Economic Recovery in China Brings Hope for World Economy to Move out of Darkest Hour
中国经济复苏为世界经济走出“至暗时刻”带来希望
Chinese Ambassador Wang Yu to Afghanistan
驻阿富汗大使王愚
25 July 2020
2020年7月25日
On 16 July, the National Bureau of Statistics of China reported that the Chinese GDP grew by 3.2% in the second quarter of 2020, a positive change from the minus 6.8% in the first quarter. China has become the first major economy to achieve positive growth since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in the whole world. The economic highlights in China offer hope that the world economy may emerge from its darkest hour.
7月16日，中国国家统计局公布，中国国内生产总值（GDP）2020年二季度增长3.2%，与一季度下降6.8%相比，经济增速由负转正。中国成为新冠肺炎疫情全球爆发以来首个实现增长的主要经济体，经济呈现许多亮点，为世界经济走出“至暗时刻”带来希望。
Major economic indicators have rebounded and market expectations are generally good. The added values created by both industrial and service enterprises above the designated sizes in the second quarter realized growth, a reverse of the situation in the previous quarter. The purchasing managers’ index (PMI) has been above the 50% expansion threshold for four consecutive months. With the total liquidity at a reasonable and abundant level, capital market confidence has been boosted.
主要经济指标回升，市场预期总体向好。二季度，中国规模以上工业增加值、服务业增加值均由负转正。采购经理指数（PMI）连续4个月位于50%的临界点以上。流动性总体合理充裕，资本市场信心增强。
The foundation of agriculture has been further consolidated and the leading role of industry has become more apparent. China has achieved another bumper harvest in summer grains, with a total output of 142.81 million tons in 2020, an increase of 0.9% over 2019. The recovery of industrial production has gained momentum, with industrial physical quantities picking up. In June, total power generation reached 630.4 billion kw·h, up 6.5% year-on-year and at accelerated speed for the fourth consecutive month.
农业基础地位巩固，工业主导作用凸显。中国夏粮产量再获丰收，2020年总量达14281万吨，较2019年增长0.9%。工业生产复苏势头明显，工业实物量指标继续回升。6月份，中国全国发电量6304亿千瓦时，同比增长6.5%，增速已连续4个月逐月加快。
Decline in the service sector has narrowed, with modern services gaining a good growth momentum. In the first half of the year, added value created by the tertiary industry fell from a year earlier, but the scale of decline was 3.6 percentage points smaller than that in the first quarter, with a 1.9% growth in the second quarter and a 5.2% decline in the first quarter. Modern services bucked the trend with growth. For example, information transmission, software and IT services grew by 14.5% and financial services by 6.6%.
服务业降幅收窄，现代服务业增势良好。上半年，中国第三产业增加值同比下降，降幅比一季度收窄3.6个百分点；其中，二季度增长1.9%，一季度为下降5.2%。信息传输、软件和信息技术服务业，金融业等现代服务业逆势上涨，分别增长14.5%、6.6%。
Foreign trade and foreign direct investment have been stabilized, with roughly balanced international payments. Exports rose 4.3% in June, the third straight month of positive growth since April; while imports rose 6.2%, making June the first month of positive growth in the year. Foreign capital actually used in June reached RMB 117 billion (USD 16.72 billion), up 7.1% year-on-year. Foreign investments and foreign exchange reserves remain stable and the RMB has appreciated slightly.
外贸外资回稳，国际收支基本平衡。6月份，中国出口增长4.3%，自4月份起连续3个月实现正增长；进口增长6.2%，当月今年首次实现正增长。6月，中国实际使用外资1170亿元人民币（约合167.2亿美元），同比增长7.1%，外商投资预期和信心稳定趋好。外资外储保持稳定，人民币小幅升值。
The employment situation has gradually improved and consumer prices have risen moderately. In the first half of the year, 5.64 million new urban jobs were created, reaching 62.7% of the annual budget; the consumer price index (CPI) rose 3.8% year-on-year, down 1.1 percentage points from the first quarter. The CPI rose moderately in June, up 2.5% from a year earlier.
