China’s Economy Gets Off to a Good Start
中国经济“开门红”
By Chang Hua, Chinese Ambassador to Iran
驻伊朗大使常华
1 May 2021
2021年5月1日
According to the statistics recently released by China’s National Bureau of Statistics, China’s GDP increased by 18.3% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2021. Considering the test by the COVID-19 pandemic in winter and spring and the uncertainty of the external environment, it is fair to say that China’s economy has witnessed an exciting start at the beginning of this year. China’s economic data in the first quarter have attracted worldwide attention, and Iranian people and media are also highly interested in it. Therefore, I would like to make a few comments on this aspect.
根据中国国家统计局近日发布的数据，2021年一季度中国GDP同比增长18.3%。面对冬春新冠肺炎疫情考验和外部环境的不确定，可以说一季度成绩单迎来了一个“开门红”。中国一季度经济数据受到全世界的关注，许多伊朗媒体和民众对此也十分关注，我想谈谈三点看法：
Firstly, the sustained and stable recovery of China’s economy is the result of China’s overall coordinated planning of pandemic prevention and control as well as the continuous socio-economic development. All regions and sectors in China have been determined to act on the general principle of pursuing progress while ensuring stability, ground their efforts in the new development stage, apply the new development concept, create a new pattern of development, pursue high-quality development, and ensure stability on six key fronts and maintain security in six key areas. In the end, China’s economy showed a steady recovery with solid and sound growth in the first quarter. The supply increased both in quantity and quality while demand continued to pick up. The vitality of market entities kept being released, which provided stronger momentum for high-quality development. The employment and people’s livelihood being secured, the society also maintained harmony and stability. It can be said that the giant ship of China’s economy has returned to the track of stability after experiencing short turbulence caused by the pandemic.
第一，中国经济持续稳定复苏是中国全面统筹疫情防控和社会经济发展的结果。中国各地区各部门坚持稳中求进工作总基调，立足新发展阶段，贯彻新发展理念，构建新发展格局，推动高质量发展，扎实做好“六稳”工作，全面落实“六保”任务。最终，中国经济在一季度呈现稳定恢复态势，稳中加固、稳中向好，供给量增质升，需求持续回暖，市场主体活力不断释放，高质量发展动力增强，就业民生保障有力，社会保持和谐稳定。可以说，中国经济这艘大船在经历疫情风浪带来的短暂颠簸后，又回到了稳定的航道上。
Secondly, China’s economic growth in the first quarter has rich connotations and many highlights. First, the employment is generally stable. In the first quarter, the surveyed urban unemployment nationwide averaged 5.4%, with a decrease of 0.4% year-on-year, and there were 2.97 million new jobs created in urban areas. Second, the industrial production grows rapidly. In the first quarter, the added value of industries above designated size increased by 24.5%. The industrial electricity consumption and the railway freight volume rose by 23.9% and 13.9% respectively, and the utilization rate of industrial capacity was the highest since 2013. Third, the development of new driving forces is strong. The added value of high-tech manufacturing increased by 31.2% in the first quarter. Fourth, the market vitality is effectively stimulated. In the first quarter, there were 2.792 million new market entities nationwide handling tax-related matters, showing an increase of 86%. Fifth, the growth of foreign trade and foreign investment is substantial. In the first quarter, the value of exports and imports of goods trade denominated in RMB increased by 38.7% and 19.3% respectively, and the actual use of foreign capital denominated in RMB grew by 39.9%. Sixth, investment and consumption steadily recover. In the first quarter, the fixed-asset investment increased by 25.6%, and the total retail sales of consumer goods increased by 33.9%. Seventh, the market confidence and expectations significantly improve. In March, the manufacturing manager purchasing index was 51.9%, 1.3% higher than the previous month. The non-manufacturing business activity index was 56.3%, 4.9% higher than the previous month. Eighth, people’s living standard steadily improves. In the first quarter, the personal disposable income per capita increased by 13.7% in real terms. The proportion of days with favorable air quality nationwide was 80.9% and the average concentration of particulates in the air dropped by 2.2% in large and medium cities.
