Remarks by Mayor of Beijing Chen Jining, At the Press Conference on China in the Past Decade: Beijing
September 1, 2022
Friends from the media,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Greetings to you all! As the Communist Party of China is about to convene its 20th National Congress, I'm delighted to meet with you and walk you through Beijing's glorious journey of development over the past decade. Let me begin by extending, on behalf of the Beijing Municipal Party Committee and the People's Government of Beijing Municipality, sincere thanks to all the friends who have been following and supporting Beijing's endeavors.
The past decade since the 18th CPC National Congress has witnessed historic achievements and transformation in the cause of the Party and the country. It is also a period of landmark importance in Beijing's development. General Secretary Xi Jinping has inspected our city ten times and made important remarks concerning Beijing on 18 occasions on which he gave instructions on important topics, plans and matters concerning the long-term development of the capital and addressed the critical issue of "what China's capital should be like and how to build it". We are deeply inspired by his vision, foresight and leadership, and his commitment to serving the people and meeting their daily needs. When he instructs us to fulfill a mission, he both shows us the way and sees to it that we have the necessary means to meet challenges.
We have stayed committed to the Party's decision to establish Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and to establish Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as the guiding principle. We have resolutely upheld General Secretary Xi Jinping's core position in both the CPC Central Committee and the entire Party and upheld the CPC Central Committee's authority and its centralized, unified leadership. Bearing in mind General Secretary Xi Jinping's expectations, we have worked tirelessly to fulfill our historic missions. The new development philosophy has been implemented in both letter and spirit, and the Five Key Initiatives[1] incorporated into the new development dynamics. We have forged ahead with a realistic and pragmatic approach and given priority to developing Beijing as the national capital instead of just another city. We have stepped up the coordinated development between Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei. Beijing's growth model, once a resource-intensive one, has been transformed to pursue development by relocating functions non-essential to Beijing's role as the capital. Governance of a super-large city has taken the place of the past model of city management. Our great city has undergone profound transformation and new historical changes.
Over the past decade, we have greatly strengthened Beijing's role as the national capital and made breakthroughs in the coordinated development of the region.
We strictly followed the General Secretary's instruction that we must pursue Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei coordinated development through relocation of functions non-essential to Beijing's role as the national capital. The Master Plan of Development for Beijing (2016-2035), which was thoroughly deliberated and then adopted under the direct leadership of the General Secretary, has been serving as an essential basis for our work on urban development, construction, and administration. With resolute measures to relocate non-essential functions, Beijing has become the first super-large city in China that has achieved growth with reduced input.
We have earnestly fulfilled the duties assigned to the capital by strengthening Beijing's role as the four centers and enhancing its capacity to deliver four services. We ensured quality services for a number of major events, including the celebrations of the People's Republic's 70th anniversary and of the centenary of the CPC. After seven years of strenuous efforts in preparation, Beijing, together with Hebei province, staged a Winter Olympics that will go down in history, during which we created the spirit of the Beijing 2022, that is, to bear in mind the big picture, be confident and open, rise to challenges, pursue excellence, and create a better future together. Beijing has also become the world's first and the only city that has hosted both the Summer and Winter Olympics.
We have offered support to Xiong'an New Area as if their endeavors were part of our own duties, and promoted the high-quality development of the Beijing Municipal Administrative Center (BMC). These two areas have become the "two wings" serving the capital's development. We have taken rapid steps to develop a metropolitan area for greater Beijing, and progress of coordination between Beijing and its neighboring areas was first seen in transport connectivity, ecological conservation, and industrial integration. Beijing Daxing International Airport is now open for flights; and the rail network connecting Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei has enabled greater connectivity for people of the three localities. We are so uniquely different, yet so closely connected, just like three petals of the same flower. As we advance the coordinated development to a further level, new ideas for improving the spatial layout of Beijing's functions emerged, new spaces for integrated development of the region were opened up, and a new approach to improved development of a densely populated region was created.
Over the past decade, great advancements in technological innovation and a historic leap forward with high-quality economic development have been made.
