3 Moon 5 day 9 At that time, the Third Session of the 12th National People's Congress opened at the Great Hall of the People. Premier Li Keqiang, on behalf of the State Council, delivered the Government Work Report to the Congress. Several aspects mentioned in the report touched upon mining and related fields such as energy, resources, and the environment.

　 　Keywords: Summary and Review

　　Focus: Declining Energy Intensity 4.8% Continue to resolve excess capacity.

　　The report mentions that, 2014 Year, energy consumption intensity declined. 4.8% Price reforms in sectors such as energy, transportation, environmental protection, and telecommunications are accelerating. Significant achievements have been made in foreign cooperation in fields including railways, electricity, oil and gas, and telecommunications, and Chinese equipment is now making great strides onto the global stage. We will continue to address excess capacity in industries such as steel and cement. 15 The annual targets for phasing out outdated production capacity in key industries have been met as scheduled. We have stepped up efforts to combat smog and exceeded the targets for retiring yellow-label vehicles and aging cars. Last year, strong earthquakes struck Ludian and Jinggu in Yunnan Province; we promptly and efficiently launched earthquake relief and rescue operations, and post-disaster recovery and reconstruction are progressing smoothly.

　 　Keywords: Promote reform

　　Focus: Improve pricing for resource-based products and expand the scope of resource tax levied on a value-based basis.

　　The report proposes seizing the opportunity to accelerate price reform. The direction of reform is to give full play to the market’s decisive role in resource allocation, substantially reduce the number and scope of goods and services subject to government pricing, and, in principle, liberalize the prices of those goods and services that meet competitive conditions. We will also refine pricing for resource-based products and fully implement a tiered pricing system for residential users.

　　Promote new progress in the reform of the fiscal and taxation system. Adjust and improve the consumption tax policy, and expand the scope of resource tax levied on a value-based basis.

　　Deepen reform of state-owned enterprises and state-owned assets. Accurately define the functions of different types of state-owned enterprises and advance reforms in a categorized manner. Accelerate pilot programs for state-owned capital investment companies and operating companies, creating market-oriented operational platforms to enhance the efficiency of state-owned capital management. Implement the mixed-ownership reform of state-owned enterprises in an orderly fashion, encouraging and regulating the introduction of non-state-owned capital participation in investment projects. Speed up institutional reforms in sectors such as electricity, oil, and gas. Address, through multiple channels, the social burdens borne by enterprises and unresolved historical issues, thereby safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of employees. Improve the modern enterprise system and reform and strengthen the incentive and constraint mechanisms for enterprise managers. Strengthen oversight and regulation of state-owned assets to prevent their loss and effectively enhance the operational efficiency of state-owned enterprises.

　　Accelerate the implementation of the “Going Global” strategy. Encourage enterprises to participate in overseas infrastructure development and capacity cooperation, and promote Chinese equipment—including railways, power generation, telecommunications, construction machinery, as well as automobiles, aircraft, and electronics—to reach markets worldwide. Also, facilitate outward investment in industries such as metallurgy and building materials. Adopt an investment management approach for outbound investments that primarily relies on a filing system. Expand the scale of export credit insurance, ensuring full coverage for financing of large-scale complete sets of equipment exports. Broaden channels for utilizing foreign exchange reserves and improve financial, information, legal, and consular protection services. Attach great importance to risk prevention and enhance the ability to safeguard overseas interests. Help Chinese enterprises go global confidently and steadily, strengthening their competitiveness and fostering their growth in international competition.

　 　Keywords: Adjust structure, stabilize growth

　　Focus: Launching a Project to Ensure Clean Energy and Oil & Gas Mineral Resources

　　The report proposes increasing effective investment in public goods. It calls for ensuring the completion of key construction tasks under the 12th Five-Year Plan and launching a batch of new major engineering projects. These primarily include: livelihood-oriented projects such as shantytown and dilapidated housing renovation, and urban underground pipeline networks; major transportation projects such as railways and highways in central and western regions, and inland waterways; agricultural projects including water conservancy and high-standard farmland development; major network projects covering information technology, power supply, oil and gas infrastructure; projects aimed at securing clean energy and oil and gas mineral resources; technological upgrades in traditional industries; and projects focused on energy conservation, environmental protection, and ecological restoration.

