寿小丽:

Shou Xiaoli:

女士们、先生们，大家下午好！欢迎出席国务院新闻办新闻发布会。今天我们非常高兴邀请到商务部副部长郭婷婷女士，请她为大家介绍2023年上半年商务工作及运行情况，并回答大家感兴趣的问题。出席今天新闻发布会的还有，商务部综合司司长杨涛先生，市场运行和消费促进司司长徐兴锋先生，对外贸易司司长李兴乾先生，外国投资管理司司长朱冰先生。下面，我们首先请郭婷婷副部长作介绍。

Friends from the media, good afternoon. Welcome to this press conference held by the State Council Information Office (SCIO). Today, we have invited Ms. Guo Tingting, vice minister of commerce, to brief you on China's commerce work and operations in the first half of 2023 and to take your questions. We also have with us Mr. Yang Tao, director general of the Comprehensive Department of the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM); Mr. Xu Xingfeng, director general of the Department of Market Operation and Consumption Promotion of MOFCOM; Mr. Li Xingqian, director general of the Department of Foreign Trade of MOFCOM; and Mr. Zhu Bing, director general of the Department of Foreign Investment Administration of MOFCOM. Now, I'll give the floor to Ms. Guo for a brief introduction.

郭婷婷:

Guo Tingting:

谢谢主持人。各位媒体朋友们，大家下午好！首先，感谢大家长期以来对商务工作的关心和支持，也欢迎大家出席今天的发布会。下面，我先简要介绍一下今年上半年商务运行情况。

Thank you. Friends from the media, good afternoon. I want to begin by expressing my gratitude for your continued interest in and support for our commerce work. It is a pleasure to have you all here today at this press conference. Now, let me give you a brief overview of our business operations in the first half of this year.

今年以来，在以习近平同志为核心的党中央坚强领导下，商务部全面贯彻党的二十大精神，着力推动商务领域各项工作，推动出台了一系列政策措施，上半年商务运行总体呈现恢复态势，商务高质量发展稳步推进。

Since the beginning of this year, under the strong leadership of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, MOFCOM has fully implemented the guiding principles of the 20th CPC National Congress, focused on promoting various tasks in the business field, and promoted the introduction of a series of policies and measures. In the first half of the year, business operations generally showed a trend of recovery, and high-quality business development made steady progress.

一是国内消费较快恢复。我们组织开展了“2023消费提振年”系列活动，出台促进家居消费等政策措施，积极恢复和扩大消费。上半年社会消费品零售总额22.8万亿元，同比增长8.2%。其中，接触型消费明显回升，餐饮收入增长21.4%。升级类商品增势良好，新能源汽车销量增长44.1%；限额以上单位金银珠宝类、体育娱乐用品类商品零售额分别增长17.5%、10.5%。网络购物较快增长，实物商品网上零售额增长10.8%，占社零总额比重达26.6%。

First, domestic consumption experienced a relatively swift recovery. We organized a series of initiatives under the 2023 "Year of Consumption Promotion" campaign, introducing policies and measures to stimulate household consumption and actively promote its expansion. As a result, the total retail sales of social consumer goods reached 22.8 trillion yuan, marking a year-on-year increase of 8.2%. Notably, contact-based consumption experienced a significant rebound, with catering income surging by 21.4%. Furthermore, sales of upgraded products flourished, including a 44.1% increase in the sales of new energy vehicles (NEVs), while sales of gold, silver and jewelry, and sports and entertainment products above designated size increased by 17.5% and 10.5%, respectively. Online shopping also surged, with online retail sales of physical goods growing by 10.8%, accounting for 26.6% of the total social retail sales.　

二是对外贸易保持增长。面对国际需求疲弱等挑战，我们认真落实外贸稳规模优结构的意见，帮助企业拓市场稳订单。上半年货物进出口20.1万亿元，增长2.1%，出口增长3.7%，顺差2.8万亿元，扩大17.4%。一季度中国出口占国际市场份额达到14.0%，同比提升0.3个百分点。从结构来看，我国与新兴市场贸易好于对欧美贸易，上半年对东盟、拉丁美洲、非洲地区进出口分别增长5.4%、7.0%、10.5%，对欧盟增长1.9%，对美国下降8.4%。民营企业进出口韧性较强，增长8.9%，占比进一步提升3.3个百分点，达到52.7%。“新三样”动能强劲，出口合计增长61.6%，成为贸易新增长点；机电产品出口增长6.3%。服务贸易增长较快，前5个月服务进出口2.6万亿元，增长10.2%，其中旅行服务进出口增长67.0%。

Second, foreign trade maintained its growth momentum. Despite challenges such as weak international demand, we diligently implemented guidelines for stabilizing the scale and optimizing the structure of foreign trade. We have assisted enterprises in expanding markets and securing orders. In the first half of the year, imports and exports of goods totaled 20.1 trillion yuan, an increase of 2.1%, and exports increased by 3.7%, with a surplus of 2.8 trillion yuan, an increase of 17.4%. China's exports accounted for 14% of the international market in the first quarter, a rise of 0.3 percentage point from the previous year. Notably, our trade with emerging markets surpassed that with Europe and the United States, with a 5.4% increase in imports and exports to ASEAN, 7% increase to Latin America and 10.5% increase to Africa. Meanwhile, exports to the EU grew by 1.9%, while exports to the United States declined by 8.4%. Private enterprises displayed considerable resilience in their import and export activities, achieving an 8.9% increase, and their share rose by 3.3 percentage points to 52.7%. The "three new products" (electric vehicles, lithium batteries and solar cells) gained significant momentum, leading to a remarkable 61.6% increase in total exports, thus becoming a new driving force for trade growth. Additionally, there was a notable 6.3% increase in the export of mechanical and electrical products. Trade in services also experienced rapid growth, with imports and exports of services in the first five months reaching 2.6 trillion yuan, representing a 10.2% increase. Specifically, the import and export of travel services saw a remarkable surge of 67%.　

三是吸收外资基本稳定。今年以来，我们全力开展“投资中国年”系列活动，更大力度吸引和利用外资。新设外资企业数量快速增长，上半年新设外商投资企业2.4万家，增长35.7%；实际使用外资7036.5亿元，下降2.7%。发达国家对我投资保持增长，法国、英国、日本、德国投资分别增长173.3%、135.3%、53.0%、14.2%。引资质量持续提升，高技术产业引资增长7.9%，占比提升3.9个百分点达到39.4%，其中高技术制造业引资增长28.8%。开放高地带动作用明显，21个自贸试验区吸收外资1296.6亿元，增长8.2%，占全国比重达18.4%。

Third, the absorption of foreign capital remained stable. Since the beginning of this year, we have dedicated ourselves to a series of "Year of Investment Promotion" activities to attract and utilize foreign capital more effectively. The number of newly established foreign-funded enterprises saw a rapid increase. In the first half of the year, 24,000 foreign-invested enterprises were established, marking a significant rise of 35.7%. The actual utilization of foreign capital decreased by 2.7%, reaching 703.65 billion yuan. Investment from developed countries continued to grow in China, with France, the United Kingdom, Japan and Germany witnessing increases of 173.3%, 135.3%, 53% and 14.2%, respectively. The quality of foreign investment also improved, particularly in high-tech industries, which experienced a 7.9% increase, accounting for 39.4% of the total foreign investment, rising by 3.9 percentage points. Foreign investment in high-tech manufacturing specifically rose by 28.8%. The role of leading opening-up areas in driving investment is evident, as the 21 free trade pilot zones attracted 129.66 billion yuan of foreign capital, representing an increase of 8.2%, and accounting for 18.4% of the country's total foreign investment.　

四是对外投资合作平稳发展。我们不断提升对外投资合作质量和水平，推动共建“一带一路”高质量发展。上半年对外非金融类直接投资4316.1亿元，增长22.7%。绿色、数字、蓝色经济等新领域合作不断拓展，今年以来我们与巴西等4国新签相关合作备忘录，累计已经签署41个相关领域投资合作备忘录。对外承包工程提质增效，上半年完成营业额4901亿元，增长7.0%，一批重点项目建设运营稳步推进。

Fourth, foreign investment and cooperation steadily progressed. We continued to enhance the quality and level of foreign investment and cooperation while further advancing the high-quality development of the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). In the first half of the year, China's non-financial outbound direct investment totaled 431.61 billion yuan, registering an increase of 22.7%. We expanded cooperation in new areas like the green, digital and blue economies. During this period, we inked new memorandums of cooperation with four countries, including Brazil, and signed a total of 41 investment cooperation memorandums in related fields. We also saw improvements in the quality and efficiency of overseas contracted projects, achieving a 7% increase in turnover to 490.1 billion yuan, while the construction and operation of key projects steadily moved forward.

五是多双边合作不断深化。我们不断扩大面向全球的高标准自贸区网络，推动RCEP全面生效，全面开展中国—东盟自贸区3.0版等谈判，举行中国与DEPA成员部长级会议，积极推进加入CPTPP。上半年我们与厄瓜多尔签署自贸协定，实质性完成与新加坡自贸协定升级后续谈判，与尼加拉瓜自贸协定早期收获安排生效实施。我们坚定维护多边贸易体制，积极参与世贸组织改革，引领《投资便利化协定》文本谈判成功结束，完成《渔业补贴协定》国内批约，在贸易与环境等领域提出14份中国提案。我们持续深化双边经贸合作，举办了中法企业家委员会第五次会议、中德企业家圆桌会、中国—中亚五国经贸部长会议、中非经贸博览会、中国—中东欧国家博览会等。

Fifth, bilateral and multilateral cooperation continues to deepen. We continue to expand the global network of high-standard free trade zones (FTZs) and the comprehensive implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). We held negotiations on version 3.0 of China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (FTA) and the ministerial meeting with signatories of the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement, and actively promoted our accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). In the first half of the year, China signed a free trade agreement (FTA) with Ecuador, completed substantive negotiations on the FTA upgrade with Singapore, and put into effect the early achievements of FTZ negotiation with Nicaragua. We firmly upheld the multilateral trading system and actively participated in WTO reform. China has played a key role in concluding negotiations on the text of the Investment Facilitation for Development agreement, and completed the domestic ratification process of the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies. A total of 14 Chinese proposals were made in fields such as trade and the environment. We continue to deepen bilateral economic and trade cooperation. A series of events were held, including the Fifth Meeting of the Council of China-France Entrepreneurs, the Sino-German Entrepreneurs Roundtable, China-Central Asia Economic and Trade Ministers' Meeting, China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo, and the China-Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC) Expo.

