Wang Xuekun: Friends from the media, good morning! Welcome to the press conference today. A serious blast of dangerous objects hit Tianjin the day before yesterday, which caused casualties and financial loss. We will convey our sympathy to the people injured, and wish them a quick recovery! And we at the press conference now will lament the victim, especially the firefighting soldiers who sacrificed themselves.

The 10th China-Northeast Asia Expo will be held in September 1-6 in Changchun, Jilin. “China-Northeast Asia Expo” is an important platform built by the Chinese government to promote the economic and trade cooperation and multi-field communications among Northeast Asian countries. Now the cooperation in the Northeast Asia has been gaining tremendous attention, and the Expo will not only deepen the trade and investment cooperation in all fields, but also strengthen communications in tourism, food and culture. The expo is not only open to the Northeast Asian countries, but also to the whole world.

Today, the Deputy Director of the Standing Committee of the NPC of Jilin Province, the Deputy Director of the Organizing Committee of the Expo and the Director of the Executive Committee Chen Weigen, the Director of the Department of Northeast Region Revitalization of the National Development and Reform Commission Zhou Jianping, the Commercial Counselor of the Department of Asian Affairs of the Ministry of Commerce Song Yaoming, and the Director of the Department of Euroasian Affairs Ling Ji were invited to the press conference and to introduce you China’s economic and trade cooperation with Northeast Asian countries, and the related information of the 10th China-Northeast Asia Expo.

The press conference includes two parts. Now，let us have the first part, let’s welcome the Director Chen Weigen to introduce the related conditions of the 10th China-Northeast Asia Expo.

Chen Weigen: Honored guests, friends from the media both abroad and at home, ladies and gentlemen, good morning!
Under the high attention and strong support of the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and through the unremitting efforts of Jilin Province, the “China-Northeast Asian Expo” has witnessed 9 years of success, and will usher in its 10th year in 2015, which have historical significance. Standing on the new historical starting point, the “China-Northeast Asian Expo” will combine the new development situations at home and abroad, further give play its functions as a platform mechanism, and strive to make active efforts. By exploring and e bolstering the effective implementation of China’s strategy of opening up, it tries to promote the cooperation in the Northeast Asian area to a higher level and wider fields, and to realize the comprehensive revitalization of China’s northeastern region.

Next, entrusted by the Organizing Committee of the Expo, I will brief you the general thoughts and the outline of contents of the 10th China-Northeast Asian Expo. In general, the following aspects will be highlighted on the Expo this year from the perspective of function orientation and specific contents:

1. To better serve the national strategy of opening up. At present, China is at an important stage of planning multilateral, bilateral and regional cooperation, speeding up the construction of the new pattern of opening up and proposing and promoting the implementation of the strategy of “One Belt and One Road”. Therefore, the China-Northeast Asian Expo this year well planned a series of high-end international meetings and activities with distinct subjects, to boost the comprehensive implementation of the strategy of “One Belt and One Road”. As the main forum of this Expo, the 8th High-Level Forum on Northeast Asian Cooperation, with the theme of “facing the future, constructing the great corridor of Sea and Land Transportation of Northeast Asia, and promoting the new pattern of regional economic and trade cooperation jointly,” invited China’s leaders and officials and tycoons in the business circle from Northeast Asia and other countries and regions. It aims to reach the consensus through the high-level dialogue, to strengthen the connectivity between China and the surrounding countries and to quicken the construction of “One Belt and One Road” in the Northeast Asian area. At the same time, we will take the corridor construction and logistics cooperation as the breakthrough points, plan and hold the Northeast Asia Modern Logistics Cooperation Forum and the Matchmaking meeting of Projects cooperation. Our aim is to promote the strategic consensus of the countries to transform to the cooperation results. Besides, we will integrate the development and opening up strategy of Changchun, Jilin and Tumen River (Changjitu area) with the strategy of “One Belt and One Road”. The construction of the Changjitu Opening up and Guidance Area is an important breakthrough point of the strategy of “One Belt and One Road” extending to the Northeast Asian countries. The 10th China-Northeast Asian Expo will take speeding up the Changjitu strategy as an important content, making it the theme subject of several meetings and activities, and invite the high-end customers and business men to participate, to build platforms for promoting the deep implementation of Changjitu strategy. We will also hold the “World Top 500 and Famous Enterprises Entering Jilin and the Matchmaking Meeting of the Industrial Cooperation of Changdongbei New Area” in order to strengthen the cooperation in advanced manufacturing industry, modern service industry, modern agriculture and infrastructure construction with other countries.

