Introduction: The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) has selected 400 projects for key promotion to private capital in eight major areas with significant potential for private investment and high levels of private enterprise participation: transportation, water conservancy, energy, environmental protection, agriculture, social undertakings, new infrastructure, and warehousing and logistics. These projects involve a total investment of 815.9 billion yuan.
　　On the afternoon of September 19, the NDRC held a September press conference. Jin Xiandong, Director of the Policy Research Office of the NDRC and spokesperson for the Commission, attended the press conference to introduce investment project approvals, recently issued policy documents, and answer reporters' questions on macroeconomic policies, normalized communication mechanisms with private enterprises, credit-based lending, promoting private investment, green and low-carbon transformation, attracting and utilizing foreign investment, implementing the "big food" concept, new urbanization, ensuring the stable supply and price of important daily necessities, and the China-Africa joint construction of the "Belt and Road" initiative.
 
　　China News Service reporter: We have noted that the NDRC has established a platform for promoting projects to private capital. The spokesperson also mentioned continuing to promote high-quality projects to private capital. Can you introduce the recent situation regarding the promotion of projects to private capital? How will the NDRC further stimulate private investment vitality?
 
　　Jin Xiandong, Director of the Policy Research Office of the NDRC and spokesperson for the Commission: To continuously broaden the development space for private enterprises and enhance the enthusiasm for private investment, in September 2023, the NDRC built a national platform for promoting projects to private capital, actively promoting high-quality projects in infrastructure and other fields reported by local governments to continuously attract private capital. As of August 31 this year, a cumulative total of 1963 projects have attracted private capital participation. In particular, in terms of infrastructure construction, based on regular promotion, we recently organized relevant parties to focus on eight major areas with significant potential for private investment and high levels of private enterprise participation: transportation, water conservancy, energy, environmental protection, agriculture, social undertakings, new infrastructure, and warehousing and logistics, selecting 400 projects for key promotion to private capital, involving a total investment of 815.9 billion yuan. These projects have received widespread attention from private enterprises, and from what we understand, many projects have already begun to be contacted by one or more enterprises. We also welcome more private enterprises to actively participate in these projects based on their own development needs.
 
　　It should be emphasized that promoting projects to private capital is only one part of the work to promote private investment. In response to the current difficulties and bottlenecks facing private investment development, the NDRC will focus on implementing policy measures to promote private investment and continue to promote the resolution of constraints hindering the high-quality development of private investment, and will do everything possible to stimulate the vitality and endogenous power of private investment.
 
　　First, build and utilize the platform well. In response to the difficulties faced by private investment in information acquisition, relying on the national platform for promoting projects to private capital, more high-quality projects will be put forward to attract private capital participation, and investment and financing cooperation will be strengthened through the holding of investment promotion conferences and on-site meetings. Make good use of the national key private investment project database, and coordinate with relevant parties to solve the bottlenecks in the implementation of key projects.
 
　　Second, innovate mechanisms and models. Actively and steadily implement the new mechanism for public-private partnerships (PPPs), formulate and implement a list of franchised new projects (including renovations and expansions) supporting the participation of private enterprises, and comprehensively promote the regular issuance of real estate investment trust (REITs) projects in the infrastructure sector.
 
　　Third, strengthen factor support. In my opening remarks, I mentioned the establishment of a work mechanism to ensure funding and factor support for private investment. I also responded to the issue of "credit-based lending." We will rely on these mechanisms, make good use of tools such as "credit-based lending," strengthen financial support for private investment projects and support in land and sea use, environmental impact assessments, and other factors, and help private enterprises solve problems encountered in project implementation.
 
　　In addition, the State Council's executive meeting recently approved five nuclear power projects, each setting aside 10% of its shares to attract private capital participation, which fully demonstrates the determination to support the sustainable and healthy development of private enterprises. In the next step, we will continue to actively create conditions, remove barriers to entry, and on the premise of fully respecting the investment intentions of enterprises, adhere to the principles of fairness, openness, and impartiality, and attract more private capital to participate in the construction of major projects such as nuclear power and railways.
 
　　Hong Kong Economic Journal reporter: We have noted that since the beginning of this year, the NDRC has been intensively issuing policy measures around the goal of achieving dual carbon targets, which has received considerable attention from all sides. Can you introduce the relevant situation, and what other measures will be introduced to promote the green and low-carbon transformation in the future?
 
　　Jin Xiandong, Director of the Policy Research Office of the NDRC and spokesperson for the Commission: Since the beginning of this year, the NDRC has earnestly fulfilled its coordinating responsibilities for the carbon peaking and carbon neutrality work, and together with various regions and relevant departments, has steadily promoted green and low-carbon development, mainly carrying out three aspects of work.
 
　　First, coordinate and deploy the acceleration of the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development. At the end of July, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council issued the Opinions on Accelerating the Comprehensive Green Transformation of Economic and Social Development, which for the first time systematically planned and comprehensively deployed the green transformation, clarified the overall requirements, main goals, and implementation paths, and coordinated carbon reduction, pollution reduction, green expansion, and growth to accelerate the formation of production and lifestyles that conserve resources and protect the environment. At the same time, we support relevant localities in conducting pilot programs first. Since this year, we have jointly issued documents related to green development in the Beijing sub-center, the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city, Xiong'an New Area, Inner Mongolia, and other places.
 
　　Second, accelerate the strengthening of the foundation for carbon peaking and carbon neutrality work. Submit for issuance the Work Plan for Accelerating the Construction of a Dual Control System for Carbon Emissions, establishing and improving relevant policy frameworks for local carbon assessment, industry carbon control, corporate carbon management, project carbon evaluation, and product carbon footprints. Issue a work plan to improve the standard measurement system and release 55 key standards in areas such as product energy efficiency. Promote the construction of the first batch of 35 national pilot cities and parks for carbon peaking.
 
　　Third, increase efforts to implement a new round of energy-saving and carbon-reduction actions. Submit for issuance the 2024-2025 Energy-Saving and Carbon-Reduction Action Plan, implement special actions for energy-saving and carbon reduction in six industries, including steel, oil refining, synthetic ammonia, cement, electrolytic aluminum, and data centers, promote the low-carbon transformation and construction of coal-fired power plants, conduct energy efficiency diagnoses for key energy-consuming units, and promote the transformation of key industrial energy-saving and carbon-reduction work from "construction drawings" to "real scenes."
 
　　In the next step, the NDRC will adhere to the guidance of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, improve the mechanism for green and low-carbon development, and focus on promoting work in four aspects. First, formulate a task list for the Opinions on Accelerating the Comprehensive Green Transformation of Economic and Social Development, consolidate departmental responsibilities, further refine policy measures, and provide greater support for green and low-carbon development. Second, establish a new mechanism for the comprehensive transformation of energy consumption dual control to carbon emission dual control, formulate and issue a work plan to improve the carbon emission statistics and accounting system, promote the establishment of carbon emission budget management systems at the provincial and municipal levels, and study and formulate comprehensive evaluation and assessment methods for carbon peaking and carbon neutrality. Third, accelerate the research and development, demonstration, and application of advanced green and low-carbon technologies, revise and issue a catalog of green technology promotion, and launch the application and selection of a second batch of demonstration projects for advanced green and low-carbon technologies. Fourth, deepen the construction of national ecological civilization pilot zones, national carbon peaking pilots, and pilot programs for the realization of ecological product value, and support local innovation in green and low-carbon development models.