SCIO briefing on 2016 Govt Work Report

China Daily:

Just now, Mr. Huang mentioned that a foreign expert seminar was held, gathering 13 experts from seven countries. Is it a tradition to hold such a seminar before drawing up a government report? Or is this the first time? What kinds of suggestions proposed by foreign experts have been accepted? Thank you.

Huang Shouhong:

The Chinese government always dedicates itself to inform the public regarding government affairs. Listening to suggestions and advice from foreign experts is a part of government transparency. We began doing so during last year, which was very fruitful and meaningful. We continued to do it this year, and it produced a very positive effect. The 13 foreign experts come from seven different fields, including economics, management, energy and technology. They have provided a range of good suggestions and advice based on their professional knowledge.

For example, several experts suggested that the key to dealing with smog is to change the energy structure, and improve energy efficiency, as China still uses coal as its main energy source. Smog has sparked wide attention among Chinese people. Some people like to compare the air quality in China with that in other countries. Actually, the main reason is the energy structure. In previous years, coal firing accounts for over 80 percent of final consumption. After years of efforts, the ratio decreased to 64 percent last year, but still occupies the majority share of our energy. If China contained enough oil and gas, to be honest, the situation would be totally different. Thus, foreign experts gave some advice on how to improve the efficiency of coal firing, including technological progress.

In addition, some experts provided practical suggestions on balanced and sustainable development of the social security system in China. And others suggested advancing management in enterprises, and making governmental policies to streamline management, raise labor productivity and reduce cost for enterprises. In the interest of time, I can’t introduce them one by one. These experts are all world renowned, and familiar with different situations in different countries. They have access to the cutting-edge development trends of contemporary science and technology; some of them are economic experts, and some are Nobel Prize winners. They gave us a range of good suggestions based on their knowledge, experience and comparison with other countries. Some suggestions have been absorbed into the government report, and others have been given to related departments for future research and reference. Thank you.