2. To better serve the Northeast Asian regional cooperation. To effectively promote the regional cooperation of the Northeast Asia is the original intention why the government approved to set up the expo, and is also our greatest feature. At present, China-ROK FTA has been signed. Russia is quickening the implementation of its strategy of the leapfrog development of the Fast East. Mongolia is continuously strengthening the mutual benefit cooperation with China in mineral resources exploitation, infrastructure construction and finance, taking the three as a whole and promoting them jointly. As the second and the third largest economies in the world, China and Japan have been each other’s important economic and trade cooperation partner for a long time. In general, the regional cooperation of the Northeast Asia develops steadily and witnesses a good momentum. In 2014, President Xi Jinping visited several Northeast Asian countries including ROK, Mongolia and Russia in succession, and promoted the important bilateral cooperation in politics, economies and culture, which fully showed China’s determination and confidence in practically promoting the regional cooperation in the Northeast Asia. During President Xi’s visit, “to hold the China-Northeast Asia Expo jointly” was written in the China-ROK Joint Communique and China-Mongolia Joint Declaration, which demonstrated the important status and significance of the China-Northeast Asia Expo in the regional cooperation of the Northeast Asia. Firstly, the expo will make efforts to promote bilateral cooperation within the region. A series of meetings and activities, including the “13th Meeting of the Standing Work Group of the Economic and Trade Cooperation Sub-Committee of the Committee of China-Russia Premier’s Regular Meeting”, the “First Economic Cooperation Roundtable between Jilin Province of China and the Fast East Region of Russia” and “China-ROK Economic cooperation Forum and the Projects Matchmaking Meeting of the Key Industries of the Famous Enterprises of ROK”, will be undertaken or held, in order to promote the deep and multilevel China-Russia and China-ROK cooperation. Secondly, the Expo will actively promote the multilateral cooperation within the region. The First China-Japan-ROK Local Government Cooperation Meeting and the Matchmaking Meeting of Economic and Trade Projects will be held to further deepen the communications and cooperation within the governments and enterprises of Japan and ROK, and to promote the signing of a batch of cooperation projects. The national chambers of commerce and associations of the countries including the Korean International Trade Promotion Committee, the Japan-China Economic Association, the Japanese International Trade Promotion Association, the Japanese Trade Revitalization Organization, the Trade Association of ROK, Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Mongolia and Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry were invited to be the supporting organizations of China-Northeast Asia Expo. On the basis of the former International Cooperation Meeting of the Chambers of Commerce of the Northeast Asia, the Northeast Asian Commercial and Industrial Cooperation Forum will be held to give full play to the driving role of the chambers of commerce. Besides, meetings and activities like “The Development Forum of Northeast Asian Youth Entrepreneurs” and “The Northeast Asian Think Tank Forum” will be held to effectively carry out all kinds of dialogues and cooperation within the region. Thirdly, the Expo will build platforms for international organization and non-governmental organizations to promote cooperation with the Northeast Asia. During the Expo, the international organization of the “Great Tumen River Proposal” of the United States will hold the “Meeting of the Committee of Investment and Trade Facilitation” and the “Northeast Asian Tourism Forum” to deepen the communication and cooperation in all professional fields within the region. The Secretarial of the China-Japan-ROK cooperation, China Foreign Affairs University and Jilin China-Japan-ROK Trilateral Cooperation Studies Center will jointly hold the second China-Japan-ROK Cultural Communication Forum, which is one of the annual activities of the foreign ministers meeting of the three countries. The forum, together with “2015 China-Japan-ROK Outstanding Economic Men Communication Forum” and “China-Japan-ROK Local Government Cooperation Meeting”, will set up the Japan and ROK session at the Expo through the perspectives of government, culture and economies, and actively take part in the China-Japan-ROK cooperation at the national level.

