Facilitate High-quality Development amid Stability—Interview with Zhang Zhijun, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Jilin Provincial Committee and Secretary of the CPC Changchun Municipal Committee 

Changchun, known as a big agricultural city and an old industrial base, is making an all-out effort to implement the spirit of the Central Economic Work Conference. How to stabilize the ballast of “agriculture, rural areas and farmers”? How to accelerate upgrading and promote the transformation of kinetic energy? The reporter interviewed Zhang Zhijun, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Jilin Provincial Committee and Secretary of the CPC Changchun Municipal Committee. 

Stabilize the Ballast of “Agriculture, Rural Areas and Farmers”, Keep the Fundamentals of Agriculture Stable 

Reporter: As a big agricultural city, how will Changchun play its role in maintaining national food security? 

Zhang Zhijun: To secure stability, agriculture is the foundation. To progress amid stability, we must first ensure the stability of the ballast of “agriculture, rural areas and farmers” and keep the fundamentals of agriculture stable. Changchun contributes about 1.9% to the total national grain output. Changchun has the ability, confidence and determination to play an important role in contributing to maintaining national food security. 

Specifically, firstly, protect the roots, and the “fertile black soil known as giant panda of cultivated land”, implement conservation tillage of 10.57 million mu, and build three “10000 mu new high standard farmland demonstration areas”. Secondly, cultivate quality seeds. We shall implement the modern, innovative seed project, accelerate the construction of Gongzhuling National Modern Seed Industrial Park and 100,000 mu Northern Exquisite Paddy Seed Production Base, and further enhance the capacity of renovating and protecting the seed industry. Thirdly, stabilize output, keep the red line of cultivated land safe, and ensure a farmland area of more than 23.9 million mu. 

To promote in an all-round way rural revitalization, we should not only keep the fundamentals of stabilizing and increasing the production of grains but also switch to high gear for improving the quality and efficiency of agricultural modernization. We shall accelerate the construction of the “three systems” of modern agriculture and focus on the development of agricultural processing. In 2021, the output of agricultural processing enterprises above designated size increased by 17% year on year. 

Build New Paradigm of Multi-point Support, Multi-industry and Diversified Development 

Reporter: What specific measures will Changchun take to accelerate upgrading and promote the transformation of kinetic energy? 

Zhang Zhijun: To secure stability, high quality is the direction. To progress amid stability, we must accelerate upgrading, promote the transformation of kinetic energy, and build a new paradigm of multi-point support, multi-industry and diversified development. 

In 2021, confronted with challenges, Changchun’s industry maintained stale and strong. Speed up with transformation, transform kinetic energy, release “stable” kinetic energy and strengthen the support of “progress”. 

Make manufacturing intelligent. With automobile put in high gear for electrification, networking, intelligence and common sharing, we have made remarkable achievements in promoting the “six returns” of support, productivity, innovation and talents. In 2021, a number of projects including Hongqi’s new energy plant were completed and put into operation, and a number of strategic projects such as BYD power battery got settled one after another. The core competitiveness and industrial agglomeration of Changchun’s automobile industry are improving, which has become the key to anti-fluctuation and stable growth of industry 

Make new industries sizable. We shall implement the “interactive development of six cities” and accelerate the construction of International Auto City, Modern Agriculture City, “Dual Carbon” Demonstration City, Sci-Tech Innovation City, Emerging Consumption City and Cultural and Creative City. We will build a “1 plus 6” industrial system, that is, a pillar of automobile industry, and six new industries at the level of 100 billion such as top-end equipment manufacturing, agricultural processing, new energy, biomedicine, photoelectric information and cultural tourism. 

Create branded service industry. We have issued policies to boost consumption and cultivate such growth points as ice and snow economy, new e-commerce and night economy. The main scenic areas including Changchun Ice and Snow New World and Mt. Tianding Ski Resort have already opened to the public, becoming popular tourist destinations for winter tourism. In 2021, the sales of services above designated size in Changchun City increased by 18.5%, and the total retail sales of social consumer goods increased by more than 8%. 

Make Good Start, Cultivate Intrinsic Driving Force of Innovation 

Reporter: Changchun is rich in science and education resources. What will Changchun do to implement the requirements for innovation driven development in the next step? 

Zhang Zhijun: To secure stability, innovation is the fundamental driving force. To progress amid stability, we must make a good start and cultivate the intrinsic driving force of innovation. To prioritize innovation is for development, and to make a plan for innovation is to plan for future development. 

For the innovation in intrinsic driving force, we have set up Changchun Natural Science Foundation, and implemented such major sci-tech projects as automotive independent innovation and intelligent EMU to solve the problems hindering sci-tech development. 

To facilitate the transformation of sci-tech findings, we have launched the campaign of cooperation among heavyweight enterprises, universities and institutes, and established a production-school-research union for innovation for such industries as digital economy. We have also issued the Regulations of Changchun City on Sci-Tech Innovation, improved the technology trading market system, created an “innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem with Jilin University (JLU) at the core, and created an “innovation and entrepreneurship” cluster integrating “science, education, innovation, production and service” to make sure more sci-tech findings can go out of laboratories and become productivity. 

For the generation of innovation entities, 27 special, exquisite, new and unique enterprises were promoted up to the list of national “little giant” enterprises in 2021. In addition, the number of hi-tech enterprises tripled within five years. 

Three Measures to Further Optimize Business Environment 

Reporter: What specific measures will Changchun take to optimize business environment? 

Zhang Zhijun: To progress amid stability, we must give priority to optimizing business environment and care about the sense of gain for enterprises. Specifically, firstly, deepen reform and improve efficiency. Taking deepening the reform of commercial system as a breakthrough, we will implement “transaction on one network suitable for cross-province use, one application completed in one transaction”, promote “standard land plus commitment system” as well as “construction started right after land acquired” and other innovative measures. The average time used for approval of 1,560 government service items has been reduced to 8.2 days from 22.1 days. Secondly, provide door-to-door service and optimize working style. We shall continue the activity “10,000 people for 10,000 enterprises”, with efforts made to deploy government officials in connection with guarantee for enterprises, listening to their demands face to face, integrating resources to solve their problems in line with the principle of “troubling as required, helping as expected” whenever necessary. Thirdly, reinforce intrinsic strength. Design another batch of city renewal projects of gas, water supply and sewage treatment, and build a factor guarantee system with stable supply and efficient service. We will promote in a coordinated manner the optimization of old pipes, implement “river-river connectivity” and “river-lake connectivity”, transform the old urban areas and dress up the new ones to make the city surrounded with green forests and clean waters. The “five ones” mechanism of one project, one leader, one team, one plan and one priority from beginning to end are adopted to ensure that more than 1,000 projects invested with more than RMB100 million each can be started or resumed in 2022, with an increase of more than 10% in the fixed investment.