下一步，商务部将坚持以习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想为指导，认真贯彻落实党中央、国务院决策部署，立足商务工作“三个重要”定位，全力以赴稳外贸稳外资促消费，为推动经济持续回升向好提供有力支撑。

Next, MOFCOM will follow the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and fully implement the decisions and plans made by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council. We will work to perform the important role of commerce development in three aspects. Efforts will be intensified to ensure stable performance in foreign trade and investment, as well as to promote consumption, providing strong support for sustaining China's economic recovery.

我就简要介绍这些。下面，我和我的同事愿意回答大家的提问。谢谢！

That concludes a brief overview of our work. Next, my colleagues and I are happy to answer your questions. Thank you.

寿小丽:

Shou Xiaoli:

谢谢。下面开始提问，提问前请通报一下所在的新闻机构。

Thank you. Now the floor is open for questions. Please identify the news outlet you work for before asking your question.

中央广播电视总台央视记者:

CCTV:

近期，国务院常务会议提出，具备条件的政策措施要及时出台，抓紧实施，同时加强政策措施的储备，最大限度地发挥政策的综合效应。请问，接下来有哪些稳增长的政策值得期待？谢谢。

It was recently proposed at a State Council executive meeting that when conditions allow, policy measures should be introduced promptly and implemented in a timely manner, while also expanding the toolkit of policy options to maximize their combined effects. What policies will be introduced to ensure steady economic growth in the future? Thank you.

郭婷婷:

Guo Tingting:

谢谢您的提问，您提的这个问题确实是当前社会各方面都普遍关注的一个问题，也是市场普遍期待的。

Thank you for your question. This is indeed a question that is of concern to all sectors of society, and represents the common expectations of the market.

今年以来，商务部坚决贯彻落实党中央、国务院决策部署，刚才也介绍到了，我们多措并举稳外贸稳外资促消费，充分发挥政策的综合效应，上半年的工作可以概括为“三个一批”：一是出台实施了一批政策措施，包括外贸稳规模优结构的意见，鼓励外资设立研发中心的政策，在有条件的自贸试验区和自由贸易港试点对接国际高标准推进制度型开放的若干措施，以及促进家居消费、绿色智能家电消费、家政提质扩容等政策文件。二是开展了一批重要活动，其中最有代表性的是“两个年”，一个是“消费提振年”，另一个是“投资中国年”。通过“消费提振年”，我们会同各地方和行业协会开展形式多样的促消费活动，改善大家的消费预期和消费环境。通过“投资中国年”活动，我们积极开展“引进来”和“走出去”的招商引资活动。三是举办了一批重要展会，包括第三届中国国际消费品博览会、第133届广交会等。

Since the beginning of this year, MOFCOM has fully implemented the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council. As I just mentioned, we have taken multiple measures to stabilize foreign trade and investment and promote consumption, to fully unleash the effect of multiple policies. Our work in the first half of the year has mainly been in the following aspects: first, many policy measures were introduced and implemented. Some of them aim to stabilize the scale and improve the structure of foreign trade; some encourage the establishment of foreign-funded R&D centers; some are pilot measures for aligning with international rules and promoting institutional opening-up in qualified FTZs and ports; and some are policy documents for bolstering the consumption of home furnishings and green and smart home appliances and improving and diversifying home services. Second, we have launched several campaigns, including events for boosting consumption and attracting investment that will run through the year. In the consumption boosting events, we collaborated with local governments and industry associations to improve consumption expectations and the consumption environment. And with the help of the investment promotion events, we promoted both inbound and outbound investment. Third, a series of significant expos were held, including the third China International Consumer Products Expo and the 133rd China Import and Export Fair.　　

近期，国务院常务会议要求，要最大限度发挥政策的综合效应。商务部将持续推动已出台的政策进一步落地见效，对具备条件尚未出台的政策措施加快推动出台。同时，我们还将深入开展调查研究，不断加强政策储备，有力有效打好商务政策“组合拳”，为推动经济持续回升向好贡献力量。在外贸方面，我们将研究支持新能源汽车开拓国际市场，提升加工贸易发展水平，落实好便利商务人员办理签证、国际航班复航增班等务实举措，办好进博会、广交会、服贸会等重要展会。在外资方面，我们将出台进一步优化外商投资环境的政策，推动继续合理缩减外资准入负面清单。落实好外资企业圆桌会议机制，保持与外资企业的常态化沟通交流。在消费方面，持续办好国际消费季、暑期消费季、金秋购物节等促消费活动，推动出台扩大汽车消费、推动餐饮业高质量发展、生活服务数字化赋能等举措。

A State Council executive meeting recently called for fully unleashing the effect of multiple policies. MOFCOM will continue to implement the policies that have been introduced and accelerate the rollout of policy measures that are ready to but not yet be introduced. Furthermore, we will carry out in-depth investigations and research, reinforce policy options, and fully implement a combination of policies to ensure commerce development, providing support for China's economic recovery. In terms of foreign trade, we will develop measures to help NEVs expand their international markets, upgrade processing trade, provide more convenience for business people to apply for visas, and resume and increase international flights. Efforts will also be made to organize significant expos, such as the China International Import Expo (CIIE), China Import and Export Fair, and China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS). In terms of foreign investment, we will introduce policies to further optimize the business environment for foreign investment and promote continuing to shorten the negative list for foreign investment. We will continue to hold roundtable discussions with overseas enterprises and maintain regular exchanges and communications with foreign-funded enterprises. In terms of consumption, we will continue carrying out campaigns that promote consumption, boosting consumption of imported products and consumption in summer holiday and autumn season. We will also roll out measures to increase the consumption of automobiles, promote sound development of the catering industry, and encourage the use of digital technology to improve life services, among others.

有关工作进展情况我们将通过商务部的新闻发布会等多个渠道及时发布，不断更新，欢迎大家持续关注。谢谢！

We will keep you updated on the progress of related work through various channels, including MOFCOM's press conferences. Your continued interest and support are greatly appreciated. Thank you.

中宏网记者:

Zhonghongnet:

中央经济工作会议提出，要把恢复和扩大消费摆在优先位置。请问，上半年在促消费方面开展了哪些工作，有哪些成效？谢谢。

The Central Economic Work Conference proposed giving priority to restoring and expanding consumption. What work has been carried out in the first half of the year to promote consumption, and what have been the results? Thank you.

徐兴锋:

Xu Xingfeng:

感谢记者对消费工作的关心。消费是最终需求，是经济增长的持久动力。今年以来，商务部认真贯彻落实党中央、国务院关于把恢复和扩大消费摆在优先位置的决策部署，出政策、办活动，优载体、稳保供，着力恢复和扩大消费，上半年消费市场呈现稳步恢复态势。刚才郭婷婷副部长已经向大家作了介绍。我们的工作主要有以下几个方面：

Thank you for your interest in the consumption work. Consumption is the ultimate demand and the enduring driving force for economic growth. Since the beginning of the year, MOFCOM has fully implemented the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council about giving priority to restoring and expanding consumption. We have introduced policies, launched campaigns, improved consumption environment, and stabilized supply. The consumption market in the first half of the year showed a steady recovery. Ms. Guo just briefed us on the related work. Our work has mainly been in the following aspects:

一是抓重点，稳住消费大盘。我们也多次跟媒体记者进行过交流，在消费领域有“四大金刚”之说，就是汽车、家电、家居、餐饮。围绕大宗消费，出台了多项政策措施。在汽车方面，推动出台了完善充电基础设施和支持新能源汽车下乡的措施。近期，我们又组织开展“百城联动”汽车节和“千县万镇”新能源汽车消费季等活动，也上线了全国二手车综合信息服务平台，目标就是要让老百姓买二手车像买新车一样放心。上半年，全国汽车销量和新能源汽车增长都是比较喜人的，郭婷婷副部长也作了介绍，二手车交易量也增长了15.6%，呈现出稳步恢复态势。在家电方面，大力支持绿色智能家电消费。上半年主要电商平台家电“以旧换新”和绿色智能家电下乡销售额同比分别增长67%和12.7%。在家居方面，昨天在这里已经作了介绍。在餐饮方面，举办了十城联动共享美食佳饮、中华美食荟等系列活动，推动餐饮业加快恢复发展。

First, we stabilized consumption in key areas, consolidating consumption fundamentals. As we said before, automobiles, home appliances, home furnishing and catering are four major fields of consumption. We introduced multiple policy measures to encourage consumer spending on big-ticket items. In terms of automobiles, measures were made to improve electric vehicle battery charging facilities and tap the rural market for NEVs. Recently, we rolled out two campaigns to boost automobile sales in various cities and spur NEVs consumption in counties and towns. We also launched a nationwide secondhand car information inquiry platform, aimed at creating a positive and reassuring experience for people when buying secondhand cars. In the first half of the year, the auto sales and the growth of NEV consumption were very pleasing. As Ms. Guo said earlier, used vehicle sales in China surged 15.6%, showing a steady recovery. In terms of home appliances, we stepped up efforts to support the consumption of green and smart home appliances. In the first half of the year, major e-commerce platforms saw a 67% and 12.7% increase in sales of replacement home appliances and green and smart home appliances sold in rural areas, respectively. In terms of home furnishing, we already provided information in this respect yesterday. In terms of the catering sector, a series of gourmet events were held to promote the recovery and development of the catering industry.　

