelerate the construction of major foreign investment projects such as BASF Guangdong Verbund Site in Zhanjiang and CSPC Ethylene Phase III Project in Huizhou, promote the completion and commissioning of projects such as the ExxonMobil Huizhou Ethylene Project Phase I, and encourage and support the existing projects to increase investment and expand production. We should attract industry leaders and promising investment to empower high-quality development with fruitful results.

Improving the quality and efficiency of foreign trade. We aim to host high-standard events such as the Canton Fair, China High-Tech Fair, China Processing Trade Products Fair, and China International SME Fair, and expos under the Guangdong Trade Worldwide initiative. We will expand the export of competitive products such as electronic information and NEVs and develop the trade in intermediate commodities. We will consolidate the markets in Europe, the United States, Japan, and the ROK and intensify efforts to expand emerging markets, such as ASEAN, the Middle East, Africa, Russia, Latin America, and South Pacific island countries. We will advance the construction of import bases for bulk commodities and electronic components and accelerate the development of Nansha, Huangpu, and Qianhai as national demonstration zones for the promotion of imports. We will actively attract global traders and buyers, encourage Guangdong enterprises to set up overseas sales companies, and cultivate local supply chain leaders and strong platform companies. We will accelerate the construction of a global trade digitization pilot area in the GBA and strive to transform Guangdong into a demonstration province for cross-border e-commerce and a national service trade innovation and development demonstration area. We will develop the “cross-border e-commerce + industrial belt” model and increase overseas warehouses, aiming to surpass one trillion yuan in cross-border e-commerce import and export. We will stabilize and enhance processing trade, support the construction of large export processing industrial zones in Shantou and Zhanjiang, and promote the development of new business models, such as bonded maintenance services. We will vigorously build smart ports, optimize key sea freight routes, and promote the quality and efficiency of China-Europe Railway Express. We will improve the trade friction response mechanism and enhance the level of foreign-related legal services.

Accelerating the integration of domestic and foreign trade. We will carry out the first batch of national pilot tasks to integrate domestic and foreign trade and adjust and improve related rules, regulations, management methods, and standards according to advanced international norms to remove institutional bottlenecks hindering that integration. We will promote the same production line, standard, and quality for both domestic and foreign trade products, support leading enterprises and relevant institutions in leading or participating in the formulation of standards at all levels, and promote the alignment of domestic and foreign trade standards, inspection certifications, and regulatory compliance to facilitate enterprises’ smooth transition between domestic and international markets. We will support foreign trade enterprises to cooperate with commercial and e-commerce platforms, actively enhance the appeal of domestic trade brands, and promote the domestic sales of goods originally produced for exports to help more innovative technologies, high-quality products, and brand services from Guangdong become popular nationwide.

Advancing opening up and cooperation. We will implement China’s eight major steps to support high-quality Belt and Road construction and leverage the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). We will effectively tap the potential of the comprehensive service base for Chinese enterprises going global, steadily promote the construction of overseas economic and trade cooperation zones, support the rational and orderly layout of advantageous industries overseas, and improve the global economic and trade cooperation network. We will facilitate the travel of international business people and facilitate their entry, exit, stopover, and residence. We will conduct the China (Guangdong) Pilot Free Trade Zone upgrading strategy and benchmark against international high-standard economic and trade rules, such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and Digital Economic Partnership Agreement (DEPA). We will launch institutional opening-up pilot programs and promote the innovative development of linked free trade development areas. We will prioritize affairs related to overseas Chinese in the new era and attach equal importance to all overseas Chinese. We will deepen the pilot reform of investment facilitation systems for overseas Chinese in Shantou and Jiangmen and advance the construction of the Shantou Overseas Chinese Economic and Cultural Cooperation Pilot Zone to activate its vitality as a special economic zone. We will expand foreign exchanges, make good use of the international sister city platform, and strengthen practical cooperation in industries, cultural affairs, education, and healthcare.

Fostering reform and development through opening up is Guangdong’s invaluable experience. We must unwaveringly open our doors wider to the world, pool global high-end resources, consolidate and expand our shares in diverse international markets, and seize the initiative in international competition and cooperation.

(VIII) We willtap the potential of and enhance marine economy and industries on all fronts and create a new maritime Guangdong.

Optimizing the development pattern of the marine economy. We will roll out the provincial plans on coastal belts and maritime space, establish a mechanism for the withdrawal of inefficient sea use, and ensure the sea area needs of major projects. Port and shipping facilities will be improved. We will start the construction of Guang’ao Port Area Phase III of Shantou Port and CHN Energy’s Bulk Cargo Terminal at Zhuhai Gaolan Port Area and continue the construction of the International General Terminal in Guangzhou Nansha Port Area, East Container Terminal Phase I at Yantian Port Area of Shenzhen Port, and the 300,000-ton-class channel at Bohe New Port Area of Maoming Port. We will accelerate the construction of the port railway network in Shantou, Zhanjiang, Yangjiang, and Jieyang Ports and ensure the effectiveness of the preliminary work for the Qianzhan branch line of Jieyang-Huilai Railway. We will enhance the connectivity of river transport and sea transport and enable ports to reach both the river and the sea. We will advance the integration of port and shipping in the Qiongzhou Strait and develop Xuwen Port into a modern integrated transportation hub connecting the GBA and Hainan Free Trade Port. We aim to promote the construction of a demonstration zone for the integrated and high-quality development of the Qiongzhou Strait and create synergy for the development of both provinces. We will enhance the overall port-industry-city layout and support Guangzhou to transform into the capital of marine innovation, Shenzhen into a global marine center, and Zhuhai, Shantou, Zhanjiang, Yangjiang, and Shangwei into featured modern marine cities. A high-standard 100-kilometer Golden Inner Bay will be created around the Pearl River Estuary. We should optimize and integrate Guangdong’s port resources, create synergy for common development, and fully unleash the blue power of its 14 coastal cities.

