Attributing China's industrial competitiveness simply to subsidies is not only overly simplistic but also completely wrong, said Li Chao, a spokeswoman for the National Development and Reform Commission on Thursday. China's industrial competitiveness is the result of multiple factors working together, she said.
Li made the statement at a press conference in Beijing in response to a question about a report by an international institution claiming that the growth of Chinese companies' global market share in certain key areas mainly benefits from government subsidies.
According to the spokeswoman, China's modern industrial system has been developed through continuous exploration, summarization and improvement in long-term practice.
China's industrial competitiveness comes from the intense tempering of its vast market, the efficient synergy of its complete industrial system, and the long-term accumulation in education, science and technology, and talent.
"China has the world's largest manufacturing system by scale with the most complete categories and the most comprehensive coverage. In recent years, 'Yiwu, please mass-produce this' has become a viral phrase on social media. What turns even the most outlandish ideas into products in a short time is exactly the strong adaptability, rapid response capability and stable delivery capacity provided by a complete industrial system. Companies rooted in China, within such a system where 'anything can be made and made well,' can rapidly renew and upgrade their competitiveness," said the spokeswoman.
The city of Yiwu, known as "the world's supermarket," in east China's Zhejiang Province, hosts the world's largest wholesale market for small commodities.
The spokeswoman also said that China's industrial competitiveness also comes from the continuous improvement of its business environment, adding that China will continue to create a favorable environment for fair competition and development among all types of enterprises.
"We oppose the politicization and instrumentalization of economic and trade issues. We are willing to work with all parties to deepen practical cooperation and jointly build a global industrial and supply chain system that is safe, stable, smooth, efficient, open, inclusive, and mutually beneficial," she said.
China refutes subsidy claims by int'l institution