3. To better serve the economic and trade cooperation facing the world. The expo will further integrate the domestic and foreign resources of customers and enterprises, especially will build a series of effective platforms to face the world and to carry out economic and trade communications and cooperation. Firstly, to build a platform for the trade of international commodities. The “World Purchasers Fair” will be held, with the international and transnational purchasing highlighted, and the trade volume of import and export at the fair will be further expanded. The Commodity Pavilion of the Northeast Asian countries will be set up as a platform of commodity trade facing the Northeast Asian area. Secondly, to build an international investment cooperation platform. The “World Industrial Leaders Meeting” will be held, and the senior managers of the world Top 500 enterprises and famous transnational enterprises will be invited to the meeting. They will carry out dialogues and cooperation around the new hotspots of the world economic development and it will effectively promote the world economic integration. “The Communication Meeting of the Members of the Jilin Overseas Communication Association and the Investment Negotiation Meeting of Overseas Chinese Business Men Investing Jilin” will be held to strengthen the communication and cooperation with overseas Chinese merchants in key industrial fields; the industrial matchmaking meeting between Jilin province and the U.S., Canada, Britain and Germany will be held to further expand investment cooperation in the overseas markets like Europe and North America. Thirdly, to broaden the overseas market of the enterprises. We will hold the “Introduction and Matchmaking meeting of the Going out Projects of Jilin Province” and the “Cooperation Forum of Entering Africa”, and carry out negotiations on outbound investment, trade cooperation, projects contracting and export of labor service. This is to open up new international market for China’s enterprises.

4. To better serve the new round of revitalization of the Old Northeast Industrial Bases. Not long ago, the General Secretary Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang made an investigation into Jilin Province and a survey of it.. They guided the work by putting forward specific requirements and pointing out the development direction to promote the new round of revitalization of China’s Northeastern area under the new situation. At the Expo, we will strictly implement the government’s overall deployment requirements, and concentrate on planning a series of important activities, the emphasis f which is to promote the innovation driven development of the Northeast Old Industrial Bases and its industrial upgrading and optimizing. Firstly, we will highlight the development of innovation industries represented by the “Internet Economy”. The Internet leading enterprises like Alibaba, Baidu and Izp will be invited, and the “Internet Economies Forum” and the first “Matchmaking Meeting of the Northeast Asian Electronic Commerce” will be held to bolster the transformation and development of the Northeastern enterprises guided by the “Internet +”. Secondly, we will promote the accelerating development of modern service industry. The exhibition pavilion of modern service industry will be set up for the first time in order to show the development achievements of financial innovation, cultural innovation, Internet technology innovation and the emerging industries. We will quicken the innovation and liberalization of finance, and hold the special activities of “Jilin Branches of Foreign Invested Banks” and the “Matchmaking Meeting of High and New Technology Industries and Financial Capital”. Our aim is to promote the development of new financial business types including private equity, network finance and financial service outsourcing. Thirdly, we will speed up the cultivation of emerging industries. We will set up the Technology Pavilion for the first time at the Expo, showing the latest technological achievements and industrial popularization and application in the field of high and new technology both at home and abroad. This is to introduce innovation driving force for the transformation and upgrading of the traditional industries in the old industrial bases. Fourthly, we will highlight the featured advantageous industries. We still set up the “Jilin Pavilion” with local characteristics which to integrates the advantageous industries of the municipalities, development zones and famous enterprises of Jilin province and show the industrial development achievements and key products. We will comprehensively introduce the conditions and important investment and cooperation projects of Jilin, and show the new look of Jilin’s development to the domestic and overseas customers.

Dear guests and friends, on September 1-6, the 10th China-Northeast Asia Expo themed on “Opening up and Mutual Trust, Seeking Common Development and Opening the New Vision of Northeast Asian Cooperation” will be held in Changchun, China. Up to now, the preparation work of the Expo has come to the end. The organizations and customers to participate in the Expo have been confirmed basically, the theme, subjects and plans of the meetings and activities have been settled downed and the arrangements of the pavilion and booths have been completed. In general, the Expo this year will be further promoted in terms of the scale, standard and influences. It will be further enriched in terms of the contents, types and connotation of the meetings and activities; it will be more careful and thorough in terms of organizing and reception service ; finally, it will be further improved regarding marketization level.

