CHINA DAILY | HONG KONG EDITION Wednesday, March 6, 2019 | 5 TWO SESSIONS Economics to play PERSPECTIVE important role Efforts to deepen reform vital during two sessions Academic says they have helped China reach highest standards in all areas

While the economy has always financial sector, such as those from By CECILY LIU in London top legislature and “The development of establishment of the People’s been an important topic during the corporate bonds and local govern­ [email protected] its top political private businesses and Republic of China and also the country’s annual two sessions ment debt. At the same time, the advisory body — small and medium­sized sixth anniversary of the Third Ple­ meetings, the topic seems even nation’s leaders have made it clear Continuing to deepen reform is especially after enterprises may be helpful nary Session of the 18th Commu­ more crucial given the challenging that reform and opening­up will critical for China to maintain sus­ China celebrated in diminishing consequen­ nist Party of China Central international situation and big move forward. tainable economic growth domes­ the 40th anniver­ ces of international trade Committee — two strategically changes happening in China. At the recent Chinese Economists tically and make important sary of reform and friction,” Ladjevac said. important milestones that guide The slowing global economy, 50 Forum, experts called for stabi­ contributions to global issues, a opening­up last She also praised China’s China’s future direction. trade tension with the United lizing employment, the financial leading academic from the Insti­ year and commit­ achievements through its In particular, the reform meas­ States, Britain’s messy Brexit sector, trade, domestic investment tute of International Politics and ted itself to further past 40 years of reform. In ures and goals outlined at the third divorce from the European Union, and market confidence, China Daily Economics said. reforms. the last four decades, Chi­ plenary session deserve special and rapid technological change and reported. “China’s reforms have achieved It was also high­ Ivona Ladjevac na’s GDP has grown by an attention as a guide for more its significance to society are some One crucial element of reform tremendous results and enabled lighted at the annu­ average of about 9.5 per­ reforms. of the big issues facing the world. and opening­up that the 13th China to address a wide range of al Central Economic cent a year. In this time, “Not only has the CPC proved to China is also National People’s Congress will be challenges and to reach the posi­ Work Conference, held in Beijing China has also succeeded in lifting have the ability to start reform and encountering eco­ considering is the draft of a stream­ tion on the world scene that it in December. The conference con­ more than 740 million people out opening­up, and to conduct effec­ nomic headwinds as lined foreign investment law. It is deserves,” said Ivona Ladjevac, cluded that reforms in various of poverty. tive governance, it has also put for­ it works to shift its meant to provide foreign companies head of the center for the Belt and fields, including State­owned “China has modernized its ward the guiding ideology and economy from a low­ with treatment that is equal to that Road Initiative at the institute in enterprises, taxation and financ­ entire system and turned into a major principle for comprehen­ cost manufacturing of domestic companies, and clear Belgrade, Serbia. ing, land, market access, and social country oriented toward reaching sively deepening reform that set model to an innova­ management of the negative list. A “The process of reforming must management, will be pushed for­ the highest standards in all areas,” up a road map of reform with its tion­directed, high­ negative list is a list of areas where be continued. The main task is to ward. Ladjevac said. strategic focus, defined priorities, tech and consumer­ investment is prohibited; all other eliminate unbalanced develop­ Ladjevac endorsed these “In my opinion, the most visi­ working mechanism and sched­ Matt Prichard driven model. areas are presumed to be open. ment between different regions, reform directions, adding that ble development is in innovation, ule,” Ladjevac said. As if there were While the law will undoubtedly and between urban and rural are­ she believes creating sustainable science and high technology, “It stated that decisive achieve­ Expat’s view not enough already help foreign companies coming to as.” development through eliminat­ which even has worldwide appli­ ments will be made by 2020 in the to tackle, important do business in China, the idea The continuation of efforts to ing rural­urban inequality and cation.” reform of