On April 20, Premier Li Keqiang presided over a State Council executive meeting regarding plans to develop a transportation infrastructure for poverty alleviation, build demonstration bases for mass entrepreneurship and innovation, and create policy measures that will promote import and export.

Notes from the meeting

The meeting noted that the people’s livelihood is the focus of governments at all levels. Governments should focus on people’s concerns and make efforts to tackle problems concerning education, medical care, and food security.

A mayoral responsibility system for “vegetable basket” will be implemented to ensure the supply of agricultural products for communities as well as a social assistance mechanism that safeguards the lives of impoverished people.

Based on people-oriented principle, public policies that are practical and closely related to the people’s interests will be implemented.

Old revolutionary base areas, regions inhabited by ethnic groups, border areas, and poverty-stricken regions will be a priority in efforts to strengthen China’s transportation infrastructure.

Enhancing China’s transportation infrastructure is an important measure to alleviate poverty and promote regional coordinated development. Broad-reaching and high-quality transportation networks will be built by 2020.

Transportation plan

First, implement road construction projects that will build over one million km of roadway in rural areas; construct asphalt and concrete roads, renovate bridges on highways, and improve transportation conditions in poverty-stricken areas to develop industries such as tourism.

Second, implement about 100 major transportation projects regarding expressways, railroads, and airports. This will realize full coverage of advanced highways over all counties, and railroads and expressways over city-level administration centers.

Fiscal taxation and land-use policies will be strengthened. The long-term system regarding transportation construction investment and management will be improved.

The “Double Hundred Project”, which is aimed at promoting investment and creating more jobs, can help alleviate poverty through transportation construction.

Demonstration bases

The meeting decided to build a batch of special demonstration bases to promote mass entrepreneurship and innovation. Innovative service chains are also encouraged to promote the integration of science and technology with the economy.

The first batch of demonstration bases will be chosen in some regions of provinces and cities. Some demonstration bases will be built inside colleges, research institutions, as well as manufacturing and Internet enterprises.

Test projects will be carried out focused on streamlining administration and delegating power to lower levels, creating a fair and competitive environment and developing the sharing economy. In these demonstration bases, adjustments will be made as needed; successes will be explored and duplicated; social vitality is expected to be invigorated, and new economy is to be developed.

Foreign trade

The meeting noted that foreign trade is an important constituent to the national economy.

Promoting a stable growth in foreign trade is of great significance to maintain a smooth operating economy. The measures are as follows:

First, encourage financial institutions to provide loans to profitable foreign trade enterprises, expand policy financing for export credit insurance, increase the scale of the short term export credit insurance and increase the refund rates for exports of some mechanical and electrical products.

Second, improve policies for processing trade, cancel the approvals for the process trade business, and improve regulations; encourage enterprises from central and western China to attract investments from eastern China; approve land no longer being used for processing trade for the use of business, tourism and nursing homes.

Third, expand the number of test projects in cross-border e-commerce, support enterprises to build overseas marketing and service system, and develop domestic brands for foreign trade.

Fourth, implement an active import policy, support the import of advanced equipment and technologies and make use of foreign investments to promote trade.

Fifth, carry out test projects in classified supervision of goods in customs special supervision areas, further reduce the inspection rate for exports, and crack down on piracy and other illegal actions.