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China pushes to speed up key infrastructure builds amid investment declines

The NDRC urges faster work on major projects and the six networks initiative to reverse falling investment

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Workers at a train station construction site for a train station in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, on Wednesday. Photo: Getty Images
Xinyi Wuin Beijing

China’s top economic planner has held meetings over two consecutive days on accelerating major construction projects, signalling urgency over bolstering fixed-asset investment as economic momentum slows.

The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) met with representatives from several ministries on Thursday to review the progress of the 109 major projects proposed under the country’s latest five-year plan.

Officials called for accelerating the implementation of ongoing projects and promoted the early commencement of new projects, according to a statement released on Friday.

The NDRC also held a meeting on Wednesday on strengthening financing mechanisms for China’s six networks, an infrastructure programme under the five-year plan to upgrade the country’s water, electricity, computing, telecommunications, logistics and underground pipe systems by 2030.

Authorities at the meeting called for strengthening of information-sharing with financial institutions, encouraging the participation of private capital and better leveraging the role of government investments, according to a separate statement.

The two meetings followed a slew of similar sessions held by the NDRC last month, including a rare national meeting convened last Friday to promote investments in areas such as technological innovation, industrial upgrading and urban renewal, with officials pledging faster disbursement of fiscal funds for major construction projects.

Beijing’s priority was now set on boosting investment, said Song Yu, chief China economist at UBS Securities.

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