(Yicai Global) March 6 -- A second ministerial press conference for China's two sessions, the annual meetings of the national legislature and top political advisory body, was held in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing yesterday. A number of senior ministers, regulators and agency directors offered insights into government policies and other developments at the briefing.

China-US Trade Efforts

The China-US trade talks have followed the principle of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit, agreed to by the leaders of both sides, Commerce Minister Zhong Shan told reporters. Mutual respect means respect for each country's social system and development model. Equality and mutual benefit mean that the two sides are equal during the consultation, whose outcome will be mutually beneficial, he said.

Negotiations are ongoing and much work still needs to be done. This demands joint efforts from both sides, Zhong added.

Toll Station Demise

The Ministry of Transportation will achieve the goal of eliminating provincial toll stations next year, with the work starting in key regions and provinces this year, Minister Li Xiaopeng said.

Garbage Smuggling Clampdown

The General Administration of Customs will initiate the Blue Sky 2019 special campaign this year to resolutely crack down on foreign garbage smuggling, Director Ni Yuefeng said, adding that the Blue Sky 2018 campaign against solid waste was quite effective.

The campaign advocated joint global enforcement, with 75 countries and regions taking part in the Goddess of the Earth action. The GACC carried out the most rigorous inspection of solid waste imports at ports, and slashed such imports by 46.5 percent last year. It strengthened source supervision and follow-up inspections and found unqualified solid waste of up to 150,000 tons through pre-shipment inspection, effectively preventing foreign garbage from entering the country, according to Ni.

Manufacturing Upgrade

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology will promote high-quality development of the manufacturing sector, Minister Miao Wei said. It will carry out a pilot demonstration of the gigabit ethernet fiber-to-the-home project, turning some of the 100-megabit cables, accounting for 70 percent of total fiber coverage, into gigabit ones.

Miao added that the ministry will further cut mobile communication costs by 20 percent following a 63-percent reduction last year. Before the end of the year, it will lower the average cost of broadband for small- and medium-sized firms by at least 15 percent and allow all mobile phone users to move to other carriers while keeping their numbers.

Market Reforms

The State Administration for Market Regulation has vigorously promoted the reform of the commercial system and last year reduced the number of procedures for companies' market access from seven to four, which has been a great help to enterprises, Director Zhang Mao said.

There were 21 million new market players in China last year, an increase of 11 percent from a year earlier. Nearly 18,400 new firms were added every day, 80 percent of which were in the services sector, especially in research and the internet. And 90 percent of them were private businesses.

A total of 546 administrative approvals will be promoted in 12 free trade zones this year, which will further reduce the government's intervention in the micro economy and better enable companies to compete fairly in the market.

Grain Output Goals

This year's aim for grain production is to maintain a steady output, which calls for stable cultivated areas and agricultural policies, according to Agriculture and Rural Affairs Minister Han Changfu. The government's policy of supporting grain production will always be consistent and it will subsidize corn and soybean producers and stabilize the minimum purchase price of rice.

For the first ministerial press conference:
https://www.yicaiglobal.com/news/chinese-government-ministers-offer-insights-on-policies-reports