The expo has been carried out for ten sessions, a new starting point is before us. We believe that with the great support from the Chinese government and the active participation of Northeast Asian countries, the China-Northeast Asia Expo will be able to play a greater role at higher stage. The Northeast Asia regional cooperation will upgrade with wider areas and larger scale at higher level, genuinely achieving complementary advantages, opportunity sharing and mutually beneficial results. I’d like to take this opportunity to extend my grateful thanks to friends from media at home and abroad on behalf of the Expo committee for the efforts you have made. I hope that you could continue to make continuous efforts to report and support the Expo. Finally, we sincerely welcome political and economic leaders and representatives in the world to the city of Changchun, China in the golden September for the 10th China-Northeast Asia Expo. We’ll see you there and seek for cooperation and development together.

Thank you all!

Wang Xuekun: Thank you Director Chen Weigen. Now, let’s welcome Director Zhou Jianping from the National Reform and Development Commission to introduce the policies of revitalizing the old industrial bases in Northeast region and the “Belt and Road” initiative construction.

Zhou Jianping: Distinguished guests, friends from the media, ladies and gentlemen, Good morning! I’m glad to attend today’s press conference and extend my thanks for your constant concern, support and understanding of the project of revitalizing the old industrial bases in Northeast region. Nine sessions of the China-Northeast Asia Expo have been held successfully so far, and the 10th China-Northeast Asia Expo to be held this year is a very important historic node. Over nine years’ careful cultivation and development, the China-Northeast Asia Expo has developed into an international and high-end platform at national level to serve the national strategy, promote regional development, attract world’s attention, and enhance cultural integration.. It has become China’s important open window and name card for cultural exchanges in Southeast Asia.

At present, the development of northeast China is of high concerned to the country. Recently, President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang inspected the Jilin province and made important indications on revitalizing the old industrial bases in Northeast region. Against the great downward economic pressure in northeast region, it’s an important move to “strengthen the vigor and dynamics of endogenous development in northeast China” proposed by President Xi Jinping and carry out the major tasks of “doing the opening-up well” proposed by Premier Li Keqiang, through giving the leading role of China-Northeast Asia Expo into full play and promoting the breakthrough of new economic growth pole in northeast China. We all know that the northeast China has a long border line and wide coastline, and its unique location closely relates with other northeast Asian countries. On one hand, the “Belt and Road” initiative drew a new landscape of opening-up for northeast China. On the other hand, only when the northeast region integrates its self-development into the “Belt and Road” initiative, can they take the opportunity to accelerate development. The China-Northeast Asia Expo is an important platform for enhancing connectivity of northeast Asian countries and establishing cooperative mechanism efficiently. It is also a major window for the Changchun-Jilin-Tumen Guide Area integration into the “Belt and Road” initiative, and also a great name card for China’s delivery of “amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness ” to its neighboring countries.

This year is the key year to revitalize the old industrial bases in Northeast region. We will undertake and deepen the reform and opening up, adjust economic structures, promote entrepreneurship and innovation and improve people’s livelihood in line with the deployment of the central government. Our aim is to benefit more people and help them positively engage in the great cause.

As the host of the Expo, the National Development and Reform Commission has been highly attentive and supportive to the China-Northeast Asia Expo for long. We’ll keep gathering talents for revitalizing the old industrial bases in Northeast region via this platform; we’ll make efforts to steadily advance the “Belt and Road” initiative through this window; and we’ll further seek for “peace, harmony, cooperation, consensus, sharing and win-win” with Southeast countries by this name card.

I’d like to take this opportunity to sincerely invite dear guests and friends from the media to come to Changchun in the golden September for the China-Northeast Asia Expo. Let’s witness the changes to the great land and river in northeast region and map the future for the new northeast China together.

Thank you!

Wang Xuekun: Thanks Director Zhou. Now let’s welcome Mr. Song Yaoming, the Commercial Counselor from the Department of Asian Affairs of MOFCOM to introduce China’s trade and economic cooperation with northeast Asian countries and the role the China-Northeast Asia Expo plays in promoting regional cooperation.