Accelerating the growth of modern marine industries. We will vigorously develop emerging industries such as marine electronic information, marine new materials, and marine biomedicine and focus on building 100 billion yuan-level industrial clusters in marine clean energy, shipbuilding, and engineering equipment. We will accelerate the construction of innovation platforms, such as the national comprehensive marine testing field and national deep-sea science and research center, promote the location of the ocean and polar comprehensive support base in Guangdong, and constantly enhance the supporting capabilities of maritime science and technology. We will develop offshore wind power at a large scale, accelerate the construction of such projects in Qingzhou (Yangjiang), Lemen (Shantou), and Honghai Bay (Shanwei), and increase the installed capacity by two gigawatts to build an offshore wind power base in Guangdong. We will intensify the exploration and development of marine oil and gas resources. To enhance the supply capacity of oil and gas resources, we will advance the development of Wushi (Zhanjiang) and Enping oilfield clusters and the exploitation of natural gas hydrates in the South China Sea, and speed up the construction of the Shenzhen LNG emergency peak-shaving station, Phase II of the Zhuhai LNG expansion project, and Huizhou LNG receiving station. We will coordinate nearshore and far-sea resources, pursue eco-friendly development, build marine farms and blue granaries, vigorously develop deep-sea aquaculture and smart fisheries, and modernize marine fisheries with information and smart technologies.

Improving the quality of the marine ecosystem. We willadvance the Five Major Projects for marine ecological protection and restoration, enhance marine environment monitoring, strengthen precise management and control of the coastline, improve the remediation of pollutant outfalls, the treatment of waste aquaculture water, and the prevention and control of pollution from ports and ships, and steadily improve the water quality of the nearshore areas. We will promote the high-standard development of Shenzhen International Mangrove Center and accelerate the cultivation of mangrove demonstration areas in Taishan (Jiangmen), Leizhou and Xuwen (Zhanjiang), and Huidong (Huizhou), each spanning tens of thousands of mu (one mu equals about 667 m²). We are determined to protect the mangroves as precious as our eyes. We will strengthen the classified protection and utilization of islands and the restoration of coastal wetlands and create charming beaches and beautiful bays.

Guangdong is uniquely endowed with marine resources, with vast oceans harboring infinite development potential. We should seize the blue opportunity, propel the blue engine, look to the ocean for growth and momentum, and strive to paint an ambitious and glorious picture of a new Guangdong on the sea.

(IX) We will thoroughly promote theGreen and Beautiful Guangdong Campaign, accelerate the green transformation of development methods, and promote harmonious coexistence between humans and nature.

Building a green and beautiful landscape throughout Guangdong. We will speed up the implementation of the Six Actions for ecological conservation under the Green and Beautiful Guangdong Campaign, optimize forest stands by two million mu (about 1.3 billion m²), and enhance forest seedling protection by two million mu. We will systematically plan the afforestation and greening in the northern region along the Nanling Mountains, the southern coastal region, and the central region along the Pearl River. We will continuously promote the creation of national forest cities and national garden cities throughout the province, focus on the greening of counties, towns, and villages and the construction of green and beautiful city parks, optimize ecological corridors, greenways, waterside belts, and historical trails, protect and improve ancient and famous trees, and build a number of village parks, mountain parks, and suburban parks. We will advance the development of Nanling National Forest Park and Danxiashan National Park, build the South China National Botanical Garden with high standards, create green and beautiful waterside belts, and create self-sustained rivers and lakes to enhance the sense of happiness for the people. We will conduct ecological rehabilitation of left mines and establish a system linking new and old mining lands. Carrying on the good tradition of Yueshan Forestation Campaign, we will guide public participation in tree planting and forest protection and take full use of four-place in-village and five-place out-village environment enhancement project. We will make full use of every space to plant trees, reserve urban space undeveloped for future plantation, and demolish illegal buildings to restore the green according to the local conditions. We will create beautiful homes where people see green landscapes everywhere when they open the window across all seasons and walk in the shade. We aim to green up the surrounding environment of the people and make their living space more enjoyable.

Focusing on improving the quality of the ecological environment. We will adhere to the integrated protection and systematic management of mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes, grasslands, and desert ecosystems, connect territorial space planning and use control, and strengthen area-based ecological management and control. We will keep improving the air quality, take serious measures against ozone pollution and strengthen the coordinated reduction of nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds. Integrated measures will be taken to enhance the environmental management of transportation means, fuels, transportation infrastructure, and logistics parks. The purpose is to initially eliminate heavy-pollution days. We will continue to enhance water quality, promote urban sewage network construction, and carry out coordinated water pollution control of mainstreams and tributaries as well as pond and river dredging. We aim to ensure that the quality of surface water cross-sections rated good or excellent in the national assessment maintains above 90% and that 100% of the water quality of centralized drinking water sources above the county level meets the standard. We will strengthen the joint supervision on the soil environment of construction lands and promote the less intensive and more effective use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, as well as the comprehensive prevention and treatment of agricultural non-point source pollution. We will advance garbage classification, reduction, and recycling, standardize construction waste management, intensify plastic pollution control, improve the recycling and utilization system of used power batteries, and enhance the prevention and control of heavy metal pollution and the treatment of new pollutants to create waste-free cities across the province.