第二，中国经济一季度增长内涵丰富、亮点纷呈。一是就业形势总体稳定。一季度全国城镇调查失业率平均为5.4%，同比下降0.4%，城镇新增就业297万人。二是工业生产增长较快。一季度规模以上工业增加值增长24.5%，工业用电量、铁路货运量分别增长23.9%、13.9%，工业产能利用率为2013年以来新高。三是新动能发展势头良好。一季度高技术制造业增加值增长31.2%。四是市场活力有效激发。一季度全国新增办理涉税事项的市场主体279.2万户，增长86%。五是外贸外资增势明显。一季度以人民币计价货物贸易出口额、进口额分别增长38.7%、19.3%，以人民币计价实际使用外资增长39.9%。六是投资和消费稳步恢复。一季度固定资产投资增长25.6%，社会消费品零售总额增长33.9%。七是市场信心和预期明显改善。3月，制造业经理人采购指数为51.9%，比上月高1.3%；非制造业商务活动指数为56.3%，比上月高4.9%。八是人民生活水平稳步提高。一季度全国居民人均可支配收入实际增长13.7%，全国空气质量优良天数比例为80.9%，地级及以上城市细颗粒物平均浓度下降2.2%。
Thirdly, the steady and orderly advancement of key tasks has provided a strong impetus for China’s economic development. The first is to continue to strengthen the employment-first policy. Entrepreneurship enhances employment, we support the healthy development of new forms of employment, safeguard the legitimate rights of flexible employees, and continue to strengthen employment promotion and services for key groups such as college graduates, veterans, and migrant workers. The second is to continue to reduce the burden on market entities. We use more fair and inclusive policies to increase the support for market entities, continue to promote mass entrepreneurship and innovations, pay close attention to the tax and fee reduction policies for small and micro enterprises, and promote the implementation of new structural tax reduction measures. The third is to optimize the business environment to promote fair competition. We continue to promote the reforms to “streamline administration and delegate power, improve regulation, and upgrade services”, promote the reduction of links, materials, and expenses related to enterprise approval, strengthen innovative supervision during and after event, carry out business environment assessment in some regions, issue an action plan for building a high-standard market system, and release anti-monopoly guidelines in the field of platform economy. The reform of market-based allocation of factors of production has made positive progress. The fourth is to promote high-level opening-up. We implement various foreign trade and investment support policies, consolidate the overall performance of foreign trade and investment, steadily advance the construction of pilot free trade zones, accelerate the construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port which has achieved initial results, and make preparations for the implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). The development of BRI and international economic and trade cooperation have made remarkable achievements. In addition, China has also steadily promoted a new type of urbanization, implemented major regional strategies in depth, further strengthened the building of science and technology innovation capabilities, continuously promoted the high-quality development of manufacturing. Rural revitalization and agricultural modernization have taken new steps. We also actively carry out the work on carbon peak and carbon neutrality.
第三，稳步有序推进重点工作为中国经济发展提供了强大动力。一是继续加强就业优先政策。创业带动就业，支持新就业形态健康发展，维护灵活就业人员合法权益，持续加强高校毕业生、退役军人、农民工等重点群体就业促进和服务。二是持续为市场主体松绑减负。运用更多公平普惠政策加大对市场主体的支持，持续推进大众创业万众创新，抓实抓细针对小微企业的减税降费政策，推动新的结构性减税举措落地。三是优化营商环境促公平竞争。持续推进“放管服”改革，推进涉企审批减环节、减材料、减费用，创新和加强事中事后监督，在部分地区开展营商环境评价，出台建设高标准市场体系行动方案，发布关于平台经济领域的反垄断指南，要素市场配置改革取得积极进展。四是推进高水平对外开放。落实各项外贸外资支持政策，巩固外贸外资基本盘，扎实推进自由贸易试验区建设，加快建设海南自由贸易港并取得阶段性成果，做好《区域全面经济伙伴关系协定》（RCEP）实施相关准备工作，共建“一带一路”和国际经贸合作取得显著成效。此外，中国还扎实推进新型城镇化，深入实施区域重大战略，进一步加强科技创新能力建设，不断推进制造业高质量发展，乡村振兴和农业农村现代化迈出新步伐，积极开展碳达峰碳中和工作等。
China’s economy has developed through overcoming hardships, and has grown in braving challenges. Reviewing the achievements of the first quarter and looking at new prospects for high-quality development, China’s economy has shown strong resilience to move forward steadily without fear of setbacks, highlighting the basic trend of steady and long-term bright prospect. At present, the global economic recovery, the international financial market, and the international trade situation are still facing many uncertain and unstable factors. China will continue to consolidate the foundation of “stability”, accumulate the strength of “progress”, hold the bottom line of “guarantee”, and do a solid job on our own business to push China’s economy to get through hard times and move forward steadily. At the same time, China welcomes all countries around the world, including Iran, to actively make use of the opportunities brought by China’s development to promote the high-quality construction of BRI and help the world’s economic recovery and further development, through continuous expansion of mutual openness and cooperation in trade, investment, industry and other fields.
中国经济在经历风雨中发展起来，在应对挑战中成长壮大。回顾一季度成绩单，放眼高质量发展新前景，中国经济呈现出无惧风雨、稳步前行的坚强韧性，凸显了稳中向好、长期向好的基本趋势。当前，全球经济复苏和国际金融市场、国际贸易形势仍面临较多不确定不稳定因素，中国将继续巩固“稳”的基础，积蓄“进”的力量，守住“保”的底线，扎实办好自己的事，推动中国经济乘风破浪、行稳致远。同时，中方欢迎包括伊朗在内的世界各国积极利用中国发展红利，通过不断扩大在贸易、投资、产业等各领域的相互开放与合作，推进高质量共建“一带一路”，助力世界经济复苏与发展。