Song Yaoming: Dear guests, friends from the media, diplomatic officials from the Northeast Asian countries’ embassies in China, Good morning! Firstly, I’d like to extend my warm welcome and sincere appreciation to all participants here for your constant support and attention to the China-Northeast Asia Expo in many years.

China and the Northeast Asian countries have maintained close trade and economic relations. The trade value of China-Northeast Asian countries in 2014 registered US$712.032 billion, taking up 17% of China’s total foreign trade. Among others, the China-Japan trade value stood at US$312.484 billion, the China-ROK amounted to US$290.563 billion, the China-Mongolia reached US$7.3 billion, the China-DPRK came to US$6.388 billion and the China-Russia registered US$95.285 billion. Japan and South Korea were China’s second and third trading partner respectively.

In 2014, the above countries made an investment of US$8.336 billion in China, taking up 6.5% of China’s total input of foreign capital. Among others, Japan’s investment in China registered US$4.325 billion while China’s outward investment in Japan was US$234 million; the Republic of Korea’s investment in China was US$3.966 billion while China’s outbound investment in the Republic of Korea was US$494 million; Mongolia’s investment in China was US$160 thousand while China’s outbound investment in Mongolia was US$200 million. North Korea’s investment in China was US$290 thousand while China’s outward investment in North Korea was US$10.08 million; Russia’s investment in China was US$41 million while China’s outward investment in Russia was US$790 million. Japan and South Korea are China’s second and third largest source of foreign capital respectively while China is Mongolia’s second largest destination of investment.

Besides the good bilateral cooperative relations, China and Northeast Asian countries also maintained sound regional and multilateral cooperation. The China-Japan-ROK FTA is being steadily advanced, cooperation under the GTI initiative tends to be mature, the China-Mongolia-Russia economic corridor construction is being stepped up gradually, and the interaction with relevant countries in APEC, G20 and Shanghai Cooperation also sustain good momentum.

The China-Northeast Asia Expo is an important move for the Chinese government to advance its trade and economic cooperation with northeast Asian countries. It serves as an important platform for northeast Asian countries to conduct trade and economic cooperation and seek for mutually beneficial cooperation. Since it was founded in 2005,, the Expo has followed the trend of regional economic development and integrated the trade with investment cooperation and cultural exchanges over one decade. With rising scale and level, the Expo tends to be more international and professional, its efficiency being improved and popularity and influence being increased.
　
As one of the hosts units of the China-Northeast Asia Expo, the MOFCOM will make all efforts to support the Expo. For the sake of our friendship with a long tradition, we also hope to join hands with all parties to make full use of our geographical and economic advantages to seek innovation and cooperation via the Expo, and overcome the difficulties and challenges along with the development jointly. We hope to make greater contribution to the peace, prosperity and development of the Northeast Asian region. Thus we sincerely expect to see the senior delegations from those countries at the China-Northeast Asia Expo and its senior officials summit.
Finally, I wish the 10th China-Northeast Asia Expo a grand success.

Thank you!

Wang Xuekun:Thank you Director Song Yaoming. That’s the first part, now we come to the second one. You can raise your questions concerning the expo now and please tell us the press name before your questions.

China Daily: Director Song Yaoming, China and the ROK signed the China-ROK FTA on June 1, 2015. What active role will the FTA play in promoting the trade and economic development in Northeast Asia?

Song Yaoming: As we all know that the China-ROK FTA was officially signed in Seoul on June 1, 2015. It’s an event of great significance in the history of China-ROK trade and economic relations and marks the completion of system design of the China-ROK FTA construction and a new period of development for China-ROK trade and economic cooperation. It is bound to raise the Northeast Asian regional development to a new step.

The China-ROK FTA has the largest trade value, the widest domain and highest level of opening among all that China has signed so far. For example, in trade in goods, China will lift the tariff of 91% goods imported from South Korea, taking up 85% of China’s total import value from the South Korea while the South Korea will lift 92% goods imported from China, taking up 91% China’s export value to South Korea. In addition, the two sides also agreed to launch the next phrase of negotiations on investment and trade in service by means of pre-access national treatment and a negative list within two years after the FTA came into effects. This will greatly advance the development of two-way investment and trade in service. The economic integration will be furthered and enterprises and people of the two sides will get more real benefits.