Actively and steadily advancing the peak carbon dioxide emissions and carbon neutrality agenda. We will steadily advance peak carbon dioxide emissions in key sectors such as energy and industry and plan for the development of a batch of low-carbon, zero-carbon, and negative-carbon new materials, new technologies, and new equipment, and promote the establishment of the National Carbon Measurement Center. We will carry out the pilot project on carbon footprint of GBA products and expand the scale of carbon emission trading and green power trading. We will promote energy-saving technologies and equipment, conduct transactions in water utilization rights and emission rights, and improve conservation and intensive, recycling, and efficient use of resources. We will fully deal with land that is approved but not supplied, as well as idle land, and carry out pilot projects to redevelop inefficiently used land. We will vigorously develop the water conservancy industry and promote the robust development of the green water economy. We will improve fiscal incentives for ecological and environmental protection and the compensation system for ecological and environmental damage and actively yet cautiously promote the innovation of eco-environment-oriented development.

We must practice the philosophy that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets, push forward the Green and Beautiful Guangdong Campaign as a long-term project of lasting importance, and protect the flora and fauna, water bodies, and mountains of our province. We aim to become a pioneering region for beautiful China and a hub for green and low-carbon development, ceaselessly turning our ecological strengths into high-quality development advantages.

(X) We will promote cultural confidence and self-improvement, accelerate the enhancement of Guangdong’s cultural strength, and better meet the new expectations of the people’s cultural life.

Extensively practicing core socialist values. We will thoroughly implement the dissemination project of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to consolidate and expand the mainstream ideology and public opinion of striving for new achievements in the new era. We will protect and effectively use red resources, such as the sites of the Third CPC National Congress and the Peasant Movement Training Institute, to foster a profound love for the Party, the country, and socialism and strengthen the sense of community for the Chinese nation. In strengthening civic ethics, we will expand the building of new-era civilization practice centers, advocate traditional Chinese virtues, enhance the moral and ethical standards of the whole society, accelerate the establishment of Volunteer Guangdong brand, and nurture an upright and kind culture. We will innovate philosophy and social sciences and pay special attention to literary and historical counseling and studies and local chronicles. We will improve the all-media communication system and incubate new mainstream media with strong influence and competitiveness to tell China’s story well, spread the voice of GBA far and loud, and showcase the wonders of Guangdong.

Promoting prosperity of cultural undertakings. We will advance the Early Lingnan Origin Exploration Project, strengthen the protection and utilization of cultural relics and heritage, and advance the archeological excavation of the Nan’ao II Shipwreck. We will strengthen the overall protection of historical and cultural cities, towns, villages, and blocks, as well as historical buildings and traditional villages. We will continuously strengthen the National Hakka Culture (Meizhou) Ecological Protection Zone. We will polish the brand of Lingnan opera, Lingnan art, and Guangdong music and protect and inherit traditional folk customs and crafts such as lion dancing, dragon boat racing, Guangdong embroidery, Guangzhou porcelain, wood carving, stone carving, pottery, and Duanzhou inkstone. We will introduce and nurture more famous artists and leading talents and encourage the creation of outstanding works that showcase the charm of the time and of Lingnan. We will better utilize the Guangzhou branch of the National Archives of Publications and Culture, the Bai’etan Greater Bay Area Art Center, and other new cultural landmarks, and accelerate the construction of key cultural venues, such as the Guangdong Provincial Underwater Cultural Heritage Protection Center and Cantonese Opera Cultural Center. We will build smart libraries and digital cultural centers and create more high-quality public cultural spaces. We will conduct the rural cultural renewal plan, provide more diverse public cultural services in rural areas, and help rural culture shine brightly.

Advancing the integrated development of the culture, tourism, and sports industries. We will optimize and strengthen industries such as digital creativity, online audio-visual, and cultural manufacturing, vigorously develop digital cultural trade, and establish high-level performing art clusters. We will promote the planning and construction of a high-quality development corridor featuring Lingnan ethnic characteristics and create special tourism routes such as folk tourism, cultural tourism, red tourism, rural tourism, industrial tourism, coastal and island tourism, and forest health tourism. We will polish the culture and tourism brand of Vibrant Guangdong · Fashionable Bay Area and make the GBA a world-class tourist destination. We will advance the construction of projects such as national cultural industry demonstration parks and national sports industry bases and attract major cultural, tourism, and sports projects and important international and domestic sporting events to Guangdong. We will promote the construction of public sports venues and facilities and ensure they are free or affordable, improving the public fitness service system. We will deepen the integration of sports and education, enhance the physique of the younger generation, and improve the training of future star athletes. We will earnestly prepare for major events such as the 2024 Paris Olympics and join forces with Hong Kong and Macao to successfully host the 15th National Games and the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities.

Guangdong is the birthplace of Lingnan culture and where it keeps its timeless appeal. We must thoroughly implement Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, unfailingly balance material and cultural-ethical advancements, and make Guangdong an important window to demonstrate the modern civilization of the Chinese nation.

(XI) We will steadfastly adhere to the people-centered development philosophy, enhance the well-being of the people in high-quality development, and vigorously promote common prosperity.

