Ministry of Industry and Information Technology： The fundamentals of China’s long-term economic improvement have not changed

On May 18th, the State Council Press Office held a routine briefing on the State Council policy, introducing the situation of supporting SMEs to solve difficulties and develop healthily, and answering reporters’ questions. At the meeting, Xu Xiaolan, vice minister of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said that since the beginning of this year, the economic operation of small and medium-sized enterprises has started smoothly. Statistics from the Bureau of Statistics show that the operating income and profits of small and medium-sized industrial enterprises above designated size increased by 14.1% and 6.5% respectively in the first quarter, which fully reflected the resilience and vitality of small and medium-sized enterprises. However, at present, the complexity and uncertainty of the domestic and international environment have obviously increased. We also see that many small and medium-sized enterprises like the service industry and those at the end of the industrial chain have some operational difficulties. Small and medium-sized enterprises generally report that it is difficult to find orders, reduce costs, collect accounts, finance, people and logistics, and make normal production and operation difficult.

Xu Xiaolan said that the new round of epidemic has brought a great impact on the economic operation of small and medium-sized enterprises, but we must see that the long-term fundamentals of China’s economy have not changed. In this regard, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, in conjunction with relevant departments and localities, fully implemented the decision-making arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, focused on the practical difficulties and needs of SMEs, and implemented detailed policies through horizontal coordination of departments, vertical linkage of ministries and provinces, and demonstration and guidance, and went all out to support SMEs to solve problems and develop healthily.