China and South Korea are important economies in Northeast Asia and even in Asia-Pacific region, with its economic aggregate taking up 25% of the total APEC’s and trade in goods taking up 29% of the total member countries’. The success of China-ROK FTA is of great significance to the northeast Asian regional cooperation and Asia-Pacific regional economic integration, and is conducive to the undergoing China-Japan-ROK FTA negotiations, the RCEP negotiations and the FTAAP negotiations. Meanwhile, the China-ROK FTA is also the link point of China’s “Belt and Road” initiative and South Korea’s Eurasian initiative. It will have a profound impact on jointly advancing the “Belt and Road” initiative and Eurasian economic integration.

21st Century Business Herald : Director Ling Ji, the outside world shows high concern for China’s “Belt and Road” initiative. We noticed that a joint statement on the “Silk Road Economic Belt” construction and Eurasian Economic Union construction was signed in Moscow on May 8. How do you comment on the matchmaking of two strategies?

Ling Ji: Thank you for the question. In this May, President Xi Jinping and President Putin signed the butt joint communiqué of the construction of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the construction of the Eurasian Economic Union, which marked a significant strategic decision of both sides to strengthen the cooperation in the Eurasian region. We mainly noticed three aspects during the process of docking: first is the docking at the policy level, namely the policy docking between the development construction of the Silk Road Economic Belt of China and the Eurasian Economic Union on such aspects as macroeconomic policies and industrial developing plan which includes energy, transportation, infrastructure and agriculture. Second is the docking rules. Both sides have already agreed to start to negotiate the trade and economic partner cooperative agreement between China and the Eurasian Economic Union. The emphasis of this agreement is to carry out a series of negotiations on the aspect of trade and investment facilitation and to create an institutional arrangement for the cooperation between China and the Eurasian Economic Unions and members. Next, both sides agree to regard the construction of the China-Eurasian Economic Union Free Trade Area as the long-term development goal on the basis that the agreement on the trade and investment facilitation can be reached. Third is the docking at the project level. Both sides will choose the significant cooperative projects in the construction of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the Eurasian Economic Union and a series of significant projects cooperation will be carried out mainly regarding investment, infrastructure and interconnectivity. On May 8, the Minister of Commerce Gao Hucheng and the Trade Committee Member of the Eurasian Economic Union signed the joint communiqué of starting the trade and economic partner cooperative agreement negotiation. We believe that this kind of docking and cooperation is substantive and will inject strong development force into the construction of the Silk Road Economic Belt of China and the cooperation with the members of the Eurasian Economic Union. It will also open up new cooperative fields and opportunities. As the members of the Eurasian Economic Union are our important neighboring countries, politically, we are partners who trust each other; economically, we closely cooperate with each other. This kind of docking will revitalize more cooperative power and increase more cooperative impetus. Next, we will further enhance the negotiation of the trade and economic cooperative partner agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union and build a solid foundation for the construction of the free trade area.

China News Service: Just now, Counselor Song has mentioned that the negotiation of China-Japan-Korea FTA is being steadily promoted. Can you introduce the specific situation of the negotiation? For example, what are the main disagreements on the aspects of industries and the trade and economy? Besides, does the difference on politics and history exert any influences on the negotiations? The second question is for the Director Zhou of the National Development and Reform Commission. Now, the trend of economic downturn in the Northeast is obvious. Does the NDRC or China have any specific plans or strategies aiming at regenerating the old northeast industrial bases? Thank you.

Song Yaoming: Thank you for the question. According to my understanding, China, Japan and Korea have conducted 8 rounds of negotiations of free trade area. At present, the working teams of the three parties are carrying out intense consultations and a new negotiation round of chief negotiators is planned to be held in September in China. Now, the China-Japan-Korea Free Trade Area negotiation is one of the most important topics in the trade and economic cooperation field among the three parties. The early completion of the negotiation not only conduces to promoting the integration development of the trade and economic cooperation of the Northeast Asian region, but also makes an important contribution to promoting the RCEP and the negotiation of the regional comprehensive economic partnership participated by ten ASEAN members, and China, Japan, Korea, Australia, New Zealand and India.