Placing greater emphasis on the employment-first policy. We will thoroughly carry out ten actions to boost the employment and entrepreneurship of college graduates, support the industries and enterprises that employ a substantial number of people to stabilize and expand their jobs, and promote stable employment among key groups such as migrant workers and people with difficulties in finding jobs. We will make efforts to carry out the Cantonese Chefs, Guangdong Technicians, and Southern Guangdong Housekeepers programs, strengthen basic and advanced training in technical education, promote the technical trainee system, and train skilled craftsmen and national masters. We will intensify our efforts to deal with wage arrears at the source, enhance employment supervision and monitoring of platform enterprises, and safeguard workers’ legitimate rights and interests in new forms of employment. We will provide better public employment services, build a provincial database of employment information resources and an employment information platform, and improve the support systems for entrepreneurship and flexible employment to improve citizens’ quality of life in Guangdong by ensuring their access to high-quality employment.

Ensuring more equitable and higher-quality education. To fulfill the fundamental task of fostering character and civic virtue, we will promote the integration of ideological and political education in primary schools, middle schools, and universities. We will implement the demonstration program of proper preschool education, actively build nationally recognized counties for quality and balanced compulsory education and inclusive preschool education, promote the development and improvement of county-level regular high schools, and increase the supply of public education places in population inflow areas and central urban areas. We will build a number of urban-rural education communities and education groups and consolidate the achievements in reducing students’ homework burden and after-school tutoring burden in compulsory education. We will promote the high-quality integrated development of special education and strengthen specialized education. We will continue reforming educational work evaluation and advancing the New Teachers’ Competency Training Program to cultivate a high-quality teaching force. We must give priority to education and provide satisfactory education to the people, giving every child opportunities to excel in life.

Bringing the healthy Guangdong to a new level. We will speed up to transform Guangdong into a demonstration province for high-quality healthcare development, advance the coordinated development of national medical centers, regional medical centers, and high-level hospitals, and strive to gain the qualification to develop a number of national-level key clinical specialties. We aim to promote the expansion and balanced development of high-quality medical resources. We will actively create national-level regional public health centers and national major infectious disease prevention and treatment bases and expedite the construction of national emergency medical rescue bases. We will pace up to comprehensively reform the national demonstration zone for comprehensive traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), accelerate the development of national inheritance and innovation centers of TCM as well as the National TCM Germplasm Bank, and improve the service network for TCM preventive treatment. We will develop and expand the team of rural medical and health personnel and enhance the service capacity of township and village health centers, providing the rural population with access to better quality healthcare services close to home. We will further increase the medical and nursing personnel force and shore up weaknesses in meeting medical care needs. We will continue to deepen the reform of medical and healthcare systems, strengthen the supervision of contracted production of medicine and medical devices, and establish a responsive and appropriate dynamic adjustment mechanism for medical service prices. We will improve the medicine pricing mechanism and promote convenient services such as medical insurance QR codes, electronic prescriptions, mobile payments, and credit-based medical services. We will carry out extensive activities to improve public sanitation and encourage the public to participate in health-benefiting actions and the whole society to jointly build a healthy Guangdong.

Promoting high-quality population development. We will speed up to nurture high-quality and high-end human resources meeting the need for modernization and encourage the overall development of individuals. We will advance the building of a birth-friendly province, improve the policy system that supports childbearing, and maintain an appropriate level of childbearing and population size. We will develop an inclusive childcare service system to reduce the costs of childbirth, parenting, and education. We will intensify the construction of child-friendly cities, strengthen child welfare and rights protection, improve the quality of child welfare institutions, and support the healthy development of family education. We will actively address the issues of an aging population, improve the urban and rural elderly care service networks, continue to develop a barrier-free environment, and make senior-friendly modifications. We will increase the supply of elderly care services provided by the community to elders living at home and those combining medical care and general elderly care. We will provide one-stop elderly care services, such as daycare, meals, and nursing and healthcare, and improve the pilot program of long-term care insurance. We will promote the wellness of the elderly, vigorously develop the silver economy, advance the development of elderly products, serve senior citizens with smart technologies, and help them overcome the digital divide. The elderly and children hold a special place in the hearts of all families. It is with great care and love that we attend to their needs, ensuring that people’s livelihood is firmly secured.

Weaving a robust social security net. We will further develop a multi-level, multi-pillar elderly insurance system and promote enterprise annuities, occupational annuities, and the third-pillar elderly insurance. We will implement the system of private pension and expand the application scope of the all-purpose social security cards. We will steadily advance unified provincial-level coordination of basic medical insurance, strengthen the supervision of medical insurance funds, and deepen the reform of the diagnosis-intervention packet (DIP) and case-based payment system. We will continuously improve the unified provincial-level management of work injury insurance and unemployment insurance. We will improve the mechanism of dynamic social assistance standards adjustment and innovate the comprehensive assistance system and mechanism. We will vigorously develop the charitable sector and advance the pilot program of constructing service facilities embedded in urban neighborhoods.

Consolidating and advancing military-government and military-civilian unity. We will support the modernization of national defense and the armed forces, further innovate the collaboration between the military and the local government, continue national defense education for all citizens, advance the construction of a national defense education base, and expedite national defense mobilization and reserve force enhancement. We will build a mechanism for veterans to contribute to society and provide veterans with adequate living and employment guarantees. We will deepen the reform of public institutions providing preferential treatment to veterans and the military supply guarantee system, improve the system of civilian support for the military, and start a new round of building model cities (counties) for military-civilian mutual support to strengthen the profound military-civilian bond.