key areas and links. regional changes behind the law is that foreign capi­ deepen reform is an important strengthening support for pri­ She added that it is important to Eventually, it will result in a system have also started, such as the coor­ tal will help China in its structural topic at the two sessions — the vate sector businesses are impor­ push forward reforms this year, as that is complete, more mature and dination in the development of the transition. China’s leaders consider annual meetings of the country’s tant. it is the 70th anniversary of the stable.” Beijing­Tianjin­Hebei region — it important for the nation’s future including the creation of the Xiong­ to continue down the path of mod­ an New Area to relieve Beijing of its ernizing its governmental and busi­ noncapital functions. Others ness systems and integrating with Patient interviewee include coordination of the Yangtze the world economy. River Economic Belt and the newly As Yale University faculty mem­ released blueprint for the Guang­ ber Stephen Roach said in a recent dong­Hong Kong­Macao Greater column published by China Daily, Bay Area. China has benefited greatly from On Tuesday, Premier Li Keqiang continuing on the road of reform delivered the Government Work in each regional or world financial Report for the year and set this crisis in recent decades. Roach, year’s growth target at 6 to 6.5 per­ who was formerly chairman of cent. China’s GDP growth of 6.6 Morgan Stanley Asia, added, “Like percent last year met the target of comparable circumstances in the about 6.5 percent. But with head­ past, reforms are the only way winds being felt across the world, out.” growth dropped from 6.8 percent in This year’s two sessions is expect­ the first quarter to 6.4 percent in ed to show a nation working to bal­ the fourth quarter — the slowest ance many factors in a highly pace since 1990. complicated environment. While Recent government meetings new and innovative tools and and conferences have provided approaches may be required, China some clues as to what some of the is not likely to deviate from the for­ priorities will be during the two ses­ mula of reform that has proved so sions. successful for many years. Drawing from these, it appears that an important part of the task Contact the writer at will be to bolster economic stabili­ matthewprichard@ zation while curbing risks in the chinadaily.com.cn Latest tech continues to shape news coverage

When the two sessions kicks off ing footage and exporting the final every year, it is also the time to show production will be done in the blink some of the latest technologies that of an eye. could potentially change our lives in With 5G signal coverage, live­ Deputy Sio Chi­wai speaks with reporters after he attended the meeting of the NPC delegation of the Macao Special Administrative the near future. streaming is also expected to run Region in Beijing on Tuesday. WANG ZHUANGFEI / CHINA DAILY As the biggest much more smoothly. I still remem­ event on China’s ber the embarrassing moment on annual political the first day of the two sessions in agenda, the two ses­ 2017 when hundreds, maybe thou­ PEOPLE IN THE NEW ERA sions — the annual sands, of reporters gathered at the meetings of the east square, all preparing their country’s top legisla­ mobile phones to do live broadcasts ture and top political of the opening session, only to find Using influence to promote gymnastics Sun advisory body — that the network speed was simply Xiaochen doubles as a testing not fast enough to support live­ Reporter’s ground for innova­ streaming on so many devices. By HUANG ZHILING in Chengdu becoming the second gymnast to decreasing. Zou said that promot­ log tion as the growing Advanced information technology and SUN XIAOCHEN in Beijing do so in the men’s floor exercise fol­ ing gymnastics in kindergartens demand for multimedia coverage, has also become a valuable tool for lowing former Soviet gymnast and primary schools can broaden livestreaming and big data transmis­ CPPCC National Committee mem­ Political adviser Zou Kai will wel­ Nikolai Andrianov, who won the the country’s selection of good ath­ sion has opened up new opportuni­ bers all year round, through an online come a baby soon. Although the event in 1972 and 1976. With a total letes for these events. ties for new technologies to be used. system with an interactive interface former Olympic gymnastics cham­ of five Olympic gold medals, Zou Thanks to rising living stan­ I have covered the two sessions that they can use to hold consulta­ pion has not decided whether to holds the record for most gold dards, an increasing number of for five consecutive years, but was tions, discuss key issues and make encourage his child to become a medals won by