二是抓活动，营造消费氛围。刚才郭婷婷副部长已经向大家介绍了商务部的“两个年”，其中一个是“消费提振年”，就是“季季有主题，月月有展会，周周有场景”，形成波浪式消费浪潮。上半年，我们开展了四大主题活动：迎春消费季、全国消费促进月、绿色消费季、国际消费季，举办了消博会、国际丝绸博览会等重大展会，还有棉纺消费季、老字号嘉年华、双品网购节等多个重点活动。在这方面，也非常感谢媒体记者的支持，进行了大量报道，让老百姓熟悉消费促进活动。同时，也调动全国各地的积极性，结合本地特色开展形式多样的消费促进活动。比如，上海的“五五购物节”，北京、天津、河北联动的“京津冀消费季”，重庆“爱尚重庆”，广西“三三消费节”等。

Second, we focused on creating a consumer-friendly environment through activities. As Ms. Guo mentioned, the consumption boosting events will run through the year with seasonal themes, monthly exhibitions and weekly attractions, with the aim to create many consumption booms. In the first half of the year, we held four themed events for boosting spring consumption, national consumption, green consumption and international consumption. We also held major expos, such as the China International Consumer Products Expo and the China International Silk Expo. A number of major events were held, including consumption promotion activities for cotton and textile products, time-honored brands and online-shopping. We are grateful to the media for their coverage of these events and for making them known to the public. Additionally, we encouraged local governments nationwide, including in Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Chongqing and Guangxi, to carry out various consumption promotion events with local characteristics.

三是抓载体，改善消费条件。大家都知道，全国正在培育建设五个国际消费中心城市，就是上海、北京、广州、天津、重庆，我们在这方面加大力度，举办第二届国际消费中心城市论坛，推进城市之间相互交流互鉴。同时，也大力推进全国已有步行街设施改造和业态升级，认定了12个全国示范智慧商圈，提升城市商业能级。在全国80个地区累计建设2057个“一刻钟便民生活圈”，补齐社区商业短板。推进县域商业体系建设，完善农村商业网点。根据国家统计局公布的数据，1-6月份，城镇社销额增长8.1%，乡村社销额增长8.4%。

Third, we have improved the environment to encourage consumption. As you all know, China is developing five international consumption centers in the cities of Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Tianjin and Chongqing. In this regard, we have stepped up efforts and held the second International Consumption Center City Forum to promote exchanges and mutual learning among cities. Meanwhile, we have also promoted renovating existing commercial pedestrian streets and upgrading business formats across the country. We have designated 12 national demonstration smart business areas to enhance urban commerce. A total of 2,057 "15-minute community life circles" have been built in 80 regions nationwide to address weak links in community businesses. We have promoted the development of county-level commercial systems and improved rural commercial outlets. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, retail sales of consumer goods in urban areas increased by 8.1% from January to June, while those in rural areas grew by 8.4%.　

四是抓保供，保障基本民生消费。保障好基本民生消费始终是我们工作的优先级。我们聚焦粮、油、肉、蛋、奶、果蔬等生活必需品，持续做好市场监测预警，着力完善流通保供体系，保障生活必需品供应。上半年，通过商务预报平台发布生活必需品市场监测信息6200多条，一些企业和地方对这些信息高度关注。同时，我们还积极应对四川泸定、新疆沙雅等地地震，以及河南、广西等地汛情对市场的影响，也包括前段时间重庆暴雨等，做好灾区生活必需品应急保供工作。根据猪肉市场走势，及时做好收储工作，引导猪肉价格回归合理。

我就介绍这些，谢谢。

Fourth, we have ensured supplies meet basic public consumption needs, which has always been a focal point of our efforts. Focusing on daily necessities such as grain, oil, meat, eggs, milk, fruits and vegetables, we have maintained the market monitoring and warning system. We have strived to improve commodity circulation and ensure supply of daily necessities. In the first half of the year, 6,200 pieces of market monitoring information concerning daily necessities were released via a business forecast platform, attracting significant attention from certain enterprises and local governments. Moreover, we have also made active efforts to deal with the impact of natural disasters on the market, such as earthquakes in Luding county of Sichuan province and Shaya county of Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, flooding in Henan province and Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, and the recent rainstorm in Chongqing. We have ensured emergency supplies of daily necessities in disaster areas. Moreover, according to the trend of the pork market, we purchased and stored pork in time to guide pork prices back to reasonable. That's all. Thank you.

凤凰卫视记者:

Phoenix TV:

近年来，中国的引资规模持续攀升，但是今年上半年实际使用外资金额是有所下降的，请问如何评价？谢谢。

In recent years, the scale of China's foreign investment has continued to rise, but the actual amount of foreign investment used in the first half of this year has decreased. What's your opinion about that? Thank you.

朱冰:

Zhu Bing:

感谢您对外资数据的关注。近年来，商务部坚持贯彻党中央、国务院决策部署，会同各地区、各部门扎实推进稳外资工作，实现了吸收外资规模的不断扩大，引资结构的持续优化，为推动经济社会发展、构建新发展格局作出了积极贡献。2022年，在全球跨国投资下降12%的大背景下，我国的吸收外资逆势上涨了6.3%，实际使用外资金额达到了1.2万亿元人民币，折合1891.3亿美元，增长达到8%，创历史新高，稳居世界第二。今年以来，世界经济恢复放缓，全球跨国投资低迷，近期联合国贸发会议发布的《2023年世界投资报告》显示，由于多重因素影响，今年全球外国直接投资仍然继续面临下行压力。在这个影响下，叠加2022年同期高基数的因素，今年上半年我国实际使用外资金额同比出现了小幅下降，降幅是2.7%，但整体规模保持稳定。

Thank you for your attention to foreign investment data. In recent years, MOFCOM has implemented the policy decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council. We have worked with local governments and other departments to ensure stable performance in foreign investment. We have achieved continuous expansion of the scale of foreign investment in China, with the investment structure having been improved continuously. These efforts have positively contributed to promoting economic and social development and building a new development pattern. In 2022, despite a 12% decline in global transnational investment, foreign investment in China grew by 6.3%. China's actual use of foreign investment hit a record high, reaching 1.2 trillion yuan ($189.13 billion), representing an increase of 8% and ranking second globally. Since the beginning of this year, the world economy's recovery has slowed, and global transnational investment has been sluggish. The recent UNCTAD World Investment Report 2023 shows that global foreign direct investment continues to face downward pressure this year due to multiple factors. Given this impact, compounded by the high base in the same period of 2022, the actual use of foreign capital in China in the first half of this year showed a slight year-on-year decline of 2.7%, but the overall scale remained stable. 

我们认为，短期数据的波动并不影响外商投资持续看好中国的发展前景，扩大对华投资整体趋势没有改变。近期，我们也注意到跨国公司的高管出现了持续“访华潮”，全面深入考察中国的营商环境，寻求投资合作的新机遇。跨国公司普遍表示，中国市场蕴含了巨大的发展机遇，中国市场不是“可选项”而是“必选项”，将持续加码在华投资，深耕中国市场。正如刚刚郭部长提到的，上半年，全国新设外商投资企业同比增长了35.7%，也充分证明了这一点。

We believe that the short-term fluctuation will not affect the continued optimism of foreign investors in China's growth, and the overall trend of expanding investment in China has not changed. Recently, we've observed a continuous stream of visits to China by senior executives from multinational companies. Their aim is to conduct comprehensive, in-depth assessments of China's business environment and to explore new opportunities for investment and cooperation. Multinationals widely agree that the Chinese market, which contains enormous development opportunities, is not an "option" but a "must." They will continue to increase investment in China and explore the Chinese market. As Ms. Guo just mentioned, in the first half of this year, the number of new foreign-invested enterprises in the country increased by 35.7% year on year, which also fully proves this point. 

我们相信，在各方共同努力下，各项外资政策措施效应会逐步显现，营商环境不断优化，中国将持续成为外商投资兴业的热土。谢谢！

We believe that with the concerted efforts of all parties, the effects of foreign investment policies and measures will gradually emerge. With an improved business environment, China will remain a favored foreign investment and business destination. Thank you!

路透社记者:

Reuters: 

中国加入CPTPP需要得到所有当前成员国的支持，但其中几个成员国可能面临潜在的政治限制，阻止他们支持中国的申请。中方计划如何克服当前CPTPP成员国的担忧，即如果让中国加入该集团，他们与世界最大经济体的贸易关系可能会面临风险？

China's accession to the CPTPP requires the support of all current members, but some of them may face potential political constraints that prevent them from supporting the Chinese application. How does China plan to overcome current CPTPP members' concerns that their trade relationship with the U.S., the world's largest economy, could be at risk if China were to join the bloc? Thank you. 

郭婷婷:

Guo Tingting:

好的，感谢您的提问。中国确实一直在积极推动加入CPTPP工作，有关具体工作，我们请综合司的杨涛司长作回答。

Thank you for your question. It is true that China has been proactively working toward its accession to the CPTPP. Let's have Mr. Yang Tao give the details.