As we all know, China, Japan and Korea are important economies in the Northeast Asian and East Asian regions. The population in these three countries adds up to almost 1.6 billion and the GDP adds up to almost 16 trillion. If these big economies can realize integration, there is no doubt that great contributions can be made to the economic development of the East Asian regions and the global economic recovery. Thank you!

Zhou Jianping: As everyone knows, the downward pressure of Northeast is constantly increasing since last year. From the economic growth ranking in the whole year, Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang are in the bottom 5. It does illustrate the great downward pressure faced by the Northeast. From the perspective of an organizer, our deep analysis comes to the conclusion that the root cause of the great downward pressure of the Northeastern economy and the slow development is the system and mechanism, namely how to adapt to the new normality of the economy. Of course, big problems can also be seen in the industrial structure. The simple equipment manufacturing and the structure of the raw material of energy make the Northeast suffer a lot in the process of economic downturn.

Therefore, we are coordinating with the relevant departments of the three northeast provinces of China to study the opinions on fully revitalizing the old industrial base of the northeast.While peparing to deliver the documents in the name of the Central State. We also deeply study and implement the spirits of the symposium of the principle responsible comrades of the Party Committee of some regions held in the Northeast on July 17 by the General Secretary and the economic working symposium of the three provinces of the Northeast held in the Northeast by the Premier Li Keqiang on April 10. We conduct profound research on how to pursue an endogenous development path to the revitalization of the Northeast. We propose some specific measures on how to deepen the system and mechanism reform of the Northeast, how to deepen the economic structure adjustment, the structure optimization and upgrading and the improvement of the quality and the increase of the efficiency of the economy, how to promote the guidance of the scientific innovation and how to guarantee the livelihood according to the requirements of the General Secretary and the Premier. We try hard to reverse the downward situation and to provide a better policy environment of the future development. Of course, the development of a region mainly depends on the “three carriages”. The export volume is not so big for the Northeast; therefore, the export change exerts little influence on the revitalization of the Northeast. The consumption is a slow variable and there is no consumption hotspot in China, especially in the Northeast. A few years ago, the consumption hotspots are house and cars. But things are different now. Therefore, the support for the development of the Northeast relies on the investment. But the investment should be in the infrastructure, public benefic and people’s livelihood rather than the overcapacity sectors. We are working with all parties to increase a series of reform on the road, water conservancy, power transmission channels, infrastructure, utilities, including “water supply, electricity supply and heating supply and property management” of the local enterprises according to how to deepen the system reform of financing and attract the folk capital proposed by the State Council and the mode similar to PPP. We should carry out some reforms of private enterprises to develop productive service industries, take multiple measures and reverse the economic downward situation of the Northeast as soon as possible.

Beijing News: The Northeast is facing enormous economic downturn pressure. In the material of the Northeast Asia Expo, we notice that China proposes several topics such as Internet+Finance and emerging industries. Does China have any specific plans on promoting the Internet Finance and the emerging financial industries next from the support of the infrastructure construction and fiscal projects investment?

Chen Weigen: The Northeast Asian Expo serves as the platform for China’s economic cooperation with foreign countries and every Expo carries out a series of activities according to the current development requirements of Jilin province. Now we not only accelerate the transformation and upgrading of the traditional industries, but also accelerate the development of the emerging industries in accordance with the current situation of Jilin province. Therefore, we design some displays and forums related with the emerging industries in this Expo, including the Internet+Science museum, the financial booth and booth of the modern service industry. At the same time, we also conduct a series of conference activities and projects docking activities according to these topics. Jilin province is comprehensively planning the development of the whole industry. The General Secretary proposed a series of requirements on accelerating the adjustment of the economic structure and the cultivation of the emerging industries when inspecting Jilin in July. The provincial Party Committee will hold the meeting of all committee members in the near future and make a comprehensive deployment on the next development.