就业形势逐步向好，居民消费价格温和上涨。上半年，中国城镇新增就业人员564万人，完成全年目标任务62.7%。居民消费价格（CPI）同比上涨3.8%，涨幅比一季度回落1.1个百分点。6月，CPI同比上涨2.5%，处于温和上涨区间。
People’s basic livelihood has been well protected and notable achievements have been made in poverty alleviation. In the first half of the year, China continued to strengthen social security and safety net, with per capita transfer income rising by 8.2% in nominal terms, including a 9.3% increase in per capita old-age and retirement pensions and a 13.2% increase in per capita income from social relief and subsidies. In provinces with many poor people, per capita disposable income of rural residents registered nominal growth rates between 5.5% and 7.6% year on year.
基本民生保障有力，脱贫攻坚成效突出。上半年，中国全社会保障和兜底帮扶持续加强，人均转移性收入名义增长8.2%，其中人均养老金和离退休金增长9.3%，人均社会救济收入和补助收入增长13.2%。贫困人口较多的中国省份农村居民人均可支配收入同比名义增长均在5.5%-7.6%区间。
After more than two months of hard work, China has become one of the first countries in the world to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. While fighting the pandemic, the Communist Party of China and the Chinese government made resolute decisions to introduce a series of measures to bring back work, production and business operation, thus restoring economy to normal growth in an all-round way and sending a positive signal to the rest of the world.
经过2个多月艰苦卓绝奋战，中国成为世界上率先控制住疫情的国家之一。在抗击疫情同时，中国共产党和政府果断决策，出台了一系列推进复工复产、复商复市举措，使中国经济全面回归常态化增长，向世界传递出积极信号。
Innovative measures will be taken to implement macroeconomic regulation and control. China is gradually implementing new tax cuts and fee reductions totaling RMB 2.5 trillion (USD 358 billion), of which RMB 906.6 billion (USD 129.8 billion) was already sliced in the first four months. Additional fiscal deficits and special treasury bonds for COVID-19 control total RMB 2 trillion (USD 286.4 billion). A special transfer payment mechanism will be created to deliver the increased funds directly to grassroots cities and counties.
创新实施宏观调控。中国正逐步落实新增减税降费2.5万亿元（约合3580亿美元）举措，其中前四个月已完成9066亿元（约合1298亿美元）。新增财政赤字和抗疫特别国债2万亿元（约合2864亿美元），同时建立特殊转移支付机制，使资金直达市县基层。
More policies will be introduced to help enterprises out of difficulties. The financial sector is encouraged to cut their profits by RMB 1.5 trillion within this year in favor of their various enterprises clients. Results-oriented actions will be taken to speed up fee reductions. The relevant authorities will investigate into and rectify irregularities such as over collection and illegal collection as well as unreasonable additional burden on market players in the name of back tax collection. Measures will also be taken to further check up on and regulate business-related fees and charges collected by associations and chambers of commerce.
持续推出助企纾困政策。推动金融系统全年向各类企业合理让利1.5万亿元。加快降费政策落地见效。严查收“过头税费”、违规揽税收费和以清缴补缴为名增加市场主体不合理负担。进一步清理和规范协会商会涉企收费。
China will actively expand effective investment, focusing on new infrastructure, new urbanization and major transport and water conservancy projects. Arrangements are being made for the construction of 150 major hydraulic engineering projects this year and beyond, with a total investment of RMB 1.29 trillion, which is expected to mobilize a total of 6.6 trillion in both direct and indirect investments and create an average of 800,000 new jobs annually.
积极扩大有效投资。重点支持“两新一重”建设，即加强新型基础设施建设，加强新型城镇化建设，加强交通、水利等重大工程建设。部署安排今年及后续150项重大水利工程建设安排，总投资1.29万亿元，预计带动直接和间接投资6.6万亿元，年均新增就业岗位80万个。
Every possible effort will be made to stabilize employment and protect people’s livelihood. Special attention will be given to key groups such as college graduates, migrant workers and poor households, with increased assistance for the employers and employees to maintain the existing jobs and for job seekers to get employed in various ways. Efforts will be redoubled to ensure basic livelihood while taking care of flood control, disaster relief and production safety in full force. China is determined to win the tough battle against poverty. Albeit in a pandemic, the Chinese government has made up its mind to lift the remaining 5.51 million people out of poverty within this year.
