National Development and Reform Commission spokesman responded to economic operation hotspots

Consolidate the good momentum of economic recovery - National Development and Reform Commission spokesman responded to the hot spots of economic operation

How is the current economic operation situation? How to ensure price stability on New Year's Day and Spring Festival? Coal prices are rising fast, can supply meet demand? National Development and Reform Commission spokesman Meng Wei responded to these hot issues at a press conference held on the 16th.

Economic recovery continues to show

In November, China's manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) stood at 52.1%, up 0.7 percentage points from the previous month, and has been above the threshold for nine consecutive months. The non-manufacturing business activity index stood at 56.4 percent, up 0.2 percentage point from the previous month, a high for the year.

"The economic recovery continues to show momentum, and market expectations continue to improve." Meng Wei said.

The data showed that total retail sales of consumer goods grew 5 percent in November, accelerating by 0.7 percentage points from the previous month; the business activity index for rail transportation, air transportation and other industries was in a high boom range of more than 60 percent.The percentage of small manufacturing enterprises reflecting financial constraints was 42.3 percent in November, down 2.6 percentage points from the previous month, a low point for this year.

Meng Wei emphasized that the new crown pneumonia epidemic and the external environment is still uncertain factors, the recovery of some industries is not optimistic, some small and micro-enterprises, export enterprises are still facing a lot of difficulties. The company will continue to strengthen the tracking and analysis, the implementation of the relevant policies, and consolidate the good momentum of economic recovery.

Prices will remain at a low level in the short term

Data showed that consumer prices (CPI) fell 0.5 percent year-on-year in November, down 1 percentage point from the previous month, and rose a cumulative total of 2.7 percent from January to November.

Meng Wei analyzed that food prices, which drove up prices in the previous period, dropped significantly from a high level, which was the main reason for the CPI's shift from a rise to a decline. food prices pulled about 85 percent of the year-on-year drop in the CPI in November. The core CPI excluding food and energy prices remained stable.

"Prices are in a reasonable operating range, in line with expectations." Meng Wei said, the current supply of China's major industrial and agricultural products is abundant, prices to maintain the overall stability of the basis of operation is more solid. Affected by the high base effect in the previous period, it is expected that in the short term the price increase will remain at a lower level, and will generally maintain a stable operation.

New Year's Day and the Spring Festival are the traditional peak seasons for the consumption of important livelihood commodities. Meng Wei said that due to the "holiday effect", prices may rise at some stage, but due to the continuous recovery of pig production and supply, and the overall supply of vegetables, the price increase during the holidays is expected to be small.

She said that in order to ensure the supply of important livelihood commodities and price stability during the New Year's Day and the Spring Festival, the next step will be to strengthen the price monitoring and early warning, strengthen the reserve regulation, and resolutely curb arbitrary price increases, arbitrary fees and other behavior. Guidance and supervision around the implementation of a good price subsidy linkage mechanism, timely and full monthly price temporary subsidies, and encourage conditional places to issue a one-time subsidy, to effectively protect the basic life of the people in need.

This winter and spring coal supply is guaranteed

Recently coal prices have risen faster, just in time for the heating season, can coal supply meet demand?

"Comprehensive all aspects of the situation, the current coal market supply and demand overall balance, this winter and spring coal supply is guaranteed." Meng Wei said.

By electric power, steel, building materials and other industries with strong demand for coal, low temperatures heating coal has increased the impact of this winter coal demand than in previous years increased more significantly.

Meng Wei said, the National Development and Reform Commission with the relevant parties, to strengthen the coordination of scheduling, organizing large coal mines in the main coal-producing areas such as Jin, Shaanxi and Mongolia, scientific and rational organization of production, and give play to the stabilizer role of the medium- and long-term contracts for coal, and to strengthen the protection of coal transportation. At present, the number of days available for coal storage at the national unified power plant is 21 days, and the number of days available for power plants in Heilongjiang Province, where temperatures are low in the northeast, is 31 days, all at a high level.

"Coal prices in the spot market have risen recently, but because power plants mainly use coal purchased under annual medium- and long-term contracts, coal prices are generally stable." Meng Wei said that at present, more than 80% of the coal supply to implement the coal medium- and long-term contracts, the transaction price between 540 yuan and 550 yuan per ton, the remaining small portion of the market coal price increases, will not affect the livelihood of the people with coal security. Subsequently, it will increase supply, regulate demand, and guide the market price of coal to stabilize at a more reasonable level.