Under the General Secretary's instruction that Beijing must speed up its development toward an innovation center with global influence and better play its role as a pacesetter of innovation-driven development in China, we have prioritized innovation as the key to overall development and made it our mission to serve our country's pursuit of self-reliance in science and technology. We set up a number of national laboratories and new-type R&D institutes that are of strategic importance to our country's technological strength. New headway has been made in addressing technological bottlenecks in key and core sectors. A number of world-leading proprietary results in science and technology have been obtained, such as the detection of quantum spin Hall effect, Majorana zero mode in the vortex and the discovery of antitumor immune function of pyroptosis. Beijing ranks first among Chinese cities in the number of national high and new technology enterprises, unicorn companies and specialized and sophisticated enterprises that produce new and unique products.
The city has fostered a culture that encourages innovation with no fear of failure. We pioneered the strengthened reforms for a better business environment and upgraded the reform measures annually for five consecutive years. We endeavored to streamline government administration and delegate power. As a result, 60% of items, 74% of documents, 320 certifications and 300 items that need intermediary services have been cut. The time needed for getting things done has been shortened by 71% and 98% of public service items at the municipal level are now available online during the whole process. Good practices such as "single window" services and reforms in opening a business, getting electricity and registering property have been replicated nationwide, contributing to the rise of China's place in the World Bank's ranking for ease of doing business.
Our business environment has become more inclusive, bringing convenience to our people and enterprises. The number of enterprises in Beijing has reached 1.806 million, 2.4 times that of ten years ago. The development of the Integrated National Demonstration Zone for Opening up the Services Sector and the China (Beijing) Pilot Free Trade Zone has been advanced with a view to serving the global market. Technological innovation, opening-up of the service sector and the digital economy are becoming increasingly three highlights of the city. Beijing now leads China in forming a "double 80%" economic structure, namely, the service sector accounts for over 80% of the local GDP, and modern services accounts for around 80% of the service sector as a whole. The Beijing Stock Exchange was established and began trading. The China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS), the Zhongguancun Forum, and the Financial Street Forum are now major platforms for China's opening-up and development.
Technological innovation together with reform and opening-up greatly transformed the quality, efficiency, and impetus of the city's economic growth. While reducing the population size, land for urban and rural construction and building area, the city achieved a local GDP growth from 1.9 trillion yuan to 4.03 trillion yuan. The per capita GDP of Beijing soared from 92,800 yuan to 184,000 yuan, which is the highest in the country, equivalent to that of medium-level developed economies.
Over the past decade, we have significantly improved the environment through unprecedented pollution control efforts.
We have acted on the General Secretary's instruction that we must pursue green development that prioritizes environmental protection as lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets. Solid steps were taken to prevent and control pollution against all odds, and steady progress was made in carbon neutrality on top of the carbon peak we have reached. Air quality has been greatly improved. The annual average concentration of PM2.5 in Beijing dropped to 33 μg/m3 in 2021, down 63.1% over 2013. Beijing's success in air pollution control has been hailed by the United Nations Environment Program. I still remember when "Parade blue" and "APEC blue" became catchphrases as people used them to describe the pleasant blue skies during those big events. Now people in Beijing can enjoy such blue skies almost all the time.
Great efforts have been made in treating sewage. The quality of cross-sections of water bodies is above Class V in the national surface water assessment. All five major rivers including Yongding River now see water flowing. The groundwater table in the flatlands has risen for six consecutive years. We have greened riverbanks and built waterfront facilities, making the beautiful waterside scenery accessible to our people.
We have strengthened conservation of mountain, river, forest, farmland, lake, grassland, and desert ecosystems in a well-coordinated way. We kept expanding green space and planting more trees in urban and rural areas. Two rounds of one million mu (67,000 hectares) afforestation project have been completed. As a result, the city's forestry coverage has been raised from 38.6% to 44.6%. Beijing has become a metropolis with one of the world's highest levels of biodiversity. Today, Beijing has become a capital of green development with clear waters, lush mountains and blue skies.
Over the past decade, we have improved people's lives and upgraded the city environment.