杨涛:

Yang Tao: 

谢谢您的提问。中国是2021年9月申请加入CPTPP的，目前正在积极推进加入进程，并且已经对CPTPP的全部条款进行了全面深入的分析、评估和研究，梳理了可能需要采取的举措和修改的法律法规。目前，中国正在按照加入CPTPP的程序，与各成员进行沟通和磋商。中国一贯主张建设开放透明、互利共赢的区域自由贸易安排，不断推动贸易投资自由化和便利化，下一步愿就中国加入CPTPP进程与各成员保持沟通交流。谢谢！

Thank you for your question. China applied to join the CPTPP in September 2021, and is now actively working to accelerate the accession process. We have conducted comprehensive and in-depth analysis, evaluation and research on all CPTPP provisions and identified possible measures and laws and regulations that need to be amended. Currently, China is communicating and negotiating with the members, following the procedures for joining the CPTPP. China has advocated building open, transparent, mutually beneficial and win-win regional free trade arrangements and promoted trade and investment liberalization and facilitation. Going forward, China is willing to maintain communication and exchanges with the members on China's accession to the CPTPP. Thank you!

美国国际市场新闻社记者:

MNI: 

鉴于外需疲弱，预计下半年中国出口前景将面临困难，下半年商务部将如何支持出口企业？

In view of weak external demand, it is expected that China's export outlook faces difficulties in the second half of the year. How will MOFCOM support export enterprises in the second half?

李兴乾:

Li Xingqian:

谢谢您的提问。现在国际市场需求回落，是外贸发展的一个大背景。如果我们拉长时间轴来看，当前全球贸易正处于向疫情前趋势回归的过程，疫情三年全球贸易的年均增速是9.7%，明显高于疫情前2010—2019年2.4%的年均增速。疫情期间这样的高增长，我们认为是阶段性的，是不可持续的。

Thank you for your question. The decline in international market demand represents a significant factor influencing the development of foreign trade. If we look further back, global trade is returning to its pre-epidemic trends. The average annual growth rate of global trade during the three years of the epidemic was 9.7%, clearly higher than the average yearly growth rate of 2.4% from 2010 to 2019 before the epidemic. We believe that such high growth during the epidemic was temporary and unsustainable.

展望下半年，外贸确实面临很多不确定、不稳定和难预料的因素，经济因素和非经济因素相互交织，形势是极为严峻的。这可以从两方面来看。一方面，全球经贸增长乏力。生产、消费、投资这三大需求都处于低迷状态，全球制造业PMI已经连续9个月低于荣枯线，主要经济体的通胀也仍然处在高位，商品消费复苏相对缓慢。另一方面，非经济因素的干扰在上升。部分国家强行推动“脱钩”“断链”，以及所谓的“去风险”，人为设置障碍，阻碍正常的经贸往来。企业反映，个别国家将贸易问题政治化，导致了订单和产能被迫向外转移，损害的是供采双方的经济利益。

Looking forward to the second half of the year, foreign trade faces many uncertain, unstable and unpredictable factors. With economic and non-economic factors interacting, the situation is extremely difficult, which can be seen in two ways. On the one hand, global economic and trade growth is weak. The three driving forces of production, consumption, and investment are sluggish. The global manufacturing PMI has been below the 50-point mark for nine consecutive months. Inflation in major economies is still at a high level, and the recovery in commodity consumption has been relatively slow. On the other hand, non-economic interference is on the rise. Some countries have pushed for "decoupling," "chain disruption," and so-called "de-risking," putting up artificial obstacles to impede regular economic and trade exchanges. Enterprises say that some countries' politicization of trade issues has led to the forced transfer of orders and production capacity, harming the economic interests of both suppliers and buyers.

在正视这些困难和挑战的同时，我们依然是充满信心的。中国外贸产业链供应链有强大的韧性，中国的外贸企业是在国际市场竞争当中锤炼成长起来的，具有内在的创新能力。最近，我们对重点的外贸行业和企业一直在跟踪调研，我们注意到一些积极的变化，比如跨境往来在进一步畅通，国际航班数量也在稳步恢复；新签订单持平或增长的企业占比在回升；电子信息这些压力较大的行业，中间品进口在上扬，这也意味着下半年可能会迎来转机。此外，我们国家的优势竞争产品，像电光锂“新三样”等产品，仍会保持较快的增长。“一带一路”、自贸协定这些多双边贸易合作也正在释放贸易增长的潜力。

Despite facing these difficulties and challenges, we remain confident. China's foreign trade industry and supply chains are resilient. China's foreign trade enterprises, which have become strong competitors in the international market, have inherent innovation ability. Recently, we have followed up on key foreign trade industries and enterprises and noticed some positive changes. For example, cross-border transactions are becoming smoother, and the number of international flights is steadily recovering. The share of enterprises with flat or growing new contracts is picking up. For the electronic information industry, which is under pressure, the import of intermediate goods is on the rise, which means there may be a favorable turn in the year's second half. In addition, China's competitive products, such as electric vehicles, solar cells and lithium batteries, will continue to grow rapidly. Multilateral and bilateral trade cooperation, including the BRI and free trade agreements, are also unlocking the potential for trade growth.

下半年，商务部将继续坚持问题导向，会同各地各部门形成政策合力，全力推动外贸促稳提质。我们有三个着力点：第一，继续帮助企业稳订单拓市场。要办好进博会、广交会、服贸会等一系列重要展会。支持企业境外参展营销。推动加快签证办理和国际航线复航增班。第二，保障产业链供应链稳定。要提升加工贸易发展水平，动态调整综合保税区维修产品目录，要加强贸易风险监测预警，帮助企业积极应对不合理的贸易限制措施。同时，要更加积极主动地扩大进口。第三，深化外贸创新发展。我们要支持中国有竞争力的优势产品持续提档升级。指导跨境电商品牌培育和标准建设。推动贸易单据数字化发展和应用。同时，还要分行业举办新业态、绿色低碳贸易、自贸协定等相关培训，帮助企业加强贸易能力建设。谢谢！

In the second half of this year, MOFCOM will continue to adopt a problem-oriented approach and cooperate with localities and government departments to create synergy, fully promoting the stability and improvement of foreign trade. We will focus on three aspects. First, more efforts will be made to help enterprises keep orders stable and expand markets and ensure the success of a number of major expos, including the CIIE, the China Import and Export Fair, and the CIFTIS. We will support enterprises to participate in overseas exhibitions to market their products and services. Faster visa processing will be promoted, and efforts will be made to facilitate the resumption and addition of more flights to international routes. Second, we will safeguard the stability of industrial and supply chains. Efforts will be made to improve processing trade, dynamically adjust the catalog of maintenance products in comprehensive bonded zones, step up monitoring and early warning of trade risks, and help enterprises cope with unreasonable trade restriction measures. Meanwhile, we will be more proactive in expanding imports. Third, we will further innovate the development of foreign trade. We will support the continuous upgrading of the country's distinctive and competitive products, guide cross-border e-commerce brand cultivation and standard development, and promote the development and application of trade document digitalization. At the same time, training involving new models, green and low-carbon trade, and free trade agreements will be held in different sectors, helping enterprises enhance trade capacity. Thanks.

21世纪经济报道记者:

21st Century Business Herald:

今年是自贸试验区建设十周年。请问今年上半年，商务部在实施自贸试验区提升战略，发挥好改革开放综合试验平台作用方面开展了哪些工作？谢谢。

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of China's pilot FTZs. My question is, in the first half of this year, what has MOFCOM done with regard to implementing the strategy of upgrading the pilot FTZs and tap into their roles as pilot platforms for comprehensive reform and opening up? Thanks. 

郭婷婷:

Guo Tingting:

感谢你的提问，正如你所说，今年是自贸试验区建设十周年，我们也有一系列的工作考虑。下面，请杨涛司长作一些具体介绍。

Thank you for your question. As you said, this year marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of China's pilot FTZs. We have some considerations regarding this landmark. Mr. Yang will explain the details. 

杨涛:

Yang Tao:

谢谢。建设自贸试验区是以习近平同志为核心的党中央在新时代推进改革开放的重要战略举措。正如你所说的，今年是自贸试验区建设十周年。在这个新的起点上，商务部深入学习贯彻习近平总书记关于自贸试验区建设的重要指示批示精神，坚决落实党的二十大关于实施自贸试验区提升战略的重要部署，围绕这些重要精神和部署，我们重点开展了三方面工作：

Thanks. The pilot FTZ construction is a major strategic measure adopted by the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core to further reform and open up in the new era. As you said, this year marks the 10th anniversary of China's pilot FTZ construction. From the new start, MOFCOM has continued to thoroughly study and put into practice the important instructions on pilot FTZ construction given by General Secretary Xi Jinping and firmly implemented the pilot FTZ upgrading strategy in accordance with the key plans made at the 20th CPC National Congress. Our work has focused on three aspects:

第一，以对接国际高标准经贸规则为重点，进一步推进制度型开放。前段时间，我们报请国务院印发了《关于在有条件的自由贸易试验区和自由贸易港试点对接国际高标准推进制度型开放的若干措施》，聚焦货物贸易、服务贸易、商务人员临时入境、数字贸易、营商环境、风险防控等6个方面提出试点政策措施和风险防控举措，支持上海、广东、天津、福建、北京等5个有条件的自贸试验区和海南自由贸易港率先开展试点工作，为我全面深化改革和扩大开放探索路径，为推动加入高标准经贸协定提供实践支撑。

First, we have prioritized connections with high-standard international economic and trade rules amid efforts to promote institutional opening-up. Recently, we submitted a circular to the State Council for release on deepening reforms in some eligible pilot FTZs and the Hainan Free Trade Port to align with high-standard international economic and trade rules amid efforts to boost institutional opening up. The circular focuses on pilot policies and measures and risk prevention and control approaches in six major fields, including trade in goods and services, the temporary entry of business personnel, digital trade, business environment, and risk control, and supports the five eligible FTZs in Shanghai, Guangdong, Tianjin, Fujian, and Beijing and the Hainan Free Trade Port to take the lead in the pilot work. This will help explore the path for comprehensively deepening reform and expanding opening up, providing practical support for joining high-standard economic and trade agreements.