Delivering Ten Livelihood Programs of Guangdong. First, enhancing employment service capabilities and strengthening support for skilled industrial talents; second, improving the quality of central kindergartens, central primary schools, and boarding schools in townships and county-level high schools and improving youth mental health services; third, supporting staff of primary medical institutions; fourth, advancing urban affordable housing projects; fifth, enhancing comprehensive services for the elderly and the young; sixth, improving the construction, management, maintenance and operation of rural roads and enhancing the service capacity of expressways’ supporting infrastructure; seventh, taking more responsive actions to improve the treatment of domestic sewage in rural and urban areas; eighth, carrying out key actions for the quality and safety of food and drugs and better protecting consumer rights; ninth, increasing basic living allowances for subsistence allowance recipients, people with extreme difficulties and orphans, and the two subsidies for the disabled; tenth, improving access to services that benefit enterprises and the public and advancing the crackdown on telecommunications and Internet fraud at the source.

Trust and support from the people are of vital political importance. We must balance the relations between developing the economy and improving people’s livelihood. We must thoroughly implement the Ten Livelihood Programs, promptly respond to the reasonable requests of the people, rise up to challenges, and ensure deliverables.

(XII) We will coordinate development and security, build a Safe Guangdong and a Law-governed Guangdong, and achieve a positive interaction between high-quality development and high-level security.

Ensuring the security of food, energy resources, and important industrial and supply chains.We will fully ensure the joint responsibility of the Party and the government for safeguarding food security, stabilize the sowing areas of grain, promote a substantial increase in grain yield per unit area, and ensure a stable and secure supply of food and important agricultural products. We will firmly protect the lifeline that is arable land, increase investment, enhance protection and management of high-standard farmland, and promote centralized consolidation of contiguous arable land and comprehensive utilization of saline and alkaline land. We will focus on re-cultivating abandoned arable land, resolutely curb and prevent the use of farmland for non-agricultural and non-grain-producing purposes, and ensure the availability and improve the quality of arable land. We will establish a new energy system and rationally plan peak adjustment, co-generation, and distributed gas and power projects. We will promote the construction of Huizhou Taipingling Nuclear Power Plant Phase I, Lianjiang Nuclear Power Plant Phase I, and Lufeng Nuclear Power Plant Unit 5 and 6 and expedite the construction of pumped storage projects at Luhe in Shanwei, Dianbai in Maoming, Shuiyuan Mountain in Yunfu, and the second-phase project in Meizhou. We will promote inter-area power transmission projects, such as the Xizang-Guangdong direct current project, to strengthen inter-province mutual support of power. We will further implement the Chain Resilience Enhancement Action, take tailored measures to extend the chain and shore up weaknesses, and lay a solid foundation of basic parts and components, basic technology, and key basic materials to create independent, safe, and reliable industrial and supply chains.

Preventing and resolving risks in key areas with sustained and effective measures.We will adhere to the principle of market orientation and the rule of law, actively and steadily resolve the risks facing leading real estate companies, optimize real estate policies, and treat real estate companies of different ownerships equally in meeting their reasonable financing needs. We will ensure that overdue housing projects are completed and delivered and promote the stable and healthy development of the real estate market. We will strictly implement government debt limits and resolutely curb the increase of hidden debt. We will prudently advance the risk resolution, reform, and transformation of small and medium-sized financial institutions, reduce the backlog of illegal fundraising cases, and steadily advance the overhaul of peer-to-peer (P2P) online lending, category-based overhaul of private funds, and standardized management of third-party wealth management companies. We will improve economic security risk monitoring and early warning systems, information sharing mechanisms, and emergency response systems, ensuring no systemic risks arise. 

Enhancing production safety and disaster prevention, mitigation, and relief. We will thoroughly implement a three-year action plan for the fundamental improvement of production safety and strengthen the inspection and rectification of hidden safety hazards in road traffic, self-built houses, hazardous chemicals, non-coal mines, urban gas, fire-fighting facilities, glass curtain walls, and fishing-related ships without name and number, certificates, and port of registry. Safety supervision will be enhanced in new business models and fields. We will improve emergency rescue and material support systems, complete the construction of the national southeastern emergency rescue center, and accelerate the construction of the northern Guangdong provincial regional emergency rescue center. We will strengthen basic capacity building for comprehensive fire-fighting and rescue, forest fire prevention and suppression, and emergency aviation rescue and improve the mechanisms for requisitioning and cross-regional distribution of emergency supplies. We will conduct a three-year action plan to reinforce dikes and levees and carry out county-level flood prevention construction to meet relevant standards. We will enhance fire prevention, disaster prevention, and accident prevention, improve natural disaster monitoring and early warning, strengthen the role of meteorology as the first line of defense in disaster prevention and mitigation, and intensify emergency drills against typhoons, heavy rains, floods, earthquakes, and geological disasters to improve our emergency response and rescue capabilities.

Maintaining overall peace and social stability. We should resolutely pursue a holistic approach to national security and continue the fight against infiltration, subversion, terrorism, separatism, and cults to resolutely guard the southern gate of political security. We will advance the normalized fight against gangsters and organized crimes and decisively crack down on crimes, such as those involving guns and explosives, serious violence, telecommunications and Internet fraud, and minors as victims. Continuous efforts will be made to address the drug issue. We will vigorously maintain cybersecurity and strengthen cyberspace governance. We aim to comprehensively purify the social security environment. We will adhere to and develop the Fengqiao Model in the new era, facilitate the coordination of various types of mediation, promote law-based handling of public complaints and proposals, and enhance the governance efficiency of urban and rural communities on all fronts. We will continue to advocate the rule of law at four levels, improve the modern public legal service system, and create more Lingnan-featured brands to popularize legal knowledge.