Resolutely acting on the important instruction given by the General Secretary that cities shall be governed with meticulous efforts and the principle of law-based, precision and participatory governance, we have improved people's well-being by delivering better services in childcare, education, employment, medical services, elderly care, housing and social assistance, and worked to meet people's expectations for a better life that is convenient and comfortable, with more choices, and in a fair and safe society. With more emphasis placed on improving the city and serving the people instead of just managing the city, we have made the city more livable, meeting the expectations of our people.
We have addressed a large number of people's pressing difficulties and concerns by putting in place an innovative mechanism of giving quick answers to calls made by residents and swift response to public complaints. A model for super-large city governance underpinned by this mechanism is being created. Guided by the principle of no more demolition in the old town laid down by the General Secretary, we have devoted serious efforts to protect Beijing's cultural and historical heritage, and advanced the application for UNESCO recognition of the Central Axis as a World Cultural Heritage Site to better protect the old town. We have improved the environment of 3958 backstreets and alleys. While upgrading the living conditions there, we also managed to keep alive their cultural elements and special appeal. Strenuous efforts have been made on waste sorting and property management, the two "important minor details" that can make a big difference in people's living environment.
We regard people's interests as our top priority and have actively addressed issues of concern to the people, including those on education, employment, health care, elderly care, housing and transportation. Now, over 88% of all kindergartens are affordable ones, and health centers have been established in all urban communities. We have built or upgraded more than 6000 convenience stores and put in place 1098 catering service stations for the elderly. A total of 847,000 units of government-subsidized housing have been delivered. The total service mileage of urban rail transit has expanded to 783 kilometers from 442 kilometers. In the past ten years, Beijing's per capita disposable income rose from 36,800 yuan to 75,000 yuan and the average life expectancy rose from 81.35 years to 82.47 years. Now our people can enjoy more tangible benefits, live with lasting happiness and feel safer and more secure than ever before. Their aspiration for a better life is gradually being fulfilled.
Over the past decade, the Party's leadership has grown stronger and we have secured historical progress in strengthening the Party.
We have followed the General Secretary's instruction that Beijing is judged first and foremost by its political stance. Enhancing the political commitment to the Party has been taken as our top priority, while full and strict self-discipline over Party organizations and members has been steadily advanced. We have promoted the great founding spirit of our Party, and protected and made good use of heritage sites related to the CPC's history, such as the Red Building of Peking University and the revolutionary memorial sites in the Fragrant Hills, thus fostering a deep affection among all the people in Beijing toward the Party and our country.
We have taken solid steps to improve our work conduct, and given priority to strengthening primary- and community-level Party organizations. Officials at all levels, by advancing initiatives on delivering practical services to the people, have devoted themselves to the effective implementation of work on the ground. We have ensured that Party branches meet their standards in development and Party members are more competent, so that the Party's flag may fly high at primary- and community-level Party organizations. We have acted in strict accordance with the central Party leadership's eight point decision on conduct, and intensified political inspection to see that no place is out of bounds, no ground left unturned, and no tolerance shown in the fight against corruption. We have maintained a tough stance against corruption and violations of Party discipline and laws, to see that officials are deterred from committing corruption, cannot afford to commit it and have no desire to commit it. Cases have been used to alert officials and resolve related problems. All this has created a political atmosphere of good conduct in the Party.
Reflecting on the past decade, we deeply recognize that the General Secretary's support and guidance are crucial to every step forward we have taken and to the changes taking place in Beijing. In all the work we do, we should translate Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era into concrete actions here in Beijing and deliver solid outcomes.
Looking ahead, we will rally more closely around the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, and hold high the banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics. We will follow General Secretary Xi Jinping's instructions and forge ahead, redouble efforts to promote the development of Beijing as the capital of the nation in the new era, strive to lead the country in basically achieving socialist modernization, and make good preparations for the upcoming 20th CPC National Congress with concrete actions.
[1] The "Five Key Initiatives" refers to building Beijing into an international center for innovation; making progress in building the "two zones"; developing the digital economy; stimulating and creating new demand through supply-side structural reform; and making greater headway with Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei coordinated development through relocation of functions non-essential to the role of the capital.