千方百计稳就业保民生。聚焦高校毕业生、农民工、贫困户等重点人群，强化援企稳岗和就业帮扶，支持多渠道灵活就业。加大基本民生保障力度，全力做好防汛抗灾和安全生产工作。坚决打赢脱贫攻坚战。即使面对疫情影响，中国政府仍决心要让剩余551万人贫困人口在2020年全部脱贫。
The Chinese government continues the reform of its own functions. More specifically, greater efforts are made to streamline administration, delegate power and exercise regulatory authority in a fair and just manner. Actions will be taken to enhance government service efficiency and create a good business environment, thus stimulating the market’s vitality.
深化“放管服”改革，激发市场活力。更大力度简政放权，实施公平公正监管。提升政府服务效能，营造良好营商环境，激发市场主体活力。
The base of foreign trade and foreign investment must be stabilized. China will open wider to the outside world. While further opening up the manufacturing sector, it will also open the service sector wider, especially high-end services. The export tax rebate mechanism will be further improved to speed up the refund process. Financial institutions will be steered to increase financing support through credit, credit insurance and guaranty so as to ease the liquidity difficulties of foreign trade enterprises. Reforms to facilitate customs clearance will continue to further optimize services for foreign trade enterprises. These enterprises will also be encouraged to transform and upgrade themselves and to improve the quality and added value of their export products. The development of cross-border e-commerce, online transactions and other new forms of foreign trade will gain speed and lead to new foreign trade growth points.
稳住外贸外资基本盘。进一步扩大对外开放，在不断深化制造业开放的同时，扩大服务业特别是高端服务业开放。完善出口退税方式，加快退税进度。引导金融机构加强信贷、信保、担保等融资支持，纾解外贸企业流动性困难。继续挖掘通关便利化改革潜力，优化对外贸企业服务。鼓励外贸企业转型升级，提升出口产品质量和附加值，加快发展跨境电商、网上交易等外贸新业态新模式，培育新的外贸增长点。
China was the locomotive of the global economic recovery after the 2008 financial crisis. According to an IMF forecast in April this year, China will be the only economy to grow significantly in 2020 and its contribution to world economic growth between 2020 and 2021 will be 51.2%. In other words, the Chinese growth will be more than the rest of the world combined. While pandemic response becomes the new normal, China stands ready to strengthen cooperation in all fields with other countries, especially those along the Belt and Road, to revitalize the world economy towards common development.
2008年金融危机爆发后，中国曾是带动全球经济复苏的火车头。今年4月，国际货币基金组织预测，中国是唯一一个预计在2020年实现显著增长的经济体，2020至2021年期间，中国对世界经济增长的贡献率将达到51.2%。也就是说，中国的经济增长将超过世界其他地区的总和。中国愿在疫情防控常态化背景下，加强同世界各国尤其是“一带一路”沿线国家各领域合作，促进世界经济振兴，实现共同发展。
China and Afghanistan are friendly neighbors linked by mountains and rivers. We maintain close cooperation with each other under the BRI framework. The two sides are exploring the establishment of a “fast channel” for entry and exit of people and a “green channel” for the movement of goods across the border. China will continue supporting Afghanistan in its fight against COVID-19 and engage in practical cooperation in this regard. We are willing to give priority to the needs of Afghanistan in the development and use of vaccines. China remains committed to promoting peace, reconciliation, economic development and people’s livelihood in Afghanistan. I am convinced that as long as China and Afghanistan work together, we will for sure overcome difficulties, beat the pandemic and safeguard the safety and health of our two peoples and people around the world.
中国和阿富汗是山水相连的友好邻国，在共建“一带一路”框架下保持着密切合作。双方正在商讨建立双方人员出入境的“快捷通道”，以及彼此货物跨境流动的“绿色通道”。中国将继续支持阿富汗抗击新冠肺炎疫情，与阿富汗开展抗疫务实合作，帮助应对疫情冲击。愿在疫苗研发、使用过程中，优先考虑阿富汗需求。中国还将继续致力于推进阿富汗和平和解、经济发展和民生福祉。我相信，只要中阿两国携手合作，一定能克服困难，战胜疫情，维护两国人民和世界人民生命安全和身体健康。