Security is a prerequisite for development and the most basic expectation of the people. We should spare no effort in preventing and resolving various risks and challenges, protect peaceful living and social stability with utmost commitment, support the new development paradigm with a new security pattern, and drive high-quality development with high-level security.

Fellow Deputies! Our new journey and mission have raised new standards for the governance system and capability. We must bear in mind that full and rigorous self-governance is an unceasing endeavor and that self-reform is a journey to which there is no end. We must strengthen the all-around improvement of government for the satisfaction of the people. We must steadfastly uphold establishing Comrade Xi Jinping’s core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and establishing the guiding role of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era (the “Two Establishments”). We must uphold Comrade Xi Jinping’s core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole (the “Two Upholds”). We must consolidate and scale up the achievements of the initiative to gain a deeper standing and practice Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. We must gain a solid understanding of the decisive significance of the Two Establishments and take the Two Upholds as the overarching guideline and primary national priority. We must loyally support, uphold, and defend our leadership at all times and under all circumstances, keep enhancing our political judgment, thinking, and implementation, and closely follow the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core in thinking, political stance, and action. We must continue law-based administration and fulfill our duties according to the law. We will report to the Guangdong Provincial People’s Congress and its standing committee. We will submit ourselves to the oversight of the Guangdong Provincial People’s Congress, the democratic oversight of the CPPCC Guangdong Provincial Committee, and oversight through discipline inspection and supervision organs. We will proactively listen to the views of other political parties, federations of industry and commerce, public figures without party affiliation, and people’s organizations. We will push forward the reform of local organizations and ensure that the task is completed on schedule and with high quality. We will carry out the Fifth National Economic Census in an orderly manner and comprehensively and accurately map out Guangdong’s basic economic data. We will continue to carry out the building of a demonstration government for law-based administration, introduce regulations for the provincial government’s legislation work, follow the legal procedures for major administrative decisions, launch a three-year action to improve the quality of administrative law enforcement, and harness the power of the rule of law to define the rules and boundaries for administrative power. We must exercise power with clean hands and work hard. We will take regular and long-acting measures to implement the Central leadership’s eight-point decision on improving work conduct and its implementation rules, strengthen the prevention and control of corruption risks at key positions, and ensure effective supervision by audit and statistical means. We will improve the financial and accounting supervision system and working mechanism and strictly enforce financial disciplines. Since government agencies should be accustomed to austerity, we will deliver the development agenda thriftily, reduce the government’s expenditures on government cars, overseas trips, official receptions, and procurement of services by another 5%, and cut expenses on exhibitions and forums by more than half. We aim to use our limited financial resources to sustain development in key sectors and meet people’s urgent livelihood needs.

Fellow Deputies! Guangdong is a hub of energy and dynamism. All levels of government should take a clear-cut stand on the promising prospects of China’s economy and take concrete, responsive, pragmatic, and wise actions without compromise. We should identify ourselves as active problem-solvers ready to deliver the development agenda. We mustmaintain a sense of working for and benefiting the people. We should resolutely rectify formalism and bureaucracy, oppose “one-size-fits-all” and high-intensity “campaign-style” measures, and prevent “image projects” to the detriment of the people and the budget. We cannot make “short-term government achievement” become “long-term burden”. We must adopt a relentless approach to prioritizing practical measures to achieve measurable outcomes. We should advocate investigation and research, act as a capable project contractor, efficiently complete every single task, act right away, and refrain from procrastinating tasks that can be accomplished presently to the next day. We must not shy away from difficulties and must shoulder responsibility. Successors should continue to deliver the agenda of their predecessors, bear due responsibility without hesitation, and enable everlasting improvement of high-quality development and people’s good lives with enthusiastic and vivid practices!

Fellow Deputies! The tides of the Pearl River urge us to sail further in our ambitious voyage. Let us unite more closely around the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, follow the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and fully implement the guiding principles of the 20th CPC National Congress and the important speeches and instructions made by General Secretary Xi Jinping during his visits to Guangdong. Under the wise leadership of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee, let us cheer up, unite, overcome difficulties, and take concrete actions to deliver the “1310” Development Scheme proposed by the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee. Let us strive to lead the way in promoting Chinese modernization, celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China with remarkable accomplishments, and make new and greater Guangdong contributions to building a great country and achieving national rejuvenation!

Appendix 1

Ten Livelihood Programs of GuangdongProvince for 2024

1. Enhancing employment service capabilities and strengthening support for skilled industrial talents. We will create over 60,000 internship positions to help university graduates and unemployed youths enhance their abilities to find jobs. We will build 122 employment service stations that recommend job opportunities near their residence and provide employment policy consulting services to improve the accessibility of public employment services. We will focus on building five standardized provincial gig economy markets as models for the province-wide establishment of standardized gig economy markets to make it easier for gig economy workers to find jobs. We will improve the High-quality Development Project for Villages, Towns and Counties in Guangdong and strengthen the support for the skilled human resources needed by Guangdong to develop its manufacturing sector. We will provide Cantonese Chefs training to over 40,000 people, grant professional qualifications or skill level certificates to over 500,000 people, and train over 160,000 people under the Southern Guangdong Housekeepers program. We will provide 25 new provincial-level high-quality vocational education majors, with vocational school enrollment stable at over 190,000.