　　Expand new space for regional development. Coordinate and implement the strategic combination of the “Four Major Regions” and the “Three Supporting Belts.” In the western region, commence construction on a batch of major projects covering integrated transportation, energy, water resources, ecological conservation, and improvements to people’s livelihoods. Fully implement policy measures aimed at comprehensively revitalizing old industrial bases in Northeast China and other regions. Accelerate the development of comprehensive transportation hubs and networks in the central region, support the eastern region in taking the lead in development, increase support for old, remote, ethnic minority, and poverty-stricken areas, and refine differentiated regional development policies.

　　China is a major maritime country. We must formulate and implement a marine strategic plan, develop the marine economy, protect the marine ecological environment, enhance our marine science and technology capabilities, strengthen comprehensive marine governance, firmly safeguard our national maritime rights and interests, properly resolve maritime disputes, actively expand bilateral and multilateral marine cooperation, and move steadily toward the goal of becoming a strong maritime nation.

　　Promote the transformation of the industrial structure toward the mid- to high-end. Manufacturing is our advantageous industry. We must implement “Made in China”... 2025 We will uphold innovation-driven development, intelligent transformation, strengthening the foundational base, and green development, and accelerate the shift from a manufacturing giant to a manufacturing powerhouse. We will adopt measures such as fiscal interest subsidies and accelerated depreciation to promote technological upgrades in traditional industries. We will adhere to a policy of both preserving and reducing capacity, resolve overcapacity, and support corporate mergers and reorganizations, allowing market forces to naturally weed out weaker enterprises and favor those with superior competitiveness. We will foster deep integration between industrialization and informatization, harness and develop technologies such as networking, digitalization, and intelligentization, and focus on seizing early opportunities and achieving breakthroughs in key strategic areas.

　 　Keyword: Improving people's livelihoods

　　Focus on promoting entrepreneurship and employment. Do a good job of re-employing workers who have lost their jobs during structural adjustments and the resolution of overcapacity.

　　Strengthen and innovate social governance. Enhance capabilities in preventing, handling, and responding to public emergencies, as well as in disaster prevention, relief, and mitigation. Do a good job in earthquake monitoring, meteorological services, surveying and mapping, and geological work.

　　Fight hard to win the tough battles against energy conservation, emission reduction, and environmental pollution control. Environmental pollution is a serious threat to people’s livelihoods and a source of deep public concern—so we must adopt an iron-fisted approach to tackle it. This year, we aim to reduce carbon dioxide emission intensity. 3.1% Above, both chemical oxygen demand and ammonia nitrogen emissions must be reduced. 2% By the way, emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are to be reduced separately. 3% Left and right and 5% Right. Deeply implement the Action Plan for Air Pollution Prevention and Control, adopt regional joint prevention and control measures, promote ultra-low emission upgrades at coal-fired power plants, and foster zero growth in coal consumption in key regions.

　　Implement the Action Plan for Water Pollution Prevention and Control, strengthen efforts to tackle water pollution in rivers, lakes, and seas, as well as pollution sources and non-point agricultural pollution, and establish comprehensive oversight covering the entire process—from water sources to taps. Promote third-party governance of environmental pollution. Do a good job in drafting legislation for the environmental protection tax. We must strictly enforce environmental laws and regulations, mete out severe penalties to those who illegally discharge or release pollutants, ensuring they pay a heavy price; and hold those who turn a blind eye or condone such behavior strictly accountable, ensuring they receive due punishment.

　　The energy production and consumption revolution is closely linked to both development and people’s livelihoods. We must vigorously develop wind power, photovoltaic power, and biomass energy; actively promote hydropower; safely develop nuclear power; and explore and utilize shale gas and coalbed methane. We should also control the total volume of energy consumption and strengthen energy conservation in key sectors such as industry, transportation, and construction. We should actively foster a circular economy and vigorously advance the resource utilization of industrial waste and domestic garbage. China’s energy-saving and environmental protection market holds enormous potential, and we must turn the energy-saving and environmental protection industry into a new pillar industry.

　　We must advance the construction of major ecological projects, expand key ecological function zones, successfully establish pilot demonstration zones for ecological civilization, launch pilot programs for comprehensive land and river remediation, extend the pilot program of horizontal compensation mechanisms between upstream and downstream areas within river basins, and effectively protect the headwaters of the Three Rivers. We will also expand the scope of natural forest protection and gradually phase out commercial logging of natural forests. This year, we will add new areas to the program of returning cultivated land to forests and grasslands. 1000 Ten thousand mu, afforestation 9000 Ten thousand mu. Ecological and environmental protection lies in action and succeeds through perseverance. We must remain steadfast and never let up—absolutely ensuring that blue skies are always present, clear waters flow endlessly, and sustainable development is achieved forever.