Economic Daily:

Nowadays, many people think of Yunnan when talking about agricultural products such as flower cakes, Pu'er tea, and panax notoginseng. What steps will Yunnan take next to develop its distinctive and competitive industries further? Thank you.

Wang Yubo:

Thanks to this reporter for your question. I'll answer this question. The industries in Yunnan have distinctive features. Only with strong industries can a province be strong and its people rich. We have prioritized ecological conservation and pursued green development, focusing on developing distinctive and competitive industries. We have developed new quality productive forces based on local conditions and made every effort to build an important national clean energy base, a national strategic non-ferrous metal industry base, a modern agroecology base with plateau characteristics, and a world-famous tourist destination. Industries such as green silicon, green aluminum, new energy batteries, and biomedicine are developing rapidly. From 2021 to 2023, industrial investment in Yunnan province increased by 21% annually, with investment in the industrial sector growing by 20.4%. Industrial investment accounted for more than half of total investment, with the investment in the industrial sector ranking first among key industries. Industrial transformation and upgrading are accelerating. Here, I'd like to give you a specific introduction.

First, we will consolidate and improve the energy and non-ferrous metal industries, which have been the traditional pillar industries of Yunnan. In 2023, the proportion of installed green energy and green power generation capacity were 38 and 55 percentage points higher than the national average, respectively. The output of 10 non-ferrous metals, including copper and tin, ranks among the top nationwide. We should not only maintain this foundation but also further develop it. We will focus on transformation and upgrading, accelerate the construction of a leading province in green energy, improve our capacity to guarantee a stable supply of non-ferrous metal resources, as well as the capacity to conduct intensive processing, and infuse traditional industries with new vitality.

Second, we will foster and develop the green aluminum, silicon photovoltaic power, and new energy battery industries, which are Yunnan's "new three" industries. The green aluminum production capacity has risen from 1.68 million tons in 2017 to 6.33 million tons, and the growth rate of the value-added output of the silicon photovoltaic industry has stayed above 25% for 22 consecutive months. The new energy battery industry has achieved a breakthrough in growing from scratch and developing steadily, becoming a strong growth driver for the industrial economy. We will promote these three industries by extending industrial chains and advancing clustered development, truly building Yunnan into the "Chinese valley of green aluminum," the "photovoltaic power capital", and an "important industrial base for new energy batteries in China."

Third, we will specialize in biomedicine, new materials, and the advanced equipment manufacturing industry, all of which are being developed based on Yunnan's local resources. For example, it is well-known that artemisinin was first extracted on a large scale in Yunnan and in 2023, the province took a leading position in the number of vaccines approved for use. Industries such as indium, platinum, germanium, and titanium have significant influence globally. Industries such as high-end power equipment, mechanical equipment, and numerically controlled machine tools have a solid foundation. We will leverage our resource advantages and industrial foundation to drive the formation of innovation alliances between enterprises, universities, and research institutes. We will also accelerate breakthroughs in key technologies and advance their application to effectively enhance the competitiveness of our industries.

Fourth, we will strengthen the plateau's special agriculture, cultural tourism, and modern logistics industries. These three industries have solid foundations and immense development potential. Currently, we are at a crucial juncture of transitioning from scale-oriented to quality and efficiency-oriented development. In 2023, the output value of Yunnan's key agricultural industries throughout the entire industrial chain reached 2.5 trillion yuan. For two years in a row, Yunnan has ranked among the top in the nation for agricultural investment. Total tourism revenue reached 1.44 trillion yuan, and total revenue from the modern logistics industry reached 852 billion yuan. We will systematically focus on attracting investment, integrating development, brand building, and market expansion to transform industrial development from scale to quality and efficiency.

Thank you.