第二，以复制推广新一批制度创新成果为抓手，进一步释放改革红利。我们最近报请国务院印发了《关于做好自由贸易试验区第七批改革试点经验复制推广工作的通知》，向全国或特定区域复制推广24项改革试点经验，进一步释放自贸试验区改革开放政策红利，进一步助力优化营商环境、建设更高水平开放型经济新体制。

Second, we have worked to expand the application of a new batch of institutional innovations to unleash greater reform dividends. We recently submitted to the State Council for release a circular on expanding the application of the seventh batch of reform experiences tested in China's pilot FTZs nationwide or in special regions, involving 24 reform measures in total. This is expected to further unleash the dividends of the reform and opening-up policies of pilot FTZs, and help improve the business environment and build a higher-level open economy. 

第三，以未来三年任务清单为指导，进一步加大差异化探索。制定出台自贸试验区重点工作清单，明确未来三年相关自贸试验区拟自主推进的164项重点工作，进一步加强分类指导，推动各个自贸试验区因地制宜深化改革实践创新。

Third, we have adopted a to-do list to guide our efforts in the next three years, and advance differentiated exploration. The list nails down 164 major tasks relevant pilot FTZs plan to handle independently in the next three years amid efforts to strengthen categorized guidance and help pilot FTZs deepen reform and practical innovation in accordance with their local conditions. 

高水平制度创新有效激发了各个自贸试验区发展活力。从数据上看，今年上半年，21家自贸试验区实际使用外资达到1296.6亿元，同比增长8.2%。其中高技术产业实际使用外资同比增长21.2%。整体看，自贸试验区以不到千分之四的国土面积，实现了占全国18.4%的外商投资。

High-level institutional innovations have effectively stimulated the vitality of pilot FTZs. Statistics show that in the first half of this year, utilized foreign investment in 21 pilot FTZs reached 129.66 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 8.2%. The growth of utilized foreign investment by high-tech industries reached 21.2% year on year. Overall, pilot FTZs cover less than 0.4% of national land and attracted 18.4% of total foreign investment in the country. 

下一步，商务部将全面贯彻党的二十大精神，围绕“三个提升”，也就是提升国际高标准经贸规则对接水平、提升市场准入水平、提升改革系统集成水平，全面推进实施自贸试验区提升战略，抓好相关政策措施的落地实施，发挥好改革开放综合试验平台作用，为推进高水平对外开放继续贡献力量。谢谢。

Moving forward, MOFCOM will continue to fully implement the guiding principles of the 20th CPC National Congress and focus on three improvements, which are: improving the alignment with high-standard international economic and trade rules, market access, and systemic integration of reform. Efforts will be made to fully implement the strategy to upgrade pilot FTZs and other relevant policies and measures, and tap into their roles as pilot platforms for comprehensive reform and opening up, making continuous contributions to the high-level opening up. Thanks.  

CNBC记者:

CNBC:

我有两个问题。第一，请问上半年有多少外资企业家访华，尤其来自美国和欧洲的企业。第二，“投资中国年”在上半年有哪些成就？商务部对下半年吸引外资工作有什么展望和计划？谢谢。

I have two questions. First, in the first half of this year, how many executives from foreign companies have visited China, especially those from the US and Europe? Second, what kind of achievements has the "Invest in China Year" series of investment promotion activities made in the first half of the year, and how does MOFCOM plan and expect to attract foreign investment in the second half of this year?  

朱冰:

Zhu Bing:

感谢您的提问。今年以来，跨国公司的高管纷纷来华访问，实地考察投资环境，寻求在华发展新机遇，这充分体现了广大外国投资者有强烈的意愿投资中国，对中国市场的前景还是十分看好的。商务部热烈欢迎各国投资者来华，王文涛部长今年20多次会见来访的跨国公司高管，详细介绍了我国吸引和利用外资的新政策新举措，并和这些企业家就巩固现有合作基础、进一步挖掘合作潜力进行了深入交流。近期，商务部在常态化交流机制的基础上，升级建立了外资企业圆桌会议制度，拓展了中国政府与外资企业的沟通交流渠道，有助于进一步加强交流，及时回应企业关切，帮助协调解决外资在华经营的困难和问题，提升了服务保障的有效性和针对性。

Thank you for your questions. Since the beginning of this year, many executives of transnational corporations have come to China to evaluate the investment environment and search for new opportunities, which speaks volumes about their strong willingness to invest in China and optimism about China's prospects. MOFCOM warmly welcomes investors of various countries. Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao met with visiting executives of transnational corporations more than 20 times this year, detailing our new policies and measures for attracting and utilizing foreign investment, and holding deep conversations about consolidating existing cooperation and further exploring potential cooperation. Recently, on the basis of our regular communication mechanisms, MOFCOM established a roundtable meeting mechanism with foreign companies to expand the communication channels between the Chinese government and foreign companies, which has helped to enhance communication, respond to enterprises' concerns in a timely manner, coordinate efforts to resolve the difficulties and problems foreign businesses face in their operations, and offer more effective and relevant services.   

据初步了解，下半年还有一批跨国公司的高管有访华的计划，我们将为他们来华考察投资环境、对接发展战略、洽谈合作项目提供最大程度的便利。中国开放的大门将越开越大，欢迎广大跨国公司继续投资中国，共享中国庞大的市场和开放发展的红利。

According to the preliminary information, more executives of transnational corporations plan to visit China in the second half of this year. We will try our best to facilitate their evaluation of the investment environment, their efforts to align development strategies, and their negotiation of cooperation projects. China will become more and more open. Transnational corporations are welcome to continue their investment in China and share China's huge market and the dividends of open development.  

第二个问题，关于“投资中国年”的活动，简要介绍一下。为贯彻党中央、国务院关于更大力度吸引和利用外资的决策部署，商务部今年首次举办了“投资中国年”系列活动，以“投资中国 共创开放繁荣的美好未来”为主题，这项活动时间贯穿全年，范围覆盖东中西和东北地区，全方位展示了我国各地营商环境和投资机遇，擦亮“投资中国”的“金字招牌”。截至目前，“投资中国年”共举办了重点活动14场，具体分为三类：

The second question was about the "Invest in China Year" series of investment promotion activities. I will brief it now. Implementing the decision and plan made by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on making greater efforts to attract and utilize foreign investment, MOFCOM hosted for the first time the "Invest in China Year" series of investment promotion activities with the theme of "Invest in China, Working Together for a Bright Future of Openness and Prosperity." These events cover the country's east, central, west, and northeast regions and comprehensively display the business environment and investment opportunities in different localities, confirming the reliability of investing in China. So far, a total of 14 events of three categories have been held.　　

第一类是综合性活动，今年3月，我们在广州举办了启动仪式，国务院副总理何立峰同志出席并发表了主旨演讲，面向近百家跨国公司，进一步宣示中国坚定不移扩大开放的决心，有力提振了外商投资的信心。

The first category is comprehensive events. This March, we hosted the launch ceremony of "Invest in China Year" in Guangzhou, which Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng attended and addressed with a keynote speech. In the presence of almost 100 transnational corporations, he reiterated China's determination to enhance opening-up, helping to strongly boost the confidence of foreign investors in China. 

第二类是“请进来”活动，我们在广东、重庆、天津等地举办了地方专场推介，在江苏举办了国家级经济技术开发区专场推介。我们组织开展了“跨国公司龙江行、内蒙古行”“进博会走进吉林、走进云南”等系列活动，结合各地发展的实际和产业特色，积极推介开放政策、投资环境和项目，大力支持各地特别是中西部和东北地区的招商引资。

The second category is "bringing in" activities. We held special local promotions in Guangdong, Chongqing, Tianjin and other places, and a national-level economic and technological development zone promotion event in Jiangsu province. We organized and carried out a series of activities, such as the "Multinational Corporations in Heilongjiang and Inner Mongolia" and "CIIE Enters Jilin and Yunnan." In line with the actual development and industrial characteristics of various regions, we actively promoted opening-up policies, investment environment and projects, and vigorously supported investment attraction around the country, especially in the central, western and northeast regions.

第三类是“走出去”活动。我们赴海湾国家开展了专场推介，吸引了当地70余家企业参加，推动了多个在华投资项目取得了积极进展。我们在德国举办了“投资中国年—德国站”的启动仪式，一百多家德国企业和商协会参加，多家公司提出了投资计划。上半年“投资中国年”系列活动期间，各地持续加大招商引资力度，据不完全统计，各地在谈的外资项目有2900多个。

The third category is "going global" activities. We visited the Gulf countries to carry out special promotions, which attracted the participation of more than 70 local companies, and promoted the positive progress of many investment projects in China. We held the launch ceremony for the "Year of Investment Promotion — Germany Station" activity in Germany, in which more than 100 German companies and business associations participated, and many companies put forward investment plans. During the Year of Investment Promotion series of activities in the first half of the year, various regions continued to increase their efforts to attract investment. According to incomplete statistics, more than 2,900 foreign investment projects are currently being discussed in various regions.