2. Improving the quality of central kindergartens, central primary schools, and boarding schools in townships and county-level high schools and improving youth mental health services. We will raise the minimum government funding standard for preschool education from an average of 500 yuan per student per year to 600 yuan. Inclusive kindergartens will account for over 85% of all children enrolled in kindergartens. We will build 40 new integrated management centers of urban-rural preschool education resources to encourage other kindergartens within the towns actively to carry out teaching-related research, standardize their management, and improve their operations. The standardization coverage rate of township central primary schools and boarding junior high schools will reach 100%. We will improve teaching conditions for 30 county-level high schools. We will introduce a pair-up assistance mechanism between 227 county-level high schools and high-quality city-level high schools to enhance the education quality of the former. We will set up 200 “12355” youth service stations, establish 200 psychological health volunteer service teams, and complete the standardization of psychological counseling rooms in 50 compulsory education schools.

3. Supporting staff of primary medical institutions. We will promote joint assistance from 73 Grade A tertiary public hospitals in cities to 113 county-level public hospitals in 60 counties (cities, districts), enhancing medical services provided by the assisted hospitals to the national recommended standards for county-level hospitals. We will continue the Ten Thousand Physicians to the Countryside program, selecting 100 chief health experts and 2,000 practicing physicians to serve at the primary level. Through targeted enrollment, we will recruit and train over 2,000 medical students and confer undergraduate and associate degrees for the eastern, western, and northern Guangdong regions.

4. Advancing urban affordable housing projects. We plan to build 10,000 units of ration-based affordable housing for sale and no fewer than 180,000 units of affordable rental housing, issue rental subsidies to no fewer than 40,000 households living in public rental housing, and start renovating over 1,100 old urban residential neighborhoods. 

5. Enhancing comprehensive services for the elderly and the young. We will carry out senior-friendly modifications for 31,000 households of elderly people with special difficulties, completing the target of 86,000 household renovations in the 14th Five-Year Plan one year ahead of schedule. We will enhance the functions of Canteens for Senior Citizens and improve meal assistance services for elderly people with special difficulties to fully ensure their meal service demand. We will continuously increase the number of integrated medical and elderly care institutions, promote signed family doctor services, and increase the coverage rate of integrated medical and elderly care services for people aged 65 and above to 38% and that of standardized health management services in urban and rural communities to 63%. We will provide free prenatal screening for thalassemia, Down syndrome, and fatal and disabling structural deformities for 588,000 pregnant women. Through public donations, we will purchase accident liability insurance for infants and young children at more than 1,700 registered childcare institutions across the province.

6. Improving the construction, management, maintenance, and operation of rural roads and enhancing the service capacity of expressways’ supporting infrastructure. We will build and renovate more than 5,000 kilometers of rural roads, repair 240 dilapidated rural road bridges, and upgrade 1,000 kilometers of village roads to protect people’s lives and safety. We will build, enhance the density, and renovate and upgrade more than 20 highway service areas, and the total number of charging infrastructure spaces in highway service areas will reach 10% of the total number of parking spaces for small coaches.

7. Taking more responsive actions to improve the treatment of domestic sewage in rural and urban areas. We will conduct rural domestic sewage treatment according to local conditions and complete domestic sewage treatment improvement projects for more than 1,000 natural villages, achieving a rural domestic sewage treatment rate of over 75%. We will build and renovate more than 1,800 kilometers of urban sewage networks, increasing urban sewage treatment capacity by more than 300,000 tons/day.

8. Carrying out key actions for the quality and safety of food and drugs and better protecting consumer rights. Food sampling will reach 6.4 batches per 1,000 people. On-site inspection, evaluation, and risk screening will cover all 271 bulk school meal delivery companies. Over 2,650 batches of staple food, pre-made meals, and dining utensils will be sampled, and over eight million quick tests will be carried out on edible agricultural products. At least 15,000 batches of sampling inspections will be conducted on drugs, and the sampling inspection will cover 100% of products produced in Guangdong that win the bidding in the national volume-based purchasing program. We will increase the number of entities making worry-free consumption commitments by more than 12,000 and that of stores pledging no-hassle returns for offline shopping by over 4,000. We will promote model contract templates and publicize consumer complaints in consumption hot spots. We will keep the rates of on-time complaint settlement and tip-off verification on the 12315 platform at 98% or above.

9. Increasing basic living allowances for subsistence allowance recipients, people with extreme difficulties and orphans, and the two subsidies for the disabled. We will gradually narrow the urban-rural social assistance gap, with the rural subsistence allowance standard equivalent to at least 75% of the urban standard and the extra allowance in urban and rural areas not lower than the current local level. The basic living standard for people with extreme difficulties will be no lower than 1.6 times the local minimum living allowance standard. Living subsidies for impoverished people with disabilities will be raised from 195 yuan to 202 yuan, and nursing subsidies for the severely disabled from 261 yuan to 270 yuan per person per month, respectively. The per capita monthly provincial basic living standard for orphans raised in orphanages will be increased from 2,017 yuan to 2,295 yuan, and that for those in individual households (including children with AIDS) and de facto orphans from 1,359 yuan to 1,484 yuan. De facto unsupported children raised in orphanages and in individual households are subject to the standards applicable to orphans raised in orphanages and in individual households, respectively.

10. Improving access to services that benefit enterprises and the public and advancing the crackdown on telecommunications and Internet fraud at the source. We will optimize the service provided by the 12345 hotline of Yue Sheng Xin, a one-stop case acceptance and processing system platform, promote the Fast Public Demand Response reform, draft a detailed list of more than 500 frequently requested public services, and increase the demand referral speed by 10%. The One Stop Greater Bay Area Comprehensive Service Platform offers more than 70 services in such areas as exit-entry, elderly care, and education and includes over 100 city-specific services after updating. A multi-level system will be set up against telecommunication and Internet fraud. We will combat, prevent, and manage illegal and criminal activities per the law, strengthen the management of social security, build a harmonious society, and enhance publicity. We will strengthen risk management at source and promote the realization of a 10% year-on-year reduction in the number of crimes per 10,000 persons.