a male Chinese ath­ people nationwide realize the still surprised to see gear I had never proposals. Since the system was professional gymnast on the world lete in Olympic history. importance of exercise, and there seen before as I walked through a introduced in August, the top politi­ stage, he knows what he has to do Zou retired from the national have been more sports facilities horde of peers from other media cal advisory body has held three now — to promote the sport among gymnastics team in December made available to them. outlets holding all kinds of high­ remote discussions through video­ more children as a member of the I use my influence to 2016, and became a deputy dean of “Many institutions of higher tech gadgets before the Chinese Peo­ conference calls, allowing political 13th National Committee of the the gymnastics department at learning in Sichuan open their ple’s Political Consultative advisers to join the meeting on their Chinese People’s Political Consulta­ persuade the heads Sichuan Sports College the follow­ sports facilities to the public. Our Conference’s National Committee computers or mobile phones via a tive Conference. of kindergartens and ing year. college also opens some facilities opened its session on Sunday. specially developed app. “As a CPPCC member, we carried His daily routine is to oversee like the swimming pool at fixed To me, the east square of the Great Without having to physically sit out research based on our own primary schools to management of the department, times. Because so many people Hall of the People — where the media under one roof, political advisers can work,” said the 31­year­old, who is let children learn and also be a referee in gymnastics want to use the facilities, I some­ gather before every major session — now meet online whenever a social now deputy dean of the gymnas­ competitions held in college. He times cannot find space to park my has become a Chinese version of development demands attention, tics department at Sichuan Sports gymnastics while also visits different parts of Sich­ car,” Zou said. CES, an annual trade show held in and they can voice their opinions at College and deputy director of the they play.” uan to promote gymnastics in kin­ During the Spring Festival this Las Vegas to launch new consumer any time. Sichuan gymnastics administra­ dergartens and primary schools. year, Zou stayed in Luzhou, which electronics devices and technologies. With everyone envisioning a future tive center. Zou Kai, member of CPPCC “I use my influence to persuade he calls a third­tier city, for four With product upgrades diversify­ with 5G technology, I expect it will “I’m now working to combine National Committee the heads of kindergartens and pri­ days, and was impressed with the ing the way we conduct interviews bring more changes to the two ses­ basic gymnastics training with mary schools to let children learn decent sports facilities such as foot­ and capture footage, the imminent sions. Maybe one day, there will be no education at kindergartens and style gymnastics and horizontal gymnastics while they play,” Zou ball fields and basketball courts in use of fifth­generation telecommu­ need to have all those deputies and schools.” bar, Zou contributed to the team’s said. some residential quarters. nication — 5G — will dramatically members physically present in Bei­ A native of Luzhou, one of the gold medal performance at the Bei­ Through his efforts, a gymnas­ He said that having a large num­ change the way we present and con­ jing once a year. Their 5G­enabled two port cities in inland Sichuan jing Olympic Games in 2008 and tics competition for children ages ber of people able to participate in sume news. Given the enhanced lifelike 3D holograms could be pro­ province, Zou started learning also won individual gold medals in 4 to 6 was held in Sichuan last year, the national fitness program is con­ speed and expanded data transmis­ jected in the Great Hall of the People gymnastics at the age of three in his floor exercise and horizontal bar. attracting about 1,000 participants ducive to the development of com­ sion volume available through 5G for the all­important gathering. hometown. In 2002, he was select­ At the London Olympic Games from 54 kindergartens. petitive sports. connection, I imagine that editing a ed for the Chinese National Gym­ in 2012, he led the team to win gold Nowadays, the reserves of video news clip will no longer take Contact the writer at nastics Team, where he became a and successfully defended his would­be sports stars in many Contact the writers at an entire afternoon because upload­ [email protected] leading gymnast. Excelling in free­ Olympic title for floor exercise — competitive sports events are [email protected]