下一步，我们将着力推动落实好各项外资领域的政策措施，继续办好“投资中国年”系列活动，提升外资服务保障水平，努力打造市场化、法治化、国际化一流营商环境，助力外资企业深耕中国市场，共享中国发展红利。谢谢！

Next, we will focus on promoting the implementation of policies and measures in various foreign investment fields, and continue holding the Year of Investment Promotion series of activities. We aim to better guarantee foreign investment services, strive to create a market-oriented, law-based and internationalized first-class business environment, help foreign-funded enterprises deepen their presence in the Chinese market, and share the dividends of China's development. Thank you.

澎湃新闻记者:

The Paper:

受外需萎缩等因素影响，上半年我国外贸进出口承压，商务部如何评价上半年外贸进出口情况？此外，我们注意到5、6月份进出口增速出现了比较明显的下降，请问原因是什么？谢谢。

Affected by factors such as shrinking external demand, China's foreign trade imports and exports were under pressure in the first half of the year. How does MOFCOM evaluate the situation of foreign trade imports and exports in the first half of the year? In addition, we've noticed a significant decline in the growth rate of imports and exports in May and June. What is the reason behind this? Thank you.

李兴乾:

Li Xingqian:

谢谢您提出的两个重要的问题。第一个问题，关于上半年的进出口表现。今年以来，外贸面临的外部挑战确实在明显增多，国务院及时出台了政策措施，全力支持外贸企业开拓市场。总的来看，面对严峻复杂的外部环境，上半年外贸顶住了压力，展现了较强的韧性。有这样三个突出的表现：

Thank you for raising these two important questions. Your first question is about the import and export performance in the first half of the year. Since the beginning of this year, the external challenges facing foreign trade have indeed increased significantly. The State Council has issued policy measures in a timely manner to fully support foreign trade enterprises in exploring markets. Overall, in the face of a severe and complex external environment, foreign trade in the first half of the year withstood the pressure and demonstrated strong resilience. There have been outstanding performances in three areas:

第一，实现了贸易规模的总体稳定，贸易额保持增长。1-6月，我国货物进出口突破了20万亿元人民币，同比增长2.1%，与疫情前的同期也就是2019年上半年比较，增长了36.7%。我们继续保持货物贸易第一大国地位。市场份额稳中有升。据世贸组织最新数据，一季度，全球出口同比下降1.6%，中国出口国际市场份额14%，跟去年一季度相比，增长了0.3个百分点。我们的监测也表明，二季度，中国出口占国际市场份额仍然保持了稳中有升的态势。在全球市场整体需求不振的背景之下，我们周边的国家和地区出口普遍两位数下降。中国出口市场是多元的，产品是丰富的，有效地对冲了外需疲弱和部分产品周期性下降的影响。当前中国外贸的表现是符合预期的。

First, the overall scale of trade has remained stable, and the volume of trade has continued to grow. From January to June, China's imports and exports of goods exceeded 20 trillion yuan, with a year-on-year increase of 2.1%. When compared with the same period before COVID-19, that is, the first half of 2019, it increased by 36.7%. We continue to maintain our position as the world's largest trading nation in goods, and our market share is steadily increasing. According to the latest data from the World Trade Organization (WTO), in the first quarter, global exports fell by 1.6% year on year, while China's export market share in the international market was 14%, an increase of 0.3 percentage point compared with the first quarter last year. Our monitoring also shows that in the second quarter, China's export share in the international market still maintained a steady and rising trend. Against the backdrop of overall sluggish global demand, our neighboring countries and regions have generally experienced double-digit declines in exports. China's export market is diverse, and its products are rich, effectively offsetting the impact of weak external demand and the cyclical decline of some products. The current performance of China's foreign trade is in line with expectations.

第二，实现了贸易质量的持续提升。今年1-6月，新兴市场占进出口份额比去年同期提高1.8个百分点，达到63.5%。我们对自贸协定伙伴的进出口增长2.4%，对“一带一路”沿线国家增长9.8%，这都是高于整体出口增速的。出口产品在提质升级，高品质、高技术、高附加值产品增势强劲。上半年，电动载人汽车、太阳能电池和锂电池合计拉高整体出口增速1.8个百分点。外贸业态也在创新发展。我们向全国复制推广了30个外贸新业态优秀实践案例，上半年跨境电商出口增长19.9%，保持了较快的发展势头。

Second, the quality of trade has been continuously improved. From January to June this year, the share of emerging markets in imports and exports increased by 1.8 percentage points compared with the same period last year, reaching 63.5%. Our imports and exports to FTA partners increased by 2.4%, and to countries along the Belt and Road grew by 9.8%, both higher than the overall export growth rate. The quality of exported products is improving, and high-quality, high-tech and high-value-added products are growing strongly. In the first half of the year, electric passenger vehicles, solar cells and lithium batteries together boosted the overall export growth rate by 1.8 percentage points. The model of foreign trade is also being innovated and developed. We have replicated and promoted 30 excellent practice cases of new foreign trade models nationwide. In the first half of the year, cross-border e-commerce exports increased by 19.9%, maintaining a fast development momentum.

第三，外贸有力服务经济发展大局。外贸持续推动国民经济恢复向好。外贸直接和间接带动就业1.9亿人。去年我们取消了对外贸易经营者备案登记，进一步激发市场主体的积极性。1-6月，有进出口实绩的外贸企业同比新增了3.5万家。在保障国内市场的供应方面，我们积极扩大粮食、能源资源品和优秀消费品的进口，满足了国内生产生活需要。在扩大开放方面，推动RCEP对15个签署国全面生效，内外循环更加畅通。

Third, foreign trade has effectively served the overall economic development. Foreign trade has continued to drive the recovery of the national economy, directly and indirectly employing 190 million people. Last year, we canceled the registration requirement for foreign trade operators, further stimulating the enthusiasm of market entities. From January to June, there were 35,000 new foreign trade enterprises with import and export records compared to the same period last year. In terms of ensuring supply in the domestic market, we actively expanded imports of grain, energy and resource products, and high-quality consumer goods to meet domestic production and living needs. In terms of opening-up, we promoted the comprehensive implementation of the RCEP among the 15 signatory countries, so that the internal and external circulations flow more smoothly.

第二个问题，关于5、6月份我国进出口增速下滑。应该说，这是世界经济复苏乏力在贸易领域的直接反映。具体分析，这两个月的进出口增速下滑，主要有四个原因：第一，整体外需持续疲弱。主要发达国家仍然采取紧缩政策应对高通胀，部分新兴市场汇率大幅波动、外汇储备不足，这些都显著抑制了进口需求。第二，电子信息行业在周期性下行。消费电子类产品是我们国家的优势出口产品，但是这个领域存在一个“奥林匹克周期”，目前这个四年左右的周期还处于低谷。受此影响，占我出口比重超三成的计算机、集成电路、手机这些产品的出口增速两位数下降。第三，去年同期进出口基数明显抬升。去年5-6月，月均进出口额是3.57万亿元人民币，比前4个月月均3.14万亿元高出了4300亿元。第四，进出口价格在下降。现在国际大宗商品价格一直在走弱，5月份我国进口价格下降了4.5%，6月份进一步下降了8.5%，出口价格同比从5月份开始也由正转负。

Your second question is about the decline in the growth rate of China's imports and exports in May and June. This is actually a direct reflection of the weak recovery of the world economy in the field of trade. Specifically, there are four main reasons for the decline. First, overall external demand remains weak. Major developed countries are still adopting austerity policies to cope with high inflation, and some emerging markets have significant fluctuations in their exchange rates and insufficient foreign exchange reserves, which has significantly suppressed import demand. Second, the electronics and information industry is in a cyclical downturn. Consumer electronics products are one of China's leading export products, but this field has an "Olympic cycle" and is currently in a low for the four-year period. Affected by this, the export growth rate of computers, integrated circuits and cellphones, which account for more than 30% of our country's exports, has declined by double digits. Third, the import and export base in the same period last year was significantly raised. From May to June last year, the average monthly import and export volume was 3.57 trillion yuan, which was 430 billion yuan higher than the average monthly volume of 3.14 trillion yuan in the preceding four months. Fourth, import and export prices are declining. Currently, international commodity prices have been weakening. In May, China's import prices fell by 4.5%, and in June, they fell by a further 8.5%. The export prices also turned negative year on year from May, indicating a shift from positive to negative.　

尽管如此，我们也要看到，外贸运行正在积蓄新的活力，虽然5、6月份进出口同比增速下降，但是环比保持增长。交通部门监测的全国港口外贸货物和集装箱吞吐量也在增长，实际货物进出仍然是比较活跃的。因此，对下半年外贸的前景我们保持乐观预期。谢谢！

However, we should also note that foreign trade is accumulating new vitality despite declining import and export growth in May and June compared to the same period last year. The month-on-month growth rate has remained positive. The foreign trade cargo and container throughput at China's ports monitored by the transportation department is also growing, and the actual flow of goods in and out is still rather active. Therefore, we remain optimistic about the prospects of foreign trade in the second half of the year. Thank you.

经济日报记者:

Economic Daily:

请问今年上半年，在“一带一路”经贸合作方面有哪些新成效、新亮点？下一步将如何推进共建“一带一路”高质量发展？谢谢。

What were the new achievements and highlights of Belt and Road economic and trade cooperation during the first half of 2023? What efforts will be taken to promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation? Thank you.

郭婷婷:

Guo Tingting:

谢谢你的提问，这个问题我来回答。今年以来，商务部深入贯彻落实习近平总书记关于共建“一带一路”的重要指示精神和党的二十大决策部署，会同有关各方扎实推进“一带一路”经贸合作，各项工作迈出新步伐，取得新成效。

Thank you for your questions. I'd like to address them. Since the start of this year, MOFCOM has fully implemented the important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping on jointly promoting Belt and Road Initiative and the decisions and arrangements of the 20th National Congress of the CPC. We've worked with all related parties to steadily advance Belt and Road economic and trade cooperation. New achievements have been made on various fronts. 

