More efforts to be made to foster new quality productive forces: official

China will step up efforts to foster the development of new quality productive forces across various industries in 2025, further promoting the high-quality economic development of the country, said a senior official with China's top economic planner on Friday.

New quality productive forces, a concept Chinese President Xi Jinping introduced during an inspection tour in Heilongjiang Province in September 2023, refers to advanced productivity freed from traditional economic growth models and featuring high-tech, high efficiency and high quality.

Speaking at a press conference, Deputy Director of the National Development and Reform Commission Zhao Chenxin said the country has engaged in in-depth research and vibrant practice centered around the development of new quality productive forces in 2024.

Facts have proven that new productive forces are an inherent requirement and an important focal point for promoting high-quality development, he said.

"In the first 11 months of 2024, investment in technological upgrades in manufacturing increased by 8.5 percent, significantly outpacing overall investment growth. Emerging industries accelerated their development as we actively implement the national program to foster clusters of strategic emerging industries, along with the East-to-West Computing Capacity Diversion Project and industrial innovation projects. Statistics indicate that the added value of high-tech manufacturing industrial enterprises above the designated size grew by 9 percent year on year in the first 11 months of 2024, notably surpassing the growth rate of industrial enterprises above the designated size," Zhao noted.

"Enterprises above the designated size" is a statistic term used in China to refer to industrial enterprises each with an annual main business revenue of 20 million yuan (about 2.74 million U.S. dollars) or more.

"The future industries have made significant strides in their layout. We have been supporting the construction of new scenarios in fields such as AI, bio-manufacturing, future energy, and quantum technology. As of the end of November 2024, the national guidance fund for emerging industries has invested in 501 subsidiary funds, facilitating a total fund raising of 288.54 billion yuan (39.53 million U.S. dollars) and supporting 8,946 startup and early to mid-stage companies. All these are substantial progress and achievements made in fostering new quality productive forces," said the official.

In 2025, efforts will be made in coordinating the relationship between cultivating new momentum and upgrading old momentum while developing new quality productive forces in accordance with local conditions.

"First of all, we will focus on a more tailored approach to local conditions. Regions across China will be supported in leveraging their strategic positioning and inherent advantages to explore new paths that reflect local characteristics. Secondly, we will further promote integrated development. We encourage the deep integration of sci-tech innovation with industrial innovation, as well as the real economy with the digital economy, continuously fostering new industries, new models, and new momentum. Thirdly, we will further deepen reform. We aim to deepen reforms in the economic and sci-tech structures to establish production relations that are better aligned with the development of new quality productive forces," said Zhao.

More efforts to be made to foster new quality productive forces: official

More efforts to be made to foster new quality productive forces: official

A Chinese medical team from Tianjin Eye Hospital has officially launched a free cataract surgery campaign at Tirunesh Beijing Hospital in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia.

Under the name of China-Ethiopia Brightness Journey, the Chinese medical team consisting of 10 senior ophthalmologists and nurses is set to conduct cataract surgery for more than 500 eye patients, with 80 of them having already enjoyed successful operations as of Friday. This round of the China-Ethiopia Brightness Journey will run for more than 20 days.

Amsale Belay is among the beneficiaries of the project. With help from the Chinese medical team, her vision has finally been restored.

"I'm so indebted to the medical team. I have been seeking treatment for more than two and a half years at various hospitals, but I found no solution. I was told there was no hope. But now, I have full hope," she said.

Local medics are also gaining invaluable experience in advanced treatment methods.

"We have been using manual machines for cataract surgeries. We lacked training and skilled personnel to perform surgeries with modern equipment. Now, as you can see, we are gaining high-level technological expertise and experience from the Chinese experts," said Yilikal Berhanu, a senior ophthalmologist.

"So far, we have conducted surgeries for four days. We are also actively training local doctors, hoping that they will be able to perform surgeries by themselves before we leave," said Wei Yinjun, deputy chief physician of the China-Ethiopia Brightness Journey Expert Group.

Speaking at the launch event of the project on Friday, Ethiopian Minister of Health Mekdes Daba said that the project offers far-reaching benefits.

"We will be building skills for healthcare professionals in here because through the procedures, through the one-to-one lessons, one-to-one interactions that we have, our community will have an additional shared experience, hands-on experience. We really, deeply value this project and the support that we are getting," said Daba.

Chinese Ambassador to Ethiopia Chen Hai stressed that the project is a demonstration of the friendship between the two countries.

"As a concrete step toward the goal, the "Bright Journey' project shows vividly our all-weather strategic partnership and traditional friendship," he said.

In Ethiopia, cataracts are the main cause of blindness and low vision. Data from the country's health ministry shows more than five million Ethiopians are affected by various eye disorders.

Chinese medical team provides free cataract surgery in Ethiopia