Zhou Jianping: The National Development and Reform Commission is actively studying how to play the role of the Internet+ in the economic development and will introduce the opinions on supporting the economic development of the Internet+ soon. The introduction of the Internet exerts great influence on the economy and the industries of enterprises of a country, including the business mode and the ecological changes. The boosting and leading role of the Internet rises in a geometrical progression. Local governments and relevant enterprises positively explore these aspects. The revitalization of the Northeast should also make full use of the platform of the Northeast Asia. We always believe that the revitalization of the Northeast needs to deepen the reform and opening up; meanwhile, the reform and opening up can push forward the revitalization of the Northeast. The “China-Northeast Asian Expo” has been held 9 times. This platform has not only attracted technologies, talents, assets, etc., but also changed our traditional development concept =. Successful experience in the development of the market economy of the western countries can be learned in the process. The change of this kind of development concept may exert bigger influence on the future development of the Northeast. Therefore, the NDRC will always positively support the Northeast Asia Expo form this perspective.

International Business Daily: Director Song, the downward pressure of foreign trade is relatively intense and China is paying high attention to exploring the market. What kind of role does the Northeast Asia Expo play in promoting China to explore the Mongolian and Russian markets? What highlights can be seen in the trade and economic cooperation between China and Mongolia and China and Russia?

Song Yaoming: China and Mongolia are important trade and economic partners and neighboring countries. The two countries share 4,700 miles’ borderline. The trade and economy in China and Mongolia enjoys rapid development in these years, with the bilateral trade volume of 7.3 billion. According to the statistics of the Ministry of Commerce, the non-financial investment of the Chinese enterprises to Mongolia has reached US$2.88 billion so far. According to the relevant statistics of the Mongolian government, the investment of all kinds of Chinese enterprises to Mongolia has exceeded US$4 billion. Besides, the Chinese government provides Mongolia non-reimbursable assistance and a large number of preferential debts within its power. Under these loan facilities, we have successfully implemented a series of economic assistance and cooperative measures covering the comprehensive information internet throughout Mongolia to promote the economic development. Through the important platform of the Northeast Asia Expo, Mongolia sends senior government delegation and delegation of the industrial and commercial circles to participate in this Expo every year and they are warmly received. At the same time, we hope that both sides can make use of this platform to promote the trade and economic cooperation between the two countries to a new level. Last August, President Xi Jinping paid an important state visit to Mongolia and reached many significant consensuses with Mongolia. At present, the Ministry of Commerce is positively implementing the relevant follow-up work of the trade and economic field. For example, China and Mongolia step up the construction of the economic cooperative zones of Erenhot and Dzamin-Ude in the border areas of the two countries, and promote the convergence between the development strategy of the “Belt and Road Initiative” of China and the strategy of the “Grassland Road” of Mongolia. The trade and economic cooperation between China and Mongolia has a lot of projects to do in these aspects. Mongolia is in the strategy of revitalizing the country by mining industry and many Chinese enterprises participate in the construction of big projects. Although many difficulties are faced by the two countries, there still exist much cooperative room in this aspect, including large mining projects and the construction of other infrastructure projects such as railway, road and power network.

Lingji: Russia is our very important trade partner. This year, the trade with Russia declines. In January-July, the trade volume decreased almost 30%. But we see some positive changes and the decline of trade volume has something to do with the trade structure. As the import of Russia mainly includes some energy and resource projects, the total quantity decreased with the decline of the price affected by the bulk commodities. But in the first and the second quarter of this year, the decreasing amplitude narrows further, especial the import from Russia. At the same time, we see that the big project cooperation between China and Russia is constantly increasing and the investment in Russia is further accelerating. The big project cooperation between China and Russia covers the high technical field, including nuclear power, aerospace, civil aviation and joint development of big planes. Therefore, although the trade volume is decreasing, the investment is growing and the layout of the big projects is accelerating. This shows the structural changes in the trade and economic relationship between China and Russia and the transformation from scale expanding type to the quality-oriented model. Affected by the temporary objective market, the decline of trade volume doesn’t mean that the trade development between China and Russia lacks motive power; on the contrary, it is an important period for the structure adjustment. We believe that the Northeast Asia Expo can sever as an important platform to help the structure adjustment. We also hope it can promote a better and faster trade and economic cooperation and development between China and Russia.

Wang Xunkun: Today’s press conference is over, thank you!

(The end)

(All information published on this website is authentic in Chinese. English is provided for reference only.)