一是贸易投资基础持续巩固。从贸易看，规模稳定增长，结构不断优化。上半年，我国对“一带一路”沿线国家的货物贸易额6.89万亿元，同比增长9.8%，高于货物贸易的整体增速7.7个百分点。其中，新能源汽车、机床和家用电器对沿线国家的出口分别增长了163.3%、49.7%和26.2%。我们自沿线国家的农产品、化肥等优质特色产品的进口分别增长了17.9%和71.7%。从投资看，双向投资都保持了较快增长。上半年，我国对沿线国家非金融类直接投资801.7亿元，增长23.3%；沿线国家对我实际投资559.5亿元，增长23.7%。

First, the foundation of trade and investment has been continuously strengthened. We secured a steady growth of trade volume and an increasingly optimized trade structure. Over the past six months, our goods trade with Belt and Road countries reached 6.89 trillion yuan, marking a 9.8% year-on-year increase. This is 7.7 percentage points higher than the nation's overall growth in goods trade during the same period. Our exports of NEVs, machine tools, and household appliances to Belt and Road countries rose by 163.3%, 49.7% and 26.2%, respectively. Meanwhile, our imports of quality specialty products, including agricultural products from Belt and Road countries, grew by 17.9%, and fertilizers by 71.7%. We also noted the rapid growth in bilateral investment. In the first half of the year, our non-financial direct investment in Belt and Road countries reached 80.1 billion yuan, an increase of 23.3%, and we received 55.95 billion yuan of actualized investment from Belt and Road countries, a 23.7% increase.

二是互联互通关系全面深化。我们推进基础设施“硬联通”，上半年，我国在沿线国家承包工程完成营业额2777.2亿元，增长11.5%，柬埔寨西哈努克港经济特区、中老铁路等一批重点项目有序建设运营，中国与新加坡共建国际陆海贸易新通道不断取得新进展，与东南亚部分国家依托“两国双园”推进共建经贸创新发展示范园区。我们促进经贸规则标准“软联通”，RCEP对15个成员国全面生效，积极推进并举办中国—东盟自贸区3.0版谈判，与厄瓜多尔签署自贸协定。我们深化与共建国家人民“心联通”，积极推进一批教育、卫生、减贫等“小而美”民生项目，中非合作“九项工程”取得积极成效。

Second, we have strengthened connectivity. On the one hand, we have advanced the "hard connectivity" of infrastructure. In the past six months, the turnover of Chinese enterprises' contracted projects in Belt and Road countries totaled 277.72 billion yuan, an increase of 11.5%. Key projects like the Cambodia Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone and the China-Laos Railway commenced operation smoothly. We made new progress in constructing the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, a joint endeavor between China and Singapore. Based on industrial park cooperation agreements, China and some ASEAN countries took steps to jointly develop demonstration zones for innovative economic and trade development. On the other hand, we facilitated the "soft connectivity" of economic and trade rules and standards. RCEP took effect in 15 member countries, and the version 3.0 China-ASEAN FTA negotiations were held. We also signed a free trade agreement with Ecuador. Most importantly, we deepened the "connectivity of the heart." Several "small but beautiful" programs aimed at enhancing education, healthcare and poverty alleviation were carried out in Belt and Road countries, greatly improving local people's livelihoods. We also advanced nine programs of China-Africa cooperation.

三是机制平台建设继续提升。我们推进合作机制建设，与2个国家新建了贸易畅通工作组，与5个国家新建了投资合作工作组。我们积极拓展新兴领域合作，与6个国家签署了8个涉及到绿色发展、数字经济、蓝色经济以及电子商务、服务贸易等领域的合作备忘录。我们充分发挥合作平台作用，成功举办了第三届中国—中东欧国家博览会、第三届中非经贸博览会等重点展会。

Third, the building of mechanisms and platforms has been improved. We established working groups to facilitate trade with two countries and promote investment with five countries. In terms of cooperation in emerging sectors, we signed eight memorandums of cooperation with six countries on green development, the digital economy, the blue economy, e-commerce, and trade in services. To fully utilize cooperation platforms, we successfully hosted the third CEEC Expo & International Consumer Goods Fair and the third China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo.

下一步，商务部将按照党中央、国务院部署，持续深化与共建国家经贸务实合作，拓展更大的合作空间，取得更多的互利共赢成果，为高质量共建“一带一路”作出新的贡献。谢谢！

Following the guidance of the CPC Central Committee and the arrangements of the State Council, MOFCOM will continue to enhance economic and trade cooperation with Belt and Road countries and expand cooperation spaces to make new contributions to high-quality Belt and Road cooperation with more win-win results. Thank you.

澳门月刊记者:

Macau Monthly:

近期，联合国贸发会议发布报告，对今年全球跨国投资做了分析。请问商务部对今年下半年中国引资形势有何判断？下一步在吸引和利用外资方面有哪些工作考虑？谢谢。

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) offered an analysis of global multinational investment in its recent report. What is your take on the trend of China's attractiveness to foreign investment in the second half of 2023? What measures will be taken to attract and make use of foreign investment? Thank you.

朱冰:

Zhu Bing:

感谢您的提问，正如您刚才谈到的，联合国贸发会议发布了报告，去年全球跨国投资下降12%，今年也面临着比较大的下行压力，全球跨国投资低迷，国际引资竞争加剧，我国引资外部环境更加严峻复杂。但同时我们也要看到，中国经济韧性强、潜力足、长期向好的基本面没有改变，开放的大市场为各国企业发展提供了更多机遇，我们齐全的产业体系、完备的基础设施、丰富的人才资源、持续优化的营商环境构成的综合引资优势也在不断强化。在党中央、国务院坚强领导下，在各地区、各部门共同努力下，我们有信心有决心做好全年外资工作。下一步，我们重点开展四个方面的工作：

Thank you for your questions. As you noted, the UNCTAD report indicates that global multinational investment declined by 12% last year, with further downward pressure being projected for this year. The external environment for attracting investment is severe as global investment is experiencing a downturn, and competition for investment introduction is becoming increasingly intense. Nevertheless, it's important to remember that the fundamentals of the Chinese economy, characterized by its strong resilience, enormous potential, and long-term growth, remain unchanged. China's vast open market presents numerous opportunities for foreign enterprises. Our overall advantages in attracting investment, created by a complete industrial system, impeccable infrastructure, abundant human resources, and a continuously improving business environment, are constantly being reinforced. Under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, we are both determined and confident in our ability to successfully attract and utilize foreign investment this year. We will coordinate with all localities and government departments, prioritizing the following four aspects of work.

一是推动更高水平对外开放。我们将推动合理缩减外资准入负面清单，进一步取消或放宽外资准入限制。深化国家服务业扩大开放综合示范区建设，主动对照高标准经贸协议相关的规则、规制、管理、标准，推出新一批创新试点举措，稳步扩大服务业领域制度型开放。修订《外国投资者对上市公司战略投资管理办法》，进一步放宽外国投资者对上市公司战略投资限制。

First, we will push for a higher standard of opening up. The negative list for foreign investment access will be appropriately shortened, and restrictions will be either eased or removed entirely. To advance the comprehensive pilot program for service sector opening, we will implement a number of trial measures, drawing on the rules, regulations, standards, and management models stipulated in high-standard economic and trade agreements, thereby steadily advancing the institutional opening of the sector. We will also revise the Measures for Strategic Investment by Foreign Investors in Listed Companies to further relax restrictions in this area.

二是强化外资政策支持。今年以来，商务部指导各地认真落实外资研发中心、制造业引资、鼓励目录等专项政策，引导外资更多投向先进制造领域，带动上半年高技术制造业引资增长了28.8%。在继续落实好现有政策基础上，我们将聚焦外资企业重点反映的公平竞争、投资便利化、要素保障等共性诉求，推动出台新一批优化外商投资环境、大力吸引外商投资的政策措施，会同各地区、各部门加强宣传贯彻落实，确保政策落地见效，提升外资企业的获得感。

Second, we will strengthen policy support for foreign investment. MOFCOM has directed localities to conscientiously implement special policies for foreign-invested research and development centers, foreign investment in manufacturing, and the catalog of encouraged foreign investment industries. More foreign investment has been directed toward advanced manufacturing, with its introduction to high-tech manufacturing increasing by 28.8% in the first half of 2023. While diligently implementing existing policies, we will redouble efforts to address foreign enterprises' common calls for fair competition, trade facilitation, and supply of production factors. New policies and measures will be adopted to enhance the business environment and attract foreign investment. We will collaborate closely with all localities and government departments to ensure effective policy implementation and bolster foreign enterprises' sense of gain. 

三是继续办好“投资中国年”系列活动。正如我刚才讲到的，上半年，我们已经举办了各类重点活动14场，大力宣传了我们的投资环境和政策，促进跨国公司了解中国、投资中国。下半年，我们还将结合重大经贸展会，继续办好9场重点活动，包括在投洽会期间举办“投资中国年”主旨论坛，在服贸会期间举办服务业专场推介，在中部博览会期间举办中部地区专场推介，在进博会期间举办“投资中国年”峰会，支持各地加强招商引资的对接和项目撮合，争取引进更多新的外资项目。

Third, we will continue to host the Year of Investment Promotion series of activities. As I just said, in the first half of the year, we organized 14 major events, effectively promoting our investment environment and policies, encouraging multinational companies to better understand and invest in China. In the second half of this year, we plan to host nine key events in conjunction with major economic and trade exhibitions. This includes a Year of Investment Promotion keynote forum during the China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT), a specialized session for the service industry at the CIFTIS, a dedicated promotion for China's central region during the Expo Central China, and a Year of Investment Promotion summit during the CIIE. We hope these events can bolster local governments in attracting investments, fostering project collaborations, and bringing in more promising foreign investment projects for China.