Appendix 2

Explanation of Terms

1. Zhejiang’s Rural Demonstration and Improvement Program: General Secretary Xi Jinping personally planned and promoted the Thousand Villages Demonstration and Ten Thousand Villages Improvement Program (the “Rural Demonstration and Improvement Program”) when he was working in Zhejiang Province. This program begins by improving the rural environment and iteratively upgrades the deliverables from pilot projects to whole-scale implementation. Twenty years of sustained efforts have resulted in the creation of thousands of beautiful villages for the benefit of the rural population and contributed successful experiences and practical examples for promoting all-around rural revitalization.

2. The “investment replacing subsidy” reform: This initiative selects some non-repayable grants provided by the provincial government to support socioeconomic development and to form operational assets. Explorations will be carried out to substitute those non-repayable grants with equity investment. The purpose is to accumulate public assets, standardize fiscal fund management, and enhance the drive for sustainable development.

3. Linkage of subsidies, investments, and loans: With the support from venture capital, banks, and other financial institutions, government departments build a “fiscal subsidy + venture investment + S&T credit” linkage mechanism. It selects a batch of tech companies with outstanding growth potential in key areas to help them thrive.

4. Integrated measures in five foreign-related fields: Foreign trade, foreign investment, foreign outsourcing, foreign economic cooperation, and overseas talent attraction.

5. Five Major Projects for marine ecological protection and restoration: Coastal line restoration project, charming beach development project, ecological embankment project, coastal wetland restoration project, and beautiful bay construction project.

6. Four Tasks at the Grassroots: Promoting the Party’s line, principles, and policies, conducting investigations and research, handling petitions, and working on-site at the grassroots level.

7. Combined Ports and One Port Pass pilot schemes: Under the Combined Ports pilot scheme, ports along the GBA coast and rivers belonging to different customs zones can share port codes, and cargoes can be directly distributed between terminals. Under the One Port Pass pilot scheme, a port cluster is formed with the Nansha Port Area of Guangzhou Port as the hub port and the Pearl River inland waterway terminals as the regional ports. In this cluster, imported and exported cargoes can be declared, inspected, and released at one time.

8. Electronic Fence for cross-border capital in Hengqin: In Hengqin Cooperation Zone, the multi-functional independent free trade accounting of financial institutions follows the principle of “liberalization within the first line, control within the second line, and limited fund transfer between accounts of the same name”. Funds are transferred freely across the first line, whereas transfers across the second line are subject to cross-border transaction management. Transfers between same-name accounts across the second line are subject to allowance and limitation management.

9. Five major metropolitan areas: Guangzhou, Shenzhen, the west bank of the Pearl River Estuary, Shantou-Chaozhou-Jieyang, and Zhanjiang-Maoming.

10. “12221” agricultural product marketing system: Built on “1” big data platform of agricultural products, this system consists of “2” teams (buyers in the sales area and suppliers in the production area), expands “2” markets (sales area and production area), and organizes “2” activities (for buyers to go to the production area and suppliers to go to the sales area) to achieve “1” target package (thriving production and marketing, brand creation, industrial revitalization, and farmers’ income increase)

11. Reverse enclaves: Regions with relatively weak industrial foundations and relatively scarce industrial resources break the traditional geographical and spatial limitations and establish platforms for businesses and talent attraction, R&D, investment and financing, and promotion in relatively developed regions. The purpose is to enjoy their partner’s advantages in market, technology, capital, and talents for industrial collaboration and mutually beneficial development.

12. Organized research + organized outcome commercialization: This model integrates the planning of research and outcome commercialization, focuses on major strategic needs of the country, and gives full play to the new system for mobilizing resources nationwide. It fosters a service system and a policy environment integrating concept verification, pilot test and maturation, fintech, and training of human resources. It aims to overcome the challenges of “market mechanism failure” and “passive waiting for achievements” in key areas and enhance the ability to support the commercialization of S&T achievements.

13. Infrastructure REITs: It is the real estate investment trusts (REITs) in infrastructure, an internationally accepted and proven tool to revitalize stock assets. It is a standardized financial product mainly listed and traded on stock exchanges with infrastructure projects with stable returns as the underlying assets and publicly issued funds as the primary carrier. Its essence lies in the listing of stock infrastructure projects.

14. Industrial-use standard lands: State-owned industrial land supplied according to land supply conditions, subject to industry-specific indicators, such as fixed-asset investment intensity, plot ratio, average tax per mu, R&D investment intensity, and employment contribution. Regional assessment results and planning requirements are also considered. Such lands are supplied and regulated within the same region in accordance with uniform standards.

15. One Bill system for multimodal cargo transportation and One Container system for container transportation: The One Bill system for multimodal cargo transportation is an organizational mechanism whereby goods are transported with a single multimodal transport bill, enabling the shipper to entrust the transport once and the costs to be settled once. One Container system for container transportation is a service model realizing whole-process single-container transportation without changing or opening the container.

16. Four-place in-village and five-place out-village environment enhancement project: Four places for in-village enhancement are villages, house sides, roadsides, and watersides; five places for out-village enhancement are the mountains, rivers, roads, towns and villages, and scenic areas.