四是提升外资服务保障水平。今年以来，我们充分发挥外贸外资协调服务机制重点外资项目工作专班作用，加强与外资企业和外国商协会常态化交流，并且升级建立了外资企业圆桌会议制度，多方式、多层次开展交流活动。近期，王文涛部长已经先后主持召开了医药行业外资企业圆桌会和日资企业圆桌会，听取意见，回应诉求。下一步，我们将继续发挥好圆桌会议制度作用，将其打造成为中国政府联系外资企业、服务外资企业、帮助企业排忧解难的重要平台。如果企业在投资经营中遇到困难和问题，可以直接向商务部外资专班反映。

Fourth, we will elevate the level of service support for foreign investment. This year, we have fully utilized the foreign trade and investment coordination and service mechanism, and the specialized team for key foreign investment projects, strengthened regular exchanges with foreign-funded enterprises and foreign business associations, and upgraded and established a roundtable conference system for foreign-funded enterprises to carry out multiple forms of exchange activities at various levels. Recently, Minister Wang Wentao has presided over roundtable meetings with foreign-funded enterprises in the pharmaceutical industry and Japanese enterprises, listening to their feedback and addressing their concerns. Next, we will continue to leverage the roundtable system and develop it into an vital platform for the Chinese government to connect with, serve and support foreign-invested enterprises. Should any enterprise encounter difficulties or problems related to their investment or operations, they can directly contact the designated team for foreign investment under MOFCOM.

谢谢！

Thank you.

第一财经记者:

Yicai:

从近期公布的数据来看，上半年我国的消费市场实现了平稳较快的恢复，但是家居家电等大宗消费的回升力度仍显不足，请问下一步还有哪些举措？谢谢。

According to recent data, in the first half of the year, China's consumer market achieved a stable and rapid recovery. However, the rebound in big-ticket items such as home furnishings and appliances remains insufficient. What measures will be taken in the next step? Thank you.

徐兴锋:

Xu Xingfeng:

好的，感谢记者的提问。您这个问题也是大家都普遍关注的。上半年，社会消费品零售总额同比增长8.2%，大家对如何巩固消费回升向好势头，稳住家电、家居、汽车等大宗消费，都充满期待。中央政治局会议强调，恢复和扩大需求是当前经济持续回升向好的关键所在。下一步，商务部将认真贯彻落实党中央、国务院决策部署，坚持把扩大内需战略同深化供给侧结构性改革有机结合起来，强化政策协同和工作联动，提高抓落实的穿透力，重点做好以下四个方面的工作：

Thank you for your question. The topic is a common concern for many people. In the first half of this year, total retail sales of consumer goods increased by 8.2% year-on-year. Everyone has high expectations regarding how to sustain the positive momentum in consumption and stabilize the demand for big-ticket item such as household appliances, home furnishings, and automobiles. The meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee emphasized that restoring and expanding demand is key to maintaining and motivating the current economic recovery. Next, MOFCOM will diligently implement the deployments and decisions made by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, continue to integrate the strategy of expanding domestic demand with deepening supply-side structural reform, and enhance policy coordination and working collaboration, deepening the level of implementation. We will focus on the following four aspects:

第一，着眼于优化消费环境，落实落细政策。前面跟大家做了介绍，国务院和各部门围绕促消费出台了一系列政策，下一步就是要以“落地开花”为导向，让这些已出台的政策切实能够见到实效。像刚才您提到的家居消费政策，涵盖家电、家具、家装、家纺、家政，是一个“大家居”的体系，昨天我们在这里举行了政策吹风会，介绍了有关落实考虑。此外，去年经国务院常务会议审议通过，商务部牵头会同17个部门印发了搞活汽车流通、扩大汽车消费的政策文件，其中很多事项也都在继续推进落实之中。针对新能源汽车使用过程中的“里程焦虑”问题，商务部立足自身职责，会同其他部门在完善充电基础设施方面积极发力；比如，在确保安全的前提下，推动在具备条件的加油站以及商场、超市、购物中心等停车场，安装充电设施，打好政策“组合拳”，着力稳定和扩大汽车消费。此外，我们还将深入开展调查研究，根据当前消费市场情况变化，加强政策储备，丰富政策工具箱，适时推动出台。

First, we will focus on optimizing the consumption environment and implementing more detailed policies. As I introduced earlier, the State Council and related departments have issued a series of policies around promoting consumption, so the next step is to "cultivate and flourish." This means that these policies that have been issued can actually be transformed into results. As you mentioned just now, the household consumption policy covers a wide range, including home appliances, furniture, home decorations, home textiles and housekeeping. Yesterday, we held a policy briefing here to introduce the relevant implementation considerations.

In addition, as discussed and reviewed by the executive meeting of the State Council last year, MOFCOM and 17 other departments have issued policies and documents on boosting the circulation of automobiles and expanding automobile consumption, many of which are currently in progress. Responding to the issue of "mileage anxiety" concerning NEVs, MOFCOM, based on its own responsibilities, is working with other departments to actively improve the charging infrastructure. For example, on the premise of ensuring safety, we are encouraging the installation of charging facilities in gas stations and parking lots of shopping malls, supermarkets, shopping centers and so on where conditions allow. These policies form a cohesive approach to stabilize and expand automobile consumption. In addition, we will carry out in-depth investigations and studies, enlarge policy reserves and enrich our policy toolkit in light of changes to the current consumer market, and promote the introduction of policies at the appropriate times.

第二，着眼于营造消费氛围，持续办好消费活动。刚才跟大家介绍的“消费提振年”，目前已经进入下半场，政策要落实落细，各类活动也要进一步办好办实。在全国层面，将办好“家居焕新消费季”，把家居领域各个方面的积极性都调动起来，形成合力；7月12日，我们在重庆启动了“暑期消费季”，目前正在如火如荼地开展之中；9月份，还将谋划启动“金秋购物节”；随后大家所熟知的服贸会、进博会也就接踵而至，展会陆续跟进。在地方层面，继续调动地方的积极性，指导各地因地制宜办好特色促消费活动，着力打造“一地一品”，提升活动成效和影响力。

Second, we will focus on cultivating a vibrant consumption atmosphere by continuously organizing engaging consumer events. The Year of Consumption Promotion which we just introduced has now entered its second half when policies should be implemented with further precision and various activities should be conducted well and effectively. Nationwide, the "Home Refresh Consumption Season" will serve as a major promotion to harness people's enthusiasm toward all kinds of household furnishings. On July 12, we launched the "Summer Consumption Season" in Chongqing, which is now in full swing. In September, we plan to launch the "Golden Autumn Shopping Festival." Subsequently, there will be the CIFTIS and the CIIE, which everyone is aware of, following one after another. At the local level, we will continue to mobilize the enthusiasm of local governments to initiate tailored and captivating consumption promotion activities in accordance with local conditions, to build a unique "one place, one product" brand and enhance the effectiveness and influence of activities.

第三，着眼于改善消费条件，完善商业体系。商业体系事关消费便利性，我们从城市和乡村两个方向发力。在城市，培育建设国际消费中心城市，改造提升步行街，建设智慧商店、智慧商圈，扩大“一刻钟便民生活圈”覆盖范围，以及发展特色街区等等。在乡村，实施县域商业三年行动计划，培育一批全国县域商业领跑县，升级改造一批乡镇商贸中心和农村新型便民商店。

Third, we will focus on improving consumption conditions and refining the business system. The business system affects the convenience of consumption, and we will start with both urban and rural areas. In cities, we will cultivate and construct international consumption hubs, revitalizing and elevating pedestrian streets, developing smart shops and business circles, expanding the coverage of "15-minute community life circles," and promoting the development of distinctive neighborhoods. In rural areas, we will implement a three-year plan for county-level commerce, cultivating a batch of leading commercial counties at national level, upgrading and renovating a number of township business centers and establishing new rural convenience stores.

第四，着眼于创新消费场景，打造消费热点。当前，消费市场各种新业态新模式层出不穷，需要着力引导创新发展，体现为“三个融合”。一是业态融合，过去的专卖店、专业店、商场超市，现在界限已经没有那么明晰，购物中心各种业态应有尽有。二是跨界融合，着眼商旅文体健相互赋能，打造更多沉浸式、体验式、互动式的消费新场景。三是线上线下融合，一方面支持即时零售、直播电商健康发展，另一方面，以前是线下向线上拓展，现在顺应新形势，鼓励电商平台向线下延伸拓展，提升实体商业数字化、智能化的水平。

我就回答这些，谢谢。

Fourth, we will prioritize innovative consumption scenarios and cultivate consumption hot spots. At present, various new forms and models of the consumer market are flourishing. It is vital to guide innovative development, as laid out in the "three integrations." The first integration involves merging business models. The boundaries between specialty stores, professional stores, shopping malls and supermarkets have become less clear now, and shopping centers now offer diverse elements and functionalities. The second integration revolves around cross-border collaboration. By synergizing business, travel, culture, sports and health, we aim to create more immersive, experiential and interactive consumption scenarios. The third integration focuses on merging online and offline aspects of commerce. We will support the healthy development of "instant retail" and livestream e-commerce to extend and expand into the offline world. This approach aligns with current trends and aims to promote the provision of digital and intelligent services among traditional businesses.

That's all from me. Thank you.

寿小丽:

Shou Xiaoli:

谢谢各位发布人，也谢谢各位记者朋友。今天的新闻发布会就到这里，大家再见！

Thank you, Mr. Xu for your answers, and thank you to everyone from the press for attending. That's